Seeking Truth with a Sword-Chapter 552 - 495 Romance

Chapter 552: Chapter 495 Romance
The call from the Nearby Worm was inexplicably strange.
Li Ang, citing the need to maintain public order within the city, instructed the members of the Supervision Department to remain vigilant. He himself secretly dispatched an Ink Silk Clone to keep watch overnight at Yuan’an Square and the surrounding workshops, paying close attention to the large willow tree mentioned in the call.
At Chenzheng hour, a beggar dressed in tattered clothes, carrying a roasted pancake wrapped in oil paper in one hand and clutching a square package in the other, staggered to the base of the large willow tree and casually threw the package into the hollow of the tree.
...Was it delivered by an ordinary person?
From the Governor Mansion, Li Ang frowned slightly. He ordered the human-formed Ink Silk Clone to go out, stop the beggar, and offer him fifty cents to ask who had instructed him to do so.
The answer did not surprise Li Ang.
Last night, the beggar, who had been lying under a bridge, was abruptly awakened by two sturdy men wearing masks.
They gave the beggar a string of coins and a package, instructing him to deliver it to the large willow tree in Yuan’an Square at this time today.
If the beggar failed to comply or opened the package prematurely, they warned, they would come to settle the account.
Li Ang pondered for a moment, then had the Ink Silk Clone ask, "...Those two sturdy men, did they have any distinctive features? Such as their hair, tattoos, or scars?"
"I couldn’t see clearly," the beggar shook his head. "It was too dark, and they spoke oddly, not like people from Yu Country."
"I see." Li Ang was somewhat disappointed; the information was too scarce to make any deductions. He carelessly handed the fifty cents to the beggar and waved him away. Unexpectedly, the beggar remained standing there, his face full of ingratiating flattery.
The Ink Silk Clone furrowed its brows. "Anything else?"
The beggar said ingratiatingly, "Those men mentioned that if someone stopped me after I delivered the package, I should ask them for ten more strings of coins as a final payment."
"Huh." Li Ang chuckled. He pulled out a gold block from his pocket and, in the beggar’s wide-eyed gaze, pinched off a small piece of gold grain and casually tossed it to him.
The beggar bit into his roasted pancake, caught the small piece of gold, nodded and bowed with profuse thanks, and hurried away.
While Li Ang had other Ink Silk Clones secretly follow the beggar to continue surveillance, he controlled the first Ink Silk Clone to walk toward the willow tree and retrieve the package from the hollow.
The package felt quite heavy, and rattling sounds could be heard from within when shaken.
Li Ang directed the Ink Silk Clone to take the package to a secluded, uninhabited place. Opening it revealed a wooden box sealed with a paper strip.
He tore off the seal and opened the wooden box, which contained a book.
"Plague Demon Talisman Atlas"?
Li Ang raised his eyebrows in surprise. The book had a plain binding and lacked author information or a publication date; it appeared to be privately printed.
Its contents detailed the origin and development of Plague Demon Talismans, the different talismans corresponding to various diseases, and how to counteract them with the appropriate counter-talisman.
The more he flipped through it, the more the Ink Silk Clone’s brows furrowed.
He had previously contacted the Academic Palace through the Nearby Worm and confirmed that even the Academic Palace did not possess such detailed information on Plague Demon Talismans.
Especially the sections on the Plague Demon Talisman for bubonic plague; they seemed as though written by the inventor himself.
The Wang Family claims that the Plague Demon Talisman was invented by Situ Zhi of Zhao Ming before his arrest and was later sent here by Yu Shi, a Disciple of the current Situ Zhi. This book is so detailed, it must have been written by Situ Zhi himself. Combining this with the conversation from yesterday’s Nearby Worm communication, could this book have been sent by the forces that kidnapped Situ Zhi? But for what purpose? With this book, the next time Zhao Ming causes trouble using Plague Demon Talismans, Yu Country will at least have a means of counteraction...
The Ink Silk Clone rubbed its chin. Unable to figure out the reason, it could only put away the book and burrow underground.
「Eighteen days later,」
With the second batch of plague patients cured by streptomycin leaving the quarantine sick houses, Taiyuan Prefecture finally relaxed its city lockdown and restored traffic with other State Mansions.
Various sick houses, using the Streptomycetes spores sent by Li Ang, diligently produced streptomycin. It was believed that this time the plague would soon be completely over.
Having completed his mission, Li Ang, along with Li Leqing, Qiu Feng, and others, took a vehicle back to Chang’an to be received by the Emperor and accept their rewards.
All those who had contributed during the plague epidemic were rewarded according to their efforts, whether by ennoblement, gifts, or promotions.
The families and loved ones of all the medical staff, soldiers, and Government Officials who unfortunately died or were injured would receive subsidies from the government for the next seventy years.
A large portion of this money came from the Taiyuan Wang Family’s compensation.
Li Ang would personally oversee this fund, ensuring it reached each family to prevent any corruption or embezzlement.
As for the Taiyuan Prefecture Governor, it was true that he had worked hard, but it was also true that he had been powerless against the corruption in the Taiyuan Government.
Considering that Li Leqing had almost died of the plague in the Governor Mansion, an enraged Emperor Yu immediately demoted the governor, sending him to a lesser county to "endure hardship and reflect."
How long he would remain there depended entirely on Emperor Yu’s mood.
Once the rewards and punishments were settled, Li Ang found an opportunity to hand over the "Plague Demon Talisman Atlas" to Chen Danqiu, the Academic Palace Sacrificial Official.
He also shared his suspicions.
Chen Danqiu was puzzled by the sudden emergence of this third-party force. After contemplating for a long time, he instructed Li Ang to act as if nothing had happened.
He said he would have the Academic Palace Doctors secretly study the "Plague Demon Talisman Atlas" to guard against future attacks from Zhao Ming, and would also have the Supervision Department Cultivators investigate Situ Zhi’s whereabouts.
As for Li Ang himself, he happily took a carriage back to his Golden City Mansion, pushed open the main gate with one palm, and shouted, "I’m back!"
"Young Master!" Chai Chai, who was sitting in the main hall writing something, excitedly jumped up. She dashed over, leaped into Li Ang’s arms, and then immediately reached for the parcel on his back.
"Could you not start pawing at things right away?" Li Ang rolled his eyes but still opened the parcel. He pulled out the local specialties he had brought back from Taiyuan Prefecture: various wheaten foods, pastries, and the like.
"There are also two bags of mutton in the parcel, frozen with Liliang Talismans. Put them in the icebox later."
Li Ang said casually as he walked into the main hall. His eyes caught sight of a stack of papers Chai Chai had left on the table.
Hmm? What’s this?
He glanced at them, only to see it was a romance novel. The heroine was named "Li Yingshang"...
"WAAAAH! Don’t read it!" Chai Chai, who was picking through the pastries, noticed Li Ang’s actions. Panicked and flustered, she shrieked and rushed over, trying to cover Li Ang’s eyes with her palms.
But it was too late. Li Ang’s eyes had already scanned ten lines at a glance, and he had involuntarily read half the page.
This "Li Yingshang" was of noble birth and stunningly beautiful; everyone who saw her would involuntarily fall at her feet.
And according to the half-finished text on the paper, Chai Chai herself had actually written it.