Taohua felt that the princess of the county, who was awakened by a rush letter on the wedding night, was probably the only one.

The eyelids were like falling lead lumps, and they cried out with their aching bodies and refused to support them. The ears were quite dutiful, and he could hear Shen Shu get up in his clothes and say a few words at the door, and someone came in to help him get dressed.

This person's voice was much clearer: "The military report has been sent to the military department, and the Hou Ye has sent another guard to deliver a letter to the prince." ”

This is the cicada coat. Momoka thought in a daze, a little dissatisfied - Mint They put people in so easily? Can't Shen Shu dress himself?

"Be quiet, don't wake up the princess." Shen Shu's deep voice seemed to be far away, and it seemed to be in his ears: "When I go into the palace, you are not allowed to alarm the princess and let her rest well." ”

It seemed that mint answered, and the footsteps faded away, the door creaked softly, and the room was silent again.

Taohua lay down for a while while in a half-dream, the voices she heard just now flowed unconsciously in her mind, at first it was a meaningless chaos, I don't know how long later, a few syllables suddenly jumped out by themselves: Northwest, Beiban, Epidemic......

Epidemic disease! Momoka's eyes opened suddenly, yes, she did hear the word epidemic mentioned in the voice coming from outside the door just now. So, is there an epidemic in the northwest? But now it's October, and it should already be very cold in the northwest, so what kind of epidemic can occur at this time?

As soon as she thought of the epidemic, Taohua's sleepiness flew away. From the tragic situation I saw in Luonan County, Lantian last time, we know that the epidemic is very terrible in this era. Fortunately, the weather was getting colder and the number of mosquitoes naturally decreased, otherwise the disease might have erupted even more. Now the northwest is the border of the country, if there is an epidemic, the Beiban will take advantage of the fire to rob again, and the consequences will be unimaginable.

Mint heard movement in the room and hurriedly walked in: "Girl-why did the princess get up?" It's still early. ”

"What did the person just say? Does it mean that there is an epidemic in the Northwest? As soon as Taohua stood up, she felt that her back was so sore that she could sit up straight with a few backhand beats.

As soon as she moved, the quilt slid down, revealing a speckled red mark on her snow-white shoulder, which startled Mint: "Girl, you're here—"

Taohua looked sideways, and she also blushed: "Ahem, it's nothing." Don't worry about this, you say quickly, what letter did you send just now, so that the prince will enter the palace in the dark? With Shen Shu's current "relationship" with the emperor, no matter what happens, he can't enter the palace in the middle of the night.

Mint replied as she looked at Momoka worriedly. I didn't see it clearly just now, but at this time, Taohua was dressed, and she found out that these red marks were almost everywhere, and she didn't know what the prince had done, and sure enough, she should have gone into the house to take a look, Aunt Zheng said vaguely, it was really unbelievable.

"Silly girl, don't look at it." Taohua was seen by her own girl's face for a while, "Hurry up and tell me, what kind of letter did you send, don't delay the business!" ”

Aunt Zheng came in from outside and directly sent the mint out: "Prepare hot water for the princess and add the packet of medicine I brought just now." "I came to serve Taohua in person," the northwest sent a letter, saying that the epidemic had been discovered, and the prince read the letter and went directly to the palace. As for what the epidemic was, it was written in the letter, and she didn't see it.

Taohua is not sleepy at all, and it is definitely not a trivial matter to let Shen Shu enter the palace immediately without avoiding suspicion. Aunt Zheng saw that she was like an ant on a hot pot, and she was still writhing in the bathtub, so she had to say: "It's useless for the princess to be anxious at this time, she has to wait for the prince to come back." ”

Of course, Taohua knows this truth, but she is in a hurry but can't suppress it. Seeing that the sky outside was gradually brightening, a pair of dragon and phoenix red candles also burned to the bottom, first the dragon candle flame shook and extinguished with a snort, Taohua turned her head to blow the phoenix candle, and saw that the flame of the phoenix candle also exploded, and then extinguished.

