Chapter Forty-Seven: A Spring Rain That Chills to the Bone

Hu Su did not take Zhong Ming to any strange place; the two simply went to Old Sun’s house.

The fence gate of the Sun family’s small courtyard was wide open, and the thatched hut inside was crowded with people: Fei Dacheng, anxiously scratching his head with bloodshot eyes; Sun Luolian, still wiping away tears; and Li the Carpenter, who was checking Old Sun’s pulse.

Old Sun had fallen ill. Li the Carpenter, who knew a bit about medicine, had been invited by Sun Luolian to diagnose her grandfather.

When Zhong Ming walked into the house, Sun Luolian immediately began to sob and complain to him, “Brother Zhong, he was fine last night, but this morning I found Grandpa afflicted by a strange illness.”

Zhong Ming stepped forward, gently patted Sun Luolian’s head, and comforted her in a soft voice, “Don’t cry, Little Lotus. I’m here. I’ll go to the city for medicine and will surely cure Uncle Sun.”

Having soothed Sun Luolian, Fei Dacheng also approached Zhong Ming and whispered, “Brother Ming, this illness is peculiar. According to Uncle Hu, everyone in our village, young and old, has taken ill and can’t get out of bed. Only a few of us remain unaffected. I suspect it might be an epidemic.”

The mention of an epidemic made Zhong Ming’s brow furrow, and he grew tense.

In this era, many untreatable infectious diseases were called epidemics—plagues, whether influenza or smallpox.

If it were merely influenza, some medicine for colds could help; if it were smallpox, medicine of this time would truly struggle, and other methods might be needed to cure it.

After pondering for a moment, Zhong Ming reassured him, “It might not be an epidemic. Don’t spread panic. Perhaps it’s just an ordinary cold.”

Having uttered this half-hearted remark, Zhong Ming craned his neck to look into the inner room.

He saw Old Sun lying on the bed, his face deathly pale and breathing heavily—his symptoms identical to Liang Yu’s. Li the Carpenter had his hands on Old Sun’s pulse, diagnosing for a long while before shaking his head and muttering, “How strange, how strange!”

Seeing Li the Carpenter get up, Zhong Ming hurried over and asked, “Uncle Li, how is Uncle Sun’s condition?”

Li the Carpenter tugged at his robe and beckoned Zhong Ming outside. The two went to the living room, where Zhong Ming and the others gathered, eager to hear what Li the Carpenter had to say.

“I find this illness very strange—neither a cold nor an epidemic. It’s more like…poisoning.”

Zhong Ming exclaimed, “Poisoning?”

Li the Carpenter nodded and continued, “Whether cold or epidemic, both involve external heat and internal weakness. But Sun the Constable’s whole body is burning, like a raging fire. His body is stronger than usual, even his pulse is more powerful than a young man’s. If it’s not poisoning, I can’t think of another reason.”

“If that’s the case, isn’t it a good thing? Why would he be unconscious?” Zhong Ming asked, puzzled.

Waving his hand, Li the Carpenter sighed, “Think about it, Zhong. How can ordinary people withstand such constant exhaustion? As they say, extremes breed reversals. The villagers fell ill because they couldn’t bear the ‘benefits’—much like the saying, ‘the weak cannot handle nourishment.’”

Zhong Ming understood and nodded, quickly asking, “Is there a cure?”

Li the Carpenter shook his head. “I’ve only read medical books out of interest as a child. I’m no expert, and I haven’t figured out a solution.”

“So what’s the point, then?” Fei Dacheng slapped his thigh in frustration, pacing anxiously. Hearing there was no cure, Sun Luolian began to cry again, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Feeling awkward, Li the Carpenter continued, “Although I haven’t found a cure, I suspect this strange illness is related to last night’s rain.”

“Last night’s rain was odd. I smelled a fishy, pungent odor and paid extra attention.”

After speaking, Li the Carpenter waved at Hu Su, who immediately understood and went outside. After a while, he returned carrying a bowl and a four-legged lizard.

When Hu Su placed the bowl on the table, Li the Carpenter pointed to it and said, “There are wisps of blackness in this rainwater, thin as thread. Unless you look closely, you’d never notice, but these black threads are highly toxic.”

Zhong Ming and the others leaned in, and sure enough, the rainwater in the bowl was as Li the Carpenter described: cloudy, with black threads swirling within.

Li the Carpenter picked up the lizard. “This four-legged lizard is one of the five poisons. I won’t elaborate on its toxicity, but even such a poisonous creature can’t withstand the blackness’s corrosion.”

He tossed the lizard into the bowl. It thrashed about, its tail breaking off as it struggled to survive—typical lizard behavior.

Before their eyes, the black threads in the water converged on the lizard. Moments later, the threads vanished, and the lizard lay belly-up, motionless. When Li the Carpenter picked it up again, it was dead.

“This poison is extremely potent. Without timely treatment, lives are at risk.”

