Chapter 123
Smallpox was a malignant disease, one that even the Imperial Academy of Medicine had little confidence in treating.
The visiting Khan of Wu Yun Country, who had brought his entire family along, now faced a dire situation: his child had contracted smallpox while in Jing Country...
The mere thought of this made Xiao Yunzhou break into a sweat.
Such an incident could very well lead to war between the two nations.
What an unfortunate coincidence!
Nothing had happened until they came to Jing Country, but as soon as they arrived as guests in the royal palace, their prince fell ill with smallpox.
Xiao Yunzhou's face darkened.
It was as if the heavens wished to destroy his Jing Country!
Should this tragedy come to pass, he would have no way to defend himself. No matter how he tried to explain, no one would believe that Jing Country wasn't responsible.
[Alas, according to the plot, shortly after the Wu Yun Country's young prince dies from smallpox, a young eunuch in our Jing Country's royal palace is discovered to have contracted the disease.]
[Yes, it's the eunuch sent by Consort Li to take care of the Fourth Prince.]
"!"
Xiao Yunzhou's eyes widened.
As the date of Wu Yun Country's visit approached, Xiao Chuchu recalled all the relevant plot points.
[This young eunuch happened to request leave from the palace on Lantern Festival night, claiming he needed to handle his father's funeral affairs, but he was lying!]
[In truth, he is one of the hidden agents of the Earth and Moon Sect...]
Xiao Yunzhou nearly leapt from his dragon throne in an instant.
The Earth and Moon Sect still had people?
[According to the plan, after Jiu Xiao's assassination attempt on the Emperor, the hidden agents of the Earth and Moon Sect were to begin their operation, aiming to exterminate the princes of Jing Country!]
Xiao Yunzhou's pupils dilated in shock. This was a chain of attacks—these remnants of the previous dynasty were attempting to uproot the entire bloodline of the Xiao family!
[The young eunuch left the palace on Lantern Festival night, and the next day he would intentionally bring in clothes and pus fluid from smallpox patients, hoping to infect the princes.]
"!"
As he listened, Xiao Yunzhou's heart trembled violently, and every hair on his body stood on end.
This incident wasn't mentioned in the morning's interrogation results from the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review.
Xiao Yunzhou suddenly remembered that Zhang Wei had said the Earth and Moon Sect's elder had confessed, but the Vice Leader was stubborn and refused to say anything.
It seemed that only the Vice Leader knew about this smallpox plot.
He could imagine it all now.
If the assassin had succeeded and he, the Emperor, had perished, the ministers would urgently discuss the matter of the new Emperor's succession.
At that time, this young eunuch would enter the palace with clothes from smallpox patients, infecting the princes around him, and then infecting the new monarch...
What a vicious chain of plots by the Earth and Moon Sect!
[By calculation, this young eunuch should be returning to the palace today.]
Xiao Yunzhou stared wide-eyed.
[Fortunately, Consort Li is extremely fond of the Fourth Prince and thought this young eunuch's family funeral was inauspicious. After his return, she had him sent back to the Internal Affairs Department.]
[He didn't manage to harm our princes, but when the Wu Yun Country's prince arrived, he brought calamity upon him!]
Xiao Chuchu recalled all the subsequent plot points from the novel.
However, in the novel, after the Lantern Festival, Xiao Yunzhou had already been wounded by the assassin, the Empress Dowager had passed away, and the Khan of Wu Yun Country had come to pay his respects.
[I wonder in what form my drawn skill, 'The Method of Cowpox Inoculation,' will be used for the benefit of Jing Country.]
Xiao Chuchu was also very curious.
Xiao Yunzhou's expression changed, becoming inscrutable. After a long while, he looked towards the group of civil and military officials in the morning court.
What other form could it take?
Of course, it would be his own idea—him, the father of this fairy-reincarnated little princess—ahem, enlightening his ministers.
[Early human pox method: Take pus from the sores and use cotton to plug the nostrils of the person being inoculated;]
[Water vaccine method: Grind smallpox scabs into powder and mix with water, then use cotton to soak and plug into the nostrils]
[Later, inspired by the human pox method, the cowpox method was developed—using cows infected with the smallpox virus...]
