Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 359 Hua Tuo: We need to cut open their skulls!

Upon seeing the ten thousand cavalry charging towards him, Duan Wei was terrified and hurriedly went up to the platform to call out to them.

"Fire arrows! Fire arrows! Fire arrows!!!"

In an instant, a volley of arrows was unleashed, raining down like a storm.

However, the arrows fired at those iron-platform-like heavy armor were hardly capable of causing any real damage and were blocked by the Wei army's armor.

Only with good luck can an arrow hit the leather connecting the two iron plates and penetrate it.

However, with the protection of leather, even though the arrowheads could cause damage, many were not very effective.

Some of the unlucky Wei soldiers, with arrows stuck in their flanks and iron plate armor blocking their way, continued their charge towards the camp as if nothing had happened, making their momentum even more terrifying.

The Wei army, braving the volley of arrows, swept through the enemy with unstoppable force, charging straight in.

The leader of the ten thousand cavalry was Yan Liang. He glared at them coldly and shouted:
"With General Yan Liang of Hebei here, who dares to stand in my way?"

No sooner said than done, he reversed his broadsword and charged straight into the enemy camp.

The Wei army's iron cavalry swept in like a torrent, protecting him as they broke through the camp, while Yan Liang's gaze swept across the area and he headed straight for Duan Wei.

At that time, Duan Wei saw that the volley of arrows had little effect, while the Wei army was already close to the camp. Inside the camp, soldiers were being deployed with shields and chevaux-de-frise to block the Wei cavalry from charging into the camp.

Little did he expect that Yan Liang, clad in embroidered robes and golden armor, would leap forward from the front of the battle line, suddenly raising his large sword with the force of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, and even lifting the barricades blocking his way.

Immediately, Yan Liang led his cavalry to charge through the gap. Seeing Yan Liang's bravery, Duan Wei's generals dared not stop him.
Seeing him lead his heavily armored cavalry, impervious to swords and spears, charging forward, they immediately crumbled like waves crashing together. Yan Liang then went straight for Duan Wei's head, shouting:
"The enemy general has been beheaded!"

Duan Weifang was about to draw his weapon to fight back when he was shocked to see that Yan Liang, in conjunction with his heavily armored cavalry, was so incredibly brave that he was far beyond his ability to defeat.

Temporarily abandoning his fighting spirit, he turned his horse around and fled!
When Duan Wei's soldiers saw their commander flee in the face of battle, they lost all will to fight. They all scrambled to escape, and the camp was thrown into chaos.

Yan Liang led his heavy cavalry regiment, charging left and right through the area as if it were empty, relentlessly pursuing Duan Wei.

In other words, heavy cavalry wear heavy armor, their horses are not fast, and their stamina is poor.

In contrast, Duan Wei, in order to escape, was so frightened that he abandoned his armor and all his equipment, spurred his horse, and fled for his life.

Yan Liang was clad in heavy armor, making it difficult for him to remove it. As a result, his horse was not as fast as Duan Wei's. He tried his best to chase for a while, but unfortunately, his warhorse ran out of stamina. He could only look in the direction Duan Wei had fled and give up in frustration.

Duan Wei, having barely escaped with his life, felt incredibly fortunate, even though he had lost all his equipment.

Afterwards, he gathered the remaining deserters in the surrounding area and barely managed to assemble a rabble of 10,000 men. While continuing to pretend to block the Wei army, he also hurriedly sought help from the Luoyang court.

Meanwhile, because Yan Liang captured the opposite bank, the Wei army gathered boats from Yanjin Ferry and was able to cross the river safely. Yuan Shao's 100,000-strong army also surrendered more than 10,000 defeated soldiers left behind by Duan Wei, who were used as guides and vanguards.

At this very moment, inside the Wei army's main tent, Yan Liang was praising the heavily armored cavalry that Xu You had built.

Ten thousand heavily armored cavalry charged forward, invincible and unstoppable. Yan Liang had never fought such a rich battle in his life.

Xu You looked down at everyone and said to Yuan Shao:
"I, Yuan Chu, have a brilliant plan; taking the world will be as easy as turning my hand!"

The deployment of heavily armored cavalry in this battle was naturally a scheme devised by Xu You.

