The terrain of Cuiqiu City was relatively high.
Even if the Bai River flooded, most of the fertile land could still be preserved.
It could be regarded as one of the safest cities in the river basin, but this safety had brought many new troubles to Hua Pingye and the city’s people.


The carriage traveled on the road for a few days and came upon more and more refugees.
They crouched on the side of the road with their families, and seeing a rich man’s carriage pass by, they begged loudly for food.
The road was blocked, and the speed of the convoy also slowed down.
A-Ning lowered the carriage curtain and asked Liu Xian’an in a low voice: “Young Master, shall we give them something to eat?”

Liu Xian’an shook his head: “We can’t.”

A-Ning didn’t understand: “Why?”

Liu Xian’an said: “There are too many people outside.
If you give it to one, ten more will come to beg.
If you give it to ten, there will be hundreds or thousands.”

A-Ning looked out through the gap in the carriage window again, and there were a few little children in the crowd who were so hungry that they could barely hold on, so he did not give up, saying: “Young Master, maybe I can secretly give that woman a little snack without being noticed by others.”

Liu Xian’an sighed: “You can give it a try.”

A-Ning picked up a big piece of pastry from the plate, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and put it in his robes before nimbly leaving the carriage.
When he and the woman met eyes, he smiled a little and jumped out of the carriage to run over, but the woman had already stood abruptly, dragging her two thin legs as she stumbled toward him.

There were also many other refugees who noticed that A-Ning was with her.
The hungry people saw this fair and healthy boy, and  like wolves seeing raw meat, they got up and flocked to him.

“Young Master, give me something to eat!”

They screamed loudly, and some fell to the ground, but there was no one to help them.
People stepped on freshly dead bodies and continued to rush forward, completely ignoring the muddy flesh and blood beneath their feet.
They were like a group of ragged puppets, numb and senseless.
A-Ning was frightened and stayed where he was.
Seeing that seven or eight dirty hands were about to pull him into the crowd, a guard swooped in to carry him back to the carriage.
He drew his sword out of its sheath and turned his head, saying fiercely: “Get back!”

Its cold light glared, and the refugees stopped in their tracks.
There was a moment of hesitation and uncertainty.
Taking advantage of this time, the coachman swung his whip vigorously and drove the carriage away with haste.

Screams, begging, crying, and desperate, vicious curses continued outside, terrifying to hear.
A-Ning sat at the side of the carriage while holding the broken piece of pasty in his arms, keeping silent.
He was used to hearing the Second Young Master speak about the dao of heaven and floating in the void.
This was the first time he had faced naked human nature.
Just now, at least three people were shoved down and trampled.
There was a high probability that they would die, no, they were definitely dead, and it was all caused by his own recklessness and ignorance.

Liu Xian’an said: “Don’t cry.”

A-Ning continued to hang his head.

Liu Xian’an hugged him into his arms, patted him on the back, and comforted: “Doctors can only heal people, they can’t heal the world, so you don’t need to blame yourself too much.”

A-Ning asked in a nasally voice: “Then who can heal the world?”

Who can heal the world.
Liu Xian’an didn’t answer, but turned his head to the carriage window to look at the tall, sword-bearing figure riding a horse outside the translucent gauze curtain.

.
.
.
.
.
.

The square gates of Cuiqiu City were closed tightly, and a large notice was pasted up, saying that the city had successively accepted a large number of disaster victims, and there was really not room for one more person.
But even so, there were still many refugees waiting outside, each of them sitting in the shade.
When they saw the guard officers opening the city gates for a carriage, they rushed over once more.


Liu Xian’an covered A-Ning’s ears, blocking the cursing and pleading for him along the way.
There were similar voices almost everywhere.
Although A-Ning was a doctor, he was still young, after all.
He hadn’t been able to extract himself from the shadow of that stampede, and was at a loss for words.

Officers and soldiers escorted the carriage into the city, and once the tall gate was closed, two completely different worlds were separated.

Outside the gate was a hellish world proliferated by hunger, while inside the gate, the city still retained its proper appearance.
Hua Pingye said: “Your Highness, apart from the food that is distributed to the people in the city according to their needs, Cuiqiu City really cannot find another extra grain of rice.
And the corpses outside the gate are growing in number day after day, it is really……”

Like this, there was no need for Huang Wangxiang to know any sorcery or Gu skills.
As long as he raised the banner and claimed that they could have enough food in the future, he would draw thousands of people to follow him.

