Why My Domineering Prince Regretted Filing for Divorce?-Chapter 661 - 527: Generous Rewards

Yan Shaoxuan glanced at Yu Wenye in front of him, then at Yu Wenquan not far behind, who was still instructing a few ministers. He pondered for a moment and finally took a deep breath, saying, "Very well."

"..."

"I’ll go back now to give the order to release the Minister of Rites."

"..."

"And please do not forget that ’handwritten order’, Great General."

"Of course,"

Yu Wenye nodded and said, "Thank you, Lord Yan."

Shang Ruyi was also overjoyed and hurriedly expressed her gratitude. Yan Shaoxuan did not linger either but bid farewell with a cupped fist salute and quickly turned to leave, clearly to handle matters.

Until his figure also disappeared ahead, Shang Ruyi finally let out a sigh of relief. She immediately turned around and said to Yu Wenye, "Thank you!"

Yu Wenye glared at her.

Shang Ruyi also realized there was indeed no need to say that word between them. Saying it would not only feel formal but also unpleasant, so she just smiled at him again.

It was Yu Wenye who looked at her and suddenly said, "What did you want to ask me just now?"

"Uh?"

Shang Ruyi was taken aback, then tried to remember, but before she could speak, she suddenly felt a bit flushed, instinctively shaking her head, "No, it’s nothing."

Yu Wenye frowned.

Just as he was about to ask again, another deep voice suddenly interrupted. Turning his head, he saw that Yu Wenquan had already led the other officials to the entrance of Taiji Palace, saying solemnly, "From today onwards, while sealing the inner palace, also seal Taiji Palace and the adjacent Qianhua Gate and Wude Gate. No one is allowed to enter the inner palace to avoid affecting Your Majesty and the Eldest Princess."

Everyone immediately responded, "Yes!"

Thus, everyone followed him as they exited Taiji Palace. Immediately, the heavy doors were slowly pushed shut by several little eunuchs, making a deafening roar.

And above them, the thick black clouds were drawing nearer with thunder.

At this moment, someone else asked, "Then, may I ask the Grand Chancellor, how should we handle affairs in the coming days?"

Yu Wenquan thought for a moment and immediately said, "Starting tomorrow, all government affairs will be handed over to Chengqing Hall, to the west of Taiji Palace. They will be handled by me, the secretary, and officials on duty from the Ministry each day. Once processed, they will be handed over to the Six Ministries to execute."

"..."

"The situation calls for extraordinary measures; from now on, it will be called the Inner Court."

Everyone immediately complied.

Meanwhile, the medical officers from the Imperial Medical Bureau, led by Chief Imperial Doctor Lin Shian, also hurried over. They had already received news of the plague in the city. Each had a grave expression, but upon seeing the closed doors of Taiji Palace and hearing that His Majesty and the Eldest Princess were temporarily avoiding the inner palace, they immediately sensed something, with even more unusual emotions in their solemn expressions.

Lin Shian turned his eyes around and immediately approached Yu Wenquan, giving a respectful bow, "Everything is at your command, Grand Chancellor."

Yu Wenquan looked at him with satisfaction.

However, his face did not show excessive pride but simply conveyed the arrangements just made to Lin Shian and the other imperial physicians. Lin Shian sighed, "The Grand Chancellor is indeed wise. This plague is most fearful of people coming and going. Once it spreads, the consequences are unimaginable. Gathering all patients into two market areas for centralized recovery is the best current strategy."

Yu Wenquan nodded again with satisfaction, and when he looked back at Shang Ruyi and Yu Wenqian, his face showed some smugness.

He was walking down the path while giving some instructions to Lin Shian and the imperial physicians behind him. Lin Shian readily agreed, but as they reached the last step of the path, he suddenly spoke, "Then I will lead the Imperial Hospital staff to Changle and Yanzuo Squares to treat the epidemic. However, there’s one matter I need to ask the Grand Chancellor."

"Oh?"

Yu Wenquan stopped walking, "Speak."

Lin Shian raised his hand to wipe the fine sweat from his forehead and softly said, "Prime Minister, the Imperial Hospital has two Medical Ministers, four Medical Supervisors, eight Medical Directors, along with myself and some eunuchs, totaling less than thirty people. It’s truly challenging to cope with the city’s thousands of patients. Moreover, once the disease breaks out in different market areas, this manpower is simply not enough."

"Oh? This—"

Although Yu Wenquan was familiar with the various institutional structures and personnel of the court, he was not very knowledgeable about the composition of the Imperial Medical Bureau, which made him hesitate.

At this moment, Shang Ruyi immediately said, "Father, you can draw from the doctors and assistants of the major medical clinics in the city as manpower. Large clinics can provide three doctors each, while smaller ones provide one each, gathering over a hundred people under the Imperial Medical Bureau’s command. In this way, each person is responsible for twenty to thirty patients. Though tiresome, it shouldn’t be overwhelming."

Upon hearing this, Lin Shian happily said, "That’s great."

Yu Wenquan nodded and said, "In that case, dispatch people to the medical clinics in the city to mobilize manpower immediately, and then enter Changle and Yanzuo Squares."

"Yes!"

Lin Shian hurriedly responded, but just as he turned to leave, he suddenly remembered something and stopped, "There is one more thing."

Yu Wenquan said, "What is it? Speak."

Lin Shian said, "I was thinking that even though patients are concentrated in the Changle and Yanzuo Squares, there might still be undetected patients within other market areas. Therefore, the court needs to allocate more personnel for real-time monitoring. Once such patients are discovered, they must be immediately sent to these two squares to avoid delays that could result in a larger epidemic."

Yu Wenquan said, "That’s only natural."

Lin Shian said, "The problem is that Daxing City is vast and densely populated, and it’s easy for market areas to connect. If patients are hiding or flee elsewhere, it will be tough to catch them."

Yu Wenquan looked at him, "What do you suggest?"

Lin Shian thought for a moment and said, "Why not divide Daxing City into two parts using Vermilion Bird Street, which lies between Changle and Yanzuo Squares, as the boundary? Manage them separately. Patients found in the East City would be concentrated in Yanzuo Square, while those in the West City would go to Changle Square; all medical clinics and doctors would be evenly divided between the two market areas, with personnel assigned to handle treatment, medication, epidemic prevention, and lockdown tasks. With clear delineation of responsibilities, our work would be more effective."

Hearing this, Shang Ruyi’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Almost simultaneously, she heard the breathing of Yu Wenye beside her and Yu Wenqian behind her simultaneously hitch.

"What you say makes sense."

At this moment, Yu Wenquan’s voice carried a weight and authority entirely different from his earlier tone. Then he slowly turned his head to look at his two equally tall, equally handsome sons, standing behind him. Though each had exceptional bearing, both drew the world’s attention, their gaze flickering faster than the lightning suddenly streaking across the dark clouds overhead.

He suddenly said, "Qian’er, Ye’er."

Yu Wenqian and Yu Wenye immediately stepped forward, "Father."

Yu Wenquan said, "From today on, the East City and Yanzuo Square will be under Qian’er’s management; the West City and Changle Square will be managed by Ye’er."

"..."

"You must act judiciously. Whichever market area under your management eradicates the plague first, I—"

His gaze deepened, "Will heavily reward!"