Jinting Han people

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Liu Xian mustered his strength and, whenever he was lucid, discussed with Li Ju to prepare for all the possible events that might happen next.

No matter how optimistic he was, the chance of a cure was only 30%, so Liu Xian was making the worst-case scenario plan: what internal crises would arise if he didn't get cured, what external changes would occur, and how should the Anle Duke's Mansion develop next? These were all things he had to think about and resolve.

Overall, the internal crisis is greater than the external threat.

Currently, the external threats to the Hanzhong army are few: Zhang Fang in the north is still engaged in a fierce battle with the Guandong coalition, and according to available intelligence, he seems to be at a disadvantage. Qinzhou remains in turmoil and has not yet achieved unification. Luo Shang in Jiangzhou was just personally defeated by Li Ju and is unable to recover and fight again in the short term. Only Li Xiong in Chengdu is still confronting Liu Xian, but at present, he does not seem to have the strength to defeat the Hanzhong army head-on.

But all of this depends on the unity of the various factions within the Hanzhong Army.

As its power expanded, the Anle Duke's Mansion has now evolved into six factions: four major factions and two minor factions. The four major factions are the Hedong faction led by Li Ju, the Yongzhou faction led by Liu Shen, the Sili Prefecture faction led by Liu Kun, and the Qiuchi faction led by Yang Nandi. The two minor factions are the Shu Han remnants led by He Pan and the Qinzhou army brought by Huangfu Zhong.

Of these six factions, Hedong, Sili Prefecture, and Bashu had long followed Liu Xian and were deeply entrenched, so Liu Xian wasn't worried about them. However, Yongzhou, Qiuchi, and Qinzhou had only recently integrated into the Duke of Anle's household. If Liu Xian were not present, whether they could continue to remain in the Duke's household became quite questionable. Since Liu Xian was preparing for the worst, he had to find a way to maintain this situation.

He analyzed the situation for Li Ju, saying, "Liu Yongzhou and I are not close, but I can tell that he is a gentleman. Zhang Guang, Suo Lin, and Huangfu Dan of Yongzhou all have a past with me and with you. It should be possible to resolve this by winning them over."

"Huangfu Chong is currently staying in Wudu. He just broke through the encirclement last year. Although he doesn't have many troops, he has considerable influence in Qin and Yong provinces. You should try your best to keep him here. If he doesn't want to stay, you can let him go. If you befriend him, he will most likely go to Liang province, which will be a good deed."

“My biggest worry is still the Yang family. I swore an oath at Qiuchi to make Yang’s son my heir. But now, things are urgent and we have to act expediently. If we break this oath, it could very likely provoke their dissatisfaction and even lead to violence. You must be on guard.”

In conclusion, Liu Xian drafted a will, stipulating with Li Ju that if he were to die, the following arrangements should be made:
First, keep Liu Xian's death a secret. Have Li Ju summon the Yang brothers to Zitong in Liu Xian's name for a meeting. Liu Xian's plan is to temporarily strip them of their military power and reassign them as governors of Guanghan and Xindu respectively. If the Yang brothers comply, all will be well; if not, they will be taken hostage. Then, announce Liu Xian's death. If Qiu Chi shows any signs of disloyalty, execute him on charges of treason.

Three months after his death, Li Ju enthroned Liu Lang as King of Hanzhong at the Jiange Temple, offering sacrifices to Heaven. Li Ju was appointed Grand Marshal and concurrently Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. Lai Zhong was appointed Grand Tutor, He Pan Grand Protector, Yang Maosou Grand Preceptor, Liu Shen Junior Tutor, Huangfu Zhong Junior Preceptor, and Liu Kun Junior Protector, all in an effort to win popular support. All matters were to be decided by Li Ju, who would consult with the Six Dukes. However, this only applied to political affairs; military matters were entirely under Li Ju's control.

Liu Xian had high expectations for Li Ju. After writing his will, he handed it to Li Ju and said, "Shi Hui, if I unfortunately perish, I believe that with your talent, you will definitely be able to unify Bashu. But after that, whether you lead your people to defend your own territory or conquer the world will be up to you, Shi Hui."

When he received the dying wish, Li Ju was already sobbing uncontrollably. He was deeply moved by his brother's trust in him and his profound consideration for the future. He repeatedly said, "Please rest assured, brother, you will be safe and sound."

"Perhaps," Liu Xian replied with a smile. "I also have a feeling that once I've recovered, everything will be different."

The day of the knife finally arrived.

It was midday in September, the sun was high in the sky, and a cool breeze swept through the bamboo grove into Woyunwu. Dragonflies swarmed over the small pond, making it a beautiful day. As instructed by Li Xiu, Liu Xian's room had been thoroughly cleaned, leaving every corner spotless, and then fumigated with special incense for a day to repel any potential insects or rodents. When the room was opened again, it was truly refreshing.

