Yan Guan and his team rushed nonstop towards Sangta.
Just a few days ago, Chao Ge had been perfectly healthy, unaware that illness had already taken root in his body. But several days of exhaustion, coupled with mental stress, had caused the symptoms to manifest fiercely and within just a few days, he was seriously ill. Wuritu was at a loss, administering decoctions and medicines daily, but seeing no improvement. When Yan Guan arrived, Wuritu felt like he’d seen a savior.
"Doctor Yan, I know your medical skills are no less than mine. You've probably treated a lot of cases like this in the South. Please, help him," Wuritu pleaded, urgently pulling Yan Guan into the tent.
After worrying the whole way, Yan Guan was taken aback when he saw Chao Ge lying in bed, covered in a rash. How could he have gotten this sick?
Chao Ge was burning up, slipping in and out of consciousness. When he saw a blurry figure in front of him, he thought it was a dream. If he was imagining Yan Guan, he must really be dying. At least one regret would be laid to rest.
After diagnosing, Yan Guan remained silent for a moment, then wrote the prescription. Wuritu glanced at it and hesitated.
“Strong medicine to induce sweating. It will help balance and stabilize the body’s rong and wei aspects.”
“This is risky! If there’s even a small mistake in the dosage, in his current state, his body might not be able to handle it.”
"Exactly, if he sweats too much, it could lead to yang deficiency. That would be life-threatening!” The other doctors in the tent, all spoke at once.
“I’m willing to bet my life and my skills on this. Does anyone have a better idea?” Yan Guan had swept away his usual modesty.
Everyone fell silent.
“I trust Doctor Yan,” Wuritu said, slipping the prescription into his sleeve. “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” No one objected after that.
The two quickly brewed the medicine and gave it to Chao Ge. Yan Guan checked the dosage multiple times to be sure it was correct. The most dangerous moment would be during the sweating, so he insisted on staying close to monitor him.
“Doctor Yan, make sure to wear your mask properly. This disease is highly contagious,” Wuritu reminded him.
“I know,” Yan Guan smiled at him with his eyes. [^_^]
After everyone left, Yan Guan added two more blankets over Chao Ge and quietly sat beside him, watching his face.
When the sweating started, Chao Ge began trembling violently, like he’d fallen into an icy pit. Yan Guan quickly checked his pulse. It wasn’t time yet. Frowning, he tried to hold Chao Ge down. Instinctively, Chao Ge clung to his wrist, seeking warmth. Yan Guan couldn’t pull free, so he sat down by the bed, letting Chao Ge hold onto him.
Soon after, Wuritu came in with more medicine. He was briefly startled by the scene. “Is it time?”
“Not yet. Just wait a little longer.”
Chao Ge drank the medicine, and within half an hour, he began to calm down. The redness on his face faded significantly. Wuritu checked his pulse, overjoyed, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Yan Guan finally relaxed, rubbing his wrist, which was bruised from Chao Ge’s grip. The remaining symptoms would be easier to treat with medicine to expel the cold.
“Looks like Dai Qing actually used his brain for once,” Daxi joked, shaking Yan Guan’s shoulder as they left the tent. “You must be exhausted after traveling so far. We really owe you for this one. I didn’t know you were this capable, Yan Xiaoguan.”
Yan Guan, drained both physically and mentally, still managed to take a step back. “I’ve been in close contact with the Lord for too long. I might be infected. Don’t come too close.”
Daxi immediately ordered a separate tent for Yan Guan to quarantine.
—-------
The next day, Chao Ge woke up, already strong enough to sit up, thanks to his robust constitution. His first words were, “Where’s Yan Guan?”
An unfamiliar doctor came in. “Doctor Wu and Doctor Yan are both in isolation, but so far, they haven’t shown any symptoms.”
Chao Ge looked down, stirring his medicine with an unreadable expression. “Call for Daxi and the others.”
“But my lord, your body is still—”
“Hurry,” Chao Ge interrupted. Some matters couldn’t wait because of an illness.
Daxi and his men entered, filling the tent with their tall, broad presence.
“My lord, I have something to report.” Chao Ge's subordinates included a pair of twins, both with blue eyes. The brother was a brave and skilled warrior, while the sister was skilled in witchcraft and poison. The one who spoke just now was the brother, Boerjin.
Boerjin handed over a piece of white cloth wrapped around dark, charred medicinal dregs.
