Wen Qingci's mind went blank. At this moment, he fully understood what it meant to be "riding a tiger and unable to back down."
He had just heard what Song Junran said to the officers and soldiers, and it was obvious from his words that he wanted to meet with the local official in charge.
Now that he is by my side, if I say I have nothing to do with him, wouldn't that be just setting him up for a trick
In the face of epidemic, there is no room for any hesitation.
However, his nickname "Fairy-faced Rakshasa" and the rumors of his dissecting corpses had already spread throughout the Wei Dynasty.
If I tell you my intention directly, wouldn't that be telling Xie Bufeng that I'm not dead
Song Junran, who was not far away, slowly pulled up her veil and couldn't help but curse in her heart:
"You bastard! Why did Xie Bufeng leave his position as the emperor and come all the way here?"
"What's the point of him coming here? He will only cause trouble for us!"
"If he accidentally gets sick, it will be a very exciting and exciting event."
"I invited so many Buddha statues, but I never expected to get such a big one... How should I tell you about the dissection?"
"… Could it be that he discovered something?"
It was quiet outside the county government office. Every word in Song Junran's mind was clearly heard by Xie Bufeng.
To him, who was used to hearing malicious words, these words were simply childish.
At this time, Xie Bufeng was only concerned about one thing: it turned out that Wen Qingci and Song Junran went to the official in charge of Lianhe County to request an autopsy.
At this time, the magistrate of Lianhe County, who was following behind Xie Bufeng, also reacted.
Seeing that several people had been standing here talking, he hurried forward, extended his hand to lead the way and said: "Sir, there are two gentlemen. The matter of leprosy is of great importance. It may not be explained clearly in a few words. Why don't you go into the government office to discuss it in detail?"
Under the cover of his wide sleeves, Wen Qingci's hands were clenched tightly together.
Malaria cannot be treated without delay; the cause must be found out as soon as possible.
There is absolutely no way that he would give up the lives of innocent people in this city just because Xie Bufeng is here.
There is always a way when you reach the mountain.
How about we go to the government office first
A thin layer of cold sweat appeared on his palms without him noticing.
Wen Qingci took a deep breath and slowly turned around.
Although he had prepared himself mentally, Wen Qingci's breathing involuntarily stopped for a moment when he turned around and saw Xie Bufeng.
After losing his youthfulness, Xie Bufeng's facial features appear deep and sharp.
His eyebrows were slightly raised, cold and defiant.
The experience on the battlefield and in the government gave him a bit of ferocity and domineering nobility.
Xie Bufeng has a strong frame and a tall stature.
His light honey-colored skin, his long, slightly curly hair like dark clouds, and his muscular muscles vaguely visible under his tight clothes still reveal the wildness that his thirteen years in Suzhou had given him, a wildness that would never be erased.
Through the veil, their eyes met without any warning.
Wen Qingci's heart suddenly trembled for no apparent reason.
“…Master, Qing!”
Song Junran walked over with gritted teeth, stood in front of Wen Qingci with a look of disappointment on his face, and glared at him to signal him to stop.
This junior brother is usually not stupid, so why did he really follow Xie Bufeng today
Others are just letting the wolf into the house.
As for him, he was taken away directly by the wolf.
Wen Qingci lowered his voice, seeming to have made up his mind.
He shook his head slightly and said, "Let's go in first. We can't delay this matter."
Refusing now would only arouse suspicion.
As he spoke, Xie Bufeng turned around and walked into the government office.
After hearing Wen Qingci's words, the county magistrate standing aside said hurriedly, "Yes, yes! This gentleman is right. Gentlemen, please come with me."
"... All right." Song Junran gritted his teeth and followed Wen Qingci into the government office.
At the same time, he once again secretly cursed Xie Bufeng for appearing at such an inopportune time.
*
Several people were taken directly to the back hall of the government office for meetings and sat down around a long table.
The servant then brought hot tea to everyone.
The rain dripped down from the eaves.
Ripples are forming.
The old tea brewed with boiling water has turbid tea soup, shriveled branches and leaves, and only has a bitter taste but no fragrance.
But Wen Qingci stared at the teacup in his hand and never looked up, as if he wanted to see a flower in it.
Xie Bufeng didn't seem to notice anything unusual. After he sat down, he got straight to the point: "Hundreds of people have died of leprosy in Lianhe County, and the number is increasing. The medicine prescribed by the city's clinic only treats the symptoms but not the root cause. If the cause of the disease is not found out soon, the situation will only continue to deteriorate."
