Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 36 Smallpox Vaccination (Please continue reading)
"What do you need, my dear brother? I'll arrange it right away!"

In his excitement, Guo Huailian abandoned the usual pleasantries common among the wealthy and went straight to the point.

Zhang Xian cupped his hands and said, "I have no other request but peace in this place. It is a pity that I am of low status and have no one to trust. I beg my elder brother for help."

"Brother, you might as well explain it more clearly."

Guo Huai understood some of it, but not all of it. Smallpox was different from other diseases; once it broke out, even the highest officials and nobles were no different from ordinary people.

This matter is of utmost importance and allows him no room for wishful thinking.

Zhang Xianwei paused, then stood up and bowed: "I wish to treat smallpox with smallpox treatment!"

"This"

Guo Huai hesitated, "Look at this, is this even human language?"

But recalling that this person had acted similarly a month or so ago, he began to believe it again.

What should we do?

Hesitation is normal, Zhang Xian fully understands, as he had already made plans before coming.

"Brother, don't be anxious. I have no other request but to ask for two or three death row inmates in the county jail!"

“There is already one case of my brother’s protection of the estate, but a single case is not enough; further evidence is needed.”

"So that's how it is..." Guo Huai stroked his beard in realization, feeling much more at ease.

"Leave this matter to me, your elder brother!"

He readily agreed.

Zhang Xian then said, "I have another request for you, brother. We do not know where the smallpox outbreak originated in Zhending, but the bandits who attacked said that my village is twenty or thirty li northwest of my estate and that this is their last stop. Please tell the prefect and the county magistrate to control the area around this place and prevent people from moving around."

"That's how it should be," Guo Huai said with a sigh of relief.

Being able to detect smallpox in advance is already a stroke of good luck amidst misfortune; if the spread can be controlled, that would be even better.

After exchanging pleasantries at the Guo residence, just past noon, Guo Huai returned from the county government office, followed by about thirteen county guards, escorting six filthy-faced death row inmates, who stopped outside the Guo residence.

Upon receiving the news, Zhang Xian and the others also left the Guo residence.

“Brother, come here, come here.”

As soon as he came out, he saw Guo Huai waving at him, so he went over.

Before him stood a figure clad in full armor, with a short beard, bright eyes, a helmet adorned with flowing cherry blossoms, and two three-foot-long golden hammers, each bearing a yellow apricot, inserted into his waist and abdomen.

"This is Zhong Tong, Zhong Yixi, the military officer of Zhen Ding County, and this is Zhang Xian, Zhang Zixu. You are all outstanding individuals, so you should get to know each other well."

"Brother Yixi," Zhang Xian bowed.

Zhong Tong clasped his hands in greeting: "Brother Zixu."

After exchanging greetings, Zhang Xian asked, "Brother Yixi, what brings you here?"

Zhong Tong: "The Duke has told me that this matter is of great importance, and I should do my best to protect Zixu."

"Thank you for your help."

Zhang Xian couldn't discern Zhong Tong's character from their brief exchange, but he seemed prudent and not impulsive.

The thirteen soldiers, armed with spears and swords, did not resemble yamen runners; they looked more like the soldiers directly led by the county magistrate.

He looked at Guo Huai and said, “Brother, things are urgent and I won’t stand on ceremony with you. When you went to the county government, I asked your manor for ten old oxen and sent them to the estate. I will apologize to you after this is done.”

"Zixu, you're being too polite," Guo Huai said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Then I will not linger."

"I look forward to good news from you, my dear brother." Guo Huaizuo extended his hand to see him off.

"Brother Yixi, thank you for your trouble."

"Brother Zixu, you're too kind."

"Transport the death row inmates! Move out!"

Zhong Tong gave the order and then led the thirteen guards and death row inmates into action.

Zhang Xian and his companions also mounted their horses and left after the servants of the Guo family led out their horses.
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On the road.

Zhong Tong led his men in front, with Zhang Xian and the others following behind. He looked at Zhao Yun beside him and whispered, "How is that man?"

Zhao Yun knew that his sworn brother was asking about the captain, and a confident smile appeared on his face: "Five rounds will be enough to take him down!"

