Royal Road Chapter 86

Published at 1st of August 2022 06:30:03 AM

Chapter 86
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again

Unwanted guest gone and colored flail in hand, Liang Feng called for all hands on deck for spring planting. Thus, the Liang Estate entered a state of controlled frenzy and began its farming season busywork.

After he'd relaxed over the winter holidays, eaten tangyuan with his son, hung colored lanterns, and enjoyed the Lantern Festival to his heart's content, Liang Feng shook himself out of vacation mode and got ready to get down to business. But as it turned out, Jiang Da came back from Tongdi that very day. 

“What's the rush, Ji'en?” Liang Feng exclaimed when he saw Jiang Da, dressed in crude burlap. Tongdi was three days' travel from the Liang Estate, meaning that Jiang Da had hardly spent much time at home. For something so significant as the death of a grandfather, one was expected to observe a lengthy mourning period. He hadn't expected Jiang Da to be back for at least another month.

Kneeling already, Jiang Da said tearfully, “Only after returning home did I know the depth of your kindness, my lord. On my father's orders, I have come to serve you, my lord.”

When Jiang Da arrived home, he'd learned of everything Liang Feng had done. He'd learned that when Physician Jiang passed away, Liang Feng had delivered to the Jiang Residence a memorial gift of one hundred thousand coins, one hundred stones of millet rice, and one hundred printed copies of his grandfather's medical text. The money and grain were a substantial boon to the humble Jiang family already, let alone the exquisite printed medical texts.

In accordance with his will, copies of Physician Jiang's medical texts had been sent to all the various healer-gentry and famous doctors in Bing Province. The text contained first-hand data gathered from the outbreak in Jinyang; it was the crystallized blood, sweat, and tears of all the healers who'd worked to stop the plague. Thanks to that text, the Jiang family's reputation among the medical community in Bing Province had skyrocketed. So long as they didn't commit any unpardonable blunders, they would certainly become well-respected erudite gentry in the coming years. 

It was a debt of gratitude that they could never repay, and that wasn't even counting all they owed to Liang Feng for rescuing the Jiang family's most gifted successor candidate out of Luoyang. If Jiang Da really did keep with the traditional three-year mourning period, his father would likely travel to the Liang Estate himself to acknowledge their obligation.

That was why, not only were Jiang Da's father and uncles not upset that he had entered the Liang Estate's service, they even exhorted him to attend to Liang Feng conscientiously, in return for all that he had done for them. Thus, Jiang Da had mourned for only ten days before returning to the Liang Estate.

Upon hearing Jiang Da's recount, Liang Feng sighed, “In that case, stay then, Ji'en. The new sickrooms, built to treat the militia's sick and injured, are in need of an overseer. Now that you're here, you can assume this capacity and begin taking charge of all the medical affairs of the estate. Ah, though I suppose it's more appropriate to refer to 'the sickrooms' as a 'hospital' now.”

Throwing oneself headlong into work was a surefire way of getting over one's grief. Plus, the work itself was indeed essential. But Jiang Da didn't accept his orders right away; instead, he said, “I am concerned about how your illness has progressed in the several months since we last met, my lord. Allow me to perform a health check on you first.”

Hearing this, Lüzhu nodded furiously in agreement. Although her master had been getting better as of late, he was still overworking himself. He'd fallen sick twice already, and hadn't taken it to heart at all; Lüzhu was simply beside herself with worry. How could she not be relieved at Doctor Jiang's return?

Liang Feng didn't expect to be immediately hauled off to the doctor's office, but he could hardly refuse. He stuck out his wrist, “Well, if it's doctor's orders.”

Jiang Da didn't understand Liang Feng's humor. He took his pulse on both wrists, inspected his nails and tongue, then inquired, “Have you recently been affected by cold, my lord?”

Before Liang Feng could answer, Lüzhu tattled on him first, “Master caught a chill from riding recklessly once, and was sick for days!” 

