Chapter 313: A "Natural Disaster" Hits the Forbidden City

The Ming court's redefinition of Luzon was a big deal, but it was only for Luzon. This decision was only a small episode in this grand court meeting.

In the face of absolute strength, Luzon has always been insignificant.

Since Luzon was a title given by the Ming court, it is natural to take it back now, not to mention that the Luzon envoy's practice of sending hemp rope carpets is indeed not worthy of the title of a vassal state.

"I accept the order and thank you!" Yan Se knew that the Ming court's redefinition of status was equivalent to depriving them of their status as the masters of Luzon Island, but they could only obey the orders of the Ming emperor.

In fact, what the Ming emperor said was not wrong. In a broad sense, there are six forces in the Luzon Islands, namely: Malani (Luzon), Mayi, Gumalalang, Huluo and Sulu, independent kingdoms and tribes.

Even in terms of race, there are two major races on Luzon Island, the Luzon native tribes and the Malay immigrants, and these two races have always been naturally antagonistic.

Until now, the Luzon Islands have never really achieved unification. Not only do there exist large and small forces, but even within a kingdom, there is a loose tribal alliance, and there is no real master of the Luzon Islands.

In fact, their Luzon only occupies the Marani and other areas in the central part of Luzon Island, so it is naturally not the real Luzon Kingdom. Now it is more worthy of the name to be downgraded to the Marani Kingdom.

Yan Se saw that the Ming court took back the title of Luzon Kingdom and changed it to the more matching Marani vassal state. It seems that there is no substantial change in all this, but he has a strong sense of uneasiness in his heart.

The Ming emperor in front of him is not only wise, but also very pragmatic. Once he suddenly points the spearhead at their small Marani Kingdom, the Marani Kingdom will definitely become history.

Zhu Youtang saw Yan Se's reaction, but he had no intention of conquering the insignificant Marani Kingdom. Instead, he was a little interested in the Marani carpet in his hand.

Affected by the difference in resources, before nylon was born, Marani hemp was indeed a rare natural fiber, especially for weaving sea ropes with stronger corrosion resistance.

No matter how the Malani Kingdom reacts, some things are destined to be unstoppable, and no one can stop the Ming Dynasty from officially moving towards Southeast Asia. Unlike the earlier attempt to get involved in the Indochina Peninsula, the focus this time is to be placed on the east of Southeast Asia, or more accurately, to control the entire Luzon Islands.

In other words, this is the most important strategic goal of the third year of Hongzhi, a key step that contains the code for the revitalization of China.

On the first day of the new year, the temperature was still very low.

Officials inside and outside the palace felt a chill, but seeing their emperor simply erase the title of Luzon, they were more in awe of their emperor.

After the Malani envoys faded, envoys from the Japanese Ouchi family, North Vietnam, South Vietnam and Champa offered gifts one after another.

The Ouchi family has become the largest weapon buyer of the Ming Dynasty, and now has a closer relationship with the Ming Dynasty, and even intends to recognize the Ming emperor as their father.

Although North Vietnam, South Vietnam and Champa maintained hostile camps, they all hoped to get support from the Ming court and sent generous gifts. Even the Champa King Gu Lai came to Beijing to congratulate.

With the end of the gift-giving session, the subsequent banquet was held as in previous years.

Facing the delicacies served, the civil and military officials and foreign envoys knew very well that this was not a place to eat at all, and followed the etiquette like puppets.

The flowers are the same year after year, but the people are different year after year.

Zhu Youtang looked at the familiar scene in front of him, but the personnel had always changed. For example, Du Ming, the Minister of Punishment, was no longer here, and he couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

The first day of the new year was filled with a festive atmosphere, and even the sound of firecrackers could be heard occasionally in the palace.

After the grand court meeting, Zhu Youtang returned to the Qianqing Palace on the dragon chariot, but he knew that he had ushered in a truly long vacation.

Although he could not be constrained as an emperor, he was still shouldering the mission of revitalizing China, so he usually dealt with government affairs seriously.

Now it was completely different. He could put aside all the annoying government affairs and enjoy a full six-day imperial holiday.

The tree wanted to be quiet, but the wind did not stop.

It was only the second day of the holiday, and the entire Forbidden City suddenly became tense.

Squeak...

It was still noon, but the four gates of the palace were closed, and Chang Feng personally led the staff to leave the Meridian Gate.

"No one is allowed to approach the back garden of the palace!"

"What happened?"