Wen Qingci nodded slightly.
Having said that, Xie Bufeng picked up the coarse porcelain teacup on the table, took a sip, and then slowly put it back on the table.
With this sound, he turned around and said to the county magistrate sitting next to him: "Please leave first. I have something to discuss with them in detail."
"Yes, sir." The county magistrate asked, then bowed and left.
When he walked out the door, he did not forget to turn around and slowly close the door to the back hall.
In a blink of an eye, there were only three people left here.
The room suddenly became dark.
Only the candlelight on the table was still flickering gently.
A little warm yellow light illuminated the cheeks of several people.
"Gentlemen, have you come to any conclusions in the past few days?" Xie Bufeng asked.
Worried that Wen Qingci would be exposed, Song Junran glanced at his junior fellow apprentice and answered first: "We already know the symptoms. But based on pulse diagnosis alone, we cannot confirm which organ the disease originated from."
"Yeah." Xie Bufeng nodded slowly, and then asked a few more questions about symptoms and medication.
Wen Qingci discovered that although he didn't say much, all his questions hit the point.
This is not something that can be achieved by simply observing along the way...
The candlelight was dim, and Wen Qingci was still struggling with his conscience.
Breathing also became rapid.
Just as he was struggling over whether or not he should ask Xie Bufeng to perform an autopsy in front of him, something unexpected happened.
Xie Bufeng's gaze suddenly swept from him and Song Junran.
Then he finally lowered his voice and slowly stated his ultimate goal: "Now there may be only one way to find out the cause of the disease."
The deep voice echoed in the back hall.
Wen Qingci's mood became tense.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Xie Bufeng gently rubbing the bracelet on his wrist. After a pause, he said in a deep voice, "That means dissecting the body."
Wen Qingci:!!!
Did I hear it right? What did Xie Bufeng just say
Wen Qingci suddenly raised his eyes and looked at Xie Bufeng in disbelief.
Fortunately, the veil covered it so that the other party did not notice anything unusual.
Wen Qingci never dreamed that today it would be Xie Bufeng who would take the initiative to propose to dissect the body.
"What?!" Unlike Wen Qingci who was trying to remain calm, Song Junran couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Xie Bufeng did not answer his question. Instead, he picked up the book placed aside and slowly opened it.
Song Junran frowned and looked at him, obviously not understanding what the other party was doing.
On the other side of the long table, Wen Qingci caught a glimpse of the illustration flashing in the book and immediately recognized it - what Xie Bufeng was holding in his hand was the notebook called "Xinglin Jie'e" left by the original owner.
Xie Bufeng wrapped it in a book cover, so he didn't find it just now.
"This is what an old friend of mine wrote in his notebook," Xie Bufeng's eyes became gentle as he spoke, and his tone seemed to be filled with infinite attachment. He slowly brushed his hand across the book, then looked up at Wen Qingci and Song Junran, "Would you two be willing to cooperate and follow this book?"
As he said that, Xie Bufeng opened the book and placed it on the table.
At this time, Song Junran also recognized the notebook.
"Xinglin Jie'e" contains all the hard work of Wen Qingci. He recorded in detail the purpose, process and conclusion of each dissection, and even provided pictures drawn by himself.
Xie Bufeng seemed to have read the notebook carefully after Wen Qing left...
The page he turned to was the detailed anatomical diagram drawn by Wen Qingci.
Judging from Xie Bufeng's intention, it seems that he wants these two quack doctors to compare "Xinglin Jie'e" for the dissection.
After finishing his words, Xie Bufeng did not forget to add: "The imperial physician of Yongdu is pedantic and I am afraid he is unwilling to do this. So I can only trouble you two."
The imperial physician was certainly capable of performing an autopsy according to the "Xinglin Jie'e", but this behavior was too heretical in today's era.
Based on Wen Qingci's understanding of the imperial doctors, if they were asked to perform an autopsy, they would definitely not do it.
It is even possible to do something like committing suicide to prove one's integrity.
Xie Bufeng had lived alone in the imperial mausoleum since he was a child and had no concept of the relationship between heaven, earth and human nature, so he accepted the original owner's theory more smoothly than anyone else.
His words were both unexpected and reasonable.
"This..." Song Junran, who also thought of this, was speechless for a moment.
