Xinye City, after much anticipation…
Hua Tuo and Zhang Zhongjing finally flew over in a hot air balloon.
Although both were still a little shaken, as soon as they descended from the balloon, they were immediately led to the medical officer by the armored soldiers of the Longxiao Battalion, without even having time to savor the airborne journey.
They still had many questions, but Lu Yu was already waiting for them at the entrance of the medical office.
Without hesitation, Lu Yu introduced them. "The patient inside has had an arm severed. The blood vessels are still intact, and the blood supply is stable. It's just that the severed arm has been detached for a while, and the wound has blackened. By all rights, the arm should be amputated, but I think… we might be able to try reattaching it!"
Reattach the arm?
Zhang Zhongjing was stunned, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Was this theory a bit too advanced?
Hua Tuo, however, narrowed his eyes. "This diagnostic method proposed by Immortal Doctor Lu, I have tried it a few times before, and I have proven that blood vessels, tendons, and nerves can all be reconnected."
At this, Zhang Zhongjing's eyes widened even further. Although he was an internal medicine physician, he also knew some things about surgery.
However, such surgical "reconnecting" techniques were simply unheard of and unseen.
Hua Tuo continued.
"It's just that whether it's blood vessels, tendons, or nerves, they are all too slender. If the hand is not steady, they cannot be reconnected. Even among those I have tried, success is less than ten percent. Most failures are due to inaccurate reconnection points. The requirements are too stringent, and there cannot be the slightest error."
Hearing this, Lu Yu nodded.
"It's already like this. At best, it's amputation. Let's give it a try, who knows, maybe it will succeed?"
Speaking of which, Lu Yu continued, "I have already ordered the preparation of the sterile room. How about this, since divine doctor Hua has tried it before, you will be the chief surgeon, and junior brother Zhongjing will assist. I will wipe your sweat and hand you the instruments. Just the three of us. Success depends on man, and destiny depends on heaven."
This was the only solution Lu Yu could think of.
Of course…
Before that, he had to seek the opinion of Pang Degong, as it was his nephew. If the surgery failed, there would be no delay; the forearm must be amputated immediately.
"Please wait a moment, I'll go…"
Lu Yu meant to say he was going to inform Pang Degong, but unexpectedly…
"Immortal Doctor Lu can proceed directly. Since it is the three divine doctors, what further doubts could I have?" Pang Degong had appeared beside Lu Yu at some unknown time. It seemed he was also waiting, waiting for the two renowned divine doctors of the era, Hua Tuo and Zhang Zhongjing.
He was indeed a recluse, but being a recluse did not mean he was unaware of the current era. For example… the three most outstanding physicians of the era were right before him.
If there was any combination that could save his nephew, it would be these three people.
"Since that's the case… then let's not delay. We'll change into the sterile room clothes immediately. Time is running out."
No one hesitated.
Naturally, the physicians from the medical office wiped the three with a low concentration of alcohol. After the three put on their white gowns, and once Pang Tong was wheeled into the sterile room, Hua Tuo gave a general outline of the procedure. After the three had agreed on the details, they all entered together.
At this moment, Pang Tong had woken up. It seemed that the effects of the Mafeisan had not yet worn off, as he had not yet let out a cry of pain, and could not even speak.
Lu Yu looked at him.
"Pang Shiyuan, do not speak. Listen to me."
"I am Lu Yu. You should have heard of my name. You also know that among my many titles, one is 'Immortal Doctor'. The epidemic of cold damage that ravaged the Han Dynasty was cured by my junior brother Zhongjing and me. A very intelligent sickly child in Great Wei, at death's door, was also opened up by me and divine doctor Hua Tuo, his appendix removed, allowing him to recover."
At this point, Lu Yu paused. "We are planning to reattach your arm, but this surgery is not easy. We will do our best. If it succeeds, your arm will be as good as new. If it fails, then your forearm will have to be amputated… We will do our best."
Speaking of which, Lu Yu brought over a bowl of fresh "Mafeisan". He continued, "If you agree, blink your eyes and drink this bowl of Mafeisan. If you disagree, then…"
Before Lu Yu could finish speaking, Pang Tong blinked desperately.
Although he was ugly, he was a proud man. He could not tolerate being disabled. Rather than have his arm amputated, he would rather… die!
*Phew…*
Lu Yu let out a light sigh and poured the Mafeisan into his mouth. After waiting for a while, he put him back to sleep. His breathing was stable, and then he signaled to Hua Tuo.
"Divine Doctor Hua, we can begin."
Hua Tuo had already spread out his medical satchel. His gleaming iron eight-piece set was arranged in a row. He picked up a scalpel and meticulously rinsed it with alcohol. "We need to cut away some of the dead flesh first."
"Good!" Lu Yu and Zhang Zhongjing said in unison.
And from the moment Hua Tuo started using the scalpel, the atmosphere in the sterile room became somber. Everyone's faces were solemn, not daring to be the slightest bit careless.
"Clean the wound, hand me the cotton cloth."
Lu Yu busily and carefully dipped a piece of cotton cloth in alcohol and handed it to Hua Tuo with great care. Hua Tuo narrowed his eyes, meticulously observing the wound. He flipped open the necrotic flesh in the arm and carefully smeared it with the cotton cloth.
