Within the Tiger Guard camp, there were physicians.
When Xu Chu collapsed, a group of doctors quickly surrounded him. After a brief examination, they all shook their heads. During this period, countless soldiers in various camps exhibited similar symptoms and ultimately succumbed to death; their fates were beyond saving. Xu Chu, despite being the commander of the Tiger Guards, was also human and could not resist this terrifying illness, this dreadful plague.
"My King of Wei, although... although he still breathes, he will likely not last another hour. Many soldiers have been like this, experiencing a final surge of vitality before collapsing."
"Should... should we move General Xu out of here? To allow him to depart with more dignity."
The medical officer advised Cao Cao. Cao Cao wiped away tears from his forehead and shook his head. "There's no need to move him. Zhong Kang would surely prefer to remain here in the Tiger Guard camp, with his brothers."
"He has protected me for my entire life; let me guard him by his side in these final moments!"
As he spoke, Cao Cao sat down on the ground, propping Xu Chu's body against his thigh. Thus, this pair of master and subordinate, this pair of brothers, sat in silence, lay in silence. He seemed to have many words he wished to say to Xu Chu, but in the end, he could not utter a single one. Perhaps if he spoke, he would be unable to stop his tears.
And so, in this moment, Cao Cao and Xu Chu were both silent. All the Tiger Guard soldiers silently crouched down, tears in their eyes, encircling Cao Cao and Xu Chu as if to bid a final farewell.
—The Season of Parting.
Lu Yu, however, stood at a high vantage point, witnessing this scene. Yet, his sorrow differed from that of the others. He narrowed his eyes, still observing intently. For instance, the pool of black blood on the ground.
"Junior Brother Zhongjing..." Lu Yu turned his head to ask Zhang Zhongjing. Zhang Zhongjing seemed to have anticipated Lu Yu's question and immediately reminded him, "The black blood on the ground contains wriggling worm eggs."
"Then..." Lu Yu asked in shock.
"There is hope." Zhang Zhongjing's three words instantly calmed Lu Yu's mood. Of course, he wasn't foolish enough to reveal this discovery to others. As he had said, he needed to observe further. After all, others might only see Xu Chu as an individual, but Lu Yu saw the ten thousand soldiers under the plague. Now, Xu Chu's personal safety was of paramount importance.
Speaking of which, with Xu Chu's reputation as "Tiger Fool," even Yama might not dare to claim him, would he? Even the Ten Kings of Hell should feel some trepidation, shouldn't they?
...
...
It was now deep into the night. The tent was lit only by the faint, flickering candlelight, casting Cao Cao's face in alternating light and shadow. However, his somber expression remained unchanged. An hour ago, after he had helped Xu Chu onto a bed, he had not spoken another word. He simply sat by the bedside, holding Xu Chu's hand, in silent contemplation.
Several hours passed, long and arduous. In the dimness, only the occasional groan from Xu Chu on the sickbed could be heard. This man, who could once drag an ox a hundred paces backward, was now in such a state. Cao Cao's increasingly hot hand seemed unable to warm Xu Chu's icy one.
With a sigh, Cao Cao's face was etched with sorrow, yet he forced himself to remain strong. The Tiger Guards had fallen, Xu Chu had fallen, but he, Cao Cao, could not. His safety concerned the entire realm!
Another hour passed. Cao Cao unknowingly fell asleep. Suddenly, the sound of a gong and drum echoed once more. Cao Cao knew it was a new round of camp patrols. However, this time, he had no opportunity to stay with Xu Chu.
Just then, Cao Cao heard something near his ear.
"Is... is there any water?"
"..."
Cao Cao paused. He instinctively thought the voice came from a soldier in the same tent, but strangely, he felt something touch his hand.
"Thirsty, thirsty..."
Was this... Zhong Kang's voice? The bronze gong outside continued to sound, but within the tent, Cao Cao's heart was racing. He thought he was hallucinating or dreaming.
"Fire, fire..."
In the dimness, Cao Cao could only order someone to light the candles. Under the firelight, Cao Cao clearly saw Xu Chu's face. It was sallow, extremely weak, but his eyes were open. There was no labored breathing, no expression of pain, but rather a calmness, a profound stillness, as tranquil as an ancient well.
"Zhong Kang?"
Cao Cao instinctively reached for Xu Chu's hand. It now had some warmth, no longer intensely cold. Cao Cao touched his forehead; it was cool. This...
"Haha..." Cao Cao suddenly burst into laughter. Unspeakable joy flashed in his eyes. The fever had subsided, his hand was warm, his entire body had temperature, and Zhong Kang's eyes were open... had he truly pulled back from the gates of hell?
"Bring water, bring water..."
Cao Cao quickly fed Xu Chu water. Xu Chu drank two bowls ravenously, seeming to regain some strength. Although his voice was still faint, his consciousness was clear, he was aware.