As he spoke, Xie Bufeng's fingers once again fell on the wool bracelet.
"It's a pity that my old friend is no longer here."
His voice was faint, as if he just thought of an old friend inadvertently, and then suddenly felt sentimental.
But Wen Qingci heard infinite sadness and loneliness in this calmness.
His left arm then felt a momentary sharp pain.
"good."
Before Song Junran could react, Wen Qingci had already stood up from his seat.
He took a deep breath and lowered his voice and said, "We will do our best."
Wen Qingci's voice passed through the veil and white gauze and fell to his ears, becoming vague and unclear.
But the tone was extremely solemn.
Under the light of the candle, Xie Bufeng nodded slowly and stood up: "Okay. It's getting late today, gentlemen, please take a rest first and do this tomorrow morning."
After he finished speaking, he turned around and opened the wooden door of the back hall, and told the servant guarding outside, "Clean up two rooms for these two gentlemen to live in."
"Yes, sir!" After saying that, the servant immediately trotted towards the backyard.
The Lianhe County Government Office is not big, and there are only three or five guest rooms that can accommodate people.
On the way here, the county magistrate had made arrangements in advance and let the accompanying imperial physician and attendants stay in his private residence.
Only Xie Bufeng lived in the backyard of the county government office.
And now, there are two more guests here.
Xie Bufeng's actions were smooth and natural, leaving no room for interruption.
After giving the order, he turned around and said to Wen Qingci and Song Junran, "You two are from Songxiu Prefecture, and you probably don't have a place to stay in Lianhe. It will be more convenient for you to stay in the government office."
There was no hint of command in Xie Bufeng's words, but they made it impossible to refuse.
The government office had fallen into disrepair over the years and the guest rooms were extremely simple.
Having come here to meet Xie Bufeng, Wen Qingci could not help but feel desperate.
It was late at night and everyone was asleep. He was exhausted after running around for several days and finally succumbed to his sleepiness and fell into a deep sleep.
However, in another guest room separated by a wall, Xie Bufeng did not feel sleepy at all.
He stood by the thin wall and carefully placed his hand against it.
It was as if the figure of that person was being depicted over and over again through this cold object.
Xie Bufeng's hands were trembling slightly.
My breathing was completely messed up.
The sanity and decency that were barely maintained during the day dissipated and collapsed in an instant.
The inner unbearableness and desires are growing wildly at this time.
After a while, Xie Bufeng couldn't help but gently touch his forehead against it.
Meeting for one day did not calm Xie Bufeng's anger.
Instead, it was like a gust of wind passing by, and in an instant, it set the whole prairie on fire.
—
At one o'clock in the morning, when the sky was just beginning to brighten, Wen Qingci had already gotten up, washed, and walked out of the hut.
Unexpectedly, as soon as I went out, I bumped into Song Junran who also got up early.
"Brother, in a moment—"
Wen Qingci was just about to tell him that he would be needed to take notes during the autopsy.
But before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Song Junran's strange look.
Song Junran's pair of dark grey eyes, like searchlights, shone over Wen Qingci's entire body repeatedly.
After confirming that his junior brother was the same as yesterday, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"I know," Song Junran stretched slowly and said, "I will follow your instructions in a while."
As soon as he finished speaking, the servant from the government office came over from the front yard and said, "Please come this way, the inspector said that everything is ready. I will take you there after you have breakfast."
"Thank you for your help." Wen Qingci nodded slightly.
"No need, no need!" The servant was very enthusiastic. When passing by the black carriages, he did not forget to add: "There are a few more carriages that will arrive in Lianhe tomorrow or the day after tomorrow to deliver more medicinal materials. Oh, by the way... I heard that there is also a doctor with limited mobility who will be accompanying them."
Do you have difficulty walking
Hearing these words, Wen Qingci paused.
The imperial physician this servant is talking about, could it be Yu Guanlin
He values his life so much, would he be snatched away by Xie Bufeng
*
There were people working on the construction site outside the county government office.
Carrying the corpse into the government office openly would definitely arouse suspicion.
So after breakfast, the servant took Wen Qingci to the edge of the wasteland where he had been before.
This was originally a field with a small hut nearby where farm tools were stored.
Xie Bufeng had found a suitable corpse overnight and placed it here.
And he himself had been waiting here alone early in the morning.
The idea of autopsy cannot be accepted by the world.
