After Exile, I Married the Amnesiac General [Rebirth] Chapter 5

To detoxify that man, a few herbs that Physician Hu didn’t have were indeed required.

However, when explaining the prescription to Physician Hu, Li Chanxiu harbored a private motive, he slipped in the two herbs he himself needed.

After saying this, his expression remained calm, though the fingertips hidden within his sleeve tightened slightly.

Physician Hu pondered for a moment, then said, “These herbs aren’t hard to find. I’ll send someone to the nearby county to purchase them.”

As the only military doctor in the camp, he had been assigned a runner by his superiors, a young soldier who could be dispatched in urgent situations.

If buying medicinal materials in bulk, Physician Hu would certainly go in person, lest others, unable to distinguish quality, buy the wrong herbs or be cheated into purchasing inferior goods.

But for just a few herbs to save a life, there was no need for him to make the trip himself. Besides, with his old arms and legs, he couldn’t ride as fast as the young soldier anyway.

Li Chanxiu let out an almost imperceptible breath of relief and added, “Saving the man is most urgent…”

“Yes, yes. I’ll send someone to the county at once.” Physician Hu nodded and turned to lift the door curtain and call for someone.

Only then did Li Chanxiu fully relax, lowering his gaze slightly.

As repayment, he would cure that man as soon as possible. As for the two extra herbs… there were only two; it wouldn’t be enough to arouse suspicion.

***

Yongfeng Town lay more than thirty li from the nearest county seat. On horseback, the journey took over an hour. The man Physician Hu dispatched left at dusk and returned after night had completely fallen.

Using the urgency of saving a life as his excuse, Li Chanxiu remained in the pharmacy to wait.

Once the herbs arrived, he immediately began brewing the medicinal paste overnight.

While preparing the medicine, in full view of Physician Hu, he took out the two herbs he needed and set them aside. But when Physician Hu turned his head to look elsewhere, Li Chanxiu swiftly grabbed the herbs together with their wrapping paper into his palm and slipped them into his sleeve.

From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the man not far away. Then, lowering his gaze, his slender fingers gripped the ladle and stirred the dark, murky decoction in the pot, pretending he had already added the herbs into it.

Fortunately, Physician Hu noticed nothing.

With composed expression, Li Chanxiu finished cooking the medicine and scraped the thick, pitch-black paste into a bowl.

Physician Hu walked over in surprise. “It’s done already?”

Li Chanxiu nodded and handed him the bowl with a smile. “I’ll trouble you, Mister Hu.”

Administering the antidote should not be delayed, but it was already deep into the night, and the wounded soldiers in the tents were asleep. Given that he was, in status, a woman, it was inconvenient for him to enter as he had during the day. It was more appropriate for Physician Hu to go.

Physician Hu hurriedly accepted the bowl. “No trouble at all. It’s my duty.”

He told Li Chanxiu to rest early as well.

Li Chanxiu maintained his usual smile. Only after the old physician had gone some distance did the smile slowly fade.

He turned and strode quickly back into the pharmacy, shut the curtain tight, and swept his gaze around. Only then did he lower his long, thick lashes and retrieve the hidden packet of herbs from his sleeve. After carefully counting them, he let out a subtle breath of relief. Then he frowned, folded the paper back up, and tucked it into the lining of his clothing.

The women’s tent was some distance from the wounded soldiers’ camp. It was already late at night, and patrols were strict. It would be inconvenient to return now. Earlier, Li Chanxiu had already told Physician Hu that he would stay in the pharmacy for the night.

There was no bed in the pharmacy, but there was a charcoal brazier, so it wasn’t cold. He lined up several chairs, lay down fully clothed, and made do for the night.

***

The next morning, after waking, Li Chanxiu returned to the women’s quarters for breakfast.

When Aunt Xu saw him, the worry she had harbored all night finally eased. She hurriedly pulled him over and asked if anything had happened.

“You scared me half to death. You didn’t come back all night, I thought that so-and-so was giving you trouble again. I asked around and only then learned you stayed with Physician Hu.” Aunt Xu patted her chest.

Li Chanxiu smiled, first pinching the cheek of her daughter at her side, then reassuring her, “It’s nothing. There was something to attend to at Physician Hu’s place, so I was delayed.”

After a pause, his smile dimmed slightly. “Centurion Jiang likely won’t trouble me again for the time being. There’s no need to worry.”

Physician Hu was the only doctor in the army. Though he held no real authority, everyone in the camp, from the general down to the common soldiers, relied on him when injured.

Now that Li Chanxiu worked under him and was valued, no matter how reckless Centurion Jiang was, he should know better than to offend the military doctor, unless he had no brains at all.

…Though thinking of Centurion Jiang’s burly frame, more bulk than brains, Li Chanxiu’s gaze flickered. Suddenly, he wasn’t entirely certain.

