Chapter 26 - I'm back, Feng Long

 The following morning, Yu Lexuan and Zhang Yi wake up early. They eat the remaining buns for breakfast and resume their journey back home. They start to climb the last mountain range, getting on the top, Yu Lexuan was eager to touch Feng Long again:

-Zhang Yi, we are pretty close, I can see our town from here! - Yu Lexuan smiles.
-I can feel we are close.

They descended the mountain range. As they get to flatter terrain, Yu Lexuan moves faster. They arrive in the city in a few minutes.
Feng Long was alone in the square in front of the palace. As soon as he sees the carriage arriving, he smiles:

-My beloved is back.

Yu Lexuan parks the carriage in the square. He and Zhang Yi get off the carriage, and bow to him:

-Your majesty, as we promised you, we are back!
-You can rise, please... I'm so happy to see you are fine. - He smiles.

-We have made significant progress in Anhui. Their regional leader, His Highness Ding Qi, is willing to cooperate very closely with us. Ding Qi also sent to Your Majesty some gifts. - Zhang Yi smiles.
-I feel blessed by your competence, Zhang Yi.
-Your Majesty, Zhang Yi discovered a way to test people if they are infected with the disease. - Yu Lexuan bows to him again.
-You may rise, please, let's get inside. I'll ask someone to bring the gifts to me later, I'm so curious to know how exactly you managed to progress so quickly. - Feng Long smiles, and turns around, moving to the palace. - Please, follow me.

Feng Long and his subordinates enter the palace, they move to a room Feng Long usually uses to give some speeches. He arranges a seat, and they sit on it. Feng Long sits between them, and embraces both:

-Please, Zhang Yi. I'll grant you the duty to start reporting. 
-I feel blessed. I ask Your Majesty to be patient and also to ask me anything you want.
-You can start. - Feng Long smiles.
-Well, we have made significant progress. On the first day, we identified this disease in Huangshan, just close to the Xi'an river. I used the same powdery combination that allowed us to track the flu outbreak in Lishui a couple of years ago, it worked very well.
-I'm so proud of you, Zhang Yi. And what happened next? Any further progress?
-Yes, Your Majesty. We not only managed to detect it in the water but also in the blood of live people who were infected by it. It was done in Lishui too, but this time, the testing time was reduced from three minutes to less or close to one minute, which means that we can test a large contingent of the population in a few days.
-This is simply admiring, Zhang Yi! I'm so proud to have you as my health minister!- Feng Long smiles.
-Your Majesty will also have to thank His Highness Ding Qi. He offered us a lot of support during our stay.
-I should, certainly. But I have an issue with him that was not solved yet. I think all this support he gave to you settles it definitely.
-Your Majesty, may I ask you something? - Yu Lexuan looks at him.
-Of course, you can.
-What kind of issue we had with them? Since Your Majesty has been blessing us, I have never seen any problems involving Zhejiang and Huangshan.
-You are partially right, Yu Lexuan... It's been ten years, but I remember when Anhui tried to invade us, and Ding Qi was sided perfectly with their emperor... After losing so many men, they retreated and never claimed anything since. 
-This is really strange because Ding Qi was actually defending Your Majesty so much that his counselors were very upset with him.
-Maybe he changed his mind... never mind.
-Your Majesty, we have set some deals with him as well. We will have to give away some raw material for them to provide enough testing for their entire population, about 50 thousand. That's a lot of material, and would be even more if Zhang Yi hadn't perfected his tests. Ding Qi will send us daily reports of the disease in his city by pigeon. We should also inform him about the situation in our territory as well.
-That's not a big deal, I have to consult Zhong Kunyi, but I think we can provide it without problems. Also, is it a good idea to start testing here by now, Zhang Yi?
-Your majesty is wise, but I think is not that necessary by now. If we can afford to keep a good pace, it would be great, we would be able to detect the disease very early own, and have some time to take the necessary precautions. - Zhang Yi responds.
-I'll hand off this work to Zhong Kunyi then. We have plenty of resources by now, but he is frightened that an epidemic may cause our reserves to be depleted if we need to close our borders.
-I strongly recommend You Majesty to convince him to spend a bit more now and avoid problems in the future. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a way to cure or treat this new disease yet, and from what we have seen in Huangshan, it kills about 3 of every 100 infected. 
-It seems low to me, but I know that if it spreads all over our empire, the death toll will be very large.
-Your Majesty is wise! 
-I have to be very cautious with my people. I don't want to lose anyone for it. Zhang Yi, please, I order you to work out a medicine capable of treating this disease, and it must be safe for most people, and also easy to make in large quantities are needed. I understand my order can be really tough on you, and that science has its own time, but take it to your heart. - Feng Long smiles, caressing Zhang Yi's hands.

Zhang Yi gets up and prostates in front of Feng Long:

-Your Majesty is wise and right. As I told Your Highness while coming back, this is an issue I'll use all my resources and previous experience to get a solution for, because my life would be worthless if I can't offer the protection Your Majesty needs and wants to his people. 

Feng Long smiles:

-You can rise, I trust you to help keep me and my people safe from this problem if it ever happens to affect us.

Zhang Yi rises. Feng Long also rises from the seat and hugs him:

-Please, Zhang Yi. Your prowess is key to our success as an empire in this new challenge. Do your best, and also keep me up-to-date with your research.

Zhang Yi moves a step back, looking at Feng Long's eyes:

-Your Majesty can count on me. Also, Your Highness, I thank you for keeping me safe and healthy during this mission.

Yu Lexuan smiles:

-I have to thank you even more for keeping me warm and happy, Zhang Yi.- He blushes.

Feng Long raises an eyebrow:

-Well, I think this was a good start. I'll take my leave and, Yu Lexuan, I need you in my room. 
-Sure, Your Majesty, I'll follow you.

Upon moving to his room, Zhang Yi hugs Yu Lexuan. He smiles:

-I want you to get inspired, Zhang Yi... Do your best again. I'll visit you every day, bringing news sent by Ding Qi about how the disease is progressing in his city.
-Thank you, Your highness... I'll never forget your kindness. - Zhang Yi smiles.

They separate. Feng Long and Yu Lexuan enter his room, and as soon as they pass the door, Feng Long shuts it:

-It feels so good to be back home, Feng Long. - Yu Lexuan moves toward him, smiling.
-It feels even better to have you with me, Yu Lexuan... 

Feng Long hugs Yu Lexuan and kisses him deeply:

-I noticed that you have played with Zhang Yi.- Feng Long giggles.
-Well... Your Majesty knows my heart is not made of steel... It simply happened.
-I'm proud of you, Yu Lexuan... Never mind other affairs, they will happen...

Feng Long kisses Yu Lexuan again, stroking his head from behind:

- I love you so much, Yu Lexuan... As long as I have you, I'm a happy emperor. Power means nothing if I am sad... 
-You are my dream, Feng Long... My one and only dream...

They hug and kiss for several minutes. Yu Lexuan then moves his face away, a little bit, looking deeply on Yu Lexuan's eyes:

-While you were far from home, I composed a new melody, just for you. And this can only be played under our starry sky,  only then I can perform it fully to show how much I love you...
-I feel so blessed in having you as the love of my life, Feng Long... I'd live for all my lives with you until nothing is left...
-This will never happen... Our love will never end. - Feng Long looks at him, sweetly.

...

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