“This group of people first stole the food allocated by the court, and then robbed two or three towns,” Hua Pingye said.
“When they see an official, they kill him and hang his head at the entrance of Gaoliang Mountain as a demonstration.
Rumor is, Huang Wangxiang once said that if you take the head of a dog official, you can exchange it for two baskets of grain.”

If they stole the food allocated by the Imperial court, the people who were waiting for the life-saving food would starve to death.
If they went to rob the towns, what would the people in the towns do? In troubled times, the people had no way to make a living.
People first became victims, and then the victims became the perpetrators.
In turn, more victims were created, and the cycle would repeat itself.
Things could go from bad to worse until the dynasty collapsed.

Liu Xian’an had seen too many similar occurrences in the long river of history.

Hua Pingye prepared guest rooms for everyone.
Liang Shu sent Liu Xian’an back to his residence, saying: “I heard from Gao Lin that you want to buy medicine for some common summer heat illnesses?”

“A-Ning proposed the idea.
With refugees and hot weather, it is too easy for a plague to breed.” Liu Xian’an said, “As for those corpses outside the city, it is also best to find a place to bury them if at all possible, and sprinkle it with lime.”

“You don’t have to worry about that.
Hua Pingye will send officers and soldiers in heavy armor every day to dispose of corpses.” As for why they wore heavy armor, firstly as a deterrence, secondly to avoid being trampled, and thirdly……The more bloody and cruel reality, Liang Shu was reluctant to mention to him.
For some ravenous people, fresh corpses were also food, and in order to snatch this “food” from the officers and soldiers, they would frantically bite like wild animals.

Liang Shu’s lips were chapped.
Lifting the lid of the teapot on the table to take a look, Liu Xian’an found some thick branches and leaves soaking in it.
The color was dark, and it must be extremely bitter, so he turned around and took a porcelain bottle from the cabinet, pouring some powder from it to dissolve in warm water: “Your Highness, drink some water.”

Liang Shu glanced at the pink water in the cup and asked: “You doctors are so upfront when you poison people?”

Liu Xian’an smiled: “It’s dried wild plums ground into powder.
I added some sweet plums, which can stimulate the appetite, and some silver pill to refresh the mind.
Adding these things together is unlikely to poison anyone.”

Liang Shu drank a cup.
It was sweet and sour, and a burst of coolness directly jumped from the tip of his tongue to the top of his head, extremely effective.

Liu Xian’an handed him the porcelain bottle: “There’s still a lot left, would the prince like to keep it for himself?”

Liang Shu didn’t know how to respond: “That won’t work.”

It was normal for a member of royalty, a son of a noble family, to not pour water into his own cup.

Thus, when he wanted to drink, it had to be mixed by the doctor himself.

Liu Xian’an put the bottle back into the cabinet.


Liang Shu sat on the couch and watched him busy himself, and only in this moment was relieved of the heavy burden weighing on his mind.
Although he had long been accustomed to life and death, this was very different.
The deaths of hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of soldiers on the battlefield were exchanged for the lives of hundreds of thousands, millions, or even tens of millions of common people, so even if their bones were buried beneath yellow sand, it was considered a worthy death.
But what about the deaths of the people in the Bai River Basin at this moment?

The deaths of the common people did not have half that glory, only endless humiliation and despair, along with bloody and tearful accusations of incompetence toward their ruler.

In the face of an entire era, the power of one person or a group of people was truly insignificant.
Liang Shu closed his eyes, and was just about to clear his mind, when a cool sensation appeared at his temple.
Liu Xian’an was bent down with a box of ointment in his hand, and was slowly massaging him with a small jade rod.

Liang Shu said: “Do you not greet patients before treating them?”

“My dad also treated me the same way,” Liu Xian’an said.
“For a while, I had a bad spleen and stomach and had to recuperate.
I often fell asleep and was woken up by needles.” He moved a chair and sat down.
“Only Imperial physicians in the palace require many rules, we……don’t move!”

Liang Shu took a deep breath: “Why can’t I move, can you not see for yourself how big that needle in your hand is?” And why was this thing brought out all of a sudden?

“It’s not thick, the thickest needles are with my dad, and he never lets others touch them,” Liu Xian’an said.
“This one is pretty thin.
I told you not to move, or it will be crooked.”

