Chapter 507
~ MAY THE DEAD REST IN PEACE ~
After Yu Wang hastily met with Yue Wang and Mu Yunyao, he quickly rushed back to Linjiang City.
With the assistance of the garrison army of Huai’an City, the flood of water in Yishui City had receded by more than half. Finally, they could enter the city to check out the situation.
Mu Yunyao prepared a lot of medicine ingredients beforehand. While waiting, she carefully made all kinds of pills and gave one to everyone who entered Yishui City, “Although there’s only one pill, it can protect your life during critical moments. I hope you will treat it with caution.”
The soldiers that received the pills were surprised. Although they didn’t know how effective the medicine pills were right now, Mu Yunyao’s cautious and considerate attitude of thinking about them made everyone feel very useful.
Before entering Yishui City, Mu Yunyao had already made many preparations in her heart, but upon seeing the situation within the city, she couldn’t help but turn deathly pale.
Upon seeing the situation in the city, many soldiers vomited with pale faces. Although they had never entered a battlefield before, they had seen blood before. However, when they saw the hell-like scene inside the city, they could not help but feel a wave of uncontrollable nausea in their chests.
Yue Wang, who stood next to Mu Yunyao, felt the sadness in her expression and firmly shook her hand.
Mu Yunyao turned her head and shook it, “I’m fine.”
It was not that she and Yue Wang had not thought of entering Yishui City earlier to see if there were any survivors. However, the number of people she had brought with her was too limited. In addition, Yishui City was full of floods and silt, so people didn’t even have a place to get off their feet, so they had to give up for the time being.
The troopers all had tools to clean up the streets in their hands. After covering their mouths and noses with clothes towels, they all began to clear up the roads in the city silently.
The two rivers poured into Yishui City and submerged the entire city. The flood had retreated at this time, and many people and beasts’ corpses were stranded on the streets. The sky had gotten hot now. After many days, the remains had begun to rot and emit a terrible stench. The stench made one want to puke out all the overnight meals.
Yue Wang clenched his teeth tightly. His eyes were cold and filled with killing intent: “I should really let those people come and see just what kind of evil they have done!”
Mu Yunyao was expressionless, but there were bursts of unspeakable sorrow and anger in her heart. If this was really a natural disaster, then it could be attributed to the cruelty of the heavens, but it was a man-made disaster. The citizens of Yishui City could clearly be alive and well, living a peaceful life. However, because of the people above who fight for power and profit, they destroy everything.
Yu Heng reported, “Master, the tung oil and firewood are ready.”
Yue Wang retracted his gaze and suppressed his anger and grief: “Prepare to clear out the corpses in the city.”
“Yes.”
Corpses were cleaned up and piled up in an empty space in the city, surrounded by firewood sprinkled with tung oil.
Yu Heng wanted to step forward, but he was stopped by Yue Wang. He took the torch from Yu Heng’s hands and walked step by step with a solemn expression. After pausing for a moment, he bent down and lit the firewood.
Mu Yunyao looked at Yue Wang’s tense back as her eyes reddened slightly. She didn’t care about the mud on the ground and took two steps forward before kneeling down. She clasped her hands and began to recite a Buddhist scripture.
The troopers and commoners behind saw this scene. They didn’t know why, but they felt uncomfortable, as though there was a lump in their throat. They couldn’t help but follow Mu Yunyao and kneel down.
A large amount of black smoke rose into the sky, carrying the peculiar stench of corpses. The smell was very unpleasant, but no one left.
Mu Yunyao clasped her hands together, chanting Buddhist scriptures. The crackling sounds of burning firewood and corpses weren’t loud, but they seemed to be able to attract a person’s attention. After Mu Yunyao finished reciting the Bodhisattva Sutra’s last sentence, she slowly opened her eyes and looked at the raging flames. She bowed down and saluted solemnly, “May the dead rest in peace.”
When the troopers behind him heard this, they could not help but follow him and read out, “May the dead rest in peace!”
“May the dead rest in peace!”
The voice grew louder and louder. Yue Wang stood next to Mu Yunyao and bowed with her, “May the dead rest in peace.”
This hatred was created by the Imperial Family, and it had to be repaid with the imperial blood. He would definitely make Ling Wang and Jin Wang pay the price. Waiting for the fire to extinguish, Yue Wang brought the troopers to collect the ashes and buried them together in a tomb dug ahead of time at the side of the mountain range. There was a stone tablet in front of the grave, but with no words on it yet. After the Yishui City was cleaned up, he will find a way to find the official household registration documents, so the names of the suffering people in the city may be inscribed on them.
It would take more than ten days to clean out Yishui City entirely. For the next few days, every time the corpses of the dead were burned, Yue Wang would personally do it. Mu Yunyao would also kneel down and recite a Buddhist scripture. The troopers would also salute in tacit understanding before repeating the last sentence, “May the dead rest in peace.” After reading this sentence, the pain and sorrow in their heart seemed to have lessened, as if it wasn’t enough to crush the hearts of others completely.
On the third day of cleaning up, the Imperial Physicians rushed to the city one after another. There were already symptoms of plague among the soldiers and commoners. The first victim who died of the plague also appeared in the isolated tent.
Many Imperial Physicians had initially been resistant, but after seeing the situation in Yishui City and hearing the asking for the dead to rest in peace, their expressions couldn’t help but turn solemn and begin to treat the victims attentively.
At the same time, the people of Guancheng in the lower reaches of Yishui City were already starting to make trouble. While officials sent people to appease the people’s emotions, they also rushed to deliver a letter to the Capital.
When the Emperor saw the folded paper, his slightly reddened eyes slowly turned serious, “There are also people in Guancheng who are infected with the plague....”
The officials who heard of this news went to the Palace to seek an audience. They hoped that the Emperor would close Yishui City for the sake of more people and kill all the people in the city.
The Emperor didn’t pay attention to these words. The officials all sat quietly at the Palace entrance, kneeling and begging the Emperor to order Yishui City to be closed. If the Emperor disagreed, they would kneel and not get up for a long time.
Inside the Grand Princess Mansion, Qu Mama reported the matter at the Palace entrance to Grand Princess Yi De.
After hearing this, Grand Princess Yi De couldn’t help but sneer. “Even at this time, Jin Wang still hasn’t given up yet. I didn’t realize before that he had this kind of personality.”
Qu Mama lowered her hands to the side, not daring to speak.
“Junyu should be back soon, right?”
“Yes, they’ve already sent a message, and they’ll definitely be able to return to the Capital tomorrow at noon at the least.”
“When the Emperor ascended the throne, I swore before the tombstones of my Imperial Father and Mother that I would never interfere in the affairs of the Dali Dynasty again. Therefore, Jin Wang’s matter left it for the Emperor to deal with himself. Have the people from the Imperial Harem take action to suppress Imperial Concubine Zhen!”
Qu Mama respectfully acknowledged, “Yes.”
The Emperor had always pitied Imperial Concubine Zen for her humble origin, which was why he had been praising her in the Imperial Harem. But after so many years, no matter how humble her background, she had already developed her influence with the Emperor’s intentional praise. Jin Wang has won many good reputations smoothly and profitably because of Imperial Concubine Zen’s influence, so her contribution is not small. However, from now on, Imperial Concubine Zen is really from humble origins.