On October 11, 1914, the news of the Japanese army's withdrawal from Rizhao was immediately spread throughout the country by the Beiyang government. Excluding the "rebel" force of the People's Party, this was the first time the Chinese central government had repelled a foreign armed invasion. The People's Party's total annihilation of the Japanese Kyushu Division disappeared from the newspapers. Many newspapers manipulated the news even more cleverly, treating the "Qingdao-Rizhao" campaign as a single integrated campaign. Beiyang had victoriously ended the "Qingdao-Rizhao" campaign. At least according to the newspapers, Beiyang became the ultimate and sole force that repelled Japan.

The People's Party didn't care about this at all. Regarding the integrity of newspapers, Chen Ke had cited an example to the comrades: during Napoleon's journey from his place of exile to Paris, the titles used by Parisian newspapers to refer to him changed every day.

Day 1: "The Corsican Monster Lands at Golfe-Juan!"

Day 2: "The Murderous Demon Marches Towards Grasse!"

Day 3: "The Usurper Enters Grenoble!"

Day 4: "General Bonaparte Arrives at Lyon!"

Day 5: "General Napoleon Liberates Fontainebleau!"

Day 6: "His Imperial Majesty is About to Enter Paris in Triumph!"

At this critical moment when military struggle was deciding China's future destiny, expecting these "literary prostitute" reporters to have integrity was less reliable than expecting a prostitute to have chastity. Both were selling themselves for their own maximum benefit. Whether they shouted, or what they shouted, was irrelevant. Sure enough, on October 12, under Beiyang's manipulation, newspapers everywhere quickly published a statement: "Urgent! Given that the People's Party has blocked the road to Rizhao, in order to solve the problem of the wounded in Rizhao, Beiyang earnestly requests medical personnel from all over to travel by sea to Rizhao to participate in the treatment of Beiyang army wounded."

Wu Peifu still had some "backbone". The People's Party indicated that they could let Wu Peifu leave, and at the same time treat the Beiyang wounded. Wu Peifu rejected it all. The Military Commission immediately ordered the Qingdao Military Sub-district and the Huaihai Military Region's troops to begin preparations for an attack. Meanwhile, Pu Guanshui, who had already surrounded Wu Peifu, also gave Wu Peifu a clear ultimatum: "Either be annihilated within three days, or get out now."

Chen Ke also sent a telegram to Yuan Shikai for this, hoping he would "recognize the situation and not create meaningless bloodshed." Beiyang immediately issued a pitiful announcement nationwide, attempting to gain moral support.

There were plenty of Beiyang supporters. Cai Yuanpei had already returned to Zhejiang. On October 12, he immediately expressed his response in Hangzhou, dispatching a medical team composed of Hangzhou Hospital personnel led by Zhou Shuren to Rizhao to participate in the treatment of Beiyang wounded. For an anti-Japanese hero like Wu Peifu, the number of sympathizers was not small. As the director of Hangzhou Hospital, Zhou Shuren was naturally very willing to go to Rizhao.

Cai Yuanpei acted extremely quickly. On the 13th, a group of medical volunteers boarded a ship bound for Rizhao. To Zhou Shuren's regret, some of the highest-level doctors could not go. In these times, the general level of medical care was relatively poor, and capable Western medicine doctors were extremely rare existences. Most of the doctors at Hangzhou Hospital were graduates of the Shanghai Benevolence Medical College. Zhou Shuren naturally knew the origin of his subordinates; most of them were "made by the People's Party". Regardless of how much the dignitaries in Hangzhou hated and detested the People's Party, they cherished these doctors extremely. A considerable number of doctors at Hangzhou Hospital acted as private doctors for dignitaries, so they couldn't go to Rizhao this time. Whatever they said didn't matter; the importance dignitaries attached to the health of themselves and their families was far above that of the group of "grunts" in distant Rizhao.

