Chapter 15 Arriving in Lintong and encountering acne
After walking for a day, they arrived at Luoma Town. The five people bought dry food for the horses and drove straight to Lintong. The journey was smooth and they did not encounter any ambush. The five people quickly arrived in Lintong.
Although Lintong is a large city, it has a vast territory and is sparsely populated. There are not many local people born and raised here. Most of them are the offspring of their fathers who served in the army and then married local people.
Along the way, there were three outposts and five sentries, and patrolling soldiers could be seen at regular intervals. According to Leng Junyi, there were only seven or eight hundred local people in Lintong, but there were 300,000 soldiers.
With such a huge number of soldiers, it is no wonder that Feng Qingge would have a headache over the theft of military rations. Lintong is located in the northwest frontier, with a very cold climate. The food produced locally is only enough for the local people to be self-sufficient, and there is no extra supply for the troops.
It was already winter, and the climate in Lintong was dry and cold. Xue Xichen put on a thick cotton bag, but still felt the cold air penetrated her bones. The cold and dry northwest wind blew hard on her face, and her ten fingers were red from the cold.
.As soon as they arrived at Feng Qingge’s general residence, Xue Xichen hid in the room, claiming that she would never step out of the room unless it was time to eat. Xiao Liuyue teased Xue Xichen like a tortoise hibernating, and Feng Qingge
Then he ordered people to burn a furnace for Xue Xichen and prepare quilts, cotton clothes and trousers to keep out the cold.
After burning the fire on the floor, the room became warm, driving away the cold air in the body. Xue Xichen began to feel sleepy, and his head bit by bit, making him drowsy. Seeing that Xue Xichen was tired, Xiao Liuyue and others stopped disturbing him and stayed.
Next she rested alone in her room while they went to the flower hall to discuss matters.
When Xue Xichen woke up, it was already sunset, and Feng Qingge and others were still discussing matters in the flower hall and had not yet come out. After Xue Xichen had a hasty dinner, he decided to go out for a walk.
Putting on a thick cotton coat and a warm cloak, Xue Xichen explained to the housekeeper in the palace and left the palace. Walking on the empty streets, soldiers on patrol occasionally passed by. No local people were seen, Xue Xichen
Xichen guessed that it was around dinner time at this time, and the people had all gone home to eat. There were no restaurants, and there were only a few taverns with lanterns lit, but there were only a few drinkers, quietly drinking their own wine, which looked very cold.
Compared with the hustle and bustle of Jiangdu, Lintong seems to be an isolated place, with several people living their own lives and having nothing to do with each other.
This place is even more backward than she imagined.
The wind was biting and biting. The sun was setting and the sky was getting darker. At night, the temperature suddenly dropped by dozens of degrees. Xue Xichen couldn't help tightening the cloak around her body and burying her face in the thick
wearing a hat to avoid the biting cold wind.
A group of patrolling soldiers passed by her with neat steps. Seeing that these soldiers were wearing thin clothes, some were pale from the cold, and their lips were purple, but they still walked neatly, Xue Xichen couldn't help but secretly admire: Feng Qingge rules the army.
Well done!
The leading soldier saw Xue Xichen staring at them in a daze. He ordered his men to move on, then turned back, walked up to Xue Xichen, and said gently: "Madam, it's getting late, why don't you go home?
"
"After eating, let's walk around." Xue Xichen blinked, looked at the soldiers carefully, and asked, "Are you the squad leader?"
"Yes, I am the captain of this unit."
"May I have your name?"
"Mokai."
"Mo Kai..." Xue Xichen repeated the name and nodded, "I remember it."
"Madam!" Mo Kai reminded with concern, "Martial law has been declared, and it is already Unitary Time. Why is Madam still wandering around the city?"
"Martial law? I don't know!"
It turns out there is martial law! No wonder there are no ordinary people on the street except for the patrolling soldiers! She thought everyone had gone home to eat!
Mo Kai was surprised, "Is this the first time Madam has arrived in Lintong?"
Xue Xichen nodded, "Yes! I just arrived today."
"No wonder Madam doesn't know." Mo Kai reminded kindly, "Madam, if you have nothing important to do, please leave Lintong as soon as possible."
"Ah? Why?" Xue Xichen was puzzled.
Mo Kai sighed, "Oh! It's a long story! Recently, a disease has become popular in Lintong. The sick people have high fever and have chickenpox on their skin. Once someone in the family gets the disease, it will be quickly transmitted to other family members.
The doctors in the city were helpless. The sick people were tortured by the disease and had no good medicine, and they died one after another. Now more than half of the people in the city have suffered from the disease, and the rest are mostly staying behind closed doors for fear of being infected, and there are people on the streets.
We are the only patrolling soldiers left. Recently, sick soldiers have begun to appear in the military camp one after another. I'm afraid...sigh..."
Xue Xichen was shocked after hearing this, "Captain, you said there is an epidemic of infectious diseases in the city?!"
"Infectious disease?" Mo Kai was confused. He had never heard of this new term. "What is the 'infectious disease' that Madam mentioned?"
"Well……"
It seems that the ancients did not talk about infectious diseases.
"I mean, people in the city are all suffering from the same disease one after another?"
"Yes."
"What do the doctors in the city say?"
"The doctor thinks it's acne."
Pox?! Smallpox!
Xue Xichen was shocked.
"You said there's smallpox in the city?!"
"lady……"
Xue Xichen's sudden scream frightened Mo Kai, and he explained in a daze, "The doctors in the city did say so... Fortunately, those who were not sick, most of them moved their families, and most of the ones left behind were old and infirm.
Old people who can’t walk..."
"You said smallpox has spread to the military camp?!"
"Some soldiers in the military camp have indeed begun to develop acne..."
"How long?!"
"About four or five days..."
"Oh my God!"
Xue Xichen screamed, jumped up and ran towards the general's mansion. Just after running a few steps, she suddenly turned her head and looked at Mo Kai with burning eyes and asked urgently: "Is the martial law in the city because of pox?!"
"right……"
"Where is the patient? How to deal with the patient?"
"Most of the people are locked up in their own homes and resigned to their fate..."
"Where's the body?! How to deal with the body?!"
"This...because the general didn't have an order..."
"Oh my god! You idiots!"
Xue Xichen screamed uncontrollably, leaving Mo Kai behind and standing alone in the howling cold wind, disappearing at a glance.
…
"Feng Qingge——"
Xue Xichen screamed all the way and rushed into the flower hall, startling Feng Qingge, Leng Junyi and Xiao Liuyue who were discussing something. A cold wind blew in with Xue Xichen's petite figure and blew it away.
The heat in the room was gone. Xiao Liuyue strode forward and held Xue Xichen's shoulders, signaling her to calm down, "Xichen, what are you making such a fuss about?"
"Something big happened! Something big happened!" Xue Xichen ran back all the way, out of breath. She grabbed Xiao Liuyue's arm and said anxiously: "Smallpox... smallpox... smallpox is happening in the city.
!”
"smallpox?"
"It's pox! Smallpox!"
"Acne?!"
Xiao Liuyue was shocked, her face changed suddenly, she suddenly held Xue Xichen's shoulders, her eyes were burning and she asked excitedly: "Xichen, are you serious about this?!"
Xue Xichen nodded vigorously and said seriously: "It's absolutely true! Moreover, according to what Mo Kai said, pox has now spread from the people in the city to the military camp, and pox has become popular in the military camp!"
Xiao Liuyue's pupils tightened and her expression suddenly changed.