Capítulo 2091: Chapter 2066: Convergence
Manbao swallowed under her mask.
Honestly, she was craving it.
Xiazhou City wasn’t lacking in grain, but at and vegetables were still scarce. In the past few days, Zhou SiLang slaughtered one cow each day, but since this courtyard was officially under governnt funding, it wasn’t luxurious.
Moreover, patients should eat light als; eggs and at are best avoided when rashes break out.
The doctors, including Manbao, ate relatively well—having a al with at or a boiled egg daily—but the patients truly had bland soup and watery als.
Third Mrs. Gong ntioned that even she was craving sothing more, and she patted her stomach, complaining, “We donated quite a bit of money and food to this courtyard. Why is it so stingy here?”
If they relied entirely on the governnt for food and clothes, Yang Heshu might indeed have them eating chaff and wild vegetables. Hence, whenever a family admitted a patient, they donated so funds too, ranging from four to fifty taels, which were sufficient for their sustenance during this period.
Manbao knew it all depended on people’s intentions, but since the Gong family had surely donated a lot, she comforted her, “It’s not about being stingy. You’re sick now and should eat light. Even if you recover and leave, you should continue eating light for a while and avoid rich foods…”
Third Mrs. Gong listened earnestly and took note.
When it was ti for dinner, Manbao got up to wash her hands and change clothes before going to the front to dine with Bai Shan and the others.
Next to the main hall where dicine was dispensed, there was a spacious side room, which had previously been used by Doctor Jin and Doctor Hua for resting and discussions; now it served the sa purpose for them.
When she arrived, Doctor Jin and Doctor Hua had just arrived too. Both were also wearing masks, which she had started wearing first, and it had quickly beco popular around the courtyard, as well as in the governntal office and the other two courtyards, and in the dical tent.
Manbao wasn’t stingy with sharing her knowledge and had publicly shared how to make them. The main point was that the gauze had to be clean, preferably boiled, dried, and then sewn together in multiple layers, with the outermost layer being cotton fabric. Of course, so families couldn’t afford cotton, so they could try using fine linen.
Yang Heshu had been working hard over the past few days to encourage everyone in the city to make a few masks themselves. Though they might only help a little, preventing so infections was better than none.
But in fact, as long as it was said that the Imperial Doctors from the capital were suggesting it, no one questioned it, and everyone obediently complied.
The city had been sealed for eighteen days, and people were panic-stricken. At this mont, the new regulations brought a breath of fresh air to people, giving them a direction for their efforts.
Manbao arrived with Assistant Doctor Lu, and Bai Shan and Bai Erlang also ca in after changing their clothes and washing their hands. He inford Manbao about the number of patients admitted today, “Five children were admitted to the East Courtyard today—two are residing in the third courtyard next to the main one, and three are in the fifth courtyard at the eastern corner. None of them are in good condition. You could take a look.”
Manbao nodded.
Bai Shan continued, “According to schedule, Imperial Doctor Lu and the others should have arrived today. Since they haven’t, they must have been delayed en route. My suggestion is, if they haven’t arrived by tomorrow noon, you should take the lead with Assistant Doctor Lu, et with all the doctors in the city on behalf of the Imperial Hospital, and start discussing the detailed treatnt plans.”
“I have compared the prescriptions from the three courtyards and the dical tent and found significant differences. Particularly, the fatality rate in the dical tent has remained high.”
Manbao responded, “Then let’s wait until noon to see.”
However, they didn’t need to wait until the next day at noon. Around si, soone ca to find Zhou Man and the others, “The people from the Imperial Hospital have arrived; they are now at the governntal office, and Imperial Doctor Lu is summoning everyone for a eting.”
Manbao asked, “Are all the doctors going?”
“Yes,” the ssenger said, “Imperial Doctor Lu said that for patients already seen today, the dication will be changed; for those not yet seen, continue with the old prescriptions. Everyone should go to the County Governntal Office for a eting first.”
This was also akin to sharpening the axe without delaying the woodcutter. Manbao agreed, turned around to freshen up, took her notebook, and went out.
Manbao took a carriage to the County Governntal Office, jumped down, and rushed towards the central hall. Today was the first ti she saw all the doctors in Xiazhou City and the city officials.
Apart from the household physicians of each mansion, every doctor in the city was present.
Everyone sat in their respective places. As soon as Manbao arrived, everyone couldn’t help but look at her. Imperial Doctor Zheng stood up and gave his seat, below Imperial Doctor Lu, to her.
Since Manbao’s rank was higher than his, she nodded and sat high.
Not only the doctors, but even the officials on the other side cast glances.
When everyone was present, Yang Heshu ca out from the back hall with a young man, accompanied by Bai Shan and Bai Erlang.
Manbao looked up and t Bai Shan’s gaze. They both nodded slightly and then looked towards Yang Heshu, who was walking over.
Yang Heshu introduced the young man beside him to everyone, “This is Junior General Gong…”
The officials of Xiazhou City—the prefect was placed under house arrest in the Prefect’s Mansion by Yang Heshu, the county magistrate, while other officers such as the deputy governor, chief secretary, and marshal all obeyed Yang Heshu and Junior General Gong.
At least, that was how it appeared on the surface for now.
But the necessary courtesies were still observed. Although Yang Heshu was the de facto ruler in Xiazhou City, he still yielded the upper seat to Junior General Gong, while allowing the deputy governor, chief secretary, and others to sit in their respective places.
As a county magistrate of the sixth rank, he couldn’t sit in a prominent place, so he simply stood to preside over the eting.
After introducing the city officials and the general from Xiazhou, Yang Heshu went on to introduce those from the Imperial Hospital and the city’s various doctors.
He dove straight into the main topic, “Imperial Doctor Lu has been sent with others from the Imperial Hospital to support Xiazhou City.”
Then, Imperial Doctor Lu took out a docunt listing the quantity of dicinal supplies he brought, which Yang Heshu, representing Xiazhou City, received and provided an update on the current epidemic situation.
Afterward, the main hall was handed over to the Imperial Doctors and the city’s doctors.
Having arrived four days earlier, Manbao was the first to speak, “The dical cases I’ve seen over these four days have been largely similar…”
Junior General Gong sat above, hearing the group of doctors discuss and debate the prescriptions around the young girl’s notebook, using terms he couldn’t understand at all. What was hypothetical and what was real was harder than even studying classical texts.
But his gaze swept sideways, seeing Yang Heshu standing and listening intently, so he remained seated and still.
Before they ca, Yang Heshu had ntioned their purpose was to back and support the doctors from the Imperial Hospital in taking over the situation in Xiazhou City.
The situation in Xiazhou City couldn’t deteriorate further. If the number of infections didn’t drop, even with troops at their disposal, they might not be able to control the people within the city.
And this would mainly rely on the doctors and Imperial Doctors gathered here today.
A dozen or more doctors intensely debated for half an hour, ultimately settling on the most typical prescription plans corresponding to different dical cases, trying to cover a range of circumstances, and double-checking the current dical supply status before looking at Imperial Doctor Lu, waiting for his assignnt of tasks.
Imperial Doctor Lu pondered, “So, is the dical tent the place most in need of doctors now?”
“Yes.”
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