Chapter 532: Before and After

"Your Highness, Your Highness..."

While Zhao Xu was deep in thought, Liu Fu, Zhu Tuo, and other officials from the Government Office entered the study in a panic.

When Xu Ke saw them, he looked as if the sky were about to collapse.

Under their persistent questioning, he told them about the ruthless plan the Northern Di might implement.

The officials from the Government Office felt a chill from head to toe and immediately ran to see the Yan Wang.

"Does Your Highness truly have a way?" Liu Fu looked toward Zhao Xu.

It was not that he did not trust the Yan Wang, but that this scheme of the Northern Di was too vicious.

In their view, this thing was far more terrifying than the Northern Di themselves.

If the Northern Di were to spread plague in Yanzhou year after year, how could they possibly cope?

If Yanzhou were to fall, Qizhou would be next, and after that, smallpox would spread throughout the Great Song.

Along the way, he and the officials from the Government Office had discussed it many times, but none of them had a solution.

Fortunately, Xu Ke said the Yan Wang had a way.

But he was also afraid that this was just the Yan Wang trying to comfort them.

"There is a way, but we still need to find some infected cows." The matter was urgent, so Zhao Xu did not beat around the bush with them.

Immediately, he explained the Cowpox Inoculation Method and the characteristics of cows infected with cowpox.

"Cowpox? To think there is such a miraculous method in the world to guard against smallpox?" Liu Fu was filled with wonder.

The other officials also clicked their tongues in praise.

The way they looked at Zhao Xu was increasingly different from before.

At this moment, they had only one thought in their minds: this Yan Wang was too formidable, simply omniscient and omnipotent.

If this so-called Cowpox Inoculation could really guard against smallpox.

This would not only thwart the conspiracy of the Northern Di, but it would also be an absolute blessing for the people of the Great Song.

"This subordinate will notify all officials in Yanzhou at once, have them go down to the countryside, and order the officials to inspect every cow in the Official Manor." Liu Fu acknowledged the order and led the officials away in a hurry.

According to the Yan Wang's explanation, cowpox was a type of plague in cows, caused by the cow's smallpox virus.

Infected cows would develop sores near their ** 【udders】, looking like a pus-filled pox, which is why it is called cowpox.

Because this smallpox is of the same type but weaker in toxicity, humans who catch it only have a mild reaction.

As he walked, Liu Fu recalled the Yan Wang's explanation, constantly marveling at the Yan Wang's vast learning.

The other officials were equally shocked in their hearts; from now on at the Government Academy, they would have to study even harder to keep up with the Yan Wang.

Even if they could learn one-tenth of it, they would die without regrets.

Liu Fu and the others left.

Zhao Xu walked out of the study and immediately had Feng'er summon the Medical Officers of Yan Commandery.

Although he had provided the solution, the specific work still had to be done by the Medical Officers.

At the same time, he was also planning a counterattack against the Northern Di.

Once the Rifled Musket was fully equipped, he would definitely strike the Northern Di hard and drive them out of the Ningjin Dusi.

Making it impossible for them to threaten Yanzhou along the Yanguan line,

or to stir up trouble.

After all, this time it was smallpox; there was no telling what the Northern Di would play at next.

Therefore, it was very necessary to use the Ningjin Dusi as a buffer zone for war.

The time of one incense stick passed.

Hu Yan brought fifteen apprentices over, and Shi Zhengui came along as well.

Shi Zhengui did not belong to the Medical Officers; seeing Zhao Xu, he explained, "Your Highness summoned the Medical Officers, and it seems there is an urgent matter. This subordinate has some knowledge of medicine and is willing to offer my humble services."

"I'm just afraid Imperial Physician Shi is overqualified." As soon as Shi Zhengui finished speaking, Hu Yan suddenly looked sarcastic.

After the Yan Wang arranged for this Shi Zhengui to be at his medical clinic, this Shi Zhengui would stare at him while he treated patients whenever he had nothing to do.

