Anger and irritability serve no purpose.
Li Hui looked around at the people in the hall, thought for a moment and then began to issue orders.
The bachelor of the Academy checks whether the Plague Ghost Talisman is effective, and cooperates with the Department of Control to find the source of the Plague Ghost Talisman.
The yamen officers went to Chengnanfang City to visit the people and investigate the spread of the plague ghost talisman.
The Taiyuan government drafted new regulations and made emergency plans for various possible situations.
If necessary, all newspapers and restaurants in the city can be temporarily closed (dine-in is prohibited), or even the city can be blocked directly.
Li Hui thought clearly and gave everyone instructions in an orderly manner, and everyone left the prefect's mansion in a hurry.
"Huh..."
He leaned back and slumped into the seat with a solemn expression.
"Pandemic Ghost Talisman..."
Li Leling frowned and said, "Could it be Wang's handiwork?"
"Not quite."
Li Hui shook his head and said: "They must be able to develop this kind of talisman. They would have passed on all the diseases to the people long ago to preserve the family, and they would not take them out now.
What's more, the plague ghost talisman will plunge the city into disorder and chaos. If someone spreads it maliciously, the crime is enough to dismember him a hundred times.
Mrs. Wang will not put herself in danger."
After speaking, he paused and said slowly: "Their courage is limited to stirring up trouble in Hedong Road, or using relationships from all walks of life to influence public opinion in Shilin, and then influence the Chang'an court.
His Majesty even got angry in the Yanying Palace*, saying that during the lockdown of Taiyuan Prefecture, there were a bunch of petitions for the Wang family on his desk.
When we left Chang'an, there was a scene where the family of Dr. Wang Wenlun, who had passed away in the academy, came to Chen Jijiu's door and cried.
Ask for sacrificial wine and write a letter to Li Ang, asking him not to be so harsh and persecuting the Wang family."
Although the deceased was the most important, Li Hui still respected Dr. Wang Wenlun very much. He did not say any harsh words, but just sighed: "The influence of the aristocratic family in the Yu Kingdom is still too great. Even the prime minister considers it a lifetime honor to marry a woman with the fifth surname (
Zhongshu Ling Xue Ji),
Not to mention other people.
If the war with Zhou had not been imminent this time, His Majesty would not have acquiesced to Li Ang's approach of trapping the Wang family in Taiyuan Mansion."
Li Leling blinked doubtfully, not quite understanding this sentence. "What do you mean?"
"The Wang family has lasted for thousands of years, and there are countless alienated objects and cultivators in private possessions.
If they weren't afraid of direct confrontation, they would be considered treasonous and lead to a thunderous suppression.
In fact, based on their background in Taiyuan City, they can kill everyone in the prefecture in a sudden attack.
Maybe only Duke Yan and Xi Siye will be fine."
Li Hui spread his hands and said: "This is just a Wang family.
There are five surnames and seven looks. All the aristocratic families have never stood on the same front as the Yu State. No matter who is the ruler of the Central Plains, whether it is Li Yu, Zhou State, or Taihao Mountain, they all have the capital to negotiate with the new ruler, and then
Maintain its own existence.
Now Zhou State has the support of Mount Taihao,
Families such as the Five Surnames and Qiwang, who were suppressed by the Academy, saw the hope of getting rid of their shackles, and they were all ready to make a move and secretly contacted the Zhou State. There was a possibility of betraying the country and surrendering to the enemy.
So what is happening in Taiyuan Mansion now also has the meaning of killing the chicken to scare the monkeys and warning the remaining aristocratic families - they will still stay in the Yu Kingdom after all."...
"..."
Li Leling nodded thoughtfully. The aristocratic family is like a vine attached to a towering tree. It is usually harmless to the tree and can even form a green shade to protect the trunk.
But if an unexpected situation occurs and the trees become weak, then these vines will become cold-blooded and ruthless parasitic ropes, which will not hesitate to drain the nutrients of the trees and strangle the big trees they are attached to.
After thinking for a moment, she asked: "Do I need to tell Risheng the news?"
Li Hui shook his head and said: "We won't use it for the time being. We don't know yet whether the Plague Ghost Talisman has any effect, so don't let him worry about it yet. Special medicine is the most important thing. As long as we have medicine, any conspiracy can be defeated..."
p>
Before he finished speaking, the guard came to report, and Wang Bofan of the Wang family in Taiyuan asked to see him.
The two brothers and sisters looked at each other in surprise. Wang Bofan was one of the candidates for the future patriarch of the Wang family. These days, due to the casualties of family members, the Wang family rarely contacted the prefect's mansion and always remained silent.