Zhou Shuren had no choice in this. The wages at Hangzhou Hospital were not high. Young doctors had studied hard and had to shoulder the heavy responsibility of supporting a family. If they didn't serve these dignitaries, how could the hospital's meager salary be enough to support a family?

With a shortage of doctors, a group of "volunteers" boarded the ship. With Zhou Shuren's upbringing and intelligence, how could he not see that many of these people were just there for the excitement or to make a name for themselves? Many were young masters from various families. Because the departure was hasty, Zhou Shuren ordered the organization of the various medical supplies, surgical equipment, and related arrangements on the ship. Hangzhou Hospital had over 200 doctors and nurses, but fewer than 50 could participate in the rescue team, along with over 30 "volunteers".

The volunteers didn't participate in this work at all. Even if they participated in labor, their purpose seemed to be to take advantage of this rare opportunity on the same ship to flirt with the female nurses. Those with a little medical knowledge pointed fingers at the medical equipment and spoke nonsense about the use and principles of these devices. Those without medical knowledge boasted profusely about their experiences studying abroad. As for those with insufficient education, they bragged about how wealthy their families were and how noble their lineage was. All kinds of nonsense, bullshit, crude talk, and stupid talk made Zhou Shuren want to throw them all off the ship. But this was unrealistic. Even when some female nurses were teased and harassed to tears, and some male doctors, disgusted by these guys' mouths that never shut, protested to Zhou Shuren asking him to kick them off, Zhou Shuren first comforted everyone, then used his authority to issue an order to confine this group of volunteers to the upper deck. The doctors and nurses temporarily settled near the engine room where living conditions were poor.

"Everyone, the ship will arrive in Rizhao soon. We are here to treat the wounded soldiers. Just endure it a bit longer, endure it," Zhou Shuren said almost futilely. There were only a few guards arranged in the medical team. Zhou Shuren had no way to form a security line, and he himself wasn't skilled in martial arts. Apart from doing this, there was really no other way.

At night, under the dim oil lamp, Zhou Shuren kept watch personally. Some people had already tried to find female nurses to "have a heart-to-heart" at night. Zhou Shuren had to guard against these bastards. The night grew deep, and Zhou Shuren didn't dare to sleep. Bored, he picked up a pen and wrote a few words on paper. Having not used a pen for a long time, Zhou Shuren felt his writing wasn't that smooth. Looking at the words "Nursing" (Hu Li) and "Potion" (Yao Shui) together on the paper, Zhou Shuren suddenly had a thought. He wrote the two characters "Curbing the Flood" (Li Shui).

On this boundless sea, facing such a chaotic situation in China, what Zhou Shuren thought of in his heart was Dayu taming the flood. Once he started, Zhou Shuren couldn't stop his hand, as if it wasn't him, but the pen itself that couldn't help but start writing.

"At this time, it was 'The swelling floodwaters are causing disaster, vast and mighty, embracing the mountains and rising above the hills'; Grandfather Shun's subjects were not all crowded on the mountain tops exposed above the water. Some were tied to tree tops, some sat on wooden rafts. Some rafts even had small wooden sheds built on them. Seen from the shore, it was quite rich in poetic interest.

News from distant places came from the wooden rafts. Everyone finally knew that Lord Gun, because he had spent nine whole years taming the water without any effect, had caused the Dragon Heart (Emperor) to be furious and was exiled to Feather Mountain. The one taking over seemed to be his son, Young Master Wenming, whose milk name was Ah Yu..."

Writing to this point, someone suddenly knocked on the door. Zhou Shuren stopped his pen, put the top sheet to the bottom, and then asked, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Wu Yutang. Dean Zhou hasn't slept yet?" The person outside heard Zhou Shuren respond and pushed the door open. Wu Yutang was one of Cai Yuanpei's students and was also going to treat the Beiyang wounded this time. Zhou Shuren felt that he was acting more in the role of a "supervising army" officer.

