My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 372 Two Armies
Yuzhang Commandery, Nanchang County.

As the seat of Yuzhang Commandery and a hub of water and land transportation, it had always been extremely prosperous and was one of the major cities in the south. Although it could not compare with Wu County, it was no less impressive than Shanyin County.

However, the atmosphere in Nanchang County is quite tense at the moment.

Pedestrians hurried by, and although the shops were open, they exuded a desolate atmosphere.

In Nanchang County, everyone from the powerful gentry to the common people knew that the prefect and the General Who Conquers the South had gone to war, and that the Yue barbarians had also been brought in, but the result was a crushing defeat.

Martial law has been imposed in Nanchang County, with only one city gate open for people to enter and exit.

This isn't because Zhu Hao is particularly approachable, but rather it's standard practice.

If all the city gates are closed, the people won't even have enough firewood for the next day, and they'll starve to death in just two or three days.

It was under these circumstances that Yu Fan entered Nanchang County, and after making a few inquiries, he obtained Hua Xin's address.

Hua Xin was living in seclusion in Nanchang County at this time, and the scenery there was far from what it had been in the original timeline.

In the original timeline, Hua Xin achieved a remarkable three-level promotion within a year. First, after Zhu Hao was killed by Zuo Rong, he became the acting governor of Yuzhang Commandery. Then, a few months later, Liu Yao died of illness, and Hua Xin was supported by Liu Ji and other former subordinates of Liu Yao to become the governor of Yangzhou.

After that, he was persuaded by Yu Fan to surrender to Sun Ce with the entire Liu Yao group, becoming the Yangzhou Governor Group, which was quite large in the early stages of Sun Ce's political career.

However, due to Liu Feng's influence, Zuo Rong has not been able to escape to Yuzhang. Now, he has been beheaded in Jurong and his head has been sent to Xuzhou.

As a result, Zhu Hao lived a good life in Yuzhang, and Hua Xin's position as prefect naturally vanished.

Fortunately, Zhu Hao respected Hua Xin quite a bit and often gave him gifts. Although Hua Xin did not accept the gifts, he still lived a very comfortable life in Nanchang County because of Zhu Hao's attitude.

The next day, Yu Fan arrived at Hua Xin's house alone, without any attendants, gifts, or business cards.

Hua Xin was somewhat surprised when he heard the servant's report, and immediately went up to the hall to invite Yu Fan in.

"I am Yu Fan from Yuyao. I have met Mr. Ziyu."

After Yu Fan entered the hall, he cupped his hands in greeting to Hua Xin.

Hua Xin asked in surprise, "Is it Yu Zhongxiang from Yuyao?"

Yu Fan nodded and said, "It is indeed me. I did not expect that Mr. Ziyu would also recognize me."

Hua Xin exclaimed with delight, "It really is Zhong Xiang! Jing Xing and I are old acquaintances and often correspond. He has praised you highly in his heart and even sent you your article along with the letter. Zhong Xiang is very knowledgeable and his writing is magnificent. I am very fond of it."

Hua Xin praised Yu Fan highly, but Yu Fan remained indifferent, seemingly not particularly happy about it.

Hua Xin was introverted and low-key, but also sensitive and suspicious, a trait that was fully displayed when she studied and farmed with Guan Ning. Unfortunately, despite her superb acting skills, Hua Xin couldn't outsmart Guan Ning's keen insight into people's hearts, ultimately leading to a falling out.

Although she didn't know why Yu Zhongxiang was acting this way, Hua Xin had already sensed that the other party had ill intentions.

Sure enough, Yu Fan immediately launched into a tirade: "I was fortunate to be promoted by the Prefect and entrusted with an important task, serving as the Chief Clerk. I dare not slack off in the slightest. When the traitor Sun crossed the river, news of my father's passing had just arrived. I was at home observing mourning for my father, but I also took off my mourning clothes and went out to serve the Prefect with utmost loyalty."

"I am not a petty person seeking fame and fortune, but rather I am doing this to repay the kindness of the imperial court and to return the favor to the prefect."

Yu Fan stared intently at Hua Xin and said, "I respect Mr. Ziyu as a renowned scholar of the Central Plains, highly regarded by scholars, and surely he has a heart to serve the country and bring peace to the people."

After being bombarded with a barrage of angry words by Yu Fan, Hua Xin finally calmed down a bit.

Upon hearing this, he hurriedly replied, "Zhongxiang, what makes you say such a thing? Xin studies the classics, writes moral treatises, how can he not be loyal to the emperor and appease the hearts of the people?"

Yu Fan pressed on, saying, "If that's the case, then why did Lord Zhu oppose the royal army, and why didn't Master Ziyu offer any advice? Does Master Ziyu think that by simply watching Zhu Wenming wage war, he can stop the southern expedition from entering Yuzhang?"

Hua Xin's body trembled, and she felt very annoyed.

Just as Yu Fan said, he was not fully aware that Zhu Hao had colluded with Zu Lang and other Yue chieftains to fight against Zhou Yu's army.