Jiang Da admonished, “How can you be so rash, my lord? There is lingering poison in your body. In the future, you must avoid riding and exposing yourself to cold, and you must control your intake as well. Moreover, you seem to have been over-supplementing; I'll put you on a new regimen of medical cuisine.”

And just like that, the few amusements that remained to him were stripped away. Liang Feng could only huff plaintively when he saw Lüzhu's head furiously bobbing up and down; he could hardly ask now about that particular concern of his.

After thoroughly examining Liang Feng and prescribing him some medicines, Jiang Da finally got around to asking about the hospital. The news that, after the previous battle, a mere two healers from the county town and a few nurses had managed to save over half of the critically injured was of great shock to Jiang Da, “Are nurses truly so useful?”

Llr kjr j ojwlis bo lwqfglji vbmabgr; tf tjvc'a mbwf lcab mbcajma klat wlilajgs wfvlmji lcralaealbcr yfobgf, yea tf xcfk atf wfcaji jcuelrt atja abgwfcafv atf tfjnlis kbecvfv.  Dfmjerf fnfgsbcf xcfk tbk wlrfgjyif la kjr ab yf j mglqqif, atf kbecvfv kbeiv boafc ibrf atf klii ab ilnf. Vbwfalwfr, ogbw ofjg bo qjlc jcv jubcs, atfs kbeiv ajxf atflg bkc ilnfr. Pa kjr rlwqis ecatlcxjyif atja j ofk cegrfr mbeiv vgju rb wjcs yjmx ogbw vfjat'r vbbg! 

“They are!” Liang Feng affirmed. “Everyone possesses the desire to live. Giving them hope and a sense of being valued can produce miraculous results. Aside from the nurses, there needs to be another group of medics in the estate trained to perform emergency medicine on the battlefield. That way, the casualty numbers can be further lowered.”

Jiang Da pondered for a moment and asked, “Then the crippled, how shall they make a living for themselves?”

That was a question of vital importance. The disabled would most likely lose the ability to work. Even if they retired from the military, they wouldn't be able to survive off farm work. Was it not a waste of effort to save them?

“As they possess second-class military merit, living shouldn't pose too much of an issue. They'll return to their farmlands when they retire, where they can help defend their villages and, in their spare time, aid in the training of auxiliary forces.” 

Liang Feng had thought it through already. He could hardly toss away the soldiers he'd spent so much to train. The more capable military officers could be transferred to logistics, while the ordinary soldiers would go back to the countryside and engage in first-line defense. Having experienced consultants made a world of difference. These retired soldiers should be able to increase the efficacy of civilian defense several times over.

Jiang Da was surprised at the thoroughness of Liang Feng's considerations, but his misgivings vanished. He nodded, “I'll need 'sore doctors,' though. The Jiang family has disciples who are knowledgeable about incision wounds. I'll summon them here to assist me posthaste.”

“Sore medicine” was a branch of medicine that concerned the treatment of infections, sores, ulcers, necrosis, open injuries, and bone fractures. They were pretty much the surgeons of the ancient era. Jiang Da had come into contact with the discipline before, but the focus of his studies was on wellness and internal medicine – basically, he was a general practitioner. To provide timely and effective battlefield medical treatment, they'd need specialists in this field.

Liang Feng was pleased to hear him say so, “It'd be wonderful, of course, if the hospital could recruit more doctors. A systematic urgent care protocol must be established, to aid lower-level personnel. I'll leave these matters to you then, Ji'en.” 

Formulating a procedure, then implementing it step by step could markedly improve organizational performance; this he had learned from the outbreak in Jinyang. Jiang Da smiled nostalgically, “I will do my utmost.”

Now that he had Jiang Da, who possessed managerial expertise from organizing the plague response in Jinyang, the hospital began operation. With a limit of two from each squad, eight of the brighter soldiers were selected to learn basic emergency care from Jiang Da.

Liang Feng inevitably had to contribute his assistance as well. For example, he taught them to secure broken bones with wooden splints and plaster casts, sanitize surgical tools, wear facemasks, use sterilized cloth to bandage wounds, etc. It was all common knowledge, but it was all tried and true knowledge, extracted and refined over the long course of the history of medicine. It had its uses.

