Xiao Jingduo rushed along the road, then reined in his horse at the city gate. Chang’an remained magnificent and imposing, with people constantly coming and going. The city guards, fully armed, stood vigilant and stern, eyeing every person entering the city.
It was now the fifth year of the Qiyuan era, six years since the founding of the Xuan Dynasty. Over these six years, regional warlords had been defeated one by one by the Imperial Rong clan. Last year, the King of Yi’an in Lingnan was defeated and surrendered. From then on, the Xuan Dynasty unified the Han territories, achieving the first unification of the realm in two hundred years.
With such powerful military might, the people of the realm had no choice but to submit. Although the realm was unified, the people’s livelihood was still in decline, and rice prices remained high. Years of war had left farmlands desolate and people displaced. Now that conflicts across the regions had settled, it was time for comprehensive reconstruction. After ascending the throne, the Emperor paid special attention to agriculture, issuing an order for a general amnesty and exempting taxes for three years. The people were overjoyed by this, and the young Xuan Dynasty gained popular support, gradually getting on track and growing stronger.
Besides agriculture, the new dynasty also showed remarkable ambition in official selection. In the third year of Qiyuan, the Crown Prince proposed the imperial examination system at the morning court to recruit talented individuals from across the realm. The Emperor greatly praised this idea and held examinations in both the spring and autumn of the fourth year of Qiyuan, welcoming scholars from humble backgrounds to become officials. At first, people were skeptical, but when two princes took the exam in autumn and gained official positions based on their results, commoner scholars were inspired to sign up for the fifth year’s examination. With the royal family taking the lead, the imperial examination system was widely promoted among the people. Paper prices in Chang’an soared, scholars left their homes to study, and even seven or eight-year-old children were reciting poetry and classics. The whole dynasty showed a vibrant new atmosphere.
With peace in the realm, focus on agriculture, promotion of education, and emphasis on martial prowess, this young empire was gradually spreading its wings, demonstrating to the world its soaring ambitions.
Xiao Jingduo had been isolated in the mountains for three years. Although he had heard about Chang’an from villagers at the foot of the mountain, it was merely hearsay. As he traveled, he witnessed the changes in Chang’an firsthand, realizing how truly surprising the new dynasty was. The most astonishing fact was that the imperial examination system had been implemented so quickly.
Standing at the foot of Chang’an’s city wall, he looked up at the majestic gate towers. He had heard that the Danfeng Gate was the greatest gate in the world and that the square in front of it was where officials gathered, capable of holding ten thousand people. He wondered when he would have the fortune to witness such a grand sight.
With the imperial examinations now open, the path to officialdom that he had been anticipating for five years could finally begin.
Xiao Jingduo’s heart surged with emotion. He was delighted by the establishment of the examination system and amazed at Chang’an’s citizens’ leap in living standards. He stood outside the city, waiting for his excitement to subside until his heart was as still as dead water. Yet the queue to enter the city still hadn’t moved.
Xiao Jingduo couldn’t help but crane his neck forward. There weren’t many people entering the city, so why was the inspection so slow?
He asked an older man in the queue, who appeared to be a shopkeeper. The man’s expression suddenly changed. He looked around and then lowered his voice, saying, “Young sir, you must be new to Chang’an. In recent years, many scholars like you have come to take the exams, so it’s common to be unfamiliar with the city. But let me advise you: in the capital, under the Emperor’s feet, some things can be said, but others cannot even be mentioned.”
Xiao Jingduo was surprised. Had he really been away from the city for only three years and already couldn’t understand what the people were saying? He continued to inquire, and the shopkeeper mysteriously told him: “Young sir, you’re new to Chang’an and don’t know. Recently, many people have died in the south of the city. These people were of various backgrounds and social status, but they all had black handprints on their bodies, as if killed by ghosts. It’s terrifying. Now, rumors in the city say that Prince Min has returned.”