His Royal Highness Xiao Wang sat stiffly on the chair, trying to figure out how to send him to his room, but was stabbed in the head with a needle for no reason.
From a cup of sweet medicine, to cooling ointment, and then to this astonishing thick demonic thing, it was just like feeling him out.
He also knew to divert attention by talking about this and that.
In the art of war, it would be called feigning one thing to do another, loosening the reins only to grasp them better, fishing in troubled waters, hiding behind the mask of a fool.

He said: “You did it on purpose.”

Liang Shu denied it – no.

Liang Shu: “Gao Lin told you.”

Liu Xian’an continued to deny, he didn’t, ah.

Liang Shu said: “He wants to die…..”

Wearing a tense expression, Liu Xian’an said: “Okay, sit properly.”

It was indeed Gao Lin who came to see Liu Xian’an, saying that the prince had been suffering from headaches recently and had trouble sleeping.
But at the same time, he also suggested that it was best not to use acupuncture or bitter medicines, or any kind of treatment that involved lying down.
His Royal Highness Xiao Wang had so many faults, and touching his inverse scale may cause him to become angry.
Many Imperial doctors had already suffered because of this.

It was fine not to take bitter medicine, and fine not to lie down for a while, but acupuncture was still needed.
Second Young Master Liu pressed Liang Shu’s shoulder with one hand and slowly rotated the needle with the other, thinking, this was not difficult, I just went step by step and took advantage of his unpreparedness.
Could it be that none of the doctors at the Imperial Hospital could do this?

Liang Shu said: “It hurts.”

Lu Xian’an: “That’s normal.”

“Pain is normal?”

“How much can a few needles hurt? Okay, don’t move.
I will have A-Ning decoct the medicine.”


As soon as Liang Shu heard the word “decoct,” his brain began to hurt again: “Why do I still need to take medicine?”

“Of course you have to take medicine when you’re sick.” Liu Xian’an put away the pack of needles.
“But the prince need not worry, the medicine isn’t too bitter.”

Liang Shu asked unhappily: “You think this lord is afraid of bitterness?”

Liu Xian’an thought to himself, isn’t that the case? Lieutenant General Gao emphasized it three times to me.
However, he still gave the prince face: “Not at all.”

His Royal Highness Xiao Wang forced out a dignified “En” to show his approval.

Liu Xian’an looked at him for a while and then pursed his lips solemnly: “Since the prince is not afraid of bitterness, then I will add a few more herbs to the previous prescription, so that the nerve-calming effect will be stronger.”

While talking, he ground the ink and picked up a brush, and picked up a new sheet of paper to write the prescription on.
There was half a catty of goldthread, which made Liang Shu’s temples twitch.
Was this dosage for decocting medicine or for bathing? He stared into the other’s eyes, trying to find some joke in them, but there was nothing.
Not only did Liu Xian’an wear an extremely serious expression, but his handwriting was thin and elegant.
When neatly arranged together, this prescription appeared particularly authoritative and reliable.
Even if two catties of pork legs were mixed in, the patient would probably feel that it should be taken like this.

And so, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was bluffed.
Of course, part of the reason was that he knew Liu Xian’an had been forty-eight thousand years old since he could read, young and mature, and saw everyone as ants.
He never bothered to joke with any mortal, and had no reason to target him alone.

Liu Xian’an finished writing the prescription, put it in his sleeve, and walked away like an immortal.

Liang Shu, who was left with his precious face, exhaled and leaned against the table, thinking, the medicine can be decocted, but that doesn’t mean I have to drink it.

In the end, A-Ning was unable to bear it.
After dinner, when everyone gathered in the study to discuss matters, the servants picked up the food box containing the medicine and knocked firmly on the door.

Liang Shu: “……”

The medicine bowl was so large that one could eat noodles out of it, and when it was revealed, the visual effect was amazing.
Hua Pingye was shocked at the sight.
He had been in the military camp for many years, and had the impression that even if the prince was seriously injured, he could only sip medicine grudgingly, for fear that one more sip would cause him to suffer a loss.
Now that it was replaced by a very big bowl full to the brim, he thought he must be seriously ill, and hurried to raise his rough voice in concern: “Nobody talk yet, let the prince drink the medicine while it’s hot.”

The bowl was full of a brown-black substance, and Liang Shu’s brain flinched when he saw it.
Seeing that everyone in the room was staring at him, he had no choice but to pick up the bowl without a change in expression.

He drank it in one gulp, but it was not bitter.
It was at most astringent, with a slight sour-sweet taste.

He looked toward the door.