Aunt Zheng said with a smile on her face: "The dragon and phoenix flowers and candles are all at the end, this is a good sign, and the prince and princess will definitely grow old in the future." ”

Although Shen Shu has already entered the palace, since the sky is already bright, everyone in the Hefu should come to visit the hostess. Of course, this doesn't mean that you can come to see if you want to, Cicada Yi and Dieyi are the leaders, so naturally they all come over early in the morning, waiting to say hello to the princess first.

At this moment, the two of them were standing outside, and Aunt Zheng's words fell into their ears. Dieyi immediately burst into laughter, and was glanced at by Cicada Yi: "What kind of place is this, making you so unruly!" ”

Dieyi stuck out her tongue and put her smile back, standing up, but she felt that Cicada Yi had a really big temper recently, but it was just some small things, which would always attract her reprimand. In fact, the two of them were originally selected by Mrs. Dingbei Hou to serve Shen Shu together, and they can't say who has more qualifications than the other, but Cicada Yi is a little older, and she is also careful and steady, Dieyi is naughty, and she has always been taken care of when she was a child, so she has always regarded her as a sister when she gets older, and listens to her in everything.

But even if they are sisters, it makes people feel uncomfortable to be blamed at every turn, not to mention that the two are not sisters, and their qualifications are the same, even if Shen Shu is there, I don't see anyone who is particularly biased. Cicada Yi put up a shelf in everything like this, and Dieyi is a careless person, and she feels a little unhappy. What's more, it's not just the two of them outside the house at this time, but also the princess who married her, giving her no face in front of outsiders, this is what a sister should do?

Cicada didn't notice Dieyi's mood change, because her own mood was really not very good. The prince received the urgent letter from the northwest, and when he left, he did not forget to tell the princess not to disturb him, even if she spoke louder, she was reprimanded by the prince, which was something that had never happened before.

There was a slight sound from inside the door, and Aunt Zheng came out of it: "Let's set the meal." Then he seemed to suddenly see Cicada Yi and Dieyi, and said with a smile: "The two girls are here, please come inside." ”

Aunt Zheng is the person who was pointed down by the emperor to give Taohua the rules, although it has nothing to do with the palace now, and no one dares to snub her.

The windows of the county king's mansion are pasted with bright paper with excellent light transmission, and there are two small windows in each room with glass windows, so the light is good, although the sky is just bright, and there is no need for lights and candles in the house.

Taohua has already changed her clothes - on the first three days of the wedding, she was usually a color of red, which made her face more and more ruddy, and there seemed to be the color of peach blossoms between her eyebrows and eyes, and she was a little lazy. ”

"Get up." Taohua was not very comfortable, so she only waved her hand, "You are all people who have to be used by the prince, so you don't need such a big gift." ”

Dieyi quietly raised her head and glanced at Taohua. In the Wuxi Pharmacy, she was unceremoniously blocked back by Taohua, and a few taels of silver were lost, and she was so angry that she almost exploded, and she was annoyed when she came back for several months when she mentioned it. Who knew that this feng shui took turns, and the person who was hated by her at the beginning and gritted his teeth now became the mistress of the county king's mansion?

Hey, a few days ago, she was only happy that the prince was finally able to get married, and she married her beloved, but she forgot that she had offended her greatly, and she didn't know if the princess would hold a grudge, what should she do if she held a grudge?

Taohua looked at Dieyi's timid eyes and was a little funny. This girl's heart is all on her face, and her eyes are rolling around at this moment, and she knows that she is weak at a glance, and it is no wonder that Aoyagi says that she is simple. Thinking about coming to Dingbei Hou Mansion is a real home for Shen Shu, there is no need to intrigue and wariness of each other, so he can tolerate a girl like Dieyi to serve by his side all the time, and he has also been promoted to the position of a first-class big girl.