Prince Min… If Xiao Jingduo remembered correctly, when the Emperor ascended to the throne, he did so through a sudden military coup. He killed his elder brother, forced the previous emperor to abdicate, and became the new ruler amidst much controversy. Even though the Emperor had been on the throne for so long, these rumors still hadn’t dissipated. Later, the emperor, unable to resist the pressure from his officials, posthumously conferred the title of Crown Prince on his elder brother, with the posthumous name “Min” (meaning “pitiful”).
From Prince Min’s posthumous title, it was clear that the emperor felt no guilt about killing his brother and forcing his father’s abdication. He was merely putting on a show to appease public opinion.
However, controlling public opinion wasn’t as easy as imagined. Due to the recent consecutive deaths in Chang’an, with mysterious ghostly handprints on the victims’ bodies, the people were deeply unsettled. Besides desperately praying to gods and Buddhas, rumors about Prince Min began to circulate quietly.
Some said it was because the emperor’s methods of ascending the throne were dishonorable, causing Prince Min to die with grievances and return with ghost soldiers to seek revenge.
Others said Prince Min wanted all of Chang’an to be buried with him to assuage the resentment of his unjust death.
The rumors varied, but they all centered on one idea: the current royal family had done wrong, angering the spirits, and thus bringing calamity upon the people of Chang’an. Helpless against these tragic deaths, the terrified populace could only turn to spiritual beliefs. As a result, rumors about the current emperor spread wider and wider. By the time the court reacted, it was too late to suppress them.
But those in the imperial court were different from common people. While ordinary folk believed in these ghost stories, the old foxes in the palace did not. It was clear that someone was secretly manipulating events, with obvious intentions. So the emperor immediately ordered strict control at the city gates and thorough checks on people entering and leaving Chang’an.
This was why the queue to enter the city moved so slowly.
By the time Xiao Jingduo finally entered the city, the sun was already at its zenith. The two servants from the Dingyong Marquis’s mansion asked him, “Young master, shall we return to the mansion now?”
“No need, you go back first. I want to go to the south of the city to take a look,” Xiao Jingduo said, still thinking about the rumored ghost handprints. Out of medical curiosity, he was determined to see for himself.
The servants exchanged worried glances. The south of the city was full of dead people and possibly unclean things; they didn’t want to go. So they tried to persuade him: “Young master, it’s getting late. The old madam and madam are waiting at the marquis’s mansion. We should return there first, young master.”
Xiao Jingduo couldn’t be bothered with what they were saying. He directly steered his horse towards the south of the city. Hearing the calls behind him, he paused briefly and said without turning back, “I’m going to the south city. If you don’t want to go, you can return first.”
As servants, they couldn’t let their master go alone. They lamented inwardly but had to follow despite their reluctance. They drove the carriage, chasing after Xiao Jingduo while shouting, “Young master, please slow down! It’s dangerous ahead. Let us go first!”
Indeed, as the shopkeeper had said, the situation in the south of the city was dire. Everyone there was on edge, with sorrowful expressions. The streets were eerily quiet, unlike how Chang’an should be. Even the occasional passersby hurried along, afraid of being targeted by ghost soldiers if they lingered too long.
Outsiders like Xiao Jingduo were even rarer. Almost as soon as he appeared, many eyes fixed on him, including those of the local residents and hidden officials.
Xiao Jingduo noticed many porridge stalls on the main street. He curiously pointed at them and asked, “Who’s distributing porridge?”
The servant looked in the direction Xiao Jingduo was pointing and proudly said, “That’s our Marchioness distributing porridge. After people started dying in the south city, the lady took pity on these sick and lonely people. She specially set up porridge stalls, distributing porridge twice a day. In addition, she also gives out things like mugwort. The lady says that fumigating houses and clothes with mugwort can prevent epidemics and ward off ghosts. So, every time we come from the Dingyong Marquis’s mansion to distribute porridge, everything is snatched up quickly. Our lady was the first to distribute porridge, and the ladies from other mansions have followed suit. Not only do they imitate our lady by giving mugwort to commoners, but they even try to copy our porridge. In my opinion, our lady truly has the heart of a Bodhisattva. It’s already generous enough to give porridge to these commoners for free, but she’s also worried about their health, so she especially adds wild vegetables to the porridge. What’s that term called… ah yes, ‘nutritionally balanced.’”
