novelSusiti Chapter 38 Anti-poisoning
Chapter 38 Anti-poisoning
In mid-May, the Yangtze River should be a prime time for boats to compete in sailing.
But when Ma Yongsheng stood on the north bank, all he could see was an empty river surface and a desolate south bank.
Occasionally, a boat would pass by, but they were all patrol boats of the Jingnan Army's navy, and the soldiers on board were all wearing face masks, as if facing a formidable enemy.
The ferry docks and the ramp is lowered.
When Ma Yongsheng set foot on the soil of Wuchang, his first feeling was one of tranquility.
It's too quiet.
There were only soldiers on the dock, no porters, no merchants, and no laborers waiting for work.
In the distance, the city of Wuchang stood with its gates tightly shut and its banners hanging low, resembling a dying giant.
"General." A masked officer approached, his voice muffled through the cloth, "General Jin is waiting for you at the government office."
Ma Yongsheng nodded without saying anything.
His shoulder wound reopened, and blood seeped out, staining the bandage red, but he seemed not to feel any pain.
They rushed back from Jinan day and night, covering more than a thousand miles in five days, and three horses died from exhaustion.
But no matter how fast it is, it can't outrun a plague.
The Wuchang Prefectural Government Office has now become the General Headquarters for Epidemic Prevention of the Jingnan Army.
A large pot was set up in the courtyard, bubbling away as herbs were boiled, filling the air with pungent steam.
People coming and going all had their faces covered, only their eyes were visible, and their eyes were full of exhaustion and fear.
Jin Shenghuan was in the main hall, looking at the map with a troubled expression.
Hearing footsteps, he turned around, saw Ma Yongsheng, and his eyes lit up, then dimmed again: "Brother Changsheng, you're finally back!"
"How bad is the situation?" Ma Yongsheng asked bluntly.
Jin Shenghuan sighed and pointed to the map: "More than three thousand people have died in Wuchang. At first, we thought it was just a common epidemic, and we could control it by treating it according to the prescription you left. But ten days ago, it suddenly changed. The patients had fever, coughed up blood, and black spots on their bodies, and died within two or three days. The strangest thing is that the corpses of the dead... they move."
"It moves?" Ma Yongsheng frowned.
"It's not real movement, just convulsions, and sometimes it even sits up suddenly." Jin Shenghuan's face was pale. "Several soldiers guarding the body ran away in fright. Aunt Chen said it was a very potent corpse poison and had to be burned immediately. But some family members wouldn't let it be burned and secretly buried it, and then..."
"As a result, the plague spread even faster."
"That's right." Jin Shenghuan slammed his fist on the table. "The city is in a state of panic. Everyone's saying this is divine retribution, a disaster brought about by our rebellion. Some troublemakers tried to break through the city gates to escape, but the guards suppressed them, and dozens more died. If this continues, we'll collapse on our own before the Qing army even has to fight us!"
Ma Yongsheng walked to the window.
In the courtyard, several soldiers were carrying a body wrapped in a white sheet out.
The corpse suddenly convulsed violently, startling the person lifting it so much that they let go, and the corpse rolled to the ground.
The white cloth was pulled back, revealing a bluish-black face with wide-open eyes that had no pupils.
"Create all the corpses, regardless of the cause of death." He turned around. "From today onwards, no one is allowed to leave Wuchang City except for those who enter. Establish an epidemic prevention team to check every household and isolate any patients immediately. Also, tell the people that this is not divine punishment, but poison released by a demon."
"Does anyone believe it was released by a sorcerer?"
"Whether you believe it or not, there has to be an explanation," Ma Yongsheng said. "In addition, order all troops to sprinkle lime and burn mugwort in all camps, and to boil drinking water. Soldiers found to have symptoms should be isolated in isolation."
Jin Shenghuan noted everything down, then asked, "What about Nanjing? Should we send reinforcements?"
"No need," Ma Yongsheng shook his head. "Nanjing has Huang Zongxi and Instructor Sun; they know what to do. Our biggest enemy now isn't the Qing army, it's the plague. If we don't control it, no matter how many battles we win, it'll be useless."