Thinking of the Dingbei Hou Mansion and the epidemic, Taohua couldn't help but ask: "The prince took the urgent letter from the northwest and went to the palace, who of you knows what is written in the letter?" ”

Dieyi really wanted to make a mistake, but she hadn't read the letter, so she had to shake her head apologetically. Cicada Yi hung his head and said in a low voice: "The prince's letter, the slaves and maids dare not peep, and they have their own rules of the palace." I ask the princess to forgive the slaves and maids for not being able to answer. ”

This sounds quite lofty, righteous and strict, and I can't find anything wrong. But Aunt Zheng frowned beside her. She has been in the palace for a long time, and the people in the palace are used to turning three corners in a word, and the meaning of the words is not known to be heavy, and the words of the cicada Yi are in her ears, which is implying that Taohua does not understand the rules of the county king's mansion and interferes in Shen Shu's affairs at will.

Aunt Zheng couldn't help but set her eyes on Taohua, in fact, there is some truth in what Cicada Yi said, when the bride arrives at her husband's house, it is indeed the most taboo to meddle in her husband's affairs outside as soon as she comes up. She knew that Shen Shu valued Taohua, but she wasn't sure to what extent.

Taohua didn't seem to hear the meaning of the cicada clothes at all, and asked again: "You don't know about the epidemic?" ”

I know a little bit about this. When the word came in, Cicada Yi knew that there was an epidemic in the northwest, and the guard who sent the letter was from the Dingbei Hou Mansion, so he naturally revealed two sentences. However, Cicada Yi only said: "I only heard that there was an epidemic, but I don't know what happened." ”

"Then please come in." Tao Hua saw that she couldn't ask anything about these two people, so she didn't bother with it.

"Princess!" Cicada Yi raised her head and opened her eyes wide, "That's the guards of the outer courtyard, what kind of system do you come to enter the inner courtyard!" "And that's the guard of the Dingbei Hou Mansion, not everyone can recruit them and come and go at once.

Shen Shu has been in the palace for more than an hour, Taohua really can't wait, where is there time to tell her something about something, turned his head and directly ordered Mint: "Go and invite someone in." ”

Mint turned her head and went out. The cicada clothes didn't hold it for a while, and she was so anxious that she wanted to stomp her feet: "Princess, this is not in accordance with the rules!" ”

"Can't the guards enter the inner courtyard?" Taohua glanced at her, "If there is a fire in the inner courtyard at this time, the guards will be watching outside?" ".

"But this is the prince's affairs, and the princess shouldn't interfere without permission!" Cicada Yi choked back by Taohua, and was angry in her heart, and couldn't help but say it.

Taohua sneered: "Not to mention that I am one with the prince and his wife, regardless of you and me." Just talking about the epidemic, I am probably the only one who can help the prince, at this time, you told me that you should not interfere, and when the prince comes back, if there is a place for me, should I tell the prince, you cicada girl asked me not to interfere in the prince's affairs? ”

That's a big deal. Cicada Yi lowered her head and knelt on the ground with a plop: "It's the slave who lost her words." The slave maid just meant that the princess should have asked the prince first-"

"Do you know what an epidemic is?" Taohua heard a bang in her ears, and the cicada clothes slammed her two legs firmly on the green brick floor, and she was really ruthless, "The epidemic is as urgent as a spark, and no one can wait." If you can prepare early, you may be able to save many more lives. I think your rules are stupid, people from the northwest, I don't know if they will be outside, and the king's order is still not affected? Could it be that when the Marquis of Dingbei fights, he still has to ask the emperor for instructions on everything? ”

Cicada Yi was so asked that she couldn't answer. Although she secretly felt in her heart that Taohua was not qualified to compare with Dingbei Hou at all, she could think about it in her stomach, but she didn't dare to say it, so she could only reluctantly say: "But when the prince leaves, let the slaves and maids not disturb the princess's rest......"