If it weren't for the fact that the terrain on the opposite bank was flat and the troops were all infantry, and that they could easily break through the enemy camp and completely intimidate the enemy general during the first wave of attack, Xu You would not have dared to send this heavily flawed heavy cavalry out to attack.

After all, once they get bogged down in a quagmire, if the enemy general realizes what's happening and orders his soldiers to risk their lives to attack the leather on the left and right sides of the armor, even with the advantage of the iron plate armor and cavalry, and with Yan Liang's bravery, they can still win, but it will be difficult to win as brilliantly as this.

Fortunately, for now, everything is going according to Xu Ziyuan's plan!

"Humph!

Ju Shou and Guo Tu are short-sighted!

If Yuan Shao had followed my wise plan, he would have marched out of Qingzhou, seized Yanzhou for his own use, and then entered Huanyuan Pass to pacify the world in one battle.

If the world were already at peace and great things were about to be accomplished, why hesitate, be mediocre and cowardly, and be trapped at the crossroads of the river?

Yuan Shao: "."

Hold back!

He has just made a great contribution; we must not easily touch him, lest we lose the hearts of the people.

I, Yuan Benchu, am a descendant of four generations of high-ranking officials, and I am the Prince of Wei. How could I possibly argue with a mere subordinate like him over a mere verbal dispute?
Hold on!!!

On the other side, Huanyuan Pass.

Cao Cao's suspicions grew stronger, and he handled all matters, large and small, himself, from daily affairs to military campaigns, without entrusting any outsiders with them.

Moreover, Yuan Jun was vicious, beating the drums more than ten times every night in batches. Cao Cao would go out when he heard the drums, and return when he sounded the gong. He would then go to his tent to handle military and political affairs, rising early and retiring late, and lying prostrate waiting for dawn.

That day, while tending to the patient's illness, he stayed up all night, but his headache worsened and he could no longer bear it.

Seeing that Cao Cao was growing thinner day by day, and had become so haggard in just over ten days, the courtiers advised him:
"Ming Gong!
The traitor Yuan Shao is rampant, the world is not yet settled, the state is in danger of collapse, and the feudal lords harbor rebellious intentions.

The safety of the nation rests on your shoulders, Your Excellency; the survival of the Han Dynasty depends on the Prime Minister's assistance.

The Prime Minister's headaches are worsening. If this condition is left untreated, what will happen to the people? What will happen to the nation?
I urge the Prime Minister to prioritize the nation and the Emperor, and to allow the imperial physicians to administer acupuncture.

"Since raising his army, the Prime Minister has roamed the world for more than ten years. Now, he is lying on his sickbed, can he still be called a hero?"
If we refuse medical treatment because of the past incident involving Yoshihira, it would be like being paranoid and avoiding medical care, which is like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

The command of the three armies rests on your shoulders; the survival of Huanyuan depends on you alone.

If you were to fall ill, suffering daily from headaches and confined to your sickbed, while the Yuan rebels from beyond the Great Wall launch their fierce attack, who would stand against them?

Seeing that everyone was advising against it, Xun You also sighed and stepped forward to remonstrate, saying:
"How could I not know the Prime Minister's intentions?"

In chaotic times, people's hearts are hard to fathom, especially since the Yuan traitor outside the Great Wall is most adept at bewitching people's hearts, so we must be wary.

But the worse your headache gets, the more you'll have to seek medical treatment.

Seeing that the Prime Minister's health has been deteriorating lately, how can I not be worried and anxious, and feel heartbroken?

Therefore, he secretly sought out a renowned physician to cure the Prime Minister's illness.

I recently heard that the legendary physician Hua Tuo practices medicine nearby. His name is known throughout the world, and he has saved countless lives. He would never do anything that violates medical ethics.

Prime Minister, we have supported each other for many years, and now you can't trust anyone else. Do you not even trust You?

Ming Gong!

"If you agree, I will go and invite the legendary physician Hua Tuo. With his medical skills, he will surely be able to cure your illness and restore your health completely."

Inside the makeshift tent atop the city wall, flickering candlelight illuminated the kneeling officials, their bowed faces appearing and disappearing in the dim light.

Cao Cao leaned against the soft couch, his face haggard and his body emaciated.