It was tough on Liu Xian, who was carried around on his back and forth. When he finally lay back on the couch, his forehead was covered in cold sweat.

After Li Xiu and the other two carried the medical instruments inside, Li Ju, Li Sheng, Lü Quyang, Zhang Gu, Liu Lang, and others stood outside waiting. Seeing the nervous look on Liu Lang's face, Zhang Gu chuckled and reassured him, "Don't be afraid, Father. He's seen everything; how could he surrender to a mere illness? From today onward, we'll eradicate the root of his disease!"

He said this aloud, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead. In truth, he was even more worried and anxious than Liu Lang, feeling that the apocalypse was truly about to descend.

There were three physicians treating Liu Xian: Li Xiu performed the surgery, Dong Kang performed moxibustion, and a physician named Meng Liang handled the medical instruments. Four maids were also present, waiting for instructions.

Meng Liang boiled the specially made knife, Li Xiu began to decoct the medicine, and at the same time, Dong Kang began to take Liu Xian's pulse to estimate his current health condition.

Liu Xian, reclining on the couch, looked at the serious expressions of the others, raised his head and asked with a smile, "How is my pulse?"

Dong Kang didn't answer, the wrinkles between his brows deepening. He then glanced hesitantly at Liu Xian, who knew the situation was bad. But he still smiled and said, "Let's give it a try. It's all fate. It doesn't matter if we fail."

Having said that, he slowly removed his upper robe, revealing the red, swollen, and purple welts on his shoulders and back, along with many scars on his body. Dong Kang did not answer, but simply took the mugwort, found the most swollen area, and massaged it with his hands to make it bulge, then gradually increased the pressure, pressing it with his fingertips.

Liu Xian had been about to tell a few jokes, but now he was in so much pain that he was trembling all over, his limbs were weak, he couldn't utter a single word, and his consciousness was becoming hazy. He vaguely heard the maid whisper beside him, "Why are you using so much force!"

"Shh!" Dong Kang gestured for everyone to be quiet, then lit the incense sticks. The atmosphere inside the room was extremely tense. As the sunlight gradually shifted westward, Li Xiu and Meng Liang both turned their gazes toward him, staring intently at the mugwort in his hand.

"Your Highness, please be patient!" Dong Kang muttered to himself, seeing that the mugwort had already been lit, he gently fanned it with his fan. A wisp of smoke suddenly rose into the room, and in no time, it burned the skin, making a hissing sound. Liu Xian gritted his teeth, his whole body tense, and ultimately remained silent.

After finishing one spot, Dong Kang pressed it with his fingertips and then applied the moxibustion to the second spot. This time, the hissing sound was even louder than before, and the burning mugwort appeared bright red in his eyes. By this time, Liu Xian's body had relaxed, because he had fainted from the pain and couldn't even use the datura anymore.

Upon realizing this, everyone was understandably apprehensive, but Dong Kang quickly took out the third mugwort, rolled it into a ball, and applied it to the skin for moxibustion. As a result, no one dared to utter a sound. Everyone felt more deeply the impermanence and mystery of life. When healthy, almost no one cares about the future, but once faced with such an incomprehensible misfortune, the power of fate begins to relentlessly oppress everyone's heart.

This is completely different from the situation on the battlefield. On the battlefield, wielding swords and spears, one disregards life and death, taking control of one's own destiny; life and death are as insignificant as a feather. But lying on a sickbed, life and death seem as immovable as a towering tree. The truth that everyone must die is the cruelest truth in the world. No matter what kind of king or general, they will eventually die. This seems fair, but in reality, how many people fail because of that slight difference in lifespan: if King Dao of Chu had been given another ten years, if Qin Shi Huang had been given another ten years, if Yuan Shao had been given another ten years, if Zhuge Liang had been given another ten years, wouldn't everything have been completely different? No one knows, but people can never let go of this imagination, so people always yearn for immortality.

When Dong Kang finished moxibustion, Li Xiu, holding a small knife, stepped forward and couldn't help but think: perhaps the fate of many people is indeed at stake under my knife.

Under the influence of moxibustion, the swelling in the affected area had become quite noticeable. To ensure swift action, Li Xiu removed her outer garment, revealing a crisp, short skirt and blouse, then precisely targeted the wound and made a swift, decisive cut. At that moment, reddish-white pus gushed out, followed by a large clump of pus and blood. Li Xiu quickly grabbed a white cloth and pressed it against the wound, skillfully catching the pus and blood. Simultaneously, she ordered a maid to come and gently lift Liu Xian, allowing his upper body to lean forward.

Then, another horizontal cut was made, forming a cross-shaped wound. Then, the affected area was pressed hard, and pus and blood flowed out together.

