Chapter 10

After the sunrise, Zhu Chilang left Zhou Jing's house with five or six attendants.

Zhou Jing was naturally among them.

It seemed like a common outing for a wealthy young master, but the number of people alarmed along the way was indeed not small.

The security of the capital was the responsibility of the Five City Military Commission, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the City Patrol Censor. Although they had their own jurisdictions, if there was an incident, they would all be punished together.

The most memorable incident was in the fifth year of Chenghua, when the capital's roads were not properly maintained. Originally, it was just the responsibility of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but the Five City Military Commission and the City Patrol Censor were also punished. This almost absurd punishment method made the three departments dare not shirk responsibility from each other, and they would always work together whenever there was an issue.

At this moment, the news of the Crown Prince leaving the palace had already spread among the well-informed high officials, and even received tacit approval from the palace. Not only did the Five City Military Commission, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the City Patrol Censor send people to secretly clear the way and provide protection, but even the Shun天府 (Shuntian Prefecture) could not sit still and sent constables to follow from a distance, fearing any mishap.

The originally deserted streets suddenly became lively.

However, these people all looked tense, with fear and impatience in their eyes.

If Zhu Chilang couldn't recognize this, he must have lived a dog's life in his previous life.

But there was no need to pay attention to these details.

The street still retained traces of its former prosperity, but now, due to the plague, it was indeed very desolate and cold. Even the street ruffians and hooligans stayed at home, not daring to go out easily because of the plague. Therefore, the fire soldiers of the Five City Military Commission, the guards of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the City Patrol Censors, who were forced to go on duty, must have had a lot of resentment in their hearts.

Zhu Chilang walked and stopped, carefully observing the civilian houses in the lanes. Many households had plaques hanging at their doors, indicating their native place, population, and names. This was a measure by the court to strictly review the household registration system and control the floating population. There were no records in the inner palace, so this custom must have started after the large-scale migration in the Jingtai era.

However, due to the plague, many households did not hang these plaques, because if there was a death in the family, the whole family would often die.

"How many people die in the capital every day?" Zhu Chilang asked Zhou Jing.

Zhou Jing was about to answer when he was suddenly pulled by Tian Cunshan.

"Sir." Although everyone knew Zhu Chilang's identity, the title had to be used according to the undercover visit. Tian Cunshan quickly answered: "This matter should be asked to the Five City Military Commission."

Zhu Chilang nodded.

Although Zhou Jing had been with Zhu Chilang for some time, the Crown Prince had never used him, so he did not know the Prince's character. Tian Cunshan knew the consequences of speaking rashly in front of the Prince. If it weren't for Zhou Jing's tribute, he would have let him die just now.

A short and sturdy man in a cotton coat was suddenly pulled out from the crowd.

His real identity was a clerk of the Five City Military Commission.

The Five City Military Commission belonged to the Ministry of War and was divided into five departments: East, West, South, North, and Central. Initially, each department had eighty archers and an unspecified number of fire soldiers. During the Jiajing era, the five departments expanded to five thousand personnel. Considering the population of the capital exceeded one million, having only five thousand people for regular patrols, fire control, and urban management was not a large number.

However, during strict enforcement, the night patrol soldiers were lined up along the way, with a distance of only four or five steps between them, which was excessive.

But now, with the civil administration in disarray, the number of soldiers in the Five City Military Commission was already half empty. In case of emergencies, even the clerks had to go on duty, as was the case now.

"Sir, since the beginning of this month, the number of bodies cremated each day is between two and three hundred." The clerk's throat trembled with tension.

Zhu Chilang frowned.

"Is there no exact number?" Tian Cunshan, knowing the Prince's intention, shouted.

"Sir, it's really impossible to get an exact number." The clerk was sweating profusely but became calmer in his heart: "In the cremation grounds, there are official cremations, private cremations, and even dying people who come to wait for death and jump into the fire. On the fourth day of this month, the dead were piled up, and there wasn't even enough charcoal."