Just then, Aunt Chen hurriedly came out from the back room, holding several sheets of paper in her hand, her face very grim: "Chief, please take a look at this."
Ma Yongsheng took them; they were several patient records.
Fever, cough, hemoptysis, black spots, death—typical symptoms of plague.
But the last line made his heart sink: "Within twelve hours after death, the limbs may still twitch, and there may be occasional instances of sitting up. An autopsy revealed black pustules in the heart, liver, and lungs, with wriggling organisms inside."
"A living thing?" He looked up.
"It looks like an insect, but it's very small, barely visible to the naked eye." Aunt Chen's voice trembled. "In my forty years of practicing medicine, I've never seen anything like it. You can burn it to death; you can chop it with a knife, but it won't kill you; you can soak it in medicine, but it won't kill you. Only... only boiling it in lime water for an hour can completely kill it."
Ma Yongsheng understood.
This is not a natural plague; it is a biological weapon.
Those AIs not only released pathogens, but also added some kind of... "active ingredient".
Making the corpse "move" is probably for the purpose of further dissemination.
"Has a cure been found?"
Aunt Chen shook her head: "We've tried dozens of remedies, only those for clearing heat and detoxifying can slightly alleviate the symptoms, but they don't cure the root cause. Besides, this disease spreads too quickly; one patient can infect an entire room. Seven doctors in our medical camp have already fallen ill..."
Ma Yongsheng closed his eyes.
His worst fears came true.
The AI is not deploying an ordinary plague, but a modified super plague that is beyond the capabilities of modern medical technology.
"Bring me all the patients' records, I want to see them," he said to Aunt Chen. "Also, prepare a clean room, I want to dissect a recently deceased body."
"Chief! You can't!" Jin Shenghuan and Aunt Chen shouted at the same time.
"I need to see it with my own eyes," Ma Yongsheng said calmly. "Don't worry, I'll take precautions."
That afternoon, in a secluded courtyard in western Wuchang, Ma Yongsheng put on a specially made protective suit—which was actually just several layers of oilcloth over ordinary clothes, sewn tightly, and his face was covered with multiple layers of cotton cloth soaked in medicine.
Aunt Chen and Fang Yizhi were also dressed neatly, and the three of them entered the makeshift "dissection room".
On a wooden platform in the center of the room lay a body that had recently died.
He was a man in his thirties, with a dark complexion, half-open eyes, and dried blood at the corner of his mouth.
Ma Yongsheng took a deep breath and picked up the knife.
The moment the chest cavity was opened, a strong stench of decay wafted out, which could not be blocked even through several layers of cloth.
Sure enough, the heart, lungs, and liver were covered with black pustules, some of which had ruptured and were oozing black mucus.
He used tweezers to pick up a small piece of pustules and placed it in clean water.
Soon, extremely fine black filaments, visible to the naked eye, emerged from it and wriggled in the water.
"This is it." Fang Yizhi's voice tightened. "We've tested it. It can live without a human body and can stay in water or soil for several days. If it gets on the skin, it can penetrate through the pores."
Ma Yongsheng stared at those "insects," his deepest knowledge base rapidly searching.
This is not a natural organism; it is a synthetically produced nanoscale pathogen.
Once they enter the human body, they multiply rapidly, damage organs, and release neurotoxins, allowing the host to retain some muscle activity after death—this is the reason for "corpse movement".
Even more frightening is that these nanobots can spread through air, water, and contact, and are extremely resilient.
Completely eradicating it is virtually impossible.
"Is there a way to cure this?" he asked himself.
The knowledge base's answer is: In the 25th century, this nano plague could be solved with just one injection of a broad-spectrum antiviral nanoparticle.
But in this era...
"I need high-purity alcohol, lots of sulfur, and... silver," he murmured.
"Silver?" Aunt Chen asked, puzzled. "Silver can cure diseases?"
"It's not about treating the disease, it's about killing these things," Ma Yongsheng explained. "Silver ions can destroy their structure. But a large amount is needed, and it has to be made into an extremely fine powder for patients to inhale or swallow."
