After Exile, I Married the Amnesiac General [Rebirth] Chapter 4

Seeing that Li Chanxiu’s complexion had not yet fully recovered, Aunt Xu remained worried. But she had been away too long and needed to hurry back to tend the medicine. After offering a few more reminders, she reluctantly left.

Li Chanxiu sat for a while longer. Only after his strength had mostly returned did he rise to retrieve the bamboo basket he had set aside earlier. As he stood, his gaze inadvertently swept toward a dim corner.

Because of what had just happened, many of the wounded soldiers were still gathered near the tent entrance, animatedly discussing the event. Only that corner remained quiet, where a single unconscious figure lay alone and unattended.

Li Chanxiu’s eyes paused briefly, then he quickly looked away, picked up the basket from the ground, and left with Physician Hu.

Physician Hu usually ate from the communal military pot along with the soldiers. But by coincidence, his wife had sent over freshly prepared hot dishes from home that day.

He eagerly invited Li Chanxiu to sit and eat with him. Perhaps in his excitement, he even told his young grandson, Hu Yuan’er, to warm some wine.

Having spent years among soldiers, Physician Hu did not immediately think about the propriety between men and women. Moreover, the young lady before him looked so youthful that he regarded her simply as a junior.

Li Chanxiu himself was a man in disguise and had no particular thoughts about it either.

However, he did not drink alcohol.

Only then did Physician Hu belatedly realize he was hosting a “young lady.” Serving wine was indeed inappropriate. He quickly told Hu Yuan’er to take it away.

The meal was thoroughly pleasant for host and guest alike. After they finished eating, Physician Hu could hardly wait to consult Li Chanxiu about the art of suturing.

Though nearly fifty and having practiced medicine for decades, he felt no shame in seeking guidance from someone younger, especially regarding a technique he had never encountered before.

Li Chanxiu had deliberately sought to pique his interest, so he held nothing back. Besides, having more physicians in the army skilled in suturing would only benefit the soldiers.

Though he did not know how the northwestern defensive line had fallen in his dream, he would do whatever he could to strengthen the frontier’s defenses. In any case, an invasion by the Hu tribes would benefit neither him nor his father.

With this thought, his clear gaze settled, and he began to explain slowly, detailing the suturing techniques, what kinds of wounds required what methods, and the precautions to observe.

Physician Hu hurriedly picked up his brush and wrote everything down. Because he wrote so quickly, his handwriting was wildly illegible, like a tangle of weeds.

Yet he himself was immensely satisfied, treasuring the notes he had taken. When he finally set down the brush and looked up at Li Chanxiu again, his admiration deepened.

Though young, this “young lady” possessed exceptional medical skill and a compassionate heart. They had only met a few times, yet both times he had asked for instruction, she had shared freely without reservation.

Despite her youth, she conducted herself with calm composure and natural grace, truly rare.

He stroked his beard thoughtfully. After a moment’s hesitation, he finally said, “With such talent, it’s a pity you’ve been assigned to wash clothes and change dressings. Why don’t I speak to my superiors and have you transferred to assist me? Then you wouldn’t need to do laundry anymore.”

As he spoke, his old face flushed slightly. In truth, at least in suturing, she far surpassed him. It would be more accurate to say he should be her assistant.

But she was still officially registered as a criminal’s family member, not yet cleared of that status. And in the Great Zhou army, there was no official post for a female military physician. Being able to transfer her as his assistant and spare her the hardship of labor was already the best he could manage.

Even so, he felt somewhat ashamed and added vaguely, “It would only be temporary. Once you’ve earned merit in the future, perhaps General Chen could be petitioned to remove your criminal status, so you won’t have to suffer further.”

General Chen was the highest-ranking officer in the camp, commanding three to four thousand troops and overseeing the Great Wall defenses near Yongfeng Town.

This was exactly what Li Chanxiu had been waiting for. Naturally, he agreed at once and humbly expressed his gratitude.

His original intention had been to use his suturing skills to impress Physician Hu and secure a position assisting in the pharmacy. As for clearing his criminal record, he did not necessarily plan to remain here that long.

“Good, good, good!” Physician Hu exclaimed delightedly when he saw him agree, rubbing his hands together, his joy evident.

After pacing in place for a moment, he suddenly said, “Then you needn’t tend the wounded this afternoon. Stay here and help me sort the medicinal herbs and copy prescriptions.”

In truth, this was a way of taking care of Li Chanxiu.

