The Battle of Red Cliffs.
Schistosomiasis…
The moment these words appeared, Lu Yu’s mind was flooded with various pieces of information.
For example, the *Records of the Three Kingdoms: Wei Zhi · Biography of Emperor Wu* provided a detailed description of the epidemic during the Battle of Red Cliffs.
Translated into vernacular, it was:
— “When Cao Gong reached Red Cliffs, he suffered an initial setback against Liu Bei. At this time, a great epidemic broke out in the army, and many officials and soldiers died, leading to the decision to withdraw. Liu Bei then seized the opportunity to occupy the counties south of Jing Province.”
And in the same *Records of the Three Kingdoms*, there was a record of Cao Cao’s letter to Sun Quan.
— “During the Red Cliffs campaign, my army coincidentally encountered illness. To reduce casualties, I personally ordered the ships to be burned and retreated, thus allowing Zhou Yu to falsely claim this victory as if he had achieved a great triumph.”
According to Cao Cao’s tone, he himself set the fires and burned the ships…
The legend of Sun-Liu allied forces defeating Cao Cao…
Cao Cao himself did not accept this account.
The *Zizhi Tongjian* also contained many records.
— “Sun Quan dispatched Zhou Yu, Cheng Pu, and others to join forces with Liu Bei to resist Cao Cao. The two armies met at Red Cliffs. At that time, Cao’s army was already suffering from a widespread epidemic. When the battle commenced, many in Cao’s army were unable to wield their weapons, and Cao Cao decided to retreat immediately.”
Another piece of information recorded Cao Cao’s words:
— “In the spring of the third month of the fourteenth year of Jian’an, Cao’s army advanced to Qiao and began building light boats and training the navy. Later, Cao Cao issued an order saying, ‘Recently, the army has been engaged in frequent campaigns and easily encounters miasma, causing many officials and soldiers to die without returning home, leaving families discontented and the people displaced. Does this bring me happiness? This is unavoidable.’”
If…
Combined with the account of the Battle of Red Cliffs in the *Brief History of Epidemic Prevention in China*, it can be basically concluded that what Zhuge Liang conjuring the east wind from the Seven Star Altar, or Zhou Lang burning Red Cliffs with a smile, reducing fleets to ashes with a wave of his hand… these were not the decisive factors!
The only thing was this “great epidemic”; it was the fundamental reason why Cao Cao lost the Battle of Red Cliffs in history.
What specific diseases were they?
Due to the medical standards of the time, the specific diseases were not recorded or passed down.
However… after inferences by many Three Kingdoms enthusiasts in later generations, it was mostly schistosomiasis!
As for the reason.
Firstly, the female corpse discovered in the Mawangdui Han tomb had schistosomiasis eggs in her intestinal walls and liver tissue, which indicates that schistosomiasis had already appeared during the Han Dynasty.
Secondly, schistosomiasis was very prevalent in the Yangtze River basin.
The battlefield of Red Cliffs in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, especially around Wulin Port where Cao’s army was stationed after traversing Yunmengze, was precisely an area with a severe epidemic of schistosomiasis.
Even in recent surveys, the infection rate among local residents was extremely high.
In many counties around Dongting Lake, the infection rate exceeded half of the total population, and in some counties, it reached seventy percent.
However, due to the advancement of later medical standards, the solution was simple: taking the deworming drug Praziquantel could quickly resolve it.
And during the Battle of Red Cliffs.
Cao’s army, being northerners migrating south, was undoubtedly more prone to contracting this “schistosomiasis” due to unfamiliarity with the local climate.
Once this schistosomiasis manifested, not to mention its rapid spread, even the symptoms alone – “high fever,” “diarrhea,” “enlarged liver,” and “pain” – were unbearable…
To the extent that, during the decisive battle of Red Cliffs.
Cao’s army was already exhausted and sick, weakened to the point of being unable to withstand a single blow!
Even.
Without exaggeration… that east wind was merely the last straw that broke the camel’s back.
