Seeking Medicine and Meeting Gao Shun

"Foster father, I am here." Lan Ziyu rushed over in a single stride.

Although it was midsummer, Gan Ji's body had suddenly turned icy cold, so Lan Ziyu hurriedly found a thick quilt to cover him.

Li Yang glanced at Gan Ji on the sickbed and said, "The master is alternating between chills and fever; this looks like a cold-heat illness. We must find a physician as soon as possible."

"It seems I must enter the city to find a physician and, while I'm at it, inquire about my sister's whereabouts." Lan Ziyu stood up.

"Entering the city at this hour, I fear..." Li Yang originally wanted to dissuade him, but Lan Ziyu's gaze was exceptionally firm.

"Little Li, I leave my foster father to you."

"Young Master, go ahead without worry. Your father is my father; I won't be going home tonight," Li Yang said, patting his chest.

"Very well." Lan Ziyu changed his clothes, gave Li Yang a few instructions, and then, taking advantage of the sunset's afterglow, ran toward Xiaopei.

When Lan Ziyu arrived at the city gate, several soldiers were preparing to close it.

"Please wait a moment!" Lan Ziyu shouted as he ran.

The soldiers found it strange. After Xiaopei City had fallen, everyone else was trying every possible way to escape, yet this kid was actually trying to squeeze inside. Regarding Lan Ziyu as a "fool," they chuckled and let him in.

Lan Ziyu had been to Xiaopei City a few times, but the situation was different after entering this time; the streets were almost empty, save for a few patrolling squads of soldiers.

Lan Ziyu wandered alone like a headless fly and was soon discovered by the patrol.

An officer pointed at him and barked, "Who are you? Why are you scurrying about alone here?"

Lan Ziyu bowed with cupped hands, "My father is gravely ill, and I have come to the city to find a physician. May I ask where one can be found?"

The officer laughed heartily upon hearing this, "You certainly have guts. Where would you find a physician now? The city will be under curfew shortly. Go home quickly, lest you be caught and treated as a spy."

Lan Ziyu's heart sank immediately, thinking that the ancient world was nothing like later generations where shops stayed open until late.

Xiaopei City had just fallen today, and the residents were in a state of panic. Coupled with the fact that it was growing dark, it was indeed difficult to find a physician, but with the city gates now closed, Lan Ziyu had nowhere else to go.

"May I ask whose subordinate you are? Is it General Zhang Wenyuan?"

Lan Ziyu had no choice but to burn his bridges; at a critical moment, he had to try to pull some strings.

He did not know about the reinforcements Gao Shun had brought, but when Zhang Liao first led troops to attack Xiaopei, he had guessed from the banners from afar. He figured that this fellow might have a friendship with Gao Shun, and wondered if he could ask him for a favor.

The officer suddenly frowned upon hearing this and drew his sword, "Could it be that you really are a spy? How do you know General Zhang's name?"

Lan Ziyu was startled, not expecting this fellow to be so alert. He hurriedly waved his hands and said, "I am a friend of General Gao; I heard General Zhang's name from him."

"General Gao? Which General Gao?"

"General Gao Boping."

"You know General Gao? And you claim to be his friend?" the man asked suspiciously, having unknowingly sheathed his sword.

Lan Ziyu bowed and said, "I don't know if it counts as friendship; we have only met a few times, and I once sent him some local produce."

"Are you Lan Ziyu?" the officer exclaimed.

"You know me?" Lan Ziyu was bewildered.

"Haha, the local produce you sent to Xiapi was brought into the barracks by me! I apologize for the offense just now; I will take you to see the General now." The man laughed and cupped his hands.

Lan Ziyu wondered when Gao Shun had arrived, and to think he would run into a grunt who recognized him—truly, one meets noble people when stepping out.

"May I ask how to address you, General?" Lan Ziyu asked, following behind the man.

"My name is Gao Yuan. I am a fellow villager of General Gao. I am just a minor officer, not a general," the man said sheepishly.

The military structure of this period was generally consistent: five men made a lie (file), which had a leader; two lie made a huo (squad), which had a head; five huo made a dui (platoon), which had a head; two dui made a guan, which had a commander; two guan made a qu, which had a hou; two hou made a bu, which had a sima; two bu made a xiao, which had a wei; two xiao made a pi, which had a general; two pi made a jun (army), which had a general and a vice-general.

