Chapter 2693: Shock

Passing by the medical tents, he noticed they had taken over a piece of Eldest’s land, and injured soldiers were continuously being sent forward.

Governor Niu pulled his horse to a stop and turned his head to take a look, just in time to see a stretcher being carried in with a blood-soaked injured soldier who was lying there unconscious, his face pallid.

Governor Niu was slightly surprised. For such injured soldiers, they usually gave up and would prioritize carrying aside those who still had a chance to survive.

He looked around and saw that some injured soldiers were being carried by others, while some were supporting each other as they moved.

The medical tents were busier than ever, with many people coming and going.

Thinking for a moment, he urged his horse forward, not in a hurry to return to the main tent.

Wen Tiandong stood at the road entrance with a few soldiers. Those who could still walk by themselves or with support, he glanced at their wounds and directed them, “Go over there…”

For those being carried, he quickly checked their wounds. If they still had consciousness and their bleeding wasn’t too severe, he sent them to the other side. Those who had lost consciousness or with dangerous bleeding were sent into the medical tents.

Governor Niu dismounted, holding his whip, ready to speak with him. Yet Wen Tiandong did not see uninjured people, only scanning them fleetingly before dismissing them. As he approached, Wen Tiandong pushed him aside and checked the man on the stretcher. He touched his neck and found he was still breathing, then glanced at the blood-covered man, his gaze settling on his arm, asking, “Besides the arm, where else is he injured?”

The man lying there was already unconscious. The one carrying him replied, “I don’t know. It seems only the arm is injured.”

Wen Tiandong nodded, turned his head, and shouted inside, “Su Mu, Chen Banxia, there’s a severely injured patient here.”

Su Mu was busy sewing a wound and couldn’t free his hands immediately, so Chen Banxia ran out, took a look, and said, “Needs a blood transfusion.”

She couldn’t handle it alone and immediately turned to run, calling for Zhou Liru while fetching the transfusion apparatus.

Wen Tiandong said, “There’s no space in the medical tents. Put him on that table.”

Governor Niu wanted to speak but couldn’t get a word in. Wen Tiandong was already dealing with four soldiers who supported each other to come over, checked their wounds, found they were minor, and pointed, “Go over there…”

Governor Niu turned around and walked inside some distance, just in time to see two soldiers place the injured man on a table. Then he saw the young girl who always followed Lord Zhou take out scissors and quickly cut off the man’s clothes, then drew out a needle and pierced it into him. Finally, she took out a saw, with another young girl coming forward to assist, and together they sawed off the man’s arm.

Governor Niu widened his eyes in shock.

The two young ladies tossed the sawed-off hand into a basket, then grabbed medicine packets to stop the bleeding. On the other side, a young lady erected a rod, and a needle was pierced into his arm. He knew this device, having heard State Duke Zhao talk about it before. He said it was extraordinarily valuable, with only a few produced by the Imperial Hospital. On the battlefield, having this device was akin to gaining half a life.

The three young ladies divided the work: one held medicine packets to stop bleeding, one handled needles, and one performed blood transfusions, then sutured…

The bleeding gradually stopped.

But after all they had done, once the suture was complete, one young lady reached to feel his pulse, then her expression changed slightly and said, “It’s not good. He has no pulse.”

They began performing chest compressions, the three alternating, each taking a turn, circulating through.

Governor Niu frowned, stepped forward, saw the man’s lips turn white, and touched his neck, saying with pursed lips, “He’s already dead.”

Zhou Liru ignored him and continued compressions.

The three kept alternating, and after about a quarter of an hour, the man actually regained a pulse.

Governor Niu opened his mouth wide in shock.

Zhou Liru exhaled and turned to Chen Banxia, saying, “Quick, get the teacher. Simply applying ready-made prescriptions won’t do.”

This man needs to boost blood and energy, especially boosting energy. As long as he maintains his breath, he can live.

Chen Banxia ran to find someone.

Manbao’s attire was covered in blood, looking worse than soldiers returning from the battlefield, even having blood near her throat.

She came out to see Governor Niu standing aside, nodded to him, then went to inspect the soldier, checked the wound, and felt the pulse, learning he had briefly stopped breathing earlier. She lowered her eyes, thought for a moment, then said, “Get six qian roasted angelica, five qian ginseng, three qian dried ginger, three qian Sichuan radix…”

Manbao recited the prescription, and Chen Banxia repeated it, confirmed it was correct, then went to prepare the medicine. Manbao called her back and said, “Get two slices of ginseng for him to suck on.”

Chen Banxia agreed and turned to leave.

Manbao then looked at Governor Niu, “Is Governor Niu here to see the injured soldiers?”

Governor Niu calmly nodded.

Manbao turned and said, “Then follow me, I’ll take you to see.”

She led him to the other side, which mostly contained moderately injured patients. She didn’t lead Governor Niu around but upon reaching the place, said, “Look around as you please.”

Then she went to attend to those lined up desperately for medical attention.

Even with twenty-eight students under Manbao, plus the original two military doctors, along with the elderly, weak, and sick logistical soldiers helping previously in the medical tents, it was still not enough.

After a large battle, the dead might not be many, but the injured were certainly numerous.

Xi Bing carried a medical kit following behind Zhou Man, and Governor Niu did not leave, standing by to observe. He saw them constantly using scissors to cut clothes, applying medicine to stop bleeding, or suturing, and giving them bowls of medicine. Some even needed legs or arms sawed off.

Others needed flesh turned outward to be cut and the dirty things in the wound cleaned bit by bit with tweezers or knives.

Most were young ladies, appearing delicate, but their faces seldom changed, even when scraping meat with knives awash in blood.

Chen Banxia and others thought, with such patients all day, any change had long since occurred. Yet when encountering gravely injured patients, they still panicked.

Governor Niu stood aside watching and finally turned to observe the other side.

On the other side were soldiers with lighter injuries. They extended their arms and could joke while being bandaged, teasing the young ladies, “Young lady, you’ve seen my body; you must take responsibility!”

The female student’s face reddened all over, then pressed down hard on the wound while applying medicine, making the soldier scream like a butchered pig, before bandaging the wound.

The soldier, furious, raised a hand intending to hit her. Governor Niu stepped forward, kicked him down, and shouted angrily, “You got rescued wrong? Hurry and apologize to the doctor.”

He turned to the young lady with a smile, a bit ingratiating, “Don’t mind them, young lady. These big brutes have bad mouths but don’t mean harm.”

The female student’s eyes were slightly red, snorted, and said, “I’m not afraid. Who fears who? You better not get injured next time, or you’ll still end up in our hands, hmph!”

She picked up the medicine kit and went to tend to the next patient.

Governor Niu watched her leave, then reached out to pat the veteran’s head, “If you’re fine, go to the other side or the medical tents and see your comrades who had arms or legs sawed off, idiot!”