Chapter 55 - Xie Yun won't change
Meng Zhang had no way to test the infected, the only way he managed to control the epidemic was by preemptively closing the entire empire for almost three weeks and looking at the hospital admissions. He was met with strong opposition, but his predictions turned out to be correct and people were subsequently more compliant with his decrees. As the youngest emperor at just 27 years old, he performed brilliantly, even though his empire is considerably smaller as more than 90% of the population lives in Nanchang and other close cities.
Xie Yun studied the disease and found out that it was very similar to the flu, the same conclusions Zhang Yi has reached. He then tried several combinations of medicines, adding some components unique to Jiangxi. Over time, he observed that it has greatly reduced the recovery time, and, in some cases, people who got it have had no symptoms at all.
The efforts of Meng Zhang paid off, as the number of people looking for medical care increased fast at the beginning of the second week, then declined and finally plummeted in the third week. After the hospital did not record anyone looking for medical care and showing the same symptoms, Jiangxi has mostly reopened activities, but with a strong stance on keeping people far from each other, and not allowing large gatherings indoors. The number of deaths was also pretty low compared to Huangshan, which has implemented containment measures about a week later.
Meng Zhang later takes a walk with Xie Yun in a path that runs alongside the Ganjiang River. They go hand in hand:
-Xie Yun, it is time you forget what happened between us and Zhejiang.
-It is hard for me to do that... That prince, Yu Lexuan, has almost humiliated us...
-I understand, but on the upside, he treated us fairly. Almost anyone else would have killed you.
-Fairly? As you said, it was a giant embarrassment!
-Yes, it was an embarrassment because our lack of communication was exposed. It is unacceptable for an emperor like me to receive incomplete or misleading information.
-Maybe...
-Definitely. Many had laughed at me because I was too young, but Feng Long hadn't. He was way smarter than us and waited for the exact moment to avoid having blood in his hands. He knew I was too young and would probably be making a mistake I'd later recognize. Our military acted ruthlessly and invaded their territory.
-It was our duty...
-Your duty was to keep our territory, not to expand it. I had to apologize, and since then, Zhejiang is our ally.
Meng Zhang stops and faces Xie Yun, gently hugging him:
-We are the same age, and we likely think in the same way. I know your heart was hardened in the past, but I keep trying to make it more like a flower. It was a rough rock, then it was a pebble. Why not let this hatred in the past and move a step closer to perfection?
-Majesty... I... I can't...
Xie Yun frees from Meng Zhang's hug and moves away. His eyes water, as Meng Zhang's while seeing him walking away:
-This will be difficult, but I got to succeed... I got to turn his heart into a flower... a flower that has a fragrance I want to smell...
Meng Zhang moves to the grass field on the riverbank. He sits, hugs his knees, and lowers his head, crying. Xie Yun was able to see him crying, and he feels bad about it, but at the same time, he refuses to move back. His mind keeps telling him Meng Zhang is on the wrong side, while simultaneously suggesting that maybe he should judge his own beliefs, and act more openly and closely with the emperor. But he fails to do so and keeps moving away, despite also crying for not being able to clearly define what to do:
-I'm such a failure... But Meng Zhang is not right too... I should stand for the empire, even if the emperor is not willing to do so.
It takes a long time until Meng Zhang recovers. His clothes are partially wet by his tears, but he got the energy to move on. His eyes are red, and he feels bad. He returns to the palace and then washes his face on rice water. He eats something, and lays on his bed, looking at the ceiling. Some thoughts insist flying on his mind, especially the numerous times Xie Yun similarly abandoned him in the past. But he also remembers how he progressed, and how much better he is managing it now. He ends up smiling, although very subtly compared to the sadness he is experiencing.
Not so far from him, Xie Yun decides to binge-drinking himself. He frequently drinks large amounts of alcohol when he feels under stress. After some time, he falls to the floor, drunk.
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