His Rui

Chapter 809: Did Rui Find A Cure?

------     

There had been rare moments in his life that had left Xi Ying helpless.      

Surprisingly or not so unsurprisingly, all these moments had his wife.      

One such moment was today as he stood in front of the carriage all ready to go to the Duan Province, a recently affected region by the new disease.      

A week had passed already and he had not been able to come up with any solution. In the end, he realized that his wife was right.      

The disease really found some other way to spread. He tried his best. He restricted the movement of the people from the affected regions. He made sure that the infected would not come in contact with not infected. However, he had not known that the disease had already spread to animals and through animals, it spread to other citizens in new regions.      

The past week Xi Ying worked hard a lot but the number of infected people only increased without any stop. The people had started to die now.      

The figure of dead people which was still low a week now was now in triple digits and he was afraid that it would be soon in four digits.      

As a result, as he had promised his wife, he was to accompany her to go to the affected area.      

His black eyes went to look at his wife who was so calm as she instructed Liu Lan about Xi Jia.      

He could see very clearly her worry and concern for their daughter. How he wished that this once she would become selfish and stay here only …for their children at least.      

His eyes went to his son.      

Xi Ling's eyes were red. He had hoped that his son would be able to stop his wife.      

However, only god knew how Li Rui made Xi Ling understand, the small bun no longer insisted that his mother should stay.      

He even said that he was proud of his mother and he promised his father and mother that he would take care of his sister very well.      

Gu Li was to stay in Xi Manor.      

Xi Ying trusted him to keep his children safe. It was only because of Gu Li that he was feeling free to leave his children here alone. Combined with this, the Emperor had also assured him that he himself would be responsible for the safety of Xi Manor.      

A few moments later, when he was seated inside the carriage, he was very tempted to break his promise to Li Rui.      

For a moment, he wanted to drag her inside the manor and lock her somewhere. Even if she despised him for that, it would be alright. At least, the fear inside his heart would no longer be there.      

As if she could read his thoughts, he heard her say     

"Ying, staying here won't protect us."     

Xi Ying raised his head and looked at his wife.      

"I am not only doing this for other people. If we didn't do anything, the disease will soon spread to the Imperial City. Even you are aware of that. May it never happen but if our Jia or Xiao Ling got sick….then I won't know what I will do. Xiao Ling's body is already weak because of being poisoned at such a young age and Jia … is just a child. Her body is not strong enough to protect her….we need to eliminate the disease so that it won't reach our children."     

Xi Ying stared at Li Rui for a few moments before he exhaled sharply.      

He made her sit in his lap and hugged her tightly.          

"Rui, if anything happened to you then I will also die."     

"I won't let anything happen to myself."     

Li Rui said firmly and Xi Ying nodded his head.      

She better keep her word because he would destroy everything if anything happened to her.      

.     

.     

.     

It didn't take much time to reach Duan province.      

They had started their journey in the morning and by evening, they reached the affected region.      

It made Xi Ying realize how close the disease was to the Imperial City. For a moment, he thought that whatever Li Rui was saying was right.      

But his heart was still not at rest.      

Even before they stepped out of the carriage, he ensured that Li Rui was completely covered. After covering his body completely, he stepped outside the carriage with his wife.      

From top to bottom, their whole bodies were covered. Only their eyes were slightly uncovered through the mask they wore on their face.      

As his eyes roamed around the completely deserted street, Xi Ying seemed to feel the actual gravity of the situation in the affected region.      

The sound of their footsteps echoed as they walked down the street.      

At the end of the street, there was a large ground where all infected people were kept.      

It was guarded by the Imperial soldiers. As soon as they saw him, they opened the door to let him inside.      

Xi Ying took a deep breath before he stepped inside holding the hand of his wife.      

All over the large ground, there were many small and large tents.      

Physicians could be seen going inside and coming outside of these tents. Their bodies were also well covered.      

One of them suddenly noticed Xi Ying and Li Rui and the pair of uncovered eyes brightened when they recognized Li Rui.      

With a fast speed, the physician walked to Li Rui.      

"Lady Li, you are here?"     

Li Rui looked at the physician as she wondered whether she recognized him.      

"It is Imperial physician Yun."         

Xi Ying told his wife who nodded her head and greeted the old physician. The old physician was happy to see Li Rui though his smile couldn't be seen.      

He had not expected that Xi Ying would allow Li Rui to come here. But since she was here, it was good.      

"Ying, I will go to one of the tents."     

Xi Ying's body tensed when he heard this but Imperial Physician Yun immediately stepped forward to help.      

"Let this old man accompany Lady Li. Prime Minister Xi, you can do your work. I will assist Lady Li."     

It was an honor to be assisted by an Imperial Physician. Li Rui didn't dare to accept such an honor. But she was also afraid that if Xi Ying would go inside then he might not let her enter again.      

That's why she accepted Physician Yun's help.      

