Chapter 52 False Benevolence and Righteousness

On the Khitan side, when Yelü Sha led the main body of the Khitan reinforcements to the Jinyang battlefield, he naturally joined forces with the Khitan vanguard commanded by Tal immediately. They then expanded upon the original encampment, consolidating the entire army into a single base for unified command and better coordination.

Yelü Sha soon came to regret this decision. During the establishment of the camp, vanguard commander Tal not only reported on the current tactical situation but also brought him alarming news: an outbreak of smallpox had somehow emerged within the Khitan army, and the situation looked extremely grim.

"Smallpox? How many soldiers have contracted this disease?"

Every corner of the earth had been tormented by this terrifying plague, and Yelü Sha was naturally very vigilant about it. He hastily inquired about the specifics of the outbreak, to which Tal replied dejectedly, "Reporting to the Great General: a great many. As of yesterday, more than five hundred soldiers have fallen ill with this malady."

"More than five hundred?!" Yelü Sha gasped, shocked. "Your vanguard force numbers only six thousand in total. Doesn't that mean nearly ten percent of your men are already infected?"

Tal nodded with a bitter smile and hastened to comfort him: "However, the Great General need not worry too much. Our spies have gathered reliable intelligence indicating that the plague has appeared not only among us, but also within the Song enemy's forces and the Northern Han troops inside the inner city of Jinyang. We simply do not know the exact numbers on their side."

Yelü Sha's complexion turned somewhat ashen. He was tempted to change his mind, lead the main army to establish a separate camp, and distance himself from the vanguard. Considering that the main force had already linked up with the vanguard, however, a remedy might no longer be effective, and doing so would undoubtedly deal a blow to military morale. Ultimately, Yelü Sha dismissed the thought. He asked instead, "Have the infected soldiers been isolated from the healthy ones?"

"Rest assured, Great General, they have certainly been isolated," Tal replied immediately. "As soon as the physician confirmed that this plague was smallpox, this subordinate immediately gathered the patients together and forbade them from moving about freely. Not to mention letting them come into contact with others, even their meals and drinking water are delivered by attendants who leave first, allowing the patients to step forward and retrieve their food and water only after the deliverers have departed."

Yelü Sha nodded in silence. Inwardly, however, he offered a quiet prayer: "May the spirits preserve us, and let this damned plague end quickly! Otherwise, this general will be in deep trouble this time."

Having just arrived at the Jinyang battlefield and intending to preserve his strength while watching the fire from across the river, Yelü Sha was in no rush to initiate combat. Instead, he waited patiently for his troops to rest and regain their strength. He also dispatched numerous scouts and Han traitor spies to gather intelligence on the Song forces, adhering to the principle that sharpening the axe does not delay the work of woodcutting while he patiently awaited the ideal moment for battle.

Consequently, the important development of Song soldiers extensively using silk as a substitute for face masks was soon discovered by the Han traitor spies dispatched by the Khitan army. Several of these spies even gathered more detailed information, reporting that after using silk to cover their mouths and noses, Song soldiers who shared the same room or tent with infected companions did not contract the illness from them, yielding remarkably effective results.

Eager to claim credit, these spies reported the crucial information truthfully. Yelü Sha attached great importance to this matter. Once it was confirmed that only silk could serve as a substitute for masks to prevent smallpox infection, Yelü Sha did not hesitate. He immediately issued an order: "Send men to contact the surrounding Northern Han prefectures and counties at once, and have them deliver a batch of silk to us immediately—the more, the quantity, the better."

"Great General, doing so is likely seeking far for what is near, and we may not even secure a sufficient quantity of silk," interjected Lu Jun, the official dispatched by the Northern Han court to the Khitan army. "The Jin territory does not produce silk, and its climate is relatively cold compared to the south; silk garments are not popular. Whether it is Xizhou to the north or Xinzhou to the west, I fear neither can produce much on short notice."

"Then where is it?!" Yelü Sha demanded impatiently.

