Qianjintang hadn't received an emergency case in ages, especially one late at night. It wasn't Qi Yue's turn to be on duty today, so she was summoned from home.

"..The patient is incredibly agitated, insisting only on seeing you," the on-duty disciple reported. Yuanbao personally carried a lantern, A'ru clutched the medicine chest, and the small group hurried toward Qianjintang.

"..Another acute abdominal case," Qi Yue said, pulling on her outer coat and examining the patient before frowning and addressing the disciples. "In that case, this bout of vomiting and diarrhea might be contagious.

Everyone must pay close attention to disinfection and epidemic prevention. The patient's clothing is to be burned entirely, and the excrement deeply buried." The disciples were very familiar with these procedures and responded in unison, "Yes, ma'am." "...Is it dysentery?" Qi Yue inquired.

Before Liu Pucheng could speak, the patient, writhing in abdominal pain and gasping, spoke up. "No, we used dysentery medicine...

it didn't work... Old Zhou's entire family, father and son, both used it...

and they still died.." he rushed to explain. "Old Zhou's family?

You mean, besides that Doctor Shen and the one sent for burial the day before yesterday, others have died?" Qi Yue asked urgently. "..Yes...

the one you saw the day before yesterday... Old Zhou's son...

he died yesterday," he stammered. "This...

could this be a liyi (pestilence/plague)..." "Are you a physician?" Qi Yue asked. "This is Doctor Zhu from Bao'an Hall on the west side of the city," Liu Pucheng introduced him.

Liyi... So many people had already died...

This was happening too rapidly, in just a few days... "Your medical history," Qi Yue asked.

The patient could barely answer a few sentences before he began vomiting violently again, and before the vomiting stopped, the diarrhea resumed. "This, this couldn't be cholera, could it?" Qi Yue murmured.

"Cholera? Vomiting and purging, body aches, aversion to cold—vomiting and purging suggests cholera.

Cholera causes vomiting and purging, then stops, only to be followed by a relapse of fever? It does bear some resemblance," Liu Pucheng commented.

Qi Yue listened, completely bewildered. "It's characterized by gastric distress leading to upper and lower purging; in the Shanghan Lun, this is called cholera," Liu Pucheng continued.

"What you're describing sounds like acute gastroenteritis," Qi Yue shook her head. "I'm talking about a virulent intestinal infectious disease.

China doesn't have that yet at this time." China? At this time?

"When does it appear?" Liu Pucheng asked. "It should be during the Qing Dynasty," Qi Yue replied casually.

After answering, she saw Liu Pucheng's expression turn to shock. "Qing Dynasty?

What is that?" he asked haltingly. Qi Yue spat lightly.

"Teacher, now is not the time to discuss that!" She quickly changed the subject. "I don't think it's cholera.

The diarrhea here is watery, not the rice-water stool characteristic of cholera..." No testing could be done... "First, supplement the fluids," Qi Yue ordered.

"I will go to the laboratory and see if this penicillin has any effect on that specific bacterium; at least it can help distinguish the general type of pathogen." Outside, the night was deep. "But the city gates are already closed at this hour," Liu Pucheng observed.

Meanwhile, A'ru was preparing to administer intravenous fluids with the help of the disciples. "If everyone who died had this same illness, then, just as this doctor said, it is extremely likely to be a liyi.

Never mind that the city gates are closed; even if the city were on fire, I would still have to go," Qi Yue stated, looking at the nearly collapsed patient. If this were a liyi, it would be a catastrophe.

"Do not speak of this to anyone outside for now, lest it cause panic," Qi Yue commanded. Everyone responded in unison, "Yes, ma'am." "Also, this room must be placed under immediate quarantine.

Entry and exit must be strictly controlled and disinfected. Change into surgical gowns." Qi Yue added.

Surgical gowns were significantly more protective than the white smocks they currently wore. "Master, the carriage is ready," Hu San called from outside.

