ATPnovel Chapter 31 Do the Wuhuan also know of my lord's fame?
Chapter 31 Do the Wuhuan also know of my lord's fame?
As soon as Liu Bei's entourage arrived outside the gate of Liucheng Camp, they were stunned by the scene before them.
They had expected that their visit to the Wuhuan king's tent would at best result in being stopped and questioned outside for half a day, or at worst, being detained as a smuggler.
Xu Rong had already instructed his personal guards to grip their weapons tightly, making thorough preparations for any eventuality.
But at this moment, the camp gates were wide open, and Qiuliju, along with more than a dozen tribal leaders under his command, stood in front of the camp gates.
Even the royal guards lined up on both sides, hands on their scimitars, bowing in salute—a custom the Wuhuan people used to welcome their most distinguished guests.
You should know that Qiuliju was a high-ranking official of the Wuhuan people in western Liaoning. He commanded 5,000 archers, and his presence on the grasslands was so great that even a stomp of his foot could shake the earth.
Xu Rong was the first to react. He put his hand on the ring-pommel sword at his waist, instinctively spurred his horse to block Liu Bei, and his sharp eyes swept over the Wuhuan cavalry on both sides, fearing a trap.
But when he looked around, he saw no hostility on the faces of the Wuhuan people, only awe and expectation. Even the hands holding their scimitars were relaxed, without the slightest hint of wariness.
Upon seeing this, Tian Yu's eyes flashed with a smile, and he then whispered, "Do the Wuhuan also know of my lord's formidable reputation?"
The ten guards immediately straightened their backs, a sense of pride rising within them.
At this moment, it seemed as if the courtesy Liu Bei received also included a share of theirs.
Liu Bei was only stunned for a moment before he immediately came to his senses and dismounted.
He bowed respectfully to Qiuliju who came to greet him, his manner neither humble nor arrogant, and his tone modest.
"I am but a minor official in a border region. What merit or ability do I have to trouble Lord Qiuliju to personally come out of the camp to welcome me? I am truly ashamed and unworthy of such an honor."
Qiu Liju strode forward, grabbed Liu Bei's arm, and burst into laughter.
His tone was warm and friendly, completely devoid of the coldness and ruthlessness of a grassland warlord.
"Liu, the clerk, has come under the guidance of the Eternal Heaven. He is a distinguished guest of Liucheng. It would be only right that we personally lead his horse, let alone greet him from the camp!"
As soon as he said this, the tribal chiefs behind him bowed and greeted him in unison as "honored guest," without any perfunctory attitude.
Liu Bei and the others were completely baffled, not knowing what Guan Changshengtian had to do with it, and simply took it as a polite remark from the Wuhuan people.
He smiled and said, following Qiu Liju's words, "You're too kind, sir."
"Having heard that your tribe has been struck by an epidemic, I happen to have some limited knowledge on how to treat it, and I have come here to offer my assistance, hoping to help your people overcome this calamity."
Qiu Liju was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately led Liu Bei and his party toward the royal tent.
Along the way, he kept saying to the herdsmen on both sides: This is an honored guest sent by the Eternal Heaven to cure the epidemic.
The herders lifted their felt curtains to look out, and most of the wariness and fear in their eyes dissipated, bringing a sense of peace to the Wuhuan people.
Liu Bei seemed to sense something, and his gaze toward Qiu Liju changed!
This man is no ordinary person; no wonder he is trusted by Liu Yu.
Upon entering the royal tent, the aroma of roasted whole lamb wafted over, and the rich, mellow scent of mare's milk wine filled the room.
Qiu Liju moved Liu Bei to the guest seat, which was second only to the host's seat.
Xu Rong stood beside Liu Bei with his hand on his sword, never leaving his side.
Tian Yu sat to the left of Liu Bei, his gaze calmly sweeping over the tribal chiefs in the tent, taking in their expressions.
As soon as the banquet began, a tribal chief couldn't help but speak, his tone tinged with urgency.
"Clerk Liu, we heard that you cured the plague in Liaoxi. We wonder what exactly this plague-causing agent is?"
"We've sacrificed countless cattle and sheep to appease the Eternal Heaven, and exhausted all the medicinal herbs on the grasslands, but nothing can stop it. Do you really have a solution?"
Upon hearing this, the tent fell silent instantly, and all eyes turned to Liu Bei.
Liu Bei put down his wine bowl and said calmly and steadily, "This plague is a foul and filthy poison."
