In the blink of an eye, Shen Tang had made up her mind.
Her first reaction was to turn and instruct Xu Xie.
"Wenzhu, stay in Fugu a few more days."
Xu Xie rose to his feet, his face flushing with indignation. "What do you mean by that, Lord Shen? Never mind whether this is an epidemic or not. Even if it is, do you assume the disease came from us when we brought it from Shang Nan?"
She even wanted to detain him.
Shen Tang retorted, "If it really is an epidemic, are you planning to run around spreading the disease and poisoning people everywhere?"
The youth already looked almost grown, and his gaze was resolute. His tone was firm, leaving no room for doubt or argument.
"Xu Wenzhu! If this really is an epidemic, then even if we die, you and I will die in Fugu City!" Without waiting to see how Xu Xie felt or reacted, Shen Tang turned and gently reassured Lin Feng. "Lingde, don't panic! First, move those people to an empty room at the administrative office."
She summoned several more bluebirds with sleek, glossy feathers.
They beat their wings and darted nimbly toward the horizon.
"Pass down my order: seal the city!"
Shen Tang wasn't sure whether this was the same epidemic that had ravaged the villages of Shang Nan, but sealing the city for a short while under some pretext—for example, apprehending escaped criminals—would be fine. If it later turned out she'd made a mountain out of a molehill, she could quickly put the matter behind them.
The commoners might not even notice this small detail.
As Chu Yao and the others hurried over after receiving the bluebird's message, Shen Tang waited for news outside the small courtyard where the people had been