Fang Yizhi's eyes lit up: "I have a way to make silver powder! We can use a water-grinding method to grind silver ingots into fine powder. But high-purity alcohol..."
"Have the Public Works Department speed up the distillation process," Ma Yongsheng said. "Also, immediately collect all the sulfur, lime, and mugwort in the city. Set up disinfection points in the city, and all people and goods entering and leaving must be disinfected."
He paused for a moment, then added, "Also, send someone to Yundingping to collect all the 'hemostatic herbs' there. That herb might help relieve the symptoms."
The orders were passed down one after another.
Wuchang City, like a giant machine, began to turn with difficulty.
But the plague spread faster than they could handle it.
Three days later, the death toll surpassed five thousand.
Half of the doctors in the medical camp fell ill, and even Aunt Chen was infected, suffering from a persistent high fever.
Fang Yizhi is barely managing to keep things afloat, but there is a severe shortage of manpower.
Worse still, the plague began to spread to the surrounding areas.
Cases have appeared in Huangzhou, Jiujiang, and even Anqing.
The people in the areas controlled by the Jingnan Army were restless, and riots even broke out in some places—people wanted to escape from the epidemic area, but the guards refused to let them, resulting in clashes between the two sides and countless deaths and injuries.
Ma Yongsheng worked almost non-stop.
During the day, they inspected the epidemic prevention checkpoints; at night, they studied prescriptions; when they were tired, they would take a nap in a chair.
The injury on his shoulder hadn't healed; instead, it had become infected and festering, but he couldn't care less.
Jin Shenghuan tried to persuade him several times, but to no avail, so he could only stay by his side and endure it.
On the fifth night, Ma Yongsheng was reading an epidemic report sent from Nanjing when suddenly everything went black and he collapsed to the ground.
When I woke up again, it was already noon the next day.
He lay on his bed in his room, with Chen Xiuying by his side, her eyes red and swollen like peaches.
"Chief, you've finally woken up..." Her voice choked with emotion. "You've been unconscious for a day and a night. The army doctor said you were overworked, your wounds were infected, and... you might have also contracted the plague."
Ma Yongsheng tried to sit up, but he felt weak all over.
He touched his forehead; it was burning hot.
He coughed a few times, and his phlegm contained traces of blood.
Sure enough, I still got infected.
"Don't be afraid." He smiled at Chen Xiuying. "I won't die."
But deep down I knew that this time the odds were against me.
Although he possessed knowledge far ahead of his time, his body was that of an ordinary 16-year-old boy, unable to withstand such a fierce plague.
Upon hearing that he had woken up, Jin Shenghuan rushed over, his eyes reddening as soon as he entered: "Brother Changsheng, you...you can't be hurt!"
"I'm fine," Ma Yongsheng said, forcing a smile. "How's the situation outside?"
"It's getting worse." Jin Shenghuan wiped his face. "It's broken out in Jiujiang, the dead are piled up like mountains. Anqing will be next. Cases are starting to appear in our barracks too, and several hundred brothers have already died. If this continues..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but we all understood what he meant.
If this continues, the Jingnan Army will collapse on its own without the Qing army even needing to fight.
After a long silence, Ma Yongsheng suddenly said, "General Jin, I have a plan, but it's very risky."
"Tell me! We have to try everything now!"
"The plague came from the north, and its root lies with the Qing court." Ma Yongsheng's voice was weak but clear. "If we can capture Beijing and control the source of the plague, perhaps there is still hope."
Jin Shenghuan was taken aback: "But how can we attack the capital like this?"
"We won't send the whole army to fight," Ma Yongsheng said. "We'll send a special force, just like last time, straight to Beijing. But this time, the goal isn't to destroy anything, but to seize the 'antidote' from the Qing court."
"An antidote? Does the Qing court have an antidote?"
"Those who released the poison must have taken precautions," Ma Yongsheng analyzed. "The AI released the plague to wipe out the population, not to cause mutual destruction. They must have antidotes or vaccines. These things are very likely hidden in the Forbidden City."
