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Chapter 155
Inside the military tent, Head Imperial Physician Hu sat in a row with other doctors, examining pulses one after another.
After examining several people, both Head Imperial Physician Hu and those whose pulses were checked had shocked expressions on their faces.
Duoti, Hou Yuchuan, Zhao Qianwei, and others all wore solemn looks.
"Is it true? Do you really have this problem?"
"Is your shoulder still hurting?"
"Why have you never seen a military doctor before?"
They were all questioning their subordinates.
They had thought their men were in good health, but it turned out they all had various ailments.
Duoti, Hou Yuchuan, and Zhao Qianwei were also battle-hardened veterans with old wounds, but they had toughed it out back then and now felt their injuries weren't serious.
They had assumed their subordinates were the same.
"You can't sleep and have headaches? What's that about?" Duoti glared at the subordinate being diagnosed by Head Imperial Physician Hu.
He had never known about this!
The subordinate broke out in a cold sweat, "It only happens when I leave the camp and go home. At night when I lie down, I hear the sound of horse hooves. I get up to look, but there are no horses passing by. I can't fall asleep and my head aches terribly."
[Oh, this is a symptom of post-war PTSD. After being in a high-stress state for a long time, even experiencing the trauma of comrades dying beside them, when they return to a quiet, safe space, they find it difficult to shake off this state of high tension. Instead, they develop symptoms of panic like auditory hallucinations.]
Xiao Chuchu, held in Xiao Yunzhou's arms, entered the tent and observed the full-scale physical examination.
As soon as they entered, the father and daughter heard the response of this soldier suffering from post-war psychological issues.
"But Lord Duoti, it's fine. As soon as I'm back in the camp or on the battlefield, I don't have this problem. I don't hear these confusing sounds anymore."
[Ah,] Xiao Chuchu couldn't help but sigh inwardly, [Unable to self-regulate, the tense state that can't be relaxed is actually masked when returning to the war zone and fully entering a true combat state.]
[But this will only lead to a vicious cycle. If not treated promptly, he might be trapped in this highly tense state of war readiness for life, unable to break free.]
[He's forever at war, controlled by the fear, vigilance, and heightened emotions of conflict.]
Hearing his daughter's thoughts, Xiao Yunzhou's expression grew serious.
If the grassland people had such psychological problems, his Jing Country soldiers might have them too.
"This problem needs to be addressed," Xiao Yunzhou couldn't help but interject, "So every time you go home, you're in agony? You can't even rest when facing your own wife and children?"
The grassland man's expression froze.
Duoti frowned at his subordinate.
What kind of strange illness was this?
It's not like he could stay in the camp forever!
Would he still be riding into battle when he's old?
"How can this be treated? Is there a way to cure it?" Duoti couldn't help but look towards Head Imperial Physician Hu.
Head Imperial Physician Hu had examined over a dozen people in succession. Hearing this, he paused, about to shake his head, but noticing the Emperor had arrived, he hurriedly stood up to pay his respects before nodding, "I'll do my best to try."
He wasn't very confident about treating delusions, as medical texts didn't cover much on the subject. But since the Emperor knew about this illness and had just given him a hint, he estimated the Emperor must have a way to treat it.
If not, there were still experts behind the Emperor!
"Since we've discovered it early, there must be a way," Head Imperial Physician Hu said.
Duoti breathed a sigh of relief, but then noticed that Head Imperial Physician Hu's gaze was not relaxed at all. Instead, it had shifted to two of his other subordinates.
Head Imperial Physician Hu looked at Ba Tu and another grassland warrior, as well as an elite Jing soldier. He quickly glanced at Xiao Yunzhou, his face showing an expression of admiration, and said:
"As for these three soldiers, they should rest in the camp for the next few days and cooperate with my acupuncture and medication."
"All their food and drink must be arranged according to my instructions. Otherwise, I'm afraid something terrible might happen."
"!?"
"???"
"..."
Everyone was stunned.
Ba Tu laughed heartily, refuting in his broken Jing language, "What terrible thing could happen to me? This arrow wound just left a scar that hasn't faded, nothing else hurts."
But as soon as he finished speaking, Head Imperial Physician Hu frowned deeply and put down his acupuncture kit with a thud.
"Your condition is the most serious!"
"If you move, at worst you could die, at best you could damage your lungs!"
The entire tent fell silent.
Everyone looked at Head Imperial Physician Hu in shock, then at the bear-like Ba Tu.
They had trained together for a day, and even the Jing soldiers who didn't know Ba Tu before could feel his strength.
They had no doubt that Ba Tu was naturally powerful, probably the strongest in the camp.
But what was the doctor saying?
