Jinting Han people

On the day of Bingyin in September, after nearly ten days of trekking, Li Ju and his party finally arrived at their destination.

At this point, the battle between the two armies in Luo County had nearly come to a standstill. Li Xiong was unable to break through Liu Xian's defenses, and Liu Xian, lacking a naval force, was unable to completely blockade Luo County. As the stalemate between the two armies continued for a long time, it seemed to have simply transformed into a psychological war; whoever could hold out without retreating would ultimately win.

As Li Xiong pointed out, the disadvantage actually lay with Liu Xian. His supply lines were far too long; even if he did nothing but simply camp in Luo County, his food and fodder consumption would be nearly three times that of Li Xiong. A prolonged stalemate would be extremely costly. Fortunately, Liu Xian's territory was now twice the size of Li Xiong's, making him the largest power in Bashu. He had also seized a large amount of supplies from the Celestial Masters sect, allowing him to hold out.

However, if this situation is not changed, there is no doubt that the logistics of the Hanzhong army will collapse first.

In reality, all the high-ranking officers of the Hanzhong Army who were in the know understood that the most important problem for the Hanzhong Army at present was only one: the health of Liu Xian, the Duke of Anle.

When Li Ju arrived at Woyunwu, it had been almost three months since Liu Xian was diagnosed with carbuncle.

On this day, the sky was high and the clouds were light. The autumn wind blew through the bamboo grove in front of the village, swirling up piles of withered leaves. Although the bamboo grove remained as green as ever, the chill in the air still spoke of desolation. The mosquitoes and flies that used to bother people were all gone, but many migratory birds had also disappeared, leaving the village extremely quiet and deserted. Only two or three house cats lay on the courtyard wall, lazily yawning even as the carriage arrived at the gate, before curling up into fluffy balls to bask in the sun.

When Li Ju alighted from the carriage, the guards at the door, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately surrounded him and asked about his identity: "May I ask if you are Lord Li?"

“Yes, that’s me.” Li Ju handed the seal to the leader, then had Li Xiu and the others get out of the carriage, and explained to the guards, “They are all physicians I found.”

Having said that, the guards immediately began an extremely rigorous inspection. Regardless of the visitor's identity, to ensure safety, every box brought had to be opened and inspected item by item to ensure that no prohibited weapons were being carried. Everyone had to be searched, even Li Xiu. However, since men and women should not be in close contact, the guards summoned a maid from the village and asked her to conduct the search in the bamboo grove.

After the inspection, Li Xiu and the others were finally allowed to enter the dock. The dock's defenses were extremely tight, with guards every five steps and sentries every ten. Armored soldiers were stationed everywhere, on the walls and in the courtyard, ensuring that every move of anyone was within their sight. This undoubtedly created a tense atmosphere within the dock. The physicians, who had never seen anything like it, couldn't help but feel uneasy.

After passing through two corridors, the group stopped in front of a small courtyard, where they met Lü Quyang, an official of the Duke of Anle's residence. Upon seeing Li Ju, Lü Quyang immediately stepped forward to greet him: "Lord Li, you've finally arrived!"

Li Ju nodded and went straight to the point, asking, "How is your brother's illness?"

Lu Quyang immediately looked dejected and shook his head, saying, "It's been very bad lately. We've been using those same prescriptions to suppress the poison, but it seems we can't suppress it anymore. My lord's right arm is severely swollen, and he's also not very lucid. So Li Sima (Li Sheng) has blocked the news and increased the number of sentries."

Upon hearing this, Li Ju's expression also turned grave. He asked, "Are there many people who know this news now?"

“It’s not much yet.” Lü Quyang glanced behind Li Ju, leaned forward and whispered, “But it seems that our lord doesn’t intend to keep it a secret any longer.”

“I don’t plan to…” Li Ju was initially puzzled, but quickly realized that Liu Xian felt his death was imminent and if his body really couldn’t hold on, he would make preparations to entrust his children to others.

This news made him even more despondent. After letting out a long sigh, he asked, "Can I see my brother now?"

“Of course.” Given Li Ju’s status, Lü Quyang naturally wouldn’t stop him. He simply looked at Li Xiu and the others and asked, “But what about these people…”

"These are the doctors I found, mostly renowned physicians from Ningzhou. They might be of some use." Even now, Li Ju had lost confidence, but he still explained gently to Lü Quyang.

During this time, Lü Quyang had seen many doctors and had become somewhat numb to them. He waved his hand and said, "We don't need so many people. Just select three or four of the best doctors to go in. The rest of you can rest aside for now."

