Chapter 18

There Is Hope

When Doctor Lu heard Zhao Chuchu’s words, he turned to look at her.

He no longer regarded her with disdain.

“Please pardon me,” he said as he held Zhao Chuchu’s wrist to check her pulse. His expression became grimmer.

The deputy commander remained on horseback with a calm look on his face.

The platoon chief’s heart sank when he saw Doctor Lu’s change in expression.

“Don’t tell me that this woman’s prescription is truly effective?” he wondered.

Doctor Lu checked Zhao Chuchu and Gan Maosheng’s pulses several times before confirming that there was nothing seriously wrong with their health. He then inspected the dregs left in the pot.

He was astonished to discover the kinds of herbs used for the medication.

Doctor Lu then reported his findings to the deputy commander. “Deputy Commander, General Gan’s condition has improved, and Ms. Zhao has almost recovered. We also tested some of the herbs in the pot. There are several unexpected herbs in the medication.”

The deputy commander smiled as he got down from his horse. He looked at Zhao Chuchu and asked, “Did they really use your prescription?”

“I wouldn’t dare deceive you, my lord. Why don’t you send someone to Lengshui Village to investigate? Whatever I say will not be as convincing as what the people who have drunk the medication have to say.” Zhao Chuchu bowed slightly and continued, “Some villagers here have already taken the medication. You may want to wait for a while.”

“Guards, send Doctor Lu to Lengshui Village immediately.” The deputy commander could not wait any longer. He was unable to stay calm.

The situation in Yuanjiang County was worsening every day.

The deputy commander could not defy the court’s order, but he also did not want to see so many innocent people lose their lives.

If there was a way to do so, he would try to save as many people as possible.

Doctor Lu gave a humble bow to Zhao Chuchu. “I’m embarrassed to admit that I misjudged your medical skills because of your age. Ms. Zhao, I’m sorry to have disagreed with you earlier. Please do not hold it against me.”

Zhao Chuchu could see that the doctor was sincere in apologizing to her and decided not to hold it against him. “I’m so young. It’s only natural for people to be suspicious of my medication. We can no longer delay finding a cure. Doctor Lu, you should quickly make your way to Lengshui Village. We can talk about other issues later.”

Doctor Lu clasped his hands together and went off with the deputy commander’s men to Lengshui Village.

“Maosheng, tell us. How did you learn about Ms. Zhao?” The deputy commander turned to ask General Gan.

Gan Maosheng gave a brief account of what happened earlier to the deputy commander.

The deputy commander was relieved that Zhao Chuchu had regained consciousness in time. He was glad that Li Jiang had not been muddle-headed and made a false judgment.

Otherwise, there would have been a catastrophe.

Doctor Lu and the guards acted remarkably fast. An hour later, they returned from Lengshui Village.

Doctor Lu’s face was flushed when he got back to Zhang Village. He reported excitedly, “My lord, most of the villagers infected with the virus at Lengshui Village are better. They are no longer in danger. We can use Mrs. Xie’s prescription. There is hope for Yuanjiang County!”

Realizing that matters had come to this point, the platoon chief quickly dropped to his knees in front of the deputy commander. “It’s my fault. I almost caused a big tragedy. My lord, please pardon me!”

The deputy commander cast a glance at him.

He could guess what the platoon chief was trying to do.

Because they were currently in urgent need of resources, he decided to settle the situation after they resolved the plague.

“You should apologize to Mrs. Xie, not me.”

The platoon chief’s breath stopped for a moment.

Gritting his teeth, he got up and looked at Zhao Chuchu. “Mrs. Xie, I’m sorry. I was far too rash, and I almost caused a disaster.”

Zhao Chuchu eyed his insincere apology with disdain as she scoffed inwardly, “It’s a trivial matter to me. But my husband’s ancestors must be offended by your ignorance.”

The platoon chief also turned to Xie Heng. “Mr. Xie, I’m sorry.”

Xie Heng looked at him indifferently. He did not see the point of getting angry with such people. “It’s not an issue. I can’t see anyway.”

He was implying that since he was blind, whatever the platoon chief did was non-consequential to him.

The women in Zhang Village who had previously refused to drink the medication were horrified to hear Doctor Lu’s words. They wondered, “Is it possible that this prescription is effective?”