During this injury, he had been staying in the medical tent the whole time, able to observe how they handled the wounded.

To be honest, Physician Cheng and his team’s efficiency seemed quite fast for this era, but in Fu Tinghan’s eyes, the division of labor was insufficiently clear, medical resources were extremely scarce, and efficiency was also extremely slow. They needed to change things from top to bottom.

Fu Tinghan was busy both conducting large-scale production trials of penicillin in Chen County and reforming the military medical system.

The announcement issued by Ji Yuan spread quickly and soon reached the ears of refugees wandering everywhere. Coincidentally, a group of refugees arrived at the Chen family fortified village, having heard that someone here was taking in refugees.

Upon arrival, they learned that the new Provincial Governor had designated this place as the county seat and was building a county capital here, so they were taking in refugees and providing work relief.

When the refugees heard this, their spirits lifted, and they immediately followed others into the fortified village seeking survival.

Those who entered all praised the Provincial Governor’s benevolence.

But privately, another rumor was quietly spreading. It was said that the newly arrived Provincial Governor was ruthless and cruel—whoever opposed her would be handed over to military physicians to be dissected alive.

The mountain bandits were handed over to military physicians for dissection because they refused to surrender and killed many of her soldiers. The methods were extremely cruel, and they even ate human flesh.

Among them was a young man dragging his wife and children who faintly heard this rumor. After brief contemplation, he dragged his family to the Chen family gate, requesting to see Zhao Hanzhang.

Recently, quite a few people had entered the fortified village, but very few had directly requested to see Zhao Hanzhang.

So when Zhao Hanzhang heard this, she immediately had someone invite him in.

The young man was thin but appeared quite tall. Seeing Zhao Hanzhang seated in the place of honor, he was somewhat surprised. Although he already knew their new Provincial Governor was a young woman, he hadn’t expected her to be this young.

But he dared not be negligent. Pulling his wife and children, he knelt on both knees and said, “Commoner Zhang Sheng pays respects to Your Excellency.”

“Please rise,” Zhao Hanzhang nodded warmly. “I heard you wished to see me. What matter brings you here?”

After rising, Zhang Sheng bowed and said, “I heard outside that Your Excellency is recruiting physicians, so I boldly came to try.”

“Oh?” Zhao Hanzhang knew this was an announcement issued by Ji Yuan through the Provincial Governor’s office. Interested, she leaned forward with a smile and asked, “Is your medical skill very good?”

Zhang Sheng said, “I consider it quite decent.”

His wife beside him was somewhat anxious, nervously clutching the corner of her garment. Zhao Hanzhang’s gaze swept over her as she asked with a smile, “Then may I know what ailments Physician Zhang specializes in?”

“I know a bit about everything. If I must name a particular specialty, it would be external injuries.”

This was indeed very suitable for a military physician.

Zhao Hanzhang said with a smile, “A few days ago during the bandit suppression, several soldiers in my army were injured and haven’t recovered yet. Would Physician Zhang be willing to treat them?”

Zhang Sheng agreed with one word.

Though it was now winter, some wounds that hadn’t healed well would still suppurate and rot, requiring the skin to be cut open, the pus and blood squeezed out, the rotting flesh cut away, and then medicine applied.

The patients Zhao Hanzhang had him treat were precisely this type.

Zhang Sheng showed no change in expression as he took out his knife and began working.

Seeing him cut away the rotting flesh even more skillfully than Physician Cheng, Zhao Hanzhang raised an eyebrow.

The wounded soldiers selected by Zhao Hanzhang totaled eight, each with slightly different conditions, all external injuries. Zhang Sheng successfully treated them all with practiced technique.

Zhao Hanzhang was very satisfied and invited Zhang Sheng to share the noon meal with her.

Zhang Sheng was slightly surprised. He was merely a physician, and although he had come to seek her patronage, he could only serve as a military physician. Were military physicians so well-treated nowadays?

A provincial governor personally inviting him to eat.

But Zhang Sheng still accepted, eating with Zhao Hanzhang somewhat apprehensively.

Zhao Hanzhang glanced at his wife and son, then said with a smile, “Physician Zhang is very fortunate to have his wife and children by his side.”

Zhang Sheng’s expression relaxed as he nodded slightly. “Yes, this is the greatest fortune of Sheng’s life.”

“Then may I ask if Physician Zhang would be willing to follow Hanzhang and settle down in Yuzhou from now on?” Since she was hiring someone, she naturally needed to lay out the conditions. Zhao Hanzhang didn’t like being vague about such matters, which would only make people suspicious, so she said directly, “Considering you have family, and they aren’t suited to military life, I’ll provide you with a house to live in either near the military camp or in the city.”

Zhang Sheng’s eyes brightened slightly. Zhao Hanzhang continued, “As for your compensation, it will be based on Physician Cheng’s—three thousand coins and three pecks of grain per month. What do you think?”

This compensation was very generous, which made Zhang Sheng somewhat apprehensive. “Then what would I need to do daily…”

“Naturally what a military physician should do. Besides that, I need you to teach apprentices,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “Yuzhou has ten commanderies and kingdoms with considerable stationed troops, and currently the military physicians in each army vary greatly in quality and are scarce. I need you to train some apprentices and occasionally teach classes at the academy.”

She added, “Of course, the compensation for teaching at the academy will be calculated separately.”

Zhang Sheng did not object.

Over this past year, they had wandered everywhere. He could survive only because he knew medicine. In desperate times, treating people occasionally earned some grain, allowing the family of three to survive, hungry one meal and full the next.

But stability and prosperity were impossible.

He had also sought to join some relatively large fortified villages, but the results weren’t very good.

First, physicians were much less valued than scholars. Second, his luck was poor—every time after joining someone, he would encounter acquaintances. His reputation was bad, so even after joining, he would be driven away.

Zhang Sheng hesitated but ultimately didn’t reveal his background. He decided to get by as long as he could, hoping that the next time he was driven away, he could earn more money and grain.

Zhao Hanzhang was very satisfied with him and immediately called Qiu Wu. “Take Physician Zhang to find a tent in the army to rest and settle his family well.”

Qiu Wu bowed and responded, “Yes.”

After Zhao Hanzhang finished processing the official documents sent from Chen County, she got up to find Zhao Cheng. Upon seeing him, her face broke into a broad smile as she hurried forward. “Uncle Cheng, did you rest well today?”

Zhao Cheng nodded slightly. “You’ve settled all those refugees I brought, and now I’m free with nothing to do. How could I not rest well?”

He understood this niece fairly well and knew she wouldn’t visit without reason, especially during such busy times, so he asked directly, “What do you want from me?”

“You know me well, Uncle,” Zhao Hanzhang said with a smile. “I want to ask Uncle Cheng for a few people.”

Zhao Cheng didn’t need her to specify to know whom she wanted. He said resignedly, “The older ones like Zhao Kuan and Zhao Rong have already gone with you. Those remaining by my side are all young men like Zhao Ze.”

He paused before saying, “As for those clan brothers of yours, if you don’t mind, take them.”

He was referring to the young men who had been following Zhao Cheng—only three of them. Two were from Zhao family branch lines with impoverished families who had gone to work for Seventh Great-Uncle’s household at age twelve, gradually becoming long-term workers.

When Zhao Cheng went out, they followed as coachmen and attendants. Nominally Zhao clan members, they had long been regarded as servants of Seventh Great-Uncle’s household.

But Zhao Cheng didn’t view them that way and had always let them study alongside his students. However, talent was something difficult to express in words.

Sometimes, without talent, no amount of effort helps.

These two belonged to that category.