"No one should ask too many questions! Pass on the emperor's oral order, and everyone should return to their residences!!"

...

As the eunuch in charge of the Silijian, Guo Yong could be said to be the chief steward of the palace. At this time, he personally led the staff to arrange the people in the palace, looking as if he was facing a great enemy.

Forbidden City, East Warm Pavilion.

Zhu Youtang, dressed in casual clothes, had a solemn face and sat behind the pearl curtain without saying a word.

The two old imperial doctors were brought in by the young eunuchs, and they knelt respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, the condition has been clarified!"

"What disease did the palace maid have?" Zhu Youtang asked calmly while holding up the teacup.

The oldest imperial doctor Cui swallowed his saliva and said cautiously, "Your Majesty, according to the experience of me and imperial doctor Li, this person has smallpox!"

As soon as these words came out, Liu Jin and other eunuchs were immediately horrified.

Smallpox was not recorded in ancient books, and it was probably introduced to China during the Eastern Han Dynasty.

According to historical records, General Ma Yuan of the Eastern Han Dynasty once went south to Jiaozhi and captured a large number of captives. Not long after, smallpox among the captives began to spread.

Because smallpox infected people will be covered with rashes all over their bodies when they are sick, and then scabs will form, and finally permanent scars will be left on their faces, and even directly lead to death.

Because this disease was brought by captives on the battlefield, it was originally called "captive sores".

Once a person is infected with smallpox, there is no way to cure it except relying on their own immunity and drugs to relieve symptoms. Those who survive by chance will also leave scars due to rashes all over their bodies, so "smallpox" got its name.

It is precisely because smallpox is highly contagious and has a high mortality rate. The mortality rate of severe smallpox is about 25.5%, so people have always been afraid of "smallpox".

However, no one thought that such a vicious infectious disease would appear in the palace, and now it may even endanger the emperor's life.

"Smallpox? How could smallpox suddenly appear in the palace?" Zhu Youtang felt that something was a bit strange, so he asked seriously.

Doctor Cui swallowed his saliva, but responded with a stiff face: "I don't know where smallpox came from, but this disease can be transmitted from humans to animals, and it is simply impossible to prevent it!"

"According to the usual inertia, how should the palace deal with smallpox?" Zhu Youtang knew that the doctor in front of him could not resolve his doubts, so he asked in a gentle tone.

Doctor Cui knew about this, so he answered truthfully: "All personnel are ordered to stay in their own residences temporarily to reduce the flow of people. If new cases are found, they will be isolated immediately, and personnel will be arranged for disinfection. A temporary treatment room must be set up in the palace..."

"In this case, let's handle it according to the previous regulations first!" Zhu Youtang knew that the experience of the ancients was worth adopting, and turned his head to look at Liu Jin: "Pass on my oral order, all offices should ventilate frequently, wash hands with soap more often, and do not wear other people's clothes randomly!"

Liu Jin knew that the matter was serious, and immediately said respectfully: "Your servant obeys the order!"

"Doctor Cui, will I get smallpox? Or have I actually got smallpox now?" Zhu Youtang took a deep breath and asked the question he cared about most.

Even as a dignified emperor, in the face of this incurable disease, he is actually just a vulnerable individual. In the more than two years of traveling through time, it can be said that this is the closest time for him to face death.

Not to mention that his throat was a little dry, even if there was really nothing wrong, the incubation period of smallpox was 7 to 17 days, and there was no way to guarantee whether he was safe now.

Once he really got smallpox, all the efforts he had made over the years would probably be in vain.

Doctor Li next to Doctor Cui answered: "Your Majesty, I just diagnosed that your Majesty's dragon body was normal and there were no symptoms of fever. But you should have less sex recently. First, your Majesty's essence has been damaged, and second, you can't contact the concubines again to prevent infection!"

"All of you go down!" Zhu Youtang knew that it would probably be invisible before the symptoms appeared, so he raised his hand gently.

I thought that as long as I stayed in the palace honestly, didn't take medicine randomly, and didn't fall into the water on the dragon boat, I, the emperor, could live ten more years.

But now it seems that I am still too naive. Danger can be everywhere, and it can even kill the emperor invisibly.

Regardless of whether this smallpox was a natural disaster or a man-made disaster, if he were to be infected with this disease, his life would probably end here, and he would still not be able to escape the fate of being extinct.

Doctor Cui and Doctor Li did not know what Zhu Youtang was thinking, but they also knew that the current situation was unclear, so they bowed respectfully and said, "I will take my leave!"

