Doctor Goes Back to Joseon - Chapter 40: The Epidemic is Shared [5]

“Ah, Father. Magistrate, thank you both for coming all this way.”

Kang-hyuk bowed respectfully, a rare gesture for him. The dust on his clothes made him appear even more humble.

“It’s nothing. Are you alright, my son?”

Seungmun easily recalled that Kang-hyuk had not contracted smallpox as a child, which filled his voice with concern.

“I am fine. How about you, Father?”

“No need to worry about me. I had a mild case when I was young and overcame it.”

The magistrate patiently waited for the father and son’s brief reunion to end. No matter how urgent the matter, he had no intention of interrupting them.

“Hmm.”

If Seungmun truly had suffered from smallpox, there was no reason for concern; he would already have immunity. But there was no certainty that what he experienced was indeed smallpox.

‘He could have mistaken scarlet fever or measles for smallpox.’

Rashes appeared in all of them, making differentiation difficult, especially in an era without photographic evidence. It wasn’t until much later, with advanced cultivation techniques and microscopes, that such diseases were clearly distinguished.

It was safer for everyone to be vaccinated.

‘I only have enough vaccine for the patients.’

But the newly arrived men wouldn’t need to handle patients directly. Kang-hyuk and Heo Jun could manage the primary work, with Yeon and Dolseok assisting.

“Father, it’s better to be safe. I have a very effective treatment for smallpox, so please take a dose.”

“Is there a treatment for smallpox?”

“Yes, there is.”

“I won’t argue with you. Fine.”

His attitude was different after his experience with malaria. Even the royal physicians would not have commanded such respect.

Seungmun dismounted and approached Kang-hyuk, waiting with a calm demeanor until he discovered what ‘treatment’ meant.

“You’re going to put that in my nose?”

Seungmun wrinkled his face at the substance Kang-hyuk had on his fingers.

“Yes.”

“This isn’t a joke… is it?”

“I don’t joke about treating illness.”

“Good grief.”

The magistrate smiled benignly as he observed. It was amusing when it wasn’t happening to him.

“Lord Baek, go ahead. He’s doing this out of concern for you.”

“Magistrate, you should do this too.”

“Me?”

“Yes, it will prevent you from catching smallpox.”

“Well.”

Both Seungmun’s and the magistrate’s expressions darkened. But they were both staunch supporters of Kang-hyuk and ultimately complied, albeit with grimaces.

“Ugh, this smells awful.”

Of course, it was pus—and not just any pus, but from a cow that had likely never been washed in its life. Unfortunately, Kang-hyuk had no choice but to take it from near the cow’s tail, as he had already used up all the clean pus in the syringes.

‘At least I’m spared that.’

Dolseok shivered. His master and the high-ranking magistrate were putting cow pus in their noses. He felt grateful he had taken the injection.

“Ah, disgusting.”

Even the magistrate couldn’t stop wrinkling his nose.

“Was there really no other way to do this?”

Seungmun’s question was tinged with frustration, and Kang-hyuk merely shrugged.

“There’s an oral method, but…”

“Forget it. Just take this away.”

Seungmun waved his hand, looking queasy, while the magistrate turned away and dry-heaved.

Kang-hyuk patted his back and looked at their entourage: about fifty to sixty servants and soldiers.

“Dolseok, Yeon, get some pus into a basin.”

“A basin?”

“Yes. Everyone here needs to apply it to their noses.”

“Ah, yes, sir.”

It wasn’t going into their own noses, so Dolseok and Yeon eagerly began extracting pus from the cow.

“Perfect, everything we need is here.”

Heo Jun was already sorting through the herbs brought by the soldiers, his eyes gleaming like a child with a new toy. Though Kang-hyuk was well-known, Heo Jun was not, so the magistrate approached him with a suspicious look, followed by a few soldiers.

“You, who are you?”

“Ah, greetings, sir. I am Heo Jun, a physician.”

Heo Jun, who had been absorbed in examining the herbs, bowed deeply, displaying the manners of someone born a noble but raised as an illegitimate son.

“Heo Jun?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Heo Jun…?”

The magistrate’s brow furrowed as he tried to place the name, but Seungmun nodded first.

“Are you acquainted with Lord Yoo Hee-chun?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Ah.”

Kang-hyuk had heard of Yoo Hee-chun, who had worked alongside Seungmun at the Hongmungwan. The two had remained in touch even after Yoo Hee-chun retired to his hometown in Haenam, exchanging gifts.

“So, you’re the one who saved Lord Yoo’s son.”

“Ah, yes, now I remember. That Heo Jun.”

The magistrate’s face lit up with recognition.

Kang-hyuk was the most surprised of all. He hadn’t expected both Seungmun and the magistrate to know Heo Jun.

Their conversation continued a bit longer, with the magistrate speaking first.