Thinking of this…
Lu Yu’s brows furrowed tightly.
It seemed…
To win the Battle of Red Cliffs, this schistosomiasis was a hurdle that had to be overcome.
After Xiahou Yuan reported, Cao Cao’s face darkened as if covered by dark clouds…
He pondered for a long time, then opened his mouth and said, “Miao Cai, you are responsible for cutting off the source of all plagues! Prevent the continuous spread within the army!”
“If necessary, you may employ drastic measures! Sacrificing a limb to save the body is not to be regretted!”
Cao Cao’s expression was cold and resolute!
The drastic measures he referred to were burning… This was a common practice in ancient times; although cruel, it was one of the few ways to curb the spread of epidemics.
However…
Xiahou Yuan’s face was extremely grim.
Most of those afflicted with the plague were northerners, brothers who had conquered this land with him and his elder brother Cao Cao.
But today… today he had to… had to burn them?
How could he, Xiahou Yuan, bear it?
Xiahou Yuan’s brows were tightly knit, his arms hanging down.
“Alas… alas…”
But the next moment, he clenched his fists, as if he had made a decision.
If… if no measures were taken and they were burned… then… then with the spread of the plague, who knew how many more people would get infected?
The number of deaths would likely be even greater.
To do it, or not to do it?
That was the question!
Lu Yu looked at his father-in-law, Xiahou Yuan, his expression somewhat dejected and mournful…
This also made Lu Yu feel uncomfortable.
“Zi Yu, you have just become the Grand Governor of the Navy. Please be extremely careful and do not contract this plague.”
Cao Cao looked at Lu Yu with immense concern…
After patting Lu Yu’s shoulder, he helplessly ordered, “I originally planned to decisively engage the Jiangdong forces in one go, but because of this plague, the morale of the officers and soldiers has plummeted… the decisive battle will likely have to be postponed.”
Annoyed and regretful, Cao Cao’s mood was also somber.
An initial great victory, the Jiangdong navy heavily damaged, it was clearly possible to unify Jiangdong, but… but…
At this moment, the atmosphere in the grand tent turned cold!
On the contrary, Lu Yu’s eyes were deep, and he appeared very calm. He was contemplating a countermeasure. Schistosomiasis was indeed a major problem in ancient medicine, but now, it was different; there were many ways to treat it!
There were also methods to block its source.
Perhaps, there was no need to burn the soldiers…
Nor was there any need for drastic measures.
However, the difficulty lay in the fact that most of the modern medicines for treating “schistosomiasis” were Western medicines – Praziquantel and Niclosamide!
These were completely unfamiliar fields for Lu Yu…
There were Chinese medicines, but… usually because their fundamental treatment was slow to take effect, Chinese medicines were not suitable for treating such acute conditions. Perhaps he would need to compound… and experiment.
But…
Having hope was always good; at least it could prevent the scene of burning the infected soldiers from happening.
“King Wei, this plague… perhaps I can try.”
In the chilling air, Lu Yu spoke directly.
“Cure it?” Cao Cao was startled.
Could the plague be cured?
It seemed that from the Qin and Han dynasties to the Han dynasty, epidemics had always been an intractable problem, but… if it were Yu’er, it would be different.
Typhoid fever was also a type of epidemic, and had it not been resolved by him?
“I almost forgot, Zi Yu is a divine physician of this era!”
“Does Zi Yu truly have a way?”
Cao Cao quickly asked.
Lu Yu bit his lip slightly, “I can only say there is hope, but no complete certainty… King Wei can treat it as ‘trying to revive a dead horse.’”
This…
Cao Cao’s eyes flickered.
At this moment, he thought of Yu’er treating typhoid fever, Yu’er performing surgery on Guo Jia, Yu’er reattaching Pang Shiyuan’s arm…
In any of these instances, was there any precedent in historical records?
Were they not all incredible feats!
Suddenly, Cao Cao gained a bit more confidence, and his expression improved slightly.
“Zi Yu, what is your chance of success?”