His hands, hidden inside his robes, gripped the edge of the couch tightly. Veins bulged on his forehead, and cold sweat soaked his inner lining on his back, unseen by the assembled officials.

pain!It hurts so much!
In recent days, as he has been staying up all night and his energy has been depleted, his forehead, which was already aching, has become more and more serious, to the point that it is interfering with his normal life.

However, he was Cao Cao!

On the surface, he remained calm and composed, coldly observing the assembled officials below, who bowed their heads, held their breath, and waited in silence.

After a moment's thought, Cao Cao, preoccupied with his unbearable headache, decided to accept Xun You's advice.

After all, he had heard of the legendary physician Hua Tuo, who was indeed a virtuous and skilled doctor who practiced medicine and saved lives.

It would be a great stroke of luck to find Xun You nearby. If I could ask him to treat me, that would be wonderful. And if he could completely cure my headache, that would be a good thing too.

Secondly, his headaches were getting worse, and he could no longer delay seeking medical advice. And among those present, if he had to choose one person to believe, it would only be Xun You.

Having considered this, Cao Cao had made his decision and said to him:

"In that case, I will trouble you, Gongda, to invite Hua Tuo here. However, during the consultation, you should..."

Given Cao Cao's personality, he couldn't completely trust even Hua Tuo and Xun You. Naturally, he would invite all the generals and doctors of traditional Chinese medicine to monitor and judge Hua Tuo's medical methods and whether he had any ulterior motives.

However, before he could finish speaking, an urgent report arrived from Luoyang!
"Report!

Prime Minister, Luoyang urgently needs reinforcements!
King Yuan Shao of Wei issued a proclamation to the world, responding to the call of the imperial edict.

Now we are sending a million troops, divided into two routes to march south. One route will go out of Bingzhou and swallow up Guanzhong to take Chang'an.

They marched out of Jizhou, their troops heading towards Luoyang to welcome the emperor.

At present, the people of Luoyang are in a state of panic. Some officials say that the emperor is a northern star, while others say that the Purple Star is going to be hunted south, but there is not a single person who can save the country!
The Emperor's life is in grave danger, and the court is in dire straits. We implore the Prime Minister to provide immediate assistance, rescuing the Emperor from this perilous situation and saving the court from its dire straits.

"what?"

Upon hearing this news, how could the people present not be panicked and at a loss for what to do?
"The King of Wei has dispatched a million troops to march south?"
Will the Han Dynasty perish here?

"The hundreds of thousands of Yuan troops outside the pass have already exhausted us and made the Prime Minister seriously ill. If another million Wei troops march south, what will happen?"

How can we possibly defeat them?

"With troops marching south and north, the two Yuan brothers claimed to have nearly two million soldiers. This was Heaven's will to destroy the Han dynasty, not a failure of war."

"If the Yuan brothers of the North and South were to join forces and divide the world, what would become of us in the future, with the Southern Han and Northern Wei dynasties?"

When Cao Cao heard this terrible news, he was already exhausted. Seeing the chaos among his ministers, who were in such a state in front of him, how much more so in Luoyang?
The brothers Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu mobilized the entire nation's resources to attack him from both sides, with their armies often numbering in the hundreds of thousands or even millions.

Even Cao Cao, in this situation, felt utterly disheartened and let out a mournful cry to the heavens:
"Oh, heavens, how have you treated me so cruelly?"

He then vomited blood several times, lay down on the bed, and never woke up again.

The courtiers were terrified and rushed to Cao Cao's rescue, creating a chaotic scene.

Fortunately, Xun You was there. He made a quick decision, overruling the objections of others, and ordered Guan Yu to urgently request Hua Tuo to come and save him.

Guan Yu was deeply grateful for Cao Cao's kindness, and now that the time had come to repay him, how could he hesitate? He immediately went to fetch Hua Tuo and returned home.

Shortly after, Hua Tuo entered, and Xun You hurriedly asked to take his pulse and examine his illness.

Hua Tuo simply placed his hand on Cao Cao's pulse, frowned slightly, and said:
"The Prime Minister suffers from a headache, caused by a stroke."

Recently, I have been suffering from an incurable illness, and I have been working long hours and worrying a lot, so the disease has spread to my brain and marrow.

The root of the disease lies in the brain; the phlegm cannot be expelled. Even if one takes medicine and receives acupuncture, it will be incurable.

