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Night Star raised her eyes slightly, indicating for her to continue.
"We can adopt a voluntary principle, allowing families to claim the bodies. Of course, you can choose to burn them or not, but they must be buried within three days. If no one claims a body within three days, we will burn it and keep a record. After the Plague, the court will handle the aftermath uniformly!"
This idea was good, but it required support from the court. Mo Xier was unclear about this, but he understood that after years of continuous warfare, the national treasury was already depleted. Moreover, the new emperor had just ascended to the throne and had not yet settled into his role; how could there be any extra funds for this matter?
But how could she know? Still pleased with her own suggestion, Night Star couldn't bear to interrupt her and nodded, saying, "I will consider your suggestion."
"If you really want to quickly suppress the spread of the Plague, please do not take too long to decide. After all, too many people have died; we cannot let more perish because of it."
They did not talk for long; early spring nights fell faster than summer ones, and at this moment, the bright moon had already climbed to the treetops.
There were no lights lit in the courtyard, but even so, under the moonlight, he could still see the tenderness and compassion in her eyes. His heart stirred involuntarily as he said in a deep voice, "I promise you I won't take too long to consider."
With his promise, Mo Xier felt a sense of calm wash over her. It seemed that as long as he said it, he would do his best to fulfill it, and she could trust him.
The next day, news of Night Star's proposal to burn the bodies spread through Yonghe City like boiling water, causing an uproar that added some life to the otherwise lifeless city.
Most of the townspeople gathered in front of the medical clinic, their imposing demeanor clearly indicating they had come to demand answers.
"Let Night General come out! We want to know what this cremation is all about!" The leader was a robust man in his forties with a broad back and thick beard.
Upon hearing that the medical clinic had been surrounded, Mo Xier immediately became restless. After handing off her work to someone else, she headed straight for the door.
"This elder brother, the Night General is currently out on patrol with Lord Liu and is not here for the time being. If there is something to discuss, let’s do it properly and not block the clinic, which would delay the distribution of medicine to the villagers."
She intended to advise them kindly, but unfortunately, her words were misunderstood.
"What do you mean by that, miss? Are you saying we are blocking your way by standing here?" a man shouted loudly.
"That's not what I meant. I just think that with the Plague rampant, shouldn't more people be receiving treatment? If you block the entrance like this, how can others get in?" She was unyielding, staring directly into the man's eyes as she replied loudly.
Her sharp gaze swept over the crowd that had gathered, and she said, "Everyone think about it—if your loved ones were ill and wanted to come to the clinic but found so many people blocking the door, unable to enter, how would you feel? Please consider others' situations."
As her words fell, the previously quiet crowd suddenly erupted into discussion.
"Don't believe this woman's words! She came with the Night General! Maybe she's the one inciting this! Making the Night General burn bodies!" Someone in the crowd boldly accused her, throwing mud at her.
"That's absolutely not true!" She shot a fierce look toward where the voice came from but couldn't identify who had spoken due to the crowd's size.
She continued, "I'm not saying you can't see the Night General. On the contrary, I will give you great freedom; just not at the entrance but over there."
Following her hands, they saw an open space ten meters away from the clinic that could accommodate enough people without causing congestion at the entrance.
"I believe you are all reasonable people who wouldn't act rashly. That spot is not far from the clinic. When the Night General returns, you will still be able to see him without affecting those inside. Is that acceptable?"
With a tone of negotiation and an innocent expression, she looked harmless enough that no one would want to bully a woman.
"Alright!" The leading man was decisive; after a brief moment of thought, he made his decision. "We will wait over there for the Night General to return and give us an explanation!"
Mo Xier nodded slightly, feeling a sense of relief inside. With so many people crowded at the narrow entrance, who knew what unexpected incidents might occur when emotions ran high?
Now that they were being led to a more open area, it was also to prevent any unforeseen events from happening later.
After settling the villagers who had come to question her, she turned and entered the clinic, instructing someone to brew a medicinal soup to prevent the Plague. With such a large gathering of people, who could tell if there were any undiagnosed patients among them? It was better to take precautions early.
She personally carried two food boxes and had two more brought by those in the clinic, then began distributing the medicinal soup to the gathered villagers.
"This is the soup I made to prevent the Plague. We are in a critical time, so please take care of yourselves."
When Night Star arrived after hearing the news, he saw a woman in simple clothing with a bright smile, kindly distributing the soup in her hands to the people.
