Chapter Twenty-Three: A Grim Situation

Taiyang County.
County seat.
Liang Jin sat in a small sedan chair as it made its way into the county town.
Zhang You and a group of soldiers surrounded the sedan on the road, ostensibly for protection, but in truth to prevent Liang Jin from escaping.
By the time the group arrived at the city gate, dawn was just breaking.
The city gate opened slowly.
The procession entered through the gate.
Liang Jin slightly lifted the curtain of the sedan, observing the scene within the county town.
What he saw was bleak and desolate.
The streets were empty.
There was no sign of the usual early risers, nor even a single breakfast vendor.
All shops had their doors tightly shut.
Fallen leaves littered the ground, drifting aimlessly in the cold wind.
Occasionally, a few cloth-masked corpse collectors pushed wheelbarrows laden with bodies.
Large flocks of crows cawed incessantly from tree branches and rooftops, sometimes gathering and taking flight like a dark cloud.
It was clear that although the county town had been sealed off for a long time, the plague still raged within.
Suddenly,
a passerby with a face covered in pustules gazed intently at Liang Jin’s sedan.
The yellow wood of the sedan, the yellow headscarves of the bearers, and the yellow banner emblazoned with the characters for “Peace” caught his attention.
“May I ask… are you the Great Virtuous Master of the Way of Peace?”
The passerby hurriedly caught up and asked.
Liang Jin had not expected that the name of the Way of Peace would have spread even into the county town.
As the man approached, a soldier roughly shoved him aside.
The man tumbled in the dirt, smearing himself with earth.
Still, he quickly rose and chased after the sedan, pleading,
“Great Virtuous Master, please grant us talisman water, save my entire family!”
The man kept advancing but was repeatedly pushed back by soldiers.
His desperate cries, however, had already stirred more people.
From windows and doors, many townsfolk peeked out, and upon seeing the yellow sedan, their pustule-ridden faces lit up with hope.
Suddenly, a large crowd surged from various streets, gathering around the sedan, shouting,
“Great Virtuous Master, please save us, save Taiyang County!”
“We’ve heard you can cure diseases with your talisman water, and that you’ve already healed many—please heal us too!”
“Our family of twelve has lost all but me and two children; please have mercy and give us some talisman water!”
…
Their cries spread rapidly.
This drew even more townsfolk, blocking the streets so tightly that no one could pass.
The sedan and soldiers were surrounded, unable to move forward.
The county captain, mounted on horseback, cracked his whip at the approaching crowd, shouting angrily,
“Get back! Everyone, clear out!”
“Whoever dares block the way, I’ll throw you into the jail!”
The soldiers attempted to violently disperse the crowd to clear a path.
But no one expected that these people had gone mad.
Though they usually feared soldiers like tigers, now they surged forward without hesitation.
Zhang You shouted hoarsely, trying to announce the new decree issued by the county magistrate.
However, his voice was drowned out by the desperate pleas of the people.
The scene descended into utter chaos.
…
In the distance,
Lu Tianxing and Xu Gui also arrived at the county town.
They stared blankly at the blocked road and the crowd madly surrounding the sedan and soldiers.
“Madness. These people have truly gone mad!”
“In years of great disaster, it is these charlatans who stir up the people’s minds and drive them to frenzy!”
“Fortunately, we chose to betray the Way of Peace; otherwise, we’d be implicated for sure.”
Lu Tianxing felt a chill in his heart and sighed.
Xu Gui said,
“These fools are just stupid. The genuine medicine transported from the prefecture office to the county yamen will soon be distributed; their sickness will be cured quickly.”
“To believe in some charlatan playing god at this moment—what else is that but foolishness?”
Xu Gui believed that only he and Lu Tianxing remained clear-headed within the Way of Peace.
The foolish were destined to be mocked for life.
At that moment,
a passerby overheard Xu Gui’s words and mockingly retorted,
“Medicine to cure the plague? Don’t lie!”
“If there really was medicine sent from the prefecture to us, do you think I wouldn’t know?”
“You’re just dreaming!”
The man laughed and then ran toward the dense crowd, joining those pleading for talisman water.
Lu Tianxing and Xu Gui both felt awkward at the mockery.
Yet the man’s words also stirred a flicker of doubt in their minds.
No medicine?
Impossible!
It was a promise from the county magistrate, personally guaranteed by Master Zhang.
Thinking this through, they felt some relief.
Indeed, in matters of disaster relief, how could ordinary folk know the truth?
Ignorant people love to mock the wise.
…
On this side, the soldiers were trapped by the crowd, at a loss for what to do.
They had beaten and cursed the townsfolk, even drawing swords to wound two.
In the past, the people would have scattered in fear.
But today, strangely, they refused to disperse.
Moreover, more people kept pouring in, making the situation worse.
The soldiers were nearly losing their footing from the crush.
If this continued, even a slight disturbance could provoke a serious incident!
Wiping sweat from his brow, Zhang You approached the sedan and said,
“Great Virtuous Master, perhaps you should come out and calm the people?”
“If this keeps up and something happens, we won’t be able to bear the responsibility.”
“Just come out and tell everyone that the county magistrate will soon find a way to treat the plague, so they should all return home.”
At this point, Zhang You could only appeal to Liang Jin for help.
Hearing this, the sedan curtain was lifted.
Liang Jin finally stepped out.
At his appearance, the crowd erupted in exclamations.
A great number of townsfolk knelt down, worshipping Liang Jin with deep reverence.
This scene caused Zhang You and the distant Lu Tianxing and Xu Gui to shake their heads repeatedly.
Liang Jin surveyed the crowd and raised his hand:
“Stand up!”
“People under the Heavenly Mandate, you shall stand. No kneeling!”
The townsfolk hesitated but slowly rose.
Liang Jin continued,
“The talisman water bestowed by Heaven can indeed cure the plague.”
“Go to the yamen gate, set up large pots to boil water, and prepare yellow paper and cinnabar.”
“First, I will enter the yamen to meet with the county magistrate; upon my return, I will pray to Heaven to grant talisman water to heal you all.”
The crowd cheered.
Liang Jin stepped forward, heading toward the yamen.
Miao Yuanzheng hurried after him.
The townsfolk beat drums and gongs, joyfully escorting Liang Jin toward the yamen.
Zhang You looked anxious and said,
“This fellow—why doesn’t he speak for himself?”
“He’s gathered all these people at the yamen gate; is he trying to pressure the yamen?”
Sensing the gravity of the situation, Zhang You turned to the county captain and said,
“County Captain, please summon all the clerks and mobilize the city guards to the yamen.”
“Otherwise, I fear these unruly people might storm the yamen.”
The county captain, sensing urgency, quickly spurred his horse away.
Zhang You led the remaining men in pursuit of Liang Jin, fearful he might slip away amid the crowd.