Chapter 462

Zhao Lun, having once again received the "Imperial Sword" from Su Qiao, became more forceful.

Especially telling them that the city was sealed and they could not move about freely because a plague had been discovered in Quanzhou Prefecture.

These foreign merchants immediately thought of fleeing.

However, how could we let you run?

If any of you are carrying the disease and spread it elsewhere, wouldn't the whole world suffer?

So no matter how these foreign merchants pleaded or spoke, it was useless; none of them could leave.

It was not only the foreign merchants; domestic merchants were the same.

No one dared to move about freely!

An urgent report from Quanzhou Prefecture, traveling eight hundred li, was also sent to the capital.

As for the capital's reaction, Su Qiao had not yet placed much hope in it.

Will the capital react?

It certainly will!

But will it be useful?

Probably not much use!

At most, they would seal off the area, issue a notice to towns near Quanzhou Prefecture telling everyone not to approach, and transport some grain and supplies, and so on.

Do not expect anything else.

As for imperial physicians researching a cure and so on, that requires time.

Handling the plague in Quanzhou Prefecture was almost assigned to everyone's head.

Every household, even brothels and such, needed to thoroughly clean their own small patch of land.

If any family failed to clean thoroughly, just wait to be punished!

Two merchant households, relying on their official background, handled the matter very perfunctorily.

Discovered by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Yamen Runners, they were sent directly to the great prison to scrub the floors with rags.

Now that was comfortable!

Since this measure of killing the chicken to scare the monkey was taken, no one dared to resist openly.

Actually, handling it for small families was not difficult.

On the contrary, those great mansions and wealthy households found it the most unbearable.

Their homes were so large!

But servants and underlings were simply insufficient; they had to do the work themselves.

Especially the Zheng family, with a mansion covering over one hundred and thirty mu of land.

You go clean that up!

Anyway, the four Zheng Zhilong brothers worked continuously for several days, covered in dust and grime every day.

This plague was considered to have broken out.

From the original three villages where infection was discovered, it expanded to seven or eight villages, with nearly several thousand people showing symptoms.

Not only that, even within the city, where Wang Da had handled things earliest, quickly and timely.

It still failed to suppress the spread of the plague virus.

In just two or three short days, the numbers increased geometrically.

It started with two, then four, then eighteen, and on the fourth day it jumped directly to over one hundred people!

No one dared to conceal these cases; they were all isolated immediately, followed by disinfection and so on.

However, the effect was still not considered very good.

At least in Su Qiao's view, there was not much effect; it felt like it could not be suppressed.

Conversely, the officials of Quanzhou Prefecture felt Su Qiao's method was very effective.

The effect was extremely good!

Because, if not for Su Qiao's rigorous handling, Quanzhou Prefecture would not have had only over one hundred people infected within the city while several thousand fell ill in five days.

With the dense population of over a million in Quanzhou City, tens of thousands would have already broken out, with countless deaths and injuries.

Now?

Except for the suburbs where control was initially lost, everything else was temporarily suppressing the spread of the plague.

The common people inside and outside the city were not so afraid anymore.

Yes, in their view, this plague, which previously meant waiting to die, at least had some Decisive method.

It was not like before when it was unsolvable.

News of the plague in Quanzhou Prefecture spread quickly.

Not only did other regions of Jiangnan know, but even the Dutch, who had been planning to ambush the Great Ming and trade through plunder, also learned of this matter.

Their plans were immediately blocked.

Such a terrifying plague; they could not escape fast enough.

Who would dare to go up there!

By then, they would not even know how they died.

It was better to wait until the Quanzhou plague ended and the Great Ming in Fujian entered a period of weakness before launching their attack.

So this plague could be said to have both advantages and disadvantages.

Zhu Youjian in the capital received the news four days slightly late.

And that was the result of six or seven horses dying along the journey!

When the court learned that a plague had been discovered in Quanzhou Prefecture, Zhu Youjian was stunned on the spot.

The first thought that came to his mind was not anything else, but to have Su Qiao return immediately.

It is too dangerous outside!

Anyone else could meet with disaster, but Su Qiao absolutely cannot!

Fortunately, he was much steadier now than before, able to keep his expression unchanged.

His tone also remained calm!

"The Prefecture of Quanzhou has now discovered a plague. Su Ai has already immediately imposed martial law on the passages of the Prefecture of Quanzhou and is actively addressing the plague issue. What does everyone think?"

Zhu Youjian asked the officials below.

Du Du Yinxi stepped forward immediately and said, "Your Majesty, Mr. Su acts with great righteousness; we cannot stand by idly either. I believe we should immediately mobilize nearby medicinal reserves and send them to the Prefecture of Quanzhou, gather Physicians to research and develop an effective cure, and furthermore..."

Blah blah blah, Du Du Yinxi spoke at great length.

Zhu Youjian heard quite a bit of what he said, but quite a bit also went in one ear and out the other.

What he particularly wanted to hear, he simply did not hear at all.

The other officials below were the same; all expressed admiration for Su Qiao remaining in the Prefecture of Quanzhou, followed by a discussion on methods to handle the plague.

He could not say the officials below were wrong.

The people and the empire are important!

But what about Su Qiao?

Zhu Youjian's face did not look good; after the court session ended, he pushed the matter onto several Grand Secretaries.

He went off on his own, stewing in anger, and returned to his sleeping quarters.

And immediately opened the chat group, looking for his ancestor within the group to ask for a solution.

When Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di finally finished court as well, they saw the message inside the chat group.

They also could not help but burst into curses.

Such a dangerous thing as a plague, how could he foolishly stay there?

Everyone else would quickly stay far away from it.

This is simply treating his own life as nothing!

If Su Qiao were simply some minor official, or even if he were not a minor official, just an ordinary minister, or a minister with slight ability, they would at most feel a pang of heartache and would not lose their composure like this.

But Su Qiao is different!

In the eyes of Zhu Yuanzhang and the others, this Su Qiao is a great sage sent by heaven to assist the Zhu family's empire!

The kind that will be remembered for ages!

If this person were to die, how utterly distressing would that be!

"Useless trash! @Emperor Sizong Lie, there is no other way; quickly send two Imperial Physicians, take the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and go to the Prefecture of Quanzhou to protect Su Qiao. If anything happens to Su Qiao, you all had better not live either!"

"Yes, +1!" Zhu Di lined up behind.