Red Mansion: Seizing Jiangdong, starting with pirates

Chapter 272, Full of Vitality

Arriving at Dr. Robert's clinic, I found it unlike any other clinic. Instead of the antique and elegant furnishings, it was brightly colored and adorned with flowers. The signboard outside was decorated with many silk fabrics, which, according to Dr. Robert, were gifts from prostitutes he had treated as a token of gratitude.

Robert himself was probably in his fifties. His men carried Gao Li in, and under Robert's guidance, Gao Li was placed on a strange operating table.

This is an operating table that Robert built himself.

Only with this can he perform surgery more effectively.

That's why Fang Yong came here in person.

Robert skillfully used the handcuffs and straps on the operating table to secure Gao Li.

Fang Yong stood a little distance away and watched.

Robert, unable to contain his curiosity, chatted on and on:

"Prime Minister Dae Hee, is this your first time witnessing this type of surgery?"

Fang Yongdao: "More or less."

Robert said, "Oh, you seem to have a good mental fortitude!"

As he spoke, he examined Gao Li's somewhat foul-smelling wound, pried it open with his fingers, and some bloody pus oozed out.

Gao Li let out a painful groan.

"Oh, this is terrible!"

Robert shook his head.

Fang Yong asked, "How confident are you?"

Robert said, "I'm confident I can clean the wound properly, about 65 percent. The key is that I can't guarantee a sterile environment. He might die from infection, or he might come back to life."

Fang Yong frowned upon hearing this and asked, "Would it be better if I left?"

Robert shrugged and said, "About 66%? But you'd better not leave. If the patient dies after surgery and you're not here, I might be in trouble. You know, there are many people in this country who don't understand my medical skills."

As he spoke, he began searching in the recesses of the operating table.

Inside were axes, cleavers, knife slicers, bayonets, small knives, saws, large saws, iron hooks, iron pliers...

"Let me see what I can use!"

Robert searched and finally found two pieces of metal stuck together, somewhat like tweezers, but larger, about the length of chopsticks, and also found a sharp scalpel.

Robert placed the two instruments in a basin containing a pale yellow solution to soak.

He explained, "This is a solution that can eliminate... well, according to you, it can ward off evil spirits."

Fang Yong understood that he meant disinfection.

Robert quickly began working.

He manipulated the strange tweezers with one hand, prying open the wound.

Fang Yong finally realized that it was an expander, but it required manual operation.

The wound was quickly widened, and Robert, holding a scalpel, swiftly inserted it. With a flash of light, he spun it around, and a large ring of rotten flesh was pulled out.

Oh my god, he's peeling an apple!

Fang Yongdu was taken aback.

Only then did he realize the true value of this four-surgeon doctor.

It's a shame that someone with such swordsmanship isn't opening a martial arts school.

Blood was gushing from the fresh wound rapidly. Robert, holding the knife, swiftly cut before the blood could even flow out, cleaning away the deeper, more rotten parts.

The whole process took no more than thirty seconds, and the wound was cleaned up.

Before Gao Li could even wake up in pain, Robert had already begun to stop the bleeding and then quickly stitched up the wound.

After a few needles, Gao Li was finally awakened by the pain, gritting his teeth and screaming in agony. Because he was firmly fixed to the operating table, he could not move his body.

Robert quickly stitched up the wound and then began to wrap it with gauze.

"Please help me carry this, Mr. Prime Minister."

Robert said.

Fang Yong stepped forward and lifted Gao Li slightly, while Robert wrapped gauze around Gao Li's waist.

"Alright, I'll come over periodically to change the gauze after that. Your Excellency can also ask your doctor to prescribe some oral medications, but they should be mild, not too strong. You understand what I mean, right?"

Fang Yong nodded in understanding. He then ordered his men to send Gao Li back.

Robert, meanwhile, was tidying up his medical equipment.

"Are you interested in becoming an official doctor?"

Fang Yong extended an invitation.

Robert shook his head and said:
“Prime Minister, I have decided to return to my country by ship soon. My son is there, and he has just gotten married. If you insist on thanking me, you could give me some gold and silver. When I get back, I will tell them that it was a gift from the Prime Minister of Da Xi.”

Fang Yong listened and did not insist, but ordered his men to give him ten catties of gold.

"By the way, who told you to call me 'Prime Minister'?"

Before leaving, Fang Yong asked a question.

Upon hearing this, Robert explained:
“They told me that you are more powerful than the emperor of this country.”

Fang Yong couldn't help but sneer.

That way, there's no problem.

As time passed, the administration in the capital improved considerably, and officials could no longer be seen oppressing the people on the streets.

The grievance drum in Shuntian Prefecture was frequently sounded, and some officials even impeached Jia She, saying that the repeated grievances were a sign of impending disaster.

Fang Yong simply smiled at this, and then ordered the Longqing Emperor to give the man thirty strokes of the cane.

A series of injustices is a sign of impending disaster.
Ah, back then there were no grievances, the grievance drums were all overgrown with weeds, what a sight that was.

Overnight, most of the grain shops on the street were converted into government-run businesses. Fang Yong set stable purchase and sales prices, and grain prices stabilized completely.

The people applauded.

The officials, however, only felt disheartened.

Xue Pan and Aunt Xue were taken out to recuperate and are recovering well. In a while, they can be taken to see Baochai and give her a surprise.

Their previous appearance was so frightening that Fang Yong was afraid of scaring Baochai, so he did not take the two of them directly to see Baochai.

Gao Li's injuries gradually began to improve.

Zhai Xun has already led his troops into Shanxi.

Recruiting for the military is in full swing across the country.

News of Zhou Shuan's victory came from the grasslands.

News of Wei Xing's victory also came from Zhejiang.

The victory in the war temporarily suppressed some of the surrounding public opinion.

In Henan, a considerable amount of time has passed since the Henan governor, Tian Tianrui, received the imperial edict, and there has been no further news.

Fang Yong estimated that the imperial envoy was either detained or already dead.

It seems that Tian Tianrui is determined to oppose him.

In contrast, the Governor-General of Liaodong, Chu Yuqi, was more tactful.

He claimed he was ill, and that he was said to be very ill, so he could not go to Beijing.

They also found out about Wang Ziteng.

After entering Liaodong, Wang Ziteng immediately humbled himself and sought refuge with Chu Yuqi.

Chu Yuqi gave Wang Ziteng several thousand troops and sent him to garrison Jiuliancheng on the Yalu River to defend against the Koreans to the east.

In recent years, South Korea to the east has been plagued by internal strife, and many people in the country have been unable to make a living. So they have secretly crossed over to Liaodong, hoping to learn Chinese and pretend to be Han Chinese to live in Liaodong.

If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad. The key issue is that these people are a mixed bag. While some are genuine people who have come to make a living, there are also many bandits and robbers who have come to rob and kill. Therefore, Chu Yuqi ordered people to be stationed on the border and to kill any people they caught.

However, due to the long border, it is difficult to completely defend it, and groups often sneak across the border, sometimes even engaging in battles with the garrison.

Wang Ziteng is currently in charge of this matter.

It has to be said that the Duke of Zhongguo, who once commanded an army of over 100,000, has fallen to such a state; he is truly destitute.

Fang Yong considered sending someone to bring him back, but after thinking about it, he realized that leaving Wang Ziteng there might have other uses in the future, so he did not send anyone.

Let him suffer a little first.

(End of this chapter)