Chapter 34 - Zhejiang starts testing

 The following morning, Zhang Yi starts mixing the required components of the testing liquid. He makes a large quantity, enough to test about ten thousand people. He then visits Feng Long, greeting him while bowing:

-Your majesty is good!
-You can rise, Zhang Yi. - Feng Long smiles and goes towards him.
-Your Majesty, as you wish, I'll start our testing campaign. The test solution is ready.
-First, I'll make it publicly. Who do you think must be tested first?
-Given the quantities of the required raw materials we have, unrestricted general testing for everyone is feasible and can be carried out faster.

Feng Long smiles:

-This is a good thing to hear. Zhang Yi, please, let's move to the square. It's close to the time of my weekly speech, so many people will be there. 
-Your Majesty is wise! - Zhang Yi smiles and bows to him.
-You may rise, please. I think you will need some help to test all our people.
-Your Majesty is right. We will send the test solution to our health centers in all regions, and they will report the results back to me. We do not have quarantine centers, but I think we can keep up with the demand using our hospitals and rooms on those health centers by now. 
-And, Zhang Yi... how is your research for a treatment? Have you progressed?
-Your Majesty... I really tried, but could not find anything yet... I offer my life to Your Majesty if I can't make it... I would not be worth the position I currently have. - Zhang Yi knees to Feng Long.
-Please, rise... I'd never take your life, for any reason you can imagine. - Feng Long helps him to rise and caresses his hairstreak.- Just keep researching it, Zhang Yi. You will find an effective medicine on time, my heart can feel it.

Zhang Yi smiles:

-Now, let's move to the square. Bring the test solution with you.
-Right, I'll take my leave, and meet Your Majesty in the square in a few minutes. 
-You can go.

Zhang Yi bows to him and leaves the room, going to his to bring the test solution in a wheelbarrow. Meanwhile, Yu Lexuan and Zhong Kunyi bump at each other in a corner of the hallway. They smile:

-Good morning, your highness! 

Zhong Kunyi bows to Yu Lexuan. He bows back to him:

-Good morning, Zhong Kunyi. 

Feng Long meets them shortly after. They bow to him:

-Good morning, Your Majesty.
-Good morning, my precious gems, you may rise. - Feng Long smiles. 
-Is Your Majesty going to give your weekly speech?
-Yes, and we will start our testing campaign today. Zhang Yi has already prepared the test solution and will bring it to the square. He will need some help, so I ask if you can do it.

They bow to Feng Long:

-Your majesty can count on us, this is an order.
-You can rise, please... 

Feng Long stares at both, smiling. He walks away, moving to the square:

-Yu Lexuan, let's meet Zhang Yi! 
-Sure, let's go!

They meet with Feng Long in front of the palace. Feng Long moves forward, in a position he can be seen by the crowd:

-Good morning. My speech today is not about the economy or politics. Today, we will perform a necessary step, which is really important for our economy, peace, and stability. Nothing in this world scares me more than knowing that our empire might be hit by an unknown disease that is killing hundreds of people every day in our neighbor empire, Anhui. A disease that has no cure or treatment yet and spreads really fast. Thanks to the tireless work of your health minister, Zhang Yi, we now have a fast, reliable way to tell if you are infected. If you do, we will provide you with all the necessary to stay some 18 days away from your relatives. We are also working tirelessly to develop a medicine that can cure it or prevent you from getting sick. Advanced steps in our plan include shutting businesses and closing access to our empire if the number of new people infected is too large, but, for now, we will offer testing to keep the disease under control. All debts will be suspended during this time, but you will have to pay them later. Given the severity of the disease, testing will be required, if you refuse, you will be brought to quarantine for 18 days. We will enhance surveillance on people coming from and leaving Zhejiang too, and all the test results must be negative. This testing operation will be repeated every 18 days, so we can keep track of the disease. 

Feng Long moves to the square, and offers his right hand to Zhang Yi:

-And just to prove this is not harmful, I offer myself as the first one to get tested.

 
Zhang Yi takes the hand of the emperor and pricks his finger. A drop of blood falls into the container, and the solution didn't change colors. Zhang Yi feels alleviated, Feng Long smiles and resume his speech:

-This is a negative result, it means I am not infected. We have three testing stands, and we will also send some tests to be applied in rural areas. More testing places will be available over time.

