NWAFAM 149: Plague Water

Sanyu Pavilion · Branch

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Inside the city, two or three neighborhoods away from the government office, there was a Hundred Flowers Pavilion. Although the name sounded a bit common, it had once been a famous refined tavern in Chunan Prefecture. The building had several floors, with nightly music that never ceased and bright lights shining. It was widely discussed because of a vat of wine called “Hundred Flowers Fragrance.”

Hundred Flowers Fragrance had been mellow and aromatic, tasting like a profusion of blossoming flowers. Fine wine accompanied by beautiful music was incomparably delightful, and countless people had come for it. It had already become a major feature of Chunan Prefecture. Yet now all industries were withering, and even Boss Liu of Hundred Flowers Pavilion had died of this plague some time ago. People could not help sighing that the floral scent was hard to continue.

The Liu family had passed down a single heir for four generations. In Boss Liu’s turn, there was only a small child who could barely speak. The Liu family head left in a hurry, without having time to leave the secret recipe of Hundred Flowers Fragrance. So only a widow and an orphan remained, unable to carry on. In the end, they had to sell their property to make ends meet.

Now the south was plagued by epidemics, so most people could not even afford their daily meals, let alone purchase such a large tavern. Anyone still buying property had to be either a resourceful business predator or a clueless fool. Just when everyone thought Hundred Flowers Pavilion would be stuck in Madam Liu’s hands, a graceful young man arrived with genuine gold and silver, spending lavishly to take over Hundred Flowers Pavilion on the spot.

From then on, Hundred Flowers Pavilion changed its name and owner. Under everyone’s astonished gaze, it became—Sanyu Pavilion.

Its signboard was hastily painted on a wooden plaque, completely without carvings. It looked so plain as to be shabby, yet the writing upon it was bold and forceful, elegant and radiant, truly a rare piece of fine calligraphy. Hanging in front of the building, it gave off an air of ancient simplicity and grandeur. However, the newly hired workers inside the building were rather puzzling, as they were all beggars and laborers, and many were young widows who had lost their families to the epidemic. No one understood what the young boss intended to do.

Those beggars and laborers only needed a bun to gain boundless strength. Following orders, they disassembled the tavern’s original tables and chairs, joined two pieces of wood, fitted them with four short legs, and made simple wooden beds. The banging and clanging filled the entire building with lively commotion. Meanwhile, the women cleaned the rooms, splitting some guest rooms in half with screens or curtains in the middle. Each side held a wooden bed, a small table, and two small stools, and they scrubbed every item until it gleamed. According to the young boss’s instructions, they scattered lime powder into the corners of the rooms.

A few medical clerks called in to help muttered, “He said he wanted to turn this place into what? A medical clinic? Where would a clinic use so many floors! Master Chen must have been muddled to let this youngster order us around like this.”

Another complained, “Why is he always so unruly? Other colleagues are all setting up medical tents, but he alone does something so high-profile—actually buying up a tavern to make a clinic! Perhaps he was used to being a cook in the capital. If it were just idle talk, that might be forgivable, but he reeked of greed, and even now he still wanted to make money. I wonder if the money he made off this disaster would be enough to buy him two taels of conscience in the afterlife.”

Everyone laughed. “Truly fitting to call him ‘Boss Yu’!”

Their laughter had not faded when someone behind them spoke sternly, “Who taught you to gossip behind others’ backs?! You have studied medicine for a decade and consider yourselves the nation’s expert physicians, but do you know what kind of plague we are facing?”

The medical clerks whirled around to see Chen Yang, who had somehow appeared behind them. They instantly shrank like quail, each glancing at the others, too afraid of being scolded to speak their minds. For a long moment, no one answered.

After a brief pause, a young clerk carrying a medicine basket came forward and replied respectfully, “On our journey, this student saw that the patients fell ill abruptly, suffering constant vomiting and diarrhea, with sunken eyes and wasting flesh, their limbs withering and cold. The mild cases had spasms of abdominal pain, while the severe ones died within moments. The illness arose from watery dampness, disturbing the stomach and intestines. In this student’s view…it was cholera.”