"Teacher, I leave this here to you," Qi Yue said. "Also, for an epidemic of this scale, shouldn't we report it to the magistrate?" "Yes, I will go," Liu Pucheng affirmed with a nod.

"That way, all the medical halls in the city can tally how many cases of this illness there have been recently," Qi Yue explained. Liu Pucheng nodded, watching Qi Yue carefully place the fresh stool sample extracted from the patient into a container before she left by carriage.

The city gate guards were roused from their sleep and were exceedingly annoyed. "What are you doing!

Leaving the city this late!" they shouted curses. "Even if you're rushing to your own funeral, you wait until the fifth watch!" "My good sirs, I am a physician.

Life hangs in the balance; I must leave the city immediately," Qi Yue called out loudly. "What physician..." one runner shouted dismissively, but before he finished, he was kicked by the man next to him.

"What are you doing!" he turned and cursed angrily. "You scoundrel, hurry up and open the gate!

It's Madam Qi!" The others cursed back. "If Young Master Huang finds out, he'll break your legs!" Only then did the man scramble frantically to open the city gate.

"Madam Qi, it is so late. Allow us to escort you," several of them said ingratiatingly.

Qi Yue refused repeatedly, but they would not be deterred. Having no time to argue, Qi Yue allowed them to accompany her.

The sound of hooves shattered the silence of the night as they sped away. As dawn began to faintly break, Wang Qingchun's door was also knocked upon.

When he heard it was Liu Pucheng from Qianjintang, Wang Qingchun ordered him sent away. "My Lord!" Liu Pucheng, uncharacteristically forceful, strode in.

Indeed, whenever he accompanied that woman, everyone seemed to lose respect for him. Wang Qingchun sneered.

Liu Pucheng ignored his attitude and immediately recounted Doctor Zhu's visit the previous night and the several recent deaths from diarrhea. "We suspect it is a liyi, my Lord.

Please order a thorough investigation across the entire city immediately." "Doctor Zhu, actually..." Wang Qingchun focused only on this detail, his expression darkening. That coward!

"My Lord, could this be typhoid..." Liu Pucheng tried again. Wang Qingchun looked at him, seemingly struggling between a laugh and a cry.

"Typhoid? Pestilence?" he scoffed.

Liu Pucheng nodded at the mention of the latter. "Did Madam Qi say that again?" Wang Qingchun asked.

"Yes. Madam Qi has already hurried outside the city to test the new medicine to see if it is effective against these symptoms.

This will take at least a full day and night, so I implore you, my Lord, to immediately conduct a comprehensive investigation and implement epidemic prevention measures..." Liu Pucheng urged. Wang Qingchun remained still, simply staring at him.

Liu Pucheng looked back, completely bewildered by the gaze. "I say, Doctor Liu," Wang Qingchun leaned back in his chair, looking at him.

"You used to be such a composed and humble man. If I hadn't gone to the capital, I never would have known you were actually the senior disciple of Physician Meng." Liu Pucheng bowed in respect.

"Your disciple is unworthy; I dare not speak my Master's name," he replied quietly. "Now that is true humility.

Unworthy," Wang Qingchun shook his head and chuckled derisively. "If you are unworthy, doesn't that imply Physician Meng was inept in teaching his disciples?" "It is my disciple's lack of talent, my Lord.

Please do not speak ill of my Master," Liu Pucheng straightened up and stated. Wang Qingchun pursed his lips.

"My Lord, please issue the order immediately to investigate all pharmacies and medical halls to see how many cases with these symptoms have appeared recently, so we can respond early," Liu Pucheng pressed. "What liyi?" Wang Qingchun scoffed.

"It's only a few people, and frankly, I should have been one of them." Liu Pucheng froze, utterly confused. "The few of us dined together at Qingfeng Tower a few days ago: Old Zhou's father and son, Doctor Zhu, Doctor Shen, myself, and four others," Wang Qingchun explained, shifting one leg over the other.