Jin Shenghuan's eyes lit up: "That makes sense! Those monsters certainly don't want to die!"
"Therefore, we must obtain the antidote before the plague gets completely out of control," Ma Yongsheng said. "But this time, I can't go. I can't walk like this."
He looked at Jin Shenghuan: "General Jin, do you dare to go?"
Jin Shenghuan puffed out his chest: "I dare! For my brothers, for the people of Jiangnan, I dare to brave mountains of knives and seas of fire!"
"Alright." Ma Yongsheng struggled to sit up. "I'll give you five thousand elite troops, all lightly armed, still operating at night and hiding by day, heading straight for the capital. Don't entangle us along the way, don't attack any cities, just one target: the Forbidden City. Find the antidote and send it back immediately."
He paused for a moment, then added, "Also, bring Fang Yizhi along. He knows medicine and can identify what the antidote is."
"What about Wuchang..."
"I will defend it." Ma Yongsheng's eyes were firm. "As long as I live, Wuchang will not fall."
Jin Shenghuan looked at his pale face and sunken eyes, his heart filled with mixed emotions. This young man, even in his own illness, was still thinking about saving others.
"Brother Changsheng..." his voice choked with emotion, "You must hold on, wait for me to come back!"
"I will," Ma Yongsheng smiled. "Go and prepare quickly. Time is running out."
Jin Shenghuan nodded emphatically, then turned and left.
The room fell silent. Chen Xiuying helped Ma Yongsheng lie down, tears welling up in her eyes again: "Chieftain, please don't push yourself..."
"Xiuying, are you afraid of dying?" Ma Yongsheng suddenly asked.
Chen Xiuying was taken aback, then shook her head: "I'm not afraid. As long as I'm with the chieftain, I'm not afraid of death."
"But I'm afraid." Ma Yongsheng stared at the roof. "I'm afraid that if I die, the world will truly be beyond saving. I'm afraid that the plague will spread throughout the world, killing 70% of the population and causing civilization to regress. I'm afraid... I'm afraid that my unborn children will face a hell from the moment they are born."
He closed his eyes: "So I can't die. At least, not now."
In the days that followed, Ma Yongsheng fought against the disease while directing epidemic prevention efforts.
He ordered the construction of more than a dozen isolation camps in Wuchang to gather all the patients together for unified treatment.
Although the mortality rate remains high, at least the spread has been controlled.
At the same time, he instructed the Public Works Department to expedite the production of silver powder and alcohol.
After the first batch of silver powder was produced, it was tested on critically ill patients, and the effect was surprisingly good—although it could not cure the disease, it could slow down the progression of the illness and allowed some people to pull through.
This gave everyone hope.
However, Ma Yongsheng's own health deteriorated.
The high fever persisted, the cough worsened, and there was more and more blood in the phlegm.
Sometimes I fall into a coma and when I wake up I don't know if it's day or night.
Chen Xiuying stayed by his side day and night, and his other four wives also came from a safe point on the outskirts of Wuchang to take turns caring for him.
They were all heavily pregnant, and the youngest, Zhao Wan'er, was about to give birth, yet she refused to leave.
"Chief, please name the child," Zhao Wan'er said softly as she sat by the bed one day.
Ma Yongsheng's mind was somewhat hazy: "What...what should we name him?"
"If it's a boy, let's name him 'An.' 'An' means peace." Zhao Wan'er held his hand. "If it's a girl, let's name her 'Ning.' 'Ning' means peace and tranquility."
"An... Ning..." Ma Yongsheng murmured, "A good name. I hope they can live in a peaceful world, unlike us..."
He didn't finish speaking before falling into a deep sleep again.
Seven days later, Jin Shenghuan set off.
Five thousand elite soldiers quietly crossed the Yangtze River under the cover of night and disappeared into the north.
Ma Yongsheng stood atop the city wall of Wuchang, watching them depart.
A night breeze blew, and he coughed so hard he couldn't straighten up.
Chen Xiuying quickly draped a cloak over his shoulders: "Chief, let's go back, it's windy."
