Lu Yu's convoy arrived in Wujun without a grand thirty-mile escort...
Even Sun Yi of the Jiangdong Sun clan did not appear.
Only Zhang Zhao, along with a few old ministers, was there to greet them...
Faintly, the sounds of crying could be heard from within and outside the city, as if parents were losing their children and helpless elders were closing their eyes at every moment...
Without a doubt, the plague was ravaging the city.
Zhang Qiying thought to herself.
Jiangdong, once a land of peace and joy, had become this way... all because of the sins of their Five Dou Mi Cult!
And this man beside her, could he save this land and its people?
Could he atone for the sins of the Five Dou Mi Cult this time?
Zhang Qiying couldn't help but murmur in her heart...
Lu Yu also sighed, "In the past, Father wanted to trade war for peace in Jiangdong, but he didn't realize... the people of Jiangdong already had peace. Father had soldiers in hand, but everyone in Jiangdong was a soldier! Who would have thought that after finally integrating Jiangdong peacefully into the Great Wei, Wujun would suffer such a disaster!"
While he was reflecting...
Zhang Zhao and the others had already reached Lu Yu. "Greetings, Your Highness, the Crown Prince of Wei!"
"The divine doctor Zhang Zhongjing should have arrived in advance, right?" Lu Yu retorted, "How is his situation...?"
"Please follow me, Your Highness..." Zhang Zhao did not hesitate and led Lu Yu towards the medical office.
...
...
This was a clean and orderly medical office, originally the lodging for Jiangdong's medical officials. Recently, it had all been handed over to Zhang Zhongjing.
At this moment, Zhang Zhongjing's brow was furrowed, and his eyes were narrowed...
He was reading the book in his hand word by word.
This was the "Plague Compendium" that Lu Yu had given him before his departure...
It recorded various treatments corresponding to the symptoms of the plague.
Of course, Zhang Zhongjing did not know that this "Plague Compendium" was compiled by Luo Rulan, a physician from the Qing Dynasty. It meticulously detailed the various symptoms of the plague, including the corresponding Chinese medicinal treatments.
For example... Rhubarb, Mirabilite, Magnolia Officinalis, Rhinoceros Horn, and more than twenty other herbs, administered according to the individual's condition and symptoms. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the historical significance of the "Plague Compendium" in solving the plague problem was no less than that of "Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases" for cold damage and epidemics!
Of course...
Many of the methods of using the herbs were beyond this era, and even the medical saint Zhang Zhongjing had to savor them carefully.
When Lu Yu arrived, Zhang Zhongjing was still reading...
He was reading with great concentration, completely unaware of Lu Yu's arrival.
Lu Yu did not disturb him, but instead asked the apprentices outside the door.
"Is there a cure for the Jiangdong plague?"
The apprentice replied truthfully, "Reporting to Master Uncle, this 'Plague Compendium' compiled by Master Uncle can solve a large number of symptoms. However, due to the varying degrees of severity, the dosage and intensity of medication will also vary from person to person. Therefore... it cannot be standardized and requires a physician to diagnose it through 'looking, listening, questioning, and palpating' before it can be cured! However... we only brought about twenty physicians, and there are over twenty thousand plague patients in Wujun..."
Oh...
Lu Yu understood. It was a shortage of medical resources.
Ultimately, they were from the north. Without seeing concrete therapeutic effects, the doctors of Jiangdong would not trust them unconditionally, nor would they cooperate... This was the real challenge.
"I understand!"
Lu Yu nodded his head... and muttered to himself that he needed to find a way to gain more support from the physicians.
While he was deep in thought...
Just then...
The sound of footsteps "patter patter" was heard.
Lu Yu instinctively turned his head, only to see Sun Shangxiang running over, panting.
"Husband..."
As soon as she saw Lu Yu, she cried out, and her pale face was clearly visible.
"What?"
Before Lu Yu could speak, Sun Shangxiang grabbed him. "Mother... Mother's forehead is burning hot, and her whole body is ice-cold. She's almost gone. Husband... you... you save Mother, save Mother..."
