Chapter 344 – Clouds Over the Capital (1)
【Eating while digging my toes】: So boring, why are there no bandits around to rob us?
【Old Driver Alliance】: I think these live streams have been dull too, but come on, even a brainless bandit wouldn’t come here to throw away their life! Money is tempting, but you need a life to enjoy it. Not to mention our host is a walking weapon, and those 5,000 guards aren’t just for show. Each one of them is decked out in armor and armed to the teeth—small-time bandits don’t stand a chance.
【Tonsillitis】: #Facepalm, as a newbie in this live chat, I think it’s not boring to watch the host take notes on first aid.
【Important Notice】: Exactly! I feel this mundane content is pretty good. I hope the host can spread this knowledge in this world and pave the way for the noble profession of “nurse,” elevating the social status of many vulnerable women.
The journey from Hejian to the capital was quite lengthy.
With 5,000 guards keeping watch, bandits dared not show their faces, and naturally, Jiang Pengji had some peace to herself.
With nothing to do, she focused on recording battlefield first aid knowledge, earnestly writing down notes, slowly amassing three to four hundred pages.
Ta Xue ground the ink for Jiang Pengji, but after several days, her curiosity finally got the best of her. She couldn’t help but ask,
“Servant sees Young Master cooped up in the carriage taking notes, but what exactly are you writing?”
Having just completed a page, Jiang Pengji carefully reviewed and confirmed it was error-free before drying the ink using an incense burner.
“Oh, it’s nothing much—just some simple medical techniques.” As she placed the dried paper into a box, she pulled out a fresh sheet and spread it on the desk. The carriage still jostled, yet it did not affect her neat handwriting.
Ta Xue, while grinding the ink, chuckled, “Medical techniques? Since when did Young Master take interest in such superficial matters?”
Jiang Pengji replied, “Medicine saves lives. The more I know, the more useful it will be someday. To me, that’s the right path.”
With that explanation, Ta Xue became oddly uninterested.
Her Young Master was indeed very intelligent and a quick learner, but mastering medical techniques wasn’t something easily achieved.
Even if she studied diligently for three to five years, she’d barely scratch the surface.
Soon, time slipped by quickly as Jiang Pengji remained silent, immersed in her writing.
Outside, a bright round moon quietly rose, and everyone stopped traveling to cook dinner.
Ta Xue covered her mouth, yawning sleepily, two tears escaping from the corners of her eyes.
Noticing this, Jiang Pengji said compassionately, “If you’re tired, go rest. I don’t need you to wait on me right now.”
Ta Xue held on valiantly and replied, “How can I? If I go to rest, who will grind ink for Young Master?”
With a sly smile, Jiang Pengji said, “Don’t forget, your Young Master has a Book Boy. Grinding ink is his job; just let him take over for you.”
Outside, Xu Ke sneezed quietly.
Ta Xue wasn’t one to overdo it; she truly felt exhausted. Just a moment ago while grinding, her head had been drooping, nearly drifting into sleep.
“Then I won’t refuse. I’ll go call Xu Young Master over.”
Jiang Pengji added, “Don’t forget to bring a box of ink sticks; we’ve run out here, and it won’t be enough for tonight’s writing.”
“Got it.”
Not long after Ta Xue left, Xu Ke entered the carriage, carrying a box of ink sticks. He lifted the curtain and saw the long-missed Jiang Pengji.
As he got inside, he immediately teased with a smile, “I was just wondering why I hadn’t seen Young Master these past few days. Turns out you’ve been working hard in here.”
He knew very well Jiang Pengji was restless, often enjoying rides on Big White and rarely staying quietly inside the carriage. But for these few days, it seemed like she had vanished without a trace.
Jiang Pengji pointed at the almost dried inkstone. “Grind ink.”
Xu Ke took out a fragrant ink stick, grinding it carefully while his gaze fell upon the papers Jiang Pengji was copying.
“What’s this you’re writing, Young Master…?”
“Some basic first aid knowledge…” Jiang Pengji rubbed her forehead, her wrist moving non-stop. “I’ve read a lot of military histories and noticed that more soldiers die not on the battlefield but from lack of treatment…”
Ta Xue and Xu Ke asked similar questions, yet Jiang Pengji’s answers were entirely different.
The latter keenly sensed something and cupped his hands, saying, “I hope it’s not too forward of me, but may I take a look?”
“Sure, go ahead…” Jiang Pengji casually pointed to a nearby box stacked with hundreds of papers, thick as a tome.
Xu Ke took it out for a closer inspection, his brow furrowing at first but slowly easing into amazement.
“This, this…” He almost stammered in excitement, while others found it just trivial knowledge, he saw the broader significance—these notes could save countless lives.
Biting his tongue to suppress his excitement, he asked, “This was compiled by Young Master?”
Jiang Pengji shook her head, saying, “No, most of it was copied from Master Cheng Wufu and consolidated by me into simple, understandable language. After all, not everyone can read, and if it’s too obscure, no one will grasp it.”
Master Cheng referred to Cheng Cheng.
Years ago, Cheng Cheng made a deal with Jiang Pengji; she provided bamboo paper, and he would copy all the books in his collection for her.
Now, almost three years later, he had only delivered two-thirds of the promised books—not because he was slacking, but because he had too many books to manage on his own.
Jiang Pengji attributed this knowledge to Cheng Cheng’s collection, and Xu Ke believed her entirely.
“I intend for the female troops to learn first aid knowledge. Women tend to be more detail-oriented than men, so they’ll have an advantage in learning.”
Xu Ke pondered, “Your plan is quite good, Young Master. While female troops may not fight on the battlefield, they can save the lives of severely wounded soldiers, achieving great merit. However… I still have concerns.”
“What’s worrying you?”
Xu Ke said, “Medicine is different from other fields; it concerns lives. If you insist on having female troops learn this, it’s best to hire a young doctor of high moral character and skill to teach them. If they self-study, I worry accidents may occur.”
Jiang Pengji nodded, “Your concerns are valid. I have the same intention; I’ll look for suitable candidates once we reach the capital.”
In ancient times, medical knowledge was quite rudimentary, but there were still exceptional talents; with careful searching, they could be found.
However, to teach the female troops first aid knowledge, it wasn’t necessary to find miraculous doctors—just a moderately skilled young doctor would suffice.
