Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 708 - 705

Min Qianqiu shook his head and smiled, lowering his gaze as he put pen to paper.

Xuanjia, Year Sixteen, November 6th, a plague broke out in Huayang City. The Crown Prince ordered the city to be sealed. Doctor Huang, leading three Imperial Physicians, volunteered to enter Huayang City, gathered folk doctors, and went to Huayang City to treat the plague.

Xuanjia, Year Sixteen, November 8th, Daliang and Wei Kingdoms attacked Yan from north and south. In just five days, Wei Kingdom seized Mingdu and Yufeng from Yan. Daliang then attacked Huyi of Yan.

Xuanjia, Year Sixteen, November 13th, a large number of refugees fled Huayang City. Before they could approach Dadu City, they were ambushed and killed by the Crown Prince’s imperial guard, and their corpses were all buried at the Burial Mound. Those who narrowly escaped fled to Shuoyang and were placed at the treatment center outside the city. Upon hearing the news, more refugees headed to Shuoyang. By the 20th of that month, several thousand disaster victims were placed in temporary treatment centers.

Xuanjia, Year Sixteen, November 26th, Jin Kingdom envoy Liu Rushi arrived in Daliang, demanding Daliang return the cities promised to Jin Kingdom. On Daliang’s royal court, the Emperor of Daliang refused to acknowledge the promise and also refused to withdraw the army attacking Yan, claiming that Daliang’s attack on Yan was a national policy of Daliang that foreign officials should not meddle in. Jin Kingdom envoy Liu Rushi left in a huff.

Xuanjia, Year Sixteen, November 27th, Jin Kingdom issued a declaration of war against Daliang. On the same month, November 29th, Jin Kingdom Great General Liu Hong led an army to attack Daliang, seizing Fenguan and Hongque City. Daliang lost six cities in a row. On the 13th of December, soldiers from Yan Kingdom stationed in Liang were recalled to resist Jin Kingdom and recaptured two cities. The Jin Kingdom’s forces were no match and hurriedly deployed troops from Anping Camp to Hongque City for reinforcements overnight.

Xuanjia, Year Sixteen, the seventh of the twelfth lunar month, Commandery Princess Bai Jinzhi led two thousand soldiers in a swift night raid on Guandu City, recapturing it overnight.

At the same time, Yan recaptured lost territories such as Mingdu and Yufeng, counterattacking Wei Kingdom. The troops were divided into two routes. One was led by the formidable General Xie Xun, who captured Pingxi and Lanan of Wei Kingdom. The other was led by the second prince of Yan, Murong Ping, who advanced directly from Kuangping to North Customs City of Wei Kingdom. The nations were shocked.

Bai Qingyan sat by the window flickering with candlelight, reading the military report with a calm expression. She calmly burned the paper, tossing it into the brazier at her feet, her eyes serene and aloof.

The once weak Yan, defeated by Wei Kingdom, losing cities and territories, was seen by all nations as having no chance to counterattack. Unexpectedly, while Jin Kingdom attacked Daliang, Yan suddenly rose to counterattack, leaving Wei Kingdom defenseless.

Besides being shocked, the nations were more afraid.

Yan, once a dominant power, had been poor and weak for so many years, nearly perishing several times in recent years. After lying dormant for so many years, it drew its sword for the first time against the supposedly strong power of Wei Kingdom, and Wei Kingdom couldn’t withstand it.

If the nations failed to realize that Yan feigned weakness to draw Jin Kingdom and Daliang into the fray, then the court officials of those nations must be blockheads.

Yan, which had not revealed its strength for years, finally drew its sword, with such a chilling edge. How could it not make the nations tremble?

The Crown Prince of Jin Kingdom, upon hearing this, beat his chest in regret for letting Murong Li go. Now, nothing could restrain Yan.

Beirong, already uncomfortable with Yan’s garrison, debated taking advantage of the intense battle between Yan and Wei to destroy the Yan garrison. But destroying Yan’s garrison might invite an attack from the lurking Nanrong, leaving Beirong without assistance. The King of Beirong was in a dilemma.

Meanwhile, another major event occurred in Yunjing of Xiliang.

The Empress of Xiliang decreed the substantial promotion of students from humble backgrounds, opposed by the aristocratic families. King Yan, Li Zhijie, and Great General Yun Poxing handled the matter, with Yun Poxing stationing troops in Yunjing to intimidate the six families of Xiliang.

In Xiliang’s royal court, the interests and powers of the six major clan families were deeply intertwined. Although the Yunjing chaos began with an assassination attempt, the escalating turmoil, nearly splitting the imperial court, fundamentally stemmed from the power struggles and interests of these six major families.

The Empress of Xiliang clearly understood that if these six major families truly united, overthrowing the imperial power would be easy. To stabilize royal authority and gain absolute control over the administration, she had to promote people from humble backgrounds. These people, lacking family power to rely on, would only depend on the emperor... on the imperial power. The Empress of Xiliang planned to support and rely on these humble scholars to combat the aristocratic families and gradually consolidate power into her hands.

Bai Qingyan dared to predict that if the nations did not interfere with Xiliang, in a few years... besides Yan, Xiliang would certainly become another strong rival of Jin Kingdom.

On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, known as Little New Year, Shuoyang welcomed this year’s first snowfall.

The white snow covered the ancient blue bricks and green tiles, flying eaves and carved beasts.

At Bai Mansion, the red plums in the plum garden were in full bloom, with few buds on the plum branches along the bluestone path. The red plums bloomed freely in the falling snow. A gust of cold wind brushed, causing the snow to fall from the branches, revealing clusters of fiery red.

Meixiang Pavilion was brightly lit. A three-foot tall bronze incense burner with cloud patterns stood in the middle of the room, emitting a stream of bluish-white smoke.

The Earth Dragon in the pavilion was burning vigorously. The bronze decorated stove cover encased a brazier... silver frosted charcoal burned bright red, occasionally crackling with sparks.

Chun Tao took the medicine from a maid and came in from outside through the curtains. She saw her young mistress with a white velvet blanket over her lap, leaning against a low pillow on the window seat, reading a book. The warm candlelight highlighted her icy skin and jade-like bones, exuding tranquility and beauty.

Chun Tao placed the still warm medicine bowl aside, used a cloth to hold the handles of the bronze stove cover, moved the cover, added a few pieces of charcoal to the brazier, replaced the cover, washed her hands, and then brought the medicine to Bai Qingyan’s side, whispering: "Young mistress, the medicine has cooled down. You can drink it now." ƒгeewebnovёl.com

Bai Qingyan put down the book, rubbed her temples, and asked, "Uncle Ping went outside the city this morning to check on the disaster victims. How are things?"

Today was Little New Year. Lu Ping represented the Bai family to deliver vegetables and meat to the people at the treatment center, hoping the refugees could have a proper holiday.

"He hasn’t returned yet!" Chun Tao replied.

The refugees from Huayang City, who had been treated and found free of the disease and were willing to join the army, had been sent to the camps. But those infected with the plague had no effective treatment and either relied on medicine to prolong their lives, hoping to recover, or died and were cremated.

The method Bai Suqiu used to treat the plague was ineffective; Doctor Hong worked tirelessly night and day to find a new method.

Bai Jinxiu sent word that one of the three Imperial Physicians accompanying Doctor Huang was also infected with the plague. Some court officials had suggested that if the epidemic could not be controlled, all infected people in Huayang City should be killed to prevent further spread.