For this reason, Xie Bufeng did not leave the matter to his subordinates, but did it himself from beginning to end.
He even sent officers and soldiers from Lianhe County to guard far away.
After entering the cabin, Wen Qingci saw a young man in his early twenties lying on the wooden bed. Judging from the clothes he was wearing and the marks on his hands and feet, he should be a prisoner who died in prison.
As expected, noticing that Wen Qingci was observing the corpse, Xie Bufeng explained, "He was a death row prisoner imprisoned in Lianhe Prison. He also contracted leprosy and died yesterday evening."
"Okay." The situation was urgent, and Wen Qingci did not delay any longer. He immediately took out a silver knife and curved tweezers from the medicine box.
After several days of rain, it finally stopped completely this morning.
The sun always rises very early in the summer, and the sunlight shines in through the window, illuminating the entire cabin.
Just before taking action, Wen Qingci suddenly noticed that Song Junran's face looked a little ugly.
The knuckles of the hand that was holding the brush had turned white from the force, and even his entire wrist was trembling slightly.
Although it was covered with gauze, it could be seen from the other party's frown that Song Junran obviously couldn't accept what was about to happen.
This is indeed the case.
As Wen Qingci's senior brother, he had a conflict with Wen Qingci over this matter in his early years.
Although Song Junran was forced to adapt to his junior's style of doing things, it did not mean that he could participate in this matter without any obstacles.
Before taking action, Wen Qingci couldn't help but hesitate and said, "You... why don't I remember it, you take a rest outside for a while."
"It's okay, you don't have to pay attention to me," Song Junran said, although he felt uncomfortable, "This saves time."
Having said that, his tone was clearly different from usual.
Wen Qingci wanted to persuade him further, but before he could open his mouth, Xie Bufeng, who was standing at the other end of the hut, slowly walked over.
He took the stack of unwritten paper on the table and said, "Let me do it." He said lightly.
Although Xie Bufeng is not a doctor, he has been to the battlefield and has seen no less bloody scenes than anyone else.
It is indeed more appropriate to let him record it than Song Junran.
Under the white veil, Song Junran slowly frowned.
He didn't want Xie Bufeng and Wen Qingci to be alone together, but the fact was, he couldn't stop feeling cold in his heart ever since he entered the house.
Although it was not fear, this state certainly did not help Wen Qingci at all.
How to do how to do
Song Junran has never been as conflicted as he is now.
But before Song Junran made up his mind, Wen Qingci spoke up: "Okay, then I'll trouble you, sir."
"No problem."
Xie Bufeng took another pen from the inkstone, as if he had completely ignored Song Junran.
There was no way out. Song Junran, who was completely unable to get involved, could only reluctantly put down the pen in his hand, temporarily retreated and waited outside the house.
When Wen Qingci traveled through time and space into the book, he had already finished all the courses in his sophomore year, studying two courses: Systematic Anatomy and Regional Anatomy.
But he is just a sophomore after all, and his major is Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Wen Qingci spent most of his time in anatomy class "watching" and "listening". He did not have many opportunities to actually do the work, and all of it was done in cooperation with his classmates.
Standing here with a knife and tweezers in his hand, Wen Qingci felt a strong sense of unreality in his heart.
Even my brain went blank for a few seconds.
Can I really shoulder such a huge responsibility
He couldn't help but doubt.
Time waits for no one, and no one here can help him.
Wen Qingci suppressed the uneasiness in his heart, took a deep breath, and while recalling the video courseware and what he had learned in the course, he slowly raised his right hand holding the silver knife.
But unlike what he expected, the next moment, the scene that emerged in Wen Qingci's mind was not the video played in the anatomy class, or the content in the textbook, but a series of vivid memories...
He saw himself holding a silver knife, slowly breaking the patient's flesh and cutting his sternum.
Then, he carefully searched for answers and clues in the body that was still alive not long ago.
Wen Qingci could even recall the moment the silver knife broke through the flesh and the slight resistance under his fingertips.
His left hand, hanging by his side, paused.
The skin of the corpse, which had died not long ago, was still delicate and elastic, completely different from what he had seen in class.
Without having time to think, Wen Qingci's right hand tightly grasped the silver knife and he almost instinctively broke open the corpse's chest.
The strong smell of blood immediately penetrated the veil and white gauze and reached Wen Qingci's nose.
The distribution of organs and muscles, which should have been somewhat unfamiliar, became clear in his mind in an instant.
