Yuan Shao, the father of Fanghua in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1301 Farce
The fleet set off slowly, and when it entered the Yangtze River from the Poyang Lake waterway, corpses could be seen floating in the river from time to time.

Yuan Xi saw people on both sides of the river drawing water and washing clothes as if nothing had happened, and he thought that the issue of sanitation in this era still had a long way to go.

In ancient times, riverbanks were often places where people gathered because of convenient transportation. The resulting prosperous agriculture, industry and commerce were more developed than inland areas. However, there was actually a considerable hidden danger, which was epidemics.

The riverside seems to be the place with the least water shortage, but as a source of drinking water, it is relatively not clean. Most residents along the river make a living by fetching water from the river. In ancient times, fuel was scarce and it was even more difficult to find firewood suitable for making a fire by the river. This led to people living on raw water and even eating raw food was extremely common.

Compared with well water, river water and stream water, river water is more susceptible to pollution. Especially after a war like this, there are many dead bodies in the river, making it even more difficult to ensure the safety of the water source.

However, the residents have long been accustomed to this, and they have no other choice but to drink the river water every day, which contains unknown substances. This is why the ancients said that there are many malaria in the south. The spread of many inexplicable diseases is due to water pollution. Moreover, the population near the water is dense, and once an epidemic breaks out, it will spread in a short time.

Yuan Xi once studied epidemics during the Three Kingdoms period in later generations and found that the most easily transmitted diseases were, first, densely populated large cities, and second, humid places where water systems converge. If both conditions are met, coupled with the stimulation of war, it is possible to form an extremely terrible epidemic. This was the case in Jingzhou where Zhang Zhongjing lived in later generations. Several major epidemics left only two or three out of ten members of the Zhang family dead, which was arguably the most terrible disaster of this era.

Yuan Xi immediately wrote several letters, one to Liu Bei and the officials in his own territories along the river, asking them to pay close attention to possible outbreaks of epidemics. Now that summer was approaching, they needed to be even more vigilant.

As he expected, when the fleet entered the Yangtze River and sailed north to the Rushu River, there were reports of suspected epidemic spread from Lujiang and Jiujiang. Yuan Xi immediately stopped the fleet and arranged officials to investigate the disaster relief. At the same time, he allocated firewood and other supplies so that residents along the river could make fires, cook and boil medicine.

Because the affairs of Wu were settled, Yuan Xi was not in a hurry to return to Shouchun, and he went to the nearest city, Wankou, to supervise disaster relief. When the fleet entered the city, Yuan Xi could not help but recall that it was here that he saved Liu Lanzhi and Jiao Zhongqing and wrote The Peacock Flies Southeast. Now, several years have passed, and everything has changed, which makes people sigh.

He stayed in Wankou for two days and happened to meet Mrs. Mi who came from Changsha County.

Yuan Xi and Bu Lianshi took Madam Mi to the house together and told her about Bu Lianshi. Madam Mi smiled and said a few words to Bu Lianshi. Bu Lianshi knew that they had something to say, so she blushed and went away to avoid them.

Yuan Xi took Madam Mi's hand and said, "Madam, you have worked hard this time."

"How is Lord Xuande's health?"

During the attack on Wu, Mrs. Mi, who was doing business in Jianghuai, also came to Wankou in person and urgently mobilized the Mi family caravan to transport supplies, allowing Yuan Xi to capture Nanchang as quickly as possible.

Later, Yuan Xi captured Nanchang and Mrs. Mi completed her mission. However, she heard that Liu Bei was injured and returned to Changsha. As Liu Bei's adopted daughter, she had not seen Liu Bei for many years. In order to let her fulfill her filial piety, Yuan Xi asked her to visit Liu Bei, and she happened to return at this time.

Madam Mi said softly, "The situation is not good. I met Mr. Yuanhua, and he told me privately that my adoptive father might not live long."

Yuan Xi's brows tightened. He didn't expect Liu Bei to be so seriously injured. He couldn't help but say, "When I saw Lord Xuande, he looked fine. How could he be so seriously injured?"

Madam Mi said, "Mr. Yuanhua said that when my adoptive father was shot, the arrow had actually injured his internal organs, but the injury was not deep at the time, so after the arrow was pulled out and the wound was treated, my adoptive father continued to lead the army in battle and did not take it to heart."

"After Mr. Yuanhua arrived, he first treated the arrow wound on Military Advisor Pang Tong's head. Then when he went to check on my adoptive father's wound, he found that the wound had already been sutured."

"It was impossible for Mr. Yuanhua to cut open the wound and look inside, so he prescribed some medicinal herbs to nourish the body and then prepared to go to Nanchang to meet the king."

"But the next day, my foster father started to have a fever. Mr. Yuanhua tried several methods and finally found out with acupuncture that it was caused by internal organ damage and ulceration."

"Mr. Yuan Hua guessed that the wound to the internal organs was not big at first, so there was not much pain, but it gradually began to spread and worsen. By the time the fever appeared, it was already a little too late."

"Afterwards, Mr. Yuanhua re-opened my adoptive father's wound and cleaned out the rotten flesh inside. He performed two operations within a few days. Although it was sutured again later, Mr. Yuanhua privately told my adoptive father that some parts had penetrated into his internal organs and he was powerless to do anything."

"At that time, I happened to rush to Changsha to see my adoptive father. I was very upset when I learned about this matter. But my adoptive father told me that life and death are determined by fate. He also asked me to bring back a message saying that he was very grateful for my husband's help all along."

After hearing this, Yuan Xi knew that this might be Liu Bei's last words, and he felt very upset. He sighed, "Lord Xuande was a gentleman of the time. What a pity."