Mother?
The Empress Dowager Wu?
Lu Yu reacted instinctively. When he came here, he had heard that the Empress Dowager Wu was suffering from the plague, and it was a severe case... she was at death's door.
At this moment, Sun Shangxiang rushing over like this, it was highly likely...
Immediately...
Lu Yu was about to leave with Sun Shangxiang. Because of Sun Shangxiang's commotion, Zhang Zhongjing noticed them. He quickly handed Lu Yu a packet of medicine.
Lu Yu glanced at it and then gasped in shock...
Zhang Zhongjing nodded with great determination...
Clearly, based on his observations and studies during this time, he was sure that this medicine could neutralize the plague poison in the Empress Dowager Wu's body!
...
...
In front of the Empress Dowager Wu's chambers.
It was chaotic here. Maidservants and servants, each carrying basins of water and towels, were moving about in disarray. Sun Yi, Sun Quan, Zhou Yu, Lu Su, and Lu Xun were all present...
The latter three were anxiously looking forward, while the former two... were suppressing their tears. They had lost their father, lost their elder brother, and they could not lose their mother!
Just then, Sun Shangxiang arrived, pulling Lu Yu along.
Coincidentally, a physician, heavily bandaged, approached Sun Yi from five paces away and reported, "The Empress Dowager Wu is in unbearable pain. Perhaps... perhaps she won't make it through today. General Sun should make plans early!"
"What..." Sun Yi and Sun Quan exclaimed in unison, both about to rush into the room.
A group of medical officers quickly stopped them. "General Sun, you cannot... this... this plague is contagious."
The medical officer's words were euphemistic enough. In fact, what he meant was that treating an illness was not like fighting. What use would the two of you, who didn't understand medicine, be inside? What if you also got infected? Wouldn't that throw Jiangdong into even greater chaos?
For a moment, the entire courtyard was in an uproar...
Everyone looked at each other, unsure of what to do!
"Wuwu..."
Sun Shangxiang also crouched down and burst into tears. She felt that her life was too bitter, and her loved ones were all leaving her!
On the other hand, Lu Yu, seeing Sun Shangxiang like this, felt a pang of heartache.
After all, he was also a son-in-law of Jiangdong, and the person suffering from illness inside was his mother-in-law!
Hoo...
Lu Yu took a deep breath, looked at the packet of medicine in his hand, and then shouted loudly, "Everyone, calm down..."
As he spoke...
Zhang Zhao quickly introduced them, "This is His Highness, the Crown Prince of Great Wei. He... he has come to Jiangdong specifically to help us overcome this plague!"
There was no cheering, no applause. The scene remained as silent as death.
Apart from the Empress Dowager Wu's suffering, when it came to "Crown Prince Lu Yu," everyone inevitably thought of... the rumors and gossip circulating in the city.
They knew that the Crown Prince of Wei was thousands of miles away, so how could the plague have anything to do with him...
But rumor has it that thrice-told tales become truth. The more they heard, the more doubts arose in their hearts.
As for Lu Yu, he calmly said, "Everyone, please believe me. I, Lu Yu, have cured the common cold and the plague during the Battle of Chibi. I can cure the plague here as well! Moreover, the people have bestowed upon me the reputation of 'Medical Immortal'!"
That's right...
Lu Yu's reputation as the Medical Immortal resounded throughout the Central Plains. There was no poison in this world that he could not cure!
Even as a last resort, he was treating Sun Shangxiang's mother, his mother-in-law!
"Quick..."
"What are you waiting for!"
"Hurry and lead His Highness the Crown Prince in!"
Sun Yi quickly gave instructions... his eyes were full of longing!
Just then...
"It's bad! The Empress Dowager Wu... has fainted!"
...
...
About five miles west of Wujun City, there was a Taoist temple.
Unlike the desolation and decay of everything in Wujun at the present time, here, surrounded by music and bamboo, amidst pine and cypress trees, a simple Taoist temple stood tall.