Physician Hu’s skills might not have been extraordinary, but he was certainly no quack. The entire camp of three to four thousand men relied on him for everything from minor injuries to colds and fevers. In times of battle, many lives quite literally hung in his hands.

The commanding officer had petitioned several times for another military physician to be assigned. But physicians were scarce along the border, and with only three to four thousand troops stationed in Yongfeng Town and relatively few battles in peacetime, the limited personnel had already been dispatched to more critical locations.

Thus, as the sole physician, Physician Hu received relatively favorable treatment. The pharmacy had a charcoal brazier that kept the room comfortably warm, unlike the tents where the exiled criminal families lived, which were heated only by wood fires, smoky, and once the flames died down at night, bitterly cold.

There was also tea available, and the pharmacy’s work was not strenuous, mainly organizing herbs and dispensing medicine. It was far easier than washing clothes.

But to Li Chanxiu, these comforts were not the most important thing. What mattered was access to medicinal herbs.

In his original plan, he had expected to spend several days building familiarity with Physician Hu before proposing work in the pharmacy. Unexpectedly, after saving a life, his plan had advanced more smoothly and swiftly than anticipated.

Of course, avoiding further harassment from Centurion Jiang was another benefit.

With clear eyes, Li Chanxiu readily agreed and expressed his thanks again.

Physician Hu was equally pleased. After bringing him to the pharmacy and explaining some precautions, he hurried off, eager to continue studying the suturing technique.

Once he left, Li Chanxiu turned his gaze to the herbs arranged in the wall cabinets, examining them one by one.

In his dream, though he had never formally served as a physician, he had treated patients and written prescriptions while studying under the traveling doctor. Later, during campaigns and battles, he had frequent dealings with military physicians.

Most of the herbs here were for treating colds and external injuries, common ailments he was familiar with. Sorting them posed no difficulty.

More importantly, now that he could freely access these herbs, he would be able to quietly compound the medicine he urgently needed.

He had been born with an intolerance to cold. When his mother was pregnant with him, palace agents had forcibly administered cold-inducing abortive medicine to her. Though he had miraculously survived, his body had been affected. From birth, he carried a chill toxin in his system, prone to periodic flare-ups.

Falling ill on the road to exile before, and this lingering cold that refused to heal, both were related to the cold toxin in his body.

If he did not quickly compound a medicine to temporarily suppress it, then when the toxin flared up, the torment would be unbearable.

Although the traveling physician had taught him a breathing technique that helped, it could not cure the root of the problem. Moreover, the technique required long-term practice to be truly effective. At present, he could not wait that long. There were less than seven days left before the next flare-up of the cold toxin.

The bowl of cold abortive medicine his mother had been forced to drink back then had come from a secret palace formula. Later, his father had risked contacting former subordinates outside the palace, and after many twists and turns, had finally obtained a prescription that could temporarily suppress the toxin.

However, in his dream, when he had wandered into the Western Qiang lands, it was precisely because the cold toxin flared up and he followed that prescription to gather herbs that the traveling physician had guessed his identity.

This showed that the original cold medicine existed only in the palace. Even the formula used to temporarily suppress its effects might reveal clues to someone knowledgeable, putting him at risk of exposure.

Lowering his eyes in thought, Li Chanxiu knew that although Physician Hu was not a top-tier doctor, he still did not dare take the risk of having him handle the herbs, as he had when gathering medicine for a simple cold.

Thus, working in the pharmacy and privately taking the herbs himself was the best solution.

Moreover, by growing close to Physician Hu and earning his trust, when there was a need to purchase medicinal supplies in the future, he could accompany him out of the camp to a nearby county town, and leave a secret sign for his father’s former subordinates who would come looking for him.

After all, in the camp, the only people who truly recognized medicinal herbs were he and Physician Hu. In time, the latter would inevitably rely on him.

But that was a matter for later.

For now, taking advantage of organizing the herbs, he had already gathered most of what he needed. Yet when he finished sorting them, his expression turned grave, 

Two ingredients were still missing.

Li Chanxiu frowned slightly. The camp was not short on medicine at the moment; Physician Hu would not be going to the county town anytime soon. And as a registered criminal’s family member, without special circumstances, he had no opportunity to leave the camp…

What should he do? Claim that a wounded soldier in the infirmary required those two herbs? But Physician Hu knew exactly what each wounded man needed. Even Zhang He, the most severely injured, had only suffered flesh wounds…

Swish…

Just as he was deep in thought, the sound of a curtain being lifted came from outside. Then Hu Yuan’er’s clear young voice rang out.