But before everything was started on the right track, an annoyance barged up to his doorstep again. Even Liang Feng couldn't help the impatience that welled within him upon seeing the two imperial physicians trailing behind Adjutant Chen. 

“When the Duke of Dongying heard that you were ill, Marquess Liang, he specially sent these two imperial physicians here to administer treatment to you,” Adjutant Chen explained smugly.

“As I already have a physician recommended to me by Controller Wang, I daren't trouble the duke.”

“Oh no no no! The more doctors, the better, and besides, these are imperial physicians the duke has sent. They will surely cure whatever ails you,” Adjutant Chen paused, his smile faded, “Or is it that you are averse to being seen by imperial physicians, Lord Liang?”

That was a serious accusation. Liang Feng's brows shot up, “I can't imagine that anyone enjoys frequent doctor's visits. But since the duke went to all this effort, I will, of course, accept his generosity. If you two would follow me inside to carry out the check-up.” 

He then stood and walked towards the inner hall. They'd come to pick a bone with him, so naturally, they had to do a full-body examination. It wasn't quite appropriate for Adjutant Chen to tag along, so only the two imperial physicians went in.

The thick scent of medicine buffeted them the moment they entered. The two physicians furrowed their brows, but as it was rude to pry, they sat down and took his pulse straightaway. They started from the wrist, moved on to his fingernails and tongue, then had him disrobe, so they could knock on his chest. After they ran through all their tests, the two frowned unwittingly.

The older doctor dithered for a moment before asking, “Have you ever been harmed by cold-food powder before, Lord Liang?”

The ulcers on his body had yet to fully heal, and the Mees' lines on his fingernails had yet to fully disappear. These were all obvious symptoms, how could the imperial physicians not notice? 

Liang Feng nodded, “Last year, I misused cold-food powder and nearly lost my life.”

“That….” The other imperial physician didn't voice the second half of his sentence. How could that be? Looking at his current state, he didn't seem at all like a patient who'd overindulged on cold-food powder before, or had he…. “Have you stopped using cold-food powder?”

“Precisely. It is thanks to Physician Jiang's personal care that my mobility is unhindered,” Liang Feng said neutrally.

Sponsored Content

Visit readel.me for extra chapters.

“Imperial Physician Jiang? From the Tongdi Jiang family?” Imperial Physician Zheng asked hurriedly. Imperial Physician Jiang was a direct disciple of Imperial Physician Prefect Wang; he was rather famous. Not to mention that the “New Treatise on Cold Damage” that'd been circulating in Bing Province recently was considered by many doctors to be the most influential medical text on cold damage since Zhang Changsha, one that could leave a mark on history. 

“Yes, that Physician Jiang. The one who's seeing me now is also a doctor of the Jiang family. Ji'en, you can come out,” Liang Feng said.

Jiang Da lifted the curtain and walked out from behind it. Earlier, Liang Feng had called him over to spectate this dog and pony show. Jiang Da was fiercely indignant – Sima Teng was just too detestable!

The two imperial physicians stiffened awkwardly, caught unawares by the presence of a member of the Jiang family. Imperial Physician Sheng coughed dryly, “Mister Jiang's medical skills must be superb to let a user of cold-food powder refrain from its use. We can hardly compare to him.”

Jiang Da retorted coolly, “My lord was able to abstain from stone powder, not because of anything my grandfather did, but through sheer willpower.” 

His words shoved right back down his throat, Imperial Physician Sheng side-eyed the beautiful man sitting beside him. Abstaining from cold-food powder was far easier said than done! No wonder that he was only sickly in appearance, but not in demeanor. This man was possessed of rare fortitude!

Yet, Imperial Physician Zheng said reproachfully, “Mister Jiang was a prestigious healer and author of the 'New Treatise on Cold Damage;' you should have inherited much of his knowledge as a member of the Jiang family, so why…..”

