After finally leaving the medical clinic, Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He stood facing each other, each holding a paper bundle of medicinal herbs. They exchanged looks, then sighed in unison.
Although the discussion with Divine Physician Zhang had been long and heavy, Jian Yong had not accompanied them on the return. Instead, he had said they were free to walk around Chang'an to clear their minds, which eased some of the gloom, of course under guard escort.
As for Jian Yong, judging by the fragments Zhang He overheard when leaving, he seemed to be staying behind to discuss with Divine Physician Zhang how to teach the Qiang and Hu some basic medical knowledge.
The Qiang and Hu.
Zhang He had killed many of them. In fact, the very force that had exhausted him to the point of men and horses collapsing and supplies running dry had been Qiang cavalry.
And now they were going to teach the Qiang and Hu medicine?
Zhang He felt that Liu Bei's group were either fearless visionaries like Emperor Guangwu, or else ignorant loudmouths whose ambitions exceeded their grasp.
But ignorant men could not have forced Chancellor Cao into constant reactive defense. They could not have broken the enemy's will and captured tens of thousands without fighting.
Nor could they have risen from hunted fugitives to rulers spanning Jing and Yi Provinces, linking Guanzhong and Hanzhong, in just three or four years.
Stepping out of the clinic estate and seeing a Chang'an utterly different from last year, Zhang He instead felt confusion rise in his eyes.
Could this Liu clan truly be on the rise?
"The Chancellor merely executed one madman. How could he know so many things?"
Xiahou Yuan muttered resentfully at his side, though Zhang He could hear the unease beneath it.
The meeting with Zhang Zhongjing had been more than worthwhile. Aside from fully understanding the harm of Five Mineral Powder, the old physician had generously examined them for hidden ailments, written diagnostic notes and prescriptions, and even personally prepared several doses of medicine for them to take back.
More than that, Divine Physician Zhang had made them firmly remember one name, speaking with grave seriousness.
Hua Tuo.
There had been no shortage of criticism and condemnation directed at Chancellor Cao, but given that they were under another man's roof and still holding medicinal decoctions in their hands, the two could only grit their teeth and endure.
Only now, standing outside the gate, could Xiahou Yuan finally mutter a few restrained complaints.
And yet, they understood even more clearly why Divine Physician Zhang favored Liu Bei. In the end, it was something they owed their own Chancellor.
Thinking of Zhang Zhongjing living here, treated with courtesy by Imperial Uncle Liu and guarded tightly.
Then thinking of Hua Tuo, who had died unjustly in prison, whom Zhang Zhongjing himself said possessed medical skill several times his own.
Even after venting, Xiahou Yuan could not help sighing again.
"Let's go," Zhang He said, shaking his head to dispel the confusion in his eyes and break the awkward silence.
Strictly speaking, the two had lived in Chang'an far longer than Liu Bei had, so they were familiar with the streets.
To avoid running into Zhong Yao again and creating more awkwardness, they deliberately chose a longer route back. It let them clear their minds and take in Chang'an's current appearance.
Both the residence where Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He were temporarily staying and Divine Physician Zhang's heavily guarded estate lay in the city's central district.
North lay the old imperial palace ruins. South of the city gates stretched fertile plains surrounded by the Feng and Ba Rivers. Thus, the northern city was mostly ordinary residential courtyards.
Walking south, the courtyards gradually grew smaller and more fragmented. After another two streets, Xiahou Yuan saw that the residential blocks here were being dismantled.
"Why is this?" he asked instinctively, then immediately remembered that Jian Yong was not present.
Unexpectedly, the guard captain glanced at him and replied,
"The ground is being leveled. Military Adviser Zhuge plans to establish workshops here."
Xiahou Yuan nodded silently. He did not ask too deeply what a workshop district was, but the name alone made it clear that it was for craftsmen.
Not only medicine, but industry as well?
Yet thinking of the sharp armor and fine weapons he had seen among Liu Bei's troops after being forced to surrender, it no longer seemed strange.
Xiahou Yuan fell silent, but the guard captain seemed to open up, taking the initiative to guide them around and explain in simple terms.
"There is another workshop of this scale in the north of the city."
"As planned by Military Adviser Zhuge, the south connects to fertile land outside the city. The workshops here focus on providing agricultural convenience for the people. Farming tools and implements are all made here."
"The north connects to the Wei River. The workshops there specialize in iron, paper, sugar, brocade, and transport ships. When Chang'an eventually gathers the population of Guanzhong, it will be easy to relocate north of the Wei River to build a new city."
"Why not climb the city wall and take a look, generals?"
"Is that allowed?" Xiahou Yuan felt dizzy. If Jian Yong had not earlier acted so familiar with this man, he would have suspected this was a deep-cover agent arranged by Chancellor Cao long ago.
The guard laughed.
"The lord has already given permission. Why not?"
Liu Bei had permitted it?
Before Xiahou Yuan could fully process that thought, his body had already moved ahead of his mind, climbing the wall step by step.