Wen Qingci was in a daze for a moment, and then he realized that what he saw in his memories should belong to the original owner's memories.
Unlike myself who only talks big but does nothing, the original owner, who has actually lived in this era for more than 20 years, has dissected countless corpses with my own hands and has accumulated rich experience.
Wen Qingci's left hand clenched involuntarily.
His right hand tightly grasped the silver knife and he peeled off the muscles without stopping for a moment.
His movements were very skillful, and seemed to come from the muscle memory of his body.
Wen Qingci was busy and had no time to take care of other things.
He didn't notice that Xie Bufeng, who was standing far behind him, was always staring at his left arm hanging by his side.
The fingers of those who have practiced concealed weapons are very flexible.
Wen Qingci can successfully complete the dissection with just his right hand.
The silver knife in his hand turned into a fluttering butterfly, making it impossible to find its trace.
But the more agile his right hand moved, the more his left arm seemed excessively quiet.
It hung there motionless, like the dead neck of a white crane...
Xie Bufeng's heart ached, as if every knife he cut was rubbing against his heart.
Does Wen Qingci's arm still hurt? Is it true that his left hand will never be able to return to normal
Xie Bufeng wanted to ask, but he didn't dare to.
As time passed, the smell of blood in the room became stronger and stronger.
During the silence, Wen Qingci's movements suddenly slowed down.
He spoke slowly, breaking the silence in the room: "… Both the heart and liver have different degrees of disease."
Xie Bufeng paused for a moment, then immediately wrote down Wen Qingci's words on paper.
Then I heard Wen Qingci say: "… But the organ with the most obvious disease is the kidney."
"The kidneys are edematous and hemorrhagic, and the cortex is pale." The lesions here are very obvious and can be seen with the naked eye.
After he finished speaking, the silver knife in Wen Qingci's hand finally stopped dancing.
When he said this, Wen Qingci had already formed a vague guess in his mind.
He couldn't help but stop and start thinking. At the same time, while observing the appearance of the kidney with the naked eye, he was ready to break open the kidney and carefully examine its internal structure.
At this moment, a sharp sound suddenly came from behind Wen Qingci.
—The sound came from the wall and didn't sound very real.
"What are you doing! Step back—" This was Song Junran's voice.
Then, countless voices with the Lianhe County accent came to Wen Qingci's ears through the thin wall.
"Step aside!"
"Then let's go see what that Songxiufu man is doing!"
“…You are his accomplice!”
Wen Qingci subconsciously looked back, but at the moment he turned around, a silver light suddenly broke through the damaged paper window and came straight towards Wen Qingci.
By the time he saw clearly that it was a sickle, the silver light had already appeared in front of him.
"What kind of doctor is this!"
"It is unjust to damage the corpse—"
In the early morning, the people who brought the corpses to the open space for burial found this place following the strong smell of blood. They peeked out of the window and saw this horrific scene.
He stumbled away from Song Junran and privately called everyone around him over.
Wen Qingci subconsciously raised his hand to block it.
But by the time he reacted, a dark figure had already appeared in front of him.
—Xie Bufeng actually grasped the blade of the sickle with his hand!
The sickle, shining with silver light, pierced his palm.
Scarlet blood flowed along the sickle.
But Xie Bufeng not only did not put it down, he even slowly tightened his grip.
Then, the officers and soldiers guarding in the distance finally heard the unusual noise and rushed over, surrounded the group of people and took them away.
The tall black body completely blocked Wen Qingci behind him.
Completely separate him from the chaotic world outside.
Wen Qingci's breathing became rapid due to nervousness.
Even let out a few gasps.
At this time, Xie Bufeng slowly turned around and put the sickle in his hand aside.
"Are you okay?" A low voice came from Wen Qingci's ear.
He was still in shock, but at this moment he saw the tenderness and concern hidden in those cold amber eyes...
It's like a frozen lake in the dead of winter.
The surface seems hard and cold, but inside it hides a warmth different from winter.
Xie Bufeng's voice makes people feel at ease for some reason.
Although I have long realized that he is different from what he was back then.
But it was not until the moment Xie Bufeng gently put down the sickle that Wen Qingci clearly realized that Xie Bufeng was no longer the boy who knelt alone in the snow and was bullied in Taishu Palace.
He was mature enough to protect himself.
Put yourself behind him.
(End of this chapter)