Wu Yutang clearly wanted to have a long talk with Zhou Shuren. He carried a packet of dried tofu brought before boarding and a bottle of wine. Zhou Shuren took a look; it was the glass-bottled mulberry wine that the People's Party sold everywhere in the Yangtze River basin. He had to put away the manuscript he had just started writing.

After three rounds of drinks, Wu Yutang opened his mouth and said, "Brother Zhou, I wonder how you view the current situation?"

This kind of most ordinary opening for discussing current events made Zhou Shuren feel very bored. How else could it be? The winner of the war between the People's Party and Beiyang was destined to be the future ruler of China. Either Yuan Shikai would continue to be the Great President, or Chen Ke would become the new Great President. Zhou Shuren didn't want to make such boring predictions. He asked back, "How does Brother Wu see it?"

"Brother Zhou knows that the People's Party has already used troops against Hunan, right? In this time of national chaos, the People's Party is still fully thinking for itself. This is a disaster for the country and must not be allowed to succeed." Wu Yutang spoke impassionedly, "However, the current matter in Zhejiang is not just the affair of the People's Party alone. Duke Cai supports the central government, but there are traitors within our Guangfu Society. I presume Brother Zhou should know about this."

Hearing this, Zhou Shuren felt a burst of disgust in his heart. The "traitors" Wu Yutang referred to were naturally Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin in Western Zhejiang. Before Cai Yuanpei leaned towards Yuan Shikai, Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin had established a local government in Western Zhejiang. In recent years, relying on learning from the People's Party's government organization and participating in the People's Party's foreign trade system, life in Western Zhejiang had become better and better. Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin were both veterans of the Guangfu Society. Even within the Guangfu Society headquarters led by Cai Yuanpei, evaluations of Western Zhejiang were quite different. There were also many who supported Xu Xilin. Wu Yutang was naturally Cai Yuanpei's man; Wu Yutang dared to boldly say some words that Cai Yuanpei dared not say.

Zhou Shuren didn't like such internal division at all. Even if opinions differed, it was far from the point of calling comrades traitors. However, Zhou Shuren was not willing to speak lightly. He was someone Cai Yuanpei had "asked for" from Xu Xilin. Xu Xilin learned the method of barefoot doctors from the People's Party and opened a primary mass medical system in Western Zhejiang. Zhou Shuren had once inspected the medical system of the People's Party base areas with Xu Xilin. The medical level of barefoot doctors was actually not high, and their theoretical understanding of Western medicine was also relatively poor. But the good thing about these people was that they could appear in the fields and had regular training courses every year. But these people at least popularized the scope of medical care among the people. Even simple things like disinfecting the cloth used to bandage wounds, using saliva and salt water for the most basic wound treatment, and knowing how to use a few most basic Western medicines. Knowing the difference between a fever from heat and a fever from cold. Knowing that internal diseases like appendicitis needed to be treated in a hospital. This made Zhou Shuren feel extremely admiring.

The People's Party's medical system did not advocate concentrating strength in big city hospitals. Since the doctors were all young people, everyone implemented a rotation system. One-third of the medical personnel were in hospitals at various levels, one-third were at the grassroots level, and one-third were engaged in sanitation and epidemic prevention or receiving medical training in schools. Zhou Shuren knew that the People's Party had over 150,000 medical personnel in 1912. And these 150,000 people had to provide modern medical services to over 60 million people in the base areas. On average, each person was assigned to 400 people. The vast majority of the people in the base areas who received medical services would fundamentally not have been able to accept modern medical services in normal times. Such arduous struggle made Zhou Shuren unable to help but feel admiration from the bottom of his heart.

And when Zhou Shuren was in Western Zhejiang, he also had thousands of colleagues. Those were doctors and nurses that Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin asked the People's Party's Benevolence Medical College to help train for the Guangfu Society Western Zhejiang Branch. Cai Yuanpei forcibly asked for over 400 people from Western Zhejiang. Modern hospitals were built in these few major cities in Hangzhou. Everyone was a Western doctor. The People's Party's medical college was quite formal, with complete categories and a quite high teaching level. Even if it wasn't a cure-all, it was basically on the right track. A reputation was quickly established in several major cities in Zhejiang.

