Chapter 182: Chapter 182: The Intractable City of Sorrow

Liang Wan’s mind was a mess. This had caught her completely off guard.

She took a few deep breaths, clinging to a single thought. ’No matter what, the Grandmaster’s Mansion must not descend into chaos!’

She first pulled out a handkerchief, held it over her mouth and nose, and stepped into the inner chamber.

The Grandmaster was delirious with fever and completely unconscious. His face was sallow and etched with sickness, making it impossible to ask for his instructions.

Liang Wan retreated to the outer room and calmed herself, pondering for a moment.

’This matter has to be kept secret from everyone, but how?’ she thought. ’If the worst happens to the Grandmaster, how could I possibly hide it?’

Liang Wan summoned only the Chief Steward and Bai Lu into the room.

The two were stunned to learn that the Grandmaster had contracted the plague.

The medicine wasn’t the issue. The issue was where he could go to recover.

If he were sent to the special treatment facility outside the city, news of the plague would be impossible to contain.

But if he stayed in the mansion, with so many people living here, it would pose a risk to everyone. She feared the situation would spiral out of control.

Liang Wan was deeply troubled.

The Chief Steward furrowed his brow. After a moment of thought, he suddenly said, "The Grandmaster has two villas in the West Suburb. He used to frequent them to escape the summer heat, but they’ve been sitting empty. I wonder if one of those would be suitable?"

Liang Wan was pleasantly surprised. "Of course. We just need to pick one that’s remote, with no one living nearby."

Upon hearing this, the Chief Steward immediately sent men to make preparations. Once everything was ready, the official story would be that the Grandmaster had felt stifled in the mansion for too long, which was hindering his recovery, and so he was moving to a villa for a change of scenery.

They had medicine and a place. As for a caregiver...

Liang Wan considered this, then said to the others, "I know exactly how to manage the Grandmaster’s chronic conditions, and I’m also familiar with treating and nursing plague patients. To be safe, I will personally accompany him and take care of him—"

"That’s out of the question!" the Chief Steward interjected at once.

Bai Lu and the household doctor also disagreed.

Bai Lu said, "The mansion needs someone in charge right now to keep everyone from panicking."

"Indeed. Treating him is my responsibility," the household doctor added.

Liang Wan replied, "You have other priorities. With so many people in the mansion, you need to stay here and examine them one by one. If you find anyone else infected, just send them to the villa. As for those who aren’t, you’ll need to work hard on preventative measures. You can’t expect me to handle all those tedious tasks, can you?"

"Besides, with the Grandmaster indisposed, could you stop people from visiting? What excuse could you possibly give to turn them away?"

Indeed, never mind outsiders. Even if Lu Xu himself came to visit, what could the doctor do besides tell him the truth?

The household doctor hesitated. "But if you were to get infected—"

Liang Wan shook her head. "It’s alright. I’ll be extra careful."

She had caught the plague once before and nearly died. Back then, she had even wished for death, but she was fated to live and somehow pulled through.

She was also the one who had cured Cui Hao’s mother.

Bai Lu said solemnly, "I will go with you."

Liang Wan shook her head. "You’ve always been methodical, the most level-headed one here. Once I move the Grandmaster to the villa, the entire mansion will depend on you and the Chief Steward. You’ll manage things just as before. If any difficult decisions arise, come to the villa for my instructions."

"If I’m to take someone, it should be Gu Yu. I just don’t know if she’d be willing—"

Liang Wan sighed. The plague was, after all, incredibly dangerous.

"I am willing!"

Everyone turned toward the door in surprise.

Gu Yu curtsied. "Liang Ji, I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. Lady Cao is in the East Pavilion, threatening to burn it to the ground if she’s kept confined. Shuangjiang sent me to ask for your instructions—"

Liang Wan nodded. ’So the Grandmaster’s infection might be connected to her after all!’

"Tie her up and watch her!"

After further thought, she was still uneasy. She took a small white porcelain bottle from her sleeve and handed it to Gu Yu. "Put some of this in her tea every day. That should keep her quiet."