So Li Ju selected four people, including Li Xiu, to accompany Lü Quyang inside. Once inside the courtyard, the scenery was completely different. There were nine rooms in total. Besides the main room in the center, there were four side rooms on each side, all simply furnished. The four rooms on the left were for the physicians, who would diagnose illnesses and report on patients' conditions. The four rooms on the right belonged to the Duke of Anle's residence, specifically for receiving documents and intelligence from various places, organizing the information, discussing countermeasures, and then presenting them to Liu Xian. The room in the center was Liu Xian's residence.

Li Sheng was in charge of the courtyard. He exchanged a few pleasantries with Li Ju and then let them into the room to meet Liu Xian.

Nearly half a year later, Li Ju finally saw Duke Anle again. The room was dimly lit with the windows closed, only a brazier burning beside the bed, its flickering light illuminating Liu Xian's thin figure. Because of a carbuncle on his shoulder, Liu Xian lay reclining on the bed, wearing a loose robe and supported by a specially made table. His hair was disheveled, his face pale, and his eyes tightly closed. Upon seeing him, Li Ju felt a pang of pity and immediately knelt down to greet Liu Xian.

Upon hearing the voice, Liu Xian slowly opened his eyes, stared at Li Ju for a long time, and finally said, "So it's Shi Hui! Long time no see!"

His voice was rather hoarse, like a stream that might run dry at any moment, making the listener's heart tighten.

Fortunately, Liu Xian remained clear-headed. He then asked Li Ju several questions, all about the war in Brazil. Li Ju answered fluently and inquired about the handling of the barbarian prisoners.

Liu Xian thought for a moment and replied, "Let them all go. If they can't go back, we can return this problem to Luo Shang."

Upon hearing this, Li Ju clapped his hands in admiration; it was indeed a brilliant idea. Trust is paramount among soldiers. Since Luo Shang had willingly abandoned these men, even if they returned to his command, they would no longer trust him. Considering this, Luo Shang wouldn't dare use them again. The final outcome would be either to politely send them out of the country or to have them fight amongst themselves. Regardless of Luo Shang's choice, he would ultimately reap the consequences, while Liu Xian would gain a good reputation for nothing.

Seeing that Liu Xian was in good spirits, Li Ju was overjoyed. He quickly said to Liu Xian, "Brother, I brought some medical professionals with me. Let them take a look at you." Liu Xian smiled and declined, saying, "They don't seem to be of much use. There's no need to bother!"

“How could it be useless?” Li Ju said sternly, “The lives of so many people depend on you, brother. How can you not cherish it? To conceal one’s illness and refuse to seek medical treatment is the behavior of a foolish ruler!” After speaking, he immediately ordered Li Xiu and others to go forward and examine the body.

Liu Xian was certainly not one to shy away from medical help, but over the past few months, far too many doctors had come to visit him. Although their backgrounds varied, whenever hope arose in his heart, the answer was always the same: they were all helpless and dared not treat him. Having experienced this repeatedly, Liu Xian gradually became at peace. He felt that rather than deceiving himself, it was better to accept his fate. Looking back on the past thirty-odd years, he had been true to himself and had no regrets. Heaven hadn't been particularly harsh on him; he had simply been unlucky enough.

Of course, Liu Xian still harbored many regrets and resentments. He always felt that if given more time, he could have done more and done better. But for his current situation, he didn't want to waste any more time dwelling on it, otherwise he might lose his rationality and composure when making arrangements and judgments after death.

At this time, Liu Xian was especially arrogant. After all, he wanted to be emperor, and no matter how humble he was, he always felt that he was omniscient, especially regarding his views on life and death. But in reality, this was an illusion; no one can be omniscient or omnipotent, not even about their own destiny.

Because of Li Ju's insistence, Liu Xian finally took off his shirt and lay face down on the bed for the doctors to examine him. It could be seen that the boil on his right shoulder was no longer visible, replaced by a large, purplish-black swelling that spread from his right shoulder to his neck and right arm. Liu Xian was burning hot, and his skin had turned a pale purple, making him look quite frightening.

After examining the carbuncle, Li Xiu discussed the matter with several colleagues for a moment, and then reported to Li Jutong: "Your Excellency, this illness has been dragging on for too long. If we use normal treatments such as external application and internal administration, Anle Gong's carbuncle will indeed be incurable."

Before Li Ju could feel disappointed, Li Xiu added, "We can only be more aggressive and use drastic treatments; there might still be hope."

