On the evening of the twelfth day of the second month, Ran Sheng returned from Jiankang to the Military Command in Gushu with a hundred soldiers. Lai De arrived with them, as did two servants from the Xie Residence, who brought terrible news: the daughter of the Yang Clan whom Xie Xuan was soon to marry had contracted the pestilence and died on the Seventh Day of the month.
On hearing the news, Xie Xuan said nothing. He quietly read the letter Third Uncle Xie An had written him, enclosed with which was the Yang Clan's notice of bereavement.
Beside him, Chen Caozhi and Xie Daoyun did not know how to console him. Xie Xuan had already planned to return to Jiankang in two days to prepare to fetch his bride from Guangling, and had even been thinking of taking his wife with him to his post in Nan Commandery, Jingzhou, after the wedding. He had never expected to receive such sorrowful news today!
Xie Xuan's subordinate hurried to report the matter to Wei Chang, Chief Clerk of the General's Residence. Wei Chang informed Huan Wen, who came in person to Xie Xuan's lodgings to offer his condolences.
Xie Xuan requested of Huan Wen, "I wish to sail down to Guangling tomorrow to offer condolences. Please grant your permission, Duke Huan."
"That is only natural, and of course I shall permit it," Huan Wen said. "Do not grieve too deeply, Clerk Xie. You are a jade tree of the Xie family; you must take care of yourself."
When Huan Wen returned to his residence, Chen Caozhi followed him out and said, "Duke Huan, I wish to accompany Xie Youdu tomorrow to investigate the spread of the epidemic and recommend measures to the provincial and commandery authorities, lest it spread further."