Chapter 318 - Chaos and Confrontation!

Shen Ninghua personally checked on some seriously ill victims, prescribed medicine, and watched them take it. After checking their pulse, she heaved a sigh of relief. Although the symptoms were slightly serious, it was fortunate that they would be able to control it as long as they took extra precaution thanks to the slightly chilling weather in the late autumn. After this period of time, they would recover and be in a much better condition.

After a full day of work, Shen Ninghua and Baili Junyi returned to their residence to rest. The two children seemed to know their parents’ hard work, so they played quietly beside them for a while before being carried away to sleep.

Hong Ling sorted out and compiled the news that her subordinates reported and sent it to Shen Ninghua.

“Miss, I have already sent people to inquire about the incident. Some time ago, a lot of victims were forced to leave and seek help from the surrounding places. However, because the surrounding towns are far away and extremely poor, there are not many people who actually got help.”

“We came too late,” Shen Ninghua sighed slightly and looked at Baili Junyi. “Junyi, did you find out anything about the Zhou Family?”

“Almost everyone in Zhou City refuses to talk about the family, but I can see some problems from their attitude. The Zhou Family has absolute authority in Zhou City. Ninghua, you must not be alone these few days. Either Qing Que and Hong Ling must be by your side at all times, especially when you go elsewhere.”

“Yes, don’t worry. I will be careful.”

After working for a whole day, the two of them were spent. Not long after washing up, they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

In the middle of the night, there was a rapid knock on the door.

Baili Junyi opened his eyes without a trace of drowsiness in his eyes. He frowned and asked in a deep voice, “Who is it? What’s the matter?”

Qing Que’s hasty voice resonated. “Your Highness, it’s me, Qing Que. The victims in the city are in trouble. The people want to kick them out, and now it has been a mess. Many people are injured, and even the city gate is opened from the inside. Many people are driven out.”

Baili Junyi got up quickly, put on his clothes, and was about to go out. Shen Ninghua also woke up and quickly got up to get dressed.

Seeing this, Baili Junyi picked up his sword and ordered coldly, “Qing Que, come in and be with Princess. Make sure she is safe.”

“Yes.”

After pondering for a while, Shen Ninghua opened the jewelry box and carefully took out two jade hairpins and put them on. Then she asked Qing Que to bring the medicine box over. The two of them quickly headed to the city gate.

The city gate was brightly lit by torches. The porridge sheds on both sides of the street had already been pushed down, and the pots and bowls were scattered all over the ground. Many seriously injured victims were lying on both sides of the street, blood splattering on the floor.

Baili Junyi had just arrived when Zhou Da, who had blood on his head, rushed out from the crowd. “Your Highness? Please be careful! Some unruly people are taking the opportunity to cause trouble. You must not go too close. I have already sent for soldiers to maintain order. ”

Witnessing the fight, Baili Junyi furrowed in dismay. On the street, there were people constantly shoving the victims in the direction of the city gate and shouting, “Get out! Get out from Zhou City!”

“What is going on?”

Anxiety filled Zhou Da’s eyes. After hearing the question, he wiped the blood on his head with his sleeve and disclosed, “I’ve also just received the news in the middle of the night, saying that the people are making a scene, and I haven’t managed to ask what happened. When I got here, Zhou City’s people had already started fighting with the victims.”

Furrowing his brows, Baili Junyi turned around and coldly ordered the guards behind him, “Separate all the people here. Stop them from making a ruckus!”

With the help of these well-trained guards, the chaos was quickly controlled. Zhou City’s people and victims stood on both sides of the street, their faces filled with anger and frustration.

Baili Junyi’s oppressive aura forced them to be silent. Sweeping his chilling glare over the people on both sides of the street, he asked, “Can anyone tell me what is going on?”

The people looked at each other, not saying a word.

Shen Ninghua stood beside Baili Junyi and looked at people before saying in a flat tone, “I heard that the people of Zhou City have always been the friendliest and kindest. Why would you have a fight with the victims today? Is the rumor just a rumor?”

When the people heard this, they immediately began to speak up, “Princess, you can’t say that. No matter how friendly we are, we cannot disregard our own lives.”

“Yes! My child is in trouble, and I don’t know who will be in trouble next. Do we have to sacrifice our lives to save people?”

“It’s all those victims’ faults. It was them who brought disaster to our city.”

“Kick them out, kick them all out. Only then can we be saved!”

“Yes, Kick them away. We have to live!”

Shen Ninghua frowned slightly and turned to look at Baili Junyi, nodding at him.

Baili Junyi turned his head back to the crowd with a cold face and flashed into them, grabbing the few people who had just shouted.

Seeing that the people on their side were thrown to the ground, someone shouted again, “Your Highness and Princess, you can save those people as you want, but do you have to sacrifice our lives?”

