Chapter 108 – Black-Bellied Regent VS Loyal Shadow Guard (12)
However, the man with a headache who was holding his forehead did not notice that a sly glimmer flashed in the eyes of the person beside him after he said those words.
Mu Jin, seeing his lover with a gloomy expression, couldn’t help but inwardly laugh, thinking that occasionally teasing him like this was quite enjoyable.
A few days later, news came from the court that there had been frequent flooding in the Jiangnan region recently. Though efforts to control it had somewhat mitigated the situation, there were still many displaced people whose homes had been destroyed, and there was even a looming threat of an outbreak of plague. They hoped the court would quickly send funds and supplies for disaster relief.
This was a complicated matter, and naturally, the court had to send Ministry of Revenue officials to oversee it. This was the moment when officials started proposing capable candidates for the task.
Initially, the atmosphere was quite harmonious despite the fact that overseeing flood control and providing disaster relief sounded like a difficult job. However, in the eyes of some, it was also a lucrative opportunity.
There were always people hoping to take advantage of the chaos, aiming to pocket some of the resources. So many officials were eager to take on this task.
Wen Renhong quietly observed them. When he saw Anping Marquis step forward to suggest that he be sent to oversee the relief efforts, he sensed something was off.
Just a few days ago, he had declined to marry the Marquis’s daughter on the court floor. Now, the same Marquis wanted to give him this lucrative position—it was clear that there was ill intent behind this suggestion.
Seeing the satisfied expression on Wen Renda’s face, Wen Renhong didn’t even have to guess to know that the emperor was behind this plan. It seemed that the flood relief efforts in Jiangnan weren’t as straightforward as they seemed.
“Lord Zhong, what do you think?” The emperor’s voice came from the court floor.
Wen Renhong’s eyes flashed, and he dropped to one knee, bowing to the emperor as he replied, “Your Majesty, I will not disappoint you.”
Wen Renda’s smile grew even wider upon hearing Wen Renhong’s response. He nodded and told the court officials, “This task will be handled by Lord Zhong.”
After the decision was made, the emperor personally selected several officials to accompany Wen Renhong on the journey to Jiangnan to assist with flood relief.
Wen Renhong glanced at those appointed by Wen Renda. While one or two of them were competent, they were undeniably all people loyal to the emperor, which immediately revealed the emperor’s intent.
On the surface, it seemed like a straightforward job involving delivering funds and supplies, potentially earning accolades.
But in reality, Jiangnan frequently experienced floods, and these disasters were often followed by outbreaks of plague, which could lead to unrest among the people. Disasters were difficult to manage, especially since they were caused by natural events.
While good management could lead to favorable reports, the complex nature of the task meant that there were plenty of opportunities for things to go wrong. If they did, it would be easy to frame Wen Renhong for various crimes, leading to his downfall.
However, even with these insights into the emperor’s schemes, Wen Renhong was not fazed. He knew that handling the disaster in Jiangnan was a critical step for his plans.
He had already received information about the situation in Jiangnan from Yin Ge and had prepared accordingly. Supplies and medicines had been discreetly procured, and all preparations had been made to the best of their ability.
That day on the court floor, Wen Renhong had intended to volunteer to lead the disaster relief efforts. He hadn’t expected that the emperor would indeed target him for this task. It was like getting a pillow when you’re feeling drowsy—it perfectly aligned with his intentions.
Two days later, Wen Renhong was ready to set off, seated in a carriage with the convoy transporting funds and supplies to Jiangnan.
Mu Jin, naturally, was with him, also sitting in the carriage. However, he wasn’t dressed in his usual shadow guard attire. Instead, he wore the clothes of a regular guard, hoping to avoid drawing attention.
Despite the subtle disguise, Wen Renhong still found Mu Jin’s appearance striking in the blue robe. Especially since his round, babyish face was no longer hidden behind a mask, he was now clearly visible to anyone who might pass by.
Wen Renhong had always found Mu Jin irresistible, and now he found him even more enchanting. Thus, every time they left the carriage, he didn’t want Mu Jin to follow him, feeling that his little shadow guard was simply too attractive. At least to him, Mu Jin was as beautiful as any princess, if not more.
For some reason, Wen Renhong secretly hoped that Mu Jin’s face could only be seen by him. He even felt a twinge of regret—if he had known that his little shadow guard would be so captivating, he would have kept him in his shadow guard attire. At least that way, his precious treasure wouldn’t be exposed to everyone.
However, it was inevitable for Mu Jin not to disguise himself as a shadow guard. After all, their journey was long, and Wen Renhong needed to work in the carriage during these days on the road.
