"'Illness enters by the mouth.' Simple enough." Kongming spoke calmly. His learning was vast and eclectic, and he had read medical texts before.
"For example, what my lord once mentioned about Chen Deng, styled Yuanlong. He was fond of eating raw fish. That alone invited disaster."
Liu Bei was also familiar with the matter. He let out a quiet sigh.
"Back in Jing Province… a guest came from the north and told me of Yuanlong's case."
"After I took charge of Yu Province, Yuanlong fell ill. His face turned red, and he could not eat. A divine physician, Hua Tuo, took his pulse and declared that there were several sheng of worms in his stomach, on the verge of forming an internal abscess."
The moment those words landed, everyone involuntarily imagined a stomach filled with writhing worms.
A chill crept up their spines.
"In the belly… there are truly worms?" Ma Liang asked, his voice trembling. Near Yicheng there were waterways as well, and his own family had the habit of eating raw fish.
Liu Bei nodded heavily and continued.
"Hua Tuo prepared two sheng of medicinal broth and had Yuanlong drink it. Shortly after, he vomited out three sheng of red-headed worms. They were still alive, crawling on the ground."
"Hua Tuo said they came from larvae hidden in the raw fish, entering the body together with the food."
Liu Bei sighed again.
"Yuanlong recovered. Before leaving, Hua Tuo warned that the illness would return in three years, but if treated again by a skilled physician, it could be fully cured."
"Unfortunately, three years later Yuanlong was in Dong Commandery. There was no capable physician there. The illness returned, and he died."
Silence fell.
Whether it was the image of living worms crawling out of Chen Deng's body, or the clear, traceable course of the illness, it struck everyone like a warning bell ringing in their minds.
Ma Liang recalled that in his youth, out of curiosity, he had eaten raw fish twice. He silently thanked his own luck for still being alive, but immediately decided he would seek out Physician Zhang later just to be safe.
"This is precisely what is meant by illness entering by the mouth," Kongming concluded. "As for what the Light Screen said, that one must not drink raw water or eat raw fish, that is likely the accumulated experience of the people over hundreds and thousands of years. It is best to follow it."
Even men as fierce as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei nodded solemnly.
To die because of worms in one's stomach… that would be far too stifling a way to go.
"As for this 'Barefoot Doctor's Manual'…" Kongming narrowed his eyes slightly. Several possibilities had already formed in his mind.
"'Barefoot' likely refers to the common people. 'Manual' is, as the name suggests, a book that can be held in the hand."
"A handbook for physicians among the common people? A small volume that allows ordinary people to practice medicine?"
After turning over several hypotheses in his mind, Kongming shook his head.
"This matter… I will need to discuss it with Physician Zhang."
That could not be better.
When the Military Advisor took something into his hands, it was practically guaranteed to be handled properly.
Only Jiang Wan felt a sudden chill of realization.
The Military Advisor had just… assigned himself more work again.
And as the chief secretary under the Military Advisor, how could Jiang Wan possibly escape being dragged along?
He let out a deep sigh.
A thought quietly surfaced in his heart.
If he could be reassigned by his lord and given an independent post… would that mean he no longer had to work under the Military Advisor every day?
"That aside, these 'seven continents and four oceans' should be how people of later generations understand the world," Jiang Wan said, seizing the chance to speak.
"In water, that which can be inhabited is called a continent. From Mount Kunlun, waters flow southwest into what is called the Choutu Sea. So perhaps, in the view of later generations, our land is like sandbanks resting upon flowing waters?"
"There are seven such landmasses, called the Seven Continents. To distinguish directions, the waters surrounding them are called the Four Oceans?"
"A most fitting inference," Kongming praised, his eyes showing clear approval.
Encouraged, Jiang Wan pressed on.
"As for this 'movement of the earth's crust'…" he forced himself to analyze the phrase literally.
"Perhaps it means the land beneath our feet is like the shell of the Black Tortoise? And that this tortoise carries the continents upon its back as it moves?"
The more he spoke, the more convinced he became.
"There are seven Black Tortoises in the oceans, each bearing a continent as they roam. Sometimes we are closer to other continents, sometimes farther away. That is why places like Penglai in the Eastern Sea appear and disappear."
"And when the tortoises play or collide with one another, that is when the earth dragons turn over!"
Jiang Wan's eyes shone brightly.
He felt as though, through the simple words of later generations, he had glimpsed a corner of the world's truth.
Liu Bei's face was filled with admiration.
