A divine healer, a general, a young marquis! Who can rival them!

Yang Huzi kept quiet about the connection that led to the prefectural governor's office, and kept a close eye on it.

On the surface, he was still sitting in his chair, observing his illness.

That afternoon, two students dressed in blue robes, supporting a third person, stumbled in.

The student being supported was also in his early twenties, wearing a faded blue robe, his steps were unsteady, and he could barely stand.

Yang Hu went over and took a look, and his heart sank.

The student's face was so swollen it was shiny, and his eyes were so swollen they were practically slits. His wrists and ankles, which were exposed, were swollen and round; pressing on them left a large indentation that took a long time to heal.

"Dr. Yang, save him!" the person supporting him cried urgently. "This is my classmate who went to take the exam with me. His surname is Zhou. Half a month ago, his eyelids started swelling, and it got worse and worse until now his whole body is swollen. He's also urinating less and less..."

Yang Hu helped the student sit down.

"What did the doctors in the city say?"

"I've seen three doctors," the man said, trembling. "They all said it was a water worm, that the person had worms in their stomach and was covered in water, an incurable disease! One doctor prescribed a strong medicine, but after taking it, the person had diarrhea so badly they were unrecognizable, and instead of reducing the water retention, they became even weaker..."

The medicine vendor next to him glanced at the student and shook his head.

"They were soaking wet and swollen like that. I've seen two like that at my age, and they both died in the end. When a person gets tainted by something dirty in the water, their life is over, and even the gods can't save them."

Upon hearing the word "fate," tears welled up in Zhou Xuejiu's swollen eyes.

"I've studied for ten years just to take this exam... Why can't I go in and take it? I'm just waiting to die in this shop..."

"It's not fate." Yang Hu's voice wasn't loud, but each word was delivered firmly. "It's an illness."

Everyone quieted down.

He squatted down and examined the student's condition more closely.

She stretched out two fingers and touched his lower abdomen.

Soft.

It's not a water gu.

The water poisonous creature has worms in its belly, making its stomach bloated and hard, with bulging veins, like it's carrying a ball. But the scholar's belly was soft; the water was accumulated on his body, in his eyelids and limbs, and pressing down on it would leave a large dent.

This means the body's water channels are blocked, preventing water from draining out, causing it to overflow in the muscles. Over there, this is called edema, and it affects the lower back. The lower back controls the body's water channels, and if it's not functioning properly, water that shouldn't be drained can't be expelled and overflows everywhere.

"This isn't a water gu," Yang Hu said, standing up. "A water gu has worms inside, causing its belly to swell and harden. This one is soft because its drainage channels are blocked, causing water to accumulate in its muscles."

"The drainage road?" The fellow villager asked blankly.

"When you eat and drink, it turns into water, and then it's excreted through urine," Yang Hu said. "His pathway is blocked, so the water can't be excreted and accumulates little by little. First, it hurts his eyelids, then his hands and feet, and it gets heavier and heavier. That's why he urinates less."

"Well... is that alright?" The villager grabbed his sleeve tightly.

"It's alright," Yang Hu said. "But we can't take any more strong medicine!"

"Not taking strong medicine?" The villager was stunned. "It's swollen this much, how can we force the fluid out without strong medicine?"

"Strong medicine forces the water out, and when the water comes out, the person is forced to die," Yang Hu said. "His illness had dragged on for half a month, and he was already very weak. Taking strong medicine to hasten his death was like killing him along with the illness."

"We need to try a different approach! On one hand, gently and patiently draw out his fluids; on the other hand, slowly clear away the blockage!"

He then turned and gave instructions.

"Aji, bring me my diuretics! And brew another dose of something nourishing and gentle!"

Aji agreed and went out.

But that's not all:

"Just diuretics aren't enough; we need to get to the root of the problem." Yang Hu looked at Zhou Shusheng, his voice heavy. "Half of your illness stems from your mouth!"

"Inside the mouth?"

"Salt!" Yang Hu said. "When you're not feeling well, you're not allowed to touch any salt! Not even a speck of salt in the pickled vegetables or fish. Eat it bland."

Zhou Shusheng was stunned.

"Why salt?"

"Salty things attract the most water!" Yang Hu said. "If your passage is blocked, and you eat something salty, the water will become more and more abundant and severe. Only by reducing the amount of water can you clear the blockage."