Occasionally, officials from outside would come to consult on various matters, and Mu Jin’s shadow guard attire would surely attract too much attention. So, he had no choice but to dress as a regular attendant.
At this moment, Wen Renhong was sitting in the carriage, reading documents, while occasionally opening his mouth to accept food from the little guy sitting beside him.
Wen Renhong knew that Mu Jin had a sweet tooth, so he had stocked the carriage with plenty of his favorite snacks. Seeing Mu Jin enjoy the sweets made Wen Renhong happy, and he couldn’t resist the temptation to have Mu Jin feed him. He felt that the desserts tasted better when they came from Mu Jin’s hand.
In recent days, they had been traveling in the carriage, and Wen Renhong had been studying the disaster situation, developing some strategies for flood control.
Seeing Mu Jin eating pastries while glancing at the documents in his hand, Wen Renhong subconsciously asked him, “Xiao Jin, what do you think about this Jiangnan flooding situation?”
Due to his current identity, Mu Jin hadn’t expected Wen Renhong to actively seek his opinion on this matter, but he was still very happy about Wen Renhong’s trust in him. So, he replied, “Master, I heard from the hidden chamber a few days ago that there has been a small-scale outbreak of an epidemic in Jiangnan. I’m afraid it may continue to spread.”
“Although the local authorities in the villages where the epidemic has broken out have brought in many doctors to treat the patients, precautions should also be taken in other nearby villages. It would be best to erect fences around these villages temporarily to isolate them from others and prevent further infections.”
As Mu Jin spoke, he took out a prescription from his pocket and handed it to Wen Renhong, explaining, “After hearing about the master’s intention to go and deal with the flood, I’ve been studying prescriptions. Finally, I came up with a suitable one for preventing the epidemic.”
“However, for now, we only have preventive prescriptions. As for treatment, although I have some ideas, I still need to see the patients in person to better formulate medications to stop the epidemic. But for now, prevention is more important than treatment. We should try to prevent new cases and then work hard to treat those who are already unfortunate enough to be infected to truly eradicate the epidemic.”
Wen Renhong nodded repeatedly as he listened to Mu Jin’s words, especially when he looked at the prescription in his hand, he felt that Mu Jin’s gesture was worth a thousand words. He hadn’t expected his little shadow guard to have already been planning these things early on.
Speaking of which, Wen Renhong did have some ideas about flood management, but it was the epidemic following the floods that he found particularly challenging, and Mu Jin’s considerations were exactly what he found tricky.
Originally, Wen Renhong had been worried, but he hadn’t expected Mu Jin to come up with solutions for him. This method of isolation could indeed quickly control the source of the disaster.
Especially with this prescription, it could effectively prevent those who had to come into contact with the patients or those living nearby from being infected, effectively suppressing the spread of the epidemic. Now, he had much more confidence in handling the Jiangnan flooding disaster.
Feeling a warm sense of gratitude, Wen Renhong was in a good mood due to Mu Jin’s proactive behavior. Because Mu Jin’s actions made him feel that the help he received was not just because of his orders but genuinely came from the care of those around him.
With a grateful embrace, Wen Renhong secretly thought whether Mu Jin actually had some affection for him. That’s why he considered everything so carefully for him.
Due to the urgency of the situation, the group traveled quickly on the road. After only a few days in the carriage, they had already entered the Jiangnan region, where a small number of villages had indeed started to experience the plague.
Wen Renhong took charge of handling the flooding situation, while Mu Jin took full responsibility for dealing with the epidemic. Originally, Wen Renhong didn’t want Mu Jin to handle these matters, but Mu Jin was very insistent and eventually persuaded him.
In his heart, Wen Renhong also understood that this was a critical time for staffing, but he couldn’t help but worry. He repeatedly urged Mu Jin to prioritize his own safety and not to let anything happen to himself.
After hearing Mu Jin’s repeated assurances, Wen Renhong finally relaxed. Because he felt that, despite being his shadow guard, Mu Jin would still prioritize his own safety with his instructions in mind.
Seeing his lover’s worried expression, Mu Jin felt a surge of warmth in his heart. Although he appreciated the concern, he wanted to help share the burden with Wen Renhong. Moreover, he knew that he was immune to most poisons, which made him more capable of handling these situations.
In the following days, both worked tirelessly, and under their combined efforts, the situation began to improve. Especially after Mu Jin encountered the patients, he quickly developed a treatment for the illness.
This was a huge blessing for those who were sick, and the victims regarded Mu Jin, the doctor who had come with the prince, as a living godsent savior.