"Severe treatment? What's that?" Li Ju was first taken aback, then overjoyed.

Li Xiu explained, "First, we use moxibustion to stimulate the toxins in the body and activate the blood and meridians. Then we cut open the wound to remove the rotten flesh. This way, we can use the blood circulation to force out the blood stasis and pus from Anle Gong, making it easier for us to make the incision."

After Li Xiu finished speaking, another old doctor named Dong Kang added, "However, this treatment is quite risky. Anle Gong is currently weak and his body is burning hot. If we apply moxibustion to his body, his body temperature will only rise even higher. I don't know if Anle Gong can withstand it. Moreover, we dare not say that we are very confident in doing this. If we are too slow, Anle Gong may bleed to death."

Li Ju asked, "So what's the probability of success?"

Dong Kang held up three fingers and slowly said, "Thirty percent is very risky, which is why we call it a heavy treatment. We also ask Duke Anle and Lord Fu to be cautious."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian, who was listening nearby, was first taken aback, then a glimmer of hope appeared in his heart, and the pain in his shoulder lessened. He then burst into laughter, unsure whether he was laughing at his own ignorance or at the doctor's caution. He first said to Li Ju beside him, "I thought I was doomed, but I didn't expect there was still a 30% chance. That's a lot."

He quickly put on his robes, forced himself to sit up, and asked Li Xiu, "When do you think it would be appropriate to treat him?"

"The sooner the better, the illness can't be delayed any longer. Of course, we need to prepare the medicine first."

Seeing that there were writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones readily available in the room, Li Xiu sat down, took a piece of paper, and ground the ink. After a moment's thought, she made up her mind and began writing as she spoke: "The incense sticks for moxibustion need to be made fresh, as well as datura for pain relief, black nightshade for stopping bleeding, oh, and also polygonatum and codonopsis for replenishing blood afterward..."

She wrote down five prescriptions in one go and handed them to Lü Quyang, who was accompanying her. Lü Quyang had seen a lot of medicinal herbs recently, and after reading the prescriptions, he already had a good understanding of the medicines. He said to Liu Xian, "Your Highness, there are a few medicines that are not available for the time being, but we should be able to find them within five days."

"Five days." Liu Xian pondered, "Then let's set it for seven days from now. I happen to have some matters to settle."

He turned to look at Li Xiu and asked, "Was it you, young lady, who took the knife for me?"

"Yes." Li Xiu nodded and said calmly, "Your Highness's illness is not uncommon in our southern region. I have treated some in the army and have some experience."

"Alright, it seems that renowned doctors are not limited to men or women. I'll have to trouble you then, young lady."

So Liu Xian finalized the arrangements for surgery. Upon hearing that Liu Xian's illness was finally curable, the somber atmosphere in the dock instantly dissipated, though some dissenting voices inevitably arose. Li Sheng, for example, questioned whether everything was done too hastily. He knew that Li Xiu and the others came from the south, and their identities were uncertain. If they harbored hatred for Liu Xian, or were die-hard loyalists of Luo Shang, and used the pretext of treating Liu Xian to kill him, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But Liu Xian was determined. He calmly said to Li Sheng, "In a person's life, there are often three major crises."

"In adolescence, due to youthful vigor and lack of self-control, one often acts impulsively without considering the consequences... In youth, one is prone to becoming complacent with small achievements, feeling doubly discouraged by setbacks, and then becoming hesitant, blaming others and others, thinking that fate is unfair."

"By middle age, people believe they have achieved great success, and thus become arrogant, complacent, and stagnant. They are unwilling to admit their mistakes, unwilling to try new things, yet they believe they have seen through the truths of the world. But in reality, their life has already ended, and the years to come are nothing more than monotonous repetition..."

At this point, Liu Xian grasped his swollen right arm with his left hand and sighed, "Binshuo, I only now realize that there are still many things I don't understand or know. How can I let my life end like this? Don't worry, I will never die before I unravel the mystery of fate. But if I want to live, how can I not take some risks? Besides, if I just drag myself along and wait to die, the rest of my life will have no meaning..."

At this moment, Liu Xian chose to believe in the hope of recovery and was unwilling to delay any longer. However, a 30% chance of recovery was tantamount to leaving it to fate. Countless examples throughout history have proven that while success and failure often differ by a bit of luck, those without courage don't even have a choice. Fate always favors those who help themselves; waiting will not bring fate. (End of Chapter)