As it happened, just after finishing breakfast and returning to the pharmacy, he saw two of Centurion Jiang’s subordinates swagger in.

When they saw him, they were clearly startled. One immediately demanded, “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be washing clothes?”

Li Chanxiu glanced at them and said coolly, “Physician Hu reassigned me to work in the pharmacy. You didn’t know?”

The two men froze. They had indeed heard that yesterday a young woman in the wounded camp had stitched up a man whose intestines were nearly severed and miraculously saved him, earning Physician Hu’s high regard and being transferred to the pharmacy.

But they hadn’t known that person was Li Chanxiu. Now, hearing this, they exchanged a look, visibly surprised.

Li Chanxiu grew impatient watching them stare at each other and asked, “What is it?”

They looked at one another again, clearly aware that Physician Hu was not someone to offend. After all, in this frontier land, who could guarantee they’d never be injured or fall ill?

One hesitated, deciding to leave the matter alone for now and report back to Centurion Jiang later. So he simply stated their purpose: “We’re here to get medicine.”

“What medicine?”

“For external injuries.”

It was obvious they were getting it for Centurion Jiang.

After all, not long ago he had been caught drinking outside the camp, thanks to Li Chanxiu’s deliberate scheme that led General Chen to discover him, and had received a beating with military rods.

Li Chanxiu lowered his lashes, concealing a trace of mockery. “Wait here.”

He turned, rummaged through the medicine cabinet, and took out a white porcelain bottle. After a moment’s hesitation, he picked up another bottle beside it, poured some medicinal powder into the first, shook it evenly, and sealed it.

“All right. Take it. Apply three times a day.”

It wouldn’t kill him, but it would hurt plenty.

The two saw that he gave it so readily and didn’t make things difficult, yet instead hesitated.

“Your medicine doesn’t have any problems, right?”

“What problem would the medicine have?” Before Li Chanxiu could answer, Physician Hu happened to stride in.

Seeing clearly the medicine bottle in their hands, he was immediately so angry that his beard almost stood up, and said, “This is a top-grade medicine for bruises and injuries that I just compounded a few days ago. If it’s not a serious injury, I wouldn’t even let him use it. If you think there’s a problem, then don’t take it, give it back to me!”

The two, upon hearing this, quickly stuffed the porcelain bottle into their clothes and repeatedly said, “No, no, misunderstanding, we were just saying it casually.”

As they spoke, they put down two strings of copper coins, turned around, and left.

In the military camp, only injuries caused by battle or other official duties could receive medicine for free; in all other situations one had to pay out of pocket, especially someone like Centurion Jiang who had been punished with military rods for making a mistake.

A smile lingered at Li Chanxiu’s lips. Seeing the two walk far away, he raised his voice to remind them again: “Remember, three times a day. Also, sprinkling this medicine on the wound will hurt quite a bit, but pain is what makes it effective!”

Yeah right!

It would only hurt more and heal more slowly, after all he had mixed in a little of something else harmless.

Physician Hu nodded. “Indeed, pain makes it heal faster.”

However, he didn’t recognize those two and didn’t bother further. Soon he began talking to Li Chanxiu about other matters, 

“Oh right, the matter of transferring you to be my assistant has already been approved by the higher-ups. Also, after that person used the medicine you decocted last night, his condition seems to have improved somewhat.”

Li Chanxiu nodded. That poison was one commonly smeared on arrows by the Hu people. Though it was not easy to detect, once discovered it was not difficult to cure. After applying the medicine, if the body had no major problems, at the fastest he could wake within one or two days.

But the specific situation still needed him to check personally before making a judgment.

“That’s true.” Hearing him say this, Physician Hu agreed very much, but after hesitating, he considered his words and added, “Also, there are two more people in the wounded soldiers’ accounts. Their injuries were rather severe before, the wounds are relatively long, and they didn’t want me to use the cauterization method to stop bleeding, so the wounds have been healing slowly…”

Li Chanxiu understood and smiled. “I’ll go help stitch them first. It just so happens you can watch a few more times at my side.”

“Yes, yes, that’s exactly what I meant.” Physician Hu happily clapped his hands, feeling that this young lady was truly a straightforward person.

***

After arriving at the wounded soldiers’ tent, Li Chanxiu first helped stitch the wounds of the two people Physician Hu had mentioned, then went to check on Zhang He.

Zhang Hu was not there today. It was said he had been called by the higher-ups to report the details of yesterday’s ambush. The one taking care of things at the side now was a fellow villager and friend of the two brothers.

Zhang He had awakened once earlier, but at this moment had fallen asleep again. After Li Chanxiu examined him and saw that he indeed had a slight fever, he wrote a prescription and asked the person caring for him to first go to the pharmacy to have Hu Yuan’er prepare the medicine.