Lu Jun hurriedly wore a flattering smile and said, "Rest assured, Great General. While places like Xizhou and Xinzhou may not have it, Yucishi, located to the east of Jinyang, does. Although it is merely a market town, it boasts numerous merchants and a complete array of all kinds of goods. We should be able to find a considerable amount of silk there."

"Then this matter is entrusted to you!" Yelü Sha did not think much further and immediately instructed, "I will have Du Min lead a thousand cavalrymen to protect you as you head south to this place called Yucishi to find silk for our soldiers to prevent disease—the more, the better!"

"Great General, what about the money?" Lu Jun asked cautiously.

To his surprise, Yelü Sha flew into a rage upon hearing this, shouting angrily, "Our Great Liao army has traveled thousands of miles to Jinyang to reinforce you, and you Han people actually dare ask this general for money in exchange for a mere contribution of silk?"

Lu Jun inwardly cursed his ill luck while smiling apologetically on the outside: "The Great General's rebuke is just. This humble subject will set off for Yucishi immediately to explain the situation, urging the merchants there to voluntarily contribute silk as a token of gratitude for the boundless grace of the Heavenly Great Liao."

---

Thus, driven by the pressure from Yelü Sha, Lu Jun had no choice but to bite the bullet and accompany the Khitan light cavalry out of the camp, hurrying to Yucishi to persuade the local merchants to willingly donate silk or sell it on credit, with the Northern Han court settling the accounts after defeating the Song army.

The ultimate outcome pleasantly surprised Lu Jun. When he tracked down He Weikang, the president of the Yucishi Merchants' Association whom he had met once before, and explained the purpose of his visit, He Weikang showed not the slightest bit of hesitation or evasion. Instead, he immediately patted his chest and declared:

"Captain Lu, please rest assured. This merchant will summon all the traders in Yucishi town right away and urge them to immediately donate silk in support of the army! Furthermore, there are currently thirty or forty bolts of southern-produced silk in this merchant's warehouse. I will not keep a single bolt; I will donate them all to the Khitan army to express our gratitude for their grace in rescuing our Great Han!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Jun was overjoyed. He repeatedly thanked He Weikang and lavished praise upon him for his loyalty and patriotism toward the Northern Han court, completely unaware of what He Weikang was muttering inwardly: *"How did the Song army get such accurate intelligence? Did the Khitan forces really come looking to buy silk from me?"*

Subsequently, to avoid being plundered and retaliated against by the Khitan army, the merchants of Yucishi generally chose to spend money to buy peace. They successively donated the remaining silk from their shops, enabling the Khitan army to procure nearly a hundred bolts of southern silk within the non-silk-producing Jinzhong basin. Once this silk was brought back to the Khitan camp, Yelü Sha naturally ordered it to be tailored into appropriate sizes and distributed to the Liao soldiers to prevent the plague.

"Tell our men that if they wish to stay alive, aside from eating and drinking, they must cover their mouths and noses with these silk cloths as much as possible at all times! Otherwise, once they contract smallpox, whether they keep their lives will depend entirely on whether the spirits choose to protect them!"

Fearing that his soldiers might find it troublesome and refuse to wear the masks, Yelü Sha patiently added this instruction.

---

Not far away, the news that the thirty tampered bolts of silk had been successfully delivered to the Khitan army was reported through Yu Jingsheng's channels to Zhao Dezhao that very day. Hearing this, Zhao Dezhao laughed heartily with extreme triumph, while Liang Zhouhan felt somewhat concerned and asked, "Your Highness, those bolts of silk have been left out for so many days. Can they still transmit the disease? I hope the time hasn't been too long, rendering them ineffective."

"Rest assured, the venom of smallpox can survive on clothing, bowls, and chopsticks for at least two months," Zhao Dezhao answered confidently. "Some with particularly strong toxicity can even transmit the smallpox virus to humans for up to four months."

