Chapter 97 - Zhang Yi needs support

In the morning, Feng Long and his subordinates finally managed to get home after the long journey from Nanchang. As soon as they get to the city, Feng Long notices that something seems to be wrong. He looks at Yu Lexuan:

-Yu Lexuan, something does not feel right... Look at all that garbage in front of the palace! Who could have done that? 

-Yes, this is very strange... Seems that there was a riot of some sort, but why?

-Let's find Zhang Yi and ask him. I have never seen it since I was crowned.

-Right.

They enter the palace. As they move inside, Feng Long notices that Zhang Yi's room is closed, and he can't see any sign of life inside it:

-This is really strange... What is Zhang Yi doing this time? He would be there.

-Feng Long... Do you think that a riot may have happened, and somehow he was involved in it?

-Impossible... Why would anyone riot in Zhejiang? I mean, this is not forbidden, but there is no reason for that.

-I hope so.

As they explore further, they finally find Zhang Yi, enclosed in a room not so far away from Feng Long's bedroom. As he sees Feng long, he runs and hugs him tightly. He cries, devastated:

-Your majesty, I have failed... I have failed!!!

Feng Long raises an eyebrow, as well as Yu Lexuan and Zhong Kunyi. Yu Lexuan gets closer and tries to comfort him:

-Zhang Yi, please, calm down... Let's move to our meeting room so you can tell us what's wrong...

Feng Long tries to comfort him in some way as they move. When they arrive, Feng Long hugs Zhang Yi and gently caresses him. Zhong Kunyi and Yu Lexuan sit nearby:

-Please, Zhang Yi... Tell me what happened... 

-Your Majesty... so many people died yesterday from the disease... There is a new strain of it in our empire, and my tests were not accurate enough... I failed!!!

Zhang Yi cries more. Feng Long raises an eyebrow but tries to keep calm:

-Zhang Yi, I know sometimes we cannot have only success... What a bummer, but there's more? What do you know so far about it?

-Majesty... It kills people like mad... Our death toll was doubled in a matter of hours...

-Oh, that is really concerning! And how about our medicines? Do you think they could work against it?

-Ma..maybe... We need to give it to everyone again... The staff at the hospital tried to do so after the infection, and it was not enough to save the infected...

Feng Long hugs Zhang Yi tightly, caressing him:

-Zhang Yi... What should I do? Please, I'll not allow suggestions from anyone else.

-Majesty... Please, close the entire city... We need to keep it under control... Ding Qi and others cannot suffer from the same plague.

Feng Long thinks for a bit. Zhong Kunyi feels nervous:

-But... But Zhang Yi... Can't we fight it in another way? 

No one talks. Feng Long then breaks the silence while caressing Zhang Yi:

-Please, Zhong Kunyi... Let's do what Zhang Yi said... I know our economy will suffer from that... But this is really serious, we can try and recover our economy later, but people's lives come first.

-Feng Long... Please, don't do that...

Yu Lexuan also joins the chat:

-Zhong Kunyi is right, Feng Long... But I think letting this plague spread will bring a lot of trouble, diplomatically too. 

Feng Long thinks again, then rise:

-I cannot decide on that... 

Feng Long then turns around and leaves the room. Yu Lexuan goes after him, while Zhong Kunyi gets closer to Zhang Yi.

Yu Lexuan runs, gets in front of Feng Long, and notices that he is sad. His eyes water, as well as Yu Lexuan's, who hugs Feng Long tightly:

-Feng Long... I cannot stand seeing you cry... Please, let me help you.

-Yu Lexuan... You always make me feel better...

Feng Long tightens the hug, gently caressing Yu Lexuan. Then, they sit on a bench nearby. Yu Lexuan takes one hand of Feng Long and kisses it:

-Feng Long... I advise you to follow what Zhang Yi said... I feel sad for him. He must be feeling so guilty for what happened. 

-I love Zhang Yi. He is so talented... But Zhong Kunyi has an understanding of economics to a larger degree than any of us. I trust him too... In a few days, people might starve, our city will go bankrupt... I cannot let it happen...