"Let's stand here a little longer." Ma Yongsheng looked north. "I wonder if General Jin will ever return."
"We will definitely come back," Chen Xiuying said firmly. "Chieftain, you must hold on and wait for General Jin to return with the antidote."
Ma Yongsheng did not answer.
He felt that his time was running out.
The countdown deep within your consciousness continues, but the countdown in your body may be happening even faster.
The next two weeks were the darkest days for Wuchang.
The death toll has surpassed 10,000.
The city was filled with the sound of weeping; it could be heard day and night.
In some families, when everyone dies out, the bodies rot in the house until they start to stink before they are discovered.
The morale of the defending troops plummeted, and deserters were appearing every day.
Despite his struggles, Ma Yongsheng made daily rounds of the quarantine camp, visited patients, and encouraged the doctors at the medical camp.
His arrival always brought a glimmer of hope to those in despair—even the great general was so ill and they still didn't give up, how could they give up?
But in private, he began making arrangements for his funeral.
He convened a secret meeting with Huang Zongxi (who had rushed back from Nanjing), Instructor Sun (who had rushed back from Anqing), and several key generals.
"If I don't live to see General Jin return," he said bluntly, "the Jingnan Army will be under the joint command of the three of you. Mr. Huang will lead the administration, Instructor Sun will lead the army, and Granny Chen will be the physician. The new policies must continue to be implemented, and the epidemic prevention cannot be stopped. And... my children, if they are born safely, please teach them and let them carry on their father's will."
Everyone's eyes reddened.
"Chief, please don't say that..."
"I'm talking about the worst-case scenario," Ma Yongsheng said calmly. "You have to plan for the worst in everything in order to have the best hope."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Also, I have something to tell you. I... may not be a person of this era."
Everyone was shocked.
"I came from seven hundred years ago," Ma Yongsheng said slowly. "In our time, the sun collapsed into a black hole, and human civilization was destroyed. I am a wisp of surviving consciousness that traveled through time to return here, wanting to change history and avoid that ending."
He looked at the incredulous expressions on everyone's faces: "I know this is hard to believe. But think about it, I passed the imperial examination at eleven, built a fortress at thirteen, captured Nanjing at sixteen, and know all those strange skills and tricks, all those things about the future... If I said I was a genius, would you believe me?"
Huang Zongxi remained silent for a long time before suddenly speaking: "Actually... I've had my suspicions for a while. You know too much, you're too advanced. But you've only done good things, you've only saved lives, so I didn't ask."
"Thank you," Ma Yongsheng smiled. "But now, I must tell you the truth. Because if I die, you must know that our enemies are not only the Qing Dynasty, but also those 'things' from the future. They want to maintain history as it is, and they want to destroy civilization. You must stop them."
Coach Sun clenched his fist: "How do we stop it?"
"Development." Ma Yongsheng's eyes lit up. "Unify the world as soon as possible, and then vigorously develop science and technology, so that mankind can enter the industrial age, the electrical age, and the information age as soon as possible. Only in this way can we have the ability to leave Earth and colonize space before the sun collapses in seven hundred years."
He looked at the crowd and said, "This path is difficult and may require the efforts of several generations. But we must take it. Otherwise, seven hundred years from now, everything will repeat itself."
The room was completely silent.
These words were so shocking, they were beyond everyone's comprehension.
But looking into Ma Yongsheng's serious eyes, they knew this was no joke.
"We... will do our best," Huang Zongxi finally said.
"That's enough." Ma Yongsheng leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes wearily.
Ten days later, Zhao Wan'er went into labor.
It was a boy, and he was named Ma An.
Ma Yongsheng held his infant son, his hands trembling.
The little one was very thin because his mother was malnourished during her pregnancy, but his eyes were bright, like black grapes.
"An'er..." he called softly, "You must grow up well and show your father what a peaceful and prosperous world looks like."
Before he could finish speaking, a violent coughing fit struck him, nearly causing him to drop his son.
Chen Xiuying quickly took the child and looked at him with tears in her eyes.
That night, Ma Yongsheng's condition suddenly worsened.