"And..." He paused. "These next few days, you shouldn't study anymore. Just stay in bed and rest. Half of your illness is caused by staying up late studying, getting chilled, and not having a hot meal. It wore you out, and that's how your back got so bad."

As Zhou Shusheng listened, tears streamed down his face.

None of the three doctors who diagnosed him with a terminal illness had told him this.

In the following days, the fellow villager had to help him come over every day to change his dressings and have a follow-up examination.

There was no change for the first two days, and he was very anxious. On the third day, the scholar suddenly urinated more frequently. On the fifth day, he was able to urinate, and the water on his body began to trickle down.

First, the dark circles under his eyes, which had been swollen like slits, slowly opened. Then, the shiny, swollen skin on his face subsided. A few nights later, the spots on the soles of his feet that would have made a hole when poked with a finger flattened out.

Zhou Shusheng stood up.

He leaned against the wall, looked down at his legs, and his eyes were filled with tears.

"I thought... I thought my life was over!"

"Take good care of yourself!" Yang Hu said. "Eat less salt. Once the water has completely drained and you've recovered, you can start rehydrating again slowly. To cure this illness completely, avoid staying up late and getting chilled, and it won't easily flare up again."

Within a few days, this matter became the talk of the town.

In the teahouse, someone exclaimed in surprise, "That scholar on his way to the imperial examination was swollen like a giant steamed bun! Three doctors had tried to cure him, but Doctor Yang from the east of the city cured him of the asthma!" Another scholar sighed repeatedly, "It wasn't just a medical treatment; he actually said it was a serious illness caused by staying up all night studying, catching a cold, and going hungry. He told the scholar to take care of his health before pursuing his studies. Those words are more precious than medicine!"

Yang Hu ignored him and continued to sit and see patients.

Zhou Shusheng was poor, and his situation was even more dire when he came to the capital as an official. Yang Hu only charged him for a few medicines based on their cost price, without taking a penny of consultation fee, and even gave him a few doses of health-preserving medicine.

"Health is the foundation for taking the exam," Yang Hu said. "Take care of your health first, then strive for success."

Zhou Shusheng looked at him and bowed deeply.

The family gathered around the table after closing the door at night.

Lu Yan helped him tidy up the medicines he had rummaged through during the day. "Young Master, you haven't received a single penny of your consultation fee again today."

"A poor scholar, who came to the capital to serve as an official, fell seriously ill." Yang Hu sat down on a chair next to him. "It would be better to keep the money he gave us for the examiners."

Lu Rou was doing some calculations in the accounting room, recording all the fees that were waived and given that day, without a single complaint.

As Aji tidied up the medicine grinder, the strange incident from earlier that day lingered in his mind. Such a large lump—why didn't the teacher use strong medicine to drain the fluid directly, but instead told him to eat less and lie down to recover?

Yang Hu looked at the knot in his heart and nodded. "His swollen body is due to weakness and blocked waterways. Strong medicine forced the water out, but when there's less water, the body collapses and the swelling comes back. Gentle diuretics, avoiding salt to prevent water retention, and resting to recuperate will help the body recover. Only when the waterways are clear can the root cause be eliminated. Treating swelling is like treating floods. Forcibly blocking and attacking is the worst approach; clearing and draining is the best approach." He paused, "Treating waterways is like treating floods. Forcibly blocking and attacking is the worst approach; clearing and draining is the best approach."

Aji pondered those words and nodded emphatically.

Qin Ying sat by the window, his thumb pressed against the back of the knife, not moving for a long time. He only came to his senses when he heard that the scholar had been pulled back from the brink of death.

"All three doctors said there was no hope, but you saw the waterway was blocked right away." She turned to look at him.

"They cured the word 'hopeless,' I cured the clogged drain," Yang Hu chuckled.

"It's hard to find a scare tactic, but it's easy to find the root cause of a clogged drain."

Qin Ying didn't say anything either; her usually sharp face softened under the lamplight.

As Zhou the scholar was leaving, he bowed deeply to the ground, saying, "I will first take care of my health before striving for fame and fortune."

Yang Hu nodded; he actually had a premonition in his heart.

Following the grain transport route downwards, the thread had already vaguely reached the corner of the prefectural governor's mansion.

The deeper you go, the more restless the person hiding behind you will become.

As the night deepened, Yang Hu's premonition grew clearer: the man was about to lose control of his head.