He was very serious, his eyes like hooks. In fact… with his eyes alone, he could no longer see many of the details. It would require instruments with higher precision.
But in this era, where were such things?
Hua Tuo, relying solely on his experience, completed this step.
Of course…
The next steps were the crucial ones, because Lu Yu knew that without the aid of a magnifying lens and highly precise instruments, the possibility of aligning nerves, tendons, and blood vessels was less than one percent. This required heaven-defying skill and experience.
Among them, tendons were the easiest;
Blood vessels and nerves… difficult, incredibly difficult, asking the impossible!
"Bring the needles!"
Hua Tuo commanded. It seemed he had already aimed.
Zhang Zhongjing quickly handed over the prepared needles and threads. The needle was the most delicate one among Hua Tuo's "iron eight-piece set".
Even compared to the needles with millimeter-sized eyes in later generations, its eye was smaller.
The thread was also an incredibly fine sheep's intestine thread.
These were all things that Lu Yu had occasionally taught the physicians in the medical office how to make. Then… they, after countless days and nights, finally succeeded in creating them.
They were purely handmade.
Ancient people, after all, were never short of skilled craftsmen. The plain gauze robe unearthed from Mawangdui, weighing less than fifty grams, and the "Golden Thread Robe" excavated from the tomb of Liu Xiu, the "King of Zhongshan Huai" after Liu Sheng, the King Jing of Zhongshan, the gold threads alone weighed less than one hundred grams, excluding the jade pieces.
Therefore…
Medical needles and threads as thin as silk could be produced relatively easily.
Lu Yu watched Hua Tuo with great nervousness. He was nervous, and Hua Tuo was also nervous, but… his extensive surgical experience allowed him to face this nervousness with composure.
His eyes opened, and it seemed his breathing had stopped. He dared not exert force with his arm, only using his fingers to exert slight force. With each stitch, Zhang Zhongjing, standing beside him, had goosebumps on his arms and held his breath, praying… praying that he would align it correctly.
Seeing that the nerves had been aligned and sutured, Zhang Zhongjing was almost ready to kneel before Hua Tuo.
At this moment, Hua Tuo's operation might not be unprecedented…
But…
It was definitely unprecedented.
The blood vessels were repaired, the nerves were aligned and sutured, and then came the tendons…
Hua Tuo, with practiced ease, skillfully completed this step, and finally the outer skin.
It was like a Cesarean section. You might think it was one cut, but it was actually many cuts, because the inside of the abdomen was layered, and each layer needed to be separated.
When suturing, each layer also needed to be sutured…
When the arm was completely sutured, Hua Tuo finally exhaled a breath. At this moment… the handkerchief Lu Yu was using to wipe his sweat was already soaked.
"Bring the copper needles!"
Hua Tuo continued to command. Everyone could feel his exhaustion; he was completing this surgery entirely through willpower.
Once everything was done, came wound cleaning, disinfection, and bandaging…
These actions were performed in one continuous flow. At this point… not only Zhang Zhongjing wanted to kneel, but Lu Yu also wanted to kneel.
He suddenly had a feeling…
Hua Tuo had boasted of curing Cao Cao by trepanning his skull.
Perhaps… this was not a joke.
He… he might actually be able to do it… could he?
"It was successful?"
"We have to observe it. We should be able to tell if it was successful tomorrow." Hua Tuo looked like he had lost all his strength. He looked at the arm, which was tightly bandaged, and felt his legs go weak.
But he still stood as straight as he could.
"The main thing is to see if the blood flow is smooth and if the nerves are affected. If there is sensation tomorrow, then it's mostly successful. Even if he can't do heavy work in the future, some light work should be fine. I'm afraid that after reattaching the arm, it might affect sensation and blood vessels, leading to necrosis, or even pathology. In that case, amputating it again would be even more painful."
Zhang Zhongjing quickly said, "Don't think about it too much for now. Divine Doctor Hua should rest first. I'll stay here tonight."
Lu Yu also added, "It's all thanks to Divine Doctor Hua. I'll escort Divine Doctor Hua to rest first."
Saying this, Lu Yu led Hua Tuo out of the room.
*Phew…*
Breathing in the fresh air, Hua Tuo felt as if he had been reborn.
"Immortal Doctor Lu."
He called out to Lu Yu.
"Ah…" Lu Yu was startled. "Divine Doctor Hua? Do you have any instructions?"
Hua Tuo paused. "This surgery, I feel it was successful."
Uh…
Lu Yu was surprised. He hadn't expected that Hua Tuo, who had been ambiguous in the sterile room just now, would be so confident now.
Hua Tuo continued, "During my time at the medical office, I specifically read the medical books left by your disciples, Immortal Doctor Lu. The 'Qian Jin Fang', 'Mai Jing', 'Ben Cao Gang Mu', and 'Lin Zheng Zhi Nan Yi An' left a deep impression on me."
"It is also based on the theories in these medical books that I tried to reconnect limbs for people. But I always had some doubts. Why could Immortal Doctor Lu write such medical works, yet his practical medical skills seem to be like those of a beginner? This is something I cannot figure out."