This clerk was named You Qingbai. His family was of modest background, and he usually kept silent and stayed in obscurity. Within the Imperial Medical Office, he only handled miscellaneous tasks and treated second-tier palace maids and eunuchs. Now that they had come south, no one had paid any attention to him before he stepped forward to speak.

Chen Yang sized him up, thinking hard for a moment before recalling his name. Then he asked, “Do you know which medical clinic in the capital has had the fewest casualties since the outbreak began?”

You Qingbai replied, “It was Sanyu Pavilion.”

“Exactly!” Chen Yang said with satisfaction, then glanced at the other clerks. “I have sent people to inquire at the eight major clinics and more than a dozen medical halls in the capital. Sanyu Pavilion admitted the most plague patients but lost the fewest to death. It was this ‘unruly’ Boss Yu, with his countless clever methods, who saved an untold number of the sick! If any of you had even half his talent, I, Chen, would be burning incense in gratitude for the Imperial Medical Office!”

With a flick of his sleeve, Chen Yang raised his brows. “If you had his abilities, you could ignore the directives, too—so why are you still standing there? Instead of making idle remarks, do some real work!”

The medical clerks quickly bowed and scattered like startled birds and beasts.

You Qingbai remained neither arrogant nor servile. After saluting Chen Yang, he picked up his medicine basket and withdrew.

“Ah!” After sending off that group of clerks, Chen Yang looked up. He noticed the young man seated at the highest point, gazing into the distance from the railing, and felt a flicker of doubt rising within him.

Yesterday, that young man proposed turning the Hundred Flowers Pavilion into a clinic, having the Imperial Medical Office take charge of all physicians and medicines in the city, and if possible, having the government distribute food and water in a unified manner… And then there were those theories of “toxic air” and “disinfection.” In all of Chen Yang’s decades of medical practice, he had never heard such notions.

This young man’s head was filled with all sorts of odd ideas. People said great wisdom bordered on the uncanny; truly, he did not seem like a mortal. Even his medical skills surpassed normal understanding. If Chen Yang had not personally witnessed how the youth treated the Ming family’s son, who should have had no chance of survival, with an incredibly bizarre method, and how he identified the Grand Preceptor Wen’s grandson’s illness at a glance, he would never have let such a half-grown youth command the Imperial Medical Office.

——

Yu Jinnian, however, did not know that there were so many people waiting to see what he could do. He stayed extremely composed. At that moment, he was sitting quietly on the windowsill, leaning against the wooden frame. In his hand, he held a white porcelain cup, and half of his body was bathed in a layer of bright, snow-white sunlight. Far away, there was a scene of bleak chaos. His gaze followed a wild dog that was snatching someone’s food, then shifted to an old woman with a sallow complexion. Suddenly, he heard a sigh behind him.

He turned around and saw that it was Ji Hong who had entered the room. Seeing him alone, lost in thought as he sat sideways on the window frame, Ji Hong wore an exasperated look and said, “What are you doing way up there? It took me so long to find you.”

Yu Jinnian lowered his gaze, looking at the porcelain cup containing nothing but plain water—no tea, no wine. Sunlight shone into the water, sending up tiny ripples. “Ah Hong, look. No matter how chaotic the world is, no matter how miserable people’s cries and laments may be, the sun always remained that bright, that blazing.”

Ji Hong smiled, carefully guiding him back inside the window. He felt the fine beads of sweat on Yu Jinnian’s temples. “What brought on such a sentiment?”

“Nothing. It was just that, on this journey, I saw countless farewells in life and death. Suddenly, I realized how small people truly were.” In Yu Jinnian’s eyes, the reflection of the water in the white porcelain cup looked like it was scattered with silver flakes, dazzlingly bright. All at once, he straightened up, raised the empty porcelain cup into the sunlight for a moment, then covered it again. Mysteriously, he handed it to Ji Hong and raised his chin slightly, saying, “I give this to you.”

