Chapter 84

Wan Vice County Magistrate arranged for the yamen staff to go to the isolation area and select three people with different epidemic symptoms.

The crowds outside the yamen still chose to wait in place. They wanted to witness with their own eyes whether the ones chosen to try the medicine were really infected with the epidemic disease, and could eventually be cured.

In the outskirts isolation area, it was divided into east and west sections. The east section was continuously burning every day.

When the yamen staff was still a distance from the isolation area, they could already smell a nauseating odor.

Even now as they were fully covered from head to toe, especially the head area as required by the county yamen, with triple face masks covering their nose and mouth that needed disinfecting every day.

At the entrance to the isolation area, they explained their purpose. Led by the soldiers there, they came to an isolation room in the west section.

Through the window, they saw inside was filled with densely packed infected people. Some were coughing violently continuously, some had a large area in front stained red with blood and water, some were lying there motionless with eyes closed, whether dead or alive, no one cared.

But without exception, all the patients had an ashen and desperate look on their faces.

"Everyone, the county yamen now requires three infected people to voluntarily try the medicine."

"First, before trying the medicine, I have to make it clear to everyone that if the new medicine is unsuccessful, you may die instantly. If successful, you get to keep your life."

"Finally, I want to emphasize that the new medicine has just been formulated and stocks are limited. Formulating it again will take some time."

"Everyone, consider carefully."

The words "new medicine" did not bring any impact to the patients in this isolation room.

They had also harbored hopes time and time again, only to be met with disappointment each time, and ultimately faced inevitable death. Why bother to go through the wringer again? They might as well live one more day if they could.

Then the yamen staff went to several other isolation rooms to look for volunteers to try the medicine, and got the same reactions from the patients as the first isolation room.

But fortunately there were always a few people with hope.

"Sir, I volunteer. Dying early or late is the same anyway. If the new medicine works, this Hu Laosan gets to keep his life." A middle-aged, fully bearded man said. "I'll go too."

"And I."

As one person responded, other hopeful people followed suit.

In the end, three people with different symptoms were selected to go to the county yamen to try the medicine, in front of the crowds of commoners causing a ruckus outside. They entered the county yamen.

Gong Xiaohua first skin tested the three patients. Only one person had a slight allergic reaction while the other two had no problems.

Then injections were administered in three different ways according to severity of symptoms, injecting every two hours, three times total.

The one with the mild allergy received the smallest dosage, administered in four separate injections.

For every injection, the other doctors watched Gong Xiaohua closely, listening attentively as she explained in detail each step and how it should be done. After all, the follow up work depended entirely on the abilities of the doctors present.

Wan Vice County Magistrate and the many other guards outside the isolation room also anxiously awaited without leaving. Most of the commoners outside the yamen did not leave either, everyone praying together.

The anxious wait was long, but time would not stop its march forward.

Finally, on the second morning, the three participants’ spirits, compared to yesterday, had improved tremendously. Their symptoms had alleviated significantly too, especially the one who coughed blood. He still coughed but no longer coughed blood.

So early morning, all the doctors examined the three medicine trial participants one by one and concluded that their epidemic illness was halfway cured and they were out of mortal peril.

"How wonderful. I'm saved, I don't have to die." The three medicine trial participants cried loudly together. This feeling of being "brought back from death's door" was incomprehensible to others.

"Xiaohua, you are simply the world's best doctor!" Wan Vice County Magistrate shouted excitedly with tears of joy.

"Incredible. It's a miracle!" Every doctor present marveled in disbelief.

"I just happened to know some medicinal formulas and methods for making medicine. I'm not a divine doctor or anything. Please Your Honor, don't overpublicize this."

"Don't worry, I understand. Xiaohua prefers to keep a low profile. We definitely won't cause you trouble. But you are most deserving of the credit for this achievement."

Wan Vice County Magistrate arranged for the three medicine trial participants to come to the entrance of the yamen and let the numerous commoners waiting outside see that they had succeeded.

"They really recovered from the epidemic illness. How wonderful." The commoners surrounded the three and kept appraising them.

That day, Wan Vice County Magistrate immediately reported the good news to the garrison general guarding the city gates, urgently asking him to pass the matter on to the prefectural administrator Lord Li and the Investigation Commissioner.

Meanwhile, Gong Xiaohua and others urgently produced penicillin on a large scale, mobilizing almost all unaffected commoners in the county. With division of labor under the leadership of each doctor, endless days and nights were spent making penicillin. Every commoner in the city, whether infected or not, whether an esteemed official or a beggar groveling in dirt, was hoping for, waiting for this.

Nanlong Prefecture

Although the epidemic here was not as severe as Shuangyu County, the streets were still filled with all kinds of bleakness.

"Your Excellency, there is hope, there is hope!" The prefectural administrator, one hand holding the urgent report from Shuangyu County and the other clutching his robe, stumbled into the post station.

"The cure has been found?"

"Yes, Your Excellency. There is an urgent report from Shuangyu County saying the cure has been found, and it's been proven successful. The three medicine trial participants have all recovered. One critically ill and near death has even been saved."

"How wonderful. Heaven blesses Nanlong Prefecture, heaven blesses the Daye people!"

Lord Li could not help but weep at this time. Among his guards who also left for this assignment, two had already died from the epidemic illness.

Several others had also begun exhibiting symptoms to varying degrees. Everyone had already prepared for death.

"Who was it that found the solution?"

"It was that Gong Squad Leader by Your Excellency's side. Your Excellency, this great achievement is worthy of being recorded in history!"

"Yes indeed. He will be the first in history to discover the cure for plague!"

"Immediately dispatch manpower to reinforce Shuangyu County in producing the cure, and announce this news across the whole prefecture."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Standing outside, Xiao Fu and companions saw Lord Li withdraw.

"I knew my master is extremely wise and unmatched." Xiao Fu said.

"If only Xiao Xing and the others could have held on a few days longer." Yu Wei sighed.

These words left the three people outside silent.

"Yes..."

Lord Li's voice came from the room, breaking the three's grief.

Yu Wei composed himself and entered the room with utmost seriousness after tidying his expression, bowing with cupped fists. "Your subordinate is present."

"Quickly pass this letter to the messengers for rushed delivery to the Capital City."

"Yes Your Excellency. Your subordinate will go attend to it immediately."