The day after Mengde arrived at General Huangfu Song’s governor’s residence, the steward of the household suddenly approached Huangfu Song with a hurried expression and whispered something in his ear.
Huangfu Song’s eyes widened in disbelief after hearing the report.
He immediately stood up from his seat and asked, “You’re saying two of Mengde’s guards who were crippled and one who was seriously wounded in the chest actually survived thanks to her treatment?!”
“I wouldn’t dare lie about this. I saw those three grievously injured men with my own eyes!” the steward replied seriously.
He had received Huangfu Song’s order earlier that day to check on the guards Mengde brought with her.
When he arrived, he was shocked to find three of the supposedly gravely wounded men alive and moving around.
Two of them had lost limbs, and the third had a deep gash across his chest.
In any normal military scenario, such injuries would have been a death sentence.
But somehow, all three had survived.
According to the other guards, the only reason those three were still alive was because Mengde had treated them herself.
Even the three wounded men couldn’t believe they had survived.
After all, they had served in the army before and knew just how low the survival rate was for injuries like theirs.
Typically, in the army, if ten soldiers suffered limb loss or severe trauma, only one might survive—if that.
But now, all three had lived. It was nothing short of a miracle.
***
Huangfu Song fell silent as he processed the news.
Realizing the significance of Mengde’s unique method for treating injuries, he immediately understood how valuable such a technique could be.
Veteran soldiers who had survived actual combat were far more valuable than fresh recruits.
If two armies faced off—one of experienced veterans, the other of green rookies—even a thousand veterans could crush ten thousand recruits.
The difference in combat effectiveness was staggering.
After all, new recruits had never seen real battle.
Their inexperience led to countless mistakes on the battlefield.
Those mistakes were precisely what set them apart from seasoned fighters.
This was the core reason why recruits could never match the power of veterans.
If the Han military could improve the survival rate of severely injured soldiers, the number of experienced veterans would naturally rise.
As a result, the overall combat power of the Han army would grow significantly.
Having reached this conclusion, Huangfu Song immediately turned to his steward and said, “Let’s go see Mengde—right now!”
“Yes, sir!”
The steward nodded and promptly led the way with Huangfu Song, heading toward the girl’s residence.
***
Less than fifteen minutes later, they arrived.
At that moment, Mengde was reclining in a lounge chair out in the courtyard, basking in the midday sun.
Liu Bei stood behind her like a bodyguard, peeling an orange with both hands.
The peeled slices were placed neatly on a small table beside her, ready for her to enjoy.
When Huangfu Song stepped into the courtyard and saw Mengde lounging so comfortably, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
Liu Bei, still focused on peeling oranges, noticed Huangfu Song approaching and quickly leaned forward to inform her.
“Miss, General Huangfu is here.”
“Oh?”
Upon hearing this, Mengde immediately rose from her lounge chair and greeted him with a respectful cupped-fist salute.
“You honor me with your presence, General. Is there something important that brings you here so suddenly?”
Huangfu Song glanced at Liu Bei standing behind her and couldn’t help but offer some advice.
“I see great potential in that boy. He has the makings of a future military commander. You shouldn’t demean him by making him peel oranges for you.”
Mengde chuckled at that and replied, “On the contrary, General. It’s precisely because Liu Bei has the potential to become a great general that I want him to peel oranges for me now. Otherwise, when he truly becomes a powerful commander in the future, how could I ever get him to do it then?”
“If I get him to do it now, then in the future, when Liu Bei has risen to prominence, I’ll be able to boast to others, ‘This guy used to peel oranges for me!’ Wouldn’t that be such a satisfying thing to say?”
“…”
“…”
Hearing her words, both Huangfu Song and Liu Bei were left speechless.
Huangfu Song could only shake his head with a helpless smile.
“Forget it, do as you like. Let’s get to the main point. The reason I came to see you today is quite simple. My steward just came to me in a rush and told me that three of your injured soldiers, who were in critical condition, all survived under your care. Is that true?”
“Yes, it’s true.”
Mengde nodded in confirmation, then quickly realized why Huangfu Song had come to find her.
She asked him directly, “General, are you asking how those three severely injured soldiers managed to survive?”
“Yes. This method could be extremely valuable to the Han army. If you are willing, I would be deeply grateful if you could share it with me.”
Despite being her elder, Huangfu Song cupped his hands and bowed respectfully, even lowering his own status in both speech and posture.
Mengde quickly returned the gesture and bowed in response.
“General, you’re too kind. It’s just a method for healing the wounded—nothing particularly important to me. Since you’re asking, I’d be happy to share it with you.”
