Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

When Liu Bei resumed his old ways, Tao Sheng, who was trapped in Ye County, faced the same situation as Yin Kai.

Having Wang Dang incite Wu Lu to join forces with Tao Sheng was also Liu Bei's idea, just like Zhang Ba had Luo Shi join forces with Yin Kai, and the methods were similar.

However, since Zhang Yan's main force was also heading towards Ye County, Wang Dang did not set fire to Ye County. Instead, he launched a surprise attack when Tao Sheng opened the city gates to welcome Wu Lu.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yan led the main force of the Black Mountain to the outskirts of Ye County, adopting a posture of launching a strong attack.

Wang Dang's surprise attack did not achieve much, only creating chaos at the city gate.

But the result was the same: Tao Sheng also believed that Wu Lu was sent by Zhang Yan to kill him, and they fought each other in Ye County.

After launching an attack, Wang Dang immediately retreated, leaving the troops of the two traitors, Wu Lu and Tao Sheng, to fight each other in Ye County.

Knowing he had no way out, Tao Sheng fought extremely hard.

Wulu was caught between Zhang Yan's main force and Tao Sheng's troops, and was the first to be destroyed, dying in the chaos of battle.

However, after Tao Sheng killed Wu Lu, Zhang Yan's main force took advantage of the chaos to rush into Ye County.

After Zhang Yan led his army into the city, Ye County was set on fire by Tao Sheng.

When the main force of the Black Mountain forces entered the city, Tao Sheng could not withstand them and retreated to the inner city's treasury to hold out for two days, but it was still breached.

After the city fell, Zhang Yan learned from the prisoners that Tao Sheng had contracted the plague and, knowing he had no way to survive, had set himself on fire in the prefect's mansion.

Tao Sheng betrayed Zhang Yan and attacked him, nearly killing Zhang Yan. If he had fallen into Zhang Yan's hands, he would have suffered countless tortures. After Zhang Yan's army entered the city, he stabbed his concubine to death and set himself on fire.

Ye County was ultimately burned down.

Zhang Yan did not obtain any spoils of war.

Then news came from Liu Bei that there was grain in Handan, so Zhang Yan sent Wang Dang to fetch it.

Since Tao Sheng's body could not be found, Zhang Yan was unsure whether Tao Sheng had actually committed suicide by self-immolation. So she set fire to the area, burning all those who had followed Tao Sheng in the rebellion, along with the outer city of Ye County, to ashes.

After Wang Dang arrived outside Handan, Handan once again became a chaotic battlefield.

Wang Dang, Yin Kai, Luo Shi, and the others were all short of food, and their strengths were roughly equal. In addition, the three sides were enemies of each other, so even without this batch of food, they would still fight each other.

Handan had been burned down, and the three sides had no fortifications to rely on, so they attacked each other outside the city and fought endlessly.

Within two days, all three forces suffered heavy casualties, and there were no victors.

Everyone wanted to seize the grain, so the result was that no one could transport it away, and no one could leave.

The chaotic battle only came to an end after Zhang Yan purged the traitors in Ye County and led the main force of the Black Mountain Army to reinforce Wang Dang.

Without the constraints imposed by those treacherous leaders, Zhang Yan's main force was much smaller, but its combat effectiveness actually increased. In just one battle, they completely defeated the exhausted armies of Luo Shi and Yin Kai.

The grain left behind by Liu Bei eventually ended up in Zhang Yan's hands—it was originally intended to support the Black Mountain region.

Luo Shi surrendered to Zhang Yan, hoping to return to Black Mountain. However, Zhang Yan executed Luo Shi according to military law for disobeying orders and looting without permission, and reorganized his troops into laborers to clean up the surrounding countryside of epidemics.

Yin Kai dared not surrender to Zhang Yan and attempted to flee north, but he entered Zhang Liao's defense zone and was shot dead by Zhang Liao's troops on the outskirts of Yiyang.

The battle of Handan has now come to an end.

But Zhang Yan's work was not over yet. After obtaining the grain, Zhang Yan rushed to Zhang Liao's army to discuss a joint advance into Bingzhou.

