Chapter 461

Additionally, the main street had been cleared, with Yamen Runners and Constables patrolling, and horse-block fences placed in between.

No one is allowed to pass!

316, the cards are on the table!

The Zheng family members were likewise blocked inside the gate; wanting to go out was simply impossible.

Even after stating their identities, they were still not allowed!

Zheng Zhilong and his brothers all wore expressions of utter confusion.

Since when did the Quanzhou Prefecture officials dare treat them this way?

This is simply too excessive!

"Big Brother, it looks like they have no good intentions; otherwise, let's send a signal and just rebel against them!"

The single-minded Zheng Zhibao was like gunpowder; once lit, he exploded!

Crack!

Hearing this, Zheng Zhilong stepped forward and delivered a huge slap.

"How many times have I told you to read fewer storybooks, yet you just won't listen; are you stupid? Didn't you hear the Yamen Runner just say the entire city is sealed, no one may enter or leave, and the Quanzhou Prefecture officials are going to the Prefecture Yamen for a meeting, ordered personally by the Imperial Envoy!"

"Eh? Isn't that the young man who went back this noon? I saw him drinking quite happily today, so why this sudden turn of events?"

At this moment, Zheng Zhikui spoke up with some confusion.

Zheng Zhihu pondered for a moment and said with some suspicion: "I suppose something must have happened. Big Brother, although you are a ragtag General, regardless, you are considered an official of the Quanzhou Prefecture; why don't you go take a look?"

Hearing this, Zheng Zhilong nodded. "Alright, I also think I should go take a look; making such a huge commotion cannot be a small matter!"

"Big Brother, why don't you not go? This is too dangerous; what if it's a trap they've set for us? Then wouldn't you be walking straight into the net?"

This Zheng Zhibao, I don't know what storybooks he's been reading, acting as if he has a persecution complex.

Whatever others say or do, he thinks they intend to harm his Big Brother.

It is simply going too far!

Crack!

Zheng Zhilong turned his head and delivered another huge slap.

Zheng Zhibao rubbed the back of his head, grimacing in pain.

"Shut up now! Second Brother, watch him in a moment and make him practice his arts; Third Brother, find where he put those storybooks, and later burn them all for me! I'll change clothes and go to the Prefecture Yamen!"

"Alright!"

"Don't, Big Brother, the storybooks are innocent!"

Crack!

"Just shut up!"

When Su Qiao arrived at the Prefecture Yamen, some officials had not yet arrived.

Taking advantage of this time, Su Qiao met with Zhou Xun and Li Heyu.

"You yourselves should clearly know what mistakes you have made," Su Qiao said without wasting words, getting straight to the point.

The two exchanged a glance and nodded, saying, "My lord, this humble official knows his error!"

"I have no interest in punishing you; leave it to Grand Secretary Sun to decide later. Also, the confession of guilt will be submitted by yourselves; I don't need to remind you, do I?"

"No need, this humble official understands!"

"Mm, good that you understand. The plague matter is urgent; if handled poorly, it could spread to millions or even tens of millions of common people. This matter cannot be taken lightly; until the situation is resolved, none of us may slack off casually. There are too many people in the Quanzhou Prefecture, including foreign merchants; if too many die or are injured, you know what the result will be!"

"Yes!"

By the time Zheng Zhilong arrived at the Prefecture Yamen, he found it packed, with nearly a hundred or so officials of various ranks present.

Do not look down on Zheng Zhilong's low official rank; when he arrived, truly no one dared to look down on this ragtag General.

"The Imperial Envoy arrives—"

However, before Zheng Zhilong could greet others, exchange pleasantries, or build connections, Su Qiao appeared with Zhou Xun, Li Heyu, plus Wang Da, the three big shots of Quanzhou.

Walking from behind the hall to the front, Su Qiao wasted no time.

"I estimate most of you are currently completely bewildered; this official will state the reason directly, and that is!"

"A plague has appeared within the Quanzhou Prefecture borders; originally it was three villages in the suburbs, but now people inside the city have already been infected!"

Hush...

As soon as Su Qiao's words fell, the great hall suddenly seemed to explode like a boiling pot.

A plague!

Who isn't afraid?

A plague is far more terrifying than any drought or flood.

With droughts and floods, at least officials like us are unlikely to get into trouble; a plague is different.

Infectious diseases are invisible; you never know who unlucky enough to catch it, and once caught, there is no cure, leading straight to death.

One cannot fight, and one cannot help but worry and panic.

Even Zheng Zhilong down below had a Solemn expression appear on his face.

He now understood why the Quanzhou City had suddenly turned into such a state, and why this Imperial Envoy Su Qiao would suddenly order martial law.

So there is a plague!

Bang bang bang!

Su Qiao said nothing; Zhou Xun, one of the "Three Big Shots," with a bad look on his face, slapped the table.

The sound of everyone's heated discussion and panic was instantly suppressed.

The great hall gradually fell quiet.

"Everyone listen to the Imperial Inspector speak. If anyone pipes up again, don't blame us for being rude!"

Zhou Xun and the others had already been scolded by Su Qiao once before, and were still brooding over having to write a confession to send to Jingcheng — how could their mood be anything but foul?

Being subjected to another noisy uproar on top of that was simply too much to bear.

The officials below noticed that Prefect Zhou Xun and Vice Prefect Li Heyu both had faces black as ink — clearly in a foul mood.

They had no desire to touch that nerve.

Seeing that everyone had finally quieted down, Su Qiao began to lay out the method for handling the epidemic.

Basically, it followed the classic quarantine methods of our future China.

First, quarantine the affected districts; quarantine the infected; disinfect; scatter lime powder; clear the city's drainage channels; clear out mosquitoes, insects, snakes, and rats — and so on.

Eliminate the latent threats first, then summon the well-known physicians to come together and research a cure.

The meeting dragged on until very late, running straight through to the Hour of the Rat.

Everyone was, for the most part, exhausted and starving.

But this was a matter of life and death, and Su Qiao and the "Three Giants" had their eyes on it — no one dared slack off.

At the tail end of the meeting, Zhao Lun sought out Su Qiao.

Zhao Lun was an official of the Quanzhou Prefecture's Office of Maritime Trade.

He had to report to Su Qiao the foreign merchants' protest.

"My lord, the foreign merchants are all kicking up a fuss now. How should we handle it? Arrest them all?"

"Hmph. You come to me over such a trifle — you did it on purpose, didn't you?"

Su Qiao seriously suspected as much — in fact, there was no need to suspect; it was certain!

The fact that Zhao Lun had risen from a petty unranked clerk to the chief official of the Office of Maritime Trade — a fourth-rank official, nearly on par with the Quanzhou Prefecture Vice Prefect — proved he was by no means some brainless, talentless fellow; on the contrary, he was very capable.

A man of such ability — could he not handle such a trifle?

Wasn't it simply a matter of shifting the blame?

Once Su Qiao had called him out, Zhao Lun went pale and hurriedly explained: "My lord, this one isn't trying to shift the blame. The situation right now is a bit off — especially with the Dutch. I feel like they're always picking quarrels. If it really does blow up into some kind of clash, the charges against this one will be enormous!"

"Hmph! Don't let it happen again! Even if the two countries came to blows, it would be nothing. Don't worry — our Great Ming won't lose. If we win, they'll have to pay the price!"

Su Qiao knew he wasn't being strung along, either — at the very least, he had already learned of the matter from Zheng Zhilong that morning.

"Yes, sir!"

317, someone's coming!

After Su Qiao finished the meeting, virtually every official and clerk in Quanzhou Prefecture who could move was set in motion.