However, he knew all too well that Zhu Hao was stubborn, self-willed, and narrow-minded, unable even to maintain a semblance of politeness. Despite Zhu Hao's current courteousness, he might turn hostile at the slightest provocation. Furthermore, given his own high reputation and popularity in Yuzhang, Hua Xin dared not offer any advice.

Hua Xin's personality was just like that. Historically, as a veteran official of the Han Dynasty, he lost even the title of one of the Three Dukes because of the change of dynasties. If Cao Pi hadn't died too young and Cao Rui hadn't been so shrewd, it's hard to say what Hua Xin's fate would have been.

But asking Hua Xin to stand up and lead the opposition against Cao Pi's usurpation would be putting Hua Ziyu in a very difficult position.

After all, even with Xun Yu's abilities, he could only offer soft resistance and non-violent non-cooperation in such a situation.

Xun Wenruo was already quite flexible, and Hua Ziyu was even more agile, so naturally, he couldn't possibly stand up and object.

Hua Xin genuinely admired Yu Fan, and the other party's words held the moral high ground. Even with Hua Xin's abilities, she was momentarily speechless in her defense.

Yu Fan suddenly calmed down and did not continue to press the matter. Instead, he straightened his crown and robes, straightened his posture, and spoke again: "I have three doubts that I would like to ask Mr. Ziyu for guidance. I humbly request that you enlighten me."

Hua Xin paused for a moment, gave Yu Fan a deep look, and then replied, "I wonder what concerns Zhongxiang has. Although I dare not accept such a request from Zhongxiang, I am willing to answer all your questions."

Yu Fan bowed in thanks, then asked, "Sir, in your opinion, whose reputation, that of Zhu Wenming, is comparable to that of the Left General of Jiangbei, or my humble Prince?"

Hua Xin paused for a moment, then slowly shook her head and said, "It's not good enough."

This wasn't Hua Xin's true feeling; he didn't think much of either Yuan Shu or Wang Lang. But Yu Fan's high-profile inquiry clearly indicated there was more to the story.

Hua Xin had already guessed Yu Fan's intentions, which is why he agreed to his words. Besides, what he said wasn't exactly a lie. Compared to Yuan Shu and Wang Lang, Zhu Hao was indeed not as famous as those two.

As expected, Yu Fan continued to ask, "How much grain does Yuzhang have? Are its weapons and armor of high quality? How do the bravery and courage of its soldiers and civilians compare to those of our humble prefecture?"

Hua Xin naturally shook her head again, denying it, "It's not as good."

Yu Fan revealed a smug look and asked again, "Zheng Nan conquered Wu County in three months and recovered Kuaiji in half a year. His military tactics were divine, and his wisdom and strategy were unparalleled. General Zuo was defeated overnight, and Sun Jian fled in half a day. Of the six counties in Jiangdong, Zheng Nan recovered five in seven months. Only Yuzhang County remained, unaware of the will of Heaven, stubbornly resisting. Now, General Zhou has defeated Zhu Wenming again, and his vanguard has reached fifty miles north of Nanchang City. Zhu Wenming wants to defend the isolated city. Do you think the city's supplies are sufficient? If you knew beforehand that they were insufficient, why didn't you plan ahead? It's too late to use them after the fact. Now that the main army has reached Jiaoqiu, I will return. If the royal army comes to the city and I fail to respond to the proclamation, then I bid farewell."

Hua Xin was shocked. Yu Fan had issued an ultimatum, especially the phrase "I'm leaving you," which was a blatant threat to his life.

Those who do not surrender will die!
Hua Xin knew that she was included in this.

He sighed and said, "Zheng Nan was entrusted by the imperial court and the common people to bring peace to the southeast for the emperor and the court. Zhu Wenming was appointed by the emperor, yet he defied the royal army. His heart deserves to be punished!"

Yu Fan's eyes lit up, knowing that Hua Xin had finally made a decision, and he felt very satisfied.

Don't underestimate Hua Xin's influence in Yuzhang. Although Zhu Hao was the governor of Yuzhang at this time, his power was no longer as great as Hua Xin's. The main reason was that Zhu Hao's most loyal troops had been defeated by Zhou Yu, and almost the entire army had been wiped out.

This group consists of Zhu Jun's private army, which has fought alongside him for many years. They are skilled in battle and have fought bravely. If Zhu Hao hadn't been so incompetent, it would have been very costly to wipe out this private army.

For Zhu Hao, there was another very troublesome matter.

That was the 3,000 troops he sent out, of which only 300 were his personal retainers, and the remaining 2,700 were local soldiers from Nanchang.

The generals among these people were all from prominent families in Nanchang, and the soldiers under their command were all from Nanchang County.

Now that Zhu Hao has lost them all, he is not only extremely weak but also burdened with a heavy responsibility. From top to bottom, everyone in Nanchang County is very dissatisfied with Zhu Hao; resentment is building up and just waiting for a spark to ignite.

Hua Xin is undoubtedly the best Mars.

********
Houguan is located outside the city of Dongye County.

Zhao Yun's army has successfully landed and completely surrounded Dongye County.

