Chapter 60 - Hefei asks for help

In Huangshan, the letter sent by the health bureau of Hefei is delivered to Ding Qi. The pigeon was different from the others he usually sees, Zhang Xiaofan notices:

-Hey, look at that...

He takes the letter and reads it out loud:

-"The health bureau is asking for help from his highness, Ding Qi. The epidemic is out of control in Hefei, and we cannot develop a working solution for it since the head of the research, Mr. Mo Lan, was killed by Bai Chongye in front of us after he tried to argue with the emperor that the zinc solution was not working. We have over a million symptomatic cases confirmed, and more than 70 thousand deaths. Bai Chongye finally allowed us to say something, so we are asking you if you have a medicine. Please, reply to it as fast as possible... Humbly, the Health bureau staff..."

-Bai Chongye is evil. I can't believe he killed someone who was leading the development! - Zhang Xiaofan laments.
-I promised to be loyal to him for life... I changed my mind.- Ding Qi sits.
-Well, let's write a reply?
-Yes, but we will run into problems. Let that sink in for a moment: seven million people need this medicine. It was really difficult to simply test our measly 50 thousand. It will take an absurd amount of resources and staff to give medicines to all those people. And we will start with 3 million orders already because this is how big Hefei is. Bai Chongye will resist and probably not offer enough funds to make it work. We are really screwed. - Ding Qi thinks.
-Of course, this disease has a lifecycle of 14 days on average, the assumption that it will burn itself out is not that incorrect, everyone gets it, and the strong survive. But the death toll will be staggering, Bai Chongye seems not to care that much. Unfortunately, we cannot do much. We can advise the health bureau to close the city completely for a while, this is the only way for them to avoid total widespread. But Bai Chongye does not care...

 Ding Qi gets closer to Zhang Xiaofan:

-Zhang Xiaofan, let's just send recommendations and do your part. We can probably keep going for the next three or four years, but the destiny of Hefei is ultimately Bai Chongye's responsibility. 
-I agree with your majesty, but I fear this will brew a worse disease. 
-We then try to fight it again.

They write the letter. Zhang Xiaofan let it very clear that containing the epidemic was the only viable alternative, as producing medicines fast enough would be an impossible task to be accomplished. Ding Qi puts it in the pigeon and frees the bird, which aims back to Hefei.

Back in Zhejiang, Feng Long and Yu Lexuan are playing Weiqi:

-It's your move, majesty. Take care! - Yu Lexuan smiles.

-You know how diligent I am.

Yu Lexuan makes a surprise move, defeating Feng Long:

-I think your majesty lost this time...

-We cannot win all the time. even though I love to be defeated by you in other ways. - Feng Long smirks.

-I want it to be a draw... - Yu Lexuan blushes.

Shortly after, Zhang Yi knocks on the door. They rise and meet him, he bows:

-Please, rise... - Feng Long smiles.

-Good afternoon your Majesty. I sadly bring you the information that new cases of the disease were detected in Zhejiang.

-New cases? Are the infected ok?

-They look fine, but I discovered something else...

-Please, get to my room. I think Zhong Kunyi is nearby, so let's invite him. 

-I'll wait.

Feng Long walks to Zhong Kunyi's room and knocks on the door. Zhong Kunyi opens the door:

-Feng Long? - He bows.

-Please, rise... We have a meeting in my room, please accompany me. Are you busy?

-I'm fine, I'll accompany you.- Zhong kunyi smiles.

-Perfect.

Feng Long and Zhong Kunyi move back to his room. Zhang Yi and Yu Lexuan are already sat at the table, waiting for them.

Zhang Yi moves to a central position, so they can see him:

-I have already told Yu Lexuan earlier that we are identifying new cases of infection in Zhejiang. As far as epidemics work, this is expected. Our border controls are very good, but if the disease was not active and started the symptomatic phase a few hours after people crossed the border, we can still detect it early. But this time, we got something different: a new variant. 

-A new variant? Do you mean, a new version of the disease? - Feng Long asks. 

-Exactly. The person tested showed a black result, not the red one we would expect. We worked out that this person arrived from Hefei, and the city is probably experiencing a very severe outbreak with hundreds of thousands of infections. 

-This is a problem for us, as Ding Qi is now letting people arrive at our empire untested. - Zhong Kunyi points out. 

