Feng Zongping and his group braved the cold wind and set off. Yin Huo did not leave; his health was frail, so he openly asked to stay longer and wait for warmer weather before departing.
The imperial guards who came with them certainly did not rush him and even left two to care for and protect him.
The news from the capital did not reach Xiazhou until after the New Year. The emperor summoned Yang Heshu and Governor Niu to Beijing for inquiries.
Moreover, the entire Imperial Hospital and its staff were also summoned back to the capital, with officials from the Ministry of Justice and Punishments personally requesting them.
In Xiazhou City, one of the last smallpox patients died, while the others were cured and discharged. The villas were thoroughly cleaned and returned to their original owners.
But everyone knew that these three villas would probably not be inhabited for several years.
