Maestro de la ambigüedad

Capítulo 40

No one can come back to life, and Nie Chengyan couldn't possibly be unsure whether he was alive or dead. He said he loved her, and that's enough, isn't it? He even traveled all this way to find the Elder of Clouds and Mist to resolve his inner conflict so he could spend his life with her. So what else did she have to think about?

But she couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned all night, feeling extremely depressed, and stayed awake until dawn.

The next day, Feng Ning was shocked to see her haggard appearance. Han Xiao couldn't hold back any longer and told her all about Nie Chengyan and Xie Jingyun's past, as well as her own love story with Nie Chengyan.

"Fengfeng, scold me. I deserve all this overthinking."

"So if I curse you, will you stop overthinking?" Feng Ning's words startled Han Xiao. Feng Ning pouted, "Then I won't curse you, it's a waste of breath." Feng Ning sat on the chair and swung her legs, "Besides, I don't know how to curse people. I'm more effective at being sarcastic. Or I can beat people up."

"Fengfeng." Han Xiao was both amused and exasperated by her.

"Xiaoxiao, don't worry. Lord Nie is such a shrewd man, he knows who is most suitable for him. In the past, he was young and successful, full of vigor and ambition, and his thinking was a bit superficial, so it's natural for him to be distracted by beautiful women. After experiencing hardships, he will naturally know that the one who can help him and share his troubles is the right match for him to spend his life with. Since he took the initiative to provoke you, he must have thought it through. Besides, if Lord Nie is a muddle-headed person, it's not necessarily a bad thing that you have the opportunity to see him clearly this time."

"He won't." Han Xiao subconsciously spoke up for Nie Chengyan.

"Both of you are insecure people," Feng Ning sighed, her words striking a chord with Han Xiao. His intense jealousy and strict control over her stemmed from his fear that she might not value him enough. And she, bound by her status and the oath, didn't even change her form of address—perhaps simply a protective shield for herself? Her concern for the Cloud Mist Elder's words revealed her deep need for reassurance from family and elders. She disbelieved the bizarre story of Xie Jingyun's resurrection, yet remained deeply concerned, suddenly unsure of Nie Chengyan's feelings for her. So this was insecurity!

"Fengfeng, loving someone is harder than learning medicine." Han Xiao leaned on Feng Ning's shoulder, her heart filled with bitterness. Feng Li sat beside her, then suddenly nudged her with his shoulder and asked, "Xiaoxiao, do you think the princess saw a ghost, or has Xie Jingyun really come back to life?"

"The dead cannot be brought back to life."

"So you saw a ghost?"

"Where did this ghost come from?"

"If they can't survive and there are no ghosts, then someone must be playing tricks on them."

Feng Ning's words made Han Xiao sit up straight. She thought about it for a while, then comforted herself, "Perhaps it's just someone who looks similar, a misunderstanding. The princess still harbors resentment towards Xie Jingyun, and since she was on her way to a marriage alliance, it's understandable that she might have misjudged someone due to her inner turmoil." But what if there really was some conspiracy back then? Nie Chengyan had his accident on the way he left with Xie Jingyun, and now she's appearing on the same road Nie Chengyan was supposed to take…

"Fengfeng, what would you do if you were in her shoes?"

"Me? I'll go and check to see if that person is really me." Feng Ning looked at Han Xiao: "But you're not me, so you'd better stay put."

But Han Xiao couldn't stay still any longer. She tried to restrain herself, repeatedly telling herself to stay calm and not act impulsively. The situation was chaotic and unstable; she couldn't run around recklessly and cause trouble for Nie Chengyan. But the more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became. Xie Jingyun was like countless tiny thorns, pricking her heart and causing her unbearable pain, making her unable to eat or sleep.

After enduring three days, she finally suggested that she wanted to go to Xia Kingdom to find Nie Chengyan, but both Feng Ning and He Ziming disagreed. Han Xiao dared not run away on her own, and was extremely sad, hiding in her room to secretly wipe away her tears. Seeing that she was listless and haggard, Feng Ning took her for a walk in the street to cheer her up. Han Xiao had no interest in shopping, but seized the opportunity to persuade Feng Ning to agree to let her go to Xia Kingdom.

