Chapter Seventy-Nine: The Ink Hospital

In this era of the Great Tang, where entertainment was exceedingly scarce, it is easy to imagine the popularity of cuju. Among the hot-blooded students of the Imperial College, it was especially well received. In truth, the most flourishing sport in the Tang was polo. It was said that Li Shimin himself was an avid enthusiast. However, the grounds within the Imperial College were too small to allow for polo, and the scholars there would not permit horses galloping and neighing about all day long. Thus, the fish market’s cuju became the best alternative.

“Come on, today we must defeat those fellows from the Alpha Dormitory,” Qin Huaiyu said. After finishing their parabolic experiments, the three of them eagerly sought out their old rivals for a decisive match.

Even Zu Mingjun was a devoted fan of cuju. After returning to the dormitory and putting away his family’s secret manuscripts, he immediately dragged Mo Dun into the game for a friendly match. Unfortunately, both of them were rank novices and neither team really wanted them. In the end, each side took one, and Mo Dun was unlucky enough to end up on Qin Huaiyu’s team.

With a loud thud, the cuju soared into the sky as a swarm of walking hormones charged across the field.

“Is this what you call a friendly match?” Mo Dun, terrified, shrank to the edge of the field. In later generations, he was even known as the Little Prince of Football.

But here, with unclear rules, no referee, bodies flying everywhere, and no protection whatsoever—just a bunch of brutes running wild and letting their hormones take charge—Mo Dun’s entire repertoire of football skills was rendered useless.

“Yes!” Cheng Chumo, relying on his robust physique, forced his way through three defenders to score, then exuberantly ran over to Mo Dun to show off.

“Mo Dun, hurry up and get in the game! If you weren’t holding us back, we’d have made them surrender by now!” Cheng Chumo shouted.

Mo Dun shook his head in terror, determined not to step onto the field. He was no fool; a gentleman does not stand under a crumbling wall. In just two quarters of an hour, each team was already short by three players. With his frail build, he would only end up as cannon fodder.

“Haha, the Mohist boy is scared!” The Alpha Dormitory boys, all covered in dust, jeered and mocked him.

“That’s not skill at all! If we played by my rules, I’d have you all in tears in minutes!” Mo Dun retorted angrily.

“Mo Dun, talk is cheap. A real man needs to be strong!” Qin Huaiyu bantered, his mouth full of crude jokes.

Zu Mingjun grinned widely, but his triumph was short-lived. The ball unexpectedly landed at his feet, and he kicked it with all his might.

A scream pierced the air as the ball shot skyward, and Zu Mingjun collapsed, clutching his leg.

“Are you all right?” Mo Dun cried out in alarm, rushing to his side. Zu Mingjun was gripping his ankle, teeth clenched, face slick with cold sweat. The match came to an abrupt halt as everyone gathered around anxiously.

“It might be a fracture! Take him to Master Hua at once,” Mo Dun urged after examining the swollen ankle. Such unprotected sports were prone to injury, but Zu Mingjun had been particularly unfortunate.

“Everyone, help out!” Cheng Chumo, the strongest among them, stooped down, and with combined effort, they hoisted Zu Mingjun onto his back.

Cheng Chumo charged out of the Imperial College gates, directly across the street from the Mohist Exhibition. There, a large sign fluttered in the wind.

“Moxian Hospital!”

Indeed, this was the collaborative project between the Mohist and Medical schools that Mo Dun had mentioned during the exhibition. Thanks to Li Chengqian’s status as Crown Prince, the land had been directly granted to the Medical School, three times the size of the Mohist Exhibition Hall. Without this gift, even with money, Mo Dun could never have acquired such a large plot in this area.

Master Hua arrived promptly, carefully examining Zu Mingjun’s injury.

“It’s only a hairline fracture. After setting it in plaster, he must not walk on it for half a month. There will be no lasting effects,” reported Master Hua—a piece of good news amid misfortune.

Plaster was something Mo Dun had incidentally created while making chalk; with the founding of the hospital, he recommended it to Master Hua.

A collective sigh of relief escaped the group. As long as there were no permanent consequences, all would be well.

“Thank you, Divine Healer Hua.”

To heal a fracture in half a month without aftereffects—at the medical level of the Great Tang—truly made Master Hua’s reputation well-deserved.

Soon, several medical apprentices came to clean the wound, splinted it with willow branches, and applied the plaster. A fresh linen bandage was wrapped tightly around Zu Mingjun’s foot.

“Oh! What happened here?” Li Chengqian appeared unexpectedly.

“What brings you here?” the crowd asked in surprise.

“The Moxian Hospital is opening today, of course I had to see for myself,” Li Chengqian replied with a smile. After all, as the hospital’s largest shareholder, he had contributed the most valuable asset—the land.

Li Chengqian inspected the plaster and bandages on Zu Mingjun’s foot, nodding approvingly. The palace physicians accompanying him were full of praise for the use of plaster and willow splints.

“This is an excellent method for treating bone injuries!” exclaimed a white-haired Imperial Medical Doctor, excitedly examining Zu Mingjun’s foot from every angle.

Li Chengqian’s confidence in this newly established hospital soared. It had barely opened and already devised such ingenious techniques. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret: had this existed when he first fell from his horse, he might have been spared his lingering foot ailment.

The wards were immaculate, the newly trained male nurses wore white coats and masks, and the walls were adorned with health education posters. The Imperial Medical Doctor, who had originally come to find fault, fell silent, realizing that, apart from having fewer physicians, the hospital surpassed the Imperial Medical Directorate in every other respect.

“Master Hua, well done!”

Mo Dun could not help but praise him. In only a few days, the hospital was already up and running smoothly.

“I dare not take the credit. It is all thanks to Young Master and His Highness’s generous support,” Master Hua replied sincerely. He knew well that without Li Chengqian’s donation of such a large plot, the manpower and effort from Mohist Village, and the miracle of plaster for bone injuries, none of this would be possible. In the precious city of Chang’an, it would have been impossible to establish such a grand hospital.

Moreover, ever since the Moxian Hospital began offering free treatment for foot ailments in Chang’an, a large number of patients had come seeking help. Among them were several cases very similar to His Highness’s. Once Master Hua had treated and studied them, he would combine their experiences to devise targeted rehabilitation training for Li Chengqian.

“Many thanks, Divine Healer Hua!” Li Chengqian exclaimed with delight.

After a thorough examination, Master Hua felt reassured. Li Chengqian’s injury was not of long standing, and the Imperial Medical Doctors had managed to prevent it from worsening, even if they could not cure it. With the addition of the foreign medical knowledge from the Mohist secret texts Mo Dun had shared, there was now great hope for Li Chengqian’s recovery.