It felt like he had suddenly been struck a heavy blow, and Yu Wenquan’s tall figure swayed abruptly, urgently supporting himself on the table with both hands just to barely stabilize his posture.
However, the table slightly shook, causing the piles of docunts atop it to scatter ssily to the ground.
When he looked up again, Yu Wenquan’s eyes were redder still, but his voice was deeper, as if forcibly suppressing his own trepidation at this mont, he said in a deep voice, "What happened? How could this be?!"
"..."
"Taiyuan was fine, why would there be a plague?!"
"This—I don’t know, my lord."
Yu Wenquan, with his high status and authority, naturally emitted a commanding aura, but at this mont, his full beard almost stood on end, combined with his bloodshot eyes and furious face, made him resemble a bloodthirsty tiger. Just one glance was enough to send shivers down one’s spine, invoking utter terror.
Yu Dingxing instinctively stepped back a few paces.
Just then, Yu Wenye suddenly said, "Father, perhaps it’s those people who left Daxing earlier."
"What?!"
Yu Wenquan turned to look at him, and as he thought deeply, his breath caught in his throat.
He then rembered that earlier, Yu Wenye had dispatched his people several tis to search outside the city for patients infected with the plague. Later, when Yu Wenquan inquired, Yu Wenye inford him that so of the infected citizens left this place, possibly heading east.
At that ti, he just told him to keep an eye on it, not to let the people from the Eastern Capital know that Daxing City was overrun with plague, for fear that if the opponent took advantage of this opportunity to deploy troops, it might deliver them a fatal blow.
But he had never considered that moving east, there was another place they could go to—
It was Taiyuan!
Those people, did they really go to Taiyuan!?
Yu Wenquan only felt his eyelids twitch uncontrollably, he bit his teeth forcefully, his hands clenching the table hard, and after a long while, he lifted his head to look at Song Shiyuan, asking, "Now, what’s the situation in Taiyuan City?"
Song Shiyuan said, "Specifics, this humble servant isn’t quite clear."
"..."
"Only, the Third Young Master has fallen ill, burning with fever for several days and unable to get out of bed. Mr. Huang sent to seek help from the Pri Minister, as there’s no dicine in the city that addresses the symptoms."
"What?!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Wenquan’s brows furrowed once again.
Even Yu Wenqian’s expression changed, he stepped forward staring at Song Shiyuan: "No dicine in Taiyuan City?"
Song Shiyuan glanced at him and lowered his head: "Yes."
"Why?"
"It’s been said, after the Third Young Master fell ill, the household went to get dicine but couldn’t obtain the right prescription. When they searched the city, they found that all usable dicine was gone. It’s as though—it’s as though—"
Yu Wenqian asked, "As though what?"
Song Shiyuan hesitated for a long ti, and finally said softly, "As if soone had swept them all clean beforehand."
"...!"
Yu Wenquan’s face instantly darkened, and subsequently, the Chengqing Hall was plunged into a stifling silence, difficult to put into words.
But this silence only lasted for a mont.
Perhaps not even a mont, because the people here had an absolute capacity and responsiveness in dealing with sudden incidents. The next mont, Yu Wenye stepped forward, earnestly saying, "Father, we must quickly allocate dicine to Taiyuan to save Third Brother."
"Right,"
Yu Wenquan nodded repeatedly, but by this ti, as he spoke, his expression and manner were sowhat chaotic, constantly repeating, "dicine must be allocated there, Cheng’er must be saved."
Saying this, he suddenly rembered sothing, looked up at Yu Wenye: "Your dicine—"
Before he could finish speaking, Shang Ruyi apologized gently, "Please forgive , Father. The dicinal herbs in Changle Square were exhausted yesterday."
Yu Wenquan’s gaze quivered slightly.
Yu Wenye continued, "Father, it was just because the decoction beca less effective that there was almost trouble in Changle Square yesterday. I reported this to you last night. Furthermore, Pei Xingyuan was trapped by those black market rchants last night, nearly burned alive in the East Market, all for dicine."
"..."
"His hands, not a single herb left."
"..."
"The decoctions distributed in Changle Square today were just so redies relieving cold symptoms, filling in the numbers, unable to treat the plague."
"..."
"Over here in Changle Square, I’m afraid there’s no way to spare any herbs, we can only see—"
At this, he raised his head to Yu Wenquan, his gaze flickering slightly, saying, "Can we find so dicine that can save Third Brother from other people’s hands?"
Upon hearing this, everyone’s gaze imdiately fell on Yu Wenqian.
Except Yu Dingxing.
In fact, ever since Song Shiyuan ntioned that no dicine could be found in Taiyuan City to treat Yu Wencheng, he had been silently bowing his head, brooding, unknown what he was contemplating.
And beside him, Yu Wenqian’s face was also not calm.
At this mont, feeling all eyes on him, his clear, calm eyes finally had a flicker. He raised his head to look at Yu Wenquan, softly said, "Father—"
Yu Wenquan’s expression was solemn as he said, "Qian’er, it seems that there is no shortage of dicines in Yanzuo Square, right."
"No."
"Then, has the person distributing the dicine shown their face?"
"Not yet."
"Though he hasn’t shown his face, he has dicine, doesn’t he?"
"...Yes."
"Good!"
As he spoke, Yu Wenquan’s breath somber, cold and sternly said, "I don’t care who that person is, nor what his status is, or whether he associates with others. In any case, you must tell him, since he can save the people in Yanzuo Square, he must bring out the dicine to save the people of Taiyuan, especially my son!"
In ordinary tis, he would never have such unreasonable, or even stubborn and harsh attitude. After all, in his high position, his words and actions dictate the deeds of his subordinates. To govern them, he has to govern himself even more strictly; moreover, his every word and action represents his family’s honor and refinent. Even on the battlefield, he would not show such obvious shortcomings in character.
But now, he was no longer the high and mighty Grand Chancellor, nor the Duke of generations of esteed lineage in Sheng Country.
He was but a father terrified of losing his child.
Yu Wenqian softly said, "I will find a way to ask that person—for dicine."
Yu Wenquan did not imdiately speak, just nodded his head, his sharp and imperious gaze swept over the few people standing in the hall, his face cold as iron, finally speaking in a deep, intimidating tone, "If I find out who is holding the dicine yet unwilling to save my son—I definitely will not let that person off lightly!"
As soon as the words fell, in the silent atmosphere of Chengqing Hall, there ca a faint, almost inaudible gasp.
Soone drew in a sharp breath.
Shang Ruyi subtly lowered her head, the corners of her eyes slightly lifting, only to see Yu Dingxing, standing at the very back unnoticed by anyone, raising his hand to gently wipe the cold sweat off his forehead.
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