Chapter Forty-Five A Guest Arrives

  "Lord Gu, are you saying that these people's plague can be cured?" Gu Yunlong asked with wide eyes in surprise.

  It wasn't just him, the surrounding Gengning Army was also stunned as if struck by lightning. Before the invention of the microscope, no one knew about the existence of bacteria, let alone understood the principles of infectious diseases.

  Can't understand the principle, it's easy to produce fear, especially in the first few years of Chongzhen's reign, the Yellow River was plagued by frequent wars and epidemics, even to the point where nine out of ten rooms were empty.

  The terrifying mortality rate, the rapid spread of the epidemic, coupled with ignorance, the vast majority of people regarded the plague as a punishment from heaven.

  When the plague broke out in the army, everyone was so flustered that they even buried alive the sick soldiers. When they heard Gu Zhenhua's words, these people were like grasping at a lifeline, staring at him with burning eyes, making Gu Zhenhua feel somewhat uncomfortable.

  "Gentlemen, although I understand some principles of the plague, I am still not skilled enough to treat it."

  Everyone heard this and immediately hung their heads, the last glimmer of hope was extinguished!

  "But these brethren did not get the plague."

  "What?" At these words, Guo Yunlong almost jumped up from the ground and hastily asked: "Master Gu, you're not joking, are you?"

  Before Gu Zhenhua could respond, Dr. Sun on the side became somewhat flustered and hastily said: "Hmph! I personally examined the condition, how could it be wrong? These soldiers fell ill one after another, vomiting and having diarrhea nonstop, aren't these symptoms of plague? How can you spout nonsense, it's simply laughable!"

  "You're the ridiculous one!"

  Gu Zhenhua was also exposed to knowledge of bacterial warfare during his time in the army, and plague was one of the most important types. Plague was initially transmitted by fleas on rats, and it can incubate in the human body for three to five days, with a very high mortality rate. Once infected, it is almost always fatal. Clinically, apart from severe symptoms of poisoning, there are also high fever accompanied by chills, swollen lymph nodes, possibly vomiting, diarrhea, hepatosplenomegaly and bleeding manifestations.

  This is the condition of the soldier and plague are not the same, absolutely cannot be plague!

  "The plague, although it has symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, is not the main symptom. The infected brothers did not have a fever, and even if they had coughed up phlegm and vomited, there was no blood in the vomit. From these two points, the theory of the plague does not hold up. As for the so-called transmission, it's probably also unsustainable. If it were transmitted, then it should be successive illnesses, with at least two or three days in between, rather than everyone falling ill all at once."

  Gu Zhenhua said it very clearly, although Guo Yunlong and others did not understand medicine, they also inevitably had doubts at the beginning.

  "Master Gu, what's wrong with the brothers?"

  "If I'm not mistaken, it should be that there was something unclean in the food or water, which led to collective food poisoning. Although this situation is very serious, it's absolutely not a plague and won't lead to everyone being buried alive."

  "You quack, I'll tear you apart!"

  What Gu Zhenhua cared about most was those fallen soldiers, their lives hanging by a thread. If it were the plague, they would be buried alive.

  As soon as Hu Shan heard that it was a misdiagnosis by an incompetent doctor, he struggled to get up and stumbled towards Sun Yigong. The other soldiers who had been tortured to the point of extreme weakness also got up and rushed over together.

  "Guo, intercept them quickly, my diagnosis is absolutely correct, how can you not even believe a doctor's words, it's utterly absurd!"

  Dr. Sun was still struggling, and Guo Yunlong couldn't make a decision either, so he could only look at Gu Zhenhua. Gu Zhenhua waved his hand: "Everyone, don't rush, think carefully about what you've eaten and drunk since yesterday, is there anything suspicious?"

  "Ah, Lord Gu, I remember now. The water we drank yesterday was indeed somewhat foul-smelling." Hou Sanhuai said with difficulty.

  Gu Zhenhua nodded: "Come with me to take a look at the water source."

  Guo Yunlong and others accompanied Gu Zhenhua to the side of a small river, where the water flow looked very clear and flowed slowly.

  "Lord Gu, it's right here where we fetch water."

  Gu Zhenhua squatted down, holding the water and sniffing it, as if there was a faintly discernible foul smell.

  "Go and take a look upstream."

  Gu Zhenhua led everyone out for about a kilometer, just to a bend in the river where many fallen leaves had accumulated together, already rotting and emitting a pungent smell.

  Gu Zhenhua picked up a branch and swept away the rotten leaves, only to see two dead dogs inside, their bodies swollen like balloons.

  "The problem lies here." Gu Zhenhua said: "The brothers drank unclean water and caused the problem. However, everyone should also pay attention, if it's not a dead dog here, but a dead mouse or a corpse infected with plague, after contact, I'm afraid there is a possibility of infection."

  "Master, what should we do about it?"

  "It's easy, just cook some millet porridge with green beans and red dates, and also prepare some salt water for everyone to drink more. In a day or two, they'll recover. It's just that during this time, you can't avoid running to the toilet a few more times. But remember, no one is allowed to relieve themselves anywhere, absolutely cannot pollute the water source. Also, drinking water must be boiled, pay attention to personal hygiene."