"Thank you for your concern." Taohua waved her hand to signal her to get up, and didn't say anything more to her, "Did anyone please come in?" ”

Please come in, of course. The guards heard that it was the new princess who invited them, although they were a little hesitant to enter the inner courtyard early in the morning, but the princess's words were not good to disobey, so they had to follow the maid who passed the word in, but only stood outside the house and said, "My subordinates ask the princess for peace." ”

"Thank you for your hard work." Taohua knew that he refused to come in, so she said through the door curtain, "I heard that there is an epidemic in the northwest, do you know what the symptoms are, and have you ever seen with your own eyes what the sick person looks like?" ”

The guard suddenly frowned: "Back to the princess, now Langzhong in the northwest has different opinions, some say it is blistering, some say it is typhoid fever, and some say it is dysentery......

Taohua also frowned, what is this, various infectious disease syndromes? Definitely not!

"Have you seen the sick man?"

The guard nodded and said, "My subordinates have seen it." But it is true that some people have rashes and blisters on their bodies, and some people have diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, and chills and high fever and even fainting, and they are not sure what the symptoms are. So some people said that they wanted to cure typhoid fever, and some people said that they wanted to cure herpes.

"So, what kind of diagnosis and treatment worked?"

Now the guard couldn't answer. After all, he didn't understand this, he only felt that it didn't seem to have much effect, some of the sick people were better, some died, and there were more and more sick people, if it weren't for the vast and sparsely populated area in the northwest, I am afraid that it would have erupted out of control long ago.

Tao Hua couldn't ask anything, so she could only ask again: "What is the northwest doing now?" ”

Speaking of this, the guards couldn't help but tighten their eyebrows even tighter: "Lang Zhong is still diagnosing and treating, and now all the people who have the epidemic have been circled, but-" Even some of the Lang Zhong who went to be treated have fallen ill, and the people who have the epidemic have died a lot, so that now there are patients in the family who are reluctant to send them out. If it weren't for the high prestige of Dingbei Hou's command of the northwest for many years, I am afraid that there would be chaos.

Taohua was about to ask something more, when there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the courtyard, Shen Shu had already walked in, and when he saw the guards standing under the steps, he was stunned: "What are you doing in the inner courtyard?" Then he came to his senses, "But the princess summoned you?" ”

The guard hurriedly said: "It was the princess who summoned her subordinates to ask about the epidemic situation in the northwest." ”

Mint listened to Shen Shu's question in the house, and hurriedly opened the curtain: "The prince went out in a hurry early in the morning, and the princess was worried, so-" She thought it was nothing for Taohua to ask about the northwest, but now she was bumped into by Shen Shu in person, what if she felt that Taohua was making her own decisions just like Cicada Yi said?

Shen Shu didn't listen to what she said at all, and stepped into the room in one step: "You know everything? ”

Taohua stood up and greeted him, and naturally reached out to take his cloak and said, "I just asked, this thing is a bit strange." ”

Cicada Yi stood aside. When Shen Shu came in, she wanted to go over and serve him to change his clothes, but she knelt too hard just now, and she didn't take a step, Taohua had already greeted her first, and she could only stand still, listening to the two of them talk about the northwest epidemic very naturally, as if she didn't care that Taohua called the guards in the outer courtyard without authorization to question.

"According to what was written in my uncle's letter, it was like several epidemics at the same time, but I couldn't find the cause." Shen Shu entered the palace this time, and the emperor urgently summoned the imperial physician on duty to come over to discuss the matter, but he also found nothing.

"It's unlikely." Taohua said cautiously: "Herpes, typhoid fever, and dysentery have different causes and are concurrent at the same time—unless someone deliberately causes it. ”

"But that's what my uncle's letter says." Shen Shu said a little irritably, and simply took out the letter and handed it to Taohua, "Take a look." ”

Cicada Yi looked at the letter that was sent by Shen Shu to Taohua in a hurry, and bowed her head deeply.

Dingbei Hou's letter was more detailed than what the guards said, but there was no big difference, only that the epidemic had not spread when he sent the letter, but the number of sick people kept increasing, and the most troublesome thing was that the cause of the epidemic could not be found, and the medicine did not have much effect. In particular, those patients with diarrhea and fever, such as dysentery, died the most.

