The full-scale physical examinations lasted for three days.
Every day, not only did the imperial physicians diagnose the soldiers one by one, but Xiao Chuchu also exhausted her daily body-checking skills.
Xiao Chuchu discovered two more Jing Country soldiers with post-war psychological issues, and one old patient who needed to have their wound reopened.
Head Imperial Physician Hu worked from dawn to dusk, poring over ancient texts in search of traditional remedies for external injuries.
Two military doctors were urgently summoned from the West Mountain Camp.
"Head Imperial Physician Hu, treating the soldiers' injuries is our responsibility!"
After meticulously examining Ba Tu, the three military doctors frowned and surrounded Head Imperial Physician Hu as they exited the tent.
"You imperial physicians may be miracle workers when it comes to treating the Emperor and Empress, but you're not fit to meddle in our military affairs!"
"How can you spout such nonsense?"
"It's impossible. What's this about having a 30% chance? Oh, and in a few days, you think you can come up with a method that has a 40-50% chance? Bullshit!"
"I've treated at least eight hundred external injuries, if not a thousand. How many arrow wounds have you, an imperial physician, dealt with in the palace all day?"
The three military doctors all thought Head Imperial Physician Hu had a problem, and not a minor one—arrogance.
Just because he treated the Emperor, he thought he could cure all illnesses in the world. Wrong!
"Have you ever seen an arrow wound?" The old military doctor under Zhao Qianwei, surnamed Meng and named Chun, looked thin and dark but had a pair of skilled hands. He was steady and quick when dealing with external injuries. "Have you ever seen a bone injury? Do you know what everyone here calls me?"
Head Imperial Physician Hu's mouth twitched as he stepped back, "Meng Chun, speak properly, don't spit while you talk."
"Hmph, I'm spitting at you!" Meng Chun glared. "You barely deal with arrow wounds all year round, yet you dare to boast. If your master knew, he'd crawl out of his grave to beat you!"
Head Imperial Physician Hu: "...What does my master have to do with you!"
"Hmph!" Meng Chun turned his head away.
The two of them were from different schools of medicine. The Meng family had been skilled in treating external injuries, bone injuries, and bruises for three generations, while Head Imperial Physician Hu belonged to the orthodox internal medicine lineage.
To be honest, when it came to treating external and bone injuries, Head Imperial Physician Hu was indeed no match for Meng Chun, the military doctor.
Both in skill and experience, there was a significant gap.
Head Imperial Physician Hu, in fact, hadn't initially planned to do it all by himself. "Meng Skillful Hands, you can perform the operation to dig out the fragments, and I'll be responsible for Ba Tu's post-injury recuperation."
"I won't do it," Meng Chun flatly refused.
The other two military doctors also shook their heads repeatedly. "Head Imperial Physician Hu, you'd better explain clearly to the Emperor. Ba Tu's old injury has persisted for years. Even if we had treated it at the time, there would have been a great risk."
"You may be unfamiliar with arrow wounds, but most arrows from the grassland tribes have barbs, and the force of a single arrow is tremendous. When the arrow shatters inside the body, both the wooden fragments and arrowhead can explode within."
The two military doctors furrowed their brows. "Now, we don't know how many fragments are in Ba Tu's body or where they've moved to. Perhaps only by opening up the flesh can we know. But how deep and how wide should we cut? Do you know, Head Imperial Physician Hu?"
"If the fragments aren't in the same location and there's more than one piece, how do you plan to deal with it, Head Imperial Physician Hu? If we can't remove them all at once and some remain, what's the point of reopening the old wound?"
All three military doctors opposed Head Imperial Physician Hu's aggressive approach.
"Guess why the doctor didn't clean it up thoroughly when he was hit by the arrow back then?"
"Let me tell you this," Meng Chun clasped his hands behind his back, "Once we reopen Ba Tu's wound, it's like putting one foot in the Underworld Palace. The fragments are likely deep inside."
"If we don't treat it, he might live for a few more years. If we treat it now, he could die immediately."
"The pain his body will endure, as well as the subsequent wound infection and abscess, are certain. It's like fighting with the King of Hell for a life, and I certainly don't have that ability." Meng Chun shook his head.
"If it were a Jing Country soldier, I wouldn't agree to do this without certainty."
