Chapter 962 From Liangzhou → Ganzhou → Suzhou
Li Sanniang and her companions traveled at breakneck speed for seven days to reach Liangzhou (present-day Wuwei area of Gansu), a strategic location in the Hexi Corridor!
This place is a key hub on the Silk Road, so trade is thriving here, and you can see foreigners with braided hair and wearing brightly colored clothes everywhere.
Brother Shaoyang was very interested in the camels carrying goods in the caravan. "In the past, my master took me mostly south, where oxen were used more often. I've only seen a few camels in the West Market of Chang'an."
I've never seen so many camels, in such large herds.
"Senior brother, the further west you go, the more caravans there will be carrying goods on camels."
After the group dismounted and entered the official post station, a post station official came to inquire about their purpose.
Li San Niang then took out the receipt for her official business trip and also showed the postman the waist tag of the Imperial Medical Bureau that was hanging from her waist.
"Disrespectful, I am a female official on a business trip!
"Hurry up, hurry up! I'll go and fetch the postmaster to pay his respects to Physician Li right away!"
At this moment, the people who had already arrived at the post station and were drinking tea and eating cakes at the two tables all looked at Li San Niang. After all, it was really rare to see a court official in Liangzhou, especially a female one!
Why would Li San Niang be afraid of being seen?
She generously cupped her hands in greeting to the two tables of people who were looking over, and the two tables returned the gesture.
A short while later, the postmaster came running over.
The postmaster was a man in his forties with a mustache. After carefully checking Li Sanniang and her group's account book, he quickly bowed and greeted Li Sanniang.
"We have been traveling at full speed from Chang'an. We would like to trouble the postmaster to change our horses for us. We will rest here for the night and continue our journey tomorrow morning."
"The task is urgent, thank you for your help, Postmaster!"
After saying this, Qiu Xiang placed a silver ingot on the table right after Li San Niang finished speaking.
"Doctor Li, rest assured, I will select the best horses for you."
Li San Niang picked up the silver ingot on the table and stuffed it into the postmaster's hand. The postmaster's eyes were glued to the silver ingot, but he didn't reach out to take it.
"Take it. I know this job is hard, but you can use this money to have some tea."
"Then I thank you for your reward, sir. Hehe."
The postmaster quickly slipped the silver ingot into his sleeve. He figured that someone who came from Chang'an wouldn't be short of money.
However, the postmaster did indeed do his job after taking the money.
They served four dishes and a soup, which tasted pretty good; they also arranged two superior rooms for the four of us, which was quite nice.
Li San Niang had really suffered these past few days traveling. The next day, her inner thighs were chafed raw, and she endured the pain while Qiu Xiang helped her apply medicine.
After these past few days, I've gotten used to the speed of this fast horse.
We're only staying one night, and we have to head to the next stop tomorrow morning, so we won't be able to take a shower, but we can soak our feet in hot water.
When Li San Niang soaked her feet in the basin of hot water, she let out a comfortable sigh.
"I've stayed in Chang'an for too long, had too many good days, and now my body can't take any more hardship."
There are horse-drawn carriages right outside the door, and I don't have to walk more than a few steps. My legs are so weak that I can't even walk anymore.
"I've only ridden horses for a few days, and I feel uncomfortable all over."
Qiu Xiang took out some ointment from her medical kit. She turned around and smiled at Li San Niang, saying, "What San Niangzi said is right, but this medicine still needs to be applied. You'll have to bear the pain for a while."
"Qiu Xiang, to be honest, when I have time in the future, I need to try this medicine properly and develop a painless ointment."
After resting at the post station for the night, the next morning, before dawn, Li San Niang and the others were already all ready and waiting outside the post station.
The postmaster and postman led out five horses. After Lao Shi checked them one by one and confirmed that there were no problems, he nodded to Li San Niang.
The group quickly put their belongings back on the horses. Once everything was in order, Li Sanniang handed two medicine packets and a bottle of ointment to the postmaster and the postman.
"This medicine packet is for your knee pain. I've written the prescription on the packet."
Use one dose every three days for the first three days, until you feel lighter;
Change to a five-day interval between doses, and then use it three more times consecutively;
Change it to one dose every ten days, and use it three times in a row. That should make things much easier.
The ointment is for him. Yesterday I saw that he had been burned and had blisters on his hand. Today I saw that they had been popped. If he applies this ointment for a few days, it should be almost completely healed.
Thank you all.
The postmaster and the postman looked at Li Sanniang in disbelief. Li Sanniang had only met them once yesterday, yet she had diagnosed their illnesses and given them medicine the very next day.
"Medical Doctor Li, this..."
Li Sanniang, who had already mounted her horse, bowed to the postmaster and said, "Once I finish my mission and return to Chang'an, I will write to His Majesty that a physician should be assigned to the official post station. I don't need him to treat any serious illnesses, but he should be able to treat common ailments and injuries."
"You work for the government, and these illnesses and injuries are also from your service to the government; it's your responsibility to take care of them."
Watching Li Sanniang and her companion ride away on the official road, the postmaster, carrying a medicine packet and a postman holding ointment, asked, "Did you lead someone's horse?"
"Uncle! I only lead the best horses. Have you forgotten that Old Ding shod them a few days ago?"
"We didn't take that silver ingot for nothing,"
The courier glanced down at the medicine bottle in his hand. "And this medicine."
The postmaster nodded. "Li Mingfang, a female official from the Imperial Medical Bureau, what's going on in Shule? Why was a female official sent from Chang'an?"
After Li San Niang and her companions got on the official road, the horses galloped and they arrived in Ganzhou (present-day Zhangye area of Gansu) in just one and a half days.
They did not stop at the official post station in Ganzhou, but changed horses and headed towards Suzhou (present-day Jiuquan area of Gansu).
But the weather was not cooperating; the weather was extremely dry throughout their journey, and it didn't look like it was going to rain at all.
As it turned out, it started raining in the evening.
It wasn't impossible to go on in the rain, but Li San Niang suggested to Lao Shi that they find a place to take shelter from the rain first.
After all, if she and her senior brother Shaoyang got caught in the rain and both fell ill, it would further delay their trip.
The group dismounted and led their horses toward a side road, wondering if there were any houses or even just a tea stall near the main road, so they could at least find shelter from the rain.
After walking for more than fifteen minutes, they found only a dilapidated temple with a roof exposed.
The sky was dark, and Li Sanniang couldn't tell which deity was enshrined in the temple.
However, none of that mattered anymore. The rain was getting heavier, so the group quickly led their horses into the dilapidated temple. Fortunately, the broken roof only covered a small area, and apart from being a bit dusty, the temple was still a good place to shelter from the wind and rain.
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