The two men were discussing this matter, each holding their own opinion and unable to reach an agreement, when suddenly they saw a crowd gathered in the street. It turned out that the casualties among the soldiers at the front were severe, and the army was recruiting skilled doctors in Gusha City to treat the wounded and sick soldiers.

Han Xiao and Feng Ning stood in the crowd listening for a long time. Due to limited military funds, only three doctors could be recruited this time. Since the Xia army used poison, the doctors not only needed to have good medical skills and be good at healing wounds, but also ideally, they should know how to detoxify and identify poisons, and be proficient in various herbs. Several people had already stepped forward to sign up, and the recruiting officer was testing their medical skills.

Han Xiao heard the crowd discussing how powerful the Xia Kingdom's army was and how many of the Mu family's soldiers had been injured. He felt a pang of anxiety and stepped forward to the recruiter's table, saying, "I am also a doctor, and I am willing to go to the front lines to lend General Mu a hand."

The people around were all stunned. A doctor? A female doctor? A female doctor, and such a young one at that? A doctor who was waiting for the recruitment exam waved Han Xiao away: "Young lady, although there is a salary for practicing medicine in the army, war is no joke. Those wounds are bloody. You should stay at home and read some medical books to treat your headaches and fevers. Don't cause us any trouble."

“Exactly.” Another person chimed in, “What has this young lady seen? She’ll faint at the sight of blood. The soldiers are waiting for treatment to save their lives. We can’t let her get involved.”

Han Xiao had seen too many people who didn't trust her medical skills at first glance, so she wasn't annoyed. She simply replied, "I'm not afraid of blood. I know herbs, I can detoxify, I can heal wounds, and I have no problem with surgery, acupuncture, or bone setting."

"If you have no problem, then do we have a problem? We're only recruiting three this time, and it's a competition. Everyone wants to make money, so this is based on real skills. It's not your turn." Another person chimed in. Another person got impatient and tried to push Han Xiao, but before his hand could touch her, Feng Ning grabbed his wrist and pushed him away.

A guard nearby, seeing someone making a move and fearing trouble, swung his spear, but his hand went numb, and before he knew it, the spear was in Feng Ning's hands. Feng Ning was very displeased, frowning and saying, "What? Is this a bunch of grown men bullying us weak women?"

Bullying? She was clearly the more aggressive one. The group exchanged glances, getting into fighting stances, when someone outside the crowd shouted, "Stop!" The crowd parted to make way, and Cui An hurriedly squeezed through. He bowed to the official in charge of recruitment and said, "Lord Li, this is Miss Han from Baiqiao City. Her medical skills are superb; she once saved my life. My princess and I are willing to vouch for her."

These words caused an uproar. The doctors nearby awkwardly fell silent; it turned out this girl had powerful backers. Han Xiao nodded gratefully to Cui An, then turned to look beyond the crowd. A tall carriage was parked by the roadside, guarded by several soldiers. The curtain was lifted, revealing Princess Ruyi's face. She glanced at Han Xiao, then lowered the curtain again.

Although the recruiting officer had his doubts, seeing the situation, he couldn't say anything. He only said, "On the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes. Although the doctors are treating the wounded in the rear, the environment is not comparable to a medical clinic. The injuries and poisonings are extremely bloody and cruel, and it's probably not suitable for young ladies. Our funds are limited..."

"I don't need the salary," Han Xiao stated before the other could finish speaking.

"This..." The recruiter hesitated. If he recruited a girl to the military camp, she might get in the way and cause serious problems. If the general blamed him, neither Eunuch Cui nor the princess would take the responsibility. The recruiter thought for a moment and then said, "I will only be responsible for assessing the doctors' skills in treating injuries. As for the antidote, another official will be in charge. He will arrive soon, and we will decide after he has assessed everyone's abilities."

Han Xiao nodded and thanked Cui An, saying, "In that case, I will wait. Thank you for your guarantee, Eunuch. I will accompany them whatever they want to take the exam."

Hearing this, Cui An said nothing more, took his leave, and returned to the carriage. Han Xiao looked at the carriage with its entourage, thinking that the princess was about to depart that day. Would she finally be able to marry a good man upon her return? Lost in thought, she suddenly heard a loud cry: "Miss Han!"

