Sweep Yuan

Chapter 73 The Wounded Soldier's Unexpected Joy

After agreeing on the establishment of a local militia and the severe punishment of the Liang and Fan families, Shishan went directly to the clinic to visit the wounded.

After the city fell yesterday, sixteen more soldiers were transferred to the East Market Medical Center.

The clinic, which was only two stories high and not very large to begin with, was now packed with wounded soldiers and supply troops who had come to assist. The air was thick with the stench of medicine mixed with the stench of blood.

In just one day, 20% of the seriously injured patients were out of danger, which shows that Bu Ciyuan's medical skills are commendable.

The remaining wounded soldiers mostly suffered from burns, and most of them were running high fevers. Whether they would survive was no longer something that contemporary doctors could guarantee.

Nevertheless, after comforting the wounded, Shishan emphasized to Bu Ciyuan, who was seeing him out:

"They are all brave warriors who fell on the front line of the siege. As long as they can recover from their injuries and return to the team, they will at least be platoon leaders in the future. Please, Dr. Bu, do your best to treat them. If you need anything, just let us or Commander Tan know."

Bu Ciyuan has been busy treating the wounded since yesterday, and has hardly slept a wink. His eyes are bloodshot, but he is somewhat excited to be able to speak with Commander Shi alone.

“That’s perfect, I do have a favor to ask of you, Commander.”

"please say."

Bu Ciyuan brushed the medicine stains off his robe, bowed deeply, and said in a trembling voice:

"The Mongols were brutal and tyrannical, and the Semu people were their accomplices; both brought about their own destruction. However, the court did not prohibit intermarriage between different ethnic groups. After a hundred years of reproduction, there are countless people who carry the blood of Mongols and Semu people, most of whom are no different from Han people."

It's like a man's hidden ailment; a boil should be removed, but if it affects his reproductive organs, then the genitals should also be cut off—"

In his excitement, Bu Ciyuan almost revealed his true nature, but he quickly stopped and covered his face with his sleeve.

"Ahem—I misspoke, please forgive me, Commander. After all, the medical profession emphasizes eliminating evil and preserving righteousness. If we were to condemn all the lowly people for doing evil for a few nobles of the two races, it would be against the natural order."

As he spoke, fine beads of sweat appeared on Bu Ciyuan's forehead, and his emerald eyes churned like boiling medicine.

He was, after all, a "remnant of the Semu people," and saying these things was a great risk for him.

Shishan was not unaware that the slogan "Expel the barbarians and restore the Han" had strong limitations. It not only easily pushed the Mongols and Semu people at the bottom of society, who could have been won over, to the opposite side, but also lacked legal rationality when cracking down on wealthy and unscrupulous Han families.

However, his strength is still weak, and he still needs the protection of the Red Turban Army in Xuzhou, so it is not advisable for him to put forward his own slogans too early.

The fact that Bu Ciyuan possessed both Semu and Han Chinese bloodlines provided a breakthrough for revising the path of expelling the barbarians and restoring the Han.

Shi Shan looked at the non-Muslim doctor with more respect, stepped forward to help Bu Ciyuan up, and sincerely asked for his advice:
"Doctor Bu is highly talented and kind-hearted. His analogy of medicine to political strategy is well said. However, the conflicts between various ethnic groups are already deep-seated. How should we deal with the lower-class commoners of the Mongol and Semu ethnic groups? I would appreciate your advice!"

Bu Ciyuan twisted the tassel of the medicine pouch between his fingers and said:

"You flatter me, Commander. I am but—I am but old mugwort, with a foul smell and of little use."

After saying this, the man quickly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and continued:
"The nobles of the Mongols and Semu peoples are like poisonous caltrops that need to be uprooted, but the lowly people of these two ethnic groups are like millet grains covered in dung. They look filthy, but after washing them, they can be used to make porridge to fill their stomachs."

In my humble opinion, the imperial court has never shown any favor to the two ethnic groups, yet it has exploited them no less than the Han people. There must be many who harbor resentment. Those who wish to abandon their customs and follow the Han people to resist the imperial court, I urge the commander to give them a way to survive.

If they remain stubborn and unwilling to serve the court against the righteous army, then slaughtering them all will be without complaint.

"good!"