Physician Hu stood beside them holding paper and brush, quickly writing down the key points one by one.

Finally, the two walked to the innermost corner.

The wounded soldier who had greeted Li Chanxiu yesterday saw him come again and enthusiastically spoke up, though today his words were different, 

“Miss Shen, here again to change this person’s medicine?”

“Physician Hu already came last night to change it for him.”

“Miss Shen, can this fellow also be saved?”

“I saw that earlier he was almost out of breath, but today his complexion actually looks a bit better. You wouldn’t happen to be a miracle doctor, would you?”

“Ah, this man really is lucky to have met you, Miss Shen!”

Because of yesterday’s incident, the wounded soldiers were clearly more respectful toward him than before. After all, no one knew when someday they themselves might come down from the city wall with only a last breath left, hoping to survive by being stitched a few times.

Li Chanxiu returned their warm greetings with a smile, then looked toward that still quiet corner, 

The condition of the person on the wooden plank bed had indeed improved somewhat. The blood-stained armor had been cut open and removed, the dirty blood on his body wiped clean, and he had been changed into a fresh set of clothes. Only his right hand still tightly gripped that curved blade, the finger bones like carved stone, immovable.

Some color had returned to his handsome face, though his brows and eyes were still tightly shut. Someone should have just fed him water; his previously cracked lips were slightly moist, very thin, and unexpectedly well-shaped.

Li Chanxiu slightly withdrew his gaze, looked toward his chest, and suddenly raised a hand, pulling open the clothing that covered the arrow wound.

Firm and well-shaped lines were instantly revealed; white cloth strips were wrapped around the chest wound.

Physician Hu clicked his tongue inwardly. It was often inconvenient for women to practice medicine, but this young lady… truly did not treat men as men at all. This clothing, she just pulled it open so casually?

Li Chanxiu’s gaze fell on the bandage that rose and fell slightly with the breathing of the person on the bed. When his fingertips lowered, they paused for a moment, then neatly removed it.

When it came time to clean the medicinal paste, Physician Hu quickly said, “I’ll do it.”

Li Chanxiu shook his head, saying it wasn’t necessary. He then began wiping away the blackened paste at the wound, and used a cloth dipped in warm water to clean away the remaining dark residue.

The wound had already begun to show signs of healing, clearly absorbing the medicine well. But because it had not been properly treated before, the arrow wound had somewhat suppurated, and the wound area had expanded compared to the initial injury. It would still take quite some time to fully heal.

“I’ll treat it first, then stitch it,” Li Chanxiu said as he took out his tools.

When Physician Hu heard that he was going to stitch the arrow wound, he quickly took out paper and brush again, continuing to observe and record.

The wounded soldiers who had greeted them earlier couldn’t help gathering closer, but after Physician Hu glared at them, they smiled ingratiatingly and stepped back a bit.

“Can he really be saved?”

“Hard to say. Yesterday Zhang He was severe, but at least he could still cry and shout, he still had some vitality. But this one… I heard he was almost not breathing before.”

Several people whispered softly, both hopeful yet also shaking their heads.

Li Chanxiu seemed not to hear. He took out scissors and a knife that had been wiped with strong liquor. His cool side profile carried focus and calmness; his gaze was serious as he carefully treated the necrotic flesh around the wound without the slightest discomfort.

Physician Hu handed him tools while rapidly writing notes, inwardly both surprised and impressed.

The unconscious man clearly could feel the pain. When the sharp blade cut into the flesh of the wound, the hand gripping the knife suddenly tightened, veins bulging on the back of his hand, the finger bones turning pale. The face that had only just regained some color instantly went pale again, and fine cold sweat formed on his forehead.

Li Chanxiu and Physician Hu were both too focused and did not notice immediately.

Suddenly, the finger bones gripping the knife trembled slightly.

Then the dense eyelashes also shook violently, like a dragonfly whose wings were stuck but kept vibrating, about to break free.

Abruptly, the dragonfly broke free; the violently trembling eyelids opened, the depths of his eyes like thick ink staining them, yet empty and unfocused.

He gasped for breath, his chest rising and falling sharply.

Li Chanxiu finally raised his head in surprise, his delicate, clear eyes suddenly meeting a pair of eyes like shattered ink congealing, gradually focusing.

Before he could react, the owner of those eyes suddenly sat up, 

With a clang, the cold blade left its sheath.

A flash of blade light passed before his eyes; in the next moment, the blade was already pressed against his neck, the chill biting.

Li Chanxiu almost instinctively moved to act, but after sensing no killing intent, he forcibly stopped.

Ignoring the cold blade at the side of his neck, he tilted his head to look at the person who had just sat up.

The other party was breathing violently, his expression empty, clearly, drawing the blade was only an instinctive reaction after waking.

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