Looking out from above, the suffocating gloom of recent days dispersed at once.
Already too tired to calculate further, Xiahou Yuan pointed outside the city.
"What are they doing there?"
What he saw were vast fields. Some villagers were guiding oxen and plows to turn the soil, but more people were digging pits along the field edges.
The guard captain glanced and said,
"The lord himself is leading the people in digging pits to compost fertilizer. Once mid-summer passes, the fertilizer can be applied to enrich the fields."
"Liu Bei?" Xiahou Yuan froze.
Beside him, Zhang He's sharp eyes quickly spotted a man dressed as a farmer standing at the center of the group. More than that, he noticed the guard's form of address.
"The lord? May I ask your name?"
The guard smiled faintly.
"Ma Su of Jing Province. A nobody."
Then he added,
"If the generals are interested, you may go closer to see. The lord would surely be pleased to meet you."
Hesitation crossed Xiahou Yuan's face, but in the end he shook his head.
"Another time."
As they descended the wall, he asked casually,
"Everyone knows about composting fertilizer. Why must the Left General personally do it?"
Ma Su replied seriously,
"This composting method is different. It is a new method. Jing Province has used it for two years. Yield can increase by half a shi per mu. With iron tools, seedling cultivation and care, plus canals for irrigation, yield can increase by nearly one shi per mu. From Jing Province to Yi Province and Hanzhong, the lord values this greatly. It is standard practice."
Xiahou Yuan had once been a landowner and was familiar with farming. He blurted out,
"Impossible! Why would General Ma deceive me with such words?"
Ma Su merely smiled and walked ahead.
"Why must General Xiahou deceive himself?"
Xiahou Yuan refused to concede, but no matter what he said afterward, Ma Su did not respond. He only smiled.
After another two intersections, a large troop formation passed by ahead. Ma Su led them aside to make way.
Xiahou Yuan's thoughts were in turmoil. Zhang He craned his neck and saw clearly what the group escorted.
"Bed crossbows… on carts?"
Bed crossbows were not unfamiliar, but they were extremely cumbersome. Once deployed, they were hard to move, even harder to turn, and required considerable maintenance. Few used them even for city defense.
Ma Su corrected him.
"They should be eight-ox crossbow carts. Their range is four hundred paces farther than bed crossbows."
Xiahou Yuan no longer bothered to refute him. He only felt this Ma Su truly lived up to his claim of being a nobody.
A bed crossbow already had a range of eight hundred paces. Did he even know what twelve hundred paces meant?
Yet Ma Su added with interest,
"This was originally prepared by Military Adviser Zhuge for use against General Xiahou, but it was not needed."
Xiahou Yuan's old face reddened slightly. Then he heard Ma Su say leisurely,
"Now it seems Military Adviser Zhuge has refined it and plans to send it north of Jing Province, so Chancellor Cao may learn the power of crossbows."
Xiahou Yuan declined to comment.
Two more streets passed. They saw a single rider rush southward like a whirlwind from the north, raising clouds of dust.
Ma Su looked back twice and muttered to himself,
"With such urgency, it must be a messenger from Jiangdong. I wonder whether they are coming to demand General Lü's body, or to discuss peace."
"General Lü's body? Which General Lü?" Hearing that surname, unease rose in Xiahou Yuan's heart.
Ma Su feigned surprise.
"Of course, Lü Meng of Jiangdong."
Then he patted his forehead apologetically.
"My mistake. I forgot General Xiahou does not know. Over ten days ago, news came from Jing Province."
"Lü Ziming's subordinates rebelled, cut off his head, and presented it to the Governor of Jiangling in exchange for surrender."
That was all it took. Xiahou Yuan stood stunned. Thinking back on what he had seen earlier, his emotions became indescribably complex.
"You showed me what I saw and learned today… to make me die old in Guanzhong?"
Ma Su shook his head.
A hint of hope rose in Xiahou Yuan's eyes.
"The lord said he wishes to exchange General Xiahou for the Yi Province soldiers sent by Liu Jiyu to Chancellor Cao years ago and detained there."
"As long as Chancellor Cao agrees, General Xiahou may return east."
Suspicion filled Xiahou Yuan's gaze as Ma Su smiled confidently again.
"What you have seen today, the lord permits it all."
"The advisers have also said that even if Sun and Cao join forces, they still cannot do anything to us. Whether you know this or not makes no difference."
"In any case, within two years, Chancellor Cao will surely be defeated."
Xiahou Yuan was struck speechless.
Zhang He no longer remembered how he returned to the residence.
He stared blankly at the chessboard. On the other side, Xiahou Yuan knelt on the floor, his face full of disbelief.
"Liu Bei is cunning. He must be deceiving us!"
Yet moments later, Zhang He spread out the medicine bundle and prepared to brew a dose.
When he opened it, however, suspicion crossed his face. He touched the paper wrapping the herbs and asked Xiahou Yuan,
"General Xiahou, how do you think this paper compares to Zuo Bo paper?"