Chapter 330
Chapter 330
But no matter how grief-stricken and despairing Zhang Shun was, it was all for naught. Zhang Chong had long since lost consciousness, his temperature soaring to an alarming degree, and his entire body had turned a jaundiced yellow. His gaunt frame trembled ceaselessly. Zhang Shun now did nothing but kneel by the bed, motionless, tightly gripping his father's withered hand. He was simply waiting for the final moment to arrive, for his world to collapse.
Zhang Shun’s wife and two children wept silently in the room. His two sons, one five and the other three, were still young. They didn't even understand what death was, yet they could still feel the sorrow, despair, and fear. Zhang Chong held a rather high position in Nujiang Prefecture. After all, he had served as the Prefect, a regional governor. In contrast, Zhang Shun was merely a sixth-rank censor with a very low salary, so the household only had one old male servant and two old maids.
The entire Zhang family watched the dying Zhang Chong, feeling an overwhelming sense of misery. Because the King had yet to clear Zhang Chong's name, not a single official had come to visit. Zhu Rong cared for Zhang Chong, but as the Grand Governor of Tiannan Province, he spent most of his time away from the capital. Thus, as Zhang Chong neared death, not a single person came to see him off.
Zhang Shun stopped crying, holding his father's hand tightly as he waited in silence. His younger sister, Zhang Chunhua, would not make it in time, and his older brother was on the battlefield in the Southern Ou Kingdom, so he wouldn't be able to make it for the final moments either. He alone was seeing his father off on his final journey. Just then, the old servant's voice echoed from outside.
"Young Master, Shen Lang and Prince Ning Zheng are here to visit."
Zhang Shun was startled, finding it hard to believe. The one who had come to see his father, Zhang Chong, off was his greatest adversary? He stood, wiped his tears, and went outside, bowing in greeting.
"Greetings, Your Highness, the Fifth Prince. Greetings, Brother Shen..."
Even in such a sorrowful situation, Zhang Shun performed his courtesies without the slightest neglect. Shen Lang had not come alone; he was accompanied by Shen Thirteen, Huang Feng, and others, who carried a large chest on their backs. Shen Lang said:
"There's no time to explain. Brother Zhang Shun, I just heard that Lord Zhang is suffering from an intestinal abscess, and I rushed here to treat him."
Zhang Shun froze, trembling as he stared at Shen Lang.
"Brother Shen, an intestinal abscess is an incurable disease. Can you treat it?"
Shen Lang nodded.
"I need to see his condition first."
In modern society, an intestinal abscess was appendicitis. Acute intestinal abscess was acute appendicitis, and without timely surgery, it could lead to various complications and become life-threatening. Fortunately, the surgery wasn't difficult; even a Class II hospital in any county-level city could perform it. But just because it wasn't difficult didn't mean it was a minor surgery. It required opening the abdomen to remove the inflamed appendix, and if other complications arose, they would be accompanied by severe inflammation, requiring further related treatment. Yet, in this world without antibiotics, any infection during such a surgery would be a death sentence.
When Shen Lang entered the room, Zhang Chong was almost unrecognizable. He had been thin before, but now he was nothing but skin and bones. His partially white hair had turned almost entirely silver. Zhang Chong was a scholar, but his martial arts skills were respectable, and he always carried himself with a ramrod-straight posture. Now, he was curled up like a shrimp, looking as if he had shrunk by a head.
Shen Lang sighed inwardly. The King was truly a harsh man. Not even the death of Zhang Jin or the defeat at Raging Tide City had managed to break Zhang Chong's spirit. Yet, in just a few months, mental anguish had withered him into this state. Shen Lang quickly activated his X-ray vision to examine Zhang Chong's abdomen. It was acute appendicitis, and the affected area was swollen beyond belief, but the more serious issue was the various complications. He reached out and touched Zhang Chong's forehead; it was boiling hot, clearly a fever of over forty degrees Celsius. Acute appendicitis usually doesn't cause a high fever; if it does, it means complications have set in.
"Lord Zhang has been ill for several days. Those wicked officials at the Court of Judicial Review are damnable. How dare they hide his illness for days without reporting it. Now his condition is critical, and there's no hope for a full recovery."
Hearing Shen Lang's words, Zhang Shun's dried eyes once again filled with tears.
"Even I am not confident I can cure him now. The chance of successful treatment is only about thirty percent, perhaps not even that."
Zhang Shun was stunned.
'A thirty percent chance? Right now, I would be moved to tears by even a ten percent chance, and he says thirty?'
Anyone else would never have believed Shen Lang, but Zhang Shun did. This man was his father's greatest enemy, and while he might seem to speak nonsense, Shen Lang never made empty promises. Everything he said came true. Zhang Shun quickly knelt and kowtowed.
"Whether you can save my father or not, Brother Shen, I, Zhang Shun, will be eternally grateful for your boundless grace and will never forget it for the rest of my life. If you have any orders for me in the future, I will not hesitate. I will go through fire and water, and I will give it my all without so much as a frown."
"There's no need for that, Brother Zhang. I will certainly do my best! Now, Feng, boil the water. Thirteen, light the candles. The more, the better. And set up the mirrors."
Shen Thirteen, Huang Feng, and the warriors from the Jin Clan moved as one, beginning to set up a rudimentary operating table. Lacking latex gloves, they used gloves made from a special animal hide. They were so thin they were nearly transparent, yet remarkably elastic. Dozens of large candles were lit throughout the room, and mirrors were positioned to reflect light onto Zhang Chong's abdomen. Huang Feng quickly boiled water and brewed various medicinal herbs to create a potent anesthetic. After the medicine cooled slightly, Shen Thirteen poured it into Zhang Chong's mouth. A moment later, the trembling Zhang Chong gradually grew still. Next, he was given various Chinese medicinal herbs for inflammation. After all was done, Shen Lang took a sharp scalpel, made a light incision to open Zhang Chong's abdomen, and began the surgery.
This was his first true surgery since coming to this world. His previous procedures on Qiu Yao'er and Ning Yan had involved using his inner energy, so they couldn't be called true surgeries. It had been a lifetime since Shen Lang had played the role of a doctor, but in less than a minute, he became supremely skilled once more. With his X-ray vision, he could immediately locate the inflamed appendix.
The surgical process was masterful. In his previous life, Shen Lang had been a renowned doctor, and he had performed countless appendectomies. Such a surgery was so easy for him he could do it with his eyes closed. Shen Lang found the festering, red, and swollen appendix and excised it with a single cut. Cutting the appendix was easy; the key was to check for and treat any other complications. If diffuse peritonitis or sepsis had set in, even Shen Lang would be helpless.
Shen Lang proceeded with the surgery, tense yet methodical. Outside, Zhang Shun knelt before his ancestral tablets. His wife, two children, and the old servant all knelt there, praying. Zhang Jin's memorial tablet was there as well.
"Ancestors, please protect Father and help him through this ordeal. Third Brother, you must watch over Father from the heavens. If you can save him, I, Zhang Shun, am willing to give up thirty years of my life, no! I will offer my own life in his place!"
Time ticked by.
***
King Ning Yuanxian had not slept, waiting for the moment Zhang Chong would breathe his last. He had already prepared an edict for Zhang Chong. It would not only clear his name but also grant him posthumous honors. As soon as word of Zhang Chong's death arrived, he would immediately send the prepared edict and promote Zhang Shun by one rank.
The King asked.
"Have any officials gone to see Zhang Chong?"
Li Jun replied.
"None, Your Majesty."
"How can people be so heartless?"
The King sighed and then silently picked up a book to read. But his mind was too restless to focus on anything.
A short while later, Grand Eunuch Li Jun reported.
"Your Majesty, Shen Lang has gone to see Zhang Chong."
The King was surprised, then let out an audible sigh of admiration.
'As expected of Shen Lang, he is a meticulous man. And a warm-hearted one at that.'
***
About two hours later.
Shen Lang sutured the incision in Zhang Chong's abdomen, layer by layer, completing the surgery. He removed his gloves, washed his hands with warm water, and walked outside. Zhang Shun, who had been kneeling on the floor, looked up at Shen Lang with a start.
"I have done all I can. The rest is up to Lord Zhang and his own fate."
It was true. The appendix was gone, but whether Zhang Chong would survive was uncertain. For him to live, he first had to wake up within a short time, and second, his high fever had to break. This was because the threat to his life now was not the appendix but the other complications. Although Shen Lang had taken measures to disinfect everything, the major surgery had left a large wound, and the risk of bacterial infection was extremely high. Now, everything was left to fate. Shen Lang could only use all the fever-reducing and anti-inflammatory Chinese medicines at his disposal. There was nothing in this world that could serve as an antibiotic.
***
Inside Xu Qianqian's residence.
The businesswoman Xu Qianqian was utterly exhausted. It truly hadn't been easy. The first season's spring silkworms had finally been harvested, and countless cocoons now filled the warehouses. All that remained was to weave them into silk and sell it. The Xu Clan's workshop had been burned down by what seemed like heavenly punishment that day, but Lin Mo's workshop was still intact. However, with the entire Lin Clan dead, their workshop had been repossessed by the state.
With the help of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, Xu Qianqian had bought the Lin Clan's workshop at a reasonable price. She was now heavily in debt, but she had more or less made a comeback. Once she produced the silk, she wouldn't even have to go out and sell it herself or worry about sales; the Heavenly Dao Society would buy everything she had. After acquiring the glass mirrors, the Heavenly Dao Society had been constantly fighting back in the east-west trade, reclaiming their trade routes one by one. She finally understood the saying that it was easier to work when backed by a powerful force.
'I'm dead tired, so tired!'
Xu Qianqian nearly fell asleep leaning against the bathtub. Then, she shuddered violently and woke up. She couldn't tell if the dream she just had was a good one or a nightmare. In the dream, Shen Lang had teased her again. That, of course, was nothing, but the crucial part was what he had said with a look of disgust after teasing her.
'Xu Qianqian, why do you smell like fish?'
'You scoundrel! You villain!'
Last time, while trying to escape the pirates, she hadn't been able to bathe in time, leading Shen Lang to comment that she smelled like a dead fish. Even now, those words echoed in her mind, haunting her dreams. So, whenever she had time, she would bathe. Even though she had no lover to cast her aside for smelling bad.
After her bath, she applied fragrant rose oil, changed into a comfortable silk nightgown, and slipped under the soft covers. Her busy days felt very fulfilling, but also very empty. She tried not to think of Shen Lang, and whenever he popped into her head, she would immediately switch to another thought. She thought of Qiu Yao'er.
'If I hadn't gone home to rebuild my family back then, if I had gone with Qiu Yao'er, what would my life be like? I'd be exploring an unknown, mysterious world; it would be a beautiful time. How is Qiu Yao'er doing? Is the baby in her belly growing well? When will I have a child? Perhaps not in this lifetime?'
As she thought this, Xu Qianqian drifted into a drowsy sleep. She didn't know how much time had passed when she suddenly shuddered again and her eyes flew open. This time, it wasn't because she had seen Shen Lang in her dream, but because she had sensed mortal danger.