Chapter 224: 皇后娘娘到底是怎么想的

[What on earth are the Empress thinking about? ]

Tai Ling County Prefectural Mansion.

Aside from the two guards guarding the entrance, it was almost empty with not many people.

All the people had been sent out by Imperial Envoy Liu to help.

Even Yin Shuang had been sent out by Lu Yunluo since morning to help and cook  the medicine.

Lu Yunluo woke up early today and had been busy for a whole day without eating, so her stomach had long been hungry.

She got up and went to the kitchen to see if there was anything she could eat.

After rummaging around for half a day, she only found cold bean paste in the pot.

It should have been cooked at noon.

Lu Yunluo had long heard that the condition of the common people of Dong Lan Country was not good, that they were unable to eat rice, and almost all of them ate this kind of bean paste to fill their stomachs.

Right away, she took a bowl for herself

However, this bean paste is definitely not enough for her to eat.

Thinking about the fact that there was still a hard battle to be fought behind her at night.

She still took out a few buns from her space.

These buns were still stored in space when Yin Shuang steamed them in the past.

The space was able to maintain the tense state of the food when it was first put in, so the buns were still steaming hot when she took them out.

After finishing the three vegetable buns, he carried the bean paste outside.

He bumped into Elder Ge, who had come all the way here.

When Ge Lao saw the bean paste in Lu Yunluo’s hand, he was clearly flabbergasted.

The Empress is actually eating this kind of thing?

She really does have a heart for the common people ah! 

At once, he looked at Lu Yunluo with a gaze filled with admiration.

This kind of bean paste in addition to the folk really poor people could eat but the other people but under some conditions, will not eat this kind of thing.

Because this bean paste had a very strong bean fishy flavor, it was very difficult to swallow.

“Empress really does have a heart for the people, it’s really admirable.”

Thinking that before he set off, he had thought that this Empress was just a frail woman from the deep palace, he blushed with shame 

Lu Yunluo’s expression paused. 

With such a high hat (flattery) on, she felt guilty ah. 

She just saw this bean paste and wanted to taste what this bean paste actually tasted like, that’s all.

However, since she bumped into Ge Lao.

Then it would be better to be happy together than to be happy alone.

“Elder Ge, this queen sees that there is still some left in the kitchen, you must have not eaten it either right? Bring it over and eat it together.”

“This…” Ge Lao was a little hesitant.

This bean paste he had eaten before, that flavor, it was really hard to swallow ah.

But since the Empress gave the word, he naturally didn’t dare to disobey.

Going to the kitchen, he served a bowl out.

“Come and sit down, ba! Going outside, there’s no need to pay attention to those mere rituals.” This is the only table here, she can’t let people eat while standing up ba! 

After Ge Lao thanked him, he sat down opposite Lu Yunluo.

But with his back straight, staring at the yellowish pile in the bowl, he really didn’t have the appetite for it.

Thinking about the purpose of his visit, he asked at that moment, “Your Highness, this servant just heard that you said in front of the people that you could make a plague like smallpox disappear, is that true?”

Lu Yunluo nodded, “Indeed like that.”

She dug a mouthful of bean paste into her mouth.

The strong flavor of the beans immediately hit her nose and filled her entire throat.

She frowned and swallowed anyway.

It was too hard to eat (not delicious)!

“Have you found any new discoveries, Your Highness?” Ge Lao couldn’t wait to ask.

He had also studied smallpox over the years, but there really wasn’t much progress. 

He was really curious as to what kind of method it would take to cause this plague to be completely eliminated. 

Lu Yunluo smiled faintly, “Did you know about Prince Chen being quarantined for contracting smallpox?”

She also heard it mentioned in the afternoon when she was treating patients.

He had already been infected for two days and was staying in the quarantine area with the mildly ill patients.

Ge Lao nodded, “I’ve heard about this matter, but this official hasn’t bothered to go over to visit Prince Chen.”

Prince Chen’s medical skills were brilliant, but he didn’t expect him to infected as well.

It could be seen how powerful this plague was.

“You don’t think that Prince Chen was infected by accident, do you?” Lu Yunluo looked at Ge Lao’s expression, and how she looked at it, there was a kind of regret in it.

Ge Lao’s expression paused as he pondered and asked, “What does Your Highness mean…?”

Not knowing why.

Ge Lao suddenly remembered the plague ten years ago when Prince Chen tested the medicine on his body.

Suddenly an idea popped up, “Your Highness, are you saying that Prince Chen, he got infected on purpose?”

Lu Yunluo nodded.

If she guessed correctly, Prince Chen should have discovered a way to prevent smallpox,to be vaccinated, so he used himself as a test.

However, the danger of this method was still very high.

“This…” Ge Lao fell silent.

He sighed to himself that this spirit of Prince Chen to sacrifice his life; he considered himself as being not as good as him. 

He stroked his beard again and said, “After this smallpox plague is infected once, it won’t be re-infected for life. This Prince Chen couldn’t be trying to avoid this plague by being intentionally infected by it right?”

Ge Lao was worthy of being a medical practitioner for many years, he quickly guessed Prince Chen’s intention, “But this method is too dangerous, what’s the difference between this and being infected with smallpox unintentionally?”

One is being infected by someone else, and the other is being infected on one’s own initiative.

Isn’t the result the same?

The lucky ones survived and would never be infected again for the rest of their lives, while the unlucky ones were disfigured and lost their lives.

Lu Yunluo smiled and did not give too much of explanation 

This time,at the county government’s door, Tang Lao rushed over in a hurry.

Before he got close, he asked in a loud voice, “Where is the Empress?”

The guards guarding the door thought for a moment, when the Empress came just now, her face was exhausted, she probably should be resting at the moment, so they replied, “The Empress should rest.”

Tang Lao coldly grunted and flung his sleeves then went in.

Tai Ling County is now in dire straits, how could this Empress even rest?

Entering the county government, a sullen face came all the way forward.

Very soon, Ge Lao was sitting at the table with the woman who helped at the scene today, eating a meal.

At the moment, he walked over with big strides.

“Elder Tang (Tang Lao), this time, you were a little slow in coming.” Ge Lao jokes.

He knew this Elder Tang the best, if he had learnt that there was a solution that could solve the smallpox, he would definitely have been as pressed as he was to come over and enquire.

Both of them were working in the Imperial Doctor’s Department.

Even Tang Lao’s official position was one level greater than Ge Lao.

Tang Lao was the deputy of the Imperial Physician of the Department of Imperial Physicians, and Ge Lao was the Imperial Physician who was in charge of assisting others.

These two often argued over medical matters, and over the years, they became attached. 

Because the two of them never got along privately, they were not the superior and subordinate kind of relationship, but like friends.

Tang Lao was very angry after meeting Ge Lao and sat down beside Lu Yunluo, “You also heard about the Empress’s boasts in front of the people, right?”

Ge Lao nodded his head. 

Isn’t it? 

He had rushed over after hearing about it and hadn’t asked for an answer yet, but whether it was a boast or not, it was not confirmed yet. 

Seeing Ge Lao nodded, Tang Lao thought that Ge Lao had the same way of thinking with him, and immediately poured out one’s woes and started to roast. 

“What do you think this Empress is thinking? How is it possible to wipe out such a powerful and virulent infectious disease as smallpox, and when she deceives the people like this, has she ever thought about what will happen if she could no longer hide it one day? At that time, it will only cause even more trouble or disaster!”