RPAGF Chapter 28 The Prefect was astonished to hear of Xuande's name
Chapter 28 The Prefect was astonished to hear of Xuande's name
"My lord, please calm your anger! My lord, please calm your anger!"
The subordinate official quickly stepped forward to stop him, and with a bitter face, advised, "At first, I also thought it was a forgery."
"The scouts sent to investigate have returned and reported that the Liaoxi region is indeed in good order."
"Yang Le City's four gates were sealed off and managed in separate wards. Outside the city, a ward was set up specifically to treat patients."
"The number of deaths from the epidemic is decreasing day by day, and the refugees who have poured in are being housed in quarantine camps outside the city."
"They weren't even brought into the city; it's not what we thought!"
Qiao Xuan paused, his brows furrowed even more, and the anger on his face gradually faded, replaced by deep doubt.
Hou Chong?
He was not unfamiliar with this governor of Liaoxi.
Hou Chong was a descendant of Hou Ba, the Grand Minister of Works and Marquis of Guannei during the Western Han Dynasty. The Hou family of Shanggu Commandery was considered a prominent family in the Central Plains.
The family has passed down Confucianism for generations, and its reputation for integrity is known throughout the world. Hou Chong himself was recommended for officialdom through the recommendation system.
Having served as an official for many years, he has always been cautious and prudent, and has a good reputation for virtue. He is by no means the kind of person who would take risks for political achievements and deceive his superiors.
Given the Hou family's century-long reputation for integrity, Hou Chong would never risk the entire clan's honor to gamble with others on such a vague and uncertain political achievement.
No family in the world could bring down the glory of their ancestors.
Is it...
Has something really turned out for western Liaoning?
Lord Liu?
Who is this person?
Qiao Xuan slowly sat back down at the desk, his fingertips lightly tapping the table, his doubts growing heavier.
Having served as an official for many years, he was all too aware of the difficulties faced by the border regions.
Western Liaoning lacked medical care and medicine, had fewer than 10,000 households, and its treasury was empty; it couldn't even afford to repair the beacon towers.
How could they possibly do better than the major counties in the Central Plains during this pandemic that has swept the world?
Just as he was racking his brains trying to figure it out, he heard hurried footsteps outside the door again.
Another subordinate official rushed in, carrying a well-sealed bamboo scroll: "My lord! An urgent document from Hou Chong, the governor of Liaoxi! It's been delivered by the fastest courier!"
Qiao Xuan's eyes lit up, and he immediately said, "Bring it here quickly!"
He snatched the bamboo slip, tore off the seal, and eagerly unfolded it.
He initially thought it was just a routine epidemic report, but after glancing at the beginning, his gaze was immediately drawn to it.
The bamboo slips are divided into two parts. The first part is Hou Chong's report, which details the epidemic prevention situation in Liaoxi Commandery.
Since the outbreak began, the county has recorded over 1,200 infections, over 900 recoveries, and over 200 deaths.
Currently, the number of new cases has stopped, the epidemic has been completely contained, the people in the country are at peace, and the displaced people have been resettled in an orderly manner.
Qiao Xuan looked at the numbers three times before he dared to be sure he hadn't misread them.
It should be noted that in Guangyang County, the number of people who died from the plague exceeded 10,000 in Jicheng alone.
In one prefecture in western Liaoning, only a little over two hundred people died.
This is simply a fantasy!
He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and continued to flip through the pages. The second half was the "Complete Book of Epidemic Prevention in Western Liaoning" attached to the report.
The very first sentence made his heart skip a beat.
"The plague is not a divine punishment, but a foul and filthy poison from typhoid fever. It is easily contracted and can be prevented, isolated, and treated."
In short, it directly overturned the common perception that "plagues are disasters brought by ghosts and gods".
Qiao Xuan's breathing quickened instantly. He sat up straight and read on, word by word.
The details inside are incredibly meticulous:
On the causes of the plague: It clearly states that the plague is spread through droplets, contact, filth, and water sources, rather than by ghosts or spirits.
Prevention methods include: boiling drinking water, fumigating houses with Atractylodes lancea and Artemisia argyi, washing clothes frequently, prohibiting gatherings, and isolating people in separate areas, etc.
