Chapter 8

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In the backward medical environment of the Tang Dynasty, the control over diseases and plagues was largely ineffective. Often, it relied on the will of heaven, luck, or even ghosts and deities. Whenever a major disaster struck, the emperor could only lead his ministers to offer sacrifices to heaven and confess their sins, saying, "All sins shall be borne by me alone, do not harm the people."

When smallpox spread to the outskirts of Chang'an, the capital, the people were already in a state of unrest. About six or seven out of ten shops in the East and West markets had closed, and many merchants and civilians fled with their families to seek refuge with relatives elsewhere. Despite the坊官 (local officials) and 武侯 (military officers) trying to calm the people, they could not quell the fear of death.

With shops closed and workshops halted, theft and robbery became rampant, and grain prices soared. The chain of events triggered by smallpox became increasingly severe. Li Shimin finally realized the terrifying nature of this plague and convened a meeting with his civil and military ministers at the Taiji Palace. The officials from the three provinces and six departments worked through the night, dealing with one emergency after another, plunging the entire court into a chaotic state of busyness.

...

Li Su was confined to his home, as was the entire village. The villagers were in a state of panic, staying in their homes with the little food they had left to sustain them. Families huddled together in their houses, fearfully and vigilantly watching their surroundings, as if guarding against an invisible enemy. The despair of being helpless gradually eroded the warmth and beauty of their lives.

Ten years ago, in the first year of the Zhen Guan era, the Eastern Turks, led by Khan Jiali, brought a force of ten thousand fierce warriors who conquered many of the Tang Dynasty's strongholds, advancing to within sixty miles of Chang'an, reaching Jingyang County. The ruthless Eastern Turks pillaged and burned Jingyang, slaughtering men and raping women.

During that most difficult and arduous time, the people of Jingyang and its surrounding areas had never been as terrified as they were now. The men of Guanzhong and their wives were full of spirit. Faced with the imminent threat of slaughter, the men put down their farming tools and joined the military, while the women led their children to hide in the mountains. The men fought to protect their country, and the women fought to preserve their families. Everyone risked their lives and endured that calamity with determination.

The people of Guanzhong were never afraid of visible enemies. They all had two arms and two legs, and the blood that spurted from a stab to the chest was the same red color. But what about invisible enemies?

Li Su was also very afraid. Having lived two lifetimes did not necessarily make his body stronger, and if he contracted smallpox, he would still die.

Li Daozheng sat on the threshold every day, his face dark as he gazed at the vast, empty fields outside his yard. Spring was approaching, and the time to plant wheat was drawing near. However, the damned plague spread at this critical moment, delaying the spring planting. Even if the plague passed, what would they eat this year?

Li Su lay on his bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. His mind was filled with the desperate sobs of the Wang family and the heart-wrenching screams of Wang Zhuang and Wang Zhi as they were forcibly taken away by the villagers. One scene after another of dark and tragic events kept replaying in his mind, destroying the peaceful and beautiful rural life.

This was not right; it should not be like this.

The damned plague had severely disrupted Li Su's plan to live a peaceful life in the village.

Unexpected changes should be addressed, reversed, and brought back to the predetermined course.

In his previous life, he seemed to have heard about smallpox on some TV channel. At the time, he watched it purely for entertainment and then completely forgot about it. What was the treatment for smallpox? Some Englishman came up with a method, something about a cow, a cow's... some very private part, and then what?

His scattered and chaotic memories were broken into disjointed fragments. Li Su furrowed his brow, trying his best to recall and piece them together, but his head ached, and he still could not remember.

The sound of drums and gongs outside interrupted Li Su's thoughts. He opened his eyes, sat up from the bed, and felt somewhat angry.

Just when he was thinking about the key point, who was making noise outside? At a time like this, who had the mood to beat drums and gongs, inviting disaster?

Li Daozheng rushed into the room, his voice excited, urging, "Get up, you coward! Monks have come to the village. Let's go and pray to the Buddha. After praying, the plague god won't dare to harm us..."

Li Su's eyes widened, and he was speechless.

I, who have lived two lifetimes, cannot cure smallpox, but a few chants from the monks can solve it? People's wisdom, people's wisdom!