Han Xiao turned her head and saw that the person rushing over was none other than Shi Er, whom she hadn't seen for many years. Overjoyed, she replied, "Brother Shi."

The official quickly introduced him to the crowd: "This is Lord Shi. He will test your detoxification skills." Han Xiao chuckled from the side, "Lord Shi..."

Shi Er scratched his head and chuckled, "Since I'm here as a recruiter, I have to call him 'sir,' but really I'm just a laborer." He ignored the others and smiled at Han, "I went to the inn to find you as the general instructed, but I didn't see you there and thought you had left. This time, the Xia army's use of poison is very troublesome. The general sent me to ask you for help, hoping you can come to the army to lend us a hand."

His words were even more surprising than Eunuch Cui's guarantee earlier. The gasps of surprise around him made Han Xiao a little embarrassed, and he quickly nodded in agreement: "That's exactly what I was thinking."

Upon hearing that even the general was asking this young woman for help, the official Li quickly pulled Shi Er aside and asked, "Lord Shi, who exactly is this young woman?"

Shi Er said, "Who is she? She's very famous. The author of the antidote book that Doctor Lu holds in his hands every day is none other than this Miss Han. With her, she's worth more than ten ordinary doctors."

Hearing this from the side, Feng Ning turned her head and looked Han Xiao up and down seriously: "I didn't realize you were a celebrity?"

Han Xiao smiled slightly, but in her heart she thought that even if she couldn't go looking for Nie Chengyan, at least she could still have some serious business to attend to. Her medical skills could finally be put to use. Yanhun Pass was at least closer to Nie Chengyan, wasn't it?

Author's Note: Xiaoxiao is going to the battlefield. Since Xiaoxiao is going, Feng Ning will naturally go too. That young General Mu has gained two powerful allies for free.

Green Snow Reappears

The swirling sands obscure the sky, the deadly smoke hangs over the pass.

This was how the local people described the perilous state of Yanhun Pass. Han Xiao had imagined the vast, billowing sand and smoke that must have filled the sky, but after traveling for nearly three days and finally arriving at Yanhun Pass, she was somewhat surprised. The military town, though simple and not as bustling as ordinary residential towns, looked like a normal city, without the usual scene of endless yellow sand. Shi Er had told her that those deadly sandstorms could only be seen at the frontline checkpoints ten miles away.

However, Han Xiao wasn't particularly interested in the sandstorm that obscured the sky. Besides, she was there to treat the wounded soldiers and save their lives, to do something practical. After entering the city, the carriage drove to the large courtyard where the wounded were treated. The doctors' quarters were right next to the courtyard, making it convenient for them to receive treatment nearby.

As soon as Han Xiao and the others jumped out of the car, they saw a group of people rushing towards them, carrying many injured people into the yard. Han Xiao noticed from afar that several of the injured looked unwell, so he didn't even bother to put down his luggage, grabbed his medical kit, and rushed over.

"Make way, don't block the way, we're in a hurry to save a life!" the two soldiers carrying the wounded shouted, hurriedly pushing Han Xiao aside. Han Xiao didn't have time to argue with them, and followed them as they ran, keeping an eye on the wounded man's tongue and eyes.

They quickly arrived at the courtyard, where a large number of people were already lying down. Shi Er and the others rushed over and told Han Xiao, "Everyone here has been poisoned. The houses on the east side have external injuries, and the houses on the south side have critically ill patients on the verge of death..."

"What medicine did you give them?" Han Xiao walked over and examined each of the poisoned soldiers one by one.

Shi Er rattled off a list of medicines, then pointed to a large cauldron set up beside the field, saying, "The Xia army is using the wind to burn poisonous smoke, and it seems they've also sprinkled poisonous powder. Many of our soldiers have been poisoned, and we don't yet know what kind of poison it is. We've changed the medicine to Sanmei, and it seems there's been some improvement. At least no one has died in the last two days, but there's still no sign of recovery; the poisoning symptoms persist." A doctor surnamed Fang, who was accompanying the army, nodded vigorously, clearly having reported this to Shi Er as soon as he returned.

Have you ever been poisoned by this?

