Chapter 98 Negotiation (Part ) - Seeking Benefits for the People

Upstairs, the room of Wei Chengyi and his brother.

"It's finally here. I thought I would have to wait until tomorrow."

After hearing Qingying's report, Shen Xiangwan, who had eaten and drunk her fill, stretched lazily. She had just gotten up not long ago and slept from 9:00 a.m. to almost 10:00 p.m. It was a rare good sleep.

"Second sister-in-law knew they were coming?"

Wei Chenghe, who was teasing the cub, raised his head and asked in confusion. Zhao Yuping and Wei Ling'er, mother and daughter, also looked at her.

"It would be strange if they didn't come, right?"

Turning his head to glance at him, Shen Xiangwan sat down, crossed his legs, and continued leisurely, "The epidemic outside is very serious. In the city alone, hundreds of people died in just one day, and the cumulative death rate is already over a thousand. If this gets out, with the current style of the court, it is absolutely possible that the entire Chengjiang County will be directly sealed off. By then, it will not only be the people who will die."

The richer and more powerful people are, the more they fear death. The officials and wealthy families in Chengjiang County are no exception. When they heard that there was someone at the post station who could prescribe medicine and had cured all the sick people except for one person who died, it would be strange if they didn't rush to ask for the prescription.

"That's right."

Nodding in understanding, Wei Chenghe stood up holding the little cub in his arms: "I'm afraid they've come up. I'll take An Ge'er to mother's place to wash up and come back later."

"Ah."

Wei Chengyi and Shen Xiangwan did not object, as it was indeed not appropriate for the children to be present.

"Do you feel better?"

When they were the only two left in the room, Shen Xiangwan rested her head on the table with one hand, looking at Wei Chengyi lazily. She had injected him with antidote for two days, so it should have some effect.

"The stuffy feeling that was always weighing on my chest seems to have disappeared. I feel a lot lighter, and my energy is more unimpeded when I practice Qigong."

As Wei Chengyi spoke, he lifted the teacup to his lips and took two sips. From the outside, his lips, which had always been a strange purple due to the poisoning, had become a little redder. The antidote prepared by Shen Xiangwan was almost immediately effective.

"Five days later, I will give you another great gift."

Raising his eyebrows lazily, Shen Xiangwan said with a smile.

"Oh?"

Putting down the teacup and looking at her, Wei Chengyi showed great interest, but unfortunately...

"Second Master, they are coming."

Qingying walked in from outside, followed by the county magistrate, General Zhang, a group of officials from the yamen, and Zhao Shan and Lao Zhou who were at the back.

"I greet the prince!"

Before anyone else, General Zhang Lang stepped forward, clasped his fists and bowed. Anyone with a little insight could see that he was very cautious and truly respected Wei Chengyi.

"No need to be polite, I am no longer the King of Weiyang."

Waving his hand, Wei Chengyi did not give him a chance to continue speaking, and said, "Please take a seat, everyone."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Even though he had said that, General Zhang still insisted that they had a request to make, and the county magistrate and others were willing to accept it. However, there were only four long benches in the room, and Wei Chengyi and his wife each occupied one. The only ones who actually sat down were General Zhang and the county magistrate.

"Your Majesty, how could you..." "General, I am no longer a prince."

As soon as he sat down, General Zhang couldn't wait to ask questions, but Wei Chengyi didn't give him the chance to finish his questions. His deep eyes were fixed on him without blinking.

"I said the wrong thing."

As if realizing something, General Zhang retracted his gaze and said helplessly, after all, he was just a general of a city, not even a general, so what difference would it make if he knew those things?

Can he still help him to redress his wrongdoing?
Even if it were possible, the one who dared to exile King Wei Yang would definitely be the emperor, and he would not necessarily risk offending the emperor to help him redress his grievances. Respect and admiration are one thing, but truly helping someone regardless of the safety of oneself and one's family is another.

Anyone in officialdom knows how to avoid danger and seek good fortune, and protect himself, and he is no exception.

After making sure that he would not talk about irrelevant things again, Wei Chengyi glanced at the officials present one by one, and fixed his eyes on the county magistrate: "What is the matter with you all who are here at this time?"

"Hmm? Ah, yes, there is something."

The county magistrate was stunned for a moment, then quickly said seriously: "The situation is urgent, I won't beat around the bush. I heard that your madam is a great doctor and can prescribe medicine for the epidemic outside. All the people infected in the post station have been cured. On behalf of all the people in Chengjiang County, I would like to ask your madam to give me a prescription to treat and prevent the epidemic."

Although his attitude was not as respectful as Zhang Langjiang's, his words were still very polite and there was no intention of coercion.

"Are you sure you will use the prescription on the people for free?"

It was not Wei Chengyi who spoke this time, but Shen Xiangwan. She had worked so hard to come up with the prescription, not just for these officials and those wealthy families. If they could not actually apply it to the people, she would never give it to him.

"Well..."

The county magistrate hesitated for a moment, looked at them one by one, and then continued, "I am the father and mother of Chengjiang County. I don't want the plague to continue to spread and cause more deaths. However, Madam Wei, you don't know that there have been frequent wars on the border in recent years, and the court's taxes have been getting higher year by year. Not only are the people having a hard time, but the government is not much better off. If the government collects the herbs, makes the soup, and then distributes it to the people for free, we may not be able to afford it."

Although he was not necessarily a good official, what he said was not an excuse. As the magistrate of Chengjiang County, once the plague broke out on a large scale, regardless of whether he would be infected or not, he would be the first to suffer if the court investigated. However, they were not rich, and the amount of medicine and herbs needed by everyone in the county was not a small number. It was really too difficult for them to provide them to the people free of charge.

"Really?"

Pursing her lips, a hint of sarcasm flashed across Shen Xiangwan's eyes. After constantly plundering various counties over this period of time, she knew better than anyone that these county magistrates had much more money in their private coffers than in the public treasury.

"Mrs. Wei!"

Only a fool could not see the other party's obvious sarcasm. The county magistrate could not help feeling displeased.

"Sorry, I just remembered something else."

As if he had noticed his attitude, Shen Xiangwan apologized half-heartedly, and then said in a serious tone, "If I can help you solve your money problem, can you promise me to distribute the medicine to all the people for free?"

Shen Xiangwan suddenly became serious, his expression becoming more solemn, sweeping away his previous casualness.

"really?"

If that's possible, why wouldn't they do it?
Not only the county magistrate, General Zhang, and the officials who came with them, everyone's eyes lit up. Since they didn't have to spend any money themselves and it could solve the plague and win the hearts of the people, only a fool would refuse.

【End of this chapter】

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