When something went wrong, Li Hui nodded to Li Leling, and Li Leling, who had no official duties, got up and walked to the side hall.
The guards introduced Wang Bofan into the lobby of the prefect's mansion. As soon as they met, Wang Bofan exchanged a few pleasantries, then took out a plague ghost talisman from his arms and said with a nervous look: "Your Highness, the King of Yue, this is an evil demon that my family just collected from the streets.
Talisman.
There must be someone spreading it secretly, trying to destroy Taiyuan Prefecture’s efforts to contain the plague."
"I already know this. I just asked the Zhenfu Division to investigate."
Li Hui glanced at the plague ghost talisman* brought by Wang Bofan, smiled and said: "However, I still thank the layman Wang for the reminder."
"The King of Yue knows? That's good."
Wang Bofan breathed a sigh of relief, "Millions of people in Taiyuan Prefecture are suffering from the ravages of the plague and are still being instigated by evil villains.
It all depends on the King of Yue and Li Kuan's rescue in times of crisis, so that we don't fall into the abyss and despair..."
Wang Bofan quoted scriptures and tried to please him, then he left the plague ghost talisman and said goodbye and left the prefect's mansion.
"..."
Li Hui glanced at the back of the future leader of the Wang clan, and then at the plague ghost talisman on the table, frowning.
If it wasn't Wang's handiwork, who could be causing the trouble in secret?
————
The intrigue surrounding the upper echelons of the Yu Kingdom was unknown to the people of Taiyuan Prefecture.
They can only see what is happening around them and what the newspapers tell them.
I don’t know since when, the flyers that appeared on the streets from time to time every day disappeared completely.
All shops selling paper and pens have been closed.
On the walls of the shops that are still open, there is a slogan "Don't gossip".
Every night, more government officials and soldiers patrol the streets with lanterns, arresting those who violate the curfew.
However, these measures cannot prevent the spread of various rumors.
Li Xiaolangjun has not shown up for a long time, maybe he has left Hedong Road;
The actual number of plague cases is much higher than the number disclosed in the newspapers. The Yu State has abandoned Taiyuan Prefecture and is prepared to leave the people in the city to die, as long as the plague does not spread to other places in Hedong Road;
Among all the rumors, the one that spreads the most widely and quickly is the plague ghost talisman.
This kind of simple, even crude talisman can be drawn by just scribbling a few strokes on paper to form a rough human shape...
By posting it on other people's doorsteps, you can transfer the risk of plague to others.
And if there is a plague ghost talisman in your house and you do not choose to draw the same talisman and pass it on to others, then the curse will befall you and even your family members.
No one wants to take this risk,
Therefore, almost all the people, after seeing a plague ghost talisman posted on their door, chose not to report it to the government.
Instead, he secretly draws a talisman paper of the same type and sticks it on the door of the suspect or enemy.
This type of behavior occurs endlessly and is banned repeatedly.
Even if the Taiyuan Prefectural Government severely punishes those who post talismans privately, it will not be able to prevent large-scale imitation among the public.
As a result, conflicts and disputes among the people continue. People have revenge and grievances, or they draw talismans to curse their enemies, or they report to the government that their enemies draw talismans.
The yamen servants of Taiyuan Prefecture are exhausted. It is impossible to put everyone in prison.
What's worse is that as time goes by, the effect of the Plague Ghost Talisman gradually becomes apparent - this thing seems to really work.
Those who are affixed with the Plague Ghost Talisman and do not choose to pass on the curse have a higher probability of contracting plague and other diseases than others.
This news was not leaked by the Yamen, and it was impossible for the leaflets that had been distributed long ago to spread the news.
It was through word of mouth, gossip, and rumors that the news spread to every corner of the city step by step.
In this regard, the Taiyuan government could only find a way to remedy this and explain it in newspapers*,
What the plague ghost talisman represents is a probability event that conforms to the rules of Neo-Confucianism.
Those who don’t believe in the plague ghost talisman posted on their door are mostly government officials, soldiers, and medical staff in the city who cooperate with the government’s actions.
These people frequently travel to and from epidemic areas, so the risk of illness is naturally higher than that of ordinary people.
The Plague Ghost Talisman itself, after being tested by the Academy, is still ineffective.
However, this explanation still cannot win the trust of the people.
The fanatical worship of the plague ghost talisman is still in progress.
As time goes by, the situation in the city, which had just improved, deteriorates again.