After the purple pus and blood had mostly drained away, Li Xiu put down the knife and picked up a specially made pair of slender scissors, beginning to rapidly cut away the rotting flesh. The scene was utterly gruesome; the maid beside her nearly fainted, but Li Xiu remained unfazed. Wearing a black veil, she intently watched the wound, her slender hand moving like a butterfly, constantly plucking out chunks of red and white flesh. This required extreme concentration, and within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Li Xiu was drenched in cold sweat and her face was deathly pale.

After wiping away the sweat with a cloth, Li Xiu changed several more cotton cloths to clean the wounds inside Liu Xian's body. The maids could see that the originally swollen area had now completely sunken in, and the sunken part was almost big enough to fit the fist of an eight or nine-year-old child.

But this also meant the treatment was nearing its end. Li Xiu whispered to Meng Liang, "Ointment!" Meng Liang quickly brought out a jar containing a hemostatic agent made from a mixture of Panax notoginseng, honey, nightshade, snake oil, and other herbs. It was viscous and slightly warm, a secret hemostatic formula passed down in the Li family. Li Xiu immediately took a spoonful and applied it directly to the wound, quickly wrapping it tightly with gauze.

At this point, she breathed a sigh of relief, looked at Liu Xian who was now unconscious, and thought: The future development can only be left to the fate of this Duke of Anle.

Upon learning that the treatment was complete, Li Ju and the others immediately approached to examine the details. They saw that Liu Xian's groans had ceased, replaced by faint, almost imperceptible breathing. Liu Lang silently gazed at his father's face, checking his breath with his hand, and couldn't help but wonder: Did this signify an improvement in his father's condition, or was he destined to end his life in a deep sleep?

The maids relit the incense in the room, and the sky had already become extremely dark.

"How is the situation now?" Li Sheng couldn't help but ask.

Li Xiu quietly placed her hand on Liu Xian's forehead again to check his temperature. She felt that Liu Xian's body temperature was hotter than fire. This was the most difficult time, so she didn't say anything.

Time passed slowly. The crowd, waiting for a miracle, sat in the house watching Liu Xian intently, their hearts pounding in their throats.

Before they knew it, the sky had completely darkened. Li Xiu glanced at the water clock and realized that two hours had passed since the treatment began. He then said, "Let's give Duke Anle some honey water."

When the honey water was brought over, she touched Liu Xian's forehead again, and then immediately began to take his pulse: "His pulse is normal now, and his fever has gone down."

Upon hearing this, everyone was overjoyed. As Li Xiu brought the honey water to Liu Xian and fed him spoonful by spoonful, Liu Xian suddenly coughed, spitting out the water he had just taken a sip, and then he fully regained consciousness.

"I'm not dead yet!" Liu Xian opened his eyes, stared blankly at Li Xiu for a moment, then looked around and began to speak.

"If you had died, I would have been in big trouble." Li Xiu was naturally overjoyed to see him awake. No matter the circumstances, the sense of accomplishment from successfully saving someone from the clutches of death is unparalleled. She loved this feeling, which was why she studied medicine.

"You are truly remarkable, young lady. You have shown me the wonders of medicine." Liu Xian chuckled twice, then revealed a resolute look that was completely different from before. He slowly looked at everyone and said, "I feel like I have been brought back to life."

Everyone present felt a sense of relief, as if they were floating on air. They congratulated Liu Xian, saying, "This is truly a joyous occasion of being brought back from the dead!"

At this moment, Li Xiu started feeding Liu Xian water again. Liu Xian drank with relish, drinking two bowls in a row. After a while, he said, "I just dreamed of Laozi."

This sentence was completely unrelated and extremely puzzling. Everyone was wondering what Liu Xian meant. Then they heard Liu Xian say, "At that time, I saw a river and saw someone calling me from the other side of the river. I felt that I had to cross the river, so I thought I would take off my clothes and swim across in one breath."

"Unexpectedly, a ferryman came over, pointed at me and scolded me, saying that I was still too old-fashioned, that I would swim across the river instead of taking a boat when there was one available."

At this point, Liu Xian paused and added, "That person was Laozi."

“I told Laozi that I am not pedantic, I am different from him, I will not degenerate, I am doing this to overcome all difficulties, until finally I can restore the trust and righteousness of the people of the world.”

"Laojun scolded me again, saying that I was too arrogant. If a person can establish trust and righteousness, it is because trust and righteousness already exist in the hearts of people all over the world, not because I created it. I should discover it, transform it, and surpass it, instead of imagining a non-existent trust and righteousness and stuffing it into the hearts of people all over the world."

“He told me that when I can understand the truth in this, I will be able to become the true Lord of Peace.”

Having said that, Liu Xian couldn't help but laugh again, but after laughing, he felt his head spinning. So, naturally, ignoring the surprised looks of the others, Liu Xian fell asleep again, emitting soft snores. (End of Chapter)