Lei Gong went to Bingzhou, where Sun Qingzheng "partnered" with him, and Zhang Yan still had to continue cleaning up the house.

Of course, Liu Bei only provided the plan; how to deal with Lei Gong was up to Zhang Yan himself.

……

While various bandit groups were engaged in a chaotic battle in Handan, Liu Bei and Zhao Yun rode their horses around the surrounding countryside.

Diao Chan was also there. She was a local, and although she had been away from her hometown for more than ten years, she still remembered most of the roads.

This can be considered as fulfilling her original intention of returning to her hometown.

However, this was not for sightseeing, but to investigate the extent of the plague's spread and to find a suitable place.

Cities are too densely populated to treat epidemics; rural areas are more suitable for setting up treatment centers.

This journey took them from Handan to Ye County, and from Ye County to Yangping Pavilion, where Juhu had once temporarily stayed.

Yangping Pavilion is where Juhu killed Zhuge Xuan and led the people of Ye County to set up camp. It is seventeen li away from Ye City and is located on the banks of the Fu River.

In fact, Ju Hu had a good eye. The terrain of Yangping Pavilion was the same as the place where Zhang Bao administered medicine by the Tuo River in Xiaquyang.

Located next to the Fu River, it has abundant water resources, a gentle river channel for transporting goods, wide riverbanks to avoid overcrowding, and gentle slopes of the western hills to separate different groups of people.

This is a very suitable place to set up a pharmacy to distribute herbal decoctions on a large scale.

Meanwhile, Yangpingting is also the epicenter of the epidemic in Hebei.

Most of the potential risks in Montenegro have been eliminated, and all road intersections in all directions are currently blocked by our own people. Once the effective blockade is achieved, it is time to treat the disease.

……

At the end of April in the first year of Jian'an, Xiuniang led a large number of medical staff organized by the medical college to Guan Yu's army.

Under the guidance of medical professionals, Guan Yu's troops underwent comprehensive protection, with cotton masks and leather gloves becoming standard equipment, and the soldiers were all wrapped up tightly.

With the medical school staff in place, Guan Yu began to gradually clear out settlements in the countryside, organizing people to be isolated and relocated one pavilion at a time, shrinking the blockade area to the Dangyin and Anyang areas, and recruiting able-bodied men along the way to continue blocking the routes and searching for medicine.

Late spring and early summer are the best seasons for collecting medicinal herbs, as well as for processing medicines and treating patients. Everything is growing, there is plenty of sunshine, the temperature is neither too hot nor too cold, and there is no extreme weather.

With more and more manpower available, and after ensuring that all areas were under lockdown, the medical school also began to go deep into the epidemic area to search for patients in the countryside and try to treat the disease.

The area under lockdown is gradually shrinking, and various organizations are sending rural residents to migrate outside the encirclement. The "poison circle" is gradually being shrunk to the central part of Wei County.

Just as Liu Bei finished building his camp at Yangping Pavilion, Xiu Niang led the medical school staff to the site.

The situation is starting to improve, but difficulties remain.

The drought and plague of that year had severely disrupted farming, leaving most of the fields barren. Liu Bei needed to obtain enough grain to solve the problem.

The medical field should be run by professionals. What Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, and others should do is ensure that these professionals have no worries about their work.

After Guan Yu joined forces with Liu Bei, he temporarily handed over the defense zone to Zhao Yun and sent Wang Xiu to Dongjun to ensure the smooth transportation of supplies.

Guan Yu then entered Black Mountain, preparing to support Zhang Yan in taking Taiyuan—Guan Yu had not forgotten the obstacles and insults he encountered at the gates of Jinyang.

At that time, Guan Yu did not fight against the Jinyang gentry in order to conquer the Hu people, but now he needed food. Although Guan Yu was not a thief, he felt that the food should be given to useful people, and at least it should not be used to support traitors.

……

It was at this time that Liu Bei received news of Ju Shou.

Ju Shou discovered that the imperial army was tightening its encirclement. He also discovered that the imperial court had begun administering medicine to treat the epidemic.

