242: Chapter 242 Huyan Zhuo's Distrust of the Qin Dynasty

After Zhao Fusu issued the instructions for sanitation rectification, he did not immediately force the changes, as doing so would only cause resentment among the Xiongnu Tribes.

He first gathered the leaders and high-level officials of the Tuan Tribe, Liefeng Tribe, Chiyanju Tribe, Shuangzong Tribe, Lingyu Tribe, and Qinglan Tribe, telling them that disease enters through the mouth and that the reason for the frequent outbreaks of pulmonary hydatid disease in the tribes was due to inadequate sanitation.

The three leaders Jin Tu, Qing Ying, and Lie Yun, along with Tian Ju and Lu Jia, had all contracted pulmonary hydatid disease this time. They had invited shamans to drive out the illness, but it was of no use at all.

Instead, their conditions grew increasingly severe. Just when they thought they were going to die of illness, they took the albendazole synthesized by Zhao Fusu, which stopped the deterioration and allowed their bodies to improve day by day.

In their hearts, they were filled with gratitude toward Zhao Fusu.

Zhao Fusu's directive was to reduce the prevalence of pulmonary hydatid disease, which was for the good of their tribes; how could they not support it?

Lu Jia said, "Our Lord said that the reason pulmonary hydatid disease is so prevalent in our tribes has a lot to do with the water we drink."

"We drink from the same water sources as the livestock. The parasite eggs carried by the livestock fall into the water source and are ingested by us."

"The water we drink is not boiled, making it even easier to fall ill!"

Lu Jia was a quick learner. During his time with the Xiongnu Tribes, he interacted with the Xiongnu people every day, learning the Xiongnu language bit by bit.

Now, without needing Cao Jiacheng, he could converse with Jin Tu, Qing Ying, and the others in the Xiongnu language.

"Our Lord wants us to promote this from house to house, so that the herders understand the concept and stop drinking raw water!"

"Good."

Leaders such as Jin Tu, Qing Ying, Lie Yun, and Ling Yu all nodded in agreement; for them, this was not a difficult task.

Lu Jia and Tian Ju personally led men to plan out the water source areas.

This was ancient times, where using water was not as convenient as for modern people who just turn a tap and the water comes.

If the herders wanted water, they often had to use heavy wooden buckets and travel over a dozen li, or even further, to a water source to fetch it.

Their water sources also had no protection.

Besides livestock, many wild animals would also come here to drink.

These wild animals and livestock were not like humans; they would defecate directly into the water source.

Lu Jia and Tian Ju frowned at the sight. The waste from these wild animals and livestock often contained parasites and their eggs. Their suffering from pulmonary hydatid disease was indeed, as His Majesty the Head of State said, due to drinking raw water containing parasite eggs.

They immediately had people rectify the water collection points, setting up fences to prevent wild animals and livestock from entering and relieving themselves at will.

All the herders of the Xiongnu Tribes at the Qinglan Base had performed the blood-treading ceremony with Great Qin. They trusted Great Qin relatively well, making the rectification process fairly simple.

However, implementing this across all the Xiongnu Tribes within the Right Worthy King's jurisdiction would not be so easy.

They still did not trust Great Qin.

The Huyan Tribe.

A middle-aged Xiongnu man wearing a leather hat looked anxious.

Inside a felt tent lay a white-haired old woman.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

With every cough from the old woman, a large amount of bright red blood was coughed up.

"Mother!"

Seeing this, the middle-aged Xiongnu man's expression of anxiety deepened.

He watched helplessly as his mother's condition grew more and more serious, but he had no way to help.

He had invited many shamans to perform healing rituals.

Among their healing methods, besides chanting incantations, there were also rituals like 'rope running,' burning reeds, and lighting longevity lamps.

'rope running' involved tying a rope to the center of the house with the end hanging down, then inviting several people to pull the patient and run in circles around the rope. This was accompanied by drums and the singing of many people.

This method of treatment could be said to be extremely draining!

If one wasn't dead, they would be tormented to the brink of death.

Huyan Zhuo's mother could previously still walk a few steps on the ground, but after the rope running, only half a breath remained.

The shamans then began to pray to the gods.

Their method was similar to the 'Spirit Master Dance' of the interior; they beat a round, flat leather drum with their middle fingers, humming and chanting while dancing around the patient, the rhythm getting faster and faster until they collapsed from dizziness.

They had many tricks, but even after they collapsed, Huyan Zhuo's mother showed no sign of improvement. Instead, she grew weaker, leaving Huyan Zhuo as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, not knowing what to do.

"Brother Huyan."

Yuwen Hu walked up to Huyan Zhuo and asked, "How is Mother's condition? Has there been any improvement?"

Huyan Zhuo shook his head, his face full of sorrow as he said, "I'm afraid she won't get better!"

Yuwen Hu said, "I see that Mother's illness is very much like the pulmonary hydatid disease the Qin people speak of. The Qin people's specific medicine for pulmonary hydatid disease might be able to cure her."

"No need."

Huyan Zhuo rejected him outright.

He was still quite resistant to Great Qin.

If it weren't for his mother being seriously ill and unable to travel, he would have long since led his tribe out of the Right Worthy King's territory to join the Royal Court.

"Brother Huyan..."

Yuwen Hu said, "To borrow a phrase from His Majesty the Head of State, prejudice in a person's heart is like a great mountain. Members of our Yuwen Tribe were cured by His Majesty's specific medicine. If you don't try it, how do you know it can't save her?"

"This..."

After hearing this, Huyan Zhuo fell silent. His good friend was not wrong.

His mother was ill to this extent; it was already certain that these shamans could not cure her.

Could the specific medicine from that mysterious Paramount Leader of Great Qin really cure his mother?

Huyan Zhuo still did not trust Great Qin.

He also didn't quite believe in Zhao Fusu's medicine.

"Brother Huyan!"

Yuwen Hu said, "Please believe in the medicine developed by His Majesty."

"Fine."

After hesitating repeatedly, Huyan Zhuo looked at his terminally ill old mother and finally nodded.

He asked, "How can I obtain this medicine?"

"I have already brought the medicine for you,"

Yuwen Hu said.

"Great kindness cannot be expressed in words!"

Huyan Zhuo said, "If my mother can truly be saved by this medicine, our Huyan Tribe will never forget the kindness of the Yuwen Tribe."

Yuwen Hu waved his hand and said, "The medicine was developed by His Majesty the Head of State. If you want to thank someone, thank His Majesty. I only brought it over."

"Mm."

Huyan Zhuo nodded.

Yuwen Hu said, "This medicine is taken two tablets at a time, three times a day."

"Good."

Huyan Zhuo dismissed the shamans and arranged for someone to feed his mother the medicine.

"Brother Huyan, I've brought you something else good!"

"Oh?"

Huyan Zhuo became curious.