Heh…
Outsiders watch the excitement, while insiders see the skill. Once an expert makes a move, you know if they have it.
Whether Lu Yu understood medicine, and to what extent his medical skills were, could be hidden from others, but not from Hua Tuo, who was skilled in surgery. At times, Hua Tuo would even test Lu Yu through certain actions, and the conclusion he reached was that Lu Yu did not understand medicine.
Yet, strangely…
He could write those exquisite medical books.
This was contradictory, leaving Hua Tuo completely baffled.
Bringing up this question now, it stumped Lu Yu.
"Divine Doctor Hua Tuo…" Lu Yu looked at Hua Tuo with great interest. "To be honest, Divine Doctor Hua Tuo, I am actually ill…"
"Ah…"
A shocking statement.
As soon as this sentence was uttered, Hua Tuo felt his fatigue disappear.
What he didn't know was…
Lu Yu indeed had an illness, one that was diagnosed in his previous life as "Hyperthymesia".
This is an extremely rare condition characterized by excessive subjective memory, or simply put, the ability to remember everything at a glance.
This disease, to this day, has no scientific consensus.
And people with this condition often experience immense mental and even psychological pressure due to their perfect recall and the vast amount of memories stored in their minds.
Lu Yu was fine…
Having lived two lives, his mental strength was far superior to that of ordinary people.
But in his previous life, it was different. He was often so overwhelmed by this pressure that he could barely breathe.
"Immortal Doctor Lu is ill?"
"Yes, Divine Doctor Hua. If you write any article, I only need to glance at it, and I can remember it forever and never forget it. This is called 'Hyperthymesia'," Lu Yu confessed…
Others fall ill and need treatment.
He, however, was ill… and didn't need treatment at all.
Instead, this "Hyperthymesia" was of great benefit to this era.
…
…
Zhao Yun had gone berserk!
Unlike the original historical trajectory, Zhao Yun, wielding the sword Qing Gang that could cut iron like mud, had gone completely mad. At this moment… he held the Yitian Sword, and with a single swing, his sword energy was like a rainbow.
It was as if the eight characters were being spoken—"When Yitian does not appear, who can contend!"
Mi Zhu was mesmerized. White-clothed, long spear, short sword… he had killed his way through Cao's army seven times, and finally, with Mi Zhu, he broke through the bloody path and galloped away.
"This way, there's a bridge ahead…"
Zhao Yun immediately shouted…
Mi Zhu glanced at the wooden sign. "It's Changban Bridge…"
—"Dada da!"
As they spoke, the sound of hooves sounded again from behind.
—"Cross the bridge…"
Zhao Yun cried out, and together with Mi Zhu, they headed towards Changban Bridge.
On the other hand, Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun, who were pursuing them.
"Stop…"
Seeing Cao Cao rein in his horse, Xiahou Dun immediately ordered the army to halt.
Cao Cao dismounted and stood on a high vantage point to gaze in the direction Zhao Yun was heading.
Cao Cao couldn't help but sigh, "This Zhao Zilong is truly fierce!"
The last time he sighed, there was some acting involved, but this time it was sincere… Cao Cao had not ordered his soldiers to hold back. Apart from ordering them not to shoot arrows, killing his way out of Cao's army seven times… this was genuine skill.
"Zhongkang? Compared to you, who do you think is more formidable?"
Cao Cao asked Xu Chu…
Xu Chu scratched his head, appearing unsure.
"Hahaha…"
Cao Cao laughed, "There are actually times when Zhongkang is unsure? It seems that Changshan Zhao Zilong is indeed formidable!"
Xiahou Dun, standing beside him, looked displeased. "Elder brother is praising him to the heavens. No matter how powerful he is, how powerful can he be? Elder brother didn't let anyone shoot arrows, and even gifted him the Yitian Sword. If it were me… I could do it too."
Xiahou Dun patted his chest, looking full of confidence.
Heh heh…
Cao Cao looked at Xiahou Dun and chuckled inwardly. The sky is clear, the rain has stopped, and Yuan Rang thinks he's back in form!
Just as he was about to speak…
—"Report…"
A scout quickly arrived.
—"There is a dark-skinned man stationed at Changban Bridge ahead. It seems to be Liu Bei's third brother—Zhang Fei Zhang Yide!"
Hmm…
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao's eyes narrowed.
His defense of Changban Bridge was indeed good!
—"Pass the order: beat the drums and advance. Whoever captures Zhao Zilong before Changban Bridge will be rewarded with a thousand pieces of gold and enfeoffed as a Marquis of a thousand households!"
"Yes!"
A messenger immediately went around the army shouting.
"King Wei has ordered: whoever captures Zhao Zilong before Changban Bridge will be rewarded with a thousand pieces of gold and enfeoffed as a Marquis of a thousand households!"
Instantly, dust flew, and countless warhorses galloped madly towards the direction where Zhao Yun was fleeing.
Only Cao Cao felt a bead of sweat on his brow.
—"Cao Adou, Cao Adou, father can only help you this far. You must strive hard!"
…
…