The servant looked full of admiration. People nearby, hearing they were from the Dingyong Marquis’s mansion, unusually gathered around to praise Wu Junru’s kindness and compassion. Xiao Jingduo found this laughable upon hearing it.
Wu Junru’s kindness? If these people knew how Wu Junru had once tried to harm him, they wouldn’t speak like this.
Xiao Jingduo had no interest in listening to these people praising Wu Junru in various ways. He was about to go inside to take a look when he suddenly saw a person across the street stumble and collapse to the ground, unable to get up again.
The surrounding crowd scattered immediately, with many people shouting in terror, “Run! The ghost soldiers are coming to catch people!”
The servants from the Dingyong Marquis’s mansion were also frightened. They tremblingly said to Xiao Jingduo, “Young master, let’s run quickly! You’ve just returned and don’t know, these ghost soldiers are extremely dangerous. Anyone who gets close to a sick person will inevitably fall ill within three days, without exception!”
“Absurd,” Xiao Jingduo scoffed, quickly walking towards the sick person.
Over these years, he had frequently visited the Qingyuan Temple infirmary and seen many plague patients. Combining this with what others had described, Xiao Jingduo was quite certain that the so-called “ghost soldiers” were actually a plague, and this plague spread extremely fast, which was why so many people had died. He scoffed at the talk of ghosts and spirits. Years ago, when that traveling doctor couldn’t cure Zhao Xiulan’s illness, he had claimed she was possessed by a ghost and needed exorcism. Now with the plague rampant in Chang’an, doctors who had never seen it before were attributing it to ghosts and spirits, which was utter nonsense.
Seeing Xiao Jingduo walk directly towards the sick person, the people from the Dingyong Marquis’s mansion were beside themselves with worry. They didn’t dare approach and could only call out repeatedly. Even bystanders hiding nearby shouted at Xiao Jingduo, “Come back quickly! This disease can’t be cured. Don’t risk your life!”
Xiao Jingduo ignored them. He quickly walked to the sick person’s side, carefully turned them over, and then checked their pulse.
Gradually, Xiao Jingduo’s brow furrowed. After a long moment, he withdrew his hand and said to the servants while pondering, “Bring the hardwood box from the carriage. I’ll administer acupuncture for him first.”
The servants stayed far away, retrieved the wooden box from the carriage, but absolutely refused to bring it over.
Unable to tolerate it any longer, Xiao Jingduo stood up. As he approached, the surrounding crowd scattered like bees, and even the two servants from the marquis’s mansion kept backing away. Xiao Jingduo paid no attention to this. He took his medical box and, without hesitation, crouched beside the patient to administer acupuncture.
Xiao Jingduo methodically applied the needles. By this time, the patient’s relatives had arrived and were cautiously edging towards Xiao Jingduo. He glanced at them briefly before returning his focus to his work, slightly raising his voice to say, “It’s a disruption of warmth and dampness, with toxins invading the body. Coupled with the patient’s advanced age and weak constitution, this caused him to collapse in the street. I’m now using acupuncture to wake the old man up. You should help him home, brew some easily digestible food for him to eat, ensure good ventilation, and let the patient rest well.”
As he spoke, Xiao Jingduo took out a pen and quickly wrote a prescription. “I’m not yet clear on the cause of his illness, so I dare not prescribe recklessly. I can only write a prescription for general health improvement for now. Take it twice a day, one bowl in the morning and one in the evening. Use this prescription to nurture his health first, and I’ll change the medication once I figure out a better solution.”
