Chapter 1340: War Clouds Gather (Part 151)

e spoke too much."Wind Ling Xi emerged from Shou'an Palace, passing by the Imperial Garden. She saw Lan Fei's maidservant waiting for her there for a long time, and her brows furrowed slightly as she...Looking at Feng Aotian's silence, Feng Lingxi was truly exasperated. "I really don't know how you, the General of the State, are managing. You have no dignity whatsoever."

"I…"

Feng Aotian swallowed the words that were about to leave his lips. Wasn't this all because she had forced him into this

If Feng Lingxi wasn't here, he would naturally strictly manage these merchants. To raise prices at this time is clearly a disregard for imperial law.

"Master Liu, order immediately that during the plague, merchants' prices shall be sold at their usual rates. Whoever dares to raise prices will be punished tenfold. And for those who become ill and seek medical treatment, the consultation fee will be doubled. Those who repeatedly violate this order will be punished a hundredfold, imprisoned for three months, and in serious cases, one year. Additionally, their shops will be closed."

She still didn't believe she couldn't cure these plague-spreading merchants. She thought about paying for their treatment herself, but they turned against her like this! It truly chilled Feng Lingxi's heart.

"My lord Liu, you look worried," the Crown Princess said. "Is something wrong"Lord Liu replied with a troubled expression, "Your Highness, this isn't right, is it There are many wealthy families in this town. If we do this, I fear it will cause dissatisfaction."

"Lord Liu, General Zhen Guo is here. We came to treat the sick not by order of the court, but out of compassion for the suffering people. All the medicinal materials we purchased were paid for by Prince Chen and donated by Master Lu Nian. Now, with your and General Zhen Guo's contributions, isn't it these people who are suffering from this plague What is wrong with what I have done"

"Your Highness might not be aware, but the big households here have quite the temperaments and aren't easy to deal with. They certainly won't agree to your proposal. If they were to lead the charge in making trouble at this point, it would become quite a headache."

Feng Lingxi looked at Lord Liu, her eyes even colder.

"This General Liu, just rest assured. With the National Protector here, if they dare to cause trouble, the National Protector will handle it properly. What could possibly go wrong" Healing at the city gate won't let them turn the world upside down.

"The Princess Consort is right. Sir Liu, just do as she says. If anything happens, this general will take responsibility."

"Yes."

Feng Aotien spoke, and Lord Liu immediately responded, going to write a notice.

"Your Highness should know that there are many wealthy families in this town who have ties with the imperial court. If word of this gets to the court, it will surely cause a stir."

Feng Ling Xi frowned slightly, looking at Feng Ao Tian, "So you mean we should do things their way If they want a high price, we buy it and then provide free treatment for them"

Feng Lingxi sneered, "If General Zhen Guo wasn't afraid of offending these influential figures who have connections with the court, I would stop tomorrow. As for this matter in Tumu Town, I wouldn't care about it."

Don't say she was being overly dramatic, just the fact that she sold these things to the government at a high price is enough to make her give up on these people.

"I didn't mean it that way, I just wanted to remind the princess so that in the future if word reaches the capital and they come knocking, the princess wouldn't be caught unaware."

In that case, I’d like to see if these nobles are so lucky as to overcome these plagues.

Feng Lingxi ordered that all apothecaries under her jurisdiction were to refuse service to any merchants or officials who had connections in the capital city and treated others with disdain. She also decreed that any physician caught secretly dispensing medicine would be fined ten times the amount and expelled from the county government, left to fend for themselves.

The next day, when the notice was posted, the entire town of Tu Mu went into an uproar. Private merchants cursed angrily, claiming that Feng Lingxi was targeting them and wanted to see them suffer. However, the common people cheered and applauded, feeling a sense of justice being served.

The merchants' dissatisfaction with the government, even to the point of insults and abuse, truly scared Liu. These merchants were prominent families in Tumuwu Town, and many had connections with officials in the capital. They were used to being arrogant and getting away with things. Liu had turned a blind eye before, but now that things had escalated like this, if they all joined forces to impeach him, his official hat would be truly gone.

"Your Highness, the merchants are now all clamoring against this. This official believes this method is not feasible. Otherwise..."

"Lord Liu, why is this method not feasible This general finds it quite workable. These people are used to running rampant as they please. Now that we're facing them head-on, and both the General and I have spent money buying medicinal herbs to treat them, why can't they lower their prices"

Feng Aotian interrupted Liu's words, uttering the most domineering sentence Feng Lingxi had ever heard him say. It was precisely because of this that Feng Lingxi's eyes changed when she looked at Feng Aotian. She never expected Feng Aotian to stand on her side and speak for her.

"I also think my sister is right. If they want to sell to the government at a high price, then I won't donate my medicinal herbs to you. Let them buy it with money, and I will sell it ten times the price. I want to see how much money they have."

"Master Lu, please don't do this, I truly have no money."

Mr. Liu was in a panic. Most of the medicinal herbs in Tulumu Town were now supplied by Lu Nianxian. If he had to buy them at ten times the price, he couldn't afford them even if he sold himself.

"Let them curse, the louder they curse, the more I ignore them. If they have the guts, impeach me! As long as their petitions can leave this town, that's their accomplishment."

Feng Lingxi's words fell, her eyes landing on Feng Aotian. Her meaning was already clear enough; this matter could be settled here, after all, the scroll couldn't leave Tumu Town.

Feng Aotian nodded knowingly, “Rest assured, Your Highness. This general has a considerable number of troops stationed in Tu Mu Town. If they truly become unruly, this general will have them all captured and their medicinal herbs confiscated for military use.”

"Then I'll leave this matter of the merchants causing trouble to General Zhen Guo. I still need to continue researching the antidote. Be careful yourselves."

Windling Xi handed the prescription to Lu Nian after writing it down. “This is a medicine I just prepared, specifically for severe cases. When you go to the slums later, tell Li Su and the others to boil the medicine and have the patients drink it. Remind everyone not to get too close to patients with bloody coughs, so as not to spread the infection.”

“You've said it so many times, I know it by heart. They've heard it so often their ears are calloused.”

Lu Nian held the prescription and looked at Elder Liu, threatening him, "Don't bully my sister, or I won't give you medicinal herbs."

"My humble self dares not, Young Master Lu, please don't jest."

He's just a small county magistrate, while Feng Lingxi is the princess consort of Chen. Even if he had the guts of a lion, he wouldn't dare to bully the princess consort. What's more, now the entire Tumu Town relies on the princess consort for healing.

Feng Lingxi looked at Lu Nian defending her like this, and said calmly, "Lu Da won't bully me, it's you, go prepare first, we'll head over in a while."

Lu Nian's voice instantly softened, "Listen to your sister, I'll go prepare right away." Turning to Liu and Feng Aotiān, her eyes suddenly turned cold, not friendly at all, leaving the two feeling awkward.

"Your Highness, someone from Linxi County has arrived."

Xiao Li brought one person with her. Looking at the newcomer, Feng Lingxi frowned, it wasn't Ye Xi, but a stranger's face. all of this"Feng Ling Xi frowned, looking at Feng Yi Xuan with a look of astonishment."So, you didn't tell him any of this I thought you had, after all, you wouldn't miss the opportunity to use any p...