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Huang Zhong's face grew increasingly pale as he listened to Zhang Zhongjing, and his body even began to sway unsteadily.
This was his greatest fear during this time—the phrase "medicine is ineffective" echoed relentlessly in his mind, ringing so loudly that his vision darkened. Did this mean there was no cure? Had all their efforts to reach Luoyang been in vain? Was it yet another futile endeavor?
A wave of despair washed over Huang Zhong. Was Heaven truly determined to cut off the Huang family's lineage? His previous children had not lived to adulthood, dying far too young. Now, his only remaining son had suffered from illness for years, and yet the final outcome was still death. How could Huang Zhong possibly accept this?
Just as Huang Zhong was lost in sorrow, Zhang Zhongjing lowered his head, glanced at the medical records in his hand, and after a brief pause, said, "Currently, the lung meridian is weak and has affected the spleen and stomach. Medicine alone is insufficient to counteract the illness, hence its ineffectiveness… However, if supplemented with acupuncture—first targeting Shangyang and Shaoyang, then applying the Zhen needle technique at Chize, followed by warming and nourishing tonics to strengthen the spleen and stomach, warming the chest and abdomen, then targeting Tianfu and Zhongfu, and finally focusing on the middle burner—it may be possible to restore health…"
"Ah?!" Huang Zhong was momentarily stunned. Did this mean his son could be cured or not?
Fei Qian was the first to react. He turned to Zhang Zhongjing and asked, "In that case, who would be capable of performing such acupuncture?" Acupuncture was no simple matter—inserting needles carelessly could lead to bleeding at best, and at worst, worsen the condition if the wrong points were targeted.
Zhang Zhongjing replied, "When it comes to mastery of acupuncture, none surpass Hua Tuo. His techniques are precise and unique, often leading to remarkable recoveries."
Fei Qian was well aware of Hua Tuo's exceptional skill in acupuncture, as well as his other medical talents. The problem, however, was that Hua Tuo's whereabouts were unknown.
This Hua Tuo… In later generations' games, he's always some hidden character. How easy could it possibly be to find him?
In an era where communication relied mostly on shouting, locating Hua Tuo across the land was no simple task. Even Cao Cao, after becoming the King of Wei, had to send people far and wide to track him down.
Fei Qian looked at Zhang Zhongjing before him and couldn't help but voice an idea: "Hua Tuo's whereabouts are unpredictable, making him difficult to find. As the saying goes, 'Don't trouble two masters with one task.' Might I ask if you, Zhongjing, could travel to Jingxiang to treat the boy?"
Fei Qian's reasoning was twofold: First, since Zhang Zhongjing had proposed the acupuncture treatment, he must be quite proficient in it himself. Second, Zhang Zhongjing was originally from Jingxiang. Though he was currently in Luoyang, Fei Qian recalled that Zhang Zhongjing eventually returned to Jingxiang. Having him make a detour to treat Huang Zhong's son seemed like a perfect solution.
Huang Zhong, hearing Fei Qian's words, immediately stepped forward and bowed deeply, pleading with Zhang Zhongjing to save his son's life. Zhang Zhongjing initially tried to raise Huang Zhong, refusing the formal gesture, but Huang Zhong's strength was far beyond his—he ended up completing the grand bow regardless.
Seizing the moment, Fei Qian added, "In the second year of Zhongping, a spring plague spread through Jingxiang, claiming seven or eight out of every ten lives. This boy once had an elder brother who also contracted typhoid fever and died young. If this child were to… How tragic would that be! It pains me to see a family line cut short. I beg you, brother, to save his life…"
Fei Qian's words finally moved Zhang Zhongjing—not because of the issue of lineage, but because of the tragedy he described. Huang Zhong's two sons had both fallen ill during that horrific typhoid plague in the second year of Zhongping, and one had already died.
Zhang Zhongjing's own family had originally been in Nanyang, where the typhoid plague had raged mercilessly, claiming countless lives. The Zhang family had once been a large clan with over two hundred members, but two-thirds of them perished in the epidemic, with seven out of ten deaths caused by typhoid fever…
This very tragedy had become the driving force behind Zhang Zhongjing's lifelong mission to conquer typhoid fever.
Originally, Zhang Zhongjing had planned to leave Luoyang to travel and practice medicine while exchanging knowledge with other renowned physicians. But upon hearing that Huang Zhong's child was another victim of that same plague—the one that had caused him so much grief—his heart wavered.
Perhaps I can return to Jingxiang first before setting out on my travels…
Zhang Zhongjing gave himself this justification, though deep down, he felt that if he could cure Huang Zhong's son, it would be as though he had saved yet another life from the devastation of that plague.
With a sigh, Zhang Zhongjing nodded and said, "Very well. I shall accompany you for this journey. When do we depart?"
Huang Zhong was so overjoyed he nearly leaped into the air, repeatedly expressing his gratitude before instinctively blurting out, "Today! We can leave today!"
But as soon as the words left his mouth, Huang Zhong realized his mistake. Doing so would mean abandoning Fei Qian to prioritize his own child—a decision that felt deeply ungrateful. Before leaving the Huang family's secluded estate, he had vowed to Huang Chengyan, the family head, that he would ensure Fei Qian's safety.
If he were to leave Fei Qian behind now and return with Zhang Zhongjing to treat his son, it would be inexcusable if anything happened to Fei Qian. How could he ever face anyone afterward?
Yet, if he stayed with Fei Qian, what would become of his son? He had finally encountered a glimmer of hope for his child's recovery—was he to give that up? If he sent someone else to escort Zhang Zhongjing back, he would still be uneasy. After all, with the military stationed at Suanzao, even if they took the Liangdong route, there were still troops encamped along the way. What if something went wrong?
What should I do?
Huang Zhong looked back and forth between Zhang Zhongjing and Fei Qian, torn between two impossible choices.
Fei Qian, meanwhile, found the situation both amusing and frustrating.
For some reason, he suddenly thought of Liu Bei—When Liu Bei had to decide whether to let Xu Shu leave, did he feel this same torment?
On one hand, Fei Qian was genuinely happy for Huang Zhong. Though Zhang Zhongjing had not yet completed his medical travels, his understanding of typhoid fever was already profound. From today's discussion, it was clear Zhang Zhongjing had viable treatments. If Huang Zhong's son could recover, it would be a tremendous blessing…
But on the other hand, Fei Qian himself was about to face even greater challenges. The coming days would be far more complicated, and having someone as skilled in martial arts as Huang Zhong by his side would provide much-needed security.
So, whether Huang Zhong stayed or left, there were pros and cons to both choices. The biggest problem was that Fei Qian had to give an answer immediately—there was no time to weigh the options carefully.
Should I let him go, or ask him to stay?