[ A Method to Restrain Smallpox]

The crowd turned back.

However, because of the crowd, only the people in the last row could see what was going on behind them.

At the end of the street, the young girl’s thin body was tossed about by the wind and rain in the gray evening after the rain.

She came this way step by step, seemingly with a body full of fatigue.

There was no front and back (with attendants crowding round). 

No glittering fancy or flashy dress.

No meticulously tended hair bun and make-up look. 

Her clothes were unkempt and even stained with striking blood and stains.

The simple hair bun that she wore on her head was loose, and the broken hair that hung down danced messily in the breeze.

She had a face that could turn people upside down after just one look.

She had a determined look on her face.

But there was a slight fatigue between her brows.

As the woman got closer and closer to them.

More people were shocked when they saw the female maiden’s looks.

Wasn’t this the young girl who had been saving them today?

The people were impressed by her because of her outstanding looks as well as her efficient and quick rescue speed.

She is the Empress?

Shock was written all over the eyes of the  common people.

The Empress they thought of was a woman who was high up in the sky (set oneself high above the masses; be far removed from the masses and reality; hold oneself aloft) looking down on all living beings, and was separated from the people by a heavenly barrier.

Instead of the one they’re looking at. In order to save the people’s lives, she put down her own body. In that smelly environment, busy all day, the woman never rested.

It turned out that after the fire, the Empress had always been by their side.

The crowd that was close to tens of thousands of people suddenly quieted down all of a sudden.

Lu Yunluo came to a place where the crowd could clearly see her on the steps.

One by one, her eyes swept over the dark and dense crowd underneath.

“Ben Gong (I) has come to Tai Ling County to resolve the matter of the plague by order of the Emperor.”

“Ben Gong (I) hereby promises that as long as the plague is not removed from Tai Ling County for one day, this palace will not leave for one day! With you all, we will advance and retreat together!”

The young girl’s thin body stood proudly.

Her firm voice was clear and loud.

In this silent evening, it blew into their ears like wind.

Looking at the woman stained with blood on the steps, the people gradually calmed down.

If the imperial court really wanted to burn them to death, how could they send the Empress to come?

At this time, even if someone wanted to refute it, not knowing where and how to begin

For a Queen who can put down her stature and devote herself to saving the lives of the injured and the dying, in the hearts of the people, there is a different significance.

In the crowd, it was unknown who shouted out, “Empress, Long Live; Thousand Years, Thousand Years!”

Instantly, the people shouted in unison, “Empress, Thousand Years, Banzai, Banzai!”

The dense crowd knelt down.

No matter what or how.

This kneeling was one that came from the heart of the vast majority of the people.

“Get up!”

Lu Yunluo’s voice was smooth and her face was calm as she accepted this kneeling from them.

“Everyone, don’t worry, this smallpox plague, Ben Gong already has a solution, it won’t be long before you can’t only return to your previous normal days, but also let you not have to fear this plague of smallpox for the rest of your lives! This palace will make smallpox disappear completely in our Dong Lan Kingdom!” Lu Yunluo said solemnly.

This was her promise to the people of Tai Ling County.

These words stirred up a thousand waves with a single stone in the crowd.

Not having to fear it anymore for the rest of their lives?

Make smallpox disappear completely?

Could it be that the imperial court had already found a way to be able to restrain smallpox?

If this was really the case, this was a great piece of good news ah. 

When the people learnt of this news, the vast majority of them showed joy.

However, there were also a lot of doubts.

This smallpox had never disappeared since ancient times, if it could really be solved so easily, why had smallpox been allowed to wreak havoc for so long?

Without waiting for the common people to ask specific questions, that figure had already quietly moved away.

It must be said that Lu Yunluo’s appearance, and the news she brought, pacified the vast majority of the people in Tai Ling County.

The rest of the matter of dispersing the crowd was much easier to be resolved by Imperial Envoy Liu.

And at the corner of the street in the distance, there was a black-clothed man who had been watching the movements over here, and with a flash of his figure, he disappeared at the end of the street.

The matter of Lu Yunluo’s boastful remarks in front of the people had also quickly reached the ears of Medical Officer Master Tang Lao.

“What? The Empress really said that?” Tang Lao had been busy all day on the spot today without stopping.

Suddenly, he heard his subordinates say that the Empress boasted in front of the people that she could make the people of Tai Ling County no longer fear smallpox in the future, and that she could also make smallpox disappear from Dong Lan Country.

He had been practicing medicine for many years and knew how terrible the contagiousness of smallpox was.

As long as there was still a person infected with smallpox in an area inside the borders of Dong Lan Country, smallpox would never disappear.

He never thought that this Empress would even be able to tell such lies in order to comfort the people.

Now, the plague in Tai Ling County is already extremely serious, plus today’s fire and disturbance.

Before long, the number of infected people in this Tai Ling County would only increase.

He could only do what he could to minimize the number of deaths.

He wouldn’t even dare to think about making smallpox disappear completely in the Dong Lan Kingdom, not to mention to say it out. 

This Empress is so blatantly fooling the people, he is afraid that it will cause even more public discontent in the future.

“Where is the Empress now?” Tang Lao asked in a deep voice.

He hadn’t even seen this Empress since this morning.

The deaths and injuries of the people were so severe, and this Empress had never shown her face.

It was only just now when the people made a big fuss that she came out to say a few words.

She also told such a big lie.

Tang Lao was already dissatisfied with this Empress that he had never met.

“The Empress went to the Yamen government’s office, and also instructed all the experts to arrange for the matters at hand in an hour later, for all to go over for a trip.”

“Just in time, I would like to ask this Empress for advice on how exactly this smallpox can be completely eradicated.” Tang Lao tossed his sleeves and left in large strides.

The medical official who had just spoken said, “Tang Lao, the Empress has asked you to go back in an hour…”

Tang Lao snorted coldly, still an hour later?

He couldn’t even wait a moment now.

On the other side, Ge Lao, who had followed Lu Yunluo to come to Tai Ling County, also couldn’t even stay for a moment after hearing the news that the Empress said she was able to wipe out smallpox completely.

But he was different from Tang Lao.

He had observed when the Empress was bandaging and treating people today.

That neat and nimble technique, as well as so many needle application techniques that he had never seen before, all made him feel that this Empress of theirs was not simple.

Such a person who was well versed in medical science would never be able to casually boast about it.

It could only be that this Empress had truly discovered a way to restrain smallpox.

Although, in his opinion, it was very unbelievable.

Therefore, he now desperately wanted to know what exactly was the method that this empress had mentioned.

After arranging the matters at hand, he hurriedly came to the county government.