-Yes, but this is our responsibility. 

-And, majesty, following the beauty of governance principle... I take my own medicine and will expose myself to the infected...

-Are you mad? Please, Zhang Yi... Do not put your life at risk! - Feng Long rises from his chair. 

-I have to trust my medicines... I stick to the beauty of governance model, if it works for me, and passes the test, people will be protected. 

Yu Lexuan smiles:

-Feng Long... I have drunk the medicine as well. I'm sorry for not saying it to you before.

-Yu Lexuan...

-Well, I think we can trust Zhang Yi and take it. What are we going to lose? And if it works, great, we will be protected already. - Zhong Kunyi smiles. 

Feng Long thinks for a moment:

-Yes, your argument makes sense... We must live by our principles. Zhang Yi has been studying these substances for a long time, and I think we have a good track record. Zhang Yi, please, bring more of it for us. I'll take it. - Feng Long gets up.

-As you wish, majesty.

While Zhang Yi rushes to bring the medicines, Feng Long keeps the conversation going:

-This is really concerning. Hefei seems to have no control at all over the disease. Ding Qi will have a hard time if this new variant proves to be worse.

-Feng Long, I think Bai Chongye does not care.

-Certainly. I met him a long time ago, and I was impressed by how cold his heart actually is. As emperors, we have taken different paths. He chose to be an old-style one, and I make my way as a reformist. Of course, I faced many problems in Zhejiang, but ultimately I solved them. Xia Chunyu followed a similar path, but his view of Bai Chongye is even less favorable, as he was forced to kill a life-long friend he loved, and Bai Chongye knew it was a mistake sometime later, but never apologized. It is said that he cried for days, and was unable to perform his functions, so Ouyang Ziyu was the emperor for a couple of days. If not for Ouyang Ziyu, he might have killed himself. That's why in my recent passage there, I avoided remembering him this, I barely touched on it, and he cried. He is still very fragile emotionally, and this is why he never sends or receives anything from Bai Chongye.

-I think you'd be devastated if I was forced to kill you, Feng Long... - Yu Lexuan makes a sad face.

-Never ever think about it. We will stay there...

Zhang Yi comes back with the medicine in a larger flask and brings two small cups for Feng Long and Zhong Kunyi. Feng Long smiles when he sees him:

-Majesty, Zhong Kunyi, here. 

Zhang Yi serves the medicine in the cups. Feng long and Zhong Kunyi take it:

-Zhang Yi... It tastes not so sweet... But never mind, it is medicine after all. - Feng Long smiles. 

-Sorry, your Majesty... I had no time to include a better flavor on it. I'd do that in the final formulae so people will take it more easily. 

-No need to apologize. As long as it keeps us protected, it is perfect. 

-The data we have so far is good, I think it is going to work. I'm waiting for more data from Huangshan, but given that we have more infected in our empire, I'll be able to test it more. Of course, I make sure that the medicine will not have any severe side effects, you might feel unwell for a couple of hours, but this is normal. and also, as I'll be exposed and I'm not certain the medicine is really effective, I'll stay away from you for about 15 days. You can still visit me, but not touch or get too close. My room will be closed and no one will be allowed to enter for this period.

-Good to know, but I am still very worried about your health, Zhang Yi, please be very careful. Well, I think this reunion is ended. You can return to your normal activities, and sorry if I interrupted you amid something important. 

Feng Long bows to them:

-Your majesty must call us whenever needed... - Yu Lexuan helps Feng Long to rise.

Zhong Kunyi and Zhang Yi smile, returning to their place. Yu Lexuan kisses Feng Long suddenly:

-This is the Feng Long I love: handsome, smart, and now protected.

Feng Long hugs Yu Lexuan back:

-We are in the same situation from now on...

-Except for the fact that you lost the Weiqi game we were playing before! - Yu lexuan smirks.

-Hey, this is not fair, I'm still the emperor and you defeated me! How should I punish you for doing that? - Feng Long smirks back. 

-Maybe... absolute unity? - Yu Lexuan smirks, putting his hand on Feng long's hip.

-Well... It seems fair to me, but not now. I'll carry it out at another time. - Feng Long blushes. 

-I see...

After hugging Feng Long, Yu Lexuan returns to his room, which is the closest to Feng Long's. 

...

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