“Of course.”
Xie Bufeng walked in, sat next to Wen Qingci, and spread the map drawn on parchment across the table.
The faint scent of dragon saliva and alcohol mixed together, like a large cloak, covering Wen Qingci at a moment when he was completely unprepared.
Xie Bufeng’s hair had been washed not long ago, still carrying some moisture, and there was still a hint of fatigue that was hard to hide between his brows.
But the cold aura on him was diluted by this.
Wen Qingci couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Little did he know that all of this was deliberately done by Xie Bufeng.
The young emperor was cautious, fearing that he would startle him.
“Lianhe is surrounded by mountains on all sides, with only one small road connecting it to the outside world. The terrain of the entire city gradually decreases from south to north. Most of the drinking water in the city is from wells they dig themselves…”
Xie Bufeng’s voice flowed out from Wen Qingci’s ear.
Wen Qingci followed his pointing hand, carefully examining the map, and a hint of surprise emerged in his eyes.
This map was drawn too carefully.
Not only were every street and house marked, but even the depth of the wells in various places was used to roughly depict the direction of groundwater flow.
To avoid attracting attention, Xie Bufeng only brought ordinary attendants to Lianhe County.
They obviously did not have the ability to draw such a detailed map.
Only Xie Bufeng, who had studied the direction of the mountains and rivers as a general, could draw this map.
And if Wen Qingci was not mistaken, the handwriting on the map was indeed his.
Xie Bufeng had already become more mature and reliable than Wen Qingci had imagined.
“From this map, there may be two underground rivers in Lianhe County. Although there are also people infected in the east of the city, the number is far less than in the west.”
So the problem is likely to occur on the underground river in the west.
Wen Qingci slowly nodded.
In theory, finding the source direction should be a happy event.
But at this moment, both of them looked very serious and were silent.
They thought of the same thing: the southwest direction of Lianhe County, which is the possible source of the underground river, is the open space where bodies are buried in the county.
Wen Qingci’s heart couldn’t help but sink: “The lime in Lianhe City is about to run out, and it was not enough to sprinkle when it was buried a few days ago. Since the source of the underground river may be in this direction, they must not be careless anymore.”
Having said this, Wen Qingci already understood why Xie Bufeng came to find him.
Nowadays, they can’t just bury the bodies as before, but need to burn them.
Although Wen Qingci didn’t say it clearly, the meaning in his words was already very clear.
Burning and burying with quicklime are both common ways to deal with corpses in ancient times.
But comparing the two, people obviously prefer the second one.
After a moment of silence, Xie Bufeng slowly nodded: “…So, it can only be burned.”
After he finished speaking, he looked back toward the door and said, “It’s getting late, sir, you should get some rest.” Then he put away the map and prepared to leave.
“Wait!” Just as Xie Bufeng stood up, Wen Qingci’s voice came from behind him, “When do you plan to burn it, Sir? Then… I will go with you.”
His voice was not loud, and it became vague and unreal through the white gauze and veil.
But the seriousness is evident in every word.
Wen Qingci is not seeking his permission, just simply informing.
Xie Bufeng hesitated for a moment, and replied softly: “Noon, the day after tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Wen Qingci slowly nodded, watching him leave.
Lianhe is far away from the palace, and Xie Bufeng is no longer the “Eldest prince” or the emperor who was high above everyone else.
He was dressed in cloth like everyone else, busy here, focusing on his business.
Xie Bufeng’s temperament has become much more stable unconsciously, no longer as sharp as when he was young.
After reuniting, Wen Qingci would forget at some point how dangerous he was in “Supporting the Ming Hall”…
*
Actually, Wen Qingci didn’t need to ask at all, the news of the burning of corpses spread throughout Lianhe in a blink of an eye.
Before the time came, the open space was already filled with people.
They stood in front of the firewood, and the crowd was excited.
This place was in chaos early.
The summer sun made people’s eyes sting.
Xie Bufeng had already arrived at the open space, but he did not order the soldiers to separate the noisy crowd around him.
On the contrary, he personally explained the reason for all this.
In fact, Xie Bufeng’s ears were even more noisy at this time.
Curses, scolding, all kinds of dirty words he had heard and never heard of, filled this open space.
But Xie Bufeng was not angry at all.
Not because he is used to this kind of voice.
But because Xie Bufeng thought of Wen Qingci again…
Was Wen Qingci as desperate as them today when he was a child?
Even more lonely and helpless than them.
Xie Bufeng’s heart was tightly entangled.
The firewood has been set up, and the first batch of corpses have been put on it.
The next moment, a raging flame ignited.
The fire made the already hot summer air even hotter.
The heat flow was like a wave, wave after wave rushing to Wen Qingci who had just arrived here.
Forcing him to keep retreating.
On one side of the open space, he didn’t know who saw Wen Qingci first.
Accompanied by the crackling sound of the burning fire, an old man led his grandchildren, stumbled towards him, and knelt on the ground with a plop.
“Physician, physician save us–“
“Please, save us!”
He stretched out his waxy yellow, thin hand, grabbed Wen Qingci’s hem, knelt his head while crying, “You are a physician from Songxiu Prefecture, there must be a way, there must be a way to save us, right?”
