Chen Mo nodded, "Handle it this way." After speaking, Chen Mo thought of something and said, "By the way, where does Fu Ze Restaurant in each county of Youzhou get its beef and mutton from?"
"According to the letter from Qing Dance, the beef and mutton for Fu Ze Restaurant in the northern counties come from nearby slaughterhouses, ranches, and livestock traders, while the beef and mutton in Youzhou are contracted by someone named Guan Rong." Ning Wan said, handing the urgent letter sent by Qing Dance to the capital to Chen Mo.
"A single person is in charge of providing the beef and mutton for Fu Ze Restaurant across all of Youzhou?" Chen Mo frowned. Such capabilities are significant, yet Chen Mo could not believe it was possible without insider connections funneling benefits for personal gain. He asked sternly, "How did Qing Dance audit this?"
Upon hearing this, Ning Wan’s expression changed. Hearing Chen Mo’s words, she also realized that there were serious issues and great corruption in Fu Ze Restaurant in Youzhou.
"I will immediately send someone to Linzhou to bring Qing Dance to the capital for a face-to-face report." Ning Wan said.
...
Time moved to the third day after hearing about the plague incident.
Chen Mo received a memorial from the Prefect of Youzhou.
It stated that the beef and mutton of Fu Ze Restaurant in each county of Youzhou were provided by Guan Rong from Sheng’an County.
The cattle and sheep in Guan Rong’s hands were purchased from Jin Xia.
In the days before delivery to Fu Ze Restaurant, many of the cattle and sheep at Guan Rong’s ranch died due to illness. Many doctors were called, but to no avail.
Until Guan Rong’s steward found a doctor in Xing City, who cured the cattle and sheep.
But that Xing City doctor can no longer be found, as someone saw him leave Xing City for Jin Xia.
In the memorial, the Prefect of Youzhou also shared his personal thoughts.
The doctor found by Guan Rong’s steward from Xing City is likely a Jin Xia spy.
When Guan Rong’s steward brought him back, he did not actually cure the cattle and sheep at Guan Rong’s ranch; he merely stopped them from continuing to die, leading Guan Rong to wrongly believe that the doctor had cured them.
"Jin... Xia..."
Chen Mo’s face darkened. He originally planned to recover people’s livelihoods for a year or two before marching against Jin Xia.
But he never expected Jin Xia to employ such heinous stratagems.
Chen Mo knew he could wait no longer.
The plague was happening now; if he truly waited for one or two years, there was no telling what further conspiracies Jin Xia might engage in, causing countless more deaths.
"Jia Yin."
"Present."
"Summon Xiao Jing and Wu Yanqing to the palace immediately."
"Yes."
...
At the Wu family’s residence in the capital.
A chessboard was set on a stone table under the willow tree in the backyard.
Wu Yanqing and his wife were playing chess.
The backyard was quiet with just the two of them, allowing them to inevitably discuss some political matters during their game. As they chatted, his wife voiced her discontent about Wu Yanqing being kept on probation for a year.
"Your Majesty is becoming increasingly callous. You, my husband, despite your age, have been used by him tirelessly and without complaints. Yet, what frustration you bear. He commanded you to lead the expedition to the Shu Residence, but Yang Xian committed suicide out of guilt. What does that have to do with you, my husband? This is clearly a baseless implication, stripping you of any credit for the expedition and suspending you for a year; it’s utterly unfair.
Besides, I don’t believe he has nothing to do with it. If he hadn’t been pulling the strings from behind, would Yang Xian have died with such guilt..."
"Silence." Wu Yanqing sternly cut her off, slamming a white stone onto the chessboard, "Do not speak of this again. Yang Xian’s guilt-driven suicide has no connection to His Majesty. It was my oversight, and His Majesty’s punishment is fair."
"I didn’t say anything wrong. Mi’Er too is siding with others, not uttering a word for your sake. I heard that when Princess Consort Zhao returned to the capital, she went to see His Majesty right away. Who knows what she might have said then."
"Stop talking. The Wu family is already at the eye of the storm. Do you intend to drag the entire Wu family into trouble?"
