"Still looking at the map? So early in the morning?" Lianfeng glanced at the untidy pile of books lying around my room. Some were open on the ground and some were on my table.
My former life's habit of messing up books has transmigrated with me. That would make me the world's worst librarian.
Lianfeng picked up a book and read out loud, "the grand account of the northern provinces, 15th Year of Ji Long's reign."
He held the book in front of me. "Planning on Kingdom domination?"
"Just world domination, nothing special," I replied.
Lianfeng burst out laughing. "Look… hahaha... I can tell you about this province if you like."
"Sure, but first any news about the intruders after Xiaohua?"
"Well, the elders are still investigating. Xiaohua's body has indeed absorbed a rare mo beast energy crystal," Lianfeng said.
"Absorbed?"
Lianfeng nodded. "It is a rare capability. Not unknown or unheard of. Few can just absorb it without cultivation. That's why they said he was overpowered."
"So they intended to capture him for study?"
Nonconsenting live human experimentation sent shudders down my back. Jinshi isn't Earth with its Nuremberg code. There isn't even a United Nations here. Just a bunch of kingdoms stuck in some medieval time when human rights are non-existent.
"I suppose so, or dig it out from him. Because it is fused to his heart. Master Tieguai has discovered that his main meridian point near the heart has an expanded flow when he was transferring qi. And on closer examination, there is a protrusion there, like a new rib cage. A glowing one."
Or breast cancer. It affects men too.
But if it isn't, Xiaohua hit the unlucky draw lottery hard. Worse than Ji Feng.
Damn, I forgot to ask Zaixing about Xiaohua and the whole incident. This might be for the best. The last incident, when he tried to deceive me, still did not sit well. And the mystery use of xuan qi made me very suspicious of his intentions. Life is better off without his bad luck aura and him lurking around.
"He will be on the run for the rest of his life," I said, looking around the map with my finger on a page of the reference book on demographics.
Lianfeng's finger pointed to a side which I was looking at - that is on Youdu city's outskirts.
"If you want to win over the people here, there's where the poorest of the poor live. Every year, there are more deaths in this area than any others. Yet their population and the slum still keeps growing."
Why is he telling me that? This Kingdom isn't based on democratic votes, which is a farce of a political popularity contest. The rule of Lingyu is based on hereditary rights and the government is inherently nepotistic, like every other medieval kingdom in my last planet's history.
"They also supply the military with foot soldiers. Most of the soldiers stationed at this border." His finger was tapping the border province where there were moving dust clouds on the map. "Came from there."
Oh, I didn't see that tasty morsel of information coming.
"How do you know that?" I asked, in curiosity.
"My late mother was one of them before she married. When we are free, father and I go there to help with the porridge kitchen sometimes. To commemorate mother. I can take you there."
"Don't mind me asking, Cangtian and you both lost your mothers… along with a few others here…," I trailed off.
Maternal deaths from childbirth seem to be a commonplace here.
"Yeah, we don't know why. It looks like a curse of the entire province, regardless of wealth or status. The deaths occur more than some other neighbouring provinces. A lot of records mention symptoms like a fever, pain in the stomach, loss of appetite, pale skin, headache, a decomposing smell and chills. Death comes fast. That happens within ten days of childbirth."
Holding on to my old memories could be an advantage. Those records are describing a bacterial infection of the uterus and surrounding tissues, known as postpartum puerperal infection, after childbirth. It was a common occurrence in history on Earth before proper hand washing, cleaner techniques and antibiotics came along.
Being a regional province would exclude them from adequate numbers of competent physicians. Socioeconomic disparity leads to poor access to health services and more diseases. Slums made it easy for diseases to spread. No different from Earth.
Lingyu has no concept of germs, like bacteria or viruses, yet. All their books seem to refer to infections as an imbalance. However, some of the herbs in those books could have some anti-bacterial use. Only challenge left is to figure out how to set up a medieval laboratory.
Youdu city only had physician clinics and medicinal herb shops. There isn't anything which resembled a hospital remotely. Unfortunately, in this Kingdom, they look rather reliant on ling qi as a healing force than actual science.
While the people here would not understand what preventative health and antibiotics are, there are still ways to reduce the deaths from preventable diseases. Come to think of it, why miss an opportunity to push for health of the population? Might bring me some support in the future. They might even think that I am a god.
This princely position can be put to good use. Aside from that, the gold,which has been accumulated from my allowance and profits from Ye Jian rest stop, has not been used.
"What else do they suffer from? Illness wise?"
Lianfeng thought for a bit. "Well, the children are sold or die young from lack of foods, and then diarrhea? All don't live very long unless they join the military. Then the money sent back to families allows them to live a less wretched life."
"I am bored, let's visit this area now," I declared. Seeing the dirt swept under the carpet with my own eyes is better than listening to others.
"I haven't had breakfast yet!" Lianfeng protested.