Treating patients was one thing, but he would also interrupt from time to time, saying this was wrong and that wouldn't work.

But as it happened, everything he said made sense, so the patients all started looking for him instead, and he ended up becoming the assistant, which infuriated him.

If not for the Yan Wang's order, he would have kicked him out of the clinic long ago.

"Human life is at stake; a physician must naturally be careful and cautious." Shi Zhengui retorted tit-for-tat.

He had been sent to Yanzhou precisely because he was unpopular at the Imperial Academy of Medicine.

He was fastidious about everything, yet possessed excellent medical skills, which invited jealousy.

But despite this, he did not change his style of conduct.

In Hu Yan's eyes, this was just being somewhat arrogant and aloof.

Zhao Xu glanced at the two of them.

Colleagues are rivals, and since this "foreign monk" was better at chanting scriptures, it was normal for Hu Yan to be dissatisfied.

But right now, he was in no mood to pay attention to the conflict between the two.

"At present, Yanzhou is facing a huge crisis. I need your help, so you two should put aside your grievances for the time being," Zhao Xu said.

Immediately, he told them both about the Northern Di's plan to use smallpox for poisoning.

Hu Yan and Shi Zhengui were both startled upon hearing this.

"I never imagined the Northern Di could be this vicious." A thin layer of sweat broke out on Shi Zhengui's palms.

He said, "Your Highness, if this is the case, we must be ruthless. Once any soldier comes into contact with smallpox, they must be quarantined immediately, or even killed outright; otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Hu Yan no longer had the mood to fight with Shi Zhengui at this moment.

As a Medical Officer of Yan Commandery, how could he not understand the terror of smallpox?

"Your Highness, Imperial Physician is right. We must be ruthless in dealing with this matter, otherwise Yanzhou will be finished." Hu Yan cupped his hands, his eyes filled with pleading.

Zhao Xu was speechless; he hadn't even finished speaking before the two of them cut him off.

So, he told the two of them about the Cowpox matter again.

"A solution has been found, but I need you two to be responsible for the Smallpox Inoculation," Zhao Xu said calmly, "As for how to perform the Smallpox Inoculation, I will teach you."

If Liu Fu and the others could successfully find a cow infected with Cowpox, Zhao Xu prepared to inoculate the soldiers of the Prince's Personal Army as much as possible.

Although the Cowpox method was effective, a cruel fact was that the Cowpox provided by one sick cow could only inoculate a limited number of people.

Therefore, he had to use these precious resources where they were most needed.

At present, the soldiers of the Prince's Personal Army were the line of defense against the Northern Di.

As long as this line of defense did not have any problems, Yanzhou would not have any problems.

As for the officials and the common people, they could only be ranked behind the soldiers of the Prince's Personal Army.

Only if there was surplus Cowpox could it be provided to them.

In the modern era, Napoleon, in order to prevent his army from suffering losses due to Smallpox, had his soldiers inoculated with Cowpox, and the number of inoculated soldiers even reached half of the total number of soldiers.

He was following this same line of thinking.

"Yes... Your Highness..." It took a long while for Hu Yan and Shi Zhengui to recover from the Cowpox method that Yan Wang had described.

Compared to Liu Fu and the others who merely admired Zhao Xu's erudition.

Hu Yan and Shi Zhengui were looking up at Yan Wang at this moment as if they were looking up at a deity.

Especially Hu Yan, not to mention that Yan Wang had created the Secret Medicine of the Prince's Mansion.

Now he had proposed such a shocking medical theory.

It simply made him admire him to the point of prostration.

While shocked, Shi Zhengui was still somewhat skeptical, but he didn't say anything, only wanting to see it with his own eyes to believe it.

After giving the two of them instructions, Zhao Xu ordered them to return first and simultaneously summon more doctors and apprentices to participate in this matter.

One day later.

The Government Office sent over the first cow that had contracted Cowpox.

Zhao Xu once again called Hu Yan and Shi Zhengui over.