“About half!” Lu Yu said, “However, I will need some time, and I will need Hua Tuo and Zhang Zhongjing, as well as… some medicinal herbs…”
“That is easy!” Xiahou Yuan immediately said, “I will immediately send someone to fetch Hua Tuo and Zhang Zhongjing. As for the medicinal herbs, if my son-in-law can list them, even the rarest and most precious, your father-in-law can find them for you!”
As he said this, Lu Yu was about to continue speaking.
But…
Cao Cao interrupted him first, solemnly ordering, “Zi Yu, however you plan to cure this disease, with the full might of Great Wei, we will cooperate with you, but… there is one condition!”
“What is it?” Lu Yu urgently asked.
“You are forbidden from approaching any patient…”
Ah…
Lu Yu was stunned.
Cao Cao solemnly ordered, “Issue an order: the Marquis of Nan Shu is not allowed to approach patients. Anyone who disobeys this order will be dealt with according to military law!”
“Yes… yes…”
The guards present bowed.
In Cao Cao’s view…
Controlling this plague was important…
But how important could it be compared to Yu’er’s safety?
Let alone fifty thousand men, even eight hundred thousand armored soldiers, in terms of importance, in his eyes, they could not compare to Yu’er, the future heir of Great Wei!
…
…
Jiangdong, Wujun, Lu Family residence.
A heavy gloom hung over the sky, and the entire Wujun was in an uproar.
Jiangdong’s renowned naval prowess had suffered an initial, disastrous defeat.
The navy of Great Wei.
No, to be precise, the navy of the Long Xiao Camp had once again intimidated Jiangdong.
It was rumored that the warships of the Long Xiao Camp were larger than Jiangdong’s tower ships, and the navy of the Long Xiao Camp… rode the waves, standing as stable as mountains on the deck.
This…
This…
Suddenly, countless Jiangdong clans sent their family members to visit the Lu family patriarch, Lu Xun.
Lu Xun had only one sentence…
“Victory and defeat are common in warfare, gentlemen, do not panic, observe the situation calmly…”
With this “observe the calm,” he dismissed all the families.
After the guests departed, Lu Ji, standing beside him, grinned, revealing a smile of relief, “Boyan, the initial great victory… the entire Jiangdong is in a panic.”
Others spoke of the initial defeat.
But from their perspective, it was an initial great victory!
As Lu Yu’s mole planted in Jiangdong, the Lu family… constantly monitored the situation on the Yangtze River.
But…
Lu Xun was not as optimistic as Lu Ji at all. He frowned.
“Gong Ji, now is not the time to be happy.”
“Why?”
Lu Ji looked at Lu Xun curiously, but Lu Xun shook his head. He intended to speak but finally sighed.
“Boyan? What is this…”
As Lu Ji’s voice just finished.
“Boyan is right…” A strong and powerful voice followed, and who else could it be but Chen Gong?
Chen Gong continued, “The initial battle does not represent anything. From the moment Cao’s army was stationed at Wulin, they had fallen into Duke Zhou’s stratagem.”
“Stratagem?” Lu Ji asked in surprise.
Chen Gong nodded, “Have you considered why Zhou Yu chose Red Cliffs as the location for the decisive battle?”
“This is because Wulin, opposite Red Cliffs, is a place prone to epidemics. Cao’s army traveled a long distance, and most of them were northerners, bound to suffer from unfamiliar climates. Once the epidemic spreads due to acclimatization issues, no matter how many battles Cao’s army wins, they will ultimately be defeated by this plague, which is the greatest hidden danger!”
As Chen Gong’s words came out…
Lu Xun’s eyes became even darker, and Lu Ji suddenly understood.
“So, from the beginning… this Battle of Red Cliffs was a trap set by Duke Zhou!”
“That’s right!” Chen Gong and Lu Xun said in unison.
“I see…” Lu Ji gritted his teeth, but he suddenly thought of something. “Then… that’s not right either!”
