Originally, during the few months since entering Shu, Zhu Xiang planned to take Ying Xiaozheng on a good trip.
Although Ying Xiaozheng had traveled long distances before, he was still young at that time, and the old King of Qin was with him. Zhu Xiang believed that his son Zheng would definitely not be in the mood to enjoy the scenery during the journey.
He had made all the necessary preparations, but he never expected to be entangled in official duties just after entering Shimen.
"Zheng'er, I'm sorry..." Zhu Xiang felt very guilty.
Ying Xiaozheng crossed his short legs, leaned sideways on the carriage seat, rested his elbows on the armrests, curled his hands to hold up his chin, and sighed helplessly: "Uncle, I'm not a playful child. You are busy with government affairs, why do you have to apologize to me? Uncle is busy, I can read books to kill time."
Zhu Xiang suggested: "Zheng'er, do you want to join our discussion? Just treat it as a learning experience."
Ying Xiaozheng sighed again: "Uncle, I showed some cleverness in Xianyang, which aroused the vigilance of many people."
Zhu Xiang said: "Li Bing is not such a person."
"I'm not talking about him... Never mind, I'll go and listen." Ying Xiaozheng put down his elbow and straightened up. "If I have any ideas, I'll talk to my uncle in private."
"Okay." Zhu Xiang took his cool and handsome nephew into his arms and rubbed him hard, making Ying Xiaozheng, who had just been handsome for a very short time, very angry.
"Let go, uncle! I'm not a child anymore!" Ying Xiaozheng roared like a little dragon.
"Okay, okay." Zhu Xiang continued to rub.
The child who says he is not a child is so cute. While the nephew is still a little dragon cub, rub him a few more times. When the little dragon cub grows into a domineering ancestor dragon, you can no longer rub him.
Ying Xiaozheng was defeated by his uncle's "claws" again. He hugged Li Mu's neck angrily and refused to get down, determined not to reconcile with his uncle.
Li Mu patted Ying Xiaozheng on the back and let out a long sigh.
He knew that he alone could not stop Zhu Xiang from bullying Zheng'er.
Li Mu glanced at Li Bing, who looked back in confusion.
Li Mu retracted his gaze and gave up trying to win over Li Bing. It was obvious that this man was not someone who would dare to chase after Zhu Xiang and beat him up.
"Okay, let's get down to business." Zhu Xiang had enough of teasing his nephew and changed the subject. "Schistosomes usually appear in rivers, lakes, and paddy fields, especially where the water flows slowly. Even in the mountains, there are concentrated outbreaks. The outbreak in the Chengdu Plain may be even more serious."
Li Mu frowned: "Water Gu is not witchcraft, it is not evil spirit entering the body, but parasites. Alas, although the true face of water Gu is known, it is still difficult to eliminate water Gu disease."
Zhu Xiang thought to himself, it’s not very difficult, it’s simply impossible.
To prevent schistosomiasis, first, we must eliminate the intermediate host, i.e., the snail; second, people must develop good living habits and try not to drink raw water or eat raw food; third, we must establish a complete living infrastructure to separate fecal water, domestic sewage and drinking water, and purify drinking water; fourth, we must use specific medicines.
The last three points are not something that can be achieved in this era.
As for the second point, it is not that people do not want to develop good living habits, but that they simply do not have enough firewood to drink boiled water and take a bath with boiled water.
In ancient times, most mountains were private property of the nobility, and common people would be severely punished if they cut firewood privately. Even if they could go up the mountain to cut firewood, there was not enough firewood.
Ancient books record that the Song Dynasty was densely populated, and the mountains near the cities would be bald in winter. Charcoal in winter was more expensive than silk and brocade, and was a luxury only the nobility could enjoy. Until the 1960s and 1970s, it can be seen in old photos that the mountains in the north were basically bald.
Even if people knew the disadvantages of drinking and bathing in raw water, their situation would not allow them to change their lifestyle.
From the third point of view, when building a city, people can think about the sewer system, but it is impossible in the countryside. Water purification is even more unimaginable now.
Even modern rural areas face the problem of wells being contaminated by manure and livestock water.
From the fourth point, although some herbal medicines are effective against schistosomiasis, the prerequisite is that the active ingredients must be purified. Without a sufficiently pure medicine, even if a large amount of raw materials such as boiled water of Artemisia annua are consumed, the therapeutic effect on schistosomiasis is very poor.
As for chemical drugs, it is impossible to prepare them without professional equipment. Zhu Xiang also does not know the complete formula.
Even for potassium antimony tartrate, which has a relatively simple raw material, chemical reprocessing from the raw material (i.e. the crystalline "tartar" of wine) requires modern equipment. Moreover, potassium antimony tartrate is highly irritating when taken orally or injected intramuscularly, so it can only be injected intravenously.
Only the first measure - eradication of snails - is feasible in this era.
Zhu Xiang did not put forward his own opinions on the prevention and treatment of water-borne disease in advance. In addition to the fact that he and Li Bing were not familiar with each other and Li Bing was the county magistrate, it was not easy for him to rashly ask Li Bing to act according to his opinions. Another important reason was that he did not understand the situation in Shu.
