Shen Chen was too busy dealing with Mr. Hu. He took one last look at the clerk who was jumping up and down beside him, frowned, and bowed to the inspector: "This matter concerns me, so I can't get too involved. I'll leave everything to you, sir."
The Inspector General had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.
Although Mr. Hu was dead, the postmen who poisoned him were still alive. Even if they were stubborn, what could they do? He was an inspector, and he had many ways to make them talk.
Even if they are so stubborn that they refuse to speak, that doesn't matter. He also has ways to keep silent.
Gossip can melt metal, and constant criticism can destroy a person.
Mr. Hu is from the Governor's Office. How could his actions be implemented without the permission of the Governor's Office? This is not something that can be explained by the Governor's Office making up a few words about offending the Linjiang Palace and holding a grudge.
He smiled, looked at Shen Chen meaningfully as he bent down, "Don't worry, Lord Marquis. You've just arrived, but you've encountered danger again and again in Rongcheng. It's all the fault of our Rongcheng officials. I will definitely give you an explanation for what happens next, and also an explanation to the people."
The words sounded so nice that the people who had gathered together began to whisper to each other about their suspicions.
Shen Chen nodded, chatted with the inspector for a few words, and then went straight to the courtyard where Wei An and Old Madam Wei lived.
Old Mrs. Wei must have received the news, because there were people coming and going on the second floor where they lived, obviously some were delivering messages, and some were looking for someone.
He strode upstairs, knocked on the door and was allowed in, then saw the old doctor taking Mrs. Wei's pulse.
Wei An stood aside, looking anxious. When he saw him nod as a greeting, he said, "Grandmother fainted after hearing the news that my aunt had an accident."
Shen Chen then turned his gaze towards the old doctor, and waited until he withdrew his hand before asking, "Doctor, how is it?"
The old doctor shook his head and stroked his beard with a serious expression: "After all, he is old, and his health... He has been traveling for more than a month, and he finally got a few days of rest. Then he heard such bad news, which stimulated his mind. I am afraid it is not good."
Wei An's expression suddenly turned cold.
She thought that Old Madam Wei was very serious. Shen Chen understood this very well, so he told the old doctor: "The old lady is sorry to trouble you."
The old doctor was Wei An's man. Even if Wei An didn't say anything, he would do his best. Upon hearing this, he responded solemnly.
Shen Chen went out, and when Wei An followed him out, he said, "I found out that the epidemic broke out in Quanzhou because a large number of refugees from Zhejiang were stranded by boat, and there was a typhoon passing through."
As an imperial envoy, Shen Chen must have known these news faster and more accurately than Wei An. She nodded and said, "I heard that although Zhejiang has won many battles, the large-scale fighting has also forced some people to flee far away. Where there is war, there will be refugees. This is also inevitable."
Quanzhou just happened to have a wharf, and it was indeed difficult to avoid the refugees sneaking into Quanzhou through merchants and ships from various channels. The Quanzhou prefect had originally allocated an area outside the city for them to sort out first, and then report to their superiors to work out a solution, but they did not expect the epidemic to spread.
No one does not value life. No matter how low a person's status is, he or she also wants to live well.
The refugees who had originally obeyed the court's orders, no longer cared about the court's orders not to enter the city after the epidemic broke out, and tried their best to squeeze into the city.
Even if the soldiers defending the city risked their lives, they could not stop them - the human desire to win is endless, and the determination of people on the verge of despair is really unstoppable. Those refugees risked their lives and used various methods to sneak into the city.
That's why the people in the city also contracted the disease.
This time, Madam Wei was not really infected with the disease. She just had the early symptoms of the disease - intermittent low-grade fever, a large number of red spots on the palms of her hands, white tongue coating, and wavy layers of tongue tip.
These were early symptoms. Although they had not yet been confirmed, everyone had seen how the disease appeared and were a little scared, so they did not dare to delay and notified Mrs. Wei.
Seeing Wei An stopped talking after saying that, Shen Chen stopped walking and looked down at her. After a long while, he asked, "You are so calm. Have you figured out what to do?"
Wei An raised his head and glanced at him. Seeing that his face was not very good, he paused for a moment before speaking: "Grandmother attaches great importance to this child..."
Shen Chen squeezed her hand and said coldly: "I will ask someone to do it. I know this child is very important to Old Lady Wei. I also know that you see that Old Lady Wei and this child both value it very much. But you don't have to go there in person."
He understood Wei An, just as Wei An understood him.
Sometimes he couldn't help but feel strange. He didn't know why, but he always felt that he and Wei An had known each other for a long time. For some reason, there was a natural tacit understanding between the two of them since the first time they met. He never doubted her, and she always trusted him unconditionally and even inexplicably.
Step by step to the present moment, everything seems to have just happened naturally, and they didn't do anything deliberately to make it happen.
So he also knew that Wei An was planning to go to Quanzhou in person this time - she has always been like this.
"You can't go." Shen Chen closed his eyes, Wei An's figure was reflected in his beautiful eyes. He also paused for a moment before speaking: "There is a plague in Quanzhou. The plague has not been effectively contained yet, and there is no effective treatment. If you go, it will be very dangerous."
If a plague occurs during a war, the court and government will generally not take a lenient attitude.
Sometimes it is difficult to make it mild. If it becomes mild, the result may be that more people will die. The epidemic is contagious, and if we are not careful, tens of thousands of people will die.
If the plague in Quanzhou cannot be stopped, it is very likely that the cities with the most plague and the cities that cannot be controlled will be burned down.
According to the news from Qingfeng, the plague has been going on for at least ten days. Ten days is an extremely scary number, which means that the plague has been going on for some time, and now should be the period when it is spreading the most widely and the fastest. No one knows how the plague in Quanzhou will develop. If it cannot be contained, then anyone who goes to Quanzhou now will be seeking their own death.
He would never let Wei An take the risk alone.