“Since Mr. Chen and Boyan knew about this… then why, why didn’t you report it to my elder brother in advance? If he had known earlier… then he wouldn’t have stationed at Wulin, and wouldn’t have…”
“It’s all the same!” Before Lu Ji could finish speaking, Chen Gong interjected, “North of the Yangtze River is Yunmengze, which has always been a place prone to epidemics. As long as Cao’s army intends to move south, even if they avoid Wulin Port, they will be constrained by Yunmengze. It’s all the same, this plague cannot be avoided. The only thing that can be done is…”
Chen Gong said this much.
“Defeat it!” Lu Xun and Lu Ji said in unison.
That’s right…
As things stood, hiding… was impossible.
If they wanted to move south, then the first step was to overcome and defeat this plague.
This is difficult!
But… perhaps Great Wei can!
Because the Marquis of Nan Shu of Great Wei has another title – Divine Physician!
Just like overcoming typhoid fever, with a concerted effort…
To overcome and defeat this plague, subjugate Jiangdong, and unify the realm!
…
…
Red Cliffs, Jiangdong Camp.
Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang stood in the grand tent, listening to their subordinates’ reports.
“What?”
Zhou Yu asked in surprise, “Cai Mao and Zhang Yun are unharmed?”
“The spies reported that… it was Lu Zi Yu who saw through the Grand Governor’s consecutive stratagems and saved Cai Mao and Zhang Yun.”
“Moreover… he was enfeoffed as the Grand Governor of Great Wei’s Navy, with the Xuanwu Pond Navy and Jingzhou Navy both under his command.”
“The entire Jingzhou navy has no objections, and morale is high!”
This…
Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang’s feather fan suddenly stopped.
Zhou Yu was even more dramatic; he staggered, and if he hadn’t held onto the table beside him, he would have almost fallen over.
Saw through it…
It was… seen through?
Zhou Yu’s face turned ashen.
You must know…
This statement was not just a simple blow to Zhou Yu; it was deep-seated, with three layers.
The first layer: Zhou Yu’s plan of using a borrowed knife to kill Cai Mao and Zhang Yun was thwarted…
Jiang Gan’s plan of stealing the letter failed.
The plan to sow discord within the Jingzhou navy also died in the cradle.
The second layer: Lu Yu became the Grand Governor of Great Wei’s Navy. This… this…
It was as if Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were initially just two stray dogs, but suddenly… the stray dogs were removed, and they became two lions. This was trying to steal a chicken and losing the bait, but instead giving Lu Yu a great gift.
The third layer: Because Lu Yu saw through Zhou Yu’s consecutive stratagems…
Saved Cai Mao and Zhang Yun…
Now the situation in Jingzhou was stabilized. The original situation of the Xuanwu Pond Navy and Jingzhou Navy fighting separately might, because of Lu Yu alone, become united and form an iron bloc!
Morale… might even be exceptionally high. This… this is a case where pulling one hair moves the whole body; this is not stealing a chicken and losing the bait!
Hoo…
Zhou Yu staggered.
Heh heh…
Heh heh…
He sneered. At this moment, his mentality was about to collapse.
For the first time, he realized that wanting to surpass Lu Yu… wanting to defy fate was too… too difficult!
This time… Lu Yu gained greatly, while he lost greatly!
“How… how detestable…”
With a bang, Zhou Yu punched the table, and in his anger, he furrowed his brows tightly. He sighed helplessly, “Good, what a formidable opponent!”
On the contrary, Zhuge Liang beside him quickly advised:
“Grand Governor…”
“If ‘victory and defeat are common in warfare,’ then Kong Ming, please do not say it!”
“No…” Zhuge Liang’s tone was serious. “Didn’t Grand Governor Zhou mention before that your killing blow was not on the battlefield, but in Yunmengze, in Wulin Port?”
Upon hearing this…
The originally annoyed Zhou Yu’s eyes suddenly opened.
“Kong Ming’s meaning is… is… Yunmengze, is… is the plague?”
Suddenly, his eyes flashed with a light, a brilliant light!
…
…