Shi Er nodded: "I went with them the first time, but I felt a little unwell but then I was fine. I guess I took too much medicine back then, and the toxicity wasn't strong enough to harm me."

Han Xiao took his pulse and thought for a while. She then examined the poisoned soldiers and asked about their symptoms in detail. The doctor next to her said, "Even if these poisons don't kill them, the soldiers will be weak and powerless, and they won't be able to fight anymore." Han Xiao nodded and finally understood why Mu Yuan was so anxious to send someone to find her.

"If there are external wounds, will the wounds heal poorly after being poisoned by this poison?"

"Exactly."

"Infrequent excretion, loss of appetite, thirst, nausea, chest tightness, drowsiness, irritability..." Han Xiao seemed to be talking to herself. Doctor Fang was suspicious. Hadn't he just told her all of this? She kept repeating it, but there was still no explanation.

"Brother Shi, were you also thirsty after you were poisoned?"

“Yes, I drank a lot of water, but the poison doesn’t work on me, so I’m fine,” Shi Er explained again. Doctor Fang, standing to the side, felt he had little faith in Han Xiao. Why wasn’t he asking other poisoned people, instead focusing on Shi Er, who couldn’t be poisoned?

The other three doctors from Gusha City seemed much more reliable. They were already discussing whether the licorice and mung beans in the antidote should be replaced, or perhaps honeysuckle and reed rhizome could be added. Doctor Fang thought for a moment, then decided not to follow Han Xiao any further and went to discuss the matter with the other three doctors.

After Han Xiao had been wandering around for a while and examined several poisoned soldiers, he suddenly said to Shi Er, "Stop giving them medicine. Boil water, add salt and sugar, and make them drink it. Set up a cloth shed, boil water, and use the steam to make them sweat."

Shi Er was surprised, but trusting Han Xiao, he quickly gave the order to carry it out. Doctor Fang, however, was greatly alarmed and pulled Shi Er aside, saying, "Lord Shi, this is unacceptable! I've never heard of a prescription that says poisoning can be cured by drinking salt water and sugar water instead of medicine. This is wartime, the battle at the front is critical, and the safety of our soldiers is no joke." The other doctors also condemned this absurd method of detoxification.

Some of the doctors who were treating the soldiers inside also came out. Hearing this, they disagreed as well. Seeing that none of the doctors thought the method was feasible, the soldiers naturally refused to carry it out. Who knew where this girl came from, daring to give the poisoned people only water instead of medicine? That wouldn't do!

Shi Er alone couldn't command so many people, as lives were at stake. He could only explain, "This Miss Han is from Cloud Mist Mountain..." Cloud Mist Mountain what? Shi Er was momentarily speechless. He said she was a divine physician, but she was merely a servant; he said she was an apprentice of the Cloud Mist Elder, but she hadn't formally become his disciple. Shi Er's hesitation only fueled their suspicions, and whispers arose around him. Shi Er quickly said, "Miss Han learned her medical skills in Hundred Bridges City and Cloud Mist Mountain, and she even wrote a book on antidotes. Her methods are reliable. These poisons have been treated with three different prescriptions without success. The situation is urgent; perhaps Miss Han should give it a try."

Doctor Fang said, "The antidote manual is indeed a good book. The antidotes for the three prescriptions that Doctor Lu and I discussed were derived from this book. But to be able to detoxify simply by drinking water is unheard of. Even in the antidote manual, Miss Han herself did not record it." He spoke politely, but in fact, he had deep doubts about the fact that the antidote manual was written by this young girl. How could such a profound medical book be written by a young man?

"The antidote books were compiled by Han Xiao based on the medical theories and prescriptions of his predecessors, plus cases he had seen and treated. Because he had never encountered this type of poison before, he did not record the method of taking water to detoxify. The three antidote prescriptions given by the doctors were all correct, but the poisoning did not improve, which shows that they were not the right treatment. Most antidote prescriptions promote the elimination of toxins, but these soldiers were blocked and could not expel the toxins, so naturally they were not doing well. Moreover, the antidote itself was poisonous, and their pulse and symptoms showed that they were carrying the poison from the antidote. It is clear that the poisoning on the battlefield not only did not improve the condition, but also catalyzed the toxicity of the antidote they had taken. Therefore, Han Xiao suggested that they stop taking medicine and only drink water and take steam baths to expel the toxins."

