The county with the most severe epidemic in Donghai Commandery was Shuyang County.
A plague had broken out in Shuyang County. The Xianbei county magistrate fled with his family, but the Shuyang County chief clerk, Fu Zhuo, stayed behind with his men.
Fu Zhuo, the chief clerk of Shuyang County, stood on a dirt slope and said loudly to the assembled citizens: "Citizens of Shuyang County, do not run around in panic. Return to your homes and await the Grand Commander's rescue. I, your official, guarantee that the Grand Commander is currently organizing rescue efforts and they will arrive soon. You will all receive proper treatment then."
"Chief Clerk Fu, but... but we have no food or water now. We are starving and dying of thirst. Some are also dying of illness. Chief Clerk Fu, please show us mercy and let us pass. We will be eternally grateful." someone shouted from among the crowd of citizens.
"Chief Clerk Fu, we know you are a good person, but you cannot let us starve, die of thirst, and die of illness! We beg you."
Fu Zhuo was a Han Chinese. He had served as the chief clerk of Shuyang County for two years. He was upright and incorruptible, with an excellent reputation. He was fair and just in his daily life and loved the people as if they were his own children. It was only because the citizens were in extreme panic that they would make things difficult for Fu Zhuo.
"This..." Fu Zhuo was speechless. Shuyang was just a county town. The grain, medicine, and other supplies in the granary were not abundant to begin with, and Fu Zhuo had already distributed them all to comfort the disaster victims. However, because the number of disaster victims was too large, it was like a drop in the ocean. Everything had been consumed, and even Fu Zhuo and his men were out of food.
If the rescue from Donghai Commandery did not arrive, they would die of starvation even if they were not killed by illness.
"Don't you see? Chief Clerk Fu's family is also there, and they have no food or water. How can you pressure him like this?" Du Li, the county's Tingzhang, drew his saber and shouted angrily.
The citizens' emotions calmed down slightly upon hearing this. Fu Zhuo's family was indeed with them, enduring the same hunger and thirst.
Fu Zhuo sighed inwardly and then said, "Citizens, please return first. I will personally go to Donghai Commandery to raise grain, medicine, and other supplies. Once the grain and medicine arrive, I will immediately deliver them to your door."
If the Grand Commander's rescue did not arrive, Fu Zhuo intended to go to Donghai Commandery himself to plead for help. If he failed, he would die in front of the Donghai Commandery Governor's yamen.
Under Fu Zhuo's persuasion, many citizens were already preparing to return. However, a large number of them were still unwilling to leave. What was the point of returning? Returning was a dead end. They heard that many families had been wiped out, and the plague had already spread throughout Shuyang County.
"Bah, can the government's words be trusted?"
"The government just wants us to die of illness and starvation here."
"Fellow villagers, let's break out! Only by breaking out do we have a chance to survive!"
"Beings of all worlds, give rise to great compassion, wishing to cut off all suffering and distress of beings, wishing beings to dwell in peace and happiness!"
"Break out, break out!"
"Kill! Kill!"
The emotions of the citizens of Shuyang County had just stabilized somewhat when several burly men dressed in ragged clothes suddenly appeared in the crowd. The burly men kept provoking and instigating the citizens of Shuyang County, leading the crowd to surge towards the officials of Shuyang County.
The county militia, yamen runners, clerks, and servants of Shuyang County desperately tried to block them, but how could a mere two hundred or so people stop thousands of panicked citizens? The two sides crowded together, shoving each other, and eventually began to fight. In the crowd of Shuyang County citizens, some even wielded sticks, clubs, and knives to attack the county officials.
"Lay down your weapons, stop! All of you, stop!"
Seeing that a popular uprising was about to occur, Fu Zhuo's eyes turned red with anxiety. He lifted the hem of his official robe and rushed to the front of the crowd, shouting loudly: "As the father and mother official of Shuyang County, I vowed when I first took office to benefit the local populace. The reason I do not allow you to leave today is for the sake of the people of Donghai Commandery, and also for the sake of the people of Shuyang County. Therefore, today, I will absolutely not permit such reckless behavior. Citizens, listen to my advice, return now and await relief. If not, then tread over my body."
Fu Zhuo was a good official, and all the citizens of Shuyang County knew this. At this moment, disregarding his own safety and blocking them, he made many citizens of Shuyang County hesitate or feel conflicted, and they immediately stopped their charge and retreated a few steps.
The crowd temporarily quieted down, but they still refused to retreat, tightly gripping their rakes, wooden clubs, and other weapons. The county officials also tightly gripped their swords and spears, confronting the citizens of Shuyang County.
A burly man hiding in the crowd revealed a sinister expression. He secretly raised a crossbow in his hand and aimed it at Fu Zhuo.
As long as Fu Zhuo was shot down, the crowd would surely fall into chaos.
"Pfft!"
Just as the burly man was about to pull the trigger, an arrow shot down from the sky, hitting the burly man. The arrow entered his left chest and exited his back. With a soft "pfft," it sent the burly man to the ground.
The burly man still held his crossbow, his eyes wide open, as he fell to the ground, never knowing where the arrow came from until his death.
"Ah!!!"
In the crowd, some people let out screams, causing a commotion, as they did not know what had happened.
"Giddy-up... giddy-up... giddy-up..."
"Clip-clop... clip-clop... clip-clop..."