Xiao Chuchu had already begun reading her drawn skill book.
Her inner voice gradually transmitted clearly into Xiao Yunzhou's ears.
Xiao Yunzhou immediately sat upright, his expression solemn, ears perked.
Inside the morning court hall, the Liu family father and son also slowly furrowed their brows.
"Court dismissed."
Three quarters of an hour later, the two factions of ministers finally finished arguing about the Earth and Moon Sect's affair.
Xiao Yunzhou also let out a long breath, having listened to his daughter's array of inoculation methods.
He pressed his slightly dizzy temples and rose. He quickly signaled Wei Zheng to stop the Liu family father and son, one from the Ministry of Personnel and one from the Ministry of Works, along with the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Punishments.
The Liu family pair were fine.
But the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Punishments were very nervous.
"Your Majesty, are you dissatisfied with the handling of the Earth and Moon Sect just now?"
Xiao Yunzhou motioned for them to be quiet first, gave Wei Zheng a look, and said, "The little princess is hungry. Tell Concubine Liu to let her rest with the little princess for a while."
The corner of Zhang Wei's mouth twitched.
Now he found everything about the Emperor good, except that he was too sentimental about his children!
The little princess wasn't crying or making a fuss; how could she be hungry?
Was the Emperor too family-oriented?
But Xiao Yunzhou's next glance had already turned to him, "This morning, a batch of anonymous memorial reports from civil and military officials was delivered to me."
"!"
Zhang Wei and Yin Moqiao both instinctively looked towards Liu Wenchang from the Ministry of Personnel.
This business of official reporting, a fixed monthly channel allowing everyone to speak freely to the Emperor, was created by Liu Wenchang.
Fearing that people might have reservations normally, these report memorials were specially processed to be all anonymous.
As for how to be anonymous—whether writing with the right hand instead of the left, or having an old servant at home transcribe to change the handwriting—that was up to the ministers to figure out.
In any case, this report memorial drop box was right at the Zhengyang Gate.
You could drop off a letter even in the middle of the night.
"Your Majesty, has someone reported matters related to the Earth and Moon Sect?" Zhang Wei frowned.
Xiao Yunzhou nodded, "Correct. You two now need to inquire clearly: who in your two departments had smallpox in their youth?"
Zhang Wei and Yin Moqiao were both surprised.
How strange, one moment they were dealing with the Earth and Moon Sect's assassination and rebellion.
The next moment, they were discussing smallpox?
[Wow, the modern corporate complaint mailbox idea really works.]
Behind the screen where she was eavesdropping on the court, Xiao Chuchu was drinking milk while marveling.
[The Earth and Moon Sect's smallpox plot was actually known by someone and reported to Father Emperor?]
Ha-ha.
Xiao Yunzhou strongly resisted the urge to curl his lips upward.
It really was useful.
This "Official Report Box."
Currently, only he, the Son of Heaven, could see what was in this box.
Whatever he said, went.
Xiao Yunzhou lightly coughed and looked at Old Liu, "If this matter proves true, Old Liu, you who came up with this hundred-official reporting channel will be my great meritorious official."
"Good, Old Liu and Liu Runnian, you both have had smallpox before. I heard Concubine Liu mention it."
"Come with me, all of you."
*
Outside the Zhengyang Gate, the Fourth Prince's personal attendant eunuch, who was only fifteen or sixteen years old and looked honest and simple, was returning to the palace with his luggage.
"Lord Quan Xing, you've returned."
One must show deference to a prince's personal attendant and the palace gate guards.
"Please accept our condolences."
Everyone could see the grief of losing a father etched on Quan Xing's face.
But just as Quan Xing had opened his personal satchel for the palace gate guards to inspect, before he could even muster a relieved smile—he was suddenly surrounded by more than thirty heavily armed soldiers who burst out from nowhere!
"Quan Xing, drop your bag immediately!"
Quan Xing froze in shock.
He saw that the thirty-plus heavily armed soldiers were fully equipped, each with their faces concealed by veils!
Behind them, several figures in official robes quickly emerged.
These robed officials were all unrecognizable, as they each wore thick masks.
Even their hands were wrapped up!
"Raise your hands!"
"Kneel down!"
"Don't move!"
Quan Xing: "!!?"