Chapter 6: Binding is also okay

  With Li Qing's promise, the relocation began to proceed smoothly. According to the severity of their injuries, they were quickly distributed to different tents. The entire camp gradually quieted down. The wounded soldiers who had been wailing in pain all tried to endure it, and even if they couldn't bear it, they just hummed a few times with restraint.

  Li Qing went from tent to tent, inspecting the wounded soldiers. His expression grew increasingly solemn. The seriously injured were not the only concern; even among those with minor injuries, their wounds had begun to fester. Pus flowed out from under the blood-soaked bandages. Li Qing knew that in this era without antibiotics, festering wounds basically meant that a person had one foot already in the gates of hell.

  Walking out of the camp, Li Qing's mood was heavy. Had he just accepted 300 men, only to lose them all again? Was there any way to keep these wounded soldiers alive? These were all seasoned veterans who had been through battles; if they could survive, it would be a precious treasure!

  Feng Guo was also a veteran of many battles, and he was used to seeing such things. He knew what the current situation meant, and looking at Li Qing's gloomy face, he comforted him by saying: "Sir, this is also an unavoidable thing, we can only follow the will of heaven now, whether we can survive or not depends on their luck."

  Li Qing gritted his teeth, "We have to think of a way, it's unbearable to just watch like this! Where is Jiang Kui? Can't even asking for a doctor be done quickly?"

  Just as he was secretly complaining in his heart, he saw Jiang Kui already appearing in his line of sight. Looking at his dejected appearance, Li Qing knew something was wrong.

  "Sir, I...I have failed in my duty and didn't invite the doctor!" Jiang Kui lowered his head, not daring to look at Li Qing's somewhat angry eyes.

  "What's going on? A big place like Dingzhou, and yet you can't find a doctor?"

  "It's not that there are no doctors, but almost all of them have been recruited by the army," Jiang Kui said.

  Li Qing said in confusion: "Isn't that just fine? You can go ask our allies for a few, can't you?"

  "Sir, I went but no one was willing to see me. The better ones said that even doctors are in extreme shortage now and they really can't spare anyone, so they politely declined me. What's more, some camp officers didn't even see me, directly driving me out."

  Li Qing's face changed with anger and he said, "What is the meaning of this? Are we not the Dingzhou army? I want to see the commander!" He turned around and walked away.

  Jiang Kui grabbed Li Qing's arm: "Sir, the commander is in a high position of power and authority. Can we see him just because we want to? Moreover, our Invincible Camp has already dispersed, and these few people are all wounded soldiers. Would the commander make things difficult for other camps just for this small matter? Now the commander still needs to rely on them to deal with the current barbarian troops."

  Li Qing suddenly lost his spirit, Jiang Kui was right, Xiao Yuanshan would not offend other camps for the sake of this group of defeated soldiers, and for a moment he was so angry that his teeth itched, if the Changsheng Camp was still intact, how could they suffer such humiliation.

  Rubbing his teeth, he spun around in a circle on the spot, suddenly raising his head: "Jiang Kui, isn't there even one doctor in Dingzhou?"

  Jiang Kui shrugged his shoulders, "It's not that there isn't one, there is actually still one left, but we definitely can't afford to invite him."

  Li Qingqi burst out laughing: "What a big shot doctor you are, now Dingzhou is under military control, can't you just stay put? Can't you just stay put or won't you bring me the stretcher?"

  "Sir, this can't be taken lightly. This doctor has a background and is extremely skilled. Even Commander Xiao and Governor Fang wouldn't dare offend him. Just look at how all the doctors in Dingzhou have been recruited by the military, but he remains as calm as Mount Tai, with no one daring to disturb him. That's how extraordinary he is. Otherwise, would we even be considered?"

  "What's going on? A doctor should have a benevolent heart, now that someone is dying here, we're asking nicely, can't he save them?" Li Qing asked.

  Jiang Kui sighed and said, "This doctor is named Huan Xi, a native of Dingzhou. I heard that his medical skills are extremely high. In the third year of Hongwu, when the emperor was seriously ill, the imperial physicians were at a loss for what to do. Later, somehow or other, the second prince found him and invited him to come and treat the emperor. He truly had a magical touch, and within a month in the capital, he made the emperor recover completely. The emperor was overjoyed and, grateful for Huan Xi's heavenly medical skills, summoned him to be the head of the Imperial Hospital, but he refused to accept the appointment and instead opened a clinic in the capital."

