Wang Jingyuan sat at her desk and stared at the paper in front of her. This was the fourth court official who had died from the plague this month. She didn't know him personally, but his title indicated that he was of decent rank. The death of a minister always made a splash among the court; he was one of their own, and it only served as a cruel reminder that power nor rank was protective against disease. Meanwhile, cases among the civilians were still on the rise, though fortunately the number of deaths were somewhat stabilized for the time being.
She let out a long slow breath. Xiao Yuhan had defended her so fervently to the court, to the Imperial Academy of Medicine, even to the Emperor. He got her a real title and position, and had been fully supportive of all the measures she proposed. In return, she had done everything possible to not fail him.
