Chapter 1167: A Legacy Passed Down

"I've created a platform for you that's higher than most people's, enough for you to live comfortably without much effort..." Chen Xi recalled someone's words to him in the past. "But if you don’t want that kind of life and want to forge your own path, I’ll support you. However, you must have the ability to do so." Chen Xi still remembered that advice clearly.

Looking back, Chen Xi could only say that every family has its own difficulties, and no matter how much support you have, nothing beats being strong and capable on your own.

"Zichuan, what are you thinking about?" Lu Su called out to Chen Xi a couple of times.

"I was just thinking about the past," Chen Xi said with a smile. "But let’s not talk about it—it's one of the reasons I favor the 'Way of Kings.'"

"The Way of Kings?" Jia Xu fell silent for a moment. The downside of the Way of Kings is that it tends to obscure individual talents, as it prioritizes collective harmony over showcasing personal excellence.

"Yes. To be honest, I'm not particularly skilled in military strategy, nor am I inclined toward the finer, more detailed aspects of governance. What I excel at is developing frameworks for progress," Chen Xi said with a smile.

"You're not skilled in military strategy, that much is true. But as for governance, it's not that you're incapable—it's more that you don't want to deal with the tedious aspects," Lu Su interrupted, cutting off Chen Xi's modesty. No one would believe him if he said he wasn’t good at governance.

"When I first arrived in Taishan, everything was in perfect order under your administration," Lu Su added, shaking his head. Sometimes, Chen Xi was too humble.

"And even if we concede that you aren't the best at military strategy, give you enough troops, and you still wouldn’t lose. You’re extremely good at putting the right people in the right places," Lu Su said, looking at Chen Xi. This was the clearest observation he’d had after all this time.

Chen Xi smiled wryly. Putting the right people in the right positions was something he had been taught as a core principle. Although, after arriving here, he could rely on historical precedence to make more accurate decisions, this was still one area where he excelled.

"Zichuan, aside from your martial abilities, you're quite well-rounded in every other aspect. You're somewhat of a polymath, much like Wenru," Jia Xu remarked after sipping his wine.

Just as Jia Xu was about to offer more praise, a servant handed him a letter. After reading it, Jia Xu said, "It seems we don’t need to continue with the flattery—Hua Tuo and the others have arrived."

A flicker of joy appeared on Lu Su's face, though it quickly faded. Chen Xi, meanwhile, rubbed his chin thoughtfully and said, "Let’s go, then. We should show some sincerity in welcoming them."

"Oh, by the way, any ideas on how to catch Dian Wei alive?" Lu Su asked suddenly.

"Just play it by ear. It's practically impossible," Chen Xi rolled his eyes. Everyone knew Dian Wei's combat prowess—how could anyone possibly capture him?

"Actually, speaking of that, I’ve been studying something else recently," Jia Xu chimed in. "After Lü Bu's ascension, I used my mental abilities to deduce and push forward all related information."

As Jia Xu stood up, both Chen Xi and Lu Su followed suit. There was no need to bother with formally ending the meal. However, what Jia Xu had just mentioned intrigued Chen Xi.

"What did you discover?" Chen Xi asked curiously.

"Our mental energy can leave an imprint through certain methods," Jia Xu said calmly. In truth, this was a form of achieving immortality, but Jia Xu wasn’t keen on making that explicit. His calculations had shown that for the complete fusion of spirit and body, it would take around seven hundred years...

Jia Xu scoffed at this result. If someone could live for seven hundred years, why would they even need such a method? It was essentially a dead end.

"A certain method?" Chen Xi’s first thought was a circuit diagram, but he quickly dismissed that idea.

"Leaving an imprint—on anything?" Lu Su, on the other hand, looked at it from a different angle.

"Maintaining the imprint consumes mental energy, but it can produce certain effects," Jia Xu said, shaking his head. He hadn’t delved too deeply into imprints; even researching one had given him a headache.

The more Chen Xi listened, the more it reminded him of a circuit diagram, with mental energy as the wiring and the essence of the heavens and earth as the electricity. But seeing Jia Xu's lack of enthusiasm, Chen Xi figured the results weren’t promising, so he didn’t press further.

"I’ll explore it when I have time," Chen Xi thought silently to himself.

By the time they arrived at the inn, a large crowd had already gathered around Hua Tuo, who now looked like a man in his prime.

"Wow, Hua Tuo is truly incredible. He’s even managed to create something that can reverse aging," Fa Zheng exclaimed in awe. Not long ago, Hua Tuo’s hair had been turning white, but now he looked so much younger—it was nothing short of miraculous.

"Indeed. He looks rejuvenated from the inside out," Huang Zhong said in disbelief, greeting Zhang Zhongjing as well.

"Han Sheng, you seem to be doing well," Zhang Zhongjing said, speaking casually as he was quite familiar with Huang Zhong.

"So, how is the state of medical development under my lord’s rule?" Huang Zhong asked with a smile.

"Almost perfect. I can barely find anything to criticize—except that some doctors refuse to treat commoners, which irritates me," Zhang Zhongjing replied after some thought.

"Oh, that sort of thing is happening?" Chen Xi squeezed through the crowd to address Zhang Zhongjing.

This was Chen Xi’s first time meeting the legendary physician, known in history as the "Saint of Medicine." In fact, Zhang Zhongjing’s contributions were even greater than Hua Tuo’s. However, in this lifetime, Chen Xi had preemptively taken some of Zhang's most significant innovations and handed them over to Hua Tuo, making Zhang Zhongjing seem less prominent by comparison.

"Why don’t you establish a code of medical ethics based on the moral standards you believe are appropriate?" Chen Xi suggested with a smile. Zhang Zhongjing's greatest contributions to history were twofold: eradicating typhoid fever and establishing a code of medical ethics for future generations.

These were the keys to his status as a medical saint. As for the typhoid epidemic, if Chen Xi hadn’t intervened, it would have wiped out the Han Dynasty. That plague had a mortality rate of 70% to 80%, killing nearly twenty million people in one sweep...

As long as Chen Xi had any sense, he would have tried to prevent that catastrophe. He hadn’t been concerned about taking credit for Zhang’s achievements at the time—saving millions of lives was more important.

Now that Zhang Zhongjing had brought up medical ethics, Chen Xi remembered the issue. At this point in time, the universal ethical standards for doctors weren’t well-established. Many doctors still refused to treat anyone except the wealthy and powerful.

The free medical clinics and proto-medical insurance system established in Taishan had garnered much public support, largely because most doctors rarely treated commoners.

"Hmm..." Zhang Zhongjing hesitated. He felt that Hua Tuo should take the lead on such matters.

"Putting it into writing would serve as a standard for centuries to come. In this regard, Hua Tuo cannot compare to you. Please, take up the pen and write it yourself. Compared to others, your skills, your ethics, and your writings are trustworthy," Chen Xi persuaded him with a smile. If Hua Tuo were to write it, the document might not stand the test of time. But Zhang Zhongjing’s medical ethics writings were renowned throughout history as masterpieces that endured for generations!

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