Song Yanchao was dragged before Song Yu, his entire demeanor dazed and confused.
"Uncle, why have you sent men to seize me? What crime have I committed?"
Looking at Song Yanchao, who still held his head high defiantly, Song Yu let out a scornful laugh.
"Come, first tell me what you’ve been doing these past two days. Describe it all, one thing at a time."
Seemingly caught off guard by Song Yu’s direct public interrogation, Song Yanchao pressed his lips together. "I only did the tasks Ah Huan assigned."
"Bullshit!"
Song Yu’s thin lips parted, delivering a succinct and cutting response.
"Distributing medicinal soup to prevent disease among the people—did you do it?"
"Spreading lime in the county—did you do it?"
"Supervising the boiling of water—did you supervise it?"
"If you’ve done nothing, why did you come to Laijin Prefecture? To watch the spectacle?"
The rapid-fire questions turned Song Yanchao’s face as red as a steamed lobster.
He had considered the consequences of neglecting his duties, but he never imagined Song Yu would disregard royal dignity so openly, letting the commoners witness his humiliation.
"Uncle, I delegated these tasks to Liuxi..."
"Laijin Prefecture cannot afford to support idle masters right now."
Song Yu grabbed Song Yanchao by the scruff of his neck. "If you came here to play master and order people around, I’ll have you thrown back to the capital immediately."
The carefully crafted image Song Yanchao had built crumbled in just two days.
Only then did it dawn on him—his uncle had set him up!
"I didn’t come to boss people around. I’m just new here and couldn’t handle such important tasks right away..."
Song Yanchao’s mind raced. "Uncle, you could assign me simpler tasks first, let me ease into it."
"Tch—"
Song Yu’s gaze grew even more disdainful. "Fine. Then you’ll tend to the horses."
"All you need to do is check daily for any signs of illness among them."
"Good, I can do that."
Song Yanchao agreed hastily, but the people’s eyes no longer held the reverence they once had.
This Imperial Grandson was far inferior to the Princess.
......
Dinner.
"Song Yanchao is nothing but a hindrance."
Song Shihuan wolfed down her meal. These days, their work was physically demanding, time was tight, and even eating had become a hurried affair.
Song Yu was no different.
"I knew he came just for the credit, so I gave the boy a taste of reality. Just wait, Ah Huan—when we return to the capital, His Majesty will surely deal with him."
"With how unreliable he is, we’ll need to send someone to inspect the stables every couple of days."
Song Yu took a vicious bite of his steamed bun, as if it were Song Yanchao’s flesh.
Song Shihuan pouted. "Only two days left. If we can keep the outbreak contained, the risk of disease spreading further will be minimal."
"True." Song Yu nodded. "After such a massive flood, epidemics are usually inevitable. This time, we’ve been fortunate."
Father and daughter both looked forward to the next two days, hoping Laijin Prefecture would finally overcome this crisis.
But fate had other plans.
......
The following day, as the sun dipped below the horizon.
A soldier specially assigned by Song Yu to inspect the horses jumped into the pen, examining each one carefully. Meanwhile, Song Yanchao lounged leisurely on a recliner outside.
"I’ve already checked today. The horses are fine, nothing unusual."
Ignoring Song Yanchao’s words, the soldier meticulously inspected every animal.
Suddenly, his expression changed.
After a closer look, his entire body trembled. He spun around and shouted,
"Inform His Highness and the Princess immediately! There’s a horse standing apart from the herd, unsteady on its feet, its hooves weak!"
The messenger outside dropped everything and sprinted to deliver the news.
Panicked, Song Yanchao scrambled to flee, but the soldier blocked him.
"Imperial Grandson, you cannot leave."
"You dare stop me?" Song Yanchao kicked the soldier in fury.
"His Highness and the Princess ordered that anyone exposed must not leave. That includes you—and me."
Frantic, Song Yanchao tried to force his way out, but the soldier clung to his legs, refusing to let go no matter how he cursed or struck.
When the news reached Song Yu and Song Shihuan, they acted swiftly.
Barricades were erected around the stables. Civilians within five meters were relocated, while others retreated further away.
Trapped behind the barriers, Song Yanchao watched in terror as Song Yu and Song Shihuan, faces covered, stood outside staring back at him.
"Uncle, you can’t leave me here! I—I’m an Imperial Grandson! Let me out!"
With a diseased horse inside, staying here meant certain death.
"We’re not abandoning you. We’re isolating you and the others. Stay calm—physicians will arrive soon. You and that soldier must keep away from the stables."
At this moment, Song Yu set aside their feud, focused solely on containing the outbreak.
Song Yanchao burst into tears.
It was all the same—he was being left to die!
If he had known, he would never have come to Laijin Prefecture.
What good was chasing glory when his life was at stake?
......
The physicians confirmed the horse carried disease, plunging Laijin Prefecture into high alert.
The people donned face coverings, burning mugwort in the streets to ward off the illness.
Thanks to the soldier’s quick response, the outbreak had yet to spread among the populace.
"Can’t any of you give me a straight answer? Am I infected or not?"
Behind the barricades, Song Yanchao raged at the five physicians.
"Imperial Grandson, only that one horse was confirmed diseased, and its body has been burned. The illness shouldn’t spread so quickly."
After a pause, the physician added, "But since you inspected the horses, you may have been exposed. Don’t let your guard down—you must drink this medicinal brew."
Hearing this, Song Yanchao relaxed slightly.
After all, he had only glanced at the horses from outside the pen, never stepping inside.
"Fine, bring the medicine then." His stiff posture loosened. "And burn more mugwort."
He couldn’t afford to be tainted by bad luck.
Yet, strangely, the next night.
It wasn’t the soldier who fell ill with fever—it was Song Yanchao.