"Let alone the fact that he's a grassland man?" Meng Chun said, glaring at the Head Imperial Physician. "He was fine when he came to Jing Country, but you insist on treating him, reopening the wound. If he dies, do you think the grasslands will let it go?"
"Aren't you just causing trouble for no reason? Do you think we haven't had a war in a long time or something?" Meng Chun berated Head Imperial Physician Hu.
"I'm done talking to you. I'm going to speak to the Emperor directly. Hu Xin, you're just messing around, trying to provoke a war between two countries!"
"..."
Head Imperial Physician Hu's temples throbbed violently, and he finally grabbed Meng Chun.
"Hey, mind your manners. Don't be disrespectful in front of the Emperor."
"The Emperor's medical skills are exceptional."
"?" Meng Chun and the other two military doctors came to an abrupt halt.
What?
What did he say?
Head Imperial Physician Hu knew they didn't believe him. Initially, no one in the entire Imperial Academy of Medicine believed it either.
But what was the result? The plague, smallpox vaccination—time and again, it proved the point.
"Let me be honest with you. I know that there's only one fragment in Ba Tu's body, and I know its location."
"The Emperor told me."
"???"
"!!!"
...
In the tent, Xiao Yunzhou had Liu Chaniang sit down while he held Xiao Chuchu, carefully patting his daughter to sleep.
"Your Majesty, the military doctor Meng Chun... and Head Imperial Physician Hu request an audience."
Xiao Yunzhou frowned slightly, and with just this sentence, his daughter's eyes opened again.
Oh my, they were bright and alert, without a hint of sleepiness.
He had spent all this time trying to put her to sleep, for nothing!
Xiao Yunzhou was almost angry enough to faint.
Liu Chaniang quickly took their daughter, not letting him fumble anymore.
[Oh, quickly call them in, Emperor Dad.]
[I can't wait to tell someone about our newly acquired surgical techniques...]
Xiao Chuchu was so excited that her sleepiness started to fade away.
[I wonder in what form the skill book will appear in Jing Country this time.]
After multiple occurrences, Xiao Chuchu had also noticed that things like banking and pig-raising techniques often required specialized knowledge.
Even if inspired by others, only professionals who had some research in that particular field could truly grasp the techniques.
So, Xiao Chuchu was waiting for Head Imperial Physician Hu and the three military doctors to arrive, curious about these anesthesia techniques and such.
[I wonder how good Head Imperial Physician Hu's hands-on skills are? Our modern surgeons have to practice suturing techniques extensively.]
[They even practice surgical techniques on pig skin. Is Head Imperial Physician Hu up to the task? Does he have the surgical ability?]
Xiao Chuchu was a bit worried, as she had never seen Head Imperial Physician Hu perform any surgeries or sutures in the palace.
[I hope it doesn't turn out that we've developed rudimentary disinfection and anesthesia techniques, only for Ba Tu to die due to poor surgical and suturing skills.]
[If that happens, I would have wasted my exchange.]
Xiao Chuchu pondered as she scrutinized Head Imperial Physician Hu and the three military doctors who had entered the tent.
Xiao Yunzhou, upon hearing this, had a gleam of curiosity in his eyes.
So that's how it was—the surgical techniques in the Immortal Realm required specialized training!
Head Imperial Physician Hu wouldn't do!
As Xiao Yunzhou thought about it, he realized that probably few people in the Imperial Academy of Medicine would be capable.
They could diagnose, prescribe medicines, and perform acupuncture, but this suturing skill was likely beyond the abilities of the Imperial Physicians.
[Wow, the system praised me for staying calm and collected, putting Ba Tu's life first instead of rushing to find a doctor for immediate surgery, avoiding hasty actions.]
[To reward me for recognizing the professional expertise of surgeons and the challenges they face, the system has granted me a book on surgical suturing techniques.]
[Additionally, I can immediately upgrade one person's surgical suturing skills.]
Xiao Yunzhou was instantly elated.
Was the Immortal Realm directly bestowing magical abilities?
But Xiao Chuchu was utterly exhausted, and after saying all this, her head began to nod off with great effort.
Just as her head bobbed, something went awry!
[Oh no, it got added to my mother instead!]
Xiao Yunzhou: "??!"
[My mother has the most experience with sewing, so the system recognized her!]
Liu Chaniang, who was in the middle of sewing stitches on a down jacket: "...???"