In the medical tent, Ba Tu sat down and pounded his chest, "Come on, the sooner the better."
"I've had enough of this."
Ever since Head Imperial Physician Hu said his old arrow wound might kill him, neither Hou Yuchuan nor Duoti would let him participate in daily training exercises, and they even cancelled the wrestling competitions.
Ba Tu was clearly not adapting well, "Besides riding horses for hunting and war, I don't know how to do anything else. Not letting me move or ride horses is worse than killing me with an arrow!"
Previously, Ba Tu didn't dare let the Jing Country Doctor operate on his chest, mainly because he had no masochistic tendencies. There was no need to reopen a healed wound when he was perfectly fine.
The arrow fragments might not even be found, and the wound could become infected, leaving him bedridden and possibly crippled for life.
He wasn't a fool, so he refused!
But now things were different. Ba Tu had witnessed the entire procedure on the soldier with the abdominal wound, and found that the patient merely 'slept' through it.
When he woke up, he was indeed in some pain, but he was alive and well.
The pain wasn't even as severe as when he was ill before.
And the stitches done by that Jing Country Imperial Consort were quite beautiful.
Ba Tu was intrigued.
If he could die while unconscious, without suffering, and his body would remain intact afterward, Ba Tu wasn't afraid anymore.
He had survived being shot by an arrow, so what was there to fear?
"As long as there's a 30% chance of success, go ahead!" Ba Tu raised his head, "I'm not afraid. Even if I die, I won't hold you Jing Country Doctors accountable!"
Meng Can was itching to act, his eyes bright with excitement, "Really?"
He had been attracted by this latest 'anesthesia' technique and 'suturing' method, and was prepared to come out of retirement.
That successful intestinal abscess surgery left him with an endless aftertaste.
He couldn't wait to have more patients to treat, while practicing and researching at the same time.
Now that the camp was calm, Meng Can was restless, even considering going outside to find patients.
Hearing Ba Tu's words, Meng Can became quite excited and was about to take his pulse.
But Meng Chun frowned and stopped him, "Third Uncle, this isn't an ordinary patient! Ba Tu is an honored guest in our Jing Country. How can we as hosts operate on a guest?"
"Ba Tu, unless the Emperor agrees, we cannot accept your request."
If something went wrong, affecting relations between the two countries, who would bear the consequences?
Ba Tu stood up abruptly, "Then I'll go find Lord Duoti and have him speak to your Emperor!"
An incense stick's burning time later, Duoti looked at Ba Tu, feeling a deep headache coming on.
"My Lord, have you seen the medical skills of these Jing Country Doctors?"
"That soldier with the intestinal abscess, have you seen his wound? The stitches make it look almost as if he was never injured."
"Last night, he was even able to drink millet porridge!"
Duoti's expression was complex.
"My Lord, where on the grasslands can we find such doctors! If I don't get treatment in Jing Country, where else can I go!?"
Ba Tu knelt down, lowering his head.
"Am I never to ride a horse again?"
"If I return to the grasslands like this, I'm afraid I won't be able to survive, and there will be no chance of recovery!"
Duoti clenched his fists tightly. He still had the note from the Chu State spy hidden in his chest from the night before.
When to act...
But looking at Ba Tu before him, he took a deep breath.
"Come, take me to see that soldier with the intestinal abscess."
*
[I'm so happy! The appendicitis surgery was successful, and Jing Country's medical level has improved greatly.]
In the imperial tent, Xiao Chuchu was having her clothes changed by Liu Chaniang.
Looking down, she could see the thin calluses and small wounds on Liu Chaniang's hands.
In just two or three short days, Liu Chaniang's fingers had been pricked by forceps and needles.
It was evident how hard she had been practicing in private since receiving the system skills.
[Oh, those dark circles under my mother's eyes. When I grow up, I'll get some face masks for her. My mother has worked so hard; she needs a full set of hand cream, eye cream, and face masks.]
Xiao Chuchu reached out with her little finger and gently touched Liu Chaniang's skin, which looked dull from lack of sleep these past two days.
Liu Chaniang was startled.
Face... mask?
At the desk, reading memorials, Xiao Yunzhou quietly perked up his ears.
Xiao Chuchu's thoughts flowed freely, unconsciously thinking of a bunch of things like egg and honey moisturizing face masks, chrysanthemum and wolfberry eye cream, coix seed and green tea face cream...
These were all recipes she knew from watching bloggers make DIY skincare products on various video websites for fun in her past life.
Now she couldn't help but think about it, pondering how to make them when she grows up.
As Xiao Yunzhou listened, he cast an apologetic glance towards Liu Chaniang, who was changing their daughter's clothes.