  Li Qing sneered: "Sounds like someone who views wealth and glory as dirt, but since he can open a medical clinic, shouldn't he be willing to come to our military camp to treat the soldiers?"

  "Although he has opened a medical clinic, the consultation fee is extremely high, and it costs one hundred taels of silver for each visit. An ordinary citizen cannot afford to see him, so all his patients are extremely wealthy and noble. In the past decade or so in Beijing, all the people he has met are high-ranking officials. Even his disciples are now mostly working at the Imperial Hospital. His son, Huan Daolin, is currently the head of the Imperial Hospital. He only returned to his hometown of Dingzhou this year. Sir, do you think we dare to disturb such a person?"

  Li Qing was not silent for a moment, and as soon as he heard this, he knew that Huan Xi was a person with great power and influence. Let alone him being just a small Eagle Yang Colonel, even the Great General would not dare to offend him.

  Damn it, she cursed silently to herself, looking back at the tent, feeling anxious, and then turned around a few times before saying: "Doctor, I'm thinking of a solution, but for now, we also need to do something. Jiang Kui, you and Wang Qinyan will organize the soldiers in the camp from now on, take all the bandages that have been removed from the wounded soldiers, wash them clean, then boil them in boiling water, dry them, and put them back on the soldiers. From now on, all bandages used to dress the soldiers' wounds must be treated this way."

  "Sir, what's going on?"

  Li Qing didn't bother explaining that it was for disinfection. Of course, he also knew that even if he explained, these things wouldn't be understood by him anyway.

  "Also, as many marine animals as possible were collected, slaughtered and their meat cut off. The fresh meat was then applied to the festering infected wounds of the soldiers."

  "Jiang Kui's mouth opened into an O shape, 'This...this is useful?'"

  Li Qing said with a hint of annoyance: "You'll know if it's useful or not once you've done it. You haven't even tried, so how do you know it won't work?"

  Seeing Li Qingfan's anger, Jiang Kui, although he was puzzled in his heart, had to go down and do as he was told. As for the effect, he didn't hold out any hope at all.

  Returning to his own camp, Li Qing was filled with indignation, thinking that after all, it was because of his low status and lack of power. If he had a few thousand elite soldiers in his hands, would those officials from the Central Camp dare to humiliate him like this? They had never been on the battlefield before, what use were those doctors to them?

  Feng Guo stepped forward, "Sir, I think I have a way to invite Mr. Huan here?"

  Li Qing's eyes lit up, but he immediately asked in a puzzled tone: "What method do you have?"

  Feng Guoyin smiled gloomily: "Sir, let's go and tie him up tonight. I don't believe that with a knife to his throat, he will still dare not come."

  Li Qing raised an eyebrow: "What nonsense, this guy has a huge background, I can't afford to mess with him. Even if we bind him and force him to obey, after the matter is over, he'll just give us a slap in the face. With our status, we'd be finished, no place to bury ourselves."

  Feng Guo smiled and made a gesture, "After the matter is over, we will secretly do it, now the Dingzhou soldiers are in chaos, who knows it was us?"

  Li Qingxin suddenly jumped up and stared straight at Feng Guo, making Feng Guo's heart feel hairy, forcing a smile: "I know this is a trivial matter, let's just pretend we didn't hear it."

  "Feng Guo, what did you used to do? From your tone, it sounds like you're a seasoned kidnapper?" Li Qing said with a hint of darkness.

  Feng Guo's face sweated fine beads, and after a long while, he said: "Sir, I indeed used to be a bandit among the soldiers, but later, following the great master's acceptance of amnesty, I have reformed."

  "Really? Hearing this, Li Qing couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Good, good, really, you're right."

  Feng Gu looked at Li Qing with a nervous expression, but heard Li Qing's tone change, "You also make sense, tie him up, heh heh, not bad, not bad. However, we still need to go and invite him, maybe this Huan Daifu has a heart of saving the world. If we can't invite him, then we'll just have to tie him up."

  Feng Guo Yi was overjoyed and rubbed his fists together, saying, "I'm the most experienced at tying people up. In the past when we were in the mountain pass, I was always in charge of this task. Sir, leave it to me."