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Fei Qian gazed at the gates of Luoyang, his heart filled with countless emotions. Scenes from his past in the city seemed to reappear before his eyes.
No one could predict whether this trip to Luoyang would proceed smoothly. But so far, every step had been relatively low-risk—the truly perilous tasks still lay ahead.
However, before tackling those challenges, Fei Qian needed to take Huang Zhong into Luoyang to seek out the city's most renowned physicians. After all, he anticipated that Dong Zhuo would soon carry out his plan to move the capital. Once that happened, panic would spread among the people. At that point, it wouldn't just be a matter of whether they could find these physicians—even if they did, there was no guarantee the physicians would still be in the right state of mind to treat patients properly.
Most people were ordinary. Though it was said that "a physician's heart should be as compassionate as a parent's," when their own lives—and those of their families—were hanging in the balance, how many could still prioritize saving others before securing their own safety?
Never place your hopes on the virtue of others. This was a lesson Fei Qian had learned early in his past life. Thus, this time, he hoped to resolve Huang Zhong's matter while Luoyang still maintained some semblance of order.
As for whether Huang Zhong would stay or leave after obtaining a treatment for his son, that would naturally be his own decision. While his staying would undoubtedly be more helpful, Fei Qian would not force him if he chose to depart—he understood Huang Zhong's position.
Fei Qian was quite familiar with Luoyang. Most high-ranking officials and nobles resided in Guangbu Li and Yonghe Li, so many of the city's famous clinics were also located near these districts.
Back in the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, after years of brutal warfare, though Liu Bang had ultimately emerged victorious, the devastation inflicted upon the people had been immense. As a result, the policy of "resting with the people" was implemented, and the Daoist philosophy of wu wei (non-action) gained prominence under the Han Dynasty's support.
The Daoist arts of health preservation also contributed to the advancement of medical theory during the Han. Concepts such as life essence, qi, and the spirit, along with theories of nurturing life, became integral components of foundational Chinese medicine.
Additionally, the doctrines of yin-yang and the Five Elements played significant roles in enriching medical theory. Many Han-era physicians had already begun employing yin-yang and the Five Elements to diagnose and treat various illnesses.
In fact, during the Han Dynasty, many physicians themselves came from scholarly families. For various reasons, they had not pursued official careers but instead devoted themselves to healing.
Thus, in the Han era, the scholar-official class still played a somewhat positive role in society—they were not solely preoccupied with exploitation and self-interest.
Fei Qian led Huang Zhong to the largest clinic in Luoyang, one operated by the Chunyu family for generations.
It was said that the founder of this clinic was a descendant of the famed Chunyu Yi. Chunyu Yi, a native of Linzi, had once served as the Grand Provisioner of Qi and was thus also known as Cang Gong. He had studied under renowned physicians such as Gongsun Guang and Gongcheng Yangqing, mastering the pulse techniques of the Yellow Emperor and Bian Que. He excelled in the four diagnostic methods—observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking—particularly renowned for his skills in observation and pulse diagnosis.
A man of noble character, Chunyu Yi refused to become a servant of the nobility, rejecting summons from the kings of Yue, Jiaoxi, Jinan, Wu, and Qi, choosing instead to practice medicine among the common folk.
However, his refusal to serve the powerful led to false accusations by wealthy elites, resulting in his imprisonment.
Chunyu Yi's youngest daughter, Tiying, petitioned Emperor Wen of Han, pleading her father's innocence and offering herself in his stead. Moved by her devotion, the emperor pardoned Cang Gong. The historian Ban Gu once praised her in verse: "A hundred sons, how foolish—none compare to Tiying."
After Cang Gong Chunyu Yi's death, his descendants upheld his teachings, refusing to become exclusive physicians for the nobility and instead focusing on treating ordinary people. Generation after generation, they persisted in this mission, earning an impeccable reputation in Luoyang.
Fei Qian and Huang Zhong joined the line of patients waiting for treatment.
This was another rule of the Chunyu family: unless it was an emergency, patients were seen strictly in order of arrival. Though this practice did little to satisfy the egos of the high-born, the Chunyu family had adhered to it without exception.
Two physicians were presiding over the clinic—one older, around fifty, with a deep furrow between his brows from years of habitual frowning, and the other younger, in his thirties.
Most patients were seen by the younger physician, while the elder merely observed in silence, rarely speaking. Clearly, the younger had already completed his apprenticeship, and the elder was only present to oversee, leaving most decisions to his protégé.
Before long, it was Fei Qian and Huang Zhong's turn. The younger physician looked up at Fei Qian, then at Huang Zhong, and frowned—his expression nearly identical to the elder's.
"What brings you two here? By the ancestral rules of the Chunyu family, all patients are equal. Unless it is an emergency, we do not make house calls." The young physician had instinctively applied the diagnostic method of observation and found no apparent illness in either man. Assuming they were unaware of the clinic's rules and seeking an external visit, he preemptively cited the family's policy.
"We are not here to request a house call," Fei Qian said with a cupped-hand salute. "There is a patient who has been ill for a long time…" He proceeded to explain the condition of Huang Zhong's son in detail.
Huang Zhong, meanwhile, retrieved the meticulously kept medical records he had been carrying and presented them respectfully to the physician.
"Is that so?" The young physician took the records skeptically, flipping through them. Soon, he let out a surprised sound. "Who recorded this? It's remarkably detailed."
Huang Zhong glanced gratefully at Fei Qian. "This was recorded by Lord Fei here."
"Lord Fei?" The young physician was doubtful. He had never heard of any prominent physician surnamed Fei. How, then, could these records be so thorough—even more detailed than the case histories pioneered by Cang Gong Chunyu Yi himself?
He passed the records to the elder physician beside him. "Uncle, take a look."
The elder physician accepted them but did not immediately read. Instead, he asked, "May I ask who your teacher is, Lord Fei? And what texts you have studied?"
"My teacher is Court Counselor Cai. I studied…" Fei Qian paused mid-sentence, suddenly realizing—were these two under the impression that he was a medical practitioner?
This really left him at a loss for how to explain.
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A/N: Chunyu Yi (216-150 BCE) and also known as Chunyu Gong "Master Chunyu", was a famous physician at the beginning of the Former Han period.
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T/N: We finally back in Luoyang