However, she had thought wrong. Xi Ying was not going to leave her alone. He glanced at his wife with narrowed eyes and then looked at the old physician coldly. Holding his wife's hand, he asked the physician about the tent and then went together with Li Rui.      

It was worse.      

He had never seen something like this before.      

Xi Ying's chest heaved as he ran out of the tent and tried to control his urge to throw up.      

Just a step behind him, Li Rui followed.      

She was breathing heavily but her state was still better than Xi Ying's. As a physician, she had been a witness to such moments. Though it was bad, she still could manage herself.      

However, Xi Ying's state worried her.      

"Ying, you should go and have some rest."     

She said softly.     

However, Xi Ying held her hand and said sharply.      

"We are leaving. You are not going to stay here for a moment."     

As he remembered the state of the person inside the tent, Xi Ying's heart was filled with fear and nothing else.      

It was a man who was infected with the disease. Physician Yun told them that it had been only been six days since the man got infected.      

However, the man's eyes …his eyes were red with some spots and there was a strange liquid leaking out of them.      

His body reeked of a very bad smell which made people have the urge to throw up. The man's body had some strange marks.     

His body looked so thin that Xi Ying could already predict that the man was going to die in a day or two if a miracle didn't happen.      

How could he let her stay at such a place!      

He dragged her out of the large ground. They were in the street to go back to the carriage when Li Rui stopped walking.         

"You promised me."     

She only said these words and Xi Ying felt the anger roaring inside his chest. Could she for once feel what he was feeling?     

"I don't care."     

He almost shouted at her for the first time.      

Li Rui stared at him silently. A moment later, she stepped forward. Her arms went around his waist and she patted his back gently while whispering     

"Calm down…Nothing will happen."     

Xi Ying's eyes which were filled with anger were suddenly filled with tears. His hand went around her small frame and he couldn't help but whisper helplessly     

"Why are you so stubborn?"     

  As a result, Li Rui brought Xi Ying back.      

Outside the large ground, Xi Ying had his shadow guards make a tent for him and Li Rui. A few steps away, other physicians' and Imperial soldiers' tents were already standing.      

Throughout the whole day, he stayed beside Li Rui only making sure that she would not excessively touch any infected person.      

The physician noticed his concern and he also tried his best to ensure the same. He could understand Xi Ying.      

Li Rui was his wife. He also understood why the young prime minister was so angry at him that day in the Imperial Court.     

But the old physician didn't care about his own life. He was already old and didn't have a family.      

So he did all the work that could help Li Rui and prevent her from touching the infected people.      

Almost two days passed like this. In merely two days, so many people passed away.      

Since he knew about only one province, Xi Ying was sure that the cumulative number of deaths must be much more.      

He was also anxious about their daughter. He could see that Rui was also worried but he didn't dare to send any letter to ask about the matter from the manor fearing that the infection could spread like this as well.     

Li Rui's time spent finding the cure.      

She would notice the symptoms every day. She would write down how the newly infected people would feel in the beginning and she also took a sample of the liquid that leaked out of their eyes.     

She slept very less. On the third day, Xi Ying couldn't see it anymore and forcefully dragged her to the tent to rest.      

It was at midnight that he opened his eyes and found that she was missing. He was shocked as he wondered why he didn't get up when she left the bed. He didn't realize that his body was also very tired which had an impact on his sharp senses.      

Panicked, Xi Ying immediately covered himself and left the tent. Striding inside the large ground, he walked to the other tent and sure enough, he found Li Rui there.      

He knew that she would be here.      

There had been a newly infected woman who was kept inside the tent. Li Rui had asked Physician Yun to find a person who could agree to take the medicines she was preparing to cure the disease.          

She was not sure whether those medicines would help or not, so she needed someone who would give his consent to drink the medicine without knowing the consequences.      

This woman agreed after asking the same from almost fifty people.      

Of course, Li Rui first tried the medicine on the animal and then gave the medicine to the woman.      

"Rui"     

Xi Ying's voice was strict when he called out his wife's name.      

He could see how she stiffened at his voice. However, he continued in the same strict voice     

"You should be resting."     

  Li Rui turned around suddenly. Though her face was covered, he could see that she was guilty.      

He sighed and was confused when she suddenly ran towards him and held his arm …quite tightly. As if she was excited.      

"Ying, the medicine I prepared yesterday…it had a positive effect on that cattle. The strange liquid stopped coming out of its eyes. So I came here to give Jia Jun that medicine."     

The woman's name was Jia Jun and she was drinking the medicine with the help of Physician Yun.      

Xi Ying's eyes flickered when he registered Li Rui's words in his mind.      

Though he knew that she was saying this to save herself from his scolding, he was relieved to hear her words.      

From outside, he only nodded her head and asked her to rest.      

Li Rui obeyed her. While returning, she took him to the tent where the cattle was tied and Xi Ying noticed that the cattle indeed looked better than before.