"My Lady, the moon is quite round tonight, isn't it?"
A chilling glare swept over him as Leng Ningyue asked expressionlessly, "Such a serious matter as a plague outbreak, why didn't you inform me?"
"This, this is because I couldn't get out, and was waiting for my Lady to come find me, wasn't I?"
Finishing his sentence, Lin Qingge spread his hands innocently.
Leng Ningyue couldn't help but press her fingers to her forehead, "Tell me, how is it that wherever you go, trouble follows?"
"As the saying goes, when Heaven is about to bestow a great responsibility upon a person, it first tries their resolve, strains their sinews, starves their body, and empties their being..."
"Speak properly!"
"Actually, I don't know why either."
Despite the gravity of the situation, the conversation between the official and his lady couldn't help but amuse Yan Tinghao, who was standing to the side.
Indeed, no matter how capable the official was, he was just a cat with its claws retracted in front of his lady.
What was it about him that made him seem a little cute?
No!
How could a man be described with the word 'cute'?
He must be exhausted from work; what he was feeling was clearly schadenfreude!
Setting aside Yan Tinghao's musings, Leng Ningyue, frowning, looked at Lin Qingge across the wooden stakes. "What do you plan to do? Or perhaps I should climb over and help you? If I'm with you, at least we can look out for each other."
Understanding Leng Ningyue's concern, Lin Qingge quickly waved his hands. "No, absolutely not! Mo'er is still relying on you for care. Besides, you manage our family's finances; we still need you to pay for supplies!"
Combating the epidemic was a race against time, so Lin Qingge hadn't expected any disaster relief funds from the court initially. If the court's relief funds had arrived promptly, the Changzhou county under his jurisdiction wouldn't have so many refugees, and he wouldn't be trapped here.
"I'll immediately find people to procure some daily necessities and food to send over."
Leng Ningyue's slightly helpless, clear voice drew Lin Qingge's wandering thoughts back. He put away his teasing expression and solemnly instructed, "My Lady, after you return, find Master Hua. His family runs a medical clinic, so he'll definitely have many ready medicinal ingredients. Forensic Examiner Murong said he has a prescription for the plague, but even the cleverest housewife can't cook without rice; without sufficient medicinal ingredients, he's also at a loss. So, please tell Master Hua that no matter how much money it costs, he must procure all the ingredients for the prescription. As for the quantity, the more the better."
However, Leng Ningyue's attention was on another point. She frowned and asked, "Forensic Examiner Murong is also here?"
"Yes, my Lady. Forensic Examiner Murong was collecting herbs on a nearby mountain when he was discovered by this subordinate and 'invited' over." Yan Tinghao, though unaware of Forensic Examiner Murong's thoughts, knew that the latter's white attire was particularly conspicuous amidst the mountains. It was fortunate it was noon; if it were night, he might have mistaken him for a ghost.
"Stay away from him." Leng Ningyue, her brow furrowed even tighter, issued this warning before changing her mind. "Forget it, you should stay as close to Forensic Examiner Murong as possible, and stay farther away from Constable Yan."
Yan Tinghao: ???
Grasping the implication of Leng Ningyue's words, Lin Qingge smiled and quickly changed the subject. "Master Hua will likely be too busy preparing medicinal ingredients to spare any time. My Lady, please go find Lin Moyuan and have him immediately head to Fengtian Prefecture to find my mentor. Inform him of the plague outbreak in Changzhou county, and have him, in his capacity as Prefect, cut off traffic with surrounding counties. Then, have each county conduct self-checks and thoroughly disinfect with lime water. Also, the academy will be temporarily suspended for the next couple of days. Have Zhou Zeli lead people to investigate which villagers have entered and exited the area in the past few days. Have their families stay indoors for now, and only resume normal activities after seven days with no abnormalities."
This was necessary for the villagers who came to help with labor, as they traveled back and forth between their homes.
"Don't worry." Those two simple words held a calming power.
After a few more exchanges, Lin Qingge instructed, "My Lady, it's getting dark. Have Er Niu escort you back!"
"No need, I can manage myself." Leng Ningyue's beautiful eyes seemed to casually glance at Er Niu, who immediately shivered. The severely startled Er Niu buried his head against his chest.
Following this, the county magistrate's wife's voice, which sent chills down the back of one's neck, echoed again, "Er Niu, stay. If there's anything urgent or anything you need to tell him, have him come find me at Changzhou Academy. Mo'er and I will both remain there waiting for your return. Also, this is the dinner Xiao Cao prepared for you. Once you've eaten, share the leftovers with Constable Yan and the others."
!!!
Yan Tinghao, having been completely arranged for, widened his eyes and looked over. Upon meeting his lady's excessively cold gaze, he, like Er Niu, lowered his head. Fine. If he was called Gou Sheng, so be it. Anyway, his lord ate little, and most of it would still end up with him.
"Eat it while it's hot. I'll bring you new ones in the morning."
"My Lady, there's no need... Thank you for your trouble, my Lady." Lin Qingge hastily changed his words midway, his survival instincts kicking in.
After Leng Ningyue had left, Yan Tinghao couldn't help but ask, "My lord, you are a man of seven feet, a dignified county magistrate, yet why are you so meek and subservient the moment you see my lady?"
"What do you mean meek and subservient?" Lin Qingge rolled his eyes towards the sky, answering a question with a question, "Constable Yan, aren't you intimidated when my lady gives you a cold look?"
"I... I am."
"That settles it! Tsk, a foolish rabbit is just a foolish rabbit. You're frolicking merrily around me, but with just one cold glance from my lady, you become more docile than a quail, and you dare to criticize me? Are you tired of living, you foolish rabbit, or do you think I can no longer wield a knife?"
With that, Lin Qingge snatched the food box from Yan Tinghao and strode back.
"Forensic Examiner Murong, come, it's time to eat." Lin Qingge directly placed the food box on the relatively flat large stone. "Come, take what you want to eat first." As he spoke, Lin Qingge took out a pair of bowls and chopsticks and handed them over.
Yan Tinghao, who followed a step behind: ...
Feeling that his position as left and right hand was in jeopardy, Yan Tinghao suppressed the bubbles of unease rising in his heart and asked with a hint of sourness, "My lord, why are you letting Forensic Examiner Murong pick first?"
"Forensic Examiner Murong has mysophobia; we must let him pick first. After all, he is the only doctor here. If he falls ill, who will continue to work for me?"
Murong Bai's slightly upturned lips froze in place due to Lin Qingge's latter sentence.
Oblivious to this, Lin Qingge beckoned to Yan Tinghao, "Alright, stop standing there foolishly! Aren't you coming to eat yet? After you've eaten your fill, you still need to get back to work!"
"Yes, sir!" Yan Tinghao happily sat down and began to devour the food. Murong Bai, maintaining his posture of holding a bowl, sighed as he looked at the pair wolfing down their meal with the speed of a whirlwind, then slowly began to eat.