It is possible that schistosomiasis in Shu was not very serious, or that the local political and cultural conditions did not allow Zhu Xiang to do something... Epidemic prevention must be adapted to local conditions to achieve good results.
Moreover, the south was not only plagued by a large-scale epidemic of schistosomiasis, Zhu Xiang also prepared prevention plans for common southern plagues such as plague and malaria.
I didn't expect schistosomiasis to come upon me.
Three grown men and the little fat boy Zheng'er were squeezed in the same carriage, flipping through the information given by Zhu Xiang with worried looks on their faces.
Li Bing ruffled his hair and said, "The mountain village I just passed by actually had water poison. Could it be that every village in Shu has water poison? Why have I never heard of it?"
Zhu Xiang said: "Water poisoning will not immediately make people lose their labor force, and it is more likely to happen to common people. If common people die of illness in their prime, their children can still grow up to farm and perform corvée labor, so this is not a particularly important matter in the eyes of officials."
Li Bing looked at Zhu Xiang and said with a wry smile: "Duke Zhu Xiang, why are you so calm? I thought you would be very angry."
Zhu Xiang said: "Maybe I am very clear about these things and have made mental preparations."
He had long known that before the founding of New China, water poisoning had plagued the south.
Water Gu has persisted for thousands of years. Even in Mawangdui in Changsha and Jiangling in Hubei, which are both tombs of aristocrats, large numbers of schistosoma eggs were detected in the corpses unearthed from the Western Han Dynasty, which shows the situation of the common people.
If he were a commoner in the south, he would have been infected with water worms long ago. Because even if he knew how to prevent and treat water worms, as a commoner, he would not refuse to farm the paddy fields just because there were schistosomiasis in them.
Therefore, the life expectancy of nobles, who did not have to work and had enough firewood and charcoal to boil water and cook, was very different from that of ordinary civilians.
There was no pastoral life for farmers in ancient times. The development of the land of fish and rice in the south was a bloody history at the cost of human lives.
If a time traveler reached a high position in this era, and suddenly decided that the south was ripe, and sent a large number of troops to the south to open up land, he would suffer heavy losses from the water parasite disease.
Zhu Xiang glanced at his fat nephew.
The fat nephew gave his uncle a fierce look. What are you looking at? I haven't forgiven you yet!
Zhu Xiang laughed. Well, even those who are not time travelers have suffered this loss. The troops sent by Qin Shihuang to Nanzhao died of water poisoning and malaria in large numbers, which sounded the prelude to the death knell of the Qin State.
Therefore, many people say that if Qin Shi Huang had lived longer, he might have witnessed the war. However, with his reputation, he should have been able to suppress the uprising.
After teasing Ying Xiaozheng with his eyes, Zhu Xiang told him the feasibility, advantages and disadvantages of the four epidemic prevention suggestions he had written.
Li Bing's face became worse and worse as he listened.
Everyone knows that as an official, the more work you do, the easier it is to make mistakes. The Qin laws were very strict. Even if you could use your title to atone for your crime, a small mistake could ruin your future. While serving as the governor of Shu, Li Bing actually presided over the construction of a large water conservancy project like Dujiangyan. Not only was he very courageous, he also had a heart for the country and the people.
Such officials were rare in later feudal times, not to mention that it was still the end of the Warring States Period.
That's why he was so distressed after Zhu Xiang explained to him in detail the disasters caused by water poisoning and the difficulties in prevention and control.
In the eyes of people like Li Bing, nothing is more painful than knowing what to do but not being able to do it because of reality.
"First, publicize the truth about water-borne disease, and then eliminate the snails." Li Bing thought for a long time, holding his forehead and said, "Second, although the people may not be able to do it, as long as the publicity is carried out, if conditions permit, there will always be fewer ignorant victims. The third point is the same, send people to help them dig wells as much as possible... General Li, can you help?"
Li Mu said: "Sure. I will lend you someone."
"In addition to garlic and Artemisia annua, there are some herbs that have an inhibitory effect on the early stages of schistosomiasis. I will bring people to teach them how to grow herbs." Zhu Xiang said, "Leave the farming to me."
Li Bing thanked and said, "I will call the traveling doctors in Shu and ask them to help prepare the herbs."
Although Zhu Xiang had no "medical skills" and only "common sense", he did not refuse, perhaps his little common sense could serve as a starting point for other doctors.
The three of them initially formulated a strategy to prevent the spread of water-borne disease. Next, they had to hurry to Chengdu to make preparations such as budgeting.
Zhu Xiang's plan to stay in Jianmen Pass for a few more days naturally fell through.
Ying Xiaozheng was very strong. Zhu Xiang was a little carsick from the bumpy ride, but Ying Xiaozheng ate everything with relish, not feeling tired at all because of the sudden acceleration.
After entering the Sichuan Basin, Li Bing rested for five days in Fucheng because he was too tired from the journey, and Zhu Xiang was also a little exhausted. Ying Xiaozheng also went out riding with Li Mu, and was full of energy every day.
