Chapter 42: Nursing

Among the ailments in the military, none is more critical than spear and arrow wounds, hence they take precedence. Next are those suffering from poisoning, followed by those who have fallen from horses or been bitten by them. These four types of injuries occur primarily in the army, and thus they are prioritized.

A long history has also given the medical officers considerable expertise in treating the wounded.

Military medical care emphasizes staunching bleeding, removing blood stasis, and setting bones. As early as the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the technique of twisting mulberry bark into threads to suture wounds was invented, and it was quickly promoted throughout the army. For fractures, the Jin Dynasty had already learned to use bamboo strips as splints to immobilize broken bones.

As for incising muscle to extract arrowheads, that goes without saying.

In short, current military medical treatments involve taking hemostatic medicine, washing wounds, suturing when necessary, and applying ointments. Surgical procedures also employ scraping, sawing, chiseling, and pulling, with many of the tools being quite advanced.

"In the future, when wrapping wounds, be sure to boil the cloth in boiling water first." Looking at the wounded soldiers in the infirmary with a sense of utter helplessness, Ma Xun could only voice some of his own perspectives. "Use clean cloth whenever possible, and never use damp cloth."

Ma Xun had not been able to produce high-concentration alcohol, let alone iodophor or gentian violet.

Under the existing conditions, he could only strive to improve the standards of medicine and nursing as much as possible.

Nursing?
Florence Nightingale?
The Lady with the Lamp?

Many soldiers nowadays died not from battlefield wounds themselves, but from contracting diseases outside the battlefield or dying from the severity of their wounds due to a lack of proper nursing after being injured on the battlefield. Very few actually died directly on the front lines.

As for infections and the like, penicillin was not produced as a medicine until World War II, when it held a status equal to that of the atomic bomb.

Meanwhile, Florence Nightingale recognized and studied the nursing system during the Crimean War from 1853 to 1856, effectively pioneering nursing science and the profession of nursing in the true sense.

When antibiotics and the like were available, they were naturally used for care; when unavailable, care was administered by methods without them. As long as the mortality rate could be reduced, that was enough!

As the Empress's younger brother, and having built a reputation for possessing medical skills, he naturally commanded a high degree of respect and attention.

Above all, Ma Xun's identity afforded him great convenience. Whether it was walking through the wounded soldiers' camp or requesting the accompanying scribes to organize documents, he could do it all with ease.

Having finished his busy day, Ma Xun had just returned to the main military headquarters when Xu Da remarked, "Our younger brother is benevolent and kind-hearted, going once again to tend to the wounded."

Ma Xun sighed and said, "Many of them are even younger than me, or should have already retired and returned to their hometowns. Yet they have been wounded or maimed like this, and it breaks my heart to look at them."

Xu Da could only comfort him, saying, "Once we finish fighting this war, not only will the soldiers be able to live in peace, but the common people will also be able to settle down and enjoy their work."

With eager anticipation, Ma Xun said, "That would be the best outcome."

Xu Da continued, "I have sent Lan Yu and Mu Ying to pursue He Zongzhe. This man was originally a prominent general under Zhang Liangchen, and earlier he led elite forces in attacking Fengxiang."

Curious, Ma Xun asked, "Shouldn't he be fleeing by now?"

Xu Da could not say for sure. "If he learns that Qingyang has fallen, he will certainly worry about being surrounded and will run away at the very first opportunity. However, if he knows nothing of what happened at Qingyang, we might just annihilate his entire force!"

These were all highly probable scenarios. Although Qingyang had previously been besieged, Wang Baobao, He Zongzhe, and the others were still desperately trying to break the Ming army's encirclement in an attempt to relieve the pressure on Qingyang by attacking elsewhere.

Ma Xun did not know whether he would bring about any major changes to this war, but certain changes were undeniably real.

For instance, Chang Yuchun had been saved from death, Li Wenzhong had lifted the siege of Datong much earlier, and the ones who breached the city to capture and execute Zhang Liangchen were Lan Yu and Mu Ying. These were all deviations from history.

Whether He Zongzhe could escape now would depend on subsequent developments.

Tang He strode in loudly and announced, "Tiande, little brother, quickly get some fine wine and delicious food ready for me."

Upon seeing Ma Xun, Tang He immediately smiled. "You don't have to go into battle and kill people. When we are fighting, you are clean and refreshed. When we aren't fighting, you're covered in blood."