After writing, Xiao Jingduo handed the prescription to the old man’s relatives. He extended his hand, but for a moment, no one dared to come forward to take it.
Xiao Jingduo raised an eyebrow but said nothing, waiting for the family to respond. Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long. A young woman who looked like the old man’s granddaughter stepped forward to take the prescription, bowing to Xiao Jingduo, “Thank you, young master.”
Xiao Jingduo nodded with satisfaction. By this time, the patient was slowly regaining consciousness. Xiao Jingduo quickly helped the old man stand up, and the granddaughter rushed over without hesitation to support her grandfather’s other arm.
“Be careful in helping the old man home,” Xiao Jingduo said. “Remember what I said earlier. Although this prescription can’t cure the disease completely, it can certainly delay its progress for a few days.”
Hearing Xiao Jingduo’s words, the old man’s granddaughter was overjoyed. “Young master, are you saying your prescription can treat the ghost soldiers?”
“What ghost soldiers? It’s just a common epidemic,” Xiao Jingduo dismissed this notion with disdain. But since he wasn’t yet certain about the treatment, he could only add, “I can’t cure this epidemic yet, but as long as the old man rests properly and follows my prescription, he certainly won’t fall ill in the next few days.”
Even this was enough to bring joy. This was the first time the old man’s granddaughter had heard anyone say this disease could be treated. Her grandfather still had a chance to live. She bowed deeply to Xiao Jingduo, saying with a choked voice, “Thank you, young master. Your great kindness and virtue, I, Miss Yu, will never forget.”
“No need, I’ve only done what I should,” Xiao Jingduo said nonchalantly. “Where do you live? Once I’ve prepared the cure, I’ll come to change the medicine for your grandfather.”
Miss Yu, tearful with gratitude, quickly gave a string of directions. After memorizing them, Xiao Jingduo prepared to leave. After a few steps, he turned back and asked, “Do you know where they keep the bodies of those who died from this illness? I want to see what these so-called ghost handprints really are.”
Miss Yu, seeing Xiao Jingduo return, thought he had something else to say. She was surprised by his question. After a moment of shock, she said fearfully, “Young master, you mustn’t! The ghost soldiers are extremely evil. There might be hope if you’re just ill, but if you’re marked with a ghost handprint, death is certain. You can’t go!”
Xiao Jingduo sensed something odd: “Are you saying that not all who fall ill develop these ghost handprints after death?”
“Yes, it’s said that only those who have committed sins will be taken by the ghost soldiers.”
A flash of insight struck Xiao Jingduo, making him even more curious about these so-called ghost handprints. He pressed further, “Never mind the rest. I just want to know where I can see someone with a ghost handprint.”
Seeing that her persuasion was futile, Miss Yu reluctantly said, “Those marked with ghost handprints have all been taken into custody by the government. Even the bodies have been moved to the funeral home in the south of the city. Those inside aren’t allowed out, and no one from outside is allowed in.”
Xiao Jingduo sighed. He knew that since the ghost handprints were related to Prince Min, the court wouldn’t allow rumors to spread unchecked. Somewhat disappointed, he bid farewell to Miss Yu and her grandfather, then continued down the street.
As Xiao Jingduo recklessly walked deeper into the epidemic area, the two servants from the Dingyong Marquis’s mansion were on the verge of tears. They could only follow him fearfully, keeping a constant distance behind him.
Xiao Jingduo had planned to go further in to observe more patients and study this strange plague. However, this time he hadn’t gone far before two men stopped him.
These two men wore official uniforms, clearly garrison soldiers responsible for patrolling and maintaining order. They seemed to appear out of nowhere, blocking Xiao Jingduo’s path. In an aggressive and uncompromising tone, they said to him, “You’re disturbing the city’s order. Come with us.”
If you enjoy my translations, feel free to consider supporting me on ko-fi! Thank you!
Updates on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays
