Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen: Zhang Ke Da

As Wu Qing was sending Chen Xie to the Quancheng train station, Chen Xie suddenly turned back and asked, "Can you make a rifled flintlock gun?" Wu Qing was stunned for a few seconds, her mouth opening and closing without a sound. Finally, she calmly countered, "How many do you need?"

"That's not your concern. First, make a sample. When this order is delivered, I want to see the sample," Chen Xie replied bluntly, but Wu Qing didn't mind. As long as someone was willing to pay for her products and ensure her profit, a little rudeness was nothing.

"There's one thing I need to clarify. If it's not mass-produced, the price of the flintlock gun might be quite high," Wu Qing said, trying to sound considerate. Unexpectedly, Chen Xie responded in the tone of a typical wastrel, "You need to understand one thing: money is never an issue for me, anytime."

Only someone who didn't know Chen Xie, like Wu Qing, would believe that. If his courier colleagues heard this, they would laugh it off as a joke.

Without a doubt, this statement had a good effect. Wu Qing nodded, "I understand. I'll make sure you're satisfied."

Watching Chen Xie get into the car, Wu Qing took a deep breath. Life was indeed full of surprises. A casual phone call, a seemingly frivolous young man, had actually changed her fate. Five hundred crossbows—this was more than her sales for the past year, with a hundred to spare. Wu Qing couldn't make flintlock guns, let alone rifled ones. But in a certain enthusiast group she frequented, there was a guy who ran a small machine shop and could make them. He was even an expert, often showing off his work in the group.

Wu Qing thought that contacting him might bring in another big deal. As for why Chen Xie was buying crossbows and flintlock guns, that wasn't her concern. One thing was certain: even with a flintlock gun, Chen Xie couldn't possibly start a rebellion. Since it wasn't a rebellion, there was no need to worry.

"Based on her breathing and iris reaction, the woman was lying. She can't make a flintlock gun, let alone a rifled one," the synthetic beauty calmly concluded. Chen Xie shrugged indifferently, "I know she can't, but she should know someone who can. I don't think this violates the time travel rules."

The synthetic beauty briefly froze, then calmly said after a few seconds, "You're right, but I must remind you that you don't have much money left. You still need to buy armor for your troops. According to the time travel rules, you also need to pay me for energy consumption."

This timely reminder effectively dampened Chen Xie's arrogance. In less than half a month, he had spent a large portion of his ten million, leaving only about 3.5 million on his card.

"How much?" Chen Xie tried to sound wealthy, but he asked in a hesitant, low voice when faced with the synthetic beauty's emotionless gaze. The answer was like a bolt from the blue: "Not much, three million."

"What?..."

...

When Chen Xie stood at the gate of Dengzhou City again, he no longer needed a travel permit. As soon as he arrived at the gate, the guard shouted, "Miracle Doctor, Miracle Doctor!"

Chen Xie, in a bad mood, glared fiercely, scaring the guard into lowering his voice.

Anyone would be in a bad mood after losing three million, especially someone who was a poor nobody a month ago. The synthetic beauty's explanation was straightforward: three million was used to buy energy, though it was unclear where to buy it. Thinking about losing three million for each trip, Chen Xie felt his heart break.

"What's the matter? Shouting so loudly?" Fortunately, Chen Xie hadn't lost control and asked.

"The general ordered that as soon as you return, we should inform him immediately. Here, let me carry your bag for you," the guard offered. Chen Xie, not wanting to take out his frustration on others, waved his hand, "You can't carry it. I'm going to Huichun Hall first, then directly to the Zhang residence."

After being away for a while, Chen Xie was genuinely worried about some patients. He walked quickly, and when he reached the door of Huichun Hall, Liu Gaoming and Yu Lian were already waiting, respectfully greeting him, "Welcome back, Miracle Doctor (Master)."

"Alright, if there's nothing else, go back to work. No difficult cases recently, right?" Chen Xie asked as usual. Liu Gaoming stepped forward, "Miracle Doctor, the young daughter of General Zhang has a bad stomach. She hasn't improved after several doses of medicine. It's been over a day, and the soldiers from the general's office have asked multiple times, waiting for you to save her."

"You couldn't cure her?" Chen Xie was a bit puzzled. Liu Gaoming bowed apologetically, "I'm not skilled enough, I've disgraced the Miracle Doctor." Without even putting down his bag, Chen Xie turned and said, "Yu Lian, lead the way. Saving a life is like putting out a fire, especially for a child. We can't afford to waste a moment."

