Crown Prince Qin Zhao insisted on going. Zhao Jingxing and Cheng Fang could not dissuade him.
They had no choice but to take him there.
The disaster relief camp was located a short distance from the military camp, intended to prevent the spread of epidemics.
Now, with the matter of the miracle pill causing a stir, many soldiers could not help but come to see for themselves.
They crowded tightly around Liu Ji’s family.
Liu Ji had already awakened. He was now sitting up against a tree trunk, and his mother was feeding him rice porridge.
This porridge had been made by his sister, using the rice she brought, cooked with water.
The villagers watching saw the thick rice porridge bubbling in the pot and smelled the fragrant aroma of rice in the air, swallowing their saliva involuntarily.
Even in bountiful years, farmers toiling in the fields could rarely eat refined rice more than a few times a year.
Now, with disaster striking, the rice paddies in the fields had been washed away, and the harvest was completely lost.
In the coming year, they would be grateful just to have coarse grains to eat.
They dared not even imagine being able to eat porridge made from refined rice under such circumstances!
Even soldiers in the army merely ate enough to fill their stomachs each meal. White rice and flour were only available during festivals and holidays.
Thus, at this moment, the pot of refined rice porridge was even more eye-catching than the miracle pill.
“His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived! Make way!” Cheng Fang shouted sharply.
Led by Zhao Jingxing, a large crowd quickly escorted the Crown Prince to the villager who had been revived from death.
Upon suddenly hearing of the Crown Prince’s arrival, the people were frightened and immediately made way.
They knelt down in neat rows.
“Rise, all of you! Which one is Liu Ji?”
Even after being told to rise, none of the villagers dared to stand.
“Your Highness, this is Liu Ji.”
The military physician immediately stepped forward, pointing to Liu Ji, who was resting against the tree trunk, his face pale.
The Crown Prince took a few steps forward, carefully observing Liu Ji’s condition. His complexion was sallow, his lips dry and cracked, and his eyes sunken—truly like someone who had just recovered from a serious illness.
A wooden bowl containing half a bowl of rice porridge lay at his feet.
It seemed what was said was true.
He then asked, “Which one is Liu Ji’s sister?”
Liu Ji’s mother had just been rejoicing over her son’s recovery when she suddenly saw everyone around her prostrating themselves, hearing that the Crown Prince had arrived!
In her lifetime, she had never even seen the county magistrate. The first official she encountered was such a high-ranking figure!
She trembled as she knelt on the ground, not daring to lift her head.
Suddenly called upon, Zhang Dani trembled and moved forward on her knees.
“…Your… Your Highness… this humble woman, Zhao née Liu…”
“Sister, rise,” Qin Zhao said gently. “I just have a few questions for you. Please answer them truthfully.”
A military physician nearby stepped forward to help her up.
“Yes, this humble woman… will speak… without holding anything back!”
“What medicine did you give Liu Ji?”
He already understood the whole story, so he went straight to the point.
“…It was… a kind shopkeeper… who gave me fever-reducing medicine. She gave me three pills… said this medicine had miraculous effects, to be taken with water… and the fever would break within half an hour. This humble woman… gave one pill to my younger brother…”
She spoke hesitantly, unsure if this might cause trouble for the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper had exchanged many provisions for her and saved her brother’s life—she was a kind-hearted and virtuous person. She did not want to bring harm to the shopkeeper because of this.
“Oh, so you still have two of these fever-reducing pills?”
“Yes… the shopkeeper said that if the high fever recurs, wait two hours… before taking another pill…”
“Could you take them out and let me see?”
She trembled as she took out the pills, carefully wrapped in silk cloth, from her bosom, and handed them over.
Cheng Fang stepped forward to receive them.
He unwrapped the silk cloth to reveal another layer of snow-white, thin paper inside.
Opening the paper, there lay two small white, round pills, about the size of beans.
Qin Zhao leaned in for a closer look.