Upon taking it, Ji Hong felt the cup’s warmth. He could not tell whether the young man’s hands had warmed it, or whether it was warmed by the sun. Ji Hong did not understand, so he turned the cup around for a closer look. He saw nothing unusual and asked curiously, “What did you give me?”

“A bowl of sunlight.” Yu Jinnian jumped down from the windowsill. He moved closer to trace the thin scar under Ji Hong’s eye and saw that it had healed rather well. Only then did he brush off his sleeves. His crescent-moon eyes crinkled in a smile as he said, “Although a great plague is raging nowadays, the sunlight still remained the purest of all things. I secretly kept a bowl of it today. When the winter chill comes, you can lift the lid again and have a whole season of sunshine!”

Secretly keeping a bowl of sunlight?

Ji Hong looked at the small cup in his palm, then looked at Yu Jinnian. Although his words sounded fanciful, they carried a trace of romantic feeling. Ji Hong suddenly laughed, shook his head, then pulled Yu Jinnian in, kissing his hair lightly. “This bowl of sunlight cannot compare with even a fraction of you. As long as I have you, my little sun, then the winter days are as warm as high spring or midsummer. I, Ji, am fortunate to have you alone, and that is enough in this life. Why would I need more of this handful of sunlight?”

Yu Jinnian, enjoying the affection, burrowed closer to Ji Hong’s chest, though he retorted with some resentment, “Don’t think that saying a couple of sweet words means I’ve forgotten your wrongs. I’m only being magnanimous and overlooking your faults. You broke your promise and never wrote me letters, so I’m keeping an account of that. I’ll settle up with you one day!”

“All right, all right. Thank you, Lord Yu, for your mercy. I, Ji, will accept your judgment.” Ji Hong laughed. “Enough, I actually came up here to get you, yet we ended up talking so long. Come on down; Imperial Physician Chen is already waiting for you.”

Yu Jinnian nodded, tidied his clothes, and went downstairs with him.

In the main hall, many physicians had already gathered. Duan Ming had led people to invite them one by one. Some were barefoot doctors, others were apprentices sent by various medical clinics to run errands, and still others were monk-doctors or Taoist priests from temples, who had previously been scattered all over the city, each working on their own to save lives without interfering with one another. Now, they had suddenly been invited to this “Sanyu Pavilion,” and most of them were confused and clueless.

As for the medical clerks from the Imperial Medical Office—descended from prestigious families, and proud by nature—they seemed impatient, barely acknowledging those wandering physicians. They merely stood together in a corner to chat among themselves.

Chen Yang and the young man exchanged a nod. Chen Yang cleared his throat and addressed everyone: “I believe you gentlemen are fully aware of the gravity of this plague. Today, the Imperial Medical Office invited you here for one reason: to discuss ways to treat the epidemic. Countless people in this city have already died, and the situation in the surrounding counties is unclear. Victims are in overwhelming pain, and their loved ones are in anguish. You are all well-known healers of great repute. May I ask if anyone has found a good remedy for this plague?”

All talk among the crowd gradually subsided, and people looked at one another.

A middle-aged man stood and sighed, “Throughout history, great epidemics always left countless dead. Since the founding of Da Xia, we have never faced such a terrible plague. Even in medical classics, records of this disease appeared only two or three times, with tens of thousands of deaths. The details of treatment were vague at best… All we can do is treat each case according to its symptoms.”

Many nodded in agreement, letting out occasional sighs.

You Qingbai said, “I have heard that the Sanyu Pavilion in the capital saved many lives. Now you, Sir, have opened another Sanyu Pavilion here in Chunan… Could it be that you possess some miraculous cure for the plague?”

“A great epidemic shows no mercy; how could I have some miraculous remedy?” Yu Jinnian shook his head. “I only know a few emergency and preventive measures, adapting to circumstances as needed.”