“So, you’re on your way to Hanyang?”

“Yes, sir.”

“To join the royal medical office?”

“Yes. I’ve been recommended by Lord Yoo Hee-chun. It’s an honor.”

The royal medical office—responsible for the king’s and the royal family’s treatment and medicine preparation. In other words, Heo Jun was en route to becoming a royal physician.

Seungmun’s eyes sparkled with a mix of pride and curiosity.

“So, Heo, how skilled is Kang-hyuk, in your opinion? He’s not lacking, is he?”

“Lord Kang-hyuk? Not at all.”

Heo Jun had to suppress a smile. Kang-hyuk’s knowledge and abilities were beyond what Heo Jun could evaluate.

“If I weren’t headed to the royal medical office, I would abandon everything and ask to study under him.”

“Really? That’s quite the statement.”

Seungmun beamed, even the pus staining his beard not diminishing his joy.

“Father, Magistrate, it’s time to stop reminiscing and focus on containing the smallpox.”

Kang-hyuk’s sharp reminder brought them back to reality.

The magistrate gestured to the group he had brought.

“Right, right. We have the herbs here… What do you need the people for?”

“There are likely more patients in the village. We need to bring them to me.”

Kang-hyuk surveyed the area. From the house serving as the makeshift clinic, he could see the surrounding homes, with smoke rising intermittently.

“I see. And then?”

Kang-hyuk pointed to the storeroom and another room.

“Over twenty patients are crammed into those two rooms, with men and women mixed together. It’s uncomfortable for everyone.”

“Of course. We’ll need more rooms for the patients. Don’t worry.”

For the magistrate, commandeering a few homes was a trivial matter.

‘It was a good decision to ask for the magistrate’s help.’

Kang-hyuk smiled in satisfaction.

“First, we need to put pus on everyone’s noses.”

“Alright. You heard him! Everyone, come forward!”

The soldiers moved in, having already seen Seungmun and the magistrate go through the same process. They had no illusions of avoiding it and looked resigned.

“Sir, here it is.”

Dolseok handed over the basin, filled with pus. The stench was so bad that even Kang-hyuk, wearing a mask, winced.

“Ugh.”

Kang-hyuk, with gloved hands, scooped up the pus.

The soldier at the front squeezed his eyes shut.

“You must endure this. It’s true medicine.”

“Ugh.”

“Next.”

All the soldiers and Seungmun’s servants ended up with pus in their noses.

-Scribble, scribble.

Yeoju sketched the entire scene, documenting this unprecedented medical practice for posterity, though she likely didn’t realize its significance.

“Now, we need to search the village.”

Just searching wouldn’t suffice.

They needed to identify and bring in the patients.

Kang-hyuk surveyed his team.

‘Of course, Heo Jun can handle it. Dolseok, though…’

It was uncertain.

‘Let’s just have them bring anyone who looks sick.’

Diagnoses could be made here. Trusting others to do it was risky. Even though they’d received the cowpox, immunity would take time.

Only Dolseok, Yeon, or Makbong could directly handle the patients.

“Each of you, take five or six people and go through the village. Bring back anyone who seems unwell. Only you should touch them.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Heo Jun, you can make diagnoses on-site.”

“Understood.”

Following Kang-hyuk’s instructions, the team dispersed to the edge of the village.

Now it was time to move the patients already present.

‘First, I need to assess their current state.’

The most critical patients needed to stay close to Kang-hyuk.

“Everyone else, stay put. Father, Magistrate, please rest.”

“No, I’ll assist the magistrate.”

“Is there anything left for you to do?”

In Kang-hyuk’s view, their roles were complete. Honestly, he wouldn’t mind if they left, considering the risk of infection.

‘Especially for the old man…’

Though he was robust now, Kang-hyuk had seen him ill before.

But Seungmun’s answer was commendable.

“A magistrate must care for his people, just as a doctor tends to his patients. If the governor flees during an epidemic, how would the people feel?”

“Hm, you’re right. I was short-sighted.”

This was reasonable.

Until the shamans and sacrificial cattle began climbing the hill under the magistrate’s orders.

“What is that?”

“The magistrate’s preparation. We’ll gather the villagers soon.”

“Gather people?”

“What’s a ritual without witnesses? They need to see it.”

“Hah.”

A ritual could be a comfort if it gave people peace of mind. But gathering them was a terrible idea.

“Where is the magistrate?”

“Supervising the ritual.”

“Good grief.”

Kang-hyuk muttered a curse and sprinted up the hill.

The coughing of the patients in the storeroom haunted him, but he had no choice.

His body could only be in one place at a time, and there was so much to do.

Yeoju followed, still holding her drawing tools.

“Are you going to watch the ritual?”

“No.”

“Then why…?”

“To stop it.”

“What?”