"It is transmitted through droplets, contact, and water."
"If you leave your sick clansmen in the tent and the whole family takes care of them, then naturally one person will get sick and the whole tent will suffer."
"If the dead cattle and sheep are not cremated and buried deeply, the disease will only spread further and further."
"Only by isolating first and then treating can we contain it."
He did not copy the medical terminology from the Central Plains, but used language that the grassland people could understand to explain the root cause and transmission routes of the epidemic clearly.
He then dissected the isolation, disinfection, and treatment methods he had used in western Liaoning, one by one.
From the individual placement of infected individuals to the incineration and deep burial of filth, and then to the different prescriptions for mild and severe cases, each step is explained in detail.
Qiu Liju's eyes lit up as he listened; he had previously ordered the sealing off of the infected tents.
They only knew the facts but not the reasons behind them. Now, after listening to Liu Bei's explanation, they suddenly understood.
The tribal chiefs inside the tent nodded in agreement, their initial doubts gradually dissipating and replaced by complete conviction.
It's not that they don't understand the principles, it's just that no one has ever explained the origins and development of this epidemic so clearly.
After the banquet, Liu Bei did not delay for a moment. He immediately took Xu Rong, Tian Yu, and the medical workers of Wuhuan to the tribes that were infected with the plague to check on them.
He personally examined the symptoms of the infected herders and adjusted the dosage of the prescription.
They taught the Wuhuan people how to use Atractylodes macrocephala and Artemisia argyi to fumigate their felt tents.
How to boil blankets and utensils used by patients in boiling water?
How do I set up an isolation tent downwind of the ranch?
We took care of every detail, from protecting those who cared for patients to personally handling all aspects of their care.
Some herders were afraid of being infected and dared not approach the isolation tents, so Liu Bei was the first to lift the curtain and go in to check the pulses and feed medicine to the herders with mild symptoms, without the slightest hesitation.
The Wuhuan people saw this and their respect for this Han official deepened.
Meanwhile, Tian Yu had completely integrated into the Wuhuan tribe.
He grew up in a mixed community of Han and non-Han peoples, read extensively in history books, and was very familiar with the origins, customs, and tribal rules of the Wuhuan people. He could even speak fluent Wuhuan language.
Unlike other Han Chinese officials, he did not treat the Wuhuan people as barbarians.
Instead, they can sit with the tribal leaders and talk about the grazing rules of the grasslands.
They talked about the century-old feud between the Wuhuan and Xianbei, and the old story of their ancestors following the Han cavalry to fight the Xiongnu in the north.
Some tribal leaders worried that Liu Bei's epidemic prevention rules would disrupt the customs of the grasslands.
Tian Yu then patiently explained how to adapt the Han people's epidemic prevention methods to suit the Wuhuan people's lifestyle.
For example, since the Wuhuan people were accustomed to living together in one felt tent, he taught them to set up small tents outside the felt tents so that patients with mild symptoms could live alone.
This would neither violate the customs of their family's care nor prevent the spread of disease.
For example, since the Wuhuan people were accustomed to burying the dead, he taught them to dig pits three zhang deep, burn the deceased's clothes, and then bury them.
This both respected their funeral customs and prevented the spread of disease.
In just two days, Tian Yu became the most popular Han Chinese in the Wuhuan tribe.
Tribal leaders would talk to him about any doubts they had, and herders would ask him for help with any difficulties they faced. Even children would gather around him and listen to him tell stories about the Central Plains.
Liu Bei's methods for treating the epidemic were extremely effective.
Three to five days later, the number of newly infected people in Liucheng decreased by more than half.
Most of the herders with mild symptoms who took the medicine experienced a reduction in fever, and their coughs and wheezing gradually subsided.
Some of the recovered herders have emerged from the isolation tents, and the panic throughout the tribe has completely dissipated.
The entire city of Liucheng was in an uproar.
The herdsmen surrounded the royal tent, bowing respectfully towards Liu Bei's residence, saying that they were messengers sent by the Eternal Heaven and benefactors who had saved the lives of the Wuhuan people.
They continuously sent their best beef and mutton, the finest mare's milk wine, and the most precious furs to Liu Bei's tent, piling them up like small mountains.
Qiu Liju also became more convinced of Liu Bei's abilities.
The title of Liu Shijun gradually spread among the Wuhuan people.
Tian Yu even exclaimed: "The Wuhuan people have also spread the fame of our lord!"