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Fei Qian asked Huang Zhong, "How long has your son been suffering from this illness?"
"Several years now," Huang Zhong replied. This further convinced Fei Qian it was a chronic condition, though lacking professional medical knowledge, he couldn't pinpoint the exact diagnosis.
But since it was chronic, it meant Huang Zhong's son wasn't in immediate danger—there was still hope for treatment.
"Have you consulted all the physicians in this area?" Fei Qian inquired.
Huang Zhong nodded silently. No matter how formidable his martial skills, this was one challenge he couldn't overcome with strength. He'd sought out every physician around Xiangyang—some even two or three times—yet none had cured his son.
"My mission for Governor Liu is only part of my journey. I also plan to return to Luoyang," Fei Qian said slowly, carefully considering his words. Though not a perfect solution, it was the best approach under the circumstances.
"Hansheng, Luoyang houses countless nobles and officials, and consequently, some of the most renowned physicians. While your son cannot travel, I have a method that might allow distant physicians to diagnose him."
This statement caught the attention of not just Huang Zhong, but even Huang Chengyan...
After some thought, Fei Qian continued, "Physicians diagnose illnesses through four methods: observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking. Though your son cannot go to Luoyang in person—ruling out pulse diagnosis—I can meticulously record his symptoms based on the other three methods. Additionally, I'll copy all the previous prescriptions given by other physicians. This should enable Luoyang's doctors to make some assessment without meeting him face-to-face."
While this approach lacked the precision of direct examination, it had advantages: First, Huang Zhong's son likely had a chronic condition, not an acute illness where minor misdiagnoses could prove fatal. Second, in the Han Dynasty, this might be the best form of "telemedicine" possible—certainly better than forcing a sickly child to endure a thousand-mile journey for treatment, which might kill him faster than the disease itself.
"...I've never tried this method before, so I can't guarantee its effectiveness. But Luoyang has many famous physicians—perhaps pooling their wisdom might yield one or two effective prescriptions... The decision rests entirely with you, Hansheng."
Having laid out his proposal, Fei Qian waited quietly for Huang Zhong's response.
"This..." Huang Zhong hesitated. The method had flaws, but it was indeed the best way to access distant medical expertise. Moreover, since local physicians had failed to help, perhaps...
Ultimately, the desperate notion of "trying anything when all else fails" prevailed. Huang Zhong nodded agreement—after years of hopelessness, not knowing when tragedy might strike, even this uncertain approach seemed worth grasping.
With Huang Zhong's consent, Fei Qian wasted no time. Retrieving paper and brushes from his saddlebag, he approached the house entrance after offering an apologetic bow.
Huang Zhong suddenly grabbed his arm. "Inspector Aide Fei...my son has cold damage (伤寒 shānghán). It might be unsafe..."
Fei Qian smiled. "Cold damage manifests in many forms... During your son's illness, has anyone caring for him contracted the same condition?"
"That hasn't happened."
"And the physicians who examined him—have any fallen ill similarly?"
"...Not that I've heard."
Fei Qian nodded. That settled it—the illness wasn't highly contagious. With basic precautions avoiding direct contact with bodily fluids, risk would be minimal.
Huang Zhong remained uncertain, glancing at Huang Chengyan. As the Huang family's son-in-law, should Fei Qian somehow contract the illness, Huang Zhong would bear terrible guilt.
Huang Chengyan also hesitated. Diseases were invisible yet fearsome—entering a cold damage patient's home posed risks, let alone their sickroom...
"Cold damage typically enters through wind pathogens (风邪 fēngxié)," Fei Qian said, seeing their concern. He retreated and borrowed Huang Zhong's knife to cut a long strip from his robe's hem. Wrapping it around his head, he tied it to cover his nose and mouth. "This should suffice—it prevents wind pathogens from entering through breath."
Fei Qian looked between Huang Zhong and Huang Chengyan.
Finally, Huang Chengyan gave a slow nod.
With the Huang patriarch's approval, Huang Zhong led Fei Qian inside.
The four diagnostic methods—observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking—while seemingly profound, essentially involved analyzing bodily manifestations like fever/chills, pain/swelling, sweating/excretion to identify illnesses.
For remote diagnosis, detailed records proved crucial. Fei Qian meticulously documented the illness's onset, fever patterns, painful areas, diet/bowel movements, tongue coating color, even the appearance of phlegm.
After exiting, Fei Qian organized his notes chronologically, copied all surviving prescriptions, then showed Huang Zhong the records to confirm nothing was missed before carefully storing them.
By the time they departed, night had fallen. Riding back, Huang Chengyan swayed with his horse's gait, his mind unsettled. Eventually, he voiced his doubts: "...Son-in-law, is this truly worth it?"
Fei Qian knew his motives couldn't escape his shrewd father-in-law's perception—but he wasn't ashamed of being seen through. His approach was an open strategy—countless modern examples proved that only by valuing others' concerns would they reciprocate...
Of course, those who still disregarded you after such efforts weren't worth maintaining ties with...
Fei Qian chuckled. "Father-in-law...yes, it's worth it..."
*****
A/N: No pain, no gain... Huang Zhong only took office under Liu Biao around 192 AD—likely because he'd been seeking treatment for his son all those years. Moreover, historical records show that from becoming a General of the Household in Changsha (under Liu Biao) until joining Liu Bei in 209 AD—nearly two decades—Huang Zhong never took concubines to continue his lineage. So those stories about people gifting him women or aphrodisiacs upon meeting? Pure nonsense.