After several months of getting along, Li Bing also became familiar with Zhu Xiang because of his easy-going personality.
He couldn't help but sigh, "Zhu Xiang, you raised Zheng'er to be so strong, what's your secret?" Because Zhu Xiang said it was best not to reveal Ying Xiaozheng's identity, Li Bing also followed suit and called him "Zheng'er".
Zhu Xiang said, "It has nothing to do with me. Zheng'er is easy to feed. Look how much he eats. He is never picky about food."
Li Bing thought about how Ying Xiaozheng kept eating snacks along the way and even munched on raw garlic and onions, and he sighed again.
Well, let alone his own son, even I don’t have as good an appetite as Gongzi Zheng. No wonder Zhu Xiang dared to bring Gongzi Zheng into Shu.
"Before entering Shu, I thought it was peaceful. Who knew that I would see tragedies everywhere along the way." Li Bing held the water-soaked cloth on his forehead and said, "Shu has no wars, but it is as devastated as the Three Jins. The villages are deserted, and people with bloating caused by water poisoning are everywhere."
Zhu Xiang said in a deep voice: "Because we just encountered a flood."
The Sichuan Basin has abundant water veins and a dense water network, and it has a subtropical monsoon climate with frequent heavy rains in summer.
The climate in this era was hotter than during Zhu Xiang's first reign, so the Sichuan Basin had more rainfall than later generations. The river was damaged almost every three years, and the people suffered terribly.
The Sichuan Basin was not entirely affected by water guise. The affected areas were concentrated around several relatively large lakes with calm water flows.
But after the flood, the infected water overflowed, and coupled with the corpses and feces washed across the area by the rain, the infected area soon spread to the entire Chengdu Plain.
Thousands of villages are covered with dead bodies, and tens of thousands of houses are deserted with ghosts singing.
However, most patients with water-gu disease suffer from chronic diseases and can live for several years or even more than ten years. It will not affect tax revenue, so officials do not care about it.
Even if there is a flood, as long as the people pay taxes and do not resist, the officials will not do anything deliberately.
Shu County was isolated and too far from Xianyang, and the county governor had power comparable to that of a feudal lord. Not to mention that the King of Qin might not care about these things, and even if he did, the voices of the common people in Shu County could not reach Xianyang.
"Ahem, it seems that to prevent water poisoning, water treatment is also of utmost importance." Li Bing covered his mouth and coughed a few times, "Water treatment is difficult."
Zhu Xiang did not encourage Li Bing to control the flood.
The power of the Shu County governor was comparable to that of a feudal lord, which meant that if he did anything, the responsibility was entirely on him. It is easy to imagine the pressure and responsibility that Li Bing had to bear by initiating large-scale corvée labor without authorization.
Zhu Xiang's few words of light encouragement would not only fail to comfort Li Bing, but would also become a pressure on Li Bing.
"I will fully support you in whatever you do." Zhu Xiang just promised.
Li Bing was speechless: "Duke Zhu Xiang, shouldn't you make the decision and I will fully support you?"
Zhu Xiang shrugged: "I am the Lord of Changping. Is this Changping? Please don't change my fiefdom without permission, Shu County Governor."
Li Bing didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
After getting familiar with him, he discovered that Duke Zhu Xiang, who was almost regarded as a deity by the people, was actually an overly lively and free-spirited young man who occasionally said something very annoying.
"Okay, I'll think about it myself." Li Bing did not embarrass Zhu Xiang. He was the governor of Shu County, and Shu County was indeed his responsibility.
"Take care of yourself first." Zhu Xiang said, "Eat one bite at a time and do things one step at a time. When you get to Chengdu, you will be busy until at least next year just to take over the work of the previous county magistrate. Whether it's killing snails or repairing water conservancy projects, it's still early."
Li Bing was speechless: "Zhu Xiang, has anyone ever told you that you are nagging, like a woman?"
Zhu Xiang nodded: "Many people have said this. But there is nothing I can do. My elders and friends at home are not easy to take care of themselves. Also, why is nagging like a woman? Can't men nag? You are prejudiced."
Li Bing covered his ears, not wanting to listen to Zhu Xiang's evil voice filling his brain.
Whenever Zhu Xiang started nagging, the face of his old mother in his hometown would appear in his mind.
Ying Xiaozheng leaned on the windowsill, stood on tiptoe and poked his little head out, then retracted his little head and said to Li Mu who was leaning against the window: "Li Junshou can't stand his uncle's nagging anymore. My father said that my uncle has the personality of an old hen, cluck, cluck."
Li Mu sighed and said, "Zheng'er, look up."
Ying Xiaozheng looked up and saw Zhu Xiang sticking his head out of the window, looking down at him.
Ying Xiaozheng's neck shrank: "My father said so! It has nothing to do with me!"
Zhu Xiang knocked on Ying Xiaozheng's head and said, "Today's jerky is gone."
"No! It was really my father who said that! Why should I take the blame for my father?"
Ying Xiaozheng's screams made Li Bing, who had been frowning since entering Shu, laugh happily for a rare time.
(End of this chapter)