Feng Long moves back to the palace steps, and get on his knees in front of the crowd:

-I beg you to take care. Be wise!

The crowd claps to him. When they stop, he gets up and bows:

-Please, Yu Lexuan, Zhong Kunyi. Help us.

Yu Lexuan and Zhong Kunyi bow to the emperor:

-Your Majesty is wise!

Yu Lexuan, Zhong Kunyi, and Zhang Yi move to three different stands, where they can apply the tests. Due to the risk of contamination, Zhang Yi has brought face coverings and also gloves made of silk. He also provided basic guidance on how to correctly clean, prick, extract the blood, and put a small bandage on someone's finger once the procedure is done.
Feng Long observes from afar, while people queue up to get tested:

-This is really clever, Zhang Yi... We will be li away from most empires. 

The testing went on for about 6 hours. Each managed to test 180 people, while Zhang Yi got a bit over 250. They ended up testing 610 people out of 2000, so they can test roughly 1200 people in a 12-hour period. Not a single test turned positive.
At the end of the testing, Zhang Yi collected the face coverings and gloves and puts them in a fire. He calls his friends:

-Excellent job. We will need more people to speed up testing.  Our pace is good for our town, but it will take a while until we test everyone in the empire. From tomorrow, the hospital staff and physicians at the health centers will handle this for us.
-Great idea, Zhang Yi! - Yu Lexuan smiles.
-I hope all tests turn out negative.
-We haven't got a single positive one in the city so far. I think this disease is not among us yet, Zhang Yi. - Zhong Kunyi looks at him.
-We have tested about a third of the local population, but the people present here were mostly the ones living nearby. But let's not worry about performing the tests ourselves, this will be handled by the health workers. We can increase testing capacity by a factor of a hundred easily.
-Well, I hope we still recording zero cases, or very close to it. 

The three return to the palace, and are welcomed by Feng Long. They all bow to him:

-You all can rise. Zhang Yi, how was the first round?
-Your Majesty, we tested 610 people, none of them were infected. 
-This is excellent! What will you do tomorrow?
-I'll hand out these tasks to our health workers. We will massively increase our testing capacity, and thus get results much faster, instead of only having three stands. I'll dispatch the containers filled with the test solution tonight, and we should get full empire coverage in about a week.
-Well, and how long will be the testing interval?
-I think 20 days to one month will be good. Back in Huangshan, they told us that the disease lasts for about 20 days, so if we give this interval, we are very likely to stop the disease from spreading or greatly reduce the number of infected people. 

Feng Long smiles:

-Very good. Now, I'll take my leave. I'm feeling a bit tired.
-Are you really ok, Your Majesty? - They ask.
-Yes, I am. I ate some buns, and I think one of them was not cooked properly. 

Zhang Yi smiles:

-This is easy, I'll give you a medicine to cure it, so Your Majesty may sleep well. 
-Thank you, Zhang Yi. I accept it. 

Zhang Yi runs to his room to bring the medicine. Yu Lexuan and Zhong Kunyi talk with Feng Long:

-I hope Your Majesty gets better soon... I was thinking about taking some zither classes with you again! - Yu Lexuan smiles.
-Of course, he will get better! - Zhong Kunyi taps Yu Lexuan on his shoulder.
-Maybe both of you should attend this class... I'd love to know how good Zhong Kunyi is when moving the strings. Yu Lexuan already knows so well...
-I... I'd like to attend! - Zhong Kunyi smiles.

Zhang Yi quickly returns, giving the medicine to Feng Long. He takes it, and starts to feel better:

-I'm already feeling a bit better... Thank you, Zhang Yi...- Feng Long smiles.

 
Zhang Yi bows to him:

-Your Majesty is wise!

Feng Long smiles:

-Well, I'll take my leave. Tomorrow, we will talk more about it. 

All of them bow to Feng Long:

-Your Majesty is wise, have a good rest!

Feng Long smiles and gently help each one of them to rise, giving a kiss on them:

-Have a good rest too. 

Feng Long goes to his bedroom and closes the door. Zhang Yi returns to his room, but Yu Lexuan holds Zhong Kunyi:

-Zhong Kunyi, I want to have a conversation with you. 
-Of course, where?
-Can be in your bedroom or mine, no problem.

Yu Lexuan takes Zhong Kunyi by his hand, guiding him to his bedroom. As he passes, he closes the door.

...

◄Previous chapter                  Next Chapter►