Han Xiao's words were logical and his theory made sense, but the doctors had never heard of such a thing. The poison couldn't be neutralized by medicine; instead, it seemed to catalyze the toxicity of the medicine, making it even more poisonous? What a strange situation! The doctors pondered, carefully recalling the symptoms of the poisoned individuals, and taking the pulses of several people. This time, they remained silent, neither opposing nor supporting, because they too were unsure and couldn't determine whether it was right or wrong.

"Perhaps we should wait until Doctor Lu returns before making a decision," a doctor suggested.

“Doctor Lu has gone to Qingshan Valley and won’t be back for a while.” Shi Er once again vouched for Han Xiao: “I’m an old acquaintance of Miss Han. Her medical methods are always bold, but they are very effective. Years ago, I was bitten by a bunch of snakes and almost died. It was Miss Han who saved me by pricking my heart with acupuncture. Since this poisoning is so illogical, let’s try Miss Han’s illogical method.”

The crowd exchanged glances, ultimately daring not to say anything. Since no one objected, the matter was settled. Shi Er quickly ordered preparations to be made, boiling water as Han Xiao had requested, adding salt and sugar, and then force-feeding it to all the poisoned soldiers. The large cloth tent was quickly erected, with water boiled in the four corners inside, generating strong steam. Han Xiao instructed everyone to bring in several soldiers in rotation to sweat it out. She carefully observed their reactions, took their pulses, and recorded their symptoms.

Two days have passed, and the poisoned soldiers are still not fully recovered. Although their symptoms have lessened, the poison has not been eliminated, and the doctors' doubts remain. They pulled Shi Er aside to discuss whether they should switch back to the original antidote prescription, otherwise they might not be able to explain it when the general returns. Shi Er, however, said, "The original antidote prescription didn't work either, did it? It's only been two days, and we can't draw any conclusions yet."

Han Xiao knew that the doctors lacked confidence in her method, and she also knew that they were all talking privately about how they would sue her and clear their names when General Mu returned. She was anxious and nervous, but she firmly believed that her method was correct. However, this method of diagnosis was too slow. With so many people poisoned, such a slow recovery would likely have a huge impact on the war effort and would be a hindrance.

At this critical juncture, Feng Ning gave Han Xiao a lot of encouragement. She said, "If you're afraid of getting hurt, you won't be able to practice martial arts well. If you're worried about not being able to heal, you won't be able to be a good doctor. Just go ahead and do it boldly. If you get into trouble in the end, Brother He and I will protect you. What can they do to us?"

Han Xiao chuckled. This Feng Ning was even bolder than her, but it was true that having her by her side gave her a sense of support and reliance. With nothing else to do, Feng Ning offered Han Xiao a suggestion: "Didn't you say it would be fine once it's expelled? Then why not add some croton oil and let them poop it out comfortably?"

"Croton is poisonous and cannot be used. For their symptoms, it's best to avoid medication." That's the troublesome part about this poison.

"This Xia Kingdom is quite formidable, possessing such bizarre poisons. It's easy to administer, the symptoms are troublesome, and it can even wear down an army."

"I'm afraid they have a master." For some reason, Han Xiao thought of Chi Yanxing, who was driven to the desert by the Cloud Mist Elder. Green Snow and Green Frost were like two divine doctors competing from afar. Now, this strange tobacco poison made her feel like she was also competing from afar.

On the third day, Han Xiao made an even bolder decision than not taking the medicine at all. She announced that simply steaming the person wouldn't work; she would place them directly in a large wooden tub and suffocate them over a low flame. This caused another uproar among the doctors. What kind of detoxification method was this?

Fortunately, two of the poisoned soldiers had a good relationship with Shi Er, and after two days of treatment by Han Xiao, they felt slightly better than before, so they volunteered to try it first. Han Xiao instructed them on the temperature and time control, and had someone press several acupoints on them while they were soaking in the water. The two soldiers soaked for half an hour, but they couldn't hold on any longer. Han Xiao looked at their condition and was about to let them out. They had no reaction to the treatment this time, which disappointed her. But before she could speak, one of the soldiers suddenly cried out and defecated a large amount of filth in the water.