"Today, hearing Gongyan speak, I finally understand the vastness of the world. What we know is but one continent among seven."
"Only… Gongyan, what does 'urban forest' mean?"
Jiang Wan froze.
He could analyze the individual words, but no matter how he turned them over, he could not connect them to the earlier ideas.
"Just record it for now," Liu Bei said kindly. "Gongyan truly lives up to what the Light Screen says. With such talent, under Kongming's command, you will complement each other perfectly."
Kongming waved his feather fan, smiling but saying nothing.
Jiang Wan, on the other hand, felt like crying.
Continuing to read the text, Liu Bei came across the claim that Kongming had exhausted himself to death through constant personal effort, and that Liu Bei himself bore part of the responsibility.
His face flushed a deep red.
Zhang Fei immediately spoke up to comfort him.
"It is just one line of argument, that is all. If we follow that logic, then wouldn't Second Brother's death also be because you did not leave Hanzhong… cough, I mean… by that reasoning, wouldn't even the Ten Eunuchs share responsibility for Second Brother's death?"
Liu Bei shot his second brother a quiet glance, then lowered his head and continued reading.
An inch of mountains and rivers for an inch of blood." he murmured. "Well said."
"Among the twenty-eight civil and military officials, many died in battle. As for how many of us will die later, who can say? Shu is small, and every grain of military rations comes from a year of labor by the common people."
Is this Shu Han not truly built on 'an inch of land for an inch of blood'?"
"And then Adou tossed it aside as lightly as a toilet stick," Zhang Fei snorted.
He did care for his nephew, but his own grandson had died fighting for that same nephew.
"Third Brother!" Liu Bei called sharply.
Zhang Fei fell silent.
But as Liu Bei continued reading, he saw the suggestion that Kongming should have brought Adou to the frontlines during the Northern Campaigns, to witness how officials and soldiers alike fought and died for the state.
His heart stirred.
A thought took shape.
Perhaps… he now had a direction for how to educate Adou.
At that moment, the Light Screen slowly unfolded again in the sky.
Looking up, they saw a vivid portrait of Zhang Fei.
[Light Screen]
[Here it comes, another reward from a big shot! And once again, their style is… unique. No more words, just enjoy!]
The image showed a rugged and imposing general, holding a long spear, his presence fierce and commanding. Beside it were small characters identifying it as Zhang Fei.
Next to it was a long calligraphic scroll, the Memorial on the Expedition, written in bold, flowing strokes.
Comments quickly appeared below.
[Server Chat Log]
[@Sketch_Critic_X: Is this the 'Boss' user's personal vision of Zhang Fei? The 'White Sketch' (Baimiao) technique is quite skilled. He's not exactly 'handsome,' but he looks a lot better than that statue in the Wuhou Shrine.
@Shipper_Trash: This painting is so detailed! Look at the signature: 'Wife, Lady Xiahou.' Wait, are we actually 'shipping' this couple now?
@Pedantic_Scholar: LOL at the Memorial signature—it says 'Zhang Fei, styled Yide, the Marquis of Huan.'
@Calligraphy_Nerd: To be fair, history suggests Zhang Fei's calligraphy was actually decent—look at the 'Lama Inscription.' Though, by the time the Memorial was written, Third Lord had already been beheaded by Fan Jiang and Zhang Da.
@Character_Analyst: The three brothers really were a set. They each learned a bit of Liu Bei's strengths, but only a bit. Liu Bei's treatment of people was flawless. Second Lord was rigid and proud; he looked down on the elite but didn't mistreat the commoners—yet he was stabbed in the back by Mi Fang and Shi Ren, whom he had insulted. Third Lord was violent and lacked grace; he respected gentlemen but didn't care for his soldiers—so when Shu Han wavered, he was beheaded by two petty men seeking reward.
@Museum_Janitor: It's a shame. If they had defeated Wei, we'd have more records of their true appearance and skills. Instead, we have to guess. But hey, these 'obviously fake' items are fun. Between this and Kongming's 'Glory belongs to the people,' the UP is going to end up opening a very weird museum.〗
Back in Gong'an County, the moment those lines appeared—
Guan Yu and Liu Bei moved at the same time.
Guan Yu locked Zhang Fei's arms. Liu Bei grabbed him around the waist. Several generals rushed forward to help restrain him.
"Third Brother, calm yourself!" Guan Yu shouted.
Pinned down, Zhang Fei's eyes burned as if they might spit fire.
Through clenched teeth, two names burst out, one syllable at a time.
"Fan Jiang… Zhang Da…!"