Just as Zhao Yun was about to proceed with the plan that Liu Feng had advised him on, the commanders of his various camps came knocking on his door one after another. Dong Xi, Gan Ning, Yuan Xiong, and other generals all arrived outside Zhao Yun's main camp to request an audience.

Zhao Yun was puzzled and immediately invited the generals and officers into the main tent for a discussion.

As soon as Gan Ning sat down, he straightened up and shouted loudly to Zhao Yun, "General, there is an epidemic in my camp."

Zhao Yun was startled, not expecting that Dong Xi and Yuan Xiong would also speak up, saying, "There is also an outbreak of disease in my camp."

Zhao Yun dared not delay and quickly inquired about the details.

Dong Xi, Gan Ning, Yuan Xiong, and the others discussed the matter and discovered that the symptoms of the epidemic in their camps were very similar, and it was very likely that they were the same disease.

Patients with this disease experience chills all over their body, often shivering, while also experiencing symptoms such as fever and sweating.

Zhao Yun's expression immediately turned serious. They were the Northern Army, and having come from afar, their greatest fear was the plague.

Therefore, Liu Feng mobilized a large number of medicinal herbs and physicians in Kuaiji to accompany them south, in order to prevent such a situation.

Although the powerful clans of Houguan and Dongye were numerous, their fighting strength was not particularly strong. In a normal confrontation, even with a numerical advantage, they would never be a match for Zhao Yun's troops.

But if an epidemic breaks out, the outcome is hard to predict. Forget about conquering cities and seizing territories, they might not even be able to protect their army.

"Don't panic, everyone."

As the commander-in-chief, Zhao Yun naturally could not panic. Not only could he not lose his composure, but he also had to reassure the generals and give them confidence.

"Before setting off, Zheng Nan had already made some arrangements. He asked the doctors to assign each camp to treat patients, and then we would discuss the results later."

Subsequently, Zhao Yun ordered the construction of a new camp and sent the patients to the new camp. The old camp also needed to be disinfected with lime, and the boiled water was safe to drink.

Soon, the doctor reported the situation.

The result was quite serious, because the doctors determined that these patients had been infected with miasma.

"It's miasma!?"

Yuan Xiong was originally from Jiangdong, an old southerner who followed Sun Jian in his campaigns, so he was naturally more aware of the severity of miasma than anyone else.

Gan Ning and Dong Xi were also terrified upon hearing this.

Dong Xi was originally from Kuaiji, so he naturally knew a lot about miasma, while Gan Ning was from Yizhou, where the miasma was just as severe.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the biggest enemy in the southward expansion was miasma, whose harm far exceeded that of natural disasters such as swamps, salt erosion, and typhoons.

Of course, miasma was just the name used in this era; its name in later generations was malaria.

Before humans extracted penicillin, people were terrified of malaria. It is no exaggeration to say that the mortality rate of this disease could reach as high as 90%, and at that time there were almost no treatments available.

It was precisely because of malaria that the reclamation efforts in the south resulted in an extremely high mortality rate, extremely low efficiency, and a devastating cost. It can be said that it was through countless skeletons that the dense forests of the south were destroyed, transforming the south into a habitable environment.

However, what people don't know is that there was actually a cure for malaria in ancient China.

Cinchona trees existed in southern China and Taiwan in ancient times, and their bark and leaves were considered the best and most effective medicines.

To put it another way, Artemisia annua from the north also has some therapeutic effects, although it is not as effective as cinchona tree, but at least it is a targeted treatment.

When Liu Feng went south this time, he had already prepared a large amount of Artemisia annua. After arriving in Kuaiji, he immediately launched a search for Cinchona trees.

Therefore, Zhao Yun carried a large amount of Artemisia annua and Cinchona tree leaves and bark with him on his southward journey.

"Generals, do not worry!"

Zhao Yun shouted loudly, which immediately calmed down Dong Xi and the other generals.

"This southward expedition has already made preparations for miasma."

Malaria is mainly transmitted through mosquito bites, so isolation is not very effective. Instead, eliminating malaria eggs in ditches and placing mugwort around the plants can be quite effective.

Zhao Yun immediately began issuing orders according to the booklet given by Liu Feng, and ordered Liu Yan, a disciple of Hua Tuo in Xuzhou, to take over the camp of patients. At the same time, he allocated a large amount of Artemisia annua bark and leaves of Cinchona bark for Liu Yan's use.

In addition, Zhao Yun ordered his troops to clear away weeds from the surrounding ditches, clean up the ecosystem around the encampment, and collect a large amount of mugwort to fumigate and kill insects.

After a series of intensive treatments and actions, the miasma, which had just begun to emerge, was immediately suppressed. The large quantities of Artemisia annua and cinchona also helped stabilize the patient's condition quickly.

The stabilization and reduction of patients led to a further decline in transmission, and a massive catastrophe gradually dissipated before it even began.

As the commander-in-chief, Zhao Yun was under immense pressure. It was one thing if the advance into Houguan failed, but if the 15,000-strong army were truly ravaged by malaria, perhaps only 20 or 30 percent of them would be able to return home.

The thought of Liu Feng's expectations and high regard made Zhao Yun feel as if he were carrying the weight of Mount Tai.

(End of this chapter)