Chapter 262: Liu Zheng's Choice

Liu Zheng's shout startled the whole group of people.

With a livid face, he barked, "How can you dispose of plague corpses so carelessly?"

These deceased patients surely carry pathogens on their bodies! It is precisely these pathogens entering the water source that have caused the entire Dunhuang to fall into the grip of the plague.

These people, to think they would still do such a thing!

"Liu, Prefect Liu..."

"We didn't want to do this either, but these corpses cannot be kept!"

"That's right, Prefect Liu, keeping them is a disaster for everyone!"

A group of refugees said.

Liu Zheng said coldly, "Do you think throwing them into the water won't be a disaster for everyone?"

Someone kowtowed and said, "Prefect Liu, Malaria is an evil spirit! Those who die of Malaria cannot be buried in the earth to find peace; they must be cleansed by the Water God to be reincarnated!"

"That's right, Prefect Liu!"

"It has always been done this way!"

Liu Zheng was left stunned. It seemed there was a reason why ancient plagues became uncontrollable once they ran rampant. Feudal superstition kills!

He said coldly, "They must not be thrown into the water, nor can they be buried; burn them all to ashes!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole scene was shocked.

"Young Master Liu, absolutely not!"

"Lord Liu..."

"Prefect Liu, this, this, how can you desecrate the dead like this!"

"Absolutely not!"

Upon hearing this, the refugees were all enraged. People in ancient times revered the body, hair, and skin as gifts from their parents; the country was governed by filial piety, and the dead were of the utmost importance, so the burial method for the deceased was earth burial. "All living things must die, and in death, they return to the earth," and "The soul returns to heaven, the physical form returns to the earth." Based on the awe of ghosts, fantasies about life in the underworld, and the attachment of relatives to the deceased, people naturally formed a worship of the dead, and thus carried out certain treatments and protections for corpses.

Therefore, after a person dies, there is earth burial and water burial.

But cremation is absolutely forbidden!

At least with water burial, the body is thrown in whole, but to watch your own relative's corpse be burned into a pile of ashes by fire—who could endure that?

Confucian thought makes it impossible for people to accept cremation.

Naturally, they could not accept Liu Zheng's suggestion either.

Liu Zheng, however, said coldly, "The dead are the source of the plague; only cremation can destroy the pathogens! If you want to live, burn them all for me!"

After saying this.

Qin Zhangfeng had already led a group of soldiers to begin collecting the corpses.

The crowd shouted, yelled, wailed, and howled.

"Outrageous, this is outrageous..."

"Prefect Liu, you are known throughout the world for your benevolence and righteousness; today you actually commit such an act that angers both man and god!"

"Unfilial descendant!"

"Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Kin, and Teacher—how can you face your own parents, how can you face the current Emperor!"

"You dog!"

A group of people began to curse, especially the families of the deceased, who were so agitated they wanted to rush over to stop them, but were blocked by the Yinzhou Army.

For a time, the entire refugee camp was filled with wailing and howling.

They cried out that the world was degenerating and filial piety was collapsing!

Liu Zheng watched all of this coldly.

He did not intend to reason with them, because he knew it would be futile. Then he would simply use force. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. He did not need to explain himself to anyone.

Soon, those hundreds of corpses were piled together.

Qin Zhangfeng brought a barrel of Quelehuoduo, poured it over the corpses, and lit them with a single flame.

"You dog, you dog, I'll fight you to the death!"

A young man, his face streaming with tears, grabbed a hoe and lunged at Liu Zheng, but was instantly kicked back by Pei Qianyun, who was at Liu Zheng's side.

The flames of hatred seemed to be ignited in an instant.

This afternoon, they were still grateful for the arrival of the Yinzhou Army, still grateful for the righteous spirit of this Prefect Liu. At this moment, in their eyes, Liu Zheng had become a demonic existence.

Liu Zheng, however, did not care, saying indifferently, "Living well yourself is the greatest filial piety."