The clerk's voice sank: "I was there that day, just watching bodies being thrown into the fire. Some had a straw mat, and some had no clothes at all. How could we keep track of the numbers?"

Zhu Chilang stopped and looked at the clerk: "No clothes at all?"

The clerk thought: Right, this is the Crown Prince who grew up in the palace, how could he know the hardships of the people? He hurriedly said: "They were stripped."

"Did they take the clothes to wear themselves?" Zhu Chilang's speech involuntarily quickened.

—Why strip them if they weren't going to wear them?

Everyone couldn't help but feel that Zhu Chilang's words had a somewhat "Why not eat meat" connotation.

"This can't be allowed!" Zhu Chilang said firmly before they could react: "The plague was initially spread by fleas, but now it's definitely spread by bacterial contact. All clothes worn by patients must be burned! At the very least, they should be boiled in boiling water for more than fifteen minutes." An hour is two hours, divided into four quarters, so boiling for half an hour would definitely kill the plague bacteria.

Zhu Chilang remembered that in his previous life, the textbook stated that boiling in 100-degree Celsius water for more than ten minutes could kill the Yersinia pestis bacteria. Of course, in this timeline, the Crown Prince had already named this bacterium the plague bacillus. It's worth mentioning that the Crown Prince detested the habit of naming new discoveries after people.

"Your Highness," the clerk, dazed by the impact, accidentally said, "It's really difficult to regulate the migrants. We can't make them go naked, can we?"

Zhu Chilang took a few steps forward, his brows still furrowed.

"The lanes outside Dong'an Gate are full of migrants, and it's impossible to manage them all." The clerk sighed.

"You seem to know Beijing very well." Zhu Chilang finally took a serious look at the clerk and asked, "What's your name?"

"I am a clerk in the Dongcheng Military Commission, surnamed Song, named Hongye, Hong as in 'Hongyuan' and Ye as in 'Jiye'..."

"Ridiculous!" Tian Cunshan interrupted Song Hongye's rambling, his face turning green, and scolded: "Answer what the Prince asks, do you understand the rules?"

Zhu Chilang turned and gave Tian Cunshan a cold look: "What are you shouting for?"

Tian Cunshan bowed his head and quickly retreated.

This scolding was necessary; otherwise, if Song Hongye angered the Prince, no one could bear the consequences. Now that the Prince had scolded him, it was a sign of favor, making the subordinates more loyal. Besides, taking the blame was the eunuch's duty.

Song Hongye's legs trembled, and he repeatedly said: "I deserve death!"

"It's fine," Zhu Chilang comforted him and then asked, "How long have you been in this position?"

"I have been in this position for twenty years." This time, Song Hongye dared not say a word more.

Zhu Chilang nodded and instructed: "Tian Cunshan, for the purpose of fighting the plague, appoint Song Hongye, a clerk of the Five City Military Commission."

Song Hongye was stunned, with only one thought in his mind: Is this a disaster from the sky?

The Ming Dynasty followed the Tang and Song systems, where officials handled administration and clerks handled affairs. Officials were appointed by the state, while clerks had multiple channels. As the officials in the Ministry of Personnel were busy with party struggles and making money, the phenomenon of sons inheriting their fathers' positions and generations of clerks became more common. Song Hongye had obtained his position in this way, with a comfortable and easy job, unless there was a major event... like the Crown Prince's undercover visit, which made him busier.

Such a good job was lost because of the Prince's words!

He didn't believe that the greedy officials of the Military Commission would keep his position, and they might have already sold it to someone else. The Prince had just said he would appoint him to the Eastern Palace, but didn't mention any specific position.

—This is the Crown Prince! The future emperor! He wouldn't cross the river and then destroy the bridge, would he?

Song Hongye thought to himself.

—But... maybe he won't remember my name tomorrow.

Song Hongye was torn inside.