Infuriated, Wu Yanqing stood up and said, "Also, tell our clan members to withdraw from that Jiangdong Faction immediately. If they continue flaunting like this, trouble will happen sooner or later."
"Master, madam, someone from the palace has arrived. His Majesty summons you to the palace at once."
As she spoke, a maid hurried over from a distance and stopped a pace away from them.
Wu Yanqing’s brows knitted tightly.
His wife asked with a stern face, "What does His Majesty want the master to go to the palace for?"
"In response to the madam, the eunuch didn’t say, but it sounded rather urgent." The maid replied.
"Master, aren’t you on suspension at home? What does His Majesty want with you?" His wife asked Wu Yanqing.
Wu Yanqing shook his head, "I am not sure either, but I heard that two emergency orders from the north arrived recently. It’s likely related to matters in the north."
"Could it be another war?" His wife speculated.
"The Court is currently recuperating and building strength, so war is unlikely, but it’s not certain. Madam, fetch my official robe; I’m heading to the palace now." Wu Yanqing said.
...
During the time before Wu Yanqing and Xiao Jing could reach the palace.
Chen Mo sought out Nalan Yiren.
Since this matter might be related to Jin Xia, Chen Mo still hoped that Nalan Yiren would personally go to Youzhou to oversee the plague situation there.
Since troops must be dispatched against Jin Xia, the plague must be resolved quickly. Otherwise, if the army inadvertently gets infected when passing through Youzhou, it would cause problems.
Nalan Yiren agreed to go.
After arranging her matters, Jia Yin reported that Xiao Jing and Wu Yanqing had arrived at the Imperial Study.
Chen Mo then headed over.
...
Meanwhile.
In Jin Xia.
Imperial Study.
"Great Khan, it has succeeded. The Plague God has descended upon Da Wei’s Youzhou and Cangzhou. In less than half a month, over a thousand have died, and the infected number in the tens of thousands. Currently, Da Wei has fully locked down Youzhou." Wanyan Xiaji said.
"This Da Wei is indeed different from the Former Song, having reacted so swiftly." Tuoba Hui’s previously furrowed brows finally eased a little.
"Da Wei is currently implementing new policies, and the officials in Youzhou and other regions are newly appointed ones. They certainly have more effectiveness than the old ones." Wanyan Xiaji said.
"How long does General Xia Ji think it’ll take for Da Wei to rid itself of the Plague God? The Plague God you invited should not pose a problem, right?"
"Please be assured, Great Khan, the Plague God I have invited is an unprecedented one. Da Wei cannot resolve it within a year or so, and it will incur great casualties. By the time Da Wei manages to settle it, they would not dare to covet our Jin Xia for two to three years. Besides, according to reports from the spies, Da Wei is currently going in the wrong direction, treating this Plague God as if it were cholera," Wanyan Xiaji laughed.
"That’s good." Tuoba Hui also smiled, instructing, "Make sure the soldiers at Haiyan Pass remain vigilant to prevent the Plague God from spreading to Jin Xia."
"Rest assured, Great Khan, we have long been prepared."
...
In Da Wei.
Imperial Study.
"I have summoned you here because something significant has occurred in Youzhou."
Chen Mo gestured towards Jia Yin.
Jia Yin stepped forward and handed the letters placed on the desk to Wu Yanqing and Xiao Jing for review.
After reading, both of their expressions changed.
"Plague?!" Wu Yanqing asked in a trembling voice.
The terror of plague is described in almost every historical record of past dynasties.
Each outbreak claimed the lives of tens or even hundreds of thousands of people.
"According to the Prefect of Youzhou’s investigation, these diseased cattle and sheep originated from Jin Xia, and many clues point towards Jin Xia. Consequently, I have no choice but to suspect that the outbreak of plague in Youzhou and other regions is a conspiracy by Jin Xia against our Great Wei," Chen Mo said.
"What, these Jin Xia Barbarians are truly heinous?" Xiao Jing was shocked.
"They’re indeed a group of barbarians. Even after hundreds of years of education, they cannot change their essence as barbarians," Wu Yanqing said coldly.