Her tender cheeks seemed to glow, and her originally stunning features appeared even more ethereal against the coarse fabric, capturing all his attention.
He unconsciously stopped in his tracks, as if simply standing there watching from afar was a form of enjoyment.
Liu Qiankun, who was following behind him, also found himself stopping. It wasn't that he didn't want to move; rather, he was captivated by the scene before him.
How many such women could one find in this world?
As if sensing the gaze behind her, the woman who had been tending to others suddenly lifted her eyes and looked back, meeting Night Star's gaze.
A smile instantly spread across her previously expressionless face, like the sun breaking through a cold winter day; in that brief moment, it felt as if one were transported into a warm spring.
Regaining his composure, Night Star slowly stepped forward. The villagers who had been conversing stopped upon seeing him and gradually rose from where they had been sitting.
"I have heard that you have something to say. I wonder what brings you all here?"
"I heard that the Night General plans to collectively burn the bodies piled up in the city?" It was still the man at the front speaking, his beard making it difficult to see his expression clearly.
Night Star frowned slightly. This suggestion had only been raised by a woman yesterday, and they had discussed it once last night. He had not yet had the chance to mention it to outsiders, and Mo Xier had been in the medical clinic, so naturally, she wouldn't have told anyone outside. Where did they get this information?
Thinking this, he glanced at Liu Qiankun beside him. Sure enough, as their eyes met, the man slightly lowered his gaze, not daring to meet his eyes. In that instant, Night Star understood.
"It is indeed necessary to cremate the bodies, but not collectively." Night Star seized on the key point in the man's words and provided a detailed explanation.
"Those bodies must be dealt with; otherwise, the Plague will never be resolved! We do not have enough manpower or resources to bury them, so we can only choose cremation.
Of course, if any of those corpses belong to your relatives, you may take them away. We will not handle them, but any bodies taken back must be dealt with within three days; they cannot be left longer!"
"The unclaimed bodies will naturally be cremated by us. Once the Plague is completely under control, the General's Mansion will provide funds to take care of their affairs."
His words were not loud but resonated powerfully; everyone present understood clearly.
"Are there any other questions?" His indifferent gaze swept over everyone like an eagle circling high in the sky.
"Must they really be cremated? Is there no other way?" The leading man seemed unwilling to accept this, his hands gradually clenching at his sides. "Although they have passed away, do they not even have the right to a proper burial?"
"This is also for the consideration of those who are still alive. You all know how severe the Plague is. If we allow the bodies to accumulate and the temperature rises, they will rot. The more this happens, the worse the Plague will become; it creates an opportunity for the Plague to return!"
His words rang out like a heavy bell tolling, as if pronouncing their death sentence.
"I know you all find it hard to part, but once a person is dead, they cannot come back to life. The most important thing now is to save those who are still alive. We must not lose sight of the bigger picture, right?"
The woman's clear voice was as pleasant as wind chimes, filled with immense tenderness, and it suddenly entered everyone's ears without any warning.
Mo Xier's expression grew serious as she continued, "You should trust the Night General. He wants everyone present to be safe, but this requires your cooperation. We will not force anyone. You can take two more days to consider the matter of the corpses. The best outcome would be for you to agree, and we all benefit from it. If you do not agree..."
She did not finish her sentence, letting her hands fall slightly as she sighed lightly.
"If you do not agree, we will have no choice but to enforce it!" Night Star suddenly spoke up beside her, his tone carrying the usual decisiveness of a soldier. "The court sent me here to ensure your safety, and clearly, this is the most beneficial choice for you!"
With a slight turn of her gaze, she realized this was the first time she had seen such a feeling in him. Usually, he masked himself with indifference, but at this moment, she truly felt that he was a general of the Heavenly Universe Kingdom, filled with grandeur and decisiveness!
As soon as these words were spoken, not only were the local villagers taken aback, but Liu Qiankun was also stunned. This decision had only been discussed previously; he never expected it to become a reality today.
Yet what he felt more was admiration for the man before him. If he were in this situation, he would not have had such courage to challenge centuries of tradition. Such decisiveness explained why he could achieve victory on the battlefield and gain the emperor's favor!
A day later, the man who had led them came again to the clinic, but this time he came alone, his face bearing an unprecedented heaviness.
Seeing such an expression, she could already guess what the final result would be. However, when she actually heard it, her heart inevitably felt heavy!
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