You Qingbai’s eyes lit up, and he pursued the question, “Please, Sir, enlighten us.”

Yu Jinnian said, “Then I will speak plainly. Indeed, this disease is a once-in-a-century plague, and it is easy to spread but hard to cure. The word ‘prevention’ must be put into practice in every household, every family, and by every commoner. The Imperial Medical Office must send medical apprentices and pharmacy servants to oversee every clinic, medical hall, even every eatery and tavern. They must post notices in every street and alleyway and have people broadcast them daily. No matter how troublesome or how much effort it takes, it must be carried out strictly. Otherwise, if the plague spreads, more than half the population in cities north and south could die.”

An old doctor with a long white beard stroked it and asked, “It sounds easy when you say it, young Sir, but a plague’s pestilential air has no shape or color. Cholera arises from hot, damp conditions and appears without a trace. The afflicted suffer sudden pain in the heart and abdomen, vomit and discharge all at once, and their muscles cramp. Those who develop severe symptoms die as soon as it attacks their abdomen. May I ask this young Sir, precisely how should we guard against it?”

At that time, physicians still believed all plagues were caused by foul air entering the body. Medically speaking, there was nothing incorrect in such a conclusion, yet it was limited by the era, for in terms of disease origin, it still fell somewhat short.

Yu Jinnian explained, “The turbid air of this great epidemic was not actually air at its root, but water. Throughout history, wherever there was a major flood, there was always a great epidemic, which showed that the source of the plague came from the filthy water borne by floods. Contaminated water was consumed by the people, letting the toxins within enter their bodies, causing diarrhea and vomiting. When these filthy discharges were not treated and were carelessly dumped into fields and rivers, the poisonous contagion polluted the fruits and vegetables in the fields, subsequently infecting more people. Or if someone else happened to come into contact with this filth and indirectly ingested it, it would also lead to infection.”

It sounded rather reasonable. Imperial Physician Chen asked, “Then in young Sir’s view, what should be done?”

“The most urgent task is to publicize these facts, telling everyone not to drink raw water and not to eat uncooked fruits and vegetables. One must wash hands thoroughly before meals and after using the latrine. Any household with an infected member must report truthfully so they could be isolated and treated. All medical halls in the city should not refuse treatment to plague patients, and we could not allow any potentially infected victim to roam freely in the city. We also had to prohibit the arbitrary dumping of filth. At the same time, we would demolish the medical tents that were too rudimentary, move their patients here, and set up additional clean water distribution sites in the city.”

Someone was the first to object, “How can this building possibly hold so many patients?”

Yu Jinnian said, “If one Sanyu Pavilion could not hold them, then we would have two; if two were insufficient, then three! Only by gathering all patients under our jurisdiction could the disease be controlled. I am not actually asking whether you all thought this method is feasible; rather, I am telling you that starting tomorrow, my Sanyu Pavilion would begin admitting patients. From the day a patient moved in, they would not leave until recovery. When this building is filled to capacity, then that would be the limit. Any among you who trusted my methods and wished to stay, I would naturally welcome. If any of you doubted my way of treatment, you could certainly leave.”

“This…”

Yu Jinnian continued, “I know each of you physicians had studied different schools of medicine, so your treatments would naturally differ. But as long as we saw results, I would not interfere. Only one rule applied: anyone in my building had to adhere to my regulations.”

“My building, including several rooms in the back courtyard, currently had forty-two rooms in total. We could house two mild cases in one room and give a single room to severe cases, thus accommodating over sixty patients. For every five rooms, there would be two nurses to handle the patients’ daily needs. For every three rooms, one chief physician would be placed in charge of diagnosis and treatment.”

“……” The crowd was momentarily stunned, momentarily at a loss for words.

It sounded as though he wanted the patients to stay in the building until they fully recovered?