Ba Tu's condition was the most serious, and he could possibly die if he wasn't careful?
Not only Ba Tu himself, but even the other Jing soldiers didn't believe it.
Hou Yuchuan was dumbfounded, "Head Imperial Physician Hu, could you perhaps diagnose him again? Might there have been a mistake earlier? Warrior Ba Tu is as lively as a dragon. We were planning to have a sparring match with him in the next couple of days."
"A sparring match?" Head Imperial Physician Hu immediately glared, "You want him dead!"
Duoti and Ba Tu's faces darkened.
Ba Tu directly roared in defiance, "I'm standing right here, he couldn't kill me even if he tried!"
"But if the arrow fragment in your body enters your heart vessels, it can send you to your death!" Head Imperial Physician Hu shouted back.
In an instant, Ba Tu was stunned.
Even Hou Yuchuan was shocked.
[Oh, thank goodness, the Imperial Physician figured it out and can stop Ba Tu from participating in this wrestling match.]
[This way, Ba Tu won't die tragically at Commander Hou's hands.]
Xiao Chuchu breathed a sigh of relief.
The Emperor's expression relaxed considerably.
"Head Imperial Physician Hu, please explain the situation clearly to Warrior Ba Tu and General Duoti," Xiao Yunzhou coughed lightly.
Head Imperial Physician Hu hurriedly bowed respectfully to Xiao Yunzhou, his face unable to hide his admiration, "Thanks to Your Majesty calling me here to check Warrior Ba Tu's pulse."
"The arrow wound he received five or six years ago still has a small fragment that was never removed."
"It seems harmless now, but it has almost reached the heart vessels. If he engages in vigorous activity, it could enter the heart vessels and cause death."
"I dare not conceal anything. May I ask Warrior Ba Tu, have you recently experienced occasional chest tightness or slight pain?"
Ba Tu's expression darkened. He had felt it yesterday after finishing military training, but he thought it was just because he wasn't used to the environment in Jing Country...
Duoti turned his head, and seeing this expression, he knew the doctor's words were true.
At once, he became anxious, "Is there a way to treat it?"
Head Imperial Physician Hu frowned, "First, we'll use acupuncture and medication, then see if we need to reopen the old wound to remove the fragment."
Duoti furrowed his brow. On the grasslands, many people who had been hit by arrows died of high fever after the arrowheads were removed.
Few survived.
"Head Imperial Physician Hu, are you confident?" Xiao Yunzhou spoke up.
"If we halt all military training and fully cooperate with me, I currently have a 20-30% chance of success," Head Imperial Physician Hu sighed softly, his face filled with shame.
But Ba Tu's eyes lit up. A 30% chance? Previously, the grassland doctor said it couldn't be done, that another attempt would be fatal.
For the harsh environment of the grasslands, lacking in proper medicine and constantly on the move, a 30% chance was already remarkably high!
Duoti's expression improved somewhat.
However, Head Imperial Physician Hu still felt ashamed. Looking towards Xiao Yunzhou, he apologized, "Your Majesty, I am incompetent."
"Compared to Your Majesty, I am truly far inferior..."
"Ahem, ahem!" Xiao Yunzhou blushed as he stopped the Head Imperial Physician from his misguided praise.
Sure enough, Xiao Chuchu began to mutter to herself, [This is essentially surgery. In ancient times, apart from anesthesia techniques, infection during and after the operation was a major problem.]
[Ah, if only I could draw a surgery-related skill. It could be used for Jing Country's soldiers and civilians alike.]
Just as she was muttering, her expression suddenly changed. [Holy crap, speak of the devil!]
[Spend 100 points to exchange for a simplified version of anesthesia and sterilization techniques?]
"Ahem." As Xiao Yunzhou cleared his throat, he abruptly changed the subject upon hearing this. He nodded to Head Imperial Physician Hu, "We'll discuss this in detail later."
Head Imperial Physician Hu's eyes lit up.
He knew it, he just knew it. If the Emperor couldn't find a solution, the expert behind the Emperor would surely have one!
After the plague prescription, would he be able to learn new medical techniques again?
"Well, if you give me some time," Head Imperial Physician Hu turned to Ba Tu and Duoti, trying to impress them, "I might have a 40-50% chance of success, perhaps even more."
Ba Tu and Duoti: "!"
"Alright then, you may continue. I won't stay here and get in the way," said the Emperor.
"This time, it was thanks to Concubine Liu's reminder that I thought of asking the imperial physicians to examine everyone."
"Unexpectedly, they truly discovered an issue. In the next couple of days, let's have other imperial physicians come and thoroughly examine our soldiers."
[Oh, Duoti's loyalty has increased to 73%!]