Summary

There are no guards at the gate of the Garden of Fragrant Delights, however, they are inside in the courtyard. They demand to see Yunxian's face and she understands immediately why no one is around: smallpox has swept through. Because she and Poppy already survived smallpox, Yunxian does not fear for herself, but Ailan, her youngest daughter has not been inoculated against it.

Yunxian finds Lady Kuo, who begs for Yunxian's help. Doctor Wong is too scared to enter into the Hermitage, the part of the compound where the infected are being kept. Yunxian gives Lian to Lady Kuo, expecting that he will die in the plague, and then sets off to Hermitage to help the sick and dying. Before Yunxian leaves, Lady Kuo begs her to save Manzi, Miss Chen's son, who is...