Yu Jinnian paid no mind to their astonishment and went on, “All physicians and nurses would work in two shifts, rotating day and night over twelve hours. The shifts would change at the hour of Chen and the hour of You, so that those on duty could fully understand the patients’ conditions for that day or night. At the hour of Si and the hour of Xu, Imperial Physician Chen would lead a general inspection of the rooms. Every ten days, all doctors in the building would gather to summarize and discuss the course of the disease, analyze the current epidemic situation, and set the direction of upcoming treatment. In addition…”

He turned around, as though looking for something. Ji Hong was already one step ahead, handing him a book made of thin wooden boards and paper. Yu Jinnian smiled at him, took the object, and showed it to everyone, speaking loudly, “This is a medical record book. Every patient would have one copy, and the rotating physicians would record what medicine was used that day, what acupuncture was performed, and how the condition changed—no matter how trivial. It would all be written down until the patient either died or recovered and left. Then the record would be sealed and archived for future consultation.”

Upon hearing this, even Imperial Physician Chen, who had seen much over the years, was taken aback. Recording a patient’s file was not difficult—in the palace, for caution’s sake, they already did such things. But one file for each patient, recorded daily, seemed excessively meticulous. Even the imperial relatives had never done it to this extent. And as for these twice-daily “general inspections,” as well as assigning “nurses” to each room, it was completely unheard of and quite novel.

Yet if such a method worked, then once the epidemic subsided, these case histories—containing a huge number of medical examples—would be a precious treasure for future generations of physicians. If an epidemic emerged again in later times, they would have something to follow, something to track, a method to rely on, and past experiences to avoid repeating. This truly would be an immeasurable act of merit and virtue!

For a moment, Chen Yang could not determine whether this young man’s words were right or wrong, for in all of history, he was the first to try such a thing. He turned and looked at Ji Hong, only to see that Master Ji was calm and composed, filled with admiration, as if he was already used to the youth’s astonishing statements.

Yu Jinnian put away the medical record book and spoke slowly, “I knew all of you might have doubts about what I said, but special times called for special methods. This was merely the way things were done in my building. However, I would ask you all to remember that the source of this disease was contaminated water and the filth that patients vomited and discharged. Remembering that alone would cut the number of patients in this city by at least twenty percent. My lords and gentlemen, saving people is noble, but sacrificing oneself blindly is foolish. Whether you decided to help in my building or not, I beseeched you to protect yourselves when diagnosing and treating patients.”

Duan Ming held up the roster and called out loudly, “Is anyone willing to join?”

Everyone looked at each other without speaking.

At that moment, the carved main doors of Sanyu Pavilion swung open, and three men wearing black masks and straw hats walked in. It was impossible to see their faces clearly, but it seemed that one of them was old while the other two were young. The shortest one had a single topknot and carried a medicine chest on his back, following behind the elder. As for the other young man, the jade and gold at his waist glimmered with wealth.

The old man strode in and clapped his hands, laughing, “Good, good, good!”

Yu Jinnian stared at that black-lacquered medicine chest and suddenly gasped in surprise, parting his lips to exclaim, “Elder Luo, how did you—”

Before he finished speaking, the newcomer already laughed with a raspy voice and walked over to Duan Ming, who held the roster, signing his name casually as he muttered, “Young Sir Yu still had such extraordinary bearing! I wonder, would there still be room in this Sanyu Pavilion of yours for an old man like me?”

Was this not none other than that famous physician Luo Qian, Elder Luo, who had often interacted with Yu Jinnian in Xinan County? In that case, the one carrying the medicine chest had to be his little medicine apprentice, Chen Li!

Then who might that other young man be…

That youngster paid no heed to their exchange of greetings, just glanced about as though searching for someone. He silently counted the heads in the hall, but he did not see the one he most wanted to find. In a fit of anger, he tore off his straw hat and yanked down his mask, revealing a proud, haughty face.

With his pair of almond-shaped eyes opened wide, he glared at Yu Jinnian in annoyance and demanded, “Yu Jinnian! Where’s my Shitou?!”

Yu Jinnian: “—!!”