Yu Lexuan gets even closer, hugging Feng Long and kissing him on his cheek:

-Feng Long... Please, I just want to say that I love you so much... I love you like no one else. I'll take my share on this decision... You ought to punish me if this harms the empire, but I side with Zhang Yi on that...

-I'd never punish you... I'd never raise my hand to beat you...

Yu Lexuan then sits on Feng Long's lap, and both kiss passionately while crying. Zhong Kunyi and Zhang Yi chat nearby:

-Zhang Yi, this is serious... If we close the city for much longer, it will have a devastating effect in the short and long-run... We are running in debt already. There should be a way to keep this disease out while simultaneously allowing the economy to function. How about a new medicine? Can it be developed in a reasonable amount of time?

-I don't know, Zhong Kunyi... I'm feeling powerless, useless...

Zhong Kunyi gets up, hugging him:

-Please, Zhang Yi... You can do it. Let activities function for a couple of days. It should be enough time to study a new medicine. I think Huangshan and others can help us with that too. 

-Zhong Kunyi...

Zhang Yi tightens the hug and cries. Zhong Kunyi gently caresses him:

-Hard times bring us the opportunity to innovate... I trust you, Zhang Yi... I trust you!

-I got to develop this medicine... I have to... My life here relies on that...

After some time, Feng Long finally recovers. Both he and Yu Lexuan meet Zhong Kunyi and Zhang Yi. Feng Long smiles, walks toward Zhang Yi, and hugs him:

-Zhang Yi... I accept your suggestion, but with some conditions: we will close the city partially, and re-enact the quarantine centers. This way, the impact on the economy will be greatly dampened. This will also buy us additional time to develop a better medicine.

-Majesty... Majesty!!!

Zhang Yi tightens the hug. Feng Long caresses him in response:

-Zhang Yi, Zhang Yi... You saved us so many times... I trust you so much. 

-I love your majesty so much. Your majesty should consider myself useless if I can't find medicine to it...

Feng Long keeps caressing Zhang Yi, and smiles:

-Science has its own pace, as I told you in the beginning. I simply believe in your talent, and, above all, your love... 

Yu Lexuan and Zhong Kunyi smile:

-I think this is better, Feng Long. It is still going to cause an impact, but far less severe than closing everything down. - Zhong Kunyi moves closer to him.

Feng Long keeps hugging and caressing Zhang Yi for some time until they separate. He smiles, turns around, and moves to his bedroom. Zhong Kunyi also moves away, and Yu Lexuan stands close to Zhang Yi, smiling:

-Zhang Yi, I think we will have to visit Lishui together this time.

-This is possible... I want to produce the best medicine I can... Please, Yu Lexuan, I need your help...

Yu Lexuan smiles, hugs, and kisses Zhang Yi:

-You will have, all of it... I missed you those days I was in Jiangxi.

-I have dreamt with you, Yu Lexuan... - Zhang Yi blushes.

-We are so close to each other... That trip to Huangshan was really great for us. 

-It was so... Heavenly...

Yu Lexuan blushes:

-Well, yes... We visited the heavens... I remember that day when you caressed my face so gently inside the carriage... Feeling your hands was such a heavenly thing, Zhang Yi...

-You are so perfect, Yu Lexuan... I want to have it again.

-You can... We will... I'm waiting for you to decide when we will depart together. - Yu Lexuan blushes.

-Ah, yes... Maybe tomorrow, I think you must be tired from the journey.

-I am... But tomorrow, I'll be full again.

-Thank you, Yu Lexuan... I can't stress enough how important you are...

Yu Lexuan smiles, turns, and walks away. Zhang Yi now feels a lot better and moves back to his lab. The next morning, he will depart with Yu Lexuan to Lishui, not only to get more raw material but also new compounds that he had found there previously. 

Later, Feng Long issued a command to the gatekeepers to divert incoming traffic to the quarantine centers. Those trying to leave the city were also directed to the same building, where they are required to stay for at least a week. Once the building is full, no one will be able to enter or leave the city without complying with the quarantine rule. 

 ...

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