The stench of rot and blood filled his nose. The patients lying on the Bamboo-Rack Beds wore agonized expressions, with pus, blood, and herbal juices seeping from the large patches of rotten flesh on their faces.
Shen Yangge froze in place. He had paused for only a moment before Physician Liu urged him, "Shen Zhuanxie, please lend me a hand. Be careful, and try not to touch the patients' skin. Oh, have you cleansed your hands with herbs?"
"I have."
He walked over and helped Physician Liu lift one patient's head. Though the thick white cloth kept him from feeling anything directly, Shen Yangge's lashes still trembled. But he soon returned to his usual self.
The patient opened his eyes groggily and began crying the moment he saw him. "Am I going to die?"
"I can't die yet. I have two children at home, and elderly parents."
Shen Yangge paused and pressed his lips together. Only after a long moment did he answer, "Brother, you're tougher than stone. You won't die that easily."
"Cooperate with the treatment, and you'll get better."
The man froze too. This was the first time he had met such an approachable official, nothing like the ones he had known before. His eyes brimmed with tears, and he continued between sobs, "My lord, you're truly a good man. Once this humble commoner recovers, I'll be sure to give you my daughter as a concubine."
It had been a deeply moving scene, but the man's final words made Shen Yangge's scalp twitch. With a hollow smile, he dodged the subject. "All right, save your strength. You'll have plenty to howl about in a moment."
Su Shang listened silently, then made a note: Lord Shen did not refuse the old man's daughter.
After they had applied medicine to