Chapter 228: Chapter 227: AspirationsThe common citizens were thus won over.


    They started to regret: The Emperor and Empress were so kind, ignoring the dangers, staying in Quanzhou, advancing and retreating together with them; yet they had thought of rebelling, truly deserving of death!


    Some of the citizens even knelt down:


    "Protect Quanzhou!"


    "We are the people of Quanzhou, we must take pride in Quanzhou!"


    "Long live the Emperor! Thousand years to the Empress!"


    ...


    Voices rose and fell.


    Sang Yan, seeing this scene, was overjoyed at heart and quickly said, "Everybody, please get up. The situation now is special, everyone, please stay at home. Taking care of yourselves is protecting Quanzhou."


    "We will follow Lady’s instructions."


    These words were timely arranged by Gao Wenliang for the public to say.


    They were very influential.


    Quickly other citizens responded: "Right, we’ll listen to Lady, let’s all go home!"


    Seeing the citizens dispersing back to their homes, Sang Yan knew this visit had been the right decision.


    Nevertheless, she still admonished, "Mr. Gao, trouble you to patrol more often, note everyone’s needs in time, soothe the public’s heart, until Imperial Doctor Liu and his team develop an antidote."


    "Yes."


    Gao Wenliang smiled in response, and also breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at Sang Yan.


    This Empress had a way of controlling people’s hearts that was truly formidable, no wonder she enchanted the Emperor like that.


    "The Qin Family’s ship has arrived!"


    Someone shouted.


    Sang Yan was also drawn by the voice, looking towards the seaside—


    A huge merchant ship slowly approached.


    On the deck stood a young girl in a blue dress, followed by some maids and servants.


    There were also several large wooden barrels beside them.


    Qin Tangyue?


    Sang Yan recognized the young girl in an instant.


    Wasn’t she the one who expressed her feelings to He Ying during the Chinese Valentine’s Day last time?


    Why would she come at a time like this?


    Noticing Sang Yan’s puzzled look, Gao Wenliang quickly explained, "The Qin Family has always been benevolent; this time Quanzhou encountered such a great crisis, thanks to the Qin Family and several major families in the city for opening their granaries and distributing provisions. Especially Miss Qin, personally involved." Sёar?h the ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So that was it!


    Sang Yan was somewhat taken aback, her eyes fixed on Qin Tangyue: she had thought Qin Tangyue was just a simple and proud young girl—well, a bit naive and love-struck too. She hadn’t expected her to possess such a broad-mindedness. No wonder Qin Tangyue was so popular that night of the Chinese Valentine’s Day.


    Suddenly, her image was much improved.


    Then, Sang Yan reluctantly decided to remove her from the list of love rivals.


    Unlike Sang Yan’s vigilance and guard, the citizens looked at Qin Tangyue with joy.


    They were all from Quanzhou, and the good deeds of the Qin Family over the years were well-known to everyone.


    As the ship docked.


    The Qin Family’s servants began to unload the wooden barrels.


    The citizens who had just been clamoring together now voluntarily lined up, each bringing bowls and containers to receive rice and grains.


    Besides the rice and grains, there were also Mugwort and other herbs that detoxify.


    Qin Tangyue directed everyone busily, the last one to disembark.


    Under everyone’s gaze, she walked to the fence gate and bowed deeply to Sang Yan, "I apologize for my previous rudeness to the Empress, I hope Lady can forgive me."


    Sang Yan raised an eyebrow, "This young lady has quite good eyesight. She’s dressed completely differently today, yet she still recognized me."


    "No harm done. I must also thank Miss Qin for her benevolence and charity."


    Sang Yan smiled at Qin Tangyue, her gaze filled with admiration and approval.


    Qin Tangyue, seeing Sang Yan’s magnanimous demeanor, felt a bitter taste in her heart: it had been many days, and she had been dwelling upon the events of the Chinese Valentine’s Day night, feeling inferior in literary grace and insight, making her feel utterly uncomfortable.