Methods of isolation include: treating patients according to their severity, sealing off epidemic areas, burying corpses deep, and requiring migrants to be quarantined for seven days before being allowed to enter the city, etc.
On treatment methods: what prescriptions to use for mild cases, what prescriptions to use for severe cases, how to strengthen the body for those with weak constitutions, and how to relieve asthma for those coughing up blood.
Each prescription clearly states the medicinal materials, dosage, method of decoction, and even the disposal of the dregs.
From prevention at the source to process control and then to end-stage treatment, each step is closely linked and seamlessly integrated. There is not a single empty word; all of them are practical measures that can be implemented and executed.
Qiao Xuan served as an official for decades and saw countless strategies for controlling floods, disasters, and epidemics.
I have never seen such a comprehensive, accurate, and practical guide to epidemic control.
The more he looked, the more alarmed and excited he became. His hands, which were holding the bamboo slips, trembled slightly, and he even forgot to breathe.
He only snapped out of his daze when he flipped to the signature at the end of the article.
Author: Liu Bei, Military Clerk of Liaoxi Commandery.
Liu Bei?
never heard of that.
Qiao Xuan frowned, his mind racing as he searched for the name.
He knew almost all the Liu clan members and scions of prominent families in the court, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall anyone named Liu Bei.
wrong.
With the current emperor on the throne, most of the Liu clan members are enfeoffed princes.
Even if he were a member of a collateral branch, if he wanted to pave his way out, he would do so in Luoyang or in the prosperous Central Plains. Why would he come to Liaoxi, a remote border county, to be a minor military officer?
The more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong.
This comprehensive book on epidemic prevention is full of wisdom, demonstrating not only a deep understanding of medical principles but also of governance, public sentiment, and the realities of border regions. It is not something an ordinary Confucian scholar could have written.
If this is some scion of a powerful family trying to boost his political achievements, it should be a top-tier clan like the Yuan or Yang families, whose members have held high office for four generations, to have the resources and confidence to do so.
How could an unknown Liu Bei possibly be involved?
Could it be that someone ghostwrote it?
But then his gaze fell on the line below.
Collated by: Lu Zhi of Zhuojun.
Lu Zhi participated in the collation?
Qiao Xuan was jolted and almost stood up from his seat.
Lu Zhi of Zhuojun?
Who is this person? And why is Lu Zhi endorsing him?
Qiao Xuan gasped, all his doubts instantly replaced by immense shock.
At this time, Lu Zhi was not as well-known in the country as he would later become.
But his identity is anything but ordinary.
Ma Rong's top disciple and Zheng Xuan's fellow student!
Ma Rong was a leading scholar of Confucian classics in his time, with students all over the world, but his most outstanding disciples were none other than Lu Zhi and Zheng Xuan.
Zheng Xuan devoted himself to his studies and did not concern himself with worldly affairs, but Lu Zhi was different. He was not only well-versed in ancient and modern classics, but also knowledgeable in military strategy, administration, and border affairs.
What's even more remarkable is that he is upright and incorruptible, and his vision and perspective far surpass those of ordinary people.
He was already a well-known talent in Luoyang's upper circles.
Even the three highest officials in the court praised him highly, and Qiao Xuan himself had met Lu Zhi several times and greatly admired him.
How could someone like that be assigned to proofreading by a lowly clerk in western Liaoning?
Is it still far away in western Liaoning?
Qiao Xuan immediately shouted, "Men! Investigate immediately!"
"Let's see who this Liu Bei really is!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the subordinate official who had gone to inquire about news in Liaoxi immediately bowed and replied, "My lord, I have already investigated and confirmed it!"
"This Liu Bei, courtesy name Xuande, was from Zhuo County, Zhuo Commandery. It is said that he was a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan and a great-great-grandson of Emperor Jing of Han, a true member of the Han imperial family."
"He was a disciple of Lu Zhi, the governor of Jiujiang. Last year, when Lu Zhi was teaching in Zhuojun, he stayed by Lu Zhi's side."
"At the end of the first year of the Xiping era, he arrived in Liaoxi Commandery and served as a military clerk."