Reborn Lady - Chapter 439

In the summer of the fourth year of Jinghe, floods occurred in the area of ​​Emei and Leshan in Shu, and the disaster was serious. Emperor Yongping specially appointed his confidant Cui Yu to go to the disaster relief.

Cui Yu was the elder of the pavilion, and the Imperial Court sent him there, not only to deter the corruption of some local officials but also to reflect Emperor Yongping’s concern for the local people.

 Cui Yu did not disappoint Emperor Yongping’s trust. Upon his arrival in Shu, he tirelessly devoted himself day and night, either accompanying officials to personally inspect the disaster-stricken areas and assess the condition of the people, or overseeing the distribution of porridge and food supplies. Additionally, he investigated the causes of the dam breaks and mobilized physicians from neighboring towns to provide medical assistance to the local victims, thus preventing the outbreak of diseases. Being busy with a lot of tasks, he lost weight.

 Despite all precautions taken, the relentless heat following the disaster led to the unfortunate occurrence of malaria in a village under the jurisdiction of Leshan.

Cui Yu made a decisive decision and deployed anti-disaster soldiers to surround the village overnight with a fence, preventing the villagers from leaving at will. Additionally, several surrounding villages were temporarily sealed off to contain the spread of malaria.

What needed to be sealed off was done so, and efforts were made to provide necessary treatment to those who fell ill. With the assurance of food supplies for the villagers in several villages and the government’s commitment to covering their medical expenses when they were sick, most villagers complied with the government’s directives. However, those who attempted to escape by force were apprehended by soldiers organized by Cui Yu and faced punishment.

Thanks to Cui Yu’s personal oversight of the camp outside, the outbreak of malaria in the three affected villages and a nearby temple was swiftly brought under control. This timely intervention effectively halted the further spread of the epidemic.

Disaster relief efforts in other locations were also well-coordinated. After conducting inspections elsewhere, Cui Yu returned to these three villages to continue overseeing the relief efforts and ensuring their ongoing protection.

The three villages were situated in close proximity to each other, with only Qingquan Temple, which was also impacted by the epidemic, located a few miles away on Qingquan Mountain

On this day, Cui Yu, accompanied by two entourages and four officials, embarked on a visit to Qingquan Temple.

The mountainous terrain proved a bit steep, but thankfully, the trees provided ample shade, creating a cooler atmosphere compared to the lower regions. After a quarter of an hour, they finally reached Qingquan Temple, where officers and soldiers stood guard.

Qingquan Temple comprised three halls, divided into front and back sections, and housed fifteen monks of various ranks. Among them, two monks had been afflicted with malaria and were isolated in their own room.

Having visited Qingquan Temple once before, Cui Yu, now wearing a scarf, sat with the abbot, prepared to depart.

Observing the visibly weakened state of the envoy, the abbot solemnly chanted the Buddha’s name and whispered, “Head north from the temple for about two quarters of an hour; there you’ll find a guest in a separate house.”

Cui Yu’s curiosity was piqued, prompting him to inquire about the house’s occupant, but the abbot declined to provide further information.

Leaving the room, Cui Yu thought for a moment before instructing an attendant and the four officials to wait outside. He then proceeded alone with Qingzhu, the eunuch who had faithfully served him for nearly twenty years, towards the back mountain.

“My lord, this is unacceptable. We previously dispatched individuals to the temple to monitor the pilgrims who have visited or departed from the temple in the past half-month. Why didn’t they mention it? If the other party is also infected with the disease and seizes the opportunity to escape, wouldn’t that be a significant issue?”

Qingzhu was deeply angered and sincere in his words.

He served as the eunuch of the Yan Palace. When Cui Yu relocated to reside there, King Yan assigned Qingzhu to serve him. Over the span of twenty years, Qingzhu’s understanding grew increasingly comprehensive, and he recognized the gravity of the abbot of Qingquan Temple withholding important information.

Cui Yu speculated, “It must be a distinguished guest. They instructed the abbot not to mention them.”

Qingzhu chimed in, “Then what did the abbot say to you today? Oh, the status of the honored guest is not as high as yours, and the abbot is likely avoiding trouble.”

He posed the question and answered it himself, prompting Cui Yu to furrow his brow, contemplating that the distinguished guest might have already departed.

As they navigated the treacherous path at the back of the mountain, the terrain became even more challenging. On the narrow and dilapidated steps, two old trees had fallen, obstructing their passage.

Cui Yu carefully examined the two trees and concluded that they were intentionally cut by human hands, not due to natural causes like a storm.

Could it be that the distinguished guest was indeed afflicted with malaria and didn’t want to be discovered? Perhaps they deliberately blocked the mountain road to evade detection.

There were only two trees in the area, which could deter the wandering people, but they couldn’t stop Cui Yu and Qingzhu who insisted on going up the mountain.

After maneuvering past the fallen trees and dusting off the dirt from their bodies, they walked faster.

Upon navigating two corners, they arrived at a courtyard with two entrances.

Qingzhu approached the tightly locked gate and knocked.

After a prolonged wait, hurried footsteps could be heard from within. Qingzhu peered through the crack in the door and glimpsed a girl wearing a scarf that covered everything but her eyes.

“Who’s there?” The girl inquired cautiously as she approached the door.

Stepping back a bit, Qingzhu responded, “We’re from the government. The entire Qingquan Temple has been sealed off. Why are you hiding here?”

Though both he and Cui Yu wore scarves, the girl couldn’t recognize them and retorted, “We’ve sealed off our own courtyard and haven’t ventured out.”

Before Qingzhu could continue, Cui Yu abruptly pulled him away and, peering intently into the girl’s eyes through the crack in the door, he guessed, “You’re Ah Fu, aren’t you?”

Ah Fu was taken aback.

This almost answered Cui Yu’s question.

Cui Yu’s heart sank suddenly, and he lifted his scarf to let Ah Fu see his face.

“My Lord?” Ah Fu recognized Cui Yu; tears rolled down, and she opened the door weeping.

Cui Yu asked in a deep voice, “Is the Princess sick?”

He should have thought about it a long time ago, right? When the Princess left Beijing in February, she said that she would go all the way west along the Yangtze River. That being the case, once she got closer, how could she miss the famous Emei Mountain? Maybe she happened to be trapped here when the floods happened in the two places, or maybe she came to this place to help with disaster relief.