Shi Shan was overjoyed, and even Bu Ciyuan's slightly lewd expression seemed more pleasing to the eye.

"Would Doctor Bu be willing to serve as a horse bone in our army and take charge of medical and pharmaceutical matters?"

The oracle bone inscription originates from the understanding that there is no way back, with a straight back and bright blue eyes, it says:
“If Commander Meng does not abandon me, this crippled body of mine will surely be like plantain, used for food or medicine, at Commander Meng’s beck and call.”

Outside the clinic, Gong Wu stood on the steps with his hand on his knife, his gaze fixed on the merchant in blue who was approaching him.

"Sir, please inform the righteous army's leader that merchant Zhou Wendao requests an audience." Before Zhou Wendao could finish bowing, Gong Wu's scabbard was already placed in front of him.

"It's not convenient to receive guests inside the clinic. Please step back and wait here."

Zhou Wendao nodded in agreement, and a string of copper coins slipped out of his sleeve, which he handed to Gong Wu discreetly.

"The soldiers have worked hard on their posts, a little bit—"

"Take it back!"

Seeing Shi Shan and Bu Ciyuan talking and walking out, Gong Wu suddenly lashed Zhou Wendao's hand with his scabbard and said coldly:

"If you do not listen, you will be treated as a spy!"

"Yes! I know I was wrong, I'll take my leave now—Sir, Commander!"

As soon as Shi Shan lifted the curtain of the clinic, he saw Zhou Wendao kneel down in the street with a thud, shouting at the top of his lungs:

"This humble citizen, Zhou Wendao, deeply admires the righteous army for driving out the enemy and restoring the Han dynasty, and for not committing any offenses against them. Therefore, I present one hundred bolts of fine cotton cloth to reward the army!"

The battle had just ended, and there weren't many pedestrians on the street to begin with. Zhou Wendao's commotion immediately attracted everyone's attention.

It will take time for the measures to benefit businesses and stabilize the market to take effect. Shi Shan couldn't believe that merchants who wouldn't get up early for nothing would take the initiative to offer their services, especially since this person, despite making a loud claim, had nothing to offer.

"Get up. If this is to entertain the troops, where is your cloth?"

Zhou Wendao stood up and stepped forward, preparing to approach the rocky hill, but was stopped by Gong Wu. He could only lower his voice and say:

“I dare not deceive you, Commander. I am a man from Taiping Road. I originally had two hundred bolts of cloth, but they were robbed on the way and I only have forty left. They are stored at an inn and will be delivered to the army later. I ordered sixty extra bolts for good luck. I will definitely give them to you next time.”

Good heavens, they're even better at getting something for nothing than us!
It seems this guy unexpectedly lost money and was on the verge of bankruptcy, so he took a risk and tried to gamble on something big.

But in chaotic times, it is precisely these kinds of people who are better able to seize fleeting opportunities, and Shishan immediately became interested in this rather daring merchant.

"what do you want?"

"Even a humble person can sell goods for a thousand households—the proceeds from the charity sale will be paid in cash at 70% of the market price."

Not all spoils are suitable as rewards. Antiques, paintings, and handicrafts, for example, do need to be converted into cash through appropriate channels. Zhou Wendao was not only bold but also had a keen sense of smell, but that alone was far from enough.

"Although my troops have won a lot of spoils, it's not like we can't sell them. Why should we hand them over to you, an outsider who has no capital?"

Zhou Wendao hesitated for a moment, looked around to make sure there were no outsiders nearby, and said:

"I've traveled all over the country and heard some news."

It is difficult for later generations to understand the extent of information lag in an era that relied on oral tradition.

On the night of the tenth day of the eighth lunar month, Li Zhi captured Xuzhou. Now, two months have passed, but the government troops have not yet launched a major counterattack against Xuzhou. What has the Yuan court been doing for so long? Where have the various rebel armies reached? And where should I go from here?

With severely limited access to information, it was as if they were in the fog of war. Shishan was terrified that he might accidentally step into the Yuan army's carefully laid encirclement, and he desperately needed any useful information from the outside world.

"Tell me."

Zhou Wendao failed to detect the change in Shi Shan's tone of voice. After a moment's consideration, he uttered an unverified message.

"I heard that Marshal Liu captured Runing Prefecture, and the imperial court sent reinforcements last month."

(End of this chapter)