Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress novel Chapter 1515

Chapter 1515: Chapter 1510: The Foundation of the Nation

"Doctor Hong, you are getting on in years. You must not disregard your health. With Grandfather gone... you are our elder among us siblings; it is your duty to watch over us on behalf of Grandfather. How could you leave us to go to the Yan Kingdom and risk any mishap? Eldest Young Lady and I would have no way to answer to our family elders!" Bai Qingjue calmed Doctor Hong into sitting down and signaled Yingshuang to bring him a cup of tea. "Yingshuang, chrysanthemum tea to clear the heat and reduce the fire!"

"Ah... Seventh Young Master!" Doctor Hong was forced to sit by Bai Qingjue and simply turned to Bai Qingyan, saying, "Eldest Young Lady, the Bai family is composed of generals, so when the nation faces warfare, Bai family scions must lead by example! As for me, as a doctor, when the nation faces an epidemic, I ought to take the lead. How is it that the young ladies and gentlemen can come to this battleground, yet I cannot go to the disease-stricken region? What logic is this? What reasoning is this?"

Doctor Hong was eager, for indeed... the sooner he could interact with patients, the sooner he could develop a remedy against this epidemic.

After a moment of silence, Bai Qingyan spoke, "If that is the case, then let me accompany Doctor Hong!"

"Eldest Young Lady?!" Bai Jinzhi’s eyes widened, "How can you go! What if... no, it’s impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"Exactly, Eldest Young Lady, the Empress Dowager of the Yan Kingdom is insane. If Eldest Young Lady goes to the Yan lands ceded to Zhou, wouldn’t that be dangerous!" Bai Jinse also disagreed.

"Indeed! Eldest Young Lady is a monarch, the foundation of the nation! How can she risk herself like an old man like me!" Doctor Hong also disagreed.

"Before I came to see you, I reviewed the report sent from Shen Tianzhi’s side. The epidemic in the Yan Kingdom is severe; Shen Tianzhi chose to seal the city, but there’s a shortage of medicinal materials that cannot be replenished, the people’s hearts are unstable, and a civil unrest may be unavoidable." Bai Qingyan stared steadily at Doctor Hong, "Doctor Hong, you say you are a doctor... When there’s an epidemic, you should take the lead. But I am also a monarch; those are my Zhou people, and as their emperor, wherever there’s a disaster or difficulty, I ought to share in the people’s hardships! I have faith in your medical skills, so we shall go together!"

Though the city in the Yan Kingdom, now part of Zhou, was plagued by the epidemic, Bai Qingyan saw it as an opportunity to win the hearts of Yan country’s people.

Bai Qingyan was confident that after this gamble, Zhou would emerge victorious, and when the two nations eventually merge into one, if the hearts of the people remain in Yan and they cause disturbances, would we need to dispatch troops each time to suppress them?

Bai Qingyan considered it a poor strategy.

The best strategy is to prevent problems from the beginning and seize the opportunity posed by this natural disaster to win people’s hearts.

Furthermore, now that Shen Tianzhi is sending patients to the treatment center and the city gates are locked, the people’s hearts are restless. They fear that the official government will seal them in the city, and if the epidemic cannot be controlled, they might be killed. After all... there are ancient examples of this, and it’s no wonder the people would resist so fiercely. Plus, if some individuals were to incite the populace, it’s no surprise there would be unrest.

But if Bai Qingyan, the Emperor of Zhou, is willing to be with the people, the people ought to be much more at ease.

"I understand Eldest Young Lady’s intention; now that the city is sealed, the people’s hearts are restless. Eldest Young Lady intends to go to stabilize the people’s hearts." Bai Jinzhi clenched her fists, "If that’s the case, why shouldn’t I go? I am Eldest Young Lady’s sister and Zhou’s Gaoyi Princess; I can go instead!"

"Since it is decided, let’s not delay. Doctor Hong, prepare a list of medicinal herbs needed, and you, Ah Jue, Xiaosi, start gathering medicinal herbs immediately! Then, Xiaosi, Seventh Young Master, and Cheng Yuanzhi will accompany the Princess of Hancheng to bury the King of Hancheng in the Imperial Mausoleum, and afterward, set off with the army back to Dadu City, bringing half of Dongyi Kingdom’s compensation, telling your Third Brother, Commandant Lu, and Wei Bugong that the entire half will be used to prevent this epidemic from spreading into Zhou!"

"Yes! Seventh Young Master accepts the command!" Bai Jinse straightened his back and responded.

"I will return to prepare the list now!" Doctor Hong rose and, after a deep bow to Bai Qingyan, went to the side room to write his list of needed medicinal materials.

Bai Qingyan nodded.

"I will inform General Cheng about this, to make arrangements to return to Dadu City; however..." Bai Qingjue looked up at Bai Qingyan, "this time Eldest Young Lady goes to the Yan Kingdom only with the Anping Army, not the Bai family’s forces?"

Bai Qingyan hadn’t mentioned Liu Pinggao, yet Bai Qingjue knew that her Eldest Young Lady intended to take Liu Pinggao and the Zhou’s Anping Army to the Yan lands.

"They say, the Bai family’s forces are our Bai family’s lineal kin. Wherever I, as Emperor, go, I naturally take the Bai family’s army. This time... I take the Anping Army, intending to demonstrate to the soldiers that in my eyes, they are all the same; all Zhou soldiers are lineal kin!" Bai Qingyan pressed her fingers on the desk, pondered, and then said, "You needn’t rush to report to General Cheng, gather the commanders together, and let them choose whether to follow me to the Yan Kingdom. If Liu Pinggao and Cheng Yuanzhi choose, as you suspect, to follow, then convey my words to them."