Hangzhou Hospital had good conditions, but Zhou Shuren could never forget the speech of the People's Party's Minister of Health, "We doctors want to improve our medical level, and we can only rely on seeing patients. Most of our patients are ordinary masses. Some patients we cured, some patients we didn't cure. If we follow the ratio of curing diseases at the very beginning, we can basically be considered quacks. Not killing the patient can be considered pretty good for us. If we treat diseases on so many patients and train our doctors' skills well, and then pose as medical masters, throwing the masses aside and waiting for patients to beg us at our doors, I think this is not very moral. Cured or not cured, we doctors are not God. If doctors were omnipotent, no one in this world should die. But the medical knowledge accumulated from the masses not being used on the masses... I think this is wrong and inappropriate."

Zhou Shuren had also once carried a medicine chest and trekked through the mountainous areas of Western Zhejiang. On the way, because he got lost, he almost broke into a bandit's den. The bandits recognized the Red Cross flag they were carrying, and they also had relatives who had received treatment from the Western Zhejiang medical team. So they insisted on letting the medical team go and even guided Zhou Shuren and the others. In the big city of Hangzhou, there was no longer any need to struggle on mountain roads. The people who came to see the doctor were mostly well-dressed and decent, and their conversation was much more elegant than those ordinary commoners. But Zhou Shuren knew that the medical scope covered by Hangzhou Hospital had shrunk to an extremely small range. Moreover, the dignitaries who came to see the doctor looked polite on the surface, but in reality, they didn't treat the medical team as life-saving benefactors like those masses who lacked medicine. Doctors were just a group of people serving those dignitaries.

"Brother Zhou, currently these rebels of the People's Party are confusing people everywhere. We in the Guangfu Society must not let this continue. I wonder what Brother Zhou thinks?" Wu Yutang asked closely.

Regardless of what he thought in his heart, with Zhou Shuren's intelligence, he would never put himself in a disadvantageous position. Zhou Shuren replied faintly, "I am just a doctor. I went to Japan to study medicine back then just wanting to cure the sick and save people after learning. When I was in Japan, I didn't like participating in politics. Now that I am so busy, where would I have the mind to think about so much? Moreover, whether it is Mr. Cai or Mr. Xu, I admire them both very much. I really dare not and do not want to comment."

Such an answer, even if it didn't satisfy Wu Yutang, did not exceed the range of Wu Yutang's acceptance. He laughed, "That is also good. Mr. Zhou can practice medicine in the hospital with peace of mind and not participate in those troublesome matters."

After drinking a few more cups, talking at length about the rebellious behavior of Xu Xilin and others in Western Zhejiang, and warning Zhou Shuren explicitly and implicitly not to go astray, Wu Yutang got up and took his leave.

Zhou Shuren looked at the door with disgust, cleared the table, and took out the manuscript he had just started writing. Thinking of the behavior of those bastards during the day these past two days, and Wu Yutang's words just now, Zhou Shuren's face became increasingly ugly. He paused slightly, then continued writing:

"...'These, these are all nonsense,' another scholar stammered, his nose tip immediately swelling red. 'You have been deceived by rumors. Actually, there is no such thing as Yu. "Yu" is a worm. Can a worm tame water? I don't think Gun existed either. "Gun" is a fish. Can a fish, fish, fish tame water water water?' Speaking to this point, he kicked his feet, appearing very exerted.

'But Gun indeed existed. Seven years ago, I saw him with my own eyes going to the foot of Kunlun Mountain to admire plum blossoms.'

'Then his name was mistaken. He probably wasn't called "Gun". His name should be "Man"! As for Yu, that must be a worm. I have much evidence to prove