    After much thought, she believed at least her family background was better than hers.


    However, now she knew she was the Empress.


    A world of difference!


    Thinking about how she had tried to compete with the Empress for the Emperor...


    Qin Tangyue felt she was truly seeking her own death.


    "Empress, last time, it was my foolishness, and I ask the Empress and the Emperor to look at the Qin Family’s contributions to Quanzhou and Da He, and spare my family."


    Fearing that Sang Yan might still bear a grudge, she immediately knelt down.


    It was all her fault!


    If it hadn’t been for her stupidity, being incited by others, she wouldn’t have committed such an offensive act.


    Gao Wenliang was completely bewildered: When did the Empress and the Qin Family become related?


    "Please stand up," Sang Yan said, seeing Qin Tangyue’s words and knowing she was a woman who understood the bigger picture and knew when to advance or retreat, which pleased her even more.


    With a smile in her eyes, she helped her up, speaking gently, "Fair ladies appeal to gallant gentlemen. The same holds true when applied to women; you shouldn’t dwell on it."


    Qin Tangyue, hearing the relaxed tone of Sang Yan, finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    She stood up from the floor, her lips quivering as if she had something to say.


    "What is it?" Sang Yan noticed something amiss and asked softly.


    "I have something to report."


    Qin Tangyue furrowed her brows, her expression growing serious, "These past days, while bringing the servants to deliver grain via the waterway, I initially felt nothing odd, but recently... something seemed off. Empress, please come and see with me—"


    Upon hearing this, Sang Yan tensed up, glancing unconsciously at Gao Wenliang: It had been a long time, and they still hadn’t found the source of He Hongzhao’s poisoning. Perhaps this time, they might make a breakthrough.


    Gao Wenliang, catching Sang Yan’s glance, also followed their steps.


    Qin Tangyue led them for a good while until they reached the seaside, where she spoke gravely, "Recently, dock fishermen suddenly suffered from diarrhea. When they work, they drink seawater that has been boiled and filtered into fresh water. I guess these peculiar diseases might be due to water issues, so I’ve paid extra attention to the water source these past days..."


    "The water source has been checked by my people, and there’s no issue," Gao Wenliang, afraid that Sang Yan might think he was neglecting his duties, quickly explained, "On the first day, I ordered a check on all water sources inside Quanzhou City, and no problems were found."


    "That’s not right." Qin Tangyue pursed her lips and shook her head.


    Sang Yan looked at her, understanding her point, "Perhaps at the outset, the illness was spreading from the water source, but Quanzhou is by the sea. Even with numerous toxins, over such a long period, they would have been diluted. Unless... it is being spread through other means now."


    "That’s exactly what I mean!" Qin Tangyue, excited, looked at Sang Yan, her cheeks flushed, pointing towards the stone steps near the pier.


    The steps were messily covered with several pieces of cloth, which bore brown stains.


    With just a glance, Sang Yan recognized them—those were dried bloodstains.


    Qin Tangyue continued, "Empress, look there. Nowadays, the patients are coughing up blood. The locals here are poor, so even if their clothes get bloodstained, they can hardly bear to throw them away, and they secretly wash them at night. If they can’t clean them properly, fearing the soldiers might find out and take them away, they just throw them away. Here, unlike the markets, there isn’t daily cleaning; often one household throws something out and another picks it up. There are those who cough up blood and spit everywhere... it’s commonplace..."


    They could donate grains, release grain stocks, but couldn’t solve the underlying problem.


    The fishermen were overwhelmingly poor; how could they possibly worry about personal hygiene?


    It was poverty, too, that made them reluctant to discard their clothes.


    Coughing blood...


    Sang Yan looked at the bloodstains on the cloth, her eyebrows furrowing: could it be the blood? It seemed that it was only after the patients began coughing blood that the disease spiraled out of control.


    With this thought, she urgently instructed, "Mr. Gao, quickly go see if anyone else is coughing up blood, and send their spat-out blood to Imperial Doctor Liu!"