"My King of Wei... why... why are you here?"
"I... I think I just had a dream. It seemed as if that brat Zhuge and brat Zhou Yu sent assassins to kill you, my King of Wei. With me, Xu Chu, here, how could they succeed? I repelled these assassins with a few blows, but unexpectedly, they had hidden weapons... I then... then blocked these weapons in front of you, my King of Wei."
"My body was covered in blood, and sweat... I felt like... I was about to die!"
Hearing this, Cao Cao burst into laughter.
"Haha..."
"Hahahaha..."
"My 'Tiger Marquis' is invincible in his might, how could he be injured by the hidden weapons of mere rascals? Marquis, your dream is not entirely accurate, not entirely accurate!"
Cao Cao's eyes twinkled with amusement. "With the Tiger Marquis present, who could assassinate me? Anyone who dares to come will surely never return!"
"You are well, my Tiger Marquis is well... well, hahahaha!" Cao Cao's hearty laughter echoed through the great tent, shaking the very tiles and attracting all the surrounding Tiger Guard soldiers.
"I cannot die!" Xu Chu also said, "I must still protect the safety of my King of Wei, I must let the Eldest Prince..." He intended to say "let the Eldest Prince become the Crown Prince!" But halfway through, he retracted the words "Eldest Prince." For now, he could not openly reveal Lu Ziyu's identity.
"Haha..." Cao Cao's smile became a crescent moon. Indeed, Zhong Kang's senses were also clear. Cao Cao even thought that this must be due to Yu'er's medicine... Yes, the medicinal decoction made from those herbs!
"Someone, take care of Zhong Kang!" Ensuring Xu Chu was safe, Cao Cao immediately gave instructions. As soon as the words fell, he asked again, "Where is Ziyu? Where is he? How much of his medicine is left?"
This question reminded Xu Chu. He had initially thought he survived purely through his own resilience, but Cao Cao's reminder made him recall that he had taken the medicine delivered by Lu Ziyu twice. This medicine... was effective!
Immediately, Xu Chu exclaimed, "My King of Wei, does the Nan Shou Marquis's medicine have miraculous effects?" Realizing this, Xu Chu became utterly excited. Not only the Tiger Guards, but the entire Wei army was afflicted by this plague. If... if Lu Ziyu's medicine was effective, then... it would mean that tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of soldiers could be saved. This meant that the situation at the Battle of Chibi would once again lean towards the Great Wei. This was a matter that affected the entire situation.
At this moment, soldiers from the Dragon Soaring Camp brought "porridge water" and "medicinal decoction."
"Reporting to my King of Wei, the Nan Shou Marquis has ordered that any soldier afflicted with the plague must take this medicinal decoction three times daily, from generals to stable hands!"
Cao Cao took the medicinal decoction. "Ziyu is the Grand Governor of the Great Wei Navy, his orders are my orders!"
"Go and inform him that the soldiers of the three armies will heed his commands. After Zhong Kang has taken his medicine, I will go and see him!"
"Yes!" The Dragon Soaring Camp soldier agreed and quickly withdrew. While speaking, Cao Cao personally fed Xu Chu a mouthful of porridge. Xu Chu felt somewhat embarrassed, but Cao Cao dismissed it, saying it was nothing. With a mouthful of hot porridge, Xu Chu felt as if he had been revived. At this moment, he felt... he could fight ten men!
...
...
The compound pill of *chen xiang*, *qing mu xiang*, *qing pi*, *fang feng*, and *bing lang* was traditional Chinese medicine. Unlike Western medicine, which takes effect quickly, traditional Chinese medicine focuses on treating the root cause. Xu Chu's body was robust, so he showed marked improvement after two bowls. However, most soldiers would not recover so quickly.
However... Lu Yu discovered that the bodies of people in this era were fundamentally different from those in later generations. People in later generations, due to their reliance on modern medical treatments, had developed high levels of drug resistance within their bodies. But in this era, minor illnesses were treated with the body's own resilience, and major illnesses were treated with Chinese medicine; drug resistance was almost zero. Moreover, without the support of medicinal texts like *Bencao Gangmu*, the herbs used in the compound *bing lang* pills were extremely rare. This undoubtedly accelerated the recovery from "schistosomiasis."
With Xu Chu's condition stabilized... Cao Cao hurried to Lu Yu's tent. However, upon reaching the tent entrance, he heard Lu Yu issuing orders.
"In addition to the points I mentioned yesterday, starting today, immediately dispatch people to bury all stagnant water near the military camps to ensure the mosquitoes have nowhere to breed or gather!"
"Purchase a large quantity of medicinal herbs such as 'mosquito repellent grass,' 'mosquito-eating grass,' 'violet,' 'agastache,' 'seven-mile fragrance,' and 'night-blooming jasmine' to eliminate insects in all tents."