A golden plaque on the mountain gate.
In front of the temple, several large bronze incense burners, with blue smoke swirling, emitted a faint, subtle fragrance.
This was a branch of the Five Dou Mi Cult in Jiangdong. Besides Jiangdong, they also had branches in Jingzhou, Jizhou, Yanzhou, and Yuzhou, with the famous Longhu Mountain in Jiangxi being one of them.
Although... after the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Taoism had become increasingly decadent.
However, due to the use of talismans to ward off evil spirits, and talismanic water for healing... and the fact that one could join the sect by paying five dou of rice, the Five Dou Mi Cult still attracted some followers in various places!
Climbing the steps, entering the Taoist gate, and passing the screen wall, one was met with a shrine of Laozi with three halls.
However...
Nowadays, there were not many people offering incense here. Only Zhang Qiying lit three sticks of incense and stepped into the bronze incense burner in front of her.
Zhang Qiying kowtowed three times... as if praying to the founder of Taoism, "Laozi," for something, or as if sincerely repenting on behalf of the Five Dou Mi Cult to Laozi.
Just then...
"Saintess..."
A clear female voice rang out...
Zhang Qiying turned her head and saw a woman in a pale white dress. The woman was only eighteen or nineteen years old, slender, with a small and cute face typical of Jiangnan features. In her calm smile, there was a fresh and ethereal temperament. This unique temperament greatly enhanced the woman's charm.
Zhang Qiying's gaze swept over the white-dressed woman before finally settling on the two boxes she was holding.
She did not hasten to ask about the contents of the boxes.
Instead, she first asked, "How did Father deal with the Grand Ritual Master of the Head?"
The white-dressed woman replied softly, "According to the Saintess's suggestion, Master Zhang slew the Grand Ritual Master of the Head and pushed his corpse into a snake pit to be devoured by ten thousand snakes..."
Hoo... Zhang Qiying exhaled. She pursed her lips slightly, as if she had some minor reservations about this outcome.
"Under the plague, the people of Jiangdong suffered greatly. It was too easy for him..."
Sighing, Zhang Qiying changed the subject, her gentle tone with Lu Yu replaced by solemnity and gravity. "Were these two boxes brought by Father?"
"Indeed." The white-dressed woman opened one of them. "This is a medicinal powder personally refined by Ghost Mother (Zhang Qiying's mother). It contains seven different poisons, and only Master Zhang can neutralize it. As long as the Saintess sprinkles this powder into the Crown Prince of Wei's tea, the Crown Prince of Wei will have no choice but to rely on the antidote of the Five Dou Mi Cult. This way, Hanzhong can be safe for eternity, and the Five Dou Mi Cult can continue to flourish."
Hmm...
The white-dressed woman's words stunned Zhang Qiying.
"But... but the Crown Prince of Wei is saving the people of Jiangdong! The evil committed by our Five Dou Mi Cult, he is making amends for us. In this way..."
Zhang Qiying became agitated.
The white-dressed woman seemed to have expected Zhang Qiying's reaction. She opened her mouth and said, "Therefore, Master Zhang and Ghost Mother have also asked me to bring this box. How you choose... is up to you, Saintess!"
Another box?
The white-dressed woman did not open it but handed the box directly to Zhang Qiying.
Zhang Qiying opened it carefully, but upon seeing the contents, she couldn't help but tremble violently.
"Father and Mother want me to..."
Before Zhang Qiying could finish speaking... the white-dressed woman interrupted, "The Saintess knows the intentions of Master Zhang and Ghost Mother best. How you choose... is up to you, Saintess!"
Still the same sentence...
But at this moment, Zhang Qiying's expression had completely changed.
On one side was the "poison powder," and on the other side was... was...
With a "gulp," she bit her lip and repeatedly swallowed several mouthfuls of saliva, as if by doing so, she could alleviate the tension in her heart.
It was truly a difficult choice!
Just then...