“Grandfather, General Chen sent someone to ask, how is that blood-soaked man they carried back the other day?”

Physician Hu seemed taken aback. “After so many days without asking, General Chen still remembers that matter?”

“They said the Prefect sent someone to inquire about the details of the grain convoy being ambushed. The General then remembered this man and asked whether he’s woken up yet. If he has, he’s to be brought over to answer questions,” Hu Yuan’er replied crisply.

“Bah, woken up? He’s barely breathing,” Physician Hu muttered without looking up, continuing to study the suturing technique.

“All right then, I’ll report that back to the General,” Hu Yuan’er said, turning to leave, 

“Wait, come back!” Physician Hu quickly called him back, exasperated. “Are you trying to get your grandfather killed? He’s still a General, can you speak to him like that?”

“Then what should I say?” Hu Yuan’er turned back, his round eyes wide.

Physician Hu pondered. “Just tell him your grandfather has done everything he can, but the man still hasn’t regained consciousness, and likely won’t last more than a couple of days.”

“Got it,” Hu Yuan’er said, turning again to leave.

…

Behind the curtain of the inner partition, Li Chanxiu slowly stepped back toward the table. His gaze fell on the medicine cabinet not far away, thoughtful.

After Hu Yuan’er left and the outside fell quiet again, he composed himself, straightened his clothes, and walked out naturally.

Physician Hu was still studying the suturing notes. Seeing him emerge, he looked surprised. Before Li Chanxiu could speak, he said eagerly, “Just in time, I was about to look for you. Here, look at this point, and this part…”

He pointed to the notes he had written earlier and impatiently voiced several questions.

Li Chanxiu examined them, considered for a moment, and answered each one in turn.

Physician Hu listened raptly. After Li Chanxiu finished, he stood silently reflecting for a while, his expression gradually brightening as if clouds had parted to reveal the sun.

Only then did he remember Li Chanxiu was still standing nearby. Slapping his forehead lightly, he said, “Look at me, once I start thinking, I forget everything else. Did you come to see me about something?”

Li Chanxiu smiled. He said the medicinal herbs had already been sorted and mentioned a few issues he had noticed while organizing them. Only then did he casually add, “Just now, I heard Hu Yuan’er mention some blood-soaked man…”

“Oh, that one.” At the mention of the man lying in the corner of the infirmary, Physician Hu sighed. “A pitiful fellow. He was nearly dead when they carried him back. I removed the arrow and applied medicine. After that, there was nothing more to do but leave it to fate.”

It was not that he was cold-hearted; he had simply witnessed too much life and death in the army to grieve for each one. He had done all he could. The rest was up to heaven.

“But he’s been unconscious for so long, and his pulse is getting weaker. I’d say… the outlook is grim.” Physician Hu shook his head again.

Li Chanxiu seemed hesitant.

Seeing that he appeared to have something to say, Physician Hu waved a hand. “Speak freely. No need to hold back.”

Pressing his lips together, Li Chanxiu finally said, “I’ve changed that man’s dressings these past few days. Today, after carefully examining his arrow wound, I discovered… the wound may be poisoned.”

“Poisoned?” Physician Hu exclaimed in surprise. He thought back carefully and said doubtfully, “But when I observed the wound, there was no sign of blackening or bluish discoloration. The blood’s color was rather, ”

“The blood’s color is too vivid,” Li Chanxiu interjected.

Physician Hu had been about to say “normal,” but upon hearing this, he coughed awkwardly and nodded with forced composure. “Yes, yes, indeed.”

Li Chanxiu continued, “It is a type of wolf toxin used by the Hu tribes. Cold in nature, colorless and odorless. When it enters the bloodstream, it produces no obvious changes, except that the blood becomes unnaturally bright red.”

Physician Hu’s eyes widened. “Poison? It’s poison? No wonder I couldn’t detect it…”

As an ordinary physician, he mostly treated external injuries and colds. He truly had little knowledge of toxins.

After pacing in place for a moment and recalling that General Chen had just sent someone to inquire, he suddenly asked, “If that’s the case, do you know the cure?”

Li Chanxiu smiled faintly and replied slowly, “I once heard my grandfather mention it. It’s just that…”

“But what?”

“But when I was sorting the medicine cabinet just now, I found that to brew the antidote, we’re still missing a few herbs.”