"Ensure all large tent entrances are equipped with cloth curtains to prevent insects from entering."
It was no exaggeration to say... perhaps only Lu Yu in the entire Han Dynasty knew that schistosomiasis was transmitted by mosquitoes and snails. A team of ten thousand to eradicate snails had already been established yesterday. Today, with the addition of mosquito control, the spread of "schistosomiasis" to humans by these snails and mosquitoes would be minimized as much as possible... epidemic prevention, anti-epidemic... Although Lu Yu had not personally organized these efforts, he had participated in countless official epidemic prevention tasks in his past life. Having seen so much, he understood.
"Yes!"
"Yes!" Standing before Lu Yu were generals from the Dragon Soaring Camp, the Black Tortoise Pool Navy, and the Jingzhou Navy. Now, with the news of Xu Chu's recovery, everyone regarded Lu Yu's words as divine pronouncements! Lu Yu was still not at ease, emphasizing many details of epidemic prevention repeatedly. These included clearing weeds and flower bushes, maintaining dry and clean ground, and immediately administering medicine upon detecting any signs of the disease... every detail was meticulously managed.
Cao Cao, listening to Lu Yu's instructions outside the door, couldn't help but nod repeatedly. He had intended to enter the tent during a break but found that after Lu Yu had finished instructing the generals of the various camps, he was still meticulously studying with Hua Tuo and Zhang Zhongjing. It seemed they were still discussing how to reduce the cost of using medicine and how to make the medicine more effective and faster.
At this point... Cao Cao could no longer bear to interrupt them. He turned and headed in another direction. As he walked, Cao Cao murmured to himself, "This is the future ruler of Great Wei!" At this moment, the candlelight in Lu Yu's tent flickered, destined to be a sleepless night...
...
Divine skill. Under Lu Yu's series of measures and the continuously improved efficacy of the medicinal ingredients by Zhang Zhongjing and Hua Tuo, the ten thousand soldiers of the Great Wei in Jiangbei who had contracted schistosomiasis miraculously recovered. This was within just a few days... The entire army, by clearing weeds, filling in puddles, and cleaning the camps in the Wulin area, eradicated all sources of infection. In an instant, the morale of the Great Wei army, which had been on the verge of dissipating, was re-stabilized.
Subsequently, in addition to his title of "Immortal Doctor," Lu Yu gained a new appellation—the "World-Saving Divine Farmer!" Many soldiers in the camp would stop when they encountered Lu Yu and salute him. In their eyes... Lu Yu had saved their lives! And because of Lu Yu's solitary efforts, the morale of the Great Wei soldiers soared once again. The previous situation of various camps operating independently also disappeared. Obedient to the command of Lu Yu, the Grand Governor of the Great Wei Navy, every soldier was sincerely convinced!
On this side, the situation was exceptionally good!
But... on the other side... South of the Yangtze River... When the news reached Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang, it was undoubtedly a tremendous "bad omen." Zhou Yu felt an intense tightness in his chest, as if a knife were piercing it. At this moment... he finally understood what it meant to "man can conquer nature" and what it meant to "transform the rotten into the miraculous!"
"Governor Zhou, please take care of your health!" Zhuge Liang's expression was also grim... But he forced himself to remain resolute. At this juncture, even the most unfavorable battles had to be fought.
*Hoo...* Zhuge Liang let out a long sigh. "Governor Zhou, please do not be angry. Lu Ziyu could help Cao Cao rise from Yanzhou, contend for the Central Plains, and survey the entire realm; he naturally possesses some abilities... This plague is truly no match for him."
"Therefore... the decisive battle at Chibi is unavoidable. Instead of being dejected, Governor Zhou might as well think carefully about how to confront the enemy head-on!"
"I have some ideas. Lu Ziyu is skilled in psychological warfare. In the past, I only thought about how to avoid his sharp edge, but in fact, his methods of psychological manipulation are ubiquitous. Evasion only accelerates our downfall a hundredfold. Perhaps we should directly confront his psychological tactics, using his own methods against him to deal with this Lu Ziyu. Perhaps..." As he spoke to the end, Zhuge Liang hesitated for a moment, then his gaze became deep and resolute.
"Psychological warfare against psychological warfare, to put oneself in a desperate situation and then find a way to live. It depends on who can perceive the other's intentions!"
*Hmm...* Zhuge Liang's words caused Zhou Yu to fall into contemplation. He narrowed his eyes, pondering the meaning of Zhuge Liang's words. Just then, a trusted subordinate burst into the great tent and whispered a few words into Zhou Yu's ear. Zhou Yu's expression suddenly changed, showing surprise. He signaled to Zhuge Liang that they would discuss the war another time, then instructed the subordinate.
—"Take me to see him!"
...
...