Chapter 11: The Birth of a Renowned Doctor [2]
“Scholar Baek?”
The governor’s eyebrows shot up.
There were only two people with the surname Baek here.
Surely, he wasn’t referring to Seungmun.
That left only one other person.
Baek Kang-hyuk, infamous throughout Suwon for his unruly behavior.
Kang-hyuk was so notorious that even the Governor-General of Gyeonggi knew his name.
The one blot on the otherwise spotless record of Seungmun, a well-known scholar and accomplished government official.
But to think that Kang-hyuk had the medical skills to save someone…
It was unbelievable.
“That… Baek Kang-hyuk?”
The Governor-General, clearly flustered, blurted out his full name.
Despite his high status, it was a grave breach of etiquette, especially considering that Seungmun was his senior in both rank and age.
“Oh, I apologize.”
“No, it’s fine. Kang-hyuk, was the patient you treated yesterday really the pyeonsu?”
Seungmun, equally astonished, stuttered slightly as he spoke.
Having just heard the story from the courtesan standing by the governor, his surprise only deepened.
It was common knowledge that when someone collapsed like that, they rarely ever recovered.
Many scholars in those days took an interest in medicine, and Seungmun was no exception.
He had read medical books and even treated his own servants when they were sick.
But from what the courtesan said, Kang-hyuk was practically the reincarnation of Hua Tuo or Bian Que (legendary Chinese physicians).
No wonder he couldn’t close his mouth in shock.
Meanwhile, Kang-hyuk himself was completely unfazed.
‘Why are they making such a fuss over something so trivial?’
Back at the hospital, he’d dealt with cases like the pyeonsu’s every day.
He stood up and replied calmly, as if it were no big deal.
“Yes, Father. I did treat him.”
“Huh.”
Seungmun let out a short sigh.
Though surprised, his face was filled with pride.
On the other hand, the governor and the Governor-General had different thoughts.
‘You can’t trust what courtesans say, surely.’
They figured it must have been nothing special.
Especially the governor, who fancied himself knowledgeable in medicine, refused to acknowledge Kang-hyuk.
None of the skilled doctors he had ever met had been so young.
But not everyone thought the same.
Most of the people who hadn’t been seated at the main table were now eyeing Kang-hyuk with interest.
Especially the middle-aged men, whose gazes were fixed on him.
By that age, almost everyone had at least one nagging health issue.
As expected, after the banquet had ended, several people approached Kang-hyuk.
“It’s been a while. I hate to trouble you, but my back has been hurting lately. Is there anything you can do?”
“I twisted my ankle on the way here. Do you mind taking a look?”
These requests came mostly from local noblemen.
It wasn’t as though they could just take off their clothes for a public examination on the street.
Kang-hyuk, holding the reins of his horse, answered them.
“Feel free to come by my house anytime. If anyone else is sick, you can bring them along too.”
“Oh, really? Alright, I’ll visit you tomorrow then.”
“Understood. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Kang-hyuk mounted his horse.
Though it had felt awkward at first, he quickly grew accustomed to it after one ride.
Just as he was about to leave, Yeon came running towards him, accompanied by the pyeonsu and Makbong.
“My lord, are you leaving now?”
“Yes, I must return home.”
“We haven’t been able to properly thank you… This is the payment we received from the magistrate, please accept it.”
At Yeon’s words, Makbong groaned as he brought out a chest.
Inside were several mink and deer pelts, highly valuable items.
Even Seungmun, standing nearby, burst into laughter.
“Kang-hyuk, you saved a life. You should accept it.”
“Oh, yes, Father. Thank you. I will accept it. And Yeon, since the pyeonsu isn’t fully recovered yet, make sure to come by every day for a while.”
“Of course, my lord. The pyeonsu and I have already discussed staying here for some time.”
“That’s good to hear. Well then, take care.”
“Yes, my lord.”
While everyone seemed to be in high spirits, there was one person with a sour expression.
Dolseok, who had to carry the heavy chest, wasn’t too pleased.
He couldn’t very well pass it off to the servant holding Seungmun’s reins, so he was stuck with the burden.
“Oof.”
The chest was heavy, and Dolseok groaned with every step.
Yet, being a sturdy man, he managed to keep pace without faltering.
After traveling for a while, Seungmun looked back.
Riding his horse with perfect ease, his upper body remained still as if he weren’t even moving.
“By the way, what happened yesterday? The courtesan said the pyeonsu was at death’s door.”
Kang-hyuk explained it matter-of-factly.
“His heart had stopped, so I restarted it.”
“Is that true? Is such a thing even possible?”
“Once you know the principles, it’s not difficult, Father.”
“Hmm. Just like with Okseok, you truly have a remarkable gift. I thought you were just wandering around aimlessly, but…”
The best thing would be for him to start studying for the civil service exams immediately.
But Seungmun had long since abandoned that hope.