"I have already inquired. The proprietor of Qingfeng Tower admitted that the meal that day was problematic; they used spoiled meat, which is why everyone suffered stomach ailments." Liu Pucheng was stunned into silence.

"Is that so..." he asked faintly. "But that is terrifyingly dangerous; three people have already died..." "What can be done?" Wang Qingchun frowned.

"We can only say that individual constitutions differ. So many people ate that meal; not everyone died, after all." That was true...

Liu Pucheng nodded. "However, My Lord, since this stems from the ingredients at Qingfeng Tower, there must be others who will exhibit similar symptoms.

Perhaps we should issue a notice to remind everyone that this illness strikes fiercely, and if they show these symptoms, they should quickly come..." He continued, but Wang Qingchun cut him off. "Quickly come to your Qianjintang?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, Madam Qi said that because of the vomiting and diarrhea, it causes dehydration and circulatory system failure, so massive fluid replacement is necessary. We can administer intravenously..." Liu Pucheng hurried to explain.

He was interrupted again by Wang Qingchun before he could finish. "Madam Qi said!

Madam Qi said! Madam Qi said!" he shouted, his face dark.

"Is everything Madam Qi says the absolute truth?" His sudden fury stunned Liu Pucheng. "Doctor Liu, you truly disappoint me more and more these days," Wang Qingchun scoffed, looking at him.

"No wonder you dared to mention your Master's lineage—with conduct like yours, you would truly bring shame upon them!" Not expecting such harsh words, Liu Pucheng, who was never good at arguing, felt his face flush crimson. "My Lord," he looked up again and said, "I know you have grievances with our Qianjintang, but at this critical moment, the duty of a healer comes first.

I implore you not to let narrow-mindedness prevail." Wang Qingchun exploded in anger. "Narrow-minded?

I am narrow-minded?" He stood up, eyes wide and face grim, shouting, "I wonder who it is that constantly speaks of making me kneel!" Liu Pucheng looked at him. "My Lord, some people speak of things often but do not hold them in their hearts, while others do not speak of things yet hold them firmly in their hearts," he said calmly.

"Which is harder to let go of—the tongue or the heart? Which is true narrow-mindedness?

Do not let your own preoccupations make you forget your duty as the Medical Judge!" Wang Qingchun was enraged. "Liu Pucheng, you and Qianjintang, in pursuit of selfish gain, dare to spread rumors of a liyi, disturbing the public peace and causing panic among the populace.

I, in the name of the Medical Judge of Yongqing Prefecture, hereby seal Qianjintang!" he roared fiercely. As the sky began to lighten, more than a dozen porcelain dishes, filled with solidified nutrient broth medium, were set out before Qi Yue.

"Master, we could only prepare this much broth medium," the two disciples said, sweating. "That will have to suffice," Qi Yue said, carefully using a tiny swab to transfer a speck of the patient's watery stool onto each culture dish.

"Master, can we test these immediately?" the disciples asked. Qi Yue shook her head.

"The absolute earliest testing can begin is tomorrow," she said, then felt a surge of relief. "Thank heavens I managed to collect some of that person's sample from the street the other day..." She looked up outside.

"By the afternoon, the first batch of colonies should be sufficiently grown... then we can verify the drug's efficacy...

By tomorrow morning, the results should be out," she said, frowning with a hint of anxiety. That patient must hold on until tomorrow!

"How long until the White Fur Xiaku Cao injection is ready?" Qi Yue asked. A disciple ran out to call.

"Selecting the appropriate injection after testing efficacy will take until evening at the earliest," came the reply from the tense laboratory. "Evening it is, then.

Send it over immediately once it's ready," Qi Yue instructed. The disciples nodded their assent.

Qi Yue turned her attention back to the culture dishes before her. Hurry, hurry, time, move faster...

It's only the 5th, but it feels like half a month has passed... RS