A small-scale plague broke out in each city and spread to the surrounding areas.
Many people working in the Taiyuan government were infected with the plague and fell ill.
The illness of these people also affected the process of containing the plague, causing the civil plague to further get out of control. The original lockdown time limit was soon exceeded.
As the time limit for the closure of the city has exceeded, even if there are no leaflets to incite people's hearts, the accumulated emotions of the people have gradually arrived.
————
"A small plague ghost charm can actually disable the government of a state."
In the Wangfu Courtyard, the elders of the Wang clan gathered together again to discuss the next move.
"Haha, the newspapers are still saying that the epidemic ghost charm is useless. You are deceiving yourself."
A clan elder closed today's newspaper with a smile and said to other clan elders: "Now it is certain that the Chang'an court will no longer send manpower to Taiyuan Prefecture.
The plague in the city is about to be out of control. Sending one or two thousand soldiers in to suppress the situation will be a drop in the bucket and will not help.
They will only guard the city gates to prevent civilians from escaping."
"Of course the plague ghost talisman is useful. Our Wang family finally no longer has to die every day. No common people dare to stick the talisman on the door of the Wang family's house, which is always guarded."…
Another clan elder said with a smile: "Where is His Royal Highness the King of Yue? Haven't you left yet?"
"No, but it will be soon."
Someone said proudly: "According to reports from people placed by the Wang family at the Chang'an court, the topic of the Chang'an court meeting has been transferred from the plague in Hedong Road to the war with the Zhou Dynasty on the southern front.
Your Majesty himself does not want to sacrifice his most beloved son and daughter for the sake of a state capital and a meaningless reputation.
King Yue and Princess Guanghua will probably be taken away today. Taiyuan Mansion will be ours again."
For the aristocratic family, regaining control of the state capital where they live is as comfortable as a fish entering water.
Under the influence of the Plague Ghost Talisman, the Wang family no longer has to die, and no longer has to rush to find ways to escape from the state capital.
In fact, the more people die in the city, the more beneficial it is to the Wang family - they can take the opportunity to buy real estate and further control the city.
Even if the casualties among the people in the city were more severe, the negative impact on the Wang family would be very limited - the more severe the casualties, the sooner the plague would end.
However, Yu State has never been short of people. If there are fewer people, people from other places in Hedong Road will naturally flow into Taiyuan Mansion.
"Who said the plague is a bad thing? Now it seems that with the Plague Ghost Talisman, the plague has turned into a good thing.
You can target your enemies without harming yourself."
An elder from the clan said with emotion: "The Gu Master is truly the most powerful path. In terms of destructive power, it is far superior to the Talisman Sword Mind Body."
"It's not necessarily true that he is the strongest*."
Another clan elder shook his head and said: "The Gu technique depends on the Gu master's body. If the Gu master dies, the Gu technique will continue to be weak and will dissipate on its own soon.
And if the influence of the voodoo technique is too large, the voodoo master himself will also be under heavy pressure.
This means that artificial voodoo can only affect one state at most. It cannot sweep across a country.
That’s why historically, the stronger Talisman Technique, Sword Mind Body, has dominated the mainstream, while Gu Technique has been a sideline.
The most terrifying and unsolvable plague can only be the natural evolution of heaven.
The Gu Master can take advantage of it and add fuel to the flames. Even if the Gu Master is killed, it cannot end the plague itself."
"For example, the previous water poisoning in Suzhou, such as the plague in Hedong Road this time."
The white-haired elder paused and asked, "How is it going in the prefect's mansion? Has Li Ang developed any medicine?"
With the help of the Plague Ghost Talisman, Wang successfully protected herself and repelled the oppression from Chang'an.
Now King Yue and Princess Guanghua have to evacuate, and Taiyuan Mansion is back under control. The Wang family once again won a great victory.
"If Li Ang can develop a drug, that would be the best. There will be a solution to the plague and everyone will be safe.
If he can't develop a drug, that's acceptable. With the plague ghost talisman around, the Wang family is safe and sound."
The old man from the white-haired clan babbled: "No matter which ending happens, when the time comes, the King of Yue, Princess Guanghua, and Li Ang will be given gifts out of the city. The Wang family will still be the Wang family.
We also have an explanation for the Cui family, the Lu family, and the Zheng family who have secretly helped us so much this time..."
"I'm sorry, Uncle San,"
Wang Bofan's voice interrupted the white-haired elder's words. He held a bamboo tube in his hand, "This time, we cannot let Li Ang make the medicine."
This chapter has been completed!