Han Xiao was overjoyed; this was exactly what she wanted. She instructed that the soldier be given a bucket of warm water to cleanse himself and rest. After taking his pulse, she gave him a dose of medicine. After the soldier finished defecating, he was completely exhausted. He drank the medicine and fell asleep. When he woke up, he was completely recovered.

Another soldier was not cured the first time, so Han Xiao let him rest for a day and continue to drink water and sweat. The next day, he was put in the tub again for acupressure. This time, it only took a quarter of an hour, and he also expelled a bunch of foul-smelling filth. Just like the previous poisoned person, he took a dose of medicine and slept for a while before he was cured.

Han Xiao's strange method actually cured the poisoning, and the news spread throughout the city. The original doctors could no longer say anything, and Shi Er organized people to continue building cloth tents and making wooden barrels so that all the poisoned soldiers could use this method to treat the poison. At this time, Han Xiao changed his focus and began to study methods to prevent the poison.

On this day, Mu Yuan, who had led his troops on patrol, finally returned. It turned out that Qingshan Valley had been besieged, so Mu Yuan led his men to patrol there to investigate and help the army break through the siege. Unfortunately, they returned empty-handed and wounded.

Upon hearing this, Han Xiao went to visit Mu Yuan. He was taking off his shirt while a guard changed the dressing on his wound. When Han Xiao arrived, she naturally took over. The guard took a basin of water and went out. Han Xiao bent down and gently bandaged Mu Yuan's wound. She was close by, and a few strands of her hair lightly brushed against Mu Yuan's arm.

Mu Yuan blushed for no reason, and coughed lightly to try to remain calm. After Han Xiao finished bandaging him, he quickly pulled up his robe and put it on. Han Xiao did not notice anything amiss. Seeing that he was having difficulty using one hand, she naturally helped him pull up his clothes and then turned around to pour him a cup of hot water.

Mu Yuan secretly stared at her, but when she turned around, he lowered his eyes to avoid her gaze.

The room was quiet, with only the soft sounds of Han Xiao tidying up the medicines and cloths. Mu Yuan held the water glass Han Xiao handed him in one hand, watching her busy figure, and couldn't help but say, "Those can be left; someone will come to clean them up later."

Han Xiao was taken aback, finally realizing she had been too self-motivated, habitually tidying up the house, and couldn't help but smile and apologize. She pulled up a chair and sat down, but the two of them ended up having almost nothing to say to each other.

Mu Yuan cleared his throat, thought for a moment, and tried his best to find a topic. First, he thanked Han Xiao for her help, and then said that he had heard that she had cured the poison with her miraculous skills. Han Xiao humbly agreed and asked about the method of poisoning in Xia Country. She was interested in the person who developed the poison. Unfortunately, Mu Yuan only knew that the most famous person in Xia Country was Mr. Qishan, but he could not be sure if he was the one who made the poison.

"Mr. Qishan?" Han Xiao recalled that Nie Chengyan had gone to find the Cloud Mist Elder, also because of this Mr. Qishan. Mu Yuan fell silent upon hearing Nie Chengyan's name.

"General Mu, if you come from the Xia Kingdom, will you definitely pass through this place?"

“Most people travel along the trade routes, and the post station isn’t far from this city.” Seeing Han Xiao deep in thought, he couldn’t help but say, “We have troops stationed at the post station. If there’s any news about Lord Nie, we’ll know immediately. Don’t worry, I’ll tell them to keep an eye out.”

Han Xiao felt a little embarrassed that his thoughts had been seen through. He thanked him and said to Mu Yuan, "General, your injuries are quite serious. It would be best if you could rest for a few days."

Hearing her gentle voice, Mu Yuan's heart stirred, and he finally asked, "Miss Han and City Lord Nie, are you engaged?"

Han smiled slightly, her face flushed: "I've made up my mind to stay with him for the rest of my life."

Mu Yuan was somewhat stunned. Although he had guessed it, he still felt like he had been hit hard. He stood there for a moment before replying, "That's good. It's good to have someone you can stay with for a lifetime."