This structure was a binary system of "quasi-square formations." The most basic unit was the huo (the file leader was not considered an officer). Each huo head managed ten men, each dui head managed fifty, each guan commander managed one hundred, each qu hou managed two hundred, each bu sima managed four hundred, each xiao wei managed eight hundred, and each pi general managed one thousand six hundred. An army managed three thousand two hundred men, commanded by a general with a title.

Although the structure was generally consistent, the actual situation varied greatly, mainly because units above the xiao wei level were often overstaffed. If the troop count exceeded the limit, a "separate unit" would be added, which was equivalent to Li Yunlong's Independent Regiment—it had the structure of a regiment but the troop strength of a division.

This Gao Yuan was a fellow villager of Gao Shun, yet he was only an officer managing one hundred men, which showed that Gao Shun's character was upright and incorruptible.

Lan Ziyu arrived in front of the main tent. Gao Yuan went in to report first, and upon learning of his arrival, Gao Shun strode out of the tent.

"Why has the gentleman come here?" Gao Shun saw it was indeed Lan Ziyu.

"General, I trust you have been well." Lan Ziyu bowed. He knew that with Gao Shun present, Gan Qian should be safe.

"Master Ziyu, please come inside." Gao Shun grabbed his hand and walked into the tent, ordering Xu Shuang and the other officers to return to their rest.

The two sat opposite each other in the tent. Gao Shun said, "Is this for Lady Gan? I have already had people settle her in the county office; Master Ziyu need not worry."

"Many thanks for your care, General. Aside from inquiring about my sister, I also came to the city to find a physician," Lan Ziyu thanked him again.

"A physician? Is Ziyu ill?"

Lan Ziyu shook his head and said, "My foster father fell ill suddenly today. With the streets locked up, I was at a loss."

Seeing Lan Ziyu's sincere tone, Gao Shun pondered for a moment, then summoned Gao Yuan and ordered, "Take your men and immediately go into the streets to ask door-to-door. Bring every physician in the city to the camp for service."

"Ah? We only just finished pacifying the people this afternoon; going back now, I fear..." Gao Yuan looked surprised.

"Pacify the people again after you finish fetching the physicians," Gao Shun said sternly.

"Understood." Gao Yuan turned and walked out of the main tent.

"Great kindness needs no thanks." Lan Ziyu stood up and bowed once more.

"Please, sir, take a seat. I believe there will be news shortly," Gao Shun said with a wave of his hand.

Lan Tian suddenly felt very small. Without Gao Shun's help, where would he have found a physician at this hour? It seemed that in any era, power was incredibly useful; no wonder countless heroes had fought tooth and nail for it over the millennia.

"When does the General return to Xiapi?" Lan Tian asked.

"We shall return after two days of rest. Do you have any message you wish to send to the young lady?" Gao Shun asked.

Lan Tian first shook his head, then added, "Why have I not received any word from Lady Lu these past two years?"

"You do not know?" Gao Shun asked, puzzled.

Lan Tian wore a blank expression, shaking his head like a rattle-drum.

Gao Shun stroked his beard, looking at him with suspicion before saying, "After the young lady returned from Xiaopei last time, she remained sullen. She said that Liu Bei and my lord were at daggers drawn, and she did not wish to put you in a difficult position by being caught in the middle. I had assumed someone else had said something to her."

"It was certainly not me," Lan Tian said hurriedly.

Gao Shun nodded. "I also know it was not you, sir. It is just that the young lady has been filled with sorrow ever since. Although she took the initiative to cut off contact with you, she has actually been very concerned for your safety. Before this campaign, she even instructed me to look after you."

Lan Tian stood frozen in place after hearing this. In this era, most women were mere appendages to men; a brave girl like Lu Lingqi was truly a rarity.

Thinking of this, Lan Tian felt he could not just sit and wait for death. After all, the time Cao Cao had left for Lu Bu was running out. He had to find a way to change this girl's fate, even if she were to hate him in the future, so that he might have a clear conscience.