Hearing this, Huangfu Song straightened up and gave Mengde a formal bow.
“Then please, teach me.”
“Oh, General, please don’t be like that!”
Mengde quickly reached out to help Huangfu Song back up.
At the same time, she explained the entire process she had used to heal the three critically injured men.
To her, it really wasn’t a big deal—it was just common knowledge from the modern world.
Mengde had far more important things stored in her mind.
Sharing this bit of knowledge with Huangfu Song was nothing more than a small favor.
She began her explanation.
“The treatment I used to save the wounded soldiers comes down to three main points. First, I used thread and needle to stitch their wounds shut. Second, I made sure the recovery room stayed clean and sanitary. Third, I paid attention to their mental health during recovery. On top of that, I made sure they ate good food while they healed—that’s basically it.”
“Could you explain the reasoning behind each step?”
“Of course. Let’s start with stitching the wounds. This prevents further blood loss and keeps the wound from tearing open again during the healing process. For example, one of the men had a gash across his chest.”
“If that wound hadn’t been stitched, even lying perfectly still in bed wouldn’t have kept it from splitting open again. Without stitching, he’d never fully recover.”
“Next is hygiene. Keeping the recovery area clean prevents infection. Think about it—if someone eats dirty food, they can die from it. Now imagine a wound on the body like an open mouth. If that ‘mouth’ consumes filth from the environment, the person will get sicker.”
“That’s why so many critically injured soldiers develop fevers—because their wounds have become infected. So to reduce the death rate among the severely wounded, the ward must be kept clean and well-ventilated.”
“Finally, the soldier’s mental state is extremely important. When a person is in good spirits, their body heals faster. I’m sure you’ve seen this for yourself, General. Think of the elderly who live long lives—aren’t they usually cheerful and optimistic? Have you ever seen a bitter, self-pitying elder live to old age?”
“…No, I haven’t.”
Huangfu Song paused to think for a moment, then shook his head, affirming her point.
“As for food—well-nourished patients recover faster. Food becomes flesh and blood. Look at kids around thirteen or fourteen who are in a growth spurt—they eat a lot, don’t they? Giving wounded soldiers full, nutritious meals helps them heal more quickly.”
“I see…”
***
After hearing Mengde’s explanation, Huangfu Song couldn’t help but show a hint of shame on his face.
At present, the way Han soldiers were treated after being wounded was the complete opposite of what Mengde had just described.
Their wounds were barely bandaged to stop the bleeding, and the injured were then dumped into a shared tent and left to fate.
Their injuries kept bleeding due to the rough and incomplete dressings.
The crowded tents reeked of blood and filth.
Their food rations were reduced since they couldn’t fight anymore.
All around them, others cried out in agony or died one by one, creating a sense of despair.
Under such conditions, it was a miracle if any wounded soldier managed to survive.
Huangfu Song couldn’t help but admire the soldiers who had lived through such dire circumstances.
‘It’s really not easy…’
He shook his head in silent awe, then cupped his hands and bowed to Mengde again.
“I’ve noted all the steps you mentioned. If they prove useful after I test them, then whatever you ask of me, Miss Mengde, I will do without objection.”
“Is that so?”
Mengde suddenly recalled the future massacre of prisoners that Huangfu Song would commit.
“…”
Seeing her stroke her chin in thought as if seriously considering what to request, Huangfu Song’s expression turned slightly awkward.
He quickly added, “Of course, nothing too outrageous! Please don’t ask me to do something completely beyond my ability.”
“Of course.”
Mengde replied with a sly smile and a slight nod.
Huangfu Song felt even more uneasy at that expression.
***
Just then, to keep him from overthinking, Mengde brought up another suggestion.
“By the way, General, if you plan to implement the treatment methods I mentioned in the army, I recommend recruiting some women and forming a dedicated medical team to care for the wounded. Women are generally more attentive and careful in matters of caregiving than men.”
“Women… in the army?”
When he heard that, Huangfu Song’s expression immediately turned strange.
He sighed and said, “That idea is a bit too unrealistic, Mengde. You have to understand—the army camps are full of young men in their twenties, full of energy and hormones. How could we just let them see women?”
Mengde smiled mischievously and replied, “I never said you had to recruit girls in their teens or twenties. You could just recruit women in their forties instead—do you think the soldiers would still get up to mischief? And if you’re still worried, then you could take it a step further—recruit the soldiers’ own mothers as part of the medical team.”
“Ah, well…”
Hearing that, Huangfu Song’s face twisted into an expression of helpless amusement.