"One act of filial piety while alive is better than a hundred sticks of incense at the grave!"

"No matter how much you hate me, you must first survive, and then continue to hate me!"

"Liu Zheng alone will bear the burden of today's cremation!"

After saying this, he turned and left, leaving only that group of refugees to continue beating their chests, stamping their feet, and wailing incessantly.

The next day.

The situation remained grim.

By the morning, several hundred more people had died!

They were still cremated.

For the first time, Liu Zheng witnessed the terrifying horror of this ancient plague. To keep themselves alive, the ninety thousand men of the Yinzhou Army had to drink the foul juice every day for prevention... If it weren't for the fact that no one in the Yinzhou Army was infected, Liu Zheng would have started to doubt whether this Artemisia annua was effective or not.

Watching one person after another running high fevers in front of him, their faces pale, their bodies trembling and even convulsing... If this were just a few people, it would be one thing, but it was nearly twenty thousand people!

The entire camp was busy from morning until night.

Finally.

As the second day was coming to an end, good news arrived.

Someone had been cured!

Immediately following this, one cured case after another appeared in succession. Only then did Liu Zheng heave a deep sigh of relief. After two days, a smile finally appeared on Liu Zheng's face.

However, when the third day arrived...

A problem emerged.

There was not enough Artemisia annua!

Only then did Liu Zheng realize that he had still underestimated the speed at which the plague consumed Artemisia annua... After all, the ninety thousand Yinzhou troops had to drink it, the patients had to drink it, and the critically ill patients had to drink even more. Looking at the large amount of Artemisia annua, after it was pressed for juice, there was actually not much left.

As a result, the Artemisia annua they had collected along the way was completely used up in just three days.

Liu Zheng began to mobilize the Yinzhou troops to collect it nearby, but it was of no help; the rate of consumption was too fast.

Liu Zheng and Qingyang Shuo gave a bitter smile.

It seemed they had been too optimistic.

Qingyang Shuo sighed: "Viscount, this matter requires careful consideration."

Liu Zheng smiled bitterly: "I understand your intentions, sir. But this concerns the safety of the common people of the world; I truly dare not neglect it in the slightest! At this time, a million people are weathering this crisis together, and every bit must be contested. If I were to think about whether I could profit from this, would I not be no different from others? In my eyes, in a world of Great Harmony, all are born equal, and these common people have never been the sacrificial victims of Bitter Remonstrance!"

He knew that Qingyang Shuo meant...

Liu Zheng should first apply for an exclusive prescription for the Artemisia annua that could cure the plague in accordance with the latest Patent Law, so that Yinzhou could make a huge profit from Artemisinin.

Of course.

Liu Zheng had thought the same way before.

However...

It was already too late now; the Patent Law just promulgated by the Longyan Dynasty still had quite a few application procedures.

How many people would die in the time it took to go back and forth?

He was worried that the plague would become uncontrollable!

He had to announce to the world that Artemisia annua could cure the plague!

He wanted everyone in the world to take action and send Artemisia annua here!

But in doing so, this exclusive prescription would no longer belong to him, but would truly become a prescription for the whole world. Consequently, Yinzhou would lose at least a year's worth of military expenditure!

That was why Qingyang Shuo had offered such a reminder.

Was he to watch batch after batch of people continue to die while he went to apply for the patent first? If Liu Zheng were an ambitious warlord, he would certainly ignore the safety of those common people and firmly hold this money-making machine in his hands.

Or should he immediately announce it to the world and have the whole nation resist the plague?

Liu Zheng did not hesitate in the slightest; he immediately picked up pen and paper and began to write.

Qingyang Shuo's eyes flickered, and he cupped his hands in sincere praise: "The Viscount is a true hero, with aspirations for the world; Shuo is not your equal!"

One hour later.

Dozens of carrier pigeons took flight from the Yinzhou army.

【Author's Note】

Thank you to brother Meng Yichang for the generous tip, thank you.