Li Su grunted, about to refuse his father's enthusiastic invitation, but when he looked up, he saw the murderous intent in his father's eyes, and the藤条 (bamboo stick) seemed to appear and disappear like a magical weapon...

Li Su suddenly understood. He thought it might be a good idea to go and pray to the Buddha, at least better than getting hit by the bamboo stick.

...

The saying that "when times are chaotic, demons emerge" is indeed true. Monks are also demons, taking advantage of the chaos.

Three bald monks sat in the middle of the dirt square, bowing their heads and tapping their wooden fish, mumbling some unknown scriptures. Their solemn expressions were tinged with a hint of compassion as they prayed to the Buddha in the West for the well-being of the people.

Behind the monks, a large group of people knelt, including men, women, and children who had been too scared to move from their homes in recent days. Li Su even saw the brothers Wang Zhuang and Wang Zhi, their eyes red and swollen, kneeling listlessly at the front of the crowd.

Li Su felt a pang of sadness. Although he had only interacted with them for an afternoon, he still considered the Wang brothers his friends.

Being mysteriously transported to this era, Li Su felt very lonely and needed friends.

"Father, how is the Wang family?" Li Su quietly asked Li Daozheng beside him.

He was kicked in the buttocks, and Li Daozheng lowered his voice angrily, "You must be sincere when praying to the Buddha! What are you mumbling about!"

After a moment of silence, Li Daozheng sighed deeply, "The third son is dead, and the fourth son is said to have a fever. His parents are fine, though..."

Li Su's mood became even heavier. He straightened up and looked at the listless figures of the Wang brothers, feeling the deep sorrow of losing a family member.

The crowd followed the monks' actions, bowing when the monks bowed and kneeling still when the monks chanted, with the women's suppressed sobs mixed in.

After an unknown amount of time, the monks finally stood up, chanted a long Buddhist phrase, and then closed their eyes.

The village elder, Grandpa Zhao, immediately presented a tray covered in red silk. The monk uncovered the silk without expression, revealing a dozen strings of copper coins lying quietly on the tray.

"The old and young in the village have all contributed. This is all we have left. We wish to offer it to the masters as incense money..."

"Amitabha, the layman is mistaken. Monks have no greed or anger. What use do we have for money? Money is offered to the Buddha to accumulate merit in this life and to atone for sins from past lives," a plump monk with an oily face corrected sternly.

Grandpa Zhao nodded and smiled, "Yes, yes, I was wrong. It's for the Buddha, for the Buddha..."

"It's not 'for,' it's 'offered to'!" The monk corrected again, a typical case of mild OCD.

"Yes, yes, yes."

The plump monk glanced sideways, and another short monk immediately took the tray.

With the money in hand, it was time for the main event.

The plump monk bowed his head and recited a few scriptures, then pointed to the incense burner on the altar, which was filled with ash. "My three brothers and I, undaunted by the plague, have worked tirelessly and exhausted our life's skills to pray for the well-being of the villagers. This incense ash has been blessed by our skills. Grandpa Zhao, you may distribute it to the villagers. Mix it with water and drink it, and the smallpox will be gone in five days."

Grandpa Zhao was overjoyed, repeatedly thanking the monks. The villagers behind him knelt and wept, bowing to the monks, creating a heartwarming scene of harmony between the monks and the people.

As the villagers bowed and thanked the monks, Li Su, unnoticed by his father, quietly slipped out of the crowd and hid behind a hay stack, listening to the monks' deceitful words. Li Su let out a heavy snort in anger.

"Hmph!"

Strangely, there was an echo in the hay stack...

In his previous life, the wall of the Beijing Temple of Heaven was a famous echo wall. Could the Guanzhong men have unintentionally created an echo wall while stacking hay?

"Hmph!" Li Su snorted again, purely as an experiment.

"Hmph!"

Perfect synchronization...

Could the Buddha have appeared to punish him for his dissatisfaction, retaliating by snorting back?

What Buddha would be so bored...

Li Su followed the sound, circled around two hay stacks, and finally saw the bored Buddha—perhaps not a Buddha, as a Buddha would not tie their hair in a bun, wear a flat, round hat, or be dressed in a blue-green Taoist robe...

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