The sky was gloomy, and the entire Forbidden City was covered in snow.

"I don't want to die!"

"I heard that you may not die if you get smallpox!"

"If your face is full of pockmarks, you might as well die!"

...

There is no impenetrable wall in the world, and the news about smallpox quickly spread throughout the palace. Not to mention those ordinary palace maids and eunuchs, even the concubines became very uneasy.

Smallpox can not only directly kill people, but also indirectly ruin other people's lives.

Once you get smallpox, most people's faces will become pockmarked to a greater or lesser extent, which is undoubtedly fatal to women in the palace.

"Why don't you let me in?"

"Niu Mengmeng, I have something to ask you!"

"Eunuch Guo, why are you so formal? What do you want to ask?"

...

Niu Mengmeng came back humming a tune while holding a tabby cat, but was violently blocked in front of the Qianqing Gate. She immediately looked at Guo Yong and others in confusion.

"Where did you go just now?"

"Uh, I took Hu Zi for a walk, and we went to the back garden and Changle Palace!"

"Do you know the maid Chuchun?"

"Yes! We sometimes walk cats together recently, what's wrong?"

"Come here, take Niu Mengmeng away!"

After Guo Yong understood the situation clearly, his face immediately sank, and he waved his hand to issue an order.

"Eunuch Guo, what are you doing?"

"You are quarantined! But don't worry, you are quarantined alone!"

"Me? Quarantined?"

Niu Mengmeng was very puzzled by the sudden arrest.

Her good luck had finally come to an end. Since she had been to the back garden of the palace and had close contact with Chuchun, she was naturally quarantined alone.

In fact, she became the focus of the entire Qianqing Palace, not only because she was one of the few palace maids and eunuchs who had contact with the outside world, but also because she was in close contact with the emperor.

Ah chu!

Zhu Youtang couldn't help but sneeze heavily. Even in the warm East Warm Pavilion, he felt a biting cold at this moment.

Although there is no actual evidence now, he doesn't believe that things would be so coincidental that the Forbidden City suddenly had an infectious disease like smallpox.

The fundamental reason for this phenomenon must be that he touched the interests of too many people. From rectifying the salt administration to measuring the land, from combating financial crimes to the luxury tax introduced after the New Year, all of them infringed on the interests of the official gentry and the dignitaries.

"In this case, I will take a good look and see who will laugh last!" Zhu Youtang stretched out his hand and rubbed his nose, and said inwardly with great determination.

Neither retreat nor compromise is his character. Since this group of dignitaries has not surrendered, and even wants to take his life in this way, then he will naturally start a bloody storm again.

The Forbidden City is filled with a panic.

Facing the unknown and the virus that may appear around them, the entire palace has become panic-stricken.

In the face of the sudden epidemic, the Qianqing Palace quickly became a small world of its own.

Guo Yong took on the mission of the palace's chief steward and chose to run at the forefront without fear of smallpox. He even personally guarded in front of the Qianqing Gate. As for the other personnel of the Qianqing Palace, they formed layers of defense in an orderly manner.

"Your Majesty, what is a mask?"

"Aren't assassins covered with a black cloth? I need a white cloth to cover my mouth and nose, but the cloth must be well ventilated!"

...

Zhu Youtang knew that in addition to direct contact transmission, the most important thing about smallpox is to prevent the spread of droplets, so he immediately decided to introduce mask protection to the palace.

In the following time, the atmosphere of the entire Forbidden City seemed very depressing.

As the imperial doctors continued to investigate, the epidemic in the palace became more and more serious. The number of people infected with smallpox had reached ten, which was actually in the double digits.

No one knew when smallpox was introduced into the palace, how long it had been lurking in the palace, and how many people were already carriers of the virus, causing the entire palace to be frightened.

Fortunately, masks were quickly produced, and everyone in the palace wore masks, which effectively suppressed the spread of smallpox.

Zhu Youtang followed the advice of the imperial physician and recently quit masturbating, but he always felt anxious.

It happened that at this time, Niu Mengmeng suddenly developed symptoms of fever, accompanied by nausea and vomiting, which were the symptoms of the early stage of smallpox.

If he could still comfort himself earlier, after all, as an emperor, he had no contact with sick palace maids and eunuchs, but Niu Mengmeng was one of Zhu Youtang's closest palace maids, making the emperor a close contact.

Due to his long-term pampering, Zhu Youtang's physical fitness was worse than that of ordinary people, so the possibility of death was higher than that of others.