The two pills were extremely small and emitted a medicinal fragrance.
Zhao Jingxing spoke up, “I examined them earlier. Their appearance alone doesn’t reveal much.”
The Crown Prince asked, “What does the military physician say?”
“The military physician also said he has never seen this kind of medicine. The pills are too small to determine what medicinal ingredients were used.”
Such small pills, yet with such miraculous effects!
No wonder the villagers called them “miracle pills.”
Zhao Jingxing had never believed in gods or spirits, but having witnessed it firsthand, he could no longer deny it.
The Crown Prince then asked,
“Besides the pills, did the shopkeeper give you anything else?”
“…Yes… also a large bag of food. This humble woman will fetch it now!”
Dashan’s mother hurried back to the tent, anxious not to keep the Crown Prince waiting.
She brought out the entire red plastic bag.
A restrained stir rippled through the crowd.
Everyone stared at the large bag of biscuits and pastries, swallowing their saliva!
Those standing close could even smell the sweet fragrance wafting from the bag!
Which disaster victim, under relief circumstances, could possibly have such a large bag of pastries and polished rice? It was simply unbelievable!
As soon as they saw the red plastic bag, Cheng Fang and Zhao Jingxing couldn’t help but widen their eyes!
If it was just a coincidence, the sight of the honey buns inside the red bag revealed the answer!
“This is…”
Cheng Fang and Zhao Jingxing exchanged a glance and held back what they were about to say.
Astute as the Crown Prince was, he naturally understood what they meant.
He had just eaten those honey buns…
Zhao Jingxing confirmed again, “Is the store called Auspicious Grocery Store?”
Dashan’s mother was startled but could only answer truthfully, “…Yes.”
The final doubt settled like dust.
Zhao Jingxing said, “It seems I must visit this Auspicious Grocery Store!”
The Crown Prince fell into deep thought. The efficacy of the Yunnan Baiyao spray he carried had already amazed him.
Now, there was this medicine that could “bring the dead back to life” and rapidly reduce fever.
…If such things could be used in the military, it could greatly reduce soldier casualties!
He had previously calculated that among the Great Yu Dynasty’s fallen soldiers, not all died directly from enemy blades. More often, they perished due to untimely treatment and the lack of effective medicine after being wounded!
And this proportion was as high as one-fifth!
These were all flesh-and-blood citizens. Every time he thought of this, it pained him deeply!
Upon hearing this, Dashan’s mother immediately knelt and kowtowed. “…Your Highness… General, it was this humble woman who could not bear to see her younger brother die of illness… that she begged the shopkeeper for the miracle medicine! The shopkeeper was kind-hearted, pitying my family’s disaster, and gave me so much food… It is not the shopkeeper’s fault! If there is any blame, this humble woman is willing to bear it alone! Please, Your Highness, do not hold it against the shopkeeper!”
Cheng Fang directed a soldier to help her up and returned the pills to her.
“We are not going to trouble the shopkeeper. Do not worry.”
Dashan’s mother stood there, unsure what to do.
But the Crown Prince and his entourage had already left.
Only then did the kneeling crowd struggle to stand up, as if released from a spell.
At that moment, an elderly white-haired woman pushed through the crowd, staggering and rushing to Zhao née Liu, who was still in shock.
Her thin, bony hands grasped Dashan’s mother’s hands, tears welling in her eyes.
“Daniu, my grandson is also running a high fever that won’t break. Could you spare one of your miracle pills… I have no money, but I can exchange anything, even give you my life! Please, I beg you, spare one pill…”
“Thud!” “Thud!” “Thud!”
In an instant, like falling dominoes, the disaster victims around them who had family members with high fevers—one, two, three… figures knelt one after another in the mud!
“Please, spare a miracle pill to save a life!”
“Sister-in-law Zhao! Have mercy! Save my child!”
“I will kowtow to you! I’ll serve you as an ox or horse for life! Please, spare one pill!”