Having never studied modern medicine, Liang Zhouhan could only nod with mixed feelings of doubt and belief. Coincidentally, at that very moment, a messenger hurriedly approached Zhao Dezhao, saluted, and reported, "Your Highness, the Northern Han regime of the Liu rebel has sent an envoy who specifically requests an audience with you. The commander has already had him taken to a guest tent to wait. How does Your Highness intend to deal with this?"

"They finally couldn't hold out any longer!" Zhao Dezhao first gave a triumphant, cold chuckle before turning to Liang Zhouhan: "Brother Yuanbao, let's go and see how many patients Liu Jiyuan and Guo Wuwei intend to ask us to treat."

Leading Liang Zhouhan, Wang Zhifa, and others to the guest tent, they found the Northern Han envoy, who had been waiting inside for some time. The envoy hurried forward, lifted a tray laden with gold and pearls, bowed respectfully, and said, "This humble subject, Fan Chao, Imperial Ceremonial Minister of the Han State, pays respects to the Great King of Song. This is a gift sent to Your Highness by our Emperor; please graciously accept it."

"Minister Fan, rise. There is no need for such formality," Zhao Dezhao waved his hand casually and asked a question to which he already knew the answer: "What brings you here today, sir?"

Fan Chao's expression turned somewhat awkward, but he bit the bullet and said, "I dare not deceive Your Highness. This time, this humble subject has come to implore Your Highness to extend a helping hand. I beg Your Highness to show mercy and, in the name of Heaven's virtue of loving life, help us treat some patients who have unfortunately been infected with the plague."

Hearing this, Liang Zhouhan immediately stepped in with a smile, "Minister Fan, that makes this matter rather strange. When I previously represented His Highness to meet with your Emperor and proactively offered to help treat your patients, your Emperor flatly refused, spurning our supposed hypocrisy. Why is he now breaking his word and coming to beg our Great Highness for rescue?"

Fan Chao's expression became uglier than if he were crying. Stammering for a long time, he finally forced himself to say, "Your Highness, please forgive me, and Mr. Liang, please do not take offense. Our Emperor wanted to save face at the time, which is why he uttered some unpleasant remarks. Afterward, he deeply regretted it—regretting that he did not accept the kind intentions of Your Highness and Mr. Liang."

Since his objective was to win over the hearts of the people, Zhao Dezhao naturally did not continue to make things difficult for Fan Chao. He merely said casually, "Very well. Considering that we are all compatriots of China, this prince will not hold onto it too tightly. Go back and tell your Emperor to have his men send those patients out of the city. This prince will honor his promise and arrange personnel to help treat your patients."

Fan Chao did not bow and give thanks with joyous relief; on the contrary, his expression became even more awkward and distressed. Seeing that he had unspeakable difficulties, Zhao Dezhao asked, "What is it? Is there another problem?"

Fan Chao dropped heavily to his knees before Zhao Dezhao, tears in his voice as he pleaded, "Your Highness, please forgive me! This humble subject dares to be so bold as to ask you to dispatch physicians carrying medicine into the city to help us treat the patients directly inside the inner city!"

Knowing that his request was excessive, Fan Chao first kowtowed heavily three times before pressing his forehead against the ground to beg, "Your Highness, this humble subject knows this request is overly impolite, but we have no choice! Among the patients are many female family members—for instance, this humble subject's wife and daughter. How could this humble subject ever feel at ease letting them leave the city alone to receive treatment?"

"Furthermore, our Emperor is willing to swear an oath to Heaven: as long as the generals and soldiers who receive treatment from your esteemed army are cured, they will never again be sent to the battlefield to oppose your esteemed army. Should any violate this oath, may they be condemned by Heaven and abandoned by Earth!"

When saying these words, Fan Chao had in fact harbored zero confidence in his heart and had long since prepared himself psychologically for a flat refusal from Zhao Dezhao. To Fan Chao's utter surprise, however, a pair of hands reached down to help him up. Zhao Dezhao personally raised him to his feet and said in a gentle tone, "Minister Fan need not worry; this prince agrees. It was this prince who failed to consider the issue of female family members previously, which is why I made that demand. No matter, I will arrange for a few men carrying medicine to return to the city with you to treat your family members."

