Beijing in early October has become a city of terror and despair.
At this time, the capital of the Ming Dynasty was not only suffering from severe cold, but was also swept by the plague.
Since August, thousands of corpses have been released from the Nine Gates every day, and the number is still rising, causing panic throughout the capital.
The description of this plague in history books is: "The children in the neighborhood were affected by it. There were coffins and no coffins. The nine gates counted more than 200,000."
At this time, a candidate for the county sergeant came to fill the vacancy in the Ministry of Civil Affairs. He had a round face and broad shoulders, and was frowning. He was shocked and speechless as he looked at the capital that was like a ghostland.
Seeing his hesitation, the junior staff member of the Ministry of Personnel hurriedly waved his hand and said: "Go quickly. If you stay on the street for a long time, you will also be infected with the plague."
"Don't be afraid, I'm a doctor."
Chen Yanfu shook his head and said with a naive smile.
"Doctor? The doctor can't save her, so she can only die."
The subordinate official had no choice but to say with sadness: "In the end, I can only add business to the coffin shop."
Chen Yanfu hesitated for a moment and then said: "I have been in the capital for more than a month and have observed carefully. It seems that there is a way to cure the disease."
"It's just that it's not mature yet."
"Cure the plague?" The junior official asked in surprise: "Then go quickly. A dead horse is treated as a living horse. It is going to die anyway, so why not treat it?"
"Right."
Chen Yanfu smiled: "It can be regarded as doing good deeds and accumulating virtue."
With that said, he walked back to the rented courtyard. There were originally five or six households, except for him and the landlord.
"Ahem——"
At this time, the landlord, who was like a wild monkey, was pleading to a doctor: "Doctor, please save my son. I only have this sprout, and I can't cut off my incense."
"It's hopeless." The doctor sighed and said, "It's difficult for Hua Tuo to survive. Let's choose a better coffin while there is still time. It's hard to find a coffin in the capital now."
With that said, he shook his sleeves and left directly.
When Chen Yanfu saw this, he patted the landlord on the shoulder and said, "I am also studying medicine, let me try it!"
"You?" The landlord was stunned, and then said helplessly: "Just give it a try."
As he spoke, he looked tired and began to rummage through boxes and cabinets, seemingly looking for money.
Chen Yanfu looked at the child, breathing slightly, and raised his armpit: "It is indeed a pimple plague."
After pondering for a moment, he found a wooden basin and took out the strap from his arms. A row of silver needles caught his eye.
"呲——" Directly stab at the pimples and swellings, compress the meridians and squeeze out blood.
"呲呲——"
Black blood spurted out continuously, and there was a bit of stench in the blood.
After a while, a shallow layer of blood accumulated in the tub, and the blood gradually became normal, before he stopped.
Looking at the lump of flesh, he had the intention to cut it off, but if one was not good, he would be more likely to die, so he had no choice but to give up.
"What's going on?" The landlord then raised his head and looked at the wooden basin and the pale-faced child, shocked.
"The poisonous blood has been released, it should be fine."
Chen Yanfu squinted his eyes and said softly.
"It's so hot!" I saw that the child's whole body suddenly began to heat up, and he kept pulling his clothes, shouting that he was thirsty, and his movements became obvious.
"Is this good?"
"It should be fine."
Chen Yanfu said in a deep voice: "I was weak before, but now I am hot and thirsty. I must have regained my strength. I will wait for two or three days before talking!"
After a few days, the child turned out really well.
For a time, it was widely spread that a famous Fujian doctor could cure the plague.
Soon, more than 10,000 people were diagnosed with it every day.
The plague in the capital was alleviated.
Emperor Chongzhen, who lived in the imperial city, also heard the news and couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief:
"As long as the plague can be controlled."
Obviously, the emperor still didn't understand that the plague sweeping across the entire north had severely damaged his capital, and even the already decaying capital camp had no troops left.
Chen Yan, the chief assistant, had to remind: "Your Majesty, from April to August, when there is no rain in the south of the Yangtze River, locusts cover the sky and invade Jiangsu and Zhejiang."
"It was accompanied by the plague, and the tragedy was shocking. In Tongxiang County, Jiaxing Prefecture, maggots crawled from the houses to the streets. People who were not sick died of vomiting blood in their mouths, and many people committed suicide by drowning in rivers. Their cries were loud..."
Hearing these words, Emperor Chongzhen couldn't help but shuddered: "How difficult people's livelihood is!"
"Then exempt Jiaxing Mansion from arrears from previous years!"
"The Holy One is wise."
Chen Yan twitched his lips and had to bow before he could exempt Jiang Nan.
"Your Majesty—" At this time, Wang Chengen ran over with panic on his face, his expression pale.
"what happened?"
Emperor Chongzhen put down the memorial, raised his eyes and asked, "Where is the disaster again?"
"It's the news from Tongguan."
"Tongguan?"
Chen Yan's eyelids twitched and he became panicked.
"What?" Chongzhen took the memorial in his hand and looked at it carefully, his face was also pale:
"Is this true? Isn't it possible that Sun Chuanting was defeated and fled, looking for a place to live in seclusion and fake his own death to escape?"
When Wang Chengen heard this, he lowered his head and said nothing.
Chen Yan was shocked.
Sun Chuanting is dead? Then wouldn’t Tongguan be lost?
"Your Majesty, Governor Sun should not be like this."
Chen Yan couldn't stand it anymore. These words were too harsh.
"That's not certain."
Emperor Chongzhen sneered: "Zhou Yanru sat on the sidelines, eating, drinking, and having fun, and gave me daily success. Wu Di worked hard for two or three months, and finally said that he was incompetent."
"Sun Chuanting may not think so."
Hearing these words, Chen Yan sighed in his heart and bowed his head in silence. Next, he might say something unpleasant!
It is really sad that the ruler and his ministers have no trust at all.
"As for his posthumous title, let's wait until the conclusive news comes!"
Emperor Chongzhen waved his hands and buried his head in the memorials again, looking like he was working diligently for the people.
Chen Yan had to leave.
Since the emperor got the news first, I'm afraid it will spread throughout the court after a while, so let's take a closer look!
After he left, Chongzhen's indifferent expression suddenly changed, and he even became particularly fierce:
"Sun Chuanting is a loser. He can't even defend Tongguan. What's the point of eating?"
"The 100,000-strong army is gone, and Tongguan is gone, so isn't Shaanxi also gone?"
As he said that, he seemed to be aware of its political influence immediately: "Qin Fan, Qin Fan——"
"The No. 1 vassal in the world, if he is captured, where will my face go? How should I explain to my ancestors?"
Wang Chengen lowered his eyebrows and sent the other palace maids and eunuchs away long ago.
After venting for a while, Emperor Chongzhen calmed down and breathed heavily: "This intruder is becoming more and more powerful and difficult to control."
"Your Majesty, take care of your dragon body!"
Wang Chengen said with a distressed look.
"Fengyang was burned before, and now Qin Fan is captured. I, the emperor, have lost more and more face in the eyes of the clans all over the world."
Chongzhen took a deep breath, gathered his spirits and said, "Fortunately, there is still chaos outside the pass. As long as we find a capable minister to put down the intruders, there is still hope."
ps: The blood-piercing method, coupled with heavy snow, delayed the plague in the capital. This is true, but the name of this Fujian doctor is unknown. Unfortunately, he was later killed by the Chuang army.
In addition, according to history, after Sun Chuanting died, Chongzhen suspected that he was not dead or even captured, so he did not give him a posthumous title.