After fleeing Handan, Ju Shou and his son hid by Huangze (Neihuang Lake), which was once the territory of Gui Gu, a bandit from Neihuang.

This place is not far from Yangping Pavilion. Guan Yu's troops have already begun searching the area around Huangze. Although Huangze is a large area, they will not be able to hide any longer.

Ju Shou indeed had nowhere to go, and the epidemic within his tribe had not been effectively controlled, with more and more patients. Even though he abandoned patients with obvious symptoms when he left Handan, during his two weeks of hiding, another 30% of his tribe members had become infected.

Ju Shou had no choice but to hide Ju Hu to avoid triggering Liu Bei's desire for revenge, while he himself went to Yangping Pavilion to apologize to Liu Bei.

This time, Ju Shou came with the determination to die.

He didn't bring anyone with him, he was dressed in hemp clothes, and even carried a bundle of thorns on his back—he hadn't even removed the thorns from the bundles, it seemed he was going to imitate the story of "bearing thorns to apologize".

Of course, it was precisely because of this unique appearance that he was able to meet Liu Bei.

After all, Liu Bei wasn't someone anyone could just meet. It was only because he was carrying thorns that Zhao Lei, Guan Yu's subordinate responsible for blocking the road, brought Ju Shou to Liu Bei.

"Ju Gongyu, what are you doing dressed like that?"

Liu Bei looked at the thorns on Ju Shou's back, then at Ju Shou's blood-stained hemp clothing, and turned to criticize Zhao Lei: "Commander Zhao, didn't I say that blood and sweat can spread miasma? How can you block the road and allow people covered in blood to pass through?!"

Zhao Lei glanced at Ju Shou, then at Liu Bei, and hesitantly cupped his hands in a gesture of respect before asking, "Then... should we send him to Doctor Du for a trial of the medicine?"

Du Taifu refers to Xiuniang. The medical school is currently conducting clinical trials and is constantly trying different prescription combinations.

"Prime Minister, there's no need to frighten me..."

Ju Shou took down the thorny branch, bowed his head, and raised it above his head: "I, Ju, have come to beg for forgiveness. I also ask the Prime Minister to speak plainly: is there any chance for my Ju family to live?"

"Survive?"

Liu Bei did not accept the thorn branch, but asked from a distance, "Don't you know what crimes you and your son have committed? Killing an official and rebelling, plotting rebellion. If such crimes can be punished with death... then everyone in the world will probably become a thief."

“I am willing to accept my punishment, but I implore the Prime Minister to show mercy and allow me to buy my son’s life… I know that the Prime Minister needs to treat the sick and save lives, and there must be a shortage of food and medicine. I can find food and medicine.”

Ju Shou remained bowing and said, "Redeeming one life could save ten thousand more. The Prime Minister is a benevolent and virtuous man, and saving lives should be the priority. Back then, General Lu ordered the Prime Minister to find food and medicine to atone for his sins. Today, I, Ju Shou, also wish to follow the Prime Minister's example..."

The reason Liu Bei met Ju Shou in the first place was because Lu Zhi asked Liu Bei to find food and medicine to avoid being accused of crimes by various parties.

“Ju Gongyu, I have never been a benevolent gentleman, and you should not try to deceive me.”

Liu Bei shook his head and said, “I do need food and medicine. You can find food and medicine, and you can indeed make amends for your crimes and be treated leniently... But this is only your way of atoning for your crimes. Your son Juhu’s crimes must be atoned for by himself.”

"Whoever commits the crime must bear the consequences themselves; no one else can take their place, not even a father or son... Where is your son?"

Liu Bei had no intention of being a benevolent gentleman, nor did he ever claim to be kind. On the contrary, he always said that he was not a good person—and indeed he wasn't a good person either. What good person would kill and set fires all day long?

Upon hearing this, Ju Shou shook his head and said, "I only wish to save my son's life. I have no other requests. If the Prime Minister is unwilling, then kill me."

"The only food and medicine you can take is the food stored in the Shenpei tribe's warehouse, which I can also take myself..."