The onlookers praised Chen Xie's benevolence and skill, watching him and Yu Lian leave. Chen Xie's attire was easily recognizable. Not far from the hall, a sedan chair rushed towards them. The guard at the gate shouted, "Miracle Doctor, please get in the chair." Chen Xie waved his hand, "Walking is faster than sitting in a chair. I don't have time to waste. Lead the way quickly."

Chen Xie walked extremely fast, perhaps a benefit of time travel. He was swift and felt no fatigue. The guard had to jog to keep up, and Yu Lian, who was about ten meters behind, was also running to catch up. Dengzhou City wasn't large, and they reached the general's residence in less than 300 meters.

General Zhang Ke Da was waiting at the entrance of the official residence, bowing from a distance, "Miracle Doctor, thank you for coming."

The general's residence was next to the governor's office. The former Dengzhou garrison headquarters had been taken over by the governor, so the general had to settle for a smaller space nearby.

"No time for formalities, take me to the patient," Zhang Ke Da, though a bit taken aback by this style, led the way to the back courtyard. When Chen Xie and Yu Lian arrived, they saw a young, delicate woman waiting anxiously. Chen Xie realized this was Zhang Ke Da's concubine. The child was likely hers, as Ming officials could not bring their wives when serving away from home but could bring concubines.

"Welcome, Miracle Doctor!" the woman greeted. Chen Xie waved his hand impatiently, "No need for formalities, let's see the patient."

The little girl was about five or six years old, sick for two days, her face pale, and her eyes lifeless. This was a serious condition, showing signs of dehydration.

"Yu Lian, remember, patients with prolonged diarrhea are prone to dehydration. Intravenous fluid replacement is a common treatment, along with some anti-diarrheal medication, which can effectively alleviate the condition and buy time to identify the cause and provide targeted treatment."

Chen Xie was first training Yu Lian to be a competent nurse before considering further advancement. Yu Lian was a diligent student, practicing intravenous fluid administration on patients at Huichun Hall. "Bromopropamine..." Chen Xie listed the medications, and Yu Lian quickly recorded them, then prepared the medication under Chen Xie's guidance. Seeing no major issues, Chen Xie nodded.

Yu Lian was now proficient in preparing and administering intravenous fluids, but he had no medication and no authority to prescribe it. This was different from the ancient scholars, who, after reading a few medical books, thought they were experts and recklessly prescribed treatments, often with fatal consequences.

Until Yu Lian was more capable, Chen Xie wouldn't give him any medication. During the infusion, the little girl lay still, likely too weak to move, her eyes blankly staring. Chen Xie quickly asked the mother and observed the child's excrement with Yu Lian, considering the food she had eaten before falling ill. He concluded that food poisoning was likely the cause. "Some foods, if left for too long, can spoil, producing toxins. Eating these foods can cause diarrhea. Also, children touch many things and can pick up toxins, which can lead to diarrhea if they don't wash their hands before eating."

Chen Xie's explanation wasn't easy to understand, but Yu Lian, being diligent, noted it down and would study it later. Incidentally, Yu Lian had become very skilled at writing with a carbon pen, and his handwriting was even better than Chen Xie's.

Following Chen Xie's diagnosis, they prepared more medication, and Yu Lian took over the treatment. Chen Xie came out and said to Zhang Ke Da and the concubine waiting behind the screen, "We arrived in time, and we should be able to save her. The child is young and shouldn't eat indiscriminately, especially raw or cold foods. From now on, everyone, whether adult or child, must wash their hands before and after meals and never drink unboiled water. Even if you're dying of thirst, boil the water first. As the saying goes, 'Disease enters through the mouth.'"

While speaking, Chen Xie observed Zhang Ke Da, who was dressed casually and had a noticeable belly. His recent study of Ming history told him that Zhang Ke Da died in the battle of Dengzhou when Kong Youde broke through the city. Historically, Zhang Ke Da, as a general, played a minor role. He was loyal but lacked ability. The same fate befell the guerrilla leader Chen Liangmo, who was killed by the rebels, and Zhang Yao, who was hacked to death while throwing stones at the invaders.

The corruption of the Ming army was no secret. Relying on these troops to protect the Ming dynasty seemed unrealistic to Chen Xie. Looking at Zhang Ke Da's belly, he didn't seem like a general capable of leading troops into battle. He probably embezzled a lot of funds, and having a few dozen capable soldiers would make him a decent general.

Of course, compared to those who fled, Zhang Ke Da's death in battle against the rebels was commendable. But that was all. As a soldier, failing to protect the country was the greatest disgrace.