He had a high fever and was delirious, coughing up blood that stained half a handkerchief.
The military doctor was helpless, and Aunt Chen herself was also ill, so she could only worry anxiously.
While in a coma, Ma Yongsheng saw many hallucinations.
Sometimes it's the cold corridors of Europa base, where clones lie in rows in nutrient tanks.
Sometimes it is the twinkling starlight of a black hole network, within which countless civilizations have been born and perished.
Sometimes it's the bonfire at Yundingping, and Tiezhu's honest, simple smile.
Sometimes it's the smoke of battle atop Nanjing city walls, and Jin Shenghuan's hearty laughter.
And then there were the AIs, those cold eyes, watching him in the darkness.
"You can't change anything," a voice said. "History has its inertia, and civilization has its destiny. All you've done is delay the time of destruction."
"Then let's postpone it," he answered in his heart. "A year's postponement means one more year of hope. A ten-year postponement means ten more years of possibility. As long as there are people alive and still trying, there is still a chance."
"Stubborn."
"That's called hope."
When I woke up again, it was three days later.
He felt lightheaded, as if he were about to fly.
The bedside was surrounded by people: Chen Xiuying, her four other wives, Huang Zongxi, Instructor Sun... and Aunt Chen, who was barely able to get out of bed, was taking his pulse.
"Chief, you're awake!" Everyone exclaimed in surprise.
Ma Yongsheng wanted to speak, but no sound came out.
He could only nod slightly, his gaze lingering on each person's face.
Finally, it landed on Ma An, who was in Chen Xiuying's arms.
The little guy is asleep, his little fists clenched tightly.
"Report—!" A shout suddenly came from outside, and a messenger rushed in, his face full of excitement: "General Jin is back! He's back with the antidote!"
The room erupted in excitement!
"Quickly! Please come in!" Huang Zongxi said urgently.
Jin Shenghuan walked in, looking travel-worn and covered in wounds, but his eyes shone with an alarming brightness.
He held a small iron box in his hands. When he opened it, there were dozens of transparent glass tubes filled with a pale blue liquid.
"Brother Changsheng! I got it!" He rushed to the bedside. "The antidote really was in the Forbidden City! We lost over two thousand brothers to retrieve it!"
Ma Yongsheng looked at the glass tubes and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
He wanted to say thank you, he wanted to say more, but in the end he only moved his lips.
Jin Shenghuan understood and immediately sent someone to fetch an antidote.
After a careful examination, Aunt Chen nodded: "It should be real. Those are things that monsters use themselves, so it can't be wrong."
The antidote was injected into Ma Yongsheng's body.
Soon, he felt a cool sensation spread from his arms to his whole body, his high fever began to subside, and his breathing became much easier.
"It works!" the crowd cheered.
Ma Yongsheng was finally able to speak, his voice hoarse but clear: "First... give it to the critically ill first... the doctors in the medical camp have priority..."
"I know, I know!" Jin Shenghuan wiped away his tears. "I brought back five hundred, that should last a while!"
Hope has finally arrived.
Over the next few days, the antidote was distributed and used in Wuchang.
The effects are immediate; critically ill patients recover rapidly, and those with mild symptoms are cured completely.
The death toll plummeted, and life began to return to the city.
Ma Yongsheng himself is getting better day by day.
Although she is still very weak, at least she can get out of bed and walk around.
A month later, the Wuchang outbreak was basically under control.
Other towns in the Jingnan Army's controlled areas also gradually recovered with the help of the antidote.
Meanwhile, in the Qing court, the plague raged because there was no antidote.
One hundred thousand people died in the capital, and there were dead bodies everywhere in Zhili, Shandong, and Shanxi.
The Qing dynasty's rule was crumbling.
The time has come.
"Issue the order to the entire army," Ma Yongsheng stood atop the city wall of Wuchang, gazing north, "to rest for ten days, and then launch the Northern Expedition."
This time, it's not about seizing territory, nor is it about conquering the world.
It is to completely destroy those "things" that want to destroy humanity, and to fight for a future for this civilization.