In Zhang County, Wen Mohan and his team were busy caring for the citizens infected with the plague. Their manpower was severely insufficient, and people fell ill daily. Despite aid from outside the city, the medicinal herbs were still not enough.
Xiao Man was occupied with testing medicines. Except for brief moments of extreme fatigue, she was mostly working around the clock. The only imperial physician in their team had also fallen ill, leaving Xiao Man to bear the burden alone.
Wen Mohan was also searching for a cure, but after poring over ancient texts, he found no useful information. At this moment, he suddenly realized he was utterly useless.
Wen Mohan stood up, intending to check on the patients. Soothing their emotions was also quite important. However, as soon as he stood, he felt the world spin and his vision blur. He quickly steadied himself against a table to avoid falling.
Wen Mohan shook his head, his vision still fuzzy. He looked at Xiao Man, who was grinding medicinal herbs at the medicine desk. He reached out, but it felt incredibly distant.
"Man'er..."
Xiao Man was busy reconfiguring the prescriptions. The previous ones had been ineffective. She had tried every possible combination, but only one could alleviate the patients' suffering, yet it couldn't cure the plague.
A terrible thought flashed through Wen Mohan's mind. He feared he had unknowingly contracted the plague. What could he do? Would he drag Man'er down with him?
This thought had barely crossed his mind when Wen Mohan's brain went blank. He collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud. Xiao Man was startled and turned around, only to see Wen Mohan lying on the floor, unconscious.
"Mohan." Xiao Man quickly put down the herbs and rushed to check on Wen Mohan. She then called for people to carry him to bed.
Wei Feng's eyes were slightly red as he looked at the sleeping Wen Mohan, his face filled with worry. "Doctor Xiao, how is my master?"
Xiao Man's brow furrowed. She had been negligent, failing to realize Wen Mohan had contracted the plague. The initial symptoms of the plague were vomiting and diarrhea, yet she hadn't noticed anything unusual about Wen Mohan.
"He has contracted the plague, and his condition is not good," Xiao Man said, her face turning pale. "Are there any updates from outside the city?"
"They say the doctors sent from the capital will arrive soon, and we should hold on. Another batch of medicinal herbs is also on its way. Doctor Xiao, will my master be alright?"
Xiao Man remained silent. She had no certainty at the moment. After all, it was a plague. Of the people who were alive in the city initially, only one-third remained. Now, half a month later, fewer than three thousand people were still alive. Fortunately, the grain Wen Mohan brought in was abundant; otherwise, these people might not have survived.
"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to him." After a moment of silence, Xiao Man reassured Wei Feng. "You stay here and look after your master. I'll go and boil the medicine."
"Yes."
Xiao Man prepared a dose of medicine according to the adjusted prescription and personally boiled it. She administered it to Wen Mohan, and fearing his condition would worsen, she stayed by his bedside, taking care of him while simultaneously researching new prescriptions.
Xiao Man carefully reviewed the conditions of the survivors in the city. They were all ordinary people, none from powerful families, and many were from impoverished households. Why had they survived the plague while others hadn't? Was there something she had overlooked?
By the time Wen Mohan woke up, it was already dark. Xiao Man was sitting at a table by the bed, sketching with a pen.
"Man'er."
"You're awake. How do you feel?" Xiao Man immediately put down her pen and stepped forward to help Wen Mohan sit up.
Wen Mohan said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I've caused you trouble."
"Why didn't you tell me you were sick?" Xiao Man poured a cup of water and offered it to Wen Mohan's lips. "Don't you know that hiding your illness will only lead to more severe consequences?"
"I thought I just hadn't rested enough," Wen Mohan said while drinking. "I've contracted the plague, haven't I?"
"Yes," Xiao Man replied softly. "Your condition is not too bad. You must have contracted it recently. Do you feel unwell anywhere?"
"I feel weak all over and a bit itchy," Wen Mohan said weakly. "I probably haven't bathed or changed my clothes for days, so I'm just dirty."
Xiao Man reached out and pulled open Wen Mohan's collar. Scarlet rashes were appearing on his chest. There weren't many, but the appearance of rashes indicated the mid-stage of the plague.
"Have you experienced any nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea?"
Wen Mohan shook his head. "No, I just felt thirsty initially and wanted to drink water, and then I had a slight fever. There were no symptoms of vomiting or diarrhea." Sudian Novel Network.
Xiao Man frowned. Why was Wen Mohan's situation different from others infected with the plague? Xiao Man unfastened Wen Mohan's clothes to examine his body. Wen Mohan's face flushed red, his eyes darting around. Xiao Man's hands moved over him, making his already weak body feel even more so.
"Red rashes have started to appear on your body. This should be a mid-stage symptom of the plague, but you didn't show any early symptoms of vomiting or diarrhea. Has the surface manifestation of the plague changed?" Xiao Man's expression was solemn. "Mohan, apart from weakness, do you have any other symptoms besides the red rashes?"
"Other symptoms?" Wen Mohan's mind was a mess, his heart racing, and he felt as if he couldn't catch his breath.
Xiao Man placed her hand on Wen Mohan's chest, feeling his heartbeat was somewhat unusual. To confirm if his heartbeat was normal, she pressed her ear against his chest to listen to his heart rate. Wen Mohan's heart immediately began to beat even faster.
"Your heart is beating so fast?" Xiao Man sat up in confusion and took Wen Mohan's pulse. She noticed his skin had a faint pinkish hue, and Wen Mohan seemed to be struggling to breathe. "Rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, reddened skin. Could this be the latest symptom of the plague?"
Wen Mohan felt that if there were a hole, he could crawl into it. He desperately wanted to tell Xiao Man that these were not symptoms of the plague, but his personal symptoms!
"Man'er... I... I'm fine."
"I've adjusted the prescription. You take this for now. The medical team sent by the imperial court will arrive soon. With more people, we'll surely find a cure," Xiao Man comforted Wen Mohan. "For the next couple of days, don't wander around. Get some good rest."
"Man'er." Wen Mohan, seeing Xiao Man about to leave, immediately grabbed her sleeve. "Where are you going?"
"The medicine should be ready. I'll go and get it for you."
Wen Mohan then let go and watched Xiao Man's busy back, a hint of worry creeping into his heart. Now that he had contracted the plague, and Xiao Man had been in constant contact with him, would she be infected?
Wen Mohan was uneasy. He even felt a pang of resentment, regretting that Nangong Yu had actually stayed obediently outside the city instead of forcibly entering to take Xiao Man away.