  "Is that all?" Guo Yunlong asked in surprise: "Don't we need to open several prescriptions?"

  "Okay, just prescribe some medicine for diarrhea and that's it. But I don't understand this, let me ask the doctor instead."

  At this time, Yue Poqi had already grabbed Sun Yi's neck and pulled him over.

  "Hear this, a chance to redeem your guilt has arrived, quickly give the brothers their medicine."

  "General, I won't, I don't know how to open the medicine."

  "No way!" Yue Po Xu grabbed the guy's chest and sternly asked, "Didn't you say you were a disciple of Mr. Wu Youke, who cured the plague in Shanxi and was very effective? How come you don't even know how to cure diarrhea?"

  Gu Zhenhua found the root of the disease, and Sun Yi was already completely disheartened at this time, stuttering: "The little one indeed saw Mr. Wu treat the plague, but the little one only knew how to isolate the area, and didn't know what medicine to use. The little one thinks isolation is not as fast as live burial, so...so..."

  He hadn't finished speaking when Yue Pojun's massive fist heavily smashed onto his nasal bridge, instantly causing blood to flow profusely and sending him flying several meters away.

  "How dare you! You're playing with the lives of my brothers, I'll kill you!"

  It wasn't just him, a large group of soldiers rushed over in an instant, punching and kicking. The thin Dr. Sun shouted a few times before falling silent, almost beaten into a pulp by the soldiers' fists.

  "Kuo Yu-kei, this guy is obviously a swindler, how did he get mixed into the army?"

  Kuo Yun-lung sighed: "General Gu, being a soldier is hard, even soldiers often desert, let alone military doctors. Anyone with some skills has already left to seek other opportunities. This guy came in with an especially arrogant attitude, and I thought he was really skilled, so I kept him as a treasure in the army camp. Who would have thought that he almost caused a big disaster!"

  Gu Zhenhua also sighed: "In the past few days, I'll tell you all about first aid knowledge and health precautions. Nothing else can be said, but at least it can help the wounded live three to five more percent."

  "Thank you, sir!"

  Guo Yunlong knelt down on one knee, and in the past, he didn't take Gu Zhenhua seriously either. This time, however, was a genuine and sincere gesture, without any pretence. In the past, military doctors were all very protective of their skills and wouldn't easily teach others their expertise. The fact that Gu Zhenhua could impart his life-saving skills without hesitation was truly admirable. The others followed suit, and soon a large area was filled with people kneeling down.

  "Master, I owe you a debt of gratitude for saving my life. From now on, whatever your orders are, we will obey without hesitation, even if it means going through fire and water!"

  "To go through boiling water and walk through flames, I will not refuse!"

  Most of these soldiers were straightforward and hot-blooded men. Gu Zhenhua saved more than a hundred lives and also imparted knowledge to everyone, which was simply like rebirth from parents. Everyone thanked him from the bottom of their hearts and admired him. Although he may not be comparable to Wu Sangui, Gu Zhenhua also had considerable weight.

  Under Gu Zhenhua's guidance, the soldiers were fed a thin porridge and given salt water to drink. By evening, some of them finally stopped having diarrhea and regained their energy.

  A crisis was finally lifted, and Gu Zhenhua, this loyal and brave hero, had another halo of a divine doctor placed on his head, shining brightly!

  The army finally returned safely to Shanhai Pass, and Gu Zhenhua's 2,000 men were temporarily placed in the west of the city.

  Just after finishing setting up camp, Gu Zhenhua went to see the sick soldiers again. Everyone has basically recovered now.

  "Master, I'm done, how about we have another wrestling match?" Hu Shan said with a sly smile.

  "No problem, I'm afraid you won't be able to make it?"

  "Brothers, everyone take good care of yourselves and give the lord a good show later!" Instantly, over a hundred people responded in unison, and the tent was filled with cheerful laughter.

  Gu Zhenhua left those soldiers and had just returned to the tent when Gu Yunlong brought a man in his fifties, an old Confucian scholar, who was waiting at the door.

  "Your Excellency, this is Mr. Li Jibo, he was once the tutor of the Commander-in-Chief."

  "Have met Mr. Li." Gu Zhenhua hastily greeted Li Jibo with a bow, and the old man returned the courtesy.

  Guo Yunlong smiled and said: "Lord Gu, Mr. Li's son was shot by an arrow a few months ago, I'd like to ask you to take a look!"

  Gu Zhenhua listened and smiled bitterly: "Guo Youji, you really think I'm a divine doctor?"

  "You're even more amazing than the divine doctor!"

  "Haha." Gu Zhenhua smiled brightly: "Alright then, I'll go take a look, but don't get your hopes up too high."

  Guo Yunlong saw Gu Zhenhua nodding, and he became exceptionally excited. However, Li Jibai on the side didn't have any expression, silently looked at Gu Zhenhua for a few moments, then said: "Lord Gu, I have a few private words that I want to discuss with you."