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“Has the Eldest Miss returned after being summoned by Madam Yuan?” Wei Jinyi asked.
Although he didn’t know exactly why Madam Yuan had sought Wei Ruo at such a time, he was certain it had to be related to the recent events.
“Not yet,” Xiaobei replied.
Wei Jinyi’s brows furrowed slightly.
“Young Master, are you worried that Madam Yuan has asked the Eldest Miss to do something? That seems unlikely. With all the chaos outside, the Eldest Miss probably wouldn’t be of much help. She’s only skilled at farming—those things won’t matter until next spring, when she’ll truly have a chance to shine. Perhaps Madam Yuan just wanted someone to chat with, to ease her boredom.” Xiaobei suggested.
“Not necessarily,” Wei Jinyi said. “Send word that Ke Chongshan and the others shouldn’t go out searching for the Seventh Prince these next few days. Have them stay indoors and wait until the new year passes safely before making any plans.”
“I’ll see to it at once,” Xiaobei answered quickly.
###
At Wangmei Courtyard.
Hearing that Wei Ruo had once again been taken away by a carriage from Madam Yuan’s residence, and that even at this late hour she had yet to return, Cuihe couldn’t help but mutter to Wei Qingwan,
“The Eldest Miss is truly impressive. Who knows what kind of spell she’s cast on Madam Yuan to make her so fond of her? Imagine—dragging her off to the Prefectural Magistrate’s Residence even during the New Year celebrations.”
“Perhaps my sister’s temperament suits Madam Yuan’s taste. That is her ability,” Wei Qingwan replied.
“If we’re talking about ability, I think yours surpasses hers by far, Miss. All she knows is farming and cooking—none of the refined skills a proper young lady of a noble family should have. She knows nothing of music, chess, calligraphy, or painting,” Cuihe said.
“Even if I had the chance to show off those skills, Madam Yuan prefers someone like my sister. What can I do about that?”
“I don’t know, Miss. I only feel it’s unfair to you,” Cui He said softly.
“Enough of this. Go prepare the New Year’s offerings—Mother is waiting for them,” Wei Qingwan replied.
Wei Qingwan and Cuihe then continued helping Yun Shi with the household duties.
###
Wei Ruo, meanwhile, went to a narrow alley beside the Prefectural Magistrate’s Residence, to the home of a woman teacher. Both the teacher and the maid serving her had fallen ill, showing the same symptoms.
After finishing her pulse-taking and questioning, Wei Ruo stepped out of the room.
Waiting at the door, Qingyi cautiously asked, “Miss Wei, how is it?”
“It’s pneumonia. They need immediate treatment. And this illness has a certain level of contagion—so none of you should go inside,” Wei Ruo answered.
“Contagious? Then… is it a plague? Will all the people of Taizhou be in danger?”
The color drained from Qingyi’s face, and the guards standing behind her looked equally stricken.
If it was truly a plague, the consequences would be catastrophic.
At such a time, if an epidemic broke out, Taizhou would surely be strewn with corpses!
“Don’t panic. It won’t necessarily spread across the entire prefecture. Based on my inquiries so far, the illness isn’t highly contagious. If we take action now, it can still be contained,” Wei Ruo reassured them.
Before examining the teacher and her maid, Wei Ruo had already questioned those who had been in contact with them to assess how easily the illness spread.
So far, deaths had only occurred among the elderly or those in poor health. Those who were younger and stronger showed symptoms but no fatalities.
The teacher she had just examined was in her early thirties, while her maid was only sixteen. Both were in decent health—especially the maid, who, being young and active in her daily tasks, was only mildly affected.
“What should we do now?” Qingyi asked.
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