The two children he led also knelt on the ground with their grandfather.
They put their hands together, praying like praying to the Gods: “Please, physician, save our parents!”
“Woo… I don’t want, I don’t want them to die.”
“I don’t want them to… be burned by the fire.”
There was a hum in Wen Qingci’s ears.
He knelt on one knee, subconsciously wanting to help the three grandchildren up: “Can you get up first? I will definitely try my best and find a way.”
But the next second, another seven or eight-year-old boy ran over from nowhere, also climbing on Wen Qingci’s arm, kneeling here.
He was covered in dust and dirt, and he was in a mess.
“Physician, you, can you look at my mother? See if she is asleep?”
In an instant, the scene in front of Wen Qingci’s eyes became blurred.
Only this boy was left, repeating his plea over and over again.
Even… the boy’s appearance has changed.
He is no longer the dusty face just now, but has become exactly the same as Wen Qingci when he was young.
A little cinnabar appeared on his forehead, which was even more gorgeous than blood.
In a trance, Wen Qingci seemed to return to Shan Yu Jian again.
“Float light to take, press heavy to nothing, float like a Wood……”
“What to do, what to do?”
“Why can’t any pulse be diagnosed?”
The little Wen Qingci trembled his hand, diagnosed the pulse for the person on the bed, and wanted to save them.
Hoping that they can open their eyes, as usual, gently touch their heads.
If his medical skills could be more sophisticated, it would be great.
In a trance, Wen Qingci couldn’t help but clenched his fists.
If… if he really were the original owner, it would be great.
If the person in Lianhe today is him, there must be a way.
The fire was burning, and the air was full of choking smoke.
——Countless bodies wrapped in straw mats, silently melted into the flames.
Think of a way to save them.
The desire in Wen Qingci’s heart became stronger and stronger.
His brain also started to ache.
Just at this moment, the little boy pulling his arm suddenly cried loudly, stumbled and ran towards the fire: “Mother, mother–“
Without thinking, Wen Qingci got up and went forward, holding him tightly in his arms.
Wen Qingci trembled his hand to cover the boy’s eyes: “Don’t look, don’t go there, okay?”
Although the boy was only seven or eight years old and his figure was very thin, he burst out with amazing strength at this moment and pushed Wen Qingci away.
“No, I want to see my mother!”
Even through the veil, Wen Qingci could clearly see… At this moment, his mother had been completely swallowed by the fire.
A tear fell from the corner of Wen Qingci’s eyes.
There was a sudden silence in his ears.
For a while, Wen Qingci couldn’t tell whether he was an ordinary sophomore student a thousand years later, or a physician born in Shan Yu Jian in “Supporting the Ming Hall”.
…Isn’t the reason why he had been studying medicine for many years to prevent people like him from appearing in this world?
Wen Qingci’s gaze became incredibly lost.
That evening in Shan Yu Jian, he was like these people in front of him, praying over and over again for someone to help him.
At that time, Shan Yu Jian was already empty.
But today’s Lianhe… at least he is here.
Save him.
Wen Qingci struggled to get up, pulling the boy who was about to step into the fire.
The next second, due to inertia, he fell heavily backwards.
However, the expected pain did not come, and Wen Qingci seemed to fall into a familiar embrace at this moment.
Xie Bufeng appeared at some point and hugged him tightly in his arms.
——In the moment before his consciousness completely disappeared, Wen Qingci seemed to see a hint of panic in those always cold amber eyes.
The next moment, Lianhe County and the soaring fire disappeared.
Wen Qingci saw…
He, dressed in a moon-white long shirt, sat in the bamboo house of Valley of Divine Physicians, holding a pen and carefully organizing the notes on the draft into a book.
He was still immature at that time, looking only fourteen or fifteen years old.
After writing a chapter, he turned the book back to the first page.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally carefully wrote the four big characters “Xinglin Jie’e” on it.
Wen Qingci’s heart calmed down at this moment.
It was a medical book that was so familiar that it could be recited backwards.
But at this moment, while silently reading its contents, Wen Qingci’s mind also recalled the original owner’s thinking when writing.
He held his breath and stared at this medical book without blinking.
Countless memories buried deep in his heart, and the knowledge accumulated for twenty years, all became clear at this moment.
…
“Wen Qingci?!”
“Wen Qingci!”
Xie Bufeng’s heart was empty in an instant.
The scene in the Taishu Palace more than a year ago reappeared in his mind.
Even though there was a fire all around, Xie Bufeng felt cold to the bone.
He seemed to have returned to that day…
After losing and regaining something, he was even more worried about losing again.
Without caring about anything else, he shouted Wen Qingci’s name loudly.
But the person in his arms did not move at all, completely ignoring his voice.
Xie Bufeng held Wen Qingci tightly, going upwind, away from the choking smoke.
With his movement, the originally loose and thin summer sleeves slid down unintentionally.
The next moment, the pale and slender arm, and the scars gnawing on the skin, were all exposed to his eyes.
Xie Bufeng also forgot to breathe at this moment.
Thank you for the update~