"Since Mr. Yuanhua has done his best, I have no other means. It all depends on whether Lord Xuande is blessed by heaven."

Madam Mi whispered, "Actually, there is one more thing."

"There is a lady who wants to ask her husband for a favor. To show her sincerity, she came here in person and is now on my boat."

Yuan Xi asked: "Who is it?"

Madam Mi mentioned a name, and Yuan Xi was surprised and asked, "Xia Hou?"

"Why is it her?" "She is in mourning, why is she here at this time?"

Madam Mi said, "She mentioned it to me before. She must have come here to find out the whereabouts of General Xiahou's body."

Yuan Xi didn't even think about it and said, "No."

Mrs. Mi was surprised. "Why?"

"My husband is not such a heartless person, right?"

She suddenly realized, "Huh?"

"No way?"

Seeing that Madam Mi had guessed it, Yuan Xi smiled bitterly and said, "I don't kill people easily. Sometimes a living person is more useful than a dead person."

"So I can't promise her anything. You better think of a way to send her back first."

"Oh, right. I will be back to Shouchun in the next few days. You should come with me. I will ask Madam Wu to rush from Yecheng to Shouchun so that she can meet her rebellious son."

Mrs. Mi thought that in the whole world, only her husband dared to call the King of Wu, who was famous in Jiangdong, a rebellious son, and she couldn't help but smile bitterly.

She immediately thought of Xiahou who was waiting on the boat at the dock, and felt even more helpless. What was going on?

Two days passed, and Zhang Fei's widow, Xiahou, who had been waiting for Mrs. Mi in the cabin of the Mi family caravan, did not receive any response and became anxious.

Zhang Fei had died in battle before, and she was already a widow. Logically, she should have stayed at home to observe mourning, but she had another concern: the whereabouts of the body of Xiahou Yuan, who had died in battle in Jingzhou before.

Xiahou's biological father was Xiahou Yuan's brother. Because he died young, Xiahou was raised by Xiahou Yuan. When Xiahou Yuan was down and out, there was not enough food at home. In order to support Xiahou, Xiahou Yuan even starved one of his own sons to death.

Therefore, the relationship between Xiahou Yuan and Xiahou Shi was as close as that of father and daughter. When Xiahou Yuan died in battle, Xiahou Shi was extremely sad. Out of filial piety, she had the responsibility to find Xiahou Yuan's body and bury him properly.

But Xiahou Yuan was a general of Cao Wei and was killed in a great battle with the Jin army. Liu Bei was not in a position to bring it up. Besides, so much time had passed, who knew how the Jin State dealt with the body?
When Mrs. Mi went to Changsha to visit Liu Bei, she was entertained by Lady Xiahou. She heard that Yuan Xi had now captured Nanchang and destroyed the State of Wu, and would soon return to Jianghuai from the north, and that Mrs. Mi would also rush to join him, so she became interested.

So after reporting the reason to Liu Bei, Xiahou followed Madam Mi's fleet northward and arrived at Wankou. She thought that this was not a big deal and that the Jin State would not make things difficult for her. But she never expected that two days had passed and there was no news from Yuan Xi, and even Madam Mi did not come!
Mrs. Xiahou thought again and again and felt that this was not a solution. She had just bribed some people and found out that Yuan Xi's fleet would set off for Shouchun the day after tomorrow. She was afraid that she would never have such an opportunity again!
After much thought, Xiahou found that the Mi family's merchant ship was not well guarded, so she came up with a plan. She asked the guards around her to find a carriage, and then she got off the ship disguised as a maid, slipped into the carriage, and went straight to Yuan Xi's mansion.

At that time, Madam Mi was talking to Bu Lianshi, but she heard from Menzi Tong that Xiahou wanted to see her. She couldn't help but complain in her heart. Her husband asked her to delay, but now that he has come to her, how can she delay?
Madam Mi had no choice but to ask her maid to bring in Lady Xiahou. Lady Xiahou was dressed in mourning and knelt down to kowtow to Madam Mi. She said, "I beg you to show mercy and allow me to bring back my father's body for burial. I will repay you for your kindness in my next life."

Madam Mi quickly helped Lady Xiahou up. She was also very troubled at the moment. Yuan Xi tried to avoid her, but now that he was at her door, could she still kick him out?
She thought for a long while, and could only wink at Bu Lianshi while talking to Mrs. Xiahou. Bu Lianshi understood what she meant, and immediately found an excuse to slip out, trotting all the way to find Yuan Xi.

At that time, Yuan Xi was enjoying the cool in the backyard. When Bu Lianshi came over and said that Xiahou had come to visit, he subconsciously wanted to get up and leave. Bu Lianshi held Yuan Xi back and said, "Your husband, are you going to let Madam Mi block you like this?"

Yuan Xi stopped and said helplessly: "What else can I say?"

"I can't tell her that I will use your father to bring down the Wei Kingdom in the future, right?"

Master Bu Lian couldn't help but smile bitterly. This matter was really bloody.

She has been following Yuan Xi closely these days, so she naturally knows the inside story of the matter.

At that time, Xiahou Yuan was slashed in the chest by Huang Zhong, and was seriously injured and fell into coma. At that time, Huang Zhong hesitated and did not chop off Xiahou Yuan's head directly. Instead, he continued to chase the Wei soldiers and asked his soldiers to collect Xiahou Yuan's body.

When he came back, the soldiers said that Xiahou Yuan was still alive. Huang Zhong heard this and went to inform Yuan Xi.

Yuan Xi thought about it and felt that he might be able to use it to split the Wei Kingdom in the future, so he locked up Xiahou Yuan. Only a few people knew about this, and Yuan Xi didn't take it seriously. How could he have expected that Xiahou would come to his house to ask for the body?

(End of this chapter)