As Li the Carpenter finished speaking, Zhong Ming slammed the table and declared angrily, “I might have a way. Wait here—I’ll go to the city.”

In fact, Zhong Ming had long suspected something. The sudden rain, the unpredictable weather in the borderlands—it all seemed orchestrated, as if invisible hands were manipulating events behind the scenes.

He rose and rushed outside, mounted his horse, and galloped toward the city.

Li the Carpenter and Hu Su hurried after him. Li the Carpenter, worried, called out loudly, “Zhong, be careful! Don’t push yourself!”

Zhong Ming merely waved from horseback as he sped away.

Hu Su stood behind Li the Carpenter, head bowed, and whispered, “Master, I fear this is not simple. Yesterday’s message—at court, the Pure Moon Immortal has been chosen, and the construction of the Pure Moon Shrine will begin soon. I think we can’t remain here in the borderlands…”

Li the Carpenter forced a smile and interrupted, “The New Tang is vast, yet there’s no place for Li Jianye. If we leave, where can we go? Cross the Suiyun Mountains and eke out a living under Liu Che of Southern Han?”

Hu Su clenched his teeth, rasping, “It’s my fault, Master. I deserve death for my uselessness!”

Li the Carpenter waved his hand with a bitter smile. “I’m tired. Hiding like this—when will it end? Let them be. Since I met Yang Yanlang, there’s no need to hide anymore.”

Hu Su fell silent, standing quietly behind Li the Carpenter.

Li the Carpenter gazed for a long time in the direction Zhong Ming had gone, finally sighing, “Mr. Zhong, I’m counting on you.”

…

Outside the broken city wall, man and horse raced to the tightly shut gate.

Usually, at this hour, the gates would be wide open. Today, for some unknown reason, the doors were firmly closed. Zhong Ming had to rein in his horse and call out, “Gatekeepers! Open the gate at once!”

A head poked out atop the wall, mouth covered with a white cloth and wearing a constable’s dark robe.

The gatekeeper shouted, “The gates won’t open today. An epidemic has struck the city, and the magistrate ordered a lockdown to prevent its spread.”

This made Zhong Ming’s heart sink. The disaster was widespread—not just Muddy Village, but the entire border town.

Thinking swiftly, Zhong Ming spoke again, “I am Zhong Ming, nephew of Captain Yang. I have urgent business in the city. Please grant me passage.”

Upon hearing Zhong Ming’s name, those on the wall quickly shouted, “It’s Young Master Zhong! Open the gate for him!”

The ropes creaked, and the gate slowly parted. Zhong Ming urged his horse through, tossing two pieces of silver from his pocket onto the ground, saying, “Thank you, gentlemen. Please enjoy a drink on me.”

The constables behind him expressed their gratitude, but Zhong Ming was already galloping into the bustling city. His intention was to visit the Jishi Hall first.

There was only one pharmacy in the borderlands—Jishi Hall. Whenever illness struck, people came here for medicine.

Riding swiftly, Zhong Ming found the once-bustling streets deserted. Only a handful of people hurried by, shops all shuttered, and the scent of pastries from Fragrant Pavilion replaced by the shopkeeper’s cough.

All the passersby scurried like frightened rats, not daring to linger.

Arriving at Jishi Hall, he saw a crowd gathered, shouting anxiously. Their fear was palpable.

The hall had only its side door open, guarded by a young apprentice; the old physician was nowhere to be seen. The apprentice cried out, “Don’t ask for medicine! My master has fallen ill, and there’s no medicine left!”

The crowd outside wouldn’t relent, demanding medicine for colds or even asking the apprentice to diagnose them.

The epidemic had sown panic. Many in the city weren’t seriously ill, but these were the most dangerous—they had survived famine years, and the shadow of disaster lingered in their hearts.

In less than a day, the crowd would break down Jishi Hall’s door to seize medicine. In two more days, grain shops would suffer the same fate.

That year, the border town was pillaged—more terrifying than enemies were the survivors who had lost their reason.

Now, with manpower short, not even a patrolling constable was in sight. How could anyone prevent frightened townsfolk from rioting?

Zhong Ming paused outside Jishi Hall, then sighed, shook his head, and turned his horse away.

He had guessed that even the old physician at Jishi Hall might be helpless, and the medicine he sought was elsewhere.

He pressed his old horse hard, galloping to a grand residence.

Dismounting, Zhong Ming looked up to see a plaque above the gate: Tian Residence.

The calligraphy matched that of the county office’s plaque—this was Tian Xingjian’s mansion.

Despite the peril in the border town, the streets were either deserted or prowled by opportunists, but none of this seemed to concern Tian Residence. The two gate guards stood chatting and laughing, showing no trace of anxiety.

Seeing this, Zhong Ming was pleased; he knew he had found the right place.

He approached and said, “Would you please inform Young Master Tian that Zhong Ming has urgent business?”

One guard glanced at Zhong Ming and waved. “Wait here, I’ll go inside and report.”

The guard entered Tian Residence, while Zhong Ming waited outside, tense and anxious.