Chapter 258: Public Indignation

"No... what on earth is going on?"

Zheng Yueru was a bit bewildered.

The others, however, burst into laughter.

Seeing that Zheng Yueru finally couldn't help but want to smash her fist into him, Jiang Xuan giggled and said, "Sister Yue Ru, don't be anxious, the young master has already mastered the Method to deal with Malaria!"

"What?"

Zheng Yueru was shocked once again.

Deal with Malaria?

For thousands of years, Malaria has been humanity's number one enemy. Since ancient times, how many capable people and famous doctors have been unable to do anything about Malaria. Although they could lower the mortality rate somewhat, no one would dare to brag that they could truly deal with Malaria.

Liu Zheng smiled without a word, lost in his own thoughts.

Only then did Jiang Xuan recount to Zheng Yueru everything about the Yinzhou army encountering Malaria on the road.

"You mean it's this? Stinking Mugwort?"

Zheng Yueru felt as if all of this were a dream. But she also knew that this was absolutely true; Liu Zheng would not joke about the lives of his own people...

And seeing these ninety thousand Yinzhou soldiers at this moment, when they heard the word "Malaria," there was not a trace of fear on their faces; that alone could prove that they had indeed already experienced the despair and devastation brought upon them by Malaria!

At this moment.

Facing Malaria, they were surprisingly full of ambition.

Zheng Yueru could not help but take a deep breath.

Brother Liu, what kind of person is he exactly? To be so incredibly capable?

Suddenly.

Her delicate body trembled on the horse, because she had awakened to the truth at this moment. If Liu Zheng truly possessed the treasure to deal with Malaria... then...

She realized at this moment.

The end of the road for Chen Ping was truly coming...

"Move out!"

The ninety thousand Yinzhou soldiers picked up their pace.

Whenever they encountered a riverside on the road, they would begin the operation of cutting Artemisia annua again. After all, the four hundred thousand people in Dunhuang... and hearing there was also a plague in Changzhou, it was still very important; the combined population of these two cities was nearing one million, and Liu Zheng did not know how much Artemisia annua this would require.

He immediately instructed Zheng Yueru to send a message by carrier pigeon to the Yinzhou Chamber of Commerce in any nearby city to start collecting Artemisia annua, as well as various medicinal herbs and daily supplies, and send them to Dunhuang with all speed.

This time.

Liu Zheng also understood that this was the best opportunity for him to truly make a name for himself. It was even... the best opportunity to bargain with the old Emperor. There were too many benefits he could gain from this matter...

However.

He did not slow down because of this, nor did he want to bargain because of this.

He had never thought of viciously squeezing benefits from all sides.

Because he knew that four hundred thousand people were currently in dire straits. The earlier he arrived, the more people would successfully survive.

Saving a life is better than building a seven-storied pagoda.

Liu Zheng had always felt that good and evil being rewarded is the basic principle of this world.

In the wars he had initiated, he had already lost the lives of many brothers. Whenever he thought of this, he often could not sleep at night. However, these wars were unavoidable; stopping war with war had always been the way.

Therefore...

He could only try his best, with all his might, to accumulate virtue and do good deeds, to make up for the karmic obstacles he had created.

The world was in a state of panic.

Liangzhou Prefecture.

It was once again surrounded by a group of people. Most of them were the same scholars as last time. But this time, their petition was no longer about the Imperial Examination, but had changed to supporting Dunhuang!

"Official Chen, with the plague in Dunhuang, are we just going to stand by and watch them die!"

"Can Liangzhou Prefecture still manage Dunhuang or not?"

"And what about Changzhou!"

"If you won't go, let us go! Why stop us from going to Dunhuang!"

The crowd was agitated, and the group almost clashed with the Garrison of the Liangzhou Prefecture.

Inaction!

For so many days, Chen Ping had locked himself in the Liangzhou Prefecture, ignoring everything and asking about nothing. If this wasn't inaction, what was?

His prestige from governing Liangzhou for many years had plummeted in these past few days.

He had only symbolically sent a few doctors over, and had not given much support in terms of supplies or medicine. Was this Dunhuang still a territory of Liangzhou or not?

The whole country was providing support!

Other Feudatory Kings were providing support!

The Prince of Lu, the Prince of Yong, and even the Prince of Shu, who were closer to Changzhou and Dunhuang, had all sent many medicines for support. Yet your Liangzhou Prefecture had only made a token gesture!

"Step down!"

"Let Governor Liu manage Liangzhou!"

"What use are you?"

Some say that freedom of speech in ancient times was not that broad, but that is not the case. The scholars of ancient times were a group of people who truly had character.

One often heard of scholars committing suicide, dying by Admonishment, or jumping into rivers because of the incompetence of those in power...

Therefore, these rulers were actually quite troubled by these scholars.

Why?

Killing them was possible.

But you will absolutely leave behind a foul reputation, and the kind that stinks for ten thousand years at that.

This is like how ancient imperial power was certainly supreme.

But it was not as if there were no people who dared to provoke the emperor...

For example, the Historian.

The Historian was an official post throughout the dynasties specifically for recording and compiling history; their records of objective facts were real, and they were not even afraid of being beheaded.

During the Spring and Autumn period, there was such a story.

Qi Zhuang Gong committed adultery with Dongguo Jiang, the wife of the Qi official Cui Zhu; this Qi Zhuang Gong not only committed adultery with Cui Zhu's wife but also bestowed Cui Zhu's hat upon someone else, which made the Qi official Cui Zhu extremely dissatisfied.