"People with diarrhea die the most...... "Taohua muttered repeatedly, vaguely feeling a glimmer of inspiration, but couldn't catch it for a while, "I have to go and see to know." The description of the illness in the letter was very unprofessional, and the words used were specious and did not help her in judging the symptoms.

Shen Shu hesitated slightly: "Are you willing to go to the northwest?" In fact, when he received this letter, he thought about letting Taohua go to the northwest to treat the epidemic, but this kind of thing - Taohua is not a professional doctor, but his new wife, as soon as he got married, he was busy and even involved in danger for him, which is really - unspeakable.

"The emperor wants to arrange for people from the Tai Hospital to go over, but it's just ......" To be honest, he doesn't trust those Tai Doctors very much, and the medical skills are another matter, whether he will go all out after he goes, this is the most difficult to say.

Last time, Luonan Lantian was near the capital, and some people pushed back and forth, and finally pushed Taohua out. This time, they traveled thousands of miles to the northwest, and it is estimated that they will push it even more.

And these imperial doctors, in the capital, may still be afraid of the emperor, to the northwest and other remote places, what can they do to slack off? When the time came, they returned to the capital to report a serious epidemic or something, and the emperor did not know the details, and he did not punish their crimes.

In contrast, if Taohua is willing to go, it is certainly the best. Shen Shu was a little ashamed, he was just getting married, and he was going to drag his new wife to that kind of place in a hurry?

Taohua looked at the letter repeatedly, and said casually: "It's good to have a doctor go, but now let's find out what the symptoms are, and prepare the medicine you need, otherwise there will be no medicine at that time, and the doctor will be helpless." ”

"It's just that I've worked hard for you-" Shen Shu swallowed halfway through his words, it was actually useless to say such words, knowing that it was hard, didn't you want her to go?

Only then did Taohua hear the apology in his voice, and couldn't help but raise her head and smile: "What are these words?" Isn't there an epidemic on my uncle's side now? It makes sense that we should go. ”

Shen Shu was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help laughing: "You are right, my uncle is in trouble, so we should naturally go." ”

Taohua smiled at him, lowered her head and studied the letter again: "But first we have to find out what the symptoms are." ”

Mint was stunned when she heard this: "Girl-princess, are we going to the northwest?" "This is how we got married.

"Hmm." Taohua didn't raise her head and said, "You go and pack up your things and send a letter home, I'm afraid I can't wait to get back to the door." ”

Shen Shu suddenly remembered that when he married Taohua, he said that he would accompany her back to the door in three days, and suddenly apologized again: "I'm going to break my promise." ”

While reading the letter, Taohua reached out and pushed him: "Don't talk about this nonsense, quickly call someone to clean up your things." In addition, although it is not clear what the exact illness is, it is always a good idea to have more herbs to clear away heat and detoxification. ”

Aunt Zheng was about to clean up her things, and when she heard Taohua say the word "nonsense", she couldn't help but be startled, and quickly looked back at Shen Shu's face, but saw that Shen Shu was not the slightest bit stunned, but then shook Taohua's hand, and then put her mind at ease.

Dieyi next to her was also startled, and Cicada Yi's face was a little pale, and she was almost about to say something. However, his eyes fell on the hands of the two of them, and finally swallowed back the words that came to his lips, and pulled Dieyi out.

Taohua didn't notice everyone's expressions at all, and her eyes only fell on one sentence in the letter: the rash turned black and ulcerated within a few days, but most of them healed after scabbing.

"The rash turns black...... "Momoka muttered, and the flash of aura in her heart was suddenly caught, "Could it be anthrax?" ”

Once you grasp a thread, it is not difficult to sort out what seems to be a mess.

The common types of anthrax are cutaneous anthrax, pulmonary anthrax, intestinal anthrax and meningeal anthrax, each with different symptoms and similar to the herpes, typhoid fever and dysentery mentioned in the letter.

"Tell the guards to come in!" Taohua raised her head suddenly, "I'm going to ask him, if there are cows and horses in the northwest who have this disease!" ”