Chapter 248: Braving Through

 Chapter 248: Braving Through

Daohua and her group were personally escorted into Xingyun Prefecture by Lü Shuo.

The city gates were now only allowing entry, not exit. Watching the gates close once again, Lü Shuo sighed in relief.

It’s true what they say—adversity shows true friendship.

There were actually many aristocratic families trapped in the city, but only two had family members come to them—one was the Dong family, and the other was the Yan family. Most others had just sent servants to take a look.

Looking at the several carts of medicinal herbs and large bags of masks piled beside the city gate, Lü Shuo relaxed a little, then walked over and took two bags of masks, preparing to distribute them to the soldiers.

Whether useful or not, wearing them would at least bring some comfort.

Xingyuan Mansion

The residence of Xiao Yeyang and others.

“What did you say? Daohua is here?”

Xiao Yeyang looked at the soldier who had come to report with surprise. After the shock, he felt joy, but after a moment, concern replaced it.

“What is she doing here at this time? Doesn’t she know how dangerous it is here now? And Lü Shuo, how could he let her into the city?”

To prevent the plague from spreading, the soldiers were standing outside the gate to respond.

The soldier glanced at Xiao Yeyang and muttered, “At first, the general didn’t want to let her in, but then Miss Yan showed your jade pendant, Your Highness. That’s when they allowed her to enter.”

Xiao Yeyang: ...

He had given the jade pendant to Daohua to support her, but she used it for this purpose instead.

The soldier continued, “Your Highness, Miss Yan should be arriving soon. She brought a lot of medicinal herbs with her, and two physicians as well. I still need to guard the gate, so I’ll take my leave now.”

Xiao Yeyang nodded.

Before long, Daohua and her group arrived.

Daohua saw Xiao Yeyang from a distance. Noticing his pale complexion, she immediately furrowed her brows.

“What are you doing here? Don’t you know the city is sealed off?”

As soon as Daohua arrived, Xiao Yeyang disapproved. “Are you alright?”

Daohua didn’t want to discuss this; she directly asked about his health.

Xiao Yeyang’s expression changed slightly. “What could be wrong with me? I’ve just been tired from lack of rest these past few days.”

Behind him, Defu looked at his master with worry, quickly glanced at Daohua, and lowered his head when Daohua looked back at him.

Daohua had a hunch and pressed her lips together but didn’t say anything. “I’ve come all this way. You’re not going to make me stand outside, are you?”

Xiao Yeyang didn’t respond immediately. After a moment of silence, he said, “You’ve just arrived, so I’ll have someone escort you out.”

Before he could finish, Daohua walked straight into the mansion, passing by Xiao Yeyang and heading toward the courtyard. “I finally made it here. How could I leave?”

Then she paused, turned back to look at Xiao Yeyang, and said, “I’ll check on my eldest brother and the others first. You haven’t rested in days, have you? Go get some rest, and I’ll check on you later.”

Her gaze then shifted to Defu.

“Defu, please have someone guide me and arrange a place for us to stay. We may need to stay here for a while.”

Defu immediately nodded. “Miss, don’t worry. I’ll arrange it right away.”

Daohua smiled. “Thank you.”

The Courtyard Where the Yan Brothers Stayed

Lately, Yan Wenkai’s condition had become increasingly severe, and he had now fallen into a coma. Yan Wenxiu and Yan Wentao had been guarding outside his room, both with heavy hearts.

When they heard that Daohua had arrived, both of them were stunned.

“How could Grandmother let Daohua come?”

“How could Mother agree to let Daohua come?”

They both looked shocked. After a moment, they guessed the reason, and guilt overtook them.

It must be because of them!

If it weren’t for the three of them, their family would never have allowed Daohua to take such a risk.

Yan Wenxiu and Yan Wentao quickly left the courtyard. As they stepped outside, they saw Daohua running toward them.

Daohua quickly approached, first checking the condition of her two older brothers. Seeing they were okay, though a little tired, she sighed in relief. Not bothering with pleasantries, she immediately asked, “Eldest brother, Third brother, where is Fourth brother?”

Yan Wenxiu sighed. “It’s good you’re here. Go see Fourth brother.”

Upon hearing this, Daohua’s heart sank. Without saying much, she entered the courtyard. As she walked, she asked, “Eldest brother, Third brother, tell me about Fourth brother’s condition.”

Yan Wentao hurriedly explained, “At first, he had diarrhea, and then he started vomiting and having diarrhea at the same time...”

As they spoke, they arrived outside Yan Wenkai’s room.

“Eldest brother, Third brother, you stay outside. I’ll go in to take a look.” As she spoke, Daohua entered Yan Wenkai’s room without waiting for anyone to react. Yan Wenxiu wanted to stop her but couldn’t in time.

“Little sister, come out quickly. The imperial physician said not to get too close, it’s dangerous!”

Yan Wenxiu urgently called out.

Wang Man’er immediately responded, “Don’t worry, Eldest and Third Young Masters. The young lady knows medicine and will be careful.” She then led Gu Yu and Li Xia to go heat water.

Inside the room, Daohua examined Yan Wenkai’s condition. Combining the information Yan Wentao had given, she had a general understanding of the situation.

In her past life, she had seen many prescriptions for treating plagues. Before, she hadn’t known the specifics, so she couldn’t prescribe anything. Now that she understood the situation, she was ready to make the necessary decisions.

Soon, Daohua and her group got to work.

“What are they doing?”

Looking at Wang Man’er and a few servants sprinkling medicine around the courtyard, others were confused.

“They’re disinfecting, probably trying to prevent the plague from spreading.”

“Does it help?”

“It should. Didn’t you see that Old physician Xu didn’t say anything?”

"Before, only a few people in the mansion were infected, but now, more people are falling ill every day. If we can truly stop the spread, it would be a great blessing."

After preparing the medicine for Yan Wenkai and feeding it to him, Daohua called for Defu.

Defu: "Miss Yan, is there anything you need me to do?"

Daohua got straight to the point: "Has Xiao Yeyang fallen ill too?"

Defu remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

Daohua: "Then why hasn't he rested? I saw him running around just now."

Defu's face showed bitterness: "The master can’t rest. Right now, in the mansion—no, in the entire Xingyun Prefecture—everyone is on the brink of collapse."

"For many people, the master is their hope to survive. If the master falls, chaos will surely break out in the city. Although the governor has sent soldiers to guard the place, those few soldiers can’t stop the desperate people from outside."

Daohua furrowed her brows: "So, he's forcing himself to hold on?"

Defu: "It's a situation with no other choice."

Daohua rubbed her forehead, falling into silence for a while. "Fourth brother is ill, and eldest brother and third brother can’t stay here easily. Here's what we’ll do: have Xiao Yeyang move into this courtyard so I can take care of him. And also, have Brother Dong move over too. That way, I won’t have to run between courtyards."

Defu immediately nodded, then looked at Daohua with anticipation: "Miss Yan, what about the master...?"

Daohua knew what he wanted to ask and interrupted him: "He’ll be fine."

The plague is powerful, but as long as we find the right approach and control the transmission, it can be managed.

(End of Chapter)