novelSusiti Chapter 119 Divine Physician An Daoquan
Chapter 119 Divine Physician An Daoquan
Zhao Si fell seriously ill, perhaps due to his inability to adapt to the southern climate. He had been traveling around these days and his body couldn't take it anymore.
This greatly worried Wang Lun. In this era of limited medical technology, even a minor cold could very well cost Zhao Si his life.
Just as he was getting anxious, he heard Li Jun say, "Brother, don't worry. I've heard there's a great doctor in Jiankang Prefecture. Let's hurry and find him."
Wang Lun asked, "The miracle doctor? What's his name?"
Li Jun said, "An Daoquan."
Wang Lun's eyes lit up. He couldn't remember where An Daoquan was from, but it turned out he was from Jiankang.
Lu Zhishen then carried Zhao Si on his back, and the group inquired along the way to find An Daoquan.
Jiankang City is very large. If it weren't for Lu Zhishen's good stamina, no one could have endured carrying Zhao Si for so long.
When they finally found An Daoquan's pharmacy, they saw a long queue outside, all of whom seemed to be there to see An Daoquan for treatment.
Wang Lun exclaimed, "I never imagined that people in the Song Dynasty also had to queue up to see a doctor."
No one wanted to cut in line, so they joined the queue. After waiting for a while, Lu Zhishen became a little impatient and said angrily, "Let's just rush in and drive these people away."
Wang Lun shook his head and said, "We are all patients. How can you do this and drive them away? What if their illness gets worse and they die? Wouldn't that be no different from murder?"
Lu Zhishen then fell silent, but his face still showed impatience.
It wasn't until after noon that it was their turn.
After performing the four diagnostic methods of observation, listening, questioning, and palpation, An Daoquan wrote a prescription. His apprentice from his pharmacy came to take the prescription and go to get the medicine.
Wang Lun cupped his hands and said, "My brother's condition is serious, please take good care of him, Doctor An."
An Daoquan had long noticed that these people had extraordinary bearing, especially Wang Lun, who did not look like an ordinary person. Hearing Wang Lun speak politely, he replied, "It's just a common cold, coupled with overwork, not a big problem. But if you don't get treatment, you might be in danger of losing your life."
Wang Lun bowed again: "Then I will have to trouble you, divine physician."
He took out a small ingot of gold and said, "This is the payment."
Although An Daoquan's family was not poor, they were certainly not wealthy either. Despite his reputation as a divine doctor and his own pharmacy, he frequented brothels and taverns. The money he earned from treating patients for ten days was not even enough to cover his expenses for one night in a brothel.
Seeing Wang Lun's generosity, An Daoquan was overjoyed: "Judging from your presence, you seem to have come from afar, and it may be inconvenient for you to prepare and drink the medicine. Why don't you just have it prepared and taken at my pharmacy? In just three to five days, he will be fully recovered."
Wang Lun was naturally happy to do so. He was looking for an excuse to get to know this miracle doctor better and then find a way to bring him to Liangshan.
With so many soldiers in the army, and with frequent battles, good military doctors are naturally indispensable. An Daoquan's medical skills are second to none in the entire Song Dynasty, so naturally we need to find a way to win him over.
Behind the pharmacy was a small courtyard. The pharmacy clerk led Wang Lun and the others to the backyard, where there were five or six small rooms with very simple facilities, presumably for patients to stay in.
Similar to a modern inpatient ward.
Wang Lun repeatedly praised An Daoquan's advanced thinking, even setting up a hospital ward in the Song Dynasty.
After taking the medicine, Zhao Si covered himself with a thick quilt and slept for a while, sweating profusely. By dusk, he was able to get out of bed.
Wang Lun, Li Jun, and Lu Zhishen, having nothing to do, sat in the courtyard discussing martial arts. Wang Lun, being a time traveler, was particularly interested in martial arts.
Li Jun's martial arts skills were also very high. Wang Lun listened with great interest as he and Lu Zhishen discussed their skills.
During this time, An Daoquan came in twice and chatted with the others. Wang Lun concealed his identity, only saying that he was a monk with the Taoist name Wuchenzi.