"six."

Zhang Xian shrank back. He had only asked out of curiosity, and this was the first time he had seen soldiers of this era since he arrived.

校尉
Zhong Tong, who is not even thirty years old, has reached this position. He originally thought it was due to his own abilities, but he didn't expect that his younger brother Yun seemed to look down on him, which means it was supported by the family's foundation.

The journey was uneventful; with the county garrison clearing the way, even the number of refugees decreased.

By the time they returned to Taoyuan, it was already three o'clock in the afternoon. The people from the Guo family who were delivering the cattle had set off earlier and had already delivered them.

Upon returning to Taoyuan, Zhang Xian immediately began preparations for smallpox inoculation.

This is exactly what he wanted in death row inmates for.

"Brother Yixi, I'm sorry to trouble you these past few days, please wait a little longer."

"Brother Zixu, you may proceed as you see fit."

Zhong Tong surveyed Taoyuan with his eyes. Although it was not yet a significant place, it had a united spirit and a promising outlook.

"Yun Di, Hu Wa, Shi Tou, take these people to wash up and then send them to their courtyards separately!"

"promise!"

"Everyone else, continue as usual. The land reclamation cannot be stopped; if it is stopped any longer, spring planting will be over!"

"promise!"

The work in Taoyuan has been slowed down considerably because of the bandit incident, but now the young men are full of energy again.

The condemned prisoner was taken away to be washed, while Zhang Xian returned to his hut and took out a transparent plastic medicine bottle about the size of a thumb.

The bottle originally contained some pills, but now it's empty and he's using it to hold cowpox powder.

In the past few days, he has collected some cowpox scabs and ground them into powder, but the amount is very small and doesn't even fill the bottom of the bottle.

That's why he asked the Guo family for ten more old oxen, intending to use them all for smallpox vaccination.

By the time he had prepared his things, the death row inmates had also been washed and cleaned. Their hair and beards were so dirty and messy that Zhang Xian simply had them all shaved off.

This kind of behavior is tantamount to murdering one's parents in this era, but since they are already on death row, who cares?

The six death row inmates were held in solitary confinement in three thatched huts.

Zhang Xian called a few people to help him and began inoculating people with smallpox.

Tiger Cub and the others covered the mouths and noses of the struggling death row inmates with several layers of burlap.

Zhang Xian took out a medicine bottle, scooped up some medicine with a small piece of wood, and blew it into the condemned prisoner's nostrils.

The condemned prisoner was terrified, his eyes bulging. Although he didn't know what Zhang Xian was doing to him, he could clearly sense that it was not a good thing.

Fortunately, Zhang Xian had the foresight to have his mouth gagged beforehand, so no screams were heard.

After repeating this several times, he managed to inoculate all six death row inmates with smallpox via nasal inoculation.

After binding all the condemned prisoners, he led his men away from the courtyard.

"Now it's just a matter of time. We'll see how the smallpox vaccine works once the outbreak occurs in seven days."

After finishing the nasal blowing, Zhang Xian, along with several helpers and guards, went to wash his entire body.

Regardless of the extent of the damage caused by smallpox to Taoyuan, it is true that it improved the overall hygiene level of Taoyuan.

The young men who used to go ten days, half a month, or even a month without taking a bath now take baths every day, of course, with cold water, as Taoyuan doesn't yet have enough fuel to support a daily hot water supply.

After the vaccination and bathing, Zhang Xian sent the young men off to do other things, while he went to the cowshed and began manually infecting many old cows.

All ten newly arrived cows in the Guo family were inoculated with smallpox, along with the three that were already there. Once the death row inmates showed signs of infection, the scabs should have formed by then.

The days of waiting were uneventful, except that Zhong Tong and his thirteen soldiers often sparred with the guards of Taoyuan Manor, and for a time, the guards actually gained a lot from it.

Eight days later, as the first smallpox death row inmate showed symptoms, Zhang Xian knew that his smallpox vaccination method had been used.

Become!

　This is a formal declaration that all medical procedures described in this book are fictional!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)