He silently noted down his daughter's recipes, writing them without a word at the bottom of the memorial.
*
Outside the tent of the intestinal abscess patient.
Duoti wanted to go in and see, but was stopped.
"Grassland friend, I'm sorry, but Doctor Meng said that Liu Datou just had abdominal surgery and his wound hasn't healed yet. If everyone comes in casually, it's easy to bring in evil winds and affect his recovery."
There was actually someone guarding the door, not letting Duoti enter.
Duoti was somewhat surprised.
On the grasslands, there didn't seem to be such rules. As long as you didn't disturb the patient's rest, it was fine.
Could it be that they had treated the man to the brink of death and didn't want the grassland people to know, to avoid embarrassing Jing Country?
Duoti gave Ba Tu a deep look.
This fool still thought the man had recovered, not knowing that there was a saying in the Central Plains called "the final radiance before death."
Just as Duoti was thinking this, he didn't expect Ba Tu to be so familiar with the procedure.
"I understand! Old Hu said, just put on the cowhide clothes and it'll be fine."
"Lord Duoti, you just need to put them on, and then we'll wash our hands before going in."
[Hahaha, damn, I'm dying of laughter. Ba Tu has really been in an 'operating room' before.]
Xiao Chuchu, having changed into new clothes, lay comfortably on her small bed, spreading out her arms and legs. Out of boredom, she glanced at Duoti.
Seeing this scene, she burst into laughter.
[Ba Tu is even teaching Duoti how to wash his hands, saying he's not clean enough.]
Xiao Yunzhou and Liu Chaniang couldn't help but pause their work to continue eavesdropping, thoroughly entertained.
Meanwhile, Duoti's face outside the tent was gradually darkening.
"You need to use running water, and you have to wash between your fingernails. Lord Duoti, your hands are really dirty..." Ba Tu clearly had experience. He planned to let the Jing Country Doctor operate on him, so he had been checking on the intestinal abscess soldier's recovery several times a day.
Ba Tu had learned quickly about the disinfection procedures needed to visit patients, and empathized with the process.
"Lord Duoti, when I've been operated on and have stitches on my chest, if you come to see me, you'll have to wash this clean too. If you come to see me this dirty, I might get infected by the evil spirits you bring." Ba Tu started to worry about his own 'post-operative infection'.
Duoti: "..." He didn't know what to say.
After washing his hands clean and putting on the visitor's cowhide gown and hat to go in, Duoti could only stare in disbelief.
Inside the tent, the man who had his stomach opened was already sitting up, smiling at them as they entered.
"Back again, Ba Tu? Have you eaten?"
"Yes, yes, I just had a bowl of millet porridge."
After seeing the long row of stitches on the man's stomach and learning that his intestines had truly been pulled out and partially cut away, Duoti was shocked by the medical skills of Jing Country.
He's really alive!
On the grasslands, he would most likely have died!
Now this patient was up and about, while people at the entrance were saying his wound hadn't fully healed yet.
Well, how much better could it get?
Was he expected to jump on a horse immediately?
Duoti's eyes widened in astonishment, truly feeling the gap between Jing Country's medical skills and those of the grasslands!
Did Chu State also possess such exceptional medical expertise?
[Ah, Duoti's loyalty has reached 91%.]
The next moment, before Xiao Chuchu's inner voice finished, Xiao Yunzhou heard Duoti requesting an audience outside the royal tent.
"Your Majesty of Jing Country, Duoti humbly requests that you graciously allow Jing Country's divine doctors to treat Ba Tu."
"Please let Jing Country's Consort Liu perform the suturing for Ba Tu..."
Xiao Yunzhou immediately felt smug, but quickly frowned with a hiss.
In fact, he shared some of Meng Chun's concerns about the problems that would arise between the two countries if Ba Tu were to die.
But Xiao Chuchu had already started chattering away in his mind.
[The appendicitis patient was in so much pain he was unconscious, and with no family by his side, there was truly no choice but to perform emergency surgery.]
[But Ba Tu is still conscious, so we should have him sign a pre-operative risk consent form.]
[Even modern surgeries carry some risks, there's no 100% guarantee of safety, let alone in present-day Jing Country.]
[We should inform Ba Tu and Duoti of every possible risk. They have the right to know. If Ba Tu is still willing to undergo the surgery, let him sign and put his fingerprint on the form. This way, if anything unforeseen happens, barring medical malpractice, the doctor won't be held responsible.]
As Xiao Chuchu's thoughts continued to flow, Xiao Yunzhou's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
Ha! The celestial realm really did have so many clever solutions!