“Yes, even if we want to be kind, we have to see what is true kindness. Do you think it’s worth it to save hundreds of disaster people by sacrificing the entire people of Zhou City? There are tens of thousands of people here!”

“Give us an explanation. We want an explanation. If we can’t get any explanation today, we’ll kick these victims out of our city even if we have to risk our lives doing it!”

Shen Ninghua walked up to a person and mouthed, “You shouted the loudest just now. I think you should be the one who is most affected. Tell me, what kind of disaster did those victims bring to you?”

The people were a little dumbfounded as they did not expect that they would be called out so quickly. “They brought the plague to our city. Many of Zhou City’s people were infected, especially the people living around here. Some children are already having high fever and are about to die.”

With a cold expression, Shen Ninghua probed, “Where are the dying children? You keep saying that these victims are the source of the plague, but instead of staying far away from them, you’re bold enough to charge at them so desperately!”

Hearing her rebuke, the people, who were originally enraged, suddenly calmed down and retreated in unison, afraid that they would be infected by the plague.

The people on the ground spoke again, “Even if we are infected, we have to chase these people away. We can’t let them harm more people.”

With that, the other citizens echoed in agreement, “He’s right! Since we are here anyway, it is inevitable that we will be infected. So be it! As long as we can kick them out and stop them from harming our people.”

Shen Ninghua looked up at them and jeered with a sarcastic tone, “Don’t you think the most important thing right now is to cure the people who are infected with the plague?” She was astonished that there would be people who make a scene just as the victims came into the city. She wondered if this matter had anything to do with the Zhou Family.

The person who was caught shouted, “We need our lives back! That’s why we need to kick them out!”

This time, there were fewer people who echoed after his rant because a woman rushed out with an unconscious child in her arms. “Princess! Princess, please save my child.”

The woman’s hair was disheveled and her face was full of tears. She tightly held a child who was about three or four years old with a red face, and she was pleading with Shen Ninghua desperately.

Shen Ninghua went forward to check. Her eyebrows were tightly furrowed. It was a worrisome sight as the child’s face was red and he was twitching from time to time. “When did he start to have this kind of symptoms?”

“This evening. I told him not to run around, but he didn’t listen to me and insisted on going to the streets. So I had no choice but to carry him to the streets to take a look, but I didn’t expect that he was infected with the plague. Princess, I heard that your medical skills are the best. You will definitely be able to save my child, right?”

Shen Ninghua turned to look to the side. “Are there other children who are also infected?”

“Yes, yes!”

A few more citizens came out with their children in their arms. They were surrounded by sadness and despair, as their children were horribly weak. If their children died, they would kick those disaster victims out of the city and beat them to death! An eye for an eye!

After examining the children closely, Shen Ninghua furrowed even more, and her gaze became eerily chilly. These children were not infected with the plague at all. They were poisoned!

Baili Junyi walked forward. “Ninghua, how is it?”

“Get someone to check the residences of these families and bring over some well water and leftover food.” Drought was common in Zhou City, so every family in the city had a well dug out. It was very likely that there was a problem with the well water.

Zhou Da, who was at the side, shook his fingers and lowered his eyes without batting an eyelid.

Baili Junyi immediately ordered someone to investigate. “Ninghua, did someone secretly poison the well water?” He did not lower his voice, so the surrounding people heard him clearly and began to discuss.

“Impossible. Who would poison the water for no reason?”

“You’re right. If there is a problem with the well water or something like that, it shouldn’t be that only the children are in trouble, right?”

“…”

Shen Ninghua ignored the voices around her. There were eight hundred guards present, and no one dared to move recklessly, so she just let them be.

Soon, the people who went to fetch water rushed back.

Shen Ninghua checked the well water and finally confirmed, “Junyi, someone poisoned the well water. The toxicity is not strong, and because of the dilution of the well water, it does not affect the adult much. However, because children’s bodies are much weaker, they are ill.”

“How can this be?”

“Yes, is there a mistake? How can someone poison the well water? What if they kill someone?”

“Princess, you must have seen wrongly…”

Hearing the surrounding voices of doubt, Shen Ninghua turned her head and glanced at them coldly. “If you don’t believe me, you can come over and drink some water. You might be able to experience the effects of the poison.”

The people who had just stood up immediately quieted down. They were not stupid, so why would they personally come forward to be test subjects?

When this conclusion came out, the victims next to them became worked up. “It’s obviously not our fault, but you want to drive us out and hurt so many people. Shouldn’t you apologize?”

“Why should we apologize? Who knows if you poisoned the water?”

“Us?! Bullshit! Apologize, or else!”

“Or else what?! Just come at us! Let’s see who will win!”