Gu Yu took it but didn’t leave right away. She confirmed again, "I want to go to the villa with you."

Liang Wan sighed and agreed. She had planned on taking Gu Yu anyway. For one, the girl was quick-witted. For another, she was tasked with relaying messages to Lu Xiu.

Only after getting her orders did Gu Yu leave the room.

Liang Wan then ordered the Chief Steward to strictly manage the servants of each courtyard. On the pretext of preventing gossip, she forbade anyone from visiting other courtyards or gathering in groups.

By the time she had arranged everything, it was mid-afternoon.

She had been busy for the better part of the day and had no appetite, but she forced herself to eat a substantial meal anyway. ’I can’t afford to collapse now.’

Just as she finished packing her things, the Chief Steward returned to report that the villa was ready for them to move in at any time.

Liang Wan didn’t want to delay any further. Every moment they waited meant more risk. She made an executive decision: they would move to the villa immediately.

Before leaving, Liang Wan decided to make a trip to Lu Xiu’s study.

No one else was permitted to enter his study without permission.

Liang Wan opened a drawer and tucked Yuan Shaoyu’s letter securely into her robes.

Even with Cao Luyun drugged and tied up, she still felt uneasy. There could be no more mistakes now.

By the time Liang Wan had moved the Grandmaster to the villa and gotten him settled, the sky was pitch-black.

She didn’t dare rest, personally compounding and decocting the medicines herself. The herbs had been delivered to the villa ahead of time.

But the Grandmaster’s condition was even more serious than she had anticipated.

After all, he already suffered from chronic illnesses. She had to be careful to avoid any adverse drug interactions, which made the situation particularly tricky.

Fortunately, aside from the Grandmaster, no one else in the Grandmaster’s Mansion had yet shown any symptoms.

To ensure their safety, Liang Wan called in a unit of government soldiers to guard the villa. No one was allowed to set foot inside without permission.

Liang Wan chose a room next to the Grandmaster’s. It was not only convenient for looking after him but also minimized her contact with others.

As the night deepened, Liang Wan was overcome with exhaustion.

She was hunched over a desk, writing a secret letter.

To be on the safe side, she decided to report the truth about the Grandmaster’s illness to the Empress Dowager, just in case.

When she looked up, she saw Gu Yu was also writing something.

Liang Wan glanced over and immediately guessed it was a letter for Lu Xiu.

"You’re rather brazen about it now, aren’t you?"

Gu Yu froze for a second, then looked up with a smile. "Since Liang Ji has already given her silent consent, why should I bother hiding it?"

Liang Wan lowered her head and went back to her letter.

’It’s better to tell him the truth now than to keep him in the dark and make him worry.’

Once Liang Wan finished the secret report, she had it sent to the palace that very night.

The next day, the Empress Dowager dispatched a trusted Imperial Physician to take charge of the Grandmaster’s treatment and care.

The Empress Dowager expressed her approval of Liang Wan’s discreet handling of the situation. The Lu Family was in a precarious position, and an epidemic could easily escalate into a major crisis.

Only then did Liang Wan feel a sliver of relief.

She knew that if the worst were to happen to the Grandmaster, she would be unable to bear the responsibility.

The Grandmaster was not in good health. His fever came and went, and his condition remained highly unstable.

Her hands were tied when it came to medication, making it hard to say if he would survive this ordeal.

「Four days later.」 The Grandmaster’s fever finally began to subside.

Besides worrying about the Grandmaster’s condition, Liang Wan was also preoccupied with the war on the front lines.

Unfortunately, despite her anxious waiting, no good news arrived.

The two most recent battles had both ended in defeat, with Beizhou losing one city after another.

The strange thing was, every move Qi Country made seemed designed to give Beizhou an opening.

If she didn’t know Lu Xiu’s true character, even she might have started to believe he was responsible for the defeats.

As a result, the rumors grew more and more vicious.

"Liang Ji, something’s wrong!"

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