At this point, he was just grateful that Kang-hyuk was doing anything useful.
“By the way, Father.”
“Yes?”
“Starting tomorrow, I’m going to begin seeing patients properly. It’s a bit inconvenient to do it in my room…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll have a room prepared for you. Leave it to me.”
“Thank you.”
Seungmun’s face flushed with pride, clearly proud of his son.
Dolseok, too, was excited as if it were his own achievement.
“Everyone who saw you yesterday will come rushing over, I’m sure. Master’s medical skills are truly beyond this world.”
“What do you know? Just focus on leading the horse.”
Despite being pleased, Seungmun scolded Dolseok.
But the lighthearted atmosphere was so infectious that Dolseok merely grinned.
“Yes, yes, my lord. Shoo! Make way!”
After riding for a while, Seungmun called out to Kang-hyuk again.
“Kang-hyuk.”
“Yes, Father?”
“It’s good that you have a deep interest in medicine. But you must also focus on your studies for the civil service exams, understood?”
Kang-hyuk had no intention of studying for the exams at this point.
Back in the day, he had memorized quite a few Chinese characters during his time in the calligraphy club, but that was ancient history.
Now, he could barely manage his own name and a few poems.
‘No need to cause unnecessary trouble.’
From what he could tell, the original Kang-hyuk must have been quite the troublemaker.
Even if he only put on a half-hearted show, no one would know the difference.
“Yes, Father.”
“Alright, let’s hurry home.”
As soon as they arrived, Seungmun instructed the servants to prepare a clean, empty room in the separate building.
It had to be spotless, as it would serve as Kang-hyuk’s clinic.
Once Dolseok had finished making the arrangements, he called for Kang-hyuk.
“Master, it’s ready. Come have a look.”
“Alright, let’s see.”
Following Dolseok, Kang-hyuk headed towards the separate building.
It was usually reserved for guests, so it was completely empty.
“It’s still cold since we haven’t lit the fire.”
“That’s fine.”
Kang-hyuk strode into the room.
It was clear that Seungmun had put a lot of effort into this. The cushions were freshly cleaned, and there were bedding arrangements for patients to lie down on.
It wasn’t quite a hospital, but it was at least on par with a rural health clinic.
“This will do nicely. It’s perfect.”
“Thank you, Master.”
“Great. We’ll start working here tomorrow. Make sure you’re ready to help.”
“Me too?”
“Of course. Learning medicine might be useful for you too, don’t you think?”
“Ah…”
Dolseok hesitated for a moment before nodding.
After all, wasn’t he just a servant?
If Kang-hyuk told him to do something, he had no reason to refuse.
And it wasn’t as though it was dangerous work.
Learning a new skill couldn’t hurt, right?
“Yes, Master.”
“Good. Now get some rest. Tomorrow might be a busy day.”
“Surely, people won’t come rushing in on the first day.”
“You never know.”
Back at the hospital, Kang-hyuk’s appointments were in such high demand that even politicians had trouble booking a time.
‘But it won’t be like that here.’
That would be ridiculous.
In fact, there was a good chance that none of the people who said they would come would actually show up.
Still, it was best to be prepared.
“Have two basins of boiling water ready tomorrow. We might need it if patients come.”
“Boiling water? Got it.”
“Alright, let’s really rest now.”
“Yes, Master.”
Dolseok, his arms still sore from carrying the heavy chest, dashed off to his quarters.
He kept rubbing his aching arms, clearly not in good shape.
“Dolseok.”
Even though Kang-hyuk called him softly, Dolseok stopped in his tracks like a statue.
He had always been loyal, but ever since witnessing Kang-hyuk cure Okseok and the pyeonsu, his devotion had deepened even further.
“Yes, Master?”
“Take this before bed. It will help with your arm pain.”
Kang-hyuk handed him some anti-inflammatory medicine.
Knowing how precious the medicine was, Dolseok accepted it with both hands, bowing deeply.
“Thank you, Master!”
“Alright. See you tomorrow.”
After sending Dolseok off, Kang-hyuk didn’t go inside right away. He stood there for a moment, staring at the sky.
It wasn’t so different from the world he used to know.
Except for the unusually bright stars.
‘Am I really the only one who came to this place?’
It was such an absurd situation that it seemed unlikely anyone else was here.
But who knew?
It wouldn’t hurt to check.
‘I’ll ask the pyeonsu’s troupe tomorrow if anyone knows anything about Korea.’
Since they traveled around a lot, they might be more informed than most.
Though he wasn’t expecting much.
‘For now, I just need to settle in here. Maybe enjoy seeing the old man smile.’
Kang-hyuk glanced toward where Seungmun was and let out a small sigh.
Seeing the resemblance to his own father stirred unexpected emotions in him.
And tomorrow would be important.
Kang-hyuk hurried into his room and fell asleep.