The sound of hooves echoed, and dust flew. Over a thousand barbarian cavalry swept in, all clad in iron armor, with white war robes worn over the armor, and white cloth masks covering their faces. A barbarian general at the front held a powerful bow, an arrow nocked on the bowstring, and glared at the citizens of Shuyang County, shouting: "Lay down your weapons, or face death!"
Over a thousand barbarian cavalry, all holding various weapons, rode on strong horses, surrounding the barbarian general, and coldly staring at the citizens of Shuyang County.
The citizens of Shuyang County all showed fear, hastily discarding their clubs, rakes, and other weapons. The crowd retreated, and some even cried out in fear.
After the summer, the Central Plains had already experienced the ferocity of the barbarians.
"This matter has nothing to do with the citizens!" Fu Zhuo, fearing that these fierce barbarian soldiers and generals would harm the citizens, rushed forward, spread his arms, and blocked them, saying, "Don't harm them."
Without differentiating right from wrong, they shot someone to death upon arrival. The barbarians were indeed unusually fierce, Fu Zhuo thought to himself.
Fu Zhuo had not noticed that someone was trying to take his life in the chaos just now.
"Who are you?" the barbarian general asked, glancing at Fu Zhuo's sweat-soaked, dirt-covered official robe.
"Fu Zhuo, Chief Clerk of Shuyang County!" Fu Zhuo replied.
Upon hearing this, the barbarian general's expression softened. He slung his bow and arrows over his back, dismounted, and walked to Fu Zhuo, saying, "So you are Chief Clerk Fu. I am Yelihu, a subordinate of the Grand Commander."
"General Yelihu? What are you...?" Fu Zhuo asked, still uneasy.
Fu Zhuo could guess that these barbarian soldiers and generals were here to help with the disaster, but they might take the opportunity to loot and oppress the people. Such things had happened before.
"On the orders of the Grand Commander, we are here to Shuyang County..." Yelihu glanced at Fu Zhuo, whose face was full of vigilance, and continued, "The grain carts, medicine carts, and so on are all behind us, as are many doctors, physicians, monks, and Taoists."
Fu Zhuo turned his head and looked down the slope. He saw dust flying in the distance, and indeed, countless vehicles were arriving.
"Citizens..." Fu Zhuo was overjoyed. Standing on the slope, he shouted to the citizens of Shuyang County below: "They are here, they are here! Do you see? The Grand Commander's rescue has arrived! We are saved!"
Fu Zhuo was so overcome with joy that he wept. His vision went black, and he fainted, falling onto the slope.
"Chief Clerk Master!"
The citizens of Shuyang County also saw the vehicles in the distance, and they were greatly pleased. They all quieted down. The arrival of Donghai Grand Commander Zhou Fugui's forces in Shuyang County indicated that these barbarian soldiers and generals were not like the ferocious barbarians of the past. Perhaps they were truly here to heal and provide relief?
The citizens had wronged Fu Zhuo and felt ashamed. Seeing Fu Zhuo faint, they all called out to him with tears in their eyes.
"Chief Clerk Fu? What happened to him..." Yelihu asked, looking at Du Li and the others around Fu Zhuo with great surprise.
"Chief Clerk Fu... he hasn't slept for two days and two nights, and he hasn't eaten a single grain of rice for two days and two nights," Du Li replied, holding Fu Zhuo and choking back sobs.
"Oh, so that's how it is. Shuyang County has such a dedicated official. The Grand Commander will be extremely pleased when he hears of this," Yelihu said, then said to Du Li and the others: "You are from the Shuyang County yamen, aren't you? Go tell them to cover their faces with cloth, oh, and to wash their hands frequently and maintain hygiene..."
"Cover their faces with cloth? Wash hands frequently? Maintain hygiene? General, what do you mean?" Du Li asked in surprise.
Yelihu and the other barbarian soldiers and generals, all of them had their faces covered, and their hands were also tightly wrapped, like masked bandits...
"What do I mean? You ask me? Who should I ask? These are the orders of our Grand Commander, and disobedience will be severely punished! Did you hear clearly?" Yelihu shook his head.
Yelihu himself did not understand what their Grand Commander Zhou Fugui meant, but he had issued strict orders that must be followed.
"Your subordinate obeys!" Du Li replied respectfully.
Perhaps Du Li's official rank was higher than Yelihu's, but Yelihu was a regular army general in the Yan army. Judging by the situation, he was also a trusted confidant of Donghai Grand Commander Zhou Fugui, so Du Li had no choice but to obey.
"Did you hear clearly?" Yelihu then asked Fu Zhuo, who was slowly regaining consciousness.
"What is it?" Fu Zhuo asked weakly, completely confused.
"Chief Clerk Fu, the Grand Commander strictly orders that everyone cover their faces with cloth, wash their hands frequently, and maintain hygiene... and that everyone in Shuyang County must also comply with the order," Du Li quickly explained.
"Oh, your subordinate will obey the Grand Commander's orders." Fu Zhuo was also baffled, but he had served as the chief clerk of Shuyang County for two years and was a scholar. He knew more things than Du Li. Perhaps Duke Zhou's order was related to the epidemic? So he nodded.
"Where is the Shuyang County magistrate?" Yelihu then asked.
"He ran away..." Du Li replied angrily.
"Ran away? That barbarian thief..." Yelihu clenched the saber at his waist and cursed.
Fu Zhuo and Du Li looked at each other, unable to speak.
Yelihu cursed the Xianbei magistrate as a barbarian thief? Was he not a barbarian himself?