Then they invited Zhu Zhi, the prefect of Wu Commandery, and the legal officials around him.
They wrote down eighty-three charges against the fake deity Yu Ji, and made him sign and press his fingerprint on each one.
They also found his ledgers for swindling money, forty or fifty volumes, detailing how he cheated others for what reasons and how.
Only then did Zhu Zhi come down the mountain, open the mountain gate, and summon the crowd to announce Yu Ji's crimes.
The release of this evidence and the charges caused an uproar in Wu County.
Weren't these young mistresses chanting scriptures and praying for blessings? Why did they shut down the entire Taoist temple and arrest all the deities?
Upon closer inspection, the evidence was irrefutable.
Prefect Zhu Zhi told everyone:
"Everyone has food to eat and clothes to wear, but there is still one difficulty. Knowing that it is difficult for everyone to see a doctor and get medicine when they are sick, Lord Wu has invited the famous doctor Hua Tuo from Xudu."
Master Hua Tuo will be staying in Jiangdong for six months. During this time, the prefect's government will fund the establishment of a medical clinic, taking local doctors as apprentices. Master Hua Tuo will teach his medical skills to the doctors of Jiangdong.
The fake Taoist priest Yu Ji was strangled on Zhu Zhi's orders.
The fake Taoist priest died, and his withered, aged body was hung on the city gate as a warning to others.
Only then did many young wives in Wu County dare to raise their heads.
Many women like Qiao Jingjing were in similar situations. When their in-laws fell ill, the old Taoist priest would only tell the young wives to go to the Taoist temple to recite scriptures. The young wives obediently went, only to discover they had been tricked. When they returned home, they dared not tell their husbands or mothers-in-law the truth.
This time, Qiao Jingjing got Yu Ji out of the way.
It was such a relief.
Madam Wu felt a deep emptiness in her heart.
She asked her youngest daughter, Sun Shangxiang, "Is he really a fraud? He looks like such a sprightly old man; he's already living to a ripe old age. Why would he bother swindling people out of their money? He's already at the pinnacle of life; why bother with all this deception?"
Mrs. Joe was pouting again at home.
She said to Qiao Xuan, "You are destined to be my nemesis. Whoever I like, she will dislike. If I feel at ease, she will make me unhappy!"
I've been in Wu County for several years now, and it's not easy to find this old immortal to comfort me and guide me in seeking immortality and enlightenment. But your eldest daughter is saying that this Taoist temple is a scam, a fraud that deceives and fools people.
In my opinion, this old Taoist priest is more considerate than the eldest daughter; she understands what we old women want.
He Miaomiao listened to her in-laws' words outside the door before stepping inside.
She'd been subservient to her mother-in-law for so many years, she'd had enough.
“Mother! Wake up! It’s not that Sister Qiao is targeting you or trying to make things difficult for you. This is what Prefect Zhu Zhi of Wu County and the government found out! That Taoist priest is a fraud. You asked me to go to the Taoist temple to chant scriptures and pray for you, and I dared not refuse. To tell you the truth, after I went there, they started touching me inappropriately…”
Mrs. Joe was so surprised her jaw almost dropped.
Even Old Man Joe found it hard to believe.
“That’s how it is! Mother, I’ve already repaid you for what I owed Xiao Qiao that year. From now on, I’m even with the Qiao family. I know you think my body is dirty, but you don’t need to tell me, I’ll leave now. Anyway, Ayan is all grown up now, and the Qiao family is doing well with Big Sister Qiao as their phoenix. I have nothing to hold me back. I’ll leave now.”
He Miaomiao stood her ground.
He packed his bags and left.
Old Man Qiao asked He Miaomiao to stay, but He Miaomiao resolutely refused.
“Grandpa, you are the best father. Sometimes I really envy Sister Qiao for having such an enlightened father. Now that I'm free, I want to do what I want to do. I learned farming skills at the Qiao family, so I won't starve. Don't worry, Grandpa. Tell Erlang... not to look for me.”
He Miaomiao is gone.
When Qiao Er returns home and finds out about this, another mother-son conflict is inevitable between him and his mother.
Sun Ce dispelled the ignorant myths about immortals in Jiangdong, and the story of how he ordered Prefect Zhu Zhi to kill Yu Ji in the marketplace and leave his body exposed for three days reached Xuchang.
Cao Cao's headaches flared up again.
The pain made Cao Cao hit his head repeatedly.
His sons stood below, watching helplessly.
"This Hua Tuo couldn't have left earlier or later than you could have. Father, you need him now, and he's gone to Jiangdong to treat Sun Ce's mother. Father, I'll send someone to bring Hua Tuo back right away!"
Cao Cao's head was throbbing so badly it felt like it was going to explode.
"Go quickly! Bring Hua Tuo back and keep him in Xuchang from now on. He must never go anywhere else."
At that time, Cao Pi was still young and did not understand why his father, who was suffering from headaches, wanted to leave Hua Tuo in Xuchang permanently.
Many years later, when Cao Pi became emperor, he realized that for a country, soft power such as agriculture, healthcare, and education is just as important as military and political power.
"Hua Tuo would return every three to five months. He called himself an immortal on earth and would travel three thousand miles a day if he didn't see someone. He treated everyone equally, whether they were ordinary people or emperors and nobles. Last time, when Zhou Tai of Jiangdong was seriously injured, it was Hua Tuo who cured him. Hua Tuo returned to Xudu soon after."
Cao Pi also advised his father not to get angry.
Hua Tuo had already crossed the Yangtze River and reached the Jingkou area; there was no way to catch up.
Getting angry will only make your head hurt more.
How could Cao Cao not have a headache?
When Hua Tuo arrived in Jiangdong, the first thing he did was treat the minor illness of Sun Ce's elderly mother, Lady Wu.
Then, under the guidance of Qiao Jingjing and Zhu Zhi, Hua Tuo took on many apprentices and, together with other doctors in Jiangdong, conducted extensive experiments, using Artemisia capillaris, harvested in the third month of spring, to treat many patients with jaundice. Hua Tuo also used warm compresses to treat scorpion stings, used moss paste to treat swelling and pain after wasp stings, used garlic and vinegar to treat insect diseases, used perilla to treat fish and crab poisoning, used Cynanchum paniculatum to treat coughs, and used Polygonatum sibiricum to replenish deficiencies.
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