An Daoquan saw that they were dressed as Taoist priests and Buddhist monks, so he didn't ask any further questions.
After dusk, An Daoquan finally closed the pharmacy and went to the backyard to rest.
Wang Lun asked, "Dr. An, we are new to Jiankang Prefecture. What delicacies are available here?"
An Daoquan laughed and said, "If we're talking about good food, there's nowhere else to eat it but Cuiyue Tower. It's just that you're monks, so it's not appropriate for you to go there."
Lu Zhishen said, "It's the same whether you're a monk or a layperson. Although we are monks, our hearts are still in the secular world, and we have never had any taboos about it."
An Daoquan then realized that these people were just dressed up and were actually fake Taoist priests.
He laughed and said, "Then I'll take you to Cuiyue Tower. The food there is excellent, the wine is superb, and the people are the best."
Wang Lun knew that An Daoquan had a lover in a brothel. After closing his pharmacy, he would usually go there to meet his lover in secret. If you asked him where to eat, he would naturally say where his lover was.
"but……"
An Daoquan frowned and said, "The fees there are quite high. Although I should do my part as a host, this..."
When you go to a brothel, everything is naturally expensive.
Li Jun laughed and said, "It's alright, Doctor An will take us there, and I will cover all the expenses."
Brothels in the Song Dynasty were extremely expensive, beyond the reach of ordinary people. If you encountered a high-end brothel and met a top-tier courtesan, the price would be even higher.
Jiankang is a big city, and Cuiyue Tower is only a mid-range brothel. Even an ordinary girl there costs five strings of cash for one night, which is enough for an average family's monthly expenses at this time.
If you encounter one of the top girls at Cuiyue Tower, and there's no competition that night, you'll earn at least several dozen strings of cash. If you encounter a wealthy young master competing for you, it's common for the price to reach hundreds of strings of cash in one night.
Although An Daoquan had a long-term lover, he did not redeem her from prostitution. When he went to Cuiyue Tower, he naturally had to pay for it himself. So, over time, his pharmacy business could barely cover his expenses for going to brothels.
Upon hearing that Li Jun was willing to cover all the expenses, An Daoquan was overjoyed and wanted to hug Li Jun and call him "good brother" several times.
Zhao Si handed the responsibility over to the shop assistant, and the group followed An Daoquan out of the pharmacy.
An Daoquan was already very familiar with the place, leading the group through the streets and alleys, while introducing, "The Cuiyue Pavilion has a top courtesan named Yue Nu, which means she is the moon's maid. She is beautiful, charming, and gentle as water. Inviting her to have two cups of wine with us will cost this much."
He opened his palm and flipped it over once.
Lu Zhishen said, "Ten strings of cash? That's too expensive. Why have her accompany me for drinks? I'd rather drink by myself."
An Daoquan scoffed, "What do you mean 'ten strings of cash'? It's one hundred strings of cash."
Li Jun exclaimed in surprise, "It's so expensive! Wouldn't it be even more expensive to spend the night with her?"
"Miss Yuenu values talent. If you can write a poem that moves her, she will not charge you a penny. If you cannot write one, even five hundred strings of cash may not be enough to make her let you stay overnight," An Daoquan continued to explain.
He paused, then said, "However, I have a lover named Qiaonu. She has very skillful hands, and although her looks are not as good as Yuenu's, they are still excellent. Let me make this clear: she is my confidante, so none of you should have any improper thoughts about her."
Li Jun laughed and said, "Since she is your confidante, why not redeem her from her bondage instead of leaving her here to suffer?"
An Daoquan sighed and said, "I'm still saving money."
Wang Lun's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "How much more is needed?"
An Daoquan glanced at Wang Lun and immediately looked dejected, saying, "We're still short 10,000 strings of cash."
The group paused, all looking at An Daoquan.
"So how much have you saved?"
"I've saved up a thousand strings of cash."
Wang Lun took a deep breath. It was too expensive. His idea of helping An Daoquan redeem himself instantly shattered.