“We’ve investigated. It’s lílú (veratrum)—extremely cold and poisonous. It was in the preventive medicine you drank before you fell ill. We have been monitoring the situation, but we haven’t spread the news.”
Chao Ge acknowledged it with a hum, as if he had expected it all along. A cold, toxic herb had weakened his body, making him vulnerable to the plague. It made sense.
After everyone left, Chao Ge leaned against the headboard, eyes half-closed, lost in thought.
Within two days, he was up and walking again, refusing to rest.
“My lord, Dai Qing has sent a letter.”
A saker falcon swooped down and landed on Chao Ge’s shoulder. As Chao Ge read the letter, his brow furrowed.
He handed it to Geqi. The falcon, indifferent, preened its feathers.
“Ba-Yun and Wang Xun are in contact? What’s their aim?” Geqi asked.
“And what about the Liang Dynasty?” Chao Ge murmured.
Why would Chao Ge say this? To explain, the New Year in the Liang Dynasty was celebrated a month later than that in Wugan. It was a time for the exchange of spring banners and snow willows. But this tradition had been disrupted by the rebellion in Dezhou.
The local magistrate had been killed, and the rebel general Wang Xun had declared himself king, using a cult to gather hundreds of thousands of followers across De, Gong, and Lian prefectures.
After more than a month of stalemate, the rebels were growing stronger, and even more troubling was the covert spread of the White Lotus Sect* among the populace, with signs of expansion towards the border.
Chao Ge had been away from the capital for three months. When the plague struck, he received word of the rebellion and chose not to return, suspecting that someone would take advantage of the situation. And now, his suspicions were confirmed.
“We just got word—a new magistrate’s been appointed, but we don’t know if he can suppress the rebellion.”
“What about the border?”
“They’ve captured several refugees from the Liang Dynasty.”
Chao Ge’s eyes sharpened. “Take me to see them.”
When they arrived, the crowd was muttering among themselves. But the moment they saw Chao Ge, the room went silent.
A shifty-looking man sneaked a glance at Chao Ge. Chao Ge sensed it, turned and cast him a sidelong glance. The man hadn’t done anything, yet Chao Ge’s presence alone was so oppressive that the man dared not look up again, hastily averting his gaze in panic.
Chao Ge pointed at him, and a strong man lifted him up. Gripped by terror, the man begged for mercy."Mercy, my lord, mercy! I’m just an ordinary man. I barely escaped the rebellion in Dezhou. I’m only seeking a meal, I swear I won’t cause any trouble, no trouble at all..."
Chao Ge stared at him for a long moment. “I have some questions for you.”
The man nodded quickly.
“How much do you know about the rebellion in Dezhou? Tell me everything.”
The man described the chaos—Wang Xun killing the officials, soldiers looting the city, and how he had barely escaped.
Chao Ge’s gaze sharpened. “Did you hear anything about the White Lotus sect?”
The man’s face went pale. “Yes... but we common folk don’t know much about such things.”
Chao Ge snorted coldly, and the man shivered.
“What were you muttering earlier?” Chao Ge asked, pressing a whip handle against the man’s neck.
“Just idle talk... nothing more.”
Chao Ge glanced at the other refugees, including women, children, and elderly people.
“The Liang Dynasty despises the White Lotus sect. The rebellion will be crushed eventually. If you go back, you won’t survive.”
Realizing he’d been found out, the man collapsed, knocking his head on the ground in desperation. Chao Ge raised an eyebrow but remained unmoved.
“If you want to live, tell me the truth.”
The man began crawling toward Chao Ge, trembling. But just as he got close, he suddenly sprang to his feet and shouted, “Under heaven, all land belongs to the king! The Wugan ruler is illegitimate! The White Lotus will—”
Before he could finish, Daxi kicked him hard, sending him flying. Blood spewed from the man’s mouth as the knife he had hidden fell from his sleeve.
“Who put you up to this?” Daxi barked, kicking him again. “Our nations are allies, and you still try to mess with us?”
The man, coughing up blood, muttered, “The White Lotus leader, the most noble of—”
Daxi kicked him again. “Enough with your nonsense.”
Chao Ge lost interest and turned to leave.
As they walked out, Chao Ge spoke. “It’s only a matter of time before word of this reaches the capital. Tell Bindeya, it’s time to move.”
No comments:
Post a Comment