Liu Xian’an folded his hands and couldn’t hide the smile in his eyes.

Not bitter.
I was teasing you.

It was stuffy in the study room.
Although the windows were open, it was not very cool, and the candlelight was blown by the wind.
The room was full of people discussing a few very troublesome things, and the environment was truly not good.
Liang Shu had originally been in an irritable mood, but now, because of this bowl of medicine and a smile, he became much more relaxed.


Gao Lin nudged A-Ning with his elbow.
What kind of magical medicine is this to make the prince happy, bring me a bowl tomorrow.

“The young master has added a lot of sweet root to it,” A-Ning whispered.
“Lieutenant General Gao wants to drink it, but I’m afraid he cannot.
The young master said that the medicine is not easy to buy and must be saved, so all the sweet root and hawthorn will be reserved for the prince in the future.”

The two of them were still whispering as Hua Pingye reopened the map.
Gaoliang Mountain was a very high and dangerous peak with stretches of ravines, easy to defend but difficult to attack.
Liang Shu asked: “How many rebels are there now?”

Hua Pingye said: “At a rough estimate, at least 50,000, but not exactly.
Now that Huang Wangxiang’s reputation has grown, many people use his banner to recruit soldiers and horses here and there.
It’s really hard for people to distinguish between true and false.”

“Whether it is true or false, they are all rebels.” Liang Shu looked at Liu Xian’an.
“What do you think?”

“Can our army pretend to be refugees, mix in with the rebels, and break through from the inside?”

“It wouldn’t be difficult to pretend, but getting in is not easy,” Hua Pingye explained.
“It is said that ordinary refugees will only be assigned to the subordinates of the lowest-ranking boss when they first seek refuge, and must follow them to grab food and money or kill a few officials to be eligible to see Huang Wangxiang, and he is not in Gaoliang Mountain now.”

“Where is the main force of the rebel army now?”

As soon as this question was asked, someone sent a new military bulletin, which included one useful paragraph among the complaints and nonsense.
It said that Huang Wangxiang led the rebels to break through three cities in a row and ascended the throne in Sanshui City.

Gao Lin’s face paled when he saw it, for no other reason than the trash level of the troops stationed there.
Even if they put out a few stakes and stood on the city wall, they should easily sweep away a few rebels, right? It had only been a few days since Hua Pingye heard the news.
How come Huang Wangxiang had gone from leading a mob all the way to the dragon chair? On the first day that the Dayan coach arrived in Cuiqiu City, this kind of ghastly news was sent, as if it had been calculated with precise timing.

Liang Shu asked: “How many troops are stationed in the area?”

“Also 50,000,” Gao Lin said.
“Lu Xiang is in charge.
The prince should remember that he is Lu-daren’s nephew.”

All the civil and military officials in the dynasty knew that Lu-daren would go to the emperor every now and then to remonstrate with the prince.
From the Northwest Military Camp to Xiao Wang Palace, trivial problems had to be singled out and written as a 18,000 – word criticism.
Even the Son of Heaven himself experienced a great headache.
Also, because of the other’s status as an elder of three dynasties, it was not easy to refute him to his face, lest one day he really clashed with him in the hall and had to bear the extra charge of “infuriated a loyal minister” out of thin air.
The root cause of Liang Shu’s dialogue about old, white-bearded men pretty much originated here.

The leaders of the garrisons in various part of Dayan were either from the Northwest Military Camp or the Northeast Miltary Camp, with the exception of Lu Xiang.
He was born to a noble family and served in the Imperial Guard for two years.
Later, due to the instability in the world, there was a shortage of soldiers in the garrisons all over, and the late emperor set an example by reducing the group of cronies around him.
It was also at that time that Lu Xiang went to work for the local government as a matter of course.

In short, he was a rich young master who had never suffered much.

“Lu-daren is honest and frugal in court, but his nephew knows how to swallow large sums of military expenses outside.” Gao Lin read the military bulletin again.
It said at the end that Commander Lu had led his troops to Sanshui City overnight to encircle and suppress them, plus a lot of nonsense about “viewing death as a return home.” There was no telling if he was sobered up by Huang Wangxiang’s ascension to the throne, or because he heard the news that His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was coming, but he performed his duty overnight.

Liang Shu didn’t mind letting this trash return to his hometown, but Lu Xiang still had 50,000 of Dayan’s soldiers behind him.

He said: “Prepare the horses.”

Liu Xian’an stood: “I will go with the prince as well.”

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