He left the rest unsaid, but his insinuation was clear: he was clearly a doctor, so why had he lowered himself to swear fealty to a lord?

Jiang Da's expression grew icier, “My lord saved my life, and printed my grandfather's life's work so that it might become widespread. I am deeply indebted to my lord; it is only right that I should repay him with my service.” 

“Ah!” Surprised by how deep the Jiang family's ties to the Liang Estate were, Imperial Physician Zheng felt somewhat ashamed, “Please excuse my impertinence.”

Jiang Da looked at the two and shook his head ruefully, “Healers are valued lightly, if at all. They come and go whensoever a noble or powerful official pleases, like a slave or a servant. I, who have found a good lord, am more fortunate than the two of you.”

Those words poked the two physicians right in the sore spot. Though they too were officials, they were seen by most to be no better than any other kind of artisan, whom they could willfully order about and treat like thralls. Take, for example, the events of today. Here was a genuinely unwell convalescent that they'd been forced to test for duplicity. How laughable! And what did that say about the opinion of imperial physicians like them….

“Regretfully, I have not had the luck,” sighed Imperial Physician Zheng. “Ah, forget it. Since we've come, we should at least do what little we can. It seems to me that these ulcers are several days old already, Lord Liang; have you applied any medicine to it? I do have an orally taken prescription….” 

“Have you experienced symptoms of blurry vision lately, Lord Liang? I have a prescription to restore clear-sightedness to the eyes; it's quite effective…..”

Those were all truly useful medicines – Jiang Da's frostiness finally thawed, as he discussed Liang Feng's diagnosis with the two imperial physicians in earnest.

Adjutant Chen stood around outside the room, waiting and waiting for them to get it over with already. He wondered resentfully how it was possible for a simple assessment to take so long – or was that Liang Feng attempting to bribe the two imperial physicians? Well, too bad, because those were two obstinate, incorruptible old fogeys. If he was pretending to be indisposed, he'd be exposed immediately!

It'd been over half a year already. No matter what he'd told Wang Wen he was sick with, he should've gotten better by now. Adjutant Chen was just waiting to see what kind of excuse he could come up with next! 

But when the two imperial physicians emerged an hour later and gave their report, Adjutant Chen was gobstruck, “What did you say? Liang Zixi is actually ill?”

“Indeed.” Imperial Physician Zheng stroked his beard, “If it weren't for Imperial Physician Jiang's masterful intervention back then, it would've been impossible for Lord Liang to recover so quickly. However, it will likely take another two to three years for the pill poison to be cured completely.”

Adjutant Chen, “…..”

But Liang Feng really didn't look poorly at all! So many of those famous scholars went around sporting a feeble complexion; habitual users of cold-food powder might just look more like an invalid than he. If he hadn't recuperated yet, how were his eyes so bright and spirited?! 

But the two imperial physicians really weren't lying. Adjutant Chen started sweating uncontrollably. It wasn't until now that he finally realized that there was a reason Liang Feng was well-regarded by Wang Wen. A real distinguished scholar like him wouldn't fall for such petty tricks. He simply had the misfortune of getting caught up in this affair; how was he going to report to the Duke of Dongying now?

It was clearly winter, but his forehead was beaded with sweat. He struggled internally for a long while before suddenly turning and bowing, “I behaved very rudely; begging your forgiveness, Lord Liang.”

“How could I find fault with the Duke of Dongying's benevolent intentions?” Liang Feng responded impassively.

“Ah, the duke has also ordered me to deliver to you three carts of medicinal herbs. Please do accept, Lord Liang,” Adjutant Chen said hastily. Now, he dared not bring up the matter of leaving the imperial physicians behind to treat him. His only option was to bring them back and have them report to the duke themselves. 

“I thank the duke for his magnanimous gift of medicine.” No point in looking a gift horse in the mouth; Liang Feng accepted the gift easily.

Adjutant Chen didn't want to stay a moment longer after having made a fool of himself and given up three carts of medicinal herbs in compensation; he left the Liang Estate in a sorry state.

Chapter end