Xu Da was long accustomed to this, and Ma Xun had also grown used to Tang He's uninhibited bluntness.

It wasn't necessarily that Tang He harbored malicious intentions or lacked emotional intelligence; it was simply that a rough-hewn man like him lacked such sensitivity and spoke his mind the moment a thought crossed it.

Xu Da smiled. "Our younger brother is a master of medicine. Isn't it a good thing that he goes to treat the wounded soldiers?"

Tang He nodded and said, "If we can really save a few more veteran soldiers, that would indeed be a good thing. The old brothers who follow us to conquer the realm are seasoned experts, far more formidable than fresh recruits."

Veterans who had survived a hundred battles, even if their individual martial prowess was average, could exert a tremendous influence on the battlefield. And training a qualified soldier was no easy task.

Ancient warfare did not consider a man a soldier simply because he was given armor and a weapon. The current Ming army was no longer the Red Turban Army of the early uprising days; there was no longer any need to round up people and shove them blindly into the ranks.

Even back in the days of the Red Turban Army, Zhu Yuanzhang had spared no effort in training his troops; otherwise, he could never have won victory after victory, repeatedly defeating superior forces with inferior ones and emerging triumphant against the odds.

Xu Da looked at Tang He and said, "There is no wine, but we do have some good food."

Ma Xun asked, "Has the military baggage and provisions arranged by Chancellor Li been delivered?"

Both Xu Da and Tang He laughed. Although Li Shanchang could be somewhat petty at times, his administrative competence was beyond reproach.

Whether they were back in Dingyuan or Chuzhou, or after arriving in Yingtian Prefecture, this Mister Li had always been in charge of logistics and supplies.

With Xu Da and the others fighting on the front lines, they practically never had to worry about supply lines or provisions.

"We have captured Qingyang, and Guanzhong is secured. Naturally, the supplies are being delivered," Tang He said happily. "Not only have the provisions arrived, but cartloads of straw, clothing, and furs have been brought up as well."

The massive army was going to spend the winter west of Guanzhong, and preparations for winter supplies had to begin now.

Ma Xun observed, "I noticed there weren't many livestock or the like left in Qingyang city. Such a pity."

"There is plenty of meat soup inside the city, but our younger brother wouldn't want to enter," Tang He teased jokingly. "Though some garments stripped from the enemy can be washed and still put to use."

Ma Xun tapped the table and said with helpless resignation, "Brother Tang, we are about to eat. Could you not bring up such disgusting topics?"

It was quite common to strip the clothes and armor of Zhang Liangchen's fallen soldiers. Although the Ming army did not seem short of armor and rations, winter clothing was often in short supply.

Moreover, the realm was not yet entirely pacified, and many soldiers lived in harsh conditions. No one was overly squeamish; as long as there was clothing to wear, that was enough.

As for the meat soup in Qingyang city, no one cared to taste it unless they were monsters like Cheng Yu or Zhu Can.

Tang He burst into laughter, finding great amusement in teasing Ma Xun—who else could be the butt of these jokes if not their youngest brother?

Xu Da understood as well. Because Ma Xun was young and they shared a natural closeness, teasing him casually was simply their way of showing affection.

As for whether Ma Xun would find it annoying—they were all grown men, with no room for such delicate sensibilities.

Seeing that Xu Da would not offer wine, Tang He fished a small waterskin out from his bosom.

Although the prohibition on alcohol remained in place, it was considerably more relaxed than in previous years. Now that the battle had concluded, drinking a little wine was of no consequence, provided it did not interfere with official duties.

"We are merely waiting for His Majesty's decree to arrive before we set off back to the capital," Xu Da said with a hint of anticipation. "After fighting campaigns for over two years, it is indeed time to return."

Not to mention how eagerly Xu Da anticipated it, Tang He was looking forward to it just as much. With the battle of Qingyang concluded and the main army temporarily incapable of launching further attacks against Wang Baobao, these top generals would soon return to the capital to receive their rewards.

Ma Xun asked directly, "Is Brother Tang returning as well? Wouldn't it be better for him to stay and keep Feng Sheng in check?"

Tang He looked at Ma Xun speechlessly. "What is there to keep Feng Zongyi in check for? The man has genuine ability, and I respect him. Even if he had ambitions, he would never betray your brother-in-law."

I'm not afraid of him rebelling; I'm afraid of him unilaterally marching his army back to Guanzhong!