"Illness enters by the mouth. Simple enough." Zhuge Liang 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 soft sigh.
"Back in Jingzhou... a guest came from the north and told me of Yuanlong's case."
"After I took charge of Yuzhou, Yuanlong fell ill. His face turned red, and he could not eat. A divine doctor, 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 doctor, it could be fully cured."
"Unfortunately, three years later Yuanlong was in Dong Commandery. There was no capable doctor there. The illness returned, and he died."
The hall went still.
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 Doctor Zhang later just to be safe.
"Better safe than sorry," he murmured under his breath, half to himself. "If those things can hide in fresh fish, who knows what else might be lurking there?"
Zhang Fei made a face, visibly revolted. "Ugh! And here I thought raw meat was the only thing to watch out for. Never again. From now on, everything on my plate gets cooked until it's practically charred. I'd rather eat charcoal than worms!"
"This is precisely what is meant by illness entering by the mouth," Zhuge Liang concluded. "As for what the Lightscreen 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..." Zhuge Liang 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 doctors among the common people? A small volume that allows ordinary people to practice medicine?"
After turning over several hypotheses in his mind, Zhuge Liang shook his head.
"This matter... I will need to discuss it with Doctor Zhang."
That could not be better.
When Zhuge Liang took something into his hands, it was practically guaranteed to be handled properly.
Only Jiang Wan felt a sudden chill of realization.
Jiang Wan let out a long, miserable sigh. "Ohhh, heaven... Kongming had just... assigned me more work again. I am never going home tonight."
And as the secretary under the Chief Strategist, how could Jiang Wan possibly escape being dragged along?
He let out a deep sigh.
'If I could be reassigned by Lord Liu and given an independent post... that would mean I no longer have to work under Kongming every day, right?
"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," Zhuge Liang 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 Lightscreen says. With such talent, under Kongming's command, you will complement each other perfectly."
Zhuge Liang 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 Zhuge Liang 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 would not Second Brother's death also be because you did not leave Hanzhong... cough, I mean... by that reasoning, would not even the Ten Eunuchs share responsibility for Second Brother's death?"
Liu Bei shot his second brother a cool 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 A-Dou 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.
"Yide!" Liu Bei called sharply.
Zhang Fei immediately clamped his mouth shut.
But as Liu Bei continued reading, he saw the suggestion that Zhuge Liang should have brought A-Dou to the front lines 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 A-Dou.'
At that moment, the Lightscreen slowly unfolded again in the sky.
Looking up, they saw a vivid portrait of Zhang Fei.
[Lightscreen]
[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 technique is quite skilled. He is 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 Master 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 Master was rigid and proud; he looked down on the elite but did not mistreat the commoners, yet he was stabbed in the back by Mi Fang and Shi Ren, whom he had insulted. Third Master was violent and lacked grace; he respected gentlemen but did not care for his soldiers. So when Shu Han wavered, he was beheaded by two petty men seeking reward.
@Museum_Janitor: It is a shame. If they had defeated Wei, we would 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 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.
"YIDE, CALM YOURSELF!" Guan Yu shouted.
Pinned to the floor, Zhang Fei's eyes blazed. He strained against their grip, his voice tearing out like thunder:
"FAN JIANG!!! ...ZHANG DA!!!"