Liu Bei threw a dagger to Ju Shou: "The Shen family is nothing to me. Ju Gongyu, if you want to die, then do it yourself."

Seeing that Liu Bei remained unmoved, Ju Shou sighed, "The Prime Minister's refusal to allow his troops to directly attack Neihuang and Yin'an is simply due to his concern that the army might contract malaria... I am willing to act in the Prime Minister's stead. If the Prime Minister has any other orders, I am willing to obey them. Wouldn't that be enough to save my son's life?"

“I’ve said it before, you are you, and Juhu is Juhu.”

Liu Bei still shook his head: "He has to redeem his own life; you can't do it for him!"

"...I wonder how the Prime Minister intends for my son to atone for his sins?"

Ju Shou remained silent for a moment, then put down the thorny branch in his hand: "Prime Minister must have a plan. Please tell me."

“I want to treat the epidemic, and I want him to concentrate all the patients from Weijun in Neihuang and Fanyang counties.”

Liu Bei did indeed offer a solution: "Once the epidemic is completely cured and there are no more patients in the world, he can start anew... If he is willing, he should take care of this matter first and then come to me."

"Are there no more patients in the world?"

Ju Shou sighed: "Then... what if there are always sick people in the world?"

“Then he must always be on the front line of fighting the epidemic, a hero who goes against the tide… Ju Gongyu, I can let him live, but he must become a useful person to the world.”

Liu Bei said bluntly, "But I don't think Ju Hu can atone for his sins in this way... He's not as good as you."

"...If my son does not atone for his sins, what will become of my entire Ju clan?"

Ju Shou raised his head and asked in a low voice.

"They will be punished by heaven, and their entire clan may even die from disease."

Liu Bei looked at Ju Shou and said, "There must be quite a few people in your clan who have already contracted the disease, right?"

"Divine retribution? Divine retribution...what a divine retribution..."

Ju Shou understood Liu Bei's meaning, muttered something to himself, and turned around.

……

While Liu Bei was setting up a pharmacy at Yangping Pavilion, the team of doctors that Li Zheng had gathered in Chang'an had already entered Henan and Nanyang under the protection of Tian Yu.

Doctors were dispatched to various counties and began distributing medicine in large quantities.

Liu Bei also gave Li Zheng a modified Xiao Chai Hu Tang formula because Liu Bei only remembered formulas for relieving cough and phlegm... This formula cannot cure the disease, but it can reduce its spread.

Some medical professionals also volunteered to go to Wei County, intending to enter the area where the epidemic originated.

Some doctors were motivated by the desire to become officials; they believed that going to high-risk epidemic areas would allow them to be directly appointed as military medical officers and obtain military positions.

Military positions were highly valuable under Liu Bei, and military doctors held a relatively high status, starting at the same level as military marquises. For example, Li Zheng, who became the head of the military medical officer, was already on par with the commander of the central army.

However, some doctors want to find better treatment methods and differentiate prescriptions by treating more patients.

Among the list of physicians that Li Zheng sent to Liu Bei, Liu Bei saw the name Zhang Zhongjing.

Zhang Ji, courtesy name Zhongjing, was a native of Nanyang. He was recommended by Zhang Bozu in the first year of Zhongping (184 AD) for his filial piety and integrity. However, due to the turmoil in Nanyang, he did not take office.

This is clearly the legendary physician of the Jian'an era.

Liu Bei was overjoyed and personally went to Liyang to welcome him.

But Zhang Zhongjing actually came to Wei County because he heard from Li Zheng that the Xiao Chai Hu Tang formula was given to him by Liu Bei...

Upon meeting Liu Bei, Zhang Zhongjing asked him, "Prime Minister, how do you interpret this prescription? Is there any explanation?"

Liu Bei can't very well say that this prescription will be the most famous one in your future medical book, but you haven't even started writing it yet...

He could only say, "This prescription was given to me by a wandering Taoist priest when I was young and ill. I don't know the meaning of the prescription, I only know that it can treat typhoid fever. But typhoid fever also has different symptoms, and how to determine the appropriate ingredients is up to you physicians to examine and interpret." (End of this chapter)