Hot tears instantly gushed from Fan Chao's eyes. Sobbing uncontrollably, he insisted on kneeling once more, knocking his head against the ground as he wept and expressed his gratitude again and again: "For the Great King's immense kindness, this humble subject... will never forget it to the end of my days."

Since it was a golden opportunity to bestow benevolence and righteousness, Zhao Dezhao naturally fulfilled his promise. He immediately arranged for Wang Zhifa, a physician skilled in using traditional Chinese medicine to regulate patients' bodies, and several of Yu Jingsheng's subordinates with experience in cowpox inoculation, to carry cowpox vaccine in porcelain bottles and follow Fan Chao into the city. They went to treat the Northern Han soldiers, civilians, and officials who had unfortunately contracted smallpox, thereby demonstrating his compassion, great benevolence, and righteousness.

As a side note, for the sake of secrecy, the fact that cowpox was actually pus from sick cattle was known only to Zhao Dezhao's personal attendants who had passed rigorous trials. Therefore, even if these subordinates of Yu Jingsheng were to turn traitor, they could not leak this currently vital secret.

Consequently, Wang Zhifa met the founding ancestor of the Yang Family Generals, Yang Ye, for the third time. To Wang Zhifa's surprise, Yang Ye brought along a woman and a child infected with smallpox, introducing them to Wang Zhifa with a somewhat embarrassed tone: "Envoy Wang, this is my humble wife, Zhe Saihua, and this is my foolish son, Liu (Yang) Tingyu."

"Greetings, Lady Liu; greetings, Young Master Liu," Wang Zhifa saluted politely. Seeing Yang Tingyu unconscious in Zhe Saihua's arms, Wang Zhifa hurriedly said, "General Liu, the young master is very ill; he must be inoculated immediately."

"Then I must trouble Envoy Wang." Yang Ye thanked him hastily and immediately rolled up his son's left sleeve to facilitate the inoculation. Wang Zhifa first uncorked a fresh vial of cowpox vaccine, dipped a steel needle with its point cut off into the vaccine, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "General Liu, would you like this humble servant to prick myself first so you can see that there is no poison?"

"There is no need!" Yang Ye shook his head quickly and said sincerely, "Although this humble subject has never met Your Highness the Great King of Song, I admire his breadth of mind and bearing to the utmost. I believe that with his noble character, he would never resort to such sordid tactics as poisoning my foolish son."

"Envoy Wang, please proceed with the inoculation," Zhe Saihua said, her face streaming with tears as she choked back her sobs, "This humble commonerwoman also believes in King Zhao."

Meanwhile, through the joint efforts of several Song soldiers, inoculation needle after inoculation needle of the cowpox vaccine—which had emerged several centuries ahead of its time—was introduced into the bodies of the residents trapped within the inner city of Jinyang who had unfortunately contracted smallpox. Among them were Northern Han officials, nobles, imperial concubines, and female relatives, as well as numerous Northern Han soldiers who ought to have been fighting the Song army to the death on the battlefield.

These Northern Han soldiers reacted differently: some spoke soft words of gratitude, some remained completely silent, and others lowered their heads without a word. Yet in the depths of all their eyes flickered the dual gleams of guilt and gratitude.

Acting as both angel and demon, while Wang Zhifa and his fellow accomplices put on a show of winning over hearts in the inner city of Jinyang, Zhao Dezhao sat in the Song army camp counting the days on his fingers, pondering inwardly: *"The incubation period for the smallpox virus is eight to fourteen days. This means that in roughly half a month, smallpox is likely to erupt on a large scale within the main Khitan army. When that time comes, how should I help Li Jihun and Ding Deyu utilize this opportunity to heavily rout the Khitan? And if the Khitan forces choose to hunker down in their camp and refuse to come out, how should I respond?"*