Zhang Qiying suddenly thought of something and looked at the white-dressed woman in front of her. "I remember you are from Jiangdong, aren't you? And from a prominent clan."
"Reporting to the Saintess, I am from Huaiyin County, Lin淮 Commandery. My ancestors were Bu Shicheng, one of the seventy-two disciples of Confucius. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, I was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Huaiyin for my military achievements... but..."
Before the white-dressed woman could finish speaking...
Zhang Qiying interrupted, "Your family has fallen on hard times, haven't you?"
Indeed, this white-dressed woman and her mother had moved to Lujiang to escape the chaos of Zhu An. In the fourth year of Jian'an, when Lujiang was captured by the Sun family of Jiangdong, the mother and daughter crossed the Yangtze River together to Wujun. It was then that the white-dressed woman's mother joined the "Five Dou Mi" Cult and survived in this chaotic era! And for these years, she had acted as the eyes of the Five Dou Mi Cult in Jiangdong.
Although the white-dressed woman had joined the cult for a short time, she was quickly promoted due to her meticulous thinking and competent handling of affairs, becoming a high-ranking "Ghost Soldier"... The sect leader Zhang Lu sent her to deliver messages to Saintess Zhang Qiying, which showed the degree of trust!
"Indeed, our family has fallen on hard times... but my mother and I are at most collateral branches of the Bu family," the white-dressed woman continued.
Zhang Qiying nodded and asked the last question. "Your name is 'Bu Lianshi', isn't it?"
"Yes..."
"I'll remember your name!" For some reason, Zhang Qiying paid special attention to the woman in front of her, not only because of her proper demeanor and Jiangdong origins, but perhaps more so because of her beauty and her innate gentle and virtuous aura!
...
...
Look, listen, question, and palpate!
Facing the dying Empress Dowager Wu, Lu Yu felt that none of this was important.
Sun Shangxiang accompanied Lu Yu into the room. In her "fully armed" state, she served as Lu Yu's assistant.
However, upon seeing her mother in such a state, Sun Shangxiang's face turned even paler, and tears welled up in her eyes, about to fall.
"How is my mother... how is she?"
She asked with concern.
Lu Yu sighed, "Your mother's body is so hot. The first priority is to dissipate the heat. But wearing so many clothes and covered with such thick bedding... she'll be harmed by the heat. After I administer the medicine, you can help her wipe her body with water!"
"Husband..." Sun Shangxiang grabbed Lu Yu. "Husband, you can save Mother, can't you? You can save Mother... can't you?"
Sun Shangxiang looked forward with great anticipation...
Lu Yu softly replied, "There is a way!"
"A way?" Sun Shangxiang felt as if she had received a great amnesty, and a glimmer of hope shone in her eyes.
"That is... for your mother to eat this!"
As he spoke, Lu Yu opened the paper packet given to him by Zhang Zhongjing. It contained nothing else but a dried toad skin... smeared with a viscous paste.
This was the white secretion from the ear glands and skin glands of the toad...
In medicine, it is called - "Chansu"!
Although it looked disgusting, these two items were remarkably effective in detoxification... and even in relieving organ failure caused by toxicity. In later generations, "Sausage Country" used Chansu preparations in clinical treatment of coronary heart disease, and the island nation, which lived a good life, produced "life-saving pills" from Chansu.
Not to mention Longxia, where more than 50 kinds of Chinese patent medicines such as Liu Shen Wan, Mei Hua Dian She Dan, Yi Li Ya Tong Wan, Xin Bao, and Hua Chan Su Injection contained toad ingredients.
However...
In Sun Shangxiang's eyes...
Was Lu Yu crazy? To ask... to ask her mother to eat such a disgusting toad? And not just a toad, its saliva... even when dried, it was extremely disgusting.
This... this...
"Lu... Lu Yu... I'm in such a panic, are you... are you joking with me?"
Sun Shangxiang's address to Lu Yu directly changed from "Husband" to "Lu Yu," clearly... she was greatly startled!
...
...
(End of this chapter)