When the courtiers saw that he had pinpointed the root of Cao Cao's illness with a single sentence, they all praised Hua Tuo, saying, "Divine Physician!"

Xun You was worried about Cao Cao's illness and hurriedly asked him about the treatment.

"Since the divine physician knows the root of the disease, he must have a cure."

"Now that the Prime Minister is critically ill, why not treat him?"

Upon hearing this, Hua Tuo hesitated for a moment before slowly explaining.

“I do have a method, but it is terrifying to describe. Please do not be afraid, gentlemen, before I dare to explain it.”

The ministers all said that they had followed the prime minister through thick and thin for many years, and had seen all kinds of situations. Why would they be afraid of a mere medical treatment?

"Please speak freely, divine physician. As long as you can cure the Prime Minister, we are not unreasonable people. Why would we punish you?"

Hua Tuo, having received everyone's assurances, felt at ease and explained the medical prescription:
"This method requires first feeding the Prime Minister a numbing soup to numb his senses and make him unconscious, so as to prevent him from struggling."

Then, they used a sharp axe to chop open the prime minister's skull, removed the phlegm, and only then could the problem be completely eradicated.

The courtiers: "."

Isn't your medical prescription a bit too alarming?

The ministers looked at Xun You with strange eyes: "Mr. Gongda, you invited this divine physician here, are you really not here to assassinate the Prime Minister?"
If you already had connections with Yuan and wanted to present the Prime Minister's head, you should have said so earlier and included me.

Xun You: "."

Not to mention others, even Xun You, who recommended Hua Tuo for treatment, began to look at Hua Tuo strangely.

To be honest, it just so happened that when the Prime Minister was suffering from exhaustion and a serious illness due to Yuan Shu's schemes, you, the divine physician, happened to be traveling around the area practicing medicine.

It's a bit of a coincidence that I didn't say it.

Confess! Were you sent by Yuan Shu?

Or, first prove whether you are truly the legendary physician Hua Tuo.
Could it be that all of this was part of Yuan Shu's plan?

With this in mind, Xun You then tentatively inquired of Hua Tuo about what was on his mind.

Hua Tuo: "???"

What's this about being on Yuan Shikai's side or not?
Didn't you ask me to come and treat your illness?
Seeing that everyone was questioning his medical skills, Hua Tuo stood up and said, "If you don't believe in me, why did you ask me to come?"

If you do not follow my effective remedy, Prime Minister, please forgive me for being unable to cure your illness.

Seeing that Hua Tuo was about to leave, Xun You's suspicions lessened. Concerned about Cao Cao's life, he hurriedly asked Hua Tuo for details of the medical prescription.

Seeing that Cao Cao's army would not let him leave, Hua Tuo had no choice but to explain to everyone how the Mafeitang (a type of anesthetic) could paralyze the prime minister and render him unable to move, and how to use an axe to split open the prime minister's skull.

The ministers were completely bewildered, feeling both curious and alarmed, unsure of what to do.

Suddenly, Cao Cao, who had been lying unconscious on the couch with a face as pale as paper, sat up straight, his expression sinister, staring intently at the assembled officials, and said with a cold laugh:

"Are you plotting to kill me?"

It turned out that Cao Cao had just heard the bad news and was so angry that he was overcome with grief. In addition, he had been staying up all night for some time, so he was so disheartened that he could not hold on and fell into a deep sleep.

Unexpectedly, in the midst of a dream, he suddenly heard someone speaking in his ear:
How to use what kind of soup to numb yourself so that you can avoid struggling.

Then how did he use an axe to chop open his own skull!

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao thought to himself:

[This must be because the ministers see that Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu are attacking from both the north and south, and our army will undoubtedly be defeated.]

Therefore, he planned to take advantage of his unconscious state to secretly plot against him and present him to Yuan Shu.

Cao Cao felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat. His headache was instantly cured, and he sat up from the bed, staring coldly at his ministers with murderous intent in his eyes.

"Are you plotting to kill me?"

Everyone hurriedly explained that this was a divine physician's treatment method, and it was by no means an attempt to harm the prime minister.

Cao Cao would never believe such absurd claims.

"With his head slashed open, how could he possibly live?"

(End of this chapter)