CHAPTER 72: CHAPTER 72: A LIVING BODHISATTVA!

"Impossible!" Jing Lai couldn’t help but interject, "Forgive me, Master, for speaking out of turn."

The crowd shook their heads; how could they blame him?

Jing Lai said, "The Marquis would never agree to it."

"No need to tell him," Fu Shinian said, "As long as the Marquis doesn’t find out."

"It’s impossible. If the Marquis discovers we all kept it from him..."

"Then let him vent his anger once he’s well again," Fu Shinian said, "I can’t bear to see him not even have the chance to be angry."

"The Marquis would never vent his anger on you," Jing Lai said hastily, "He would surely be furious with me instead."

"If that’s truly the case, I’ll shield you when the time comes."

"It’s not just about whether you shield me or not," Jing Lai said anxiously, "You can’t take this risk! Let me do it instead!"

"With your robust health, how can you be of any use?" Fu Shinian said.

Jing Lai immediately looked at the Imperial Physicians.

Indeed, he saw Doctor Liu and the others all showing expressions of difficulty.

"It truly is impossible," Doctor Xu said, "Even if you were infected, the difference in physical constitution makes it unlikely we can use you as a reference without harming the Marquis."

"Given the situation, can any of you think of other solutions?" Fu Shinian asked in return.

This question rendered the crowd silent.

"If no one can think of anything else, let me try," Fu Shinian took a deep breath, "If it works, both the Marquis and I can live. If it doesn’t, at least we’ve tried our best and won’t have regrets."

Ultimately, she’d die alongside Xiao Chengyu.

"Jing Lai, take me to the academy," Fu Shinian said.

"No, I can’t," Jing Lai shook his head, "I absolutely cannot take you."

"If you won’t take me, I can have someone else do it," Fu Shinian said.

Upon hearing this, Jing Lai was utterly troubled.

Taking Fu Shinian to the academy was akin to leading her to her death.

But if he didn’t take her and someone else did, he couldn’t rest easy either.

Although the Marquis said he wouldn’t marry Fu Shinian, everyone knew he was clearly fond of the Second Miss of the Fu family.

Jing Lai gritted his teeth, making a difficult decision, "I’ll take you."

"There’s no time to waste; let’s go now," Fu Shinian said, "Please, Masters, prepare the medicine for me."

Fu Shinian thought for a moment, "It’s best not to start with a new prescription right away. Let’s use the old one first, and switch to the new one once my condition worsens."

Doctor Xu and the others were speechless.

No one could have predicted that Fu Shinian would go to such lengths for Marquis Changping.

Such profound love and loyalty!

Little did they know, Fu Shinian simply wanted to protect her family.

Her dream had awakened her abruptly, uncertain of the final outcome for her and her father, but she imagined it wasn’t good.

In her last life, both her mother and her aunt died protecting her.

Now it was her turn to protect her family.

Even if it meant sacrificing her life.

Fu Shinian had considered that if she died trying to save Xiao Chengyu, even if Xiao Chengyu couldn’t be saved in the end, Madame Xiao would still remember her gratitude.

Remember that she risked her life to save Xiao Chengyu.

Then, even if Xiao Fengxing sought revenge against her family, Madame Xiao would intervene.

At least her family’s lives would be spared.

That would be enough.

Fu Shinian thought, she wasn’t exploiting Xiao Chengyu.

Xiao Chengyu was a good man, and she hoped for his well-being.

In giving her life for Xiao Chengyu, she surely wasn’t betraying him.

Jing Lai escorted Fu Shinian to the academy, accompanied by several guards.

So that if the townspeople stirred up trouble, Fu Shinian wouldn’t be harmed.

At the entrance of the academy, Fu Shinian said to Jing Lai and the guards, "Wait outside. Since you’re not infected, there’s no need to join me in such a risky venture."

"It’s too dangerous for you to go in alone," Jing Lai said.

The guard dispatched by Emperor Jiawen said, "We were sent by His Majesty to protect the Marquis and the lady."

Another guard said, "If the prescription works, even if we get infected, we’ll recover."

"His Majesty ordered that we can’t let the lady go in alone," the guard said.

Jing Lai said, "Miss, you don’t know the situation inside. The townspeople have been confined for a long time, witnessing deaths regularly, and they hold some resentment. It’s too dangerous for you to go in alone."

"We can’t have you harmed before saving the Marquis," Jing Lai said.

"All right," Fu Shinian looked at them and bowed respectfully, "Originally, this matter was mine alone to handle, but I’ve involved you all, my apologies."

"Miss, don’t say that," the guard quickly responded, "Miss is kind-hearted, bringing medicine into the city to support us until the court sent supplies. Miss can be said to have saved an entire city. Now, she willingly risks herself for the Marquis, and we admire and are willing to protect her."

With that, they escorted Fu Shinian inside.

Fu Shinian removed her veil and walked around inside.

Those with mild symptoms could still read storybooks inside to pass the time.

Those with severe symptoms were already bedridden.

Seeing a young lady they didn’t know, walking around without even wearing a veil, they all looked at her in astonishment.

Seeing this, Jing Lai called out loudly, "This is Miss Fu, who brought medicine into the city earlier."

"What? This is Miss Fu?"

"Thank you, Miss Fu!"

"Thank you, Miss Fu!"

They all had heard it was because Miss Fu brought medicine into the city that it was replenished in time, so the sick had medicine available.

"Now, the court has sent Imperial Physicians and a new prescription, but it’s unknown if it will work," Jing Lai called out, "Miss Fu doesn’t want innocent people to take the risk, so she intends to test the medicine herself. She comes today to infect herself with the illness and conduct a trial upon returning."

"My heavens! She’s like a living Bodhisattva!"

None wished to become a test subject.

What if the medicine not only failed to cure but killed them?

Yet this Miss Fu was willing to test the medicine herself.

Moreover, even though she wasn’t infected.

All the townspeople spontaneously knelt.

"Thank you, Miss Fu!"

"Thank you, Miss Fu!"

"Miss Fu is kind-hearted; good deeds will be rewarded!"

"Please, stand up," Fu Shinian hurriedly said, "I’m not as selfless as that. It’s just that while the epidemic continues in the city, Ganning must remain sealed, and no one can leave. In the end, if it’s not resolved, none of us will fare well. Given this, testing is better than doing nothing."

"Miss, though you say so, we know that you are a noble from the capital and could genuinely leave if you wanted. You, like the Marquis from the capital, are both good people. You could both have left but didn’t. I’ve heard the Marquis even thus got infected."