Cui Zhu bribed Qi Zhuang Gong's attendant Jia Ju, and when Qi Zhuang Gong ran to his house again to have a secret meeting with Dongguo Jiang, he caught them in the act; the attendant Jia Ju blocked Qi Zhuang Gong's bodyguards outside, and when Qi Zhuang Gong failed to beg for mercy and was shot in the thigh by an arrow while fleeing, Cui Zhu successfully killed Qi Zhuang Gong.

The Historian at the time, Taishi Bo, recorded truthfully: "Cui Zhu murdered Qi Zhuang Gong Guang in his residence."

Cui Zhu saw this and was furious, saying to the Historian Taishi Bo: "Can you not record that Qi Zhuang Gong died of a sudden illness?"

Taishi Bo replied: "Recording facts straight is the duty of a Historian; if I were to neglect my duty for the sake of my own life, I would rather die!" Cui Zhu was enraged, "Then go die," and thus Cui Zhu killed Taishi Bo.

The Historians at the time were all hereditary, so Cui Zhu summoned Taishi Bo's younger brother, Taishi Zhong. Cui Zhu said to him: "You should think about how you have elderly parents above and children below; as long as you record that Qi Zhuang Gong died of a sudden illness, I guarantee you lifelong glory and wealth."

Taishi Zhong replied: "For us who are Historians, historical facts are more important than life; I cannot comply!"

Taishi Zhong still recorded the facts straight: "Cui Zhu murdered Qi Zhuang Gong Guang in his residence."

After reading this, Cui Zhu was overcome with rage and hacked Taishi Zhong into pieces, cruelly murdering him.

Shortly after, Cui Zhu summoned Taishi Bo's third younger brother, Taishi Shu, and said viciously: "You have already seen the fate of your eldest and second brothers; please record that Qi Zhuang Gong died of a sudden illness, otherwise, you can imagine the outcome yourself."

Taishi Shu straightened his clothes and cap, and replied neither servile nor overbearing: "The blade is in your hand, the brush is in my hand; although I am afraid, recording facts straight is the duty of a Historian, and I cannot comply."

Taishi Shu recorded the same as his eldest and second brothers: "Cui Zhu murdered Qi Zhuang Gong Guang in his residence."

Cui Zhu was furious and hacked Taishi Shu into ten thousand pieces. There was one last brother left in the Nanshi Shi family, Taishi Ji, who was also summoned by Cui Zhu; Cui Zhu pointed at the corpses of Taishi Ji's three brothers and said to Taishi Ji: "We have no grudges or enmity, and I do not wish to exterminate you all; you are now the last remaining seedling of the Nanshi Shi family, with elderly parents above and children below, do not be so stubborn, consider it clearly."

Taishi Ji remained unmoved and ignored Cui Zhu; looking at the tragic state of his brothers' deaths, he still recorded truthfully: "Cui Zhu murdered Qi Zhuang Gong Guang in his residence."

Cui Zhu was so angry that his vision went black; he raised his blade and lowered it, raised it and lowered it. Just then, a subordinate came to report that another Historian outside the gate, Nanshi Shi, requested an audience, saying that if the Nanshi Shi family were all killed, he would still record the facts straight.

In the end, the blade Cui Zhu had lowered was never raised again; he spared Taishi Ji, and the truth of this history was thus able to be passed down.

From this, one can see how upright the ancient Historians and similar scholars were.

And after the Historians, there was another official post.

It was called the Censor.

Censors were mainly composed of Censorate censors and Six Offices of Scrutiny officials; most were not of high rank, some even very low, but their political status was extremely prominent.

These Censors were responsible for supervising officials in various regions, Feudatory Kings, impeaching all officials, patrolling, and inspecting local governance.

In the Longyan Dynasty, every Feudatory King's territory and every large prefecture had separate Censors appointed.

These people had records and logs of the people's appeals and the sentiments of the literati.

Therefore.

Under these circumstances, slaughtering this group of literati was very unrealistic.

If it were a cold-blooded Feudatory King, that would be another matter...

Unfortunately, Chen Ping was only an Inspector.

He still had to consider how those Censors would view this matter.

At this moment.

He could only hide himself in the Liangzhou Prefecture, his face gloomy.

Rescue?

Why would he rescue them?

What he wanted was for the father and son of the Liu Family to die in Dunhuang! What he wanted was for the ninety thousand Yinzhou Army to all lose their lives. Once that time came, who in the entire Liangzhou could still threaten him!

"My Lord..."

Just then, a subordinate came to report: "My Lord, the Yinzhou Army has indeed headed toward Dunhuang... Haha, they are even calling upon the Yinzhou Chamber of Commerce to donate supplies and rush to aid Dunhuang!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ping stood up abruptly and laughed toward the sky: "Good, good, good, good, Liu Dahao, oh Liu Dahao, let's see how you and your son die this time!"

"What a pity, what a pity..."

"You are talented, but not ruthless enough!"

"A man must be ruthless!"

"At a time like this, you actually go to Dunhuang to court death? Hahahaha!"

He glanced at Liu Chang beside him and smiled insidiously: "The evidence against that Ma Yong should be almost collected; pass down the order to reorganize the Liangzhou Army, and in a few more days, we will rush to aid Dunhuang!"

Everyone heard this and laughed in unison.

Rush to aid Dunhuang?

I'm afraid they are going to convict the Liu father and son!

If the ninety thousand Yinzhou Army were depleted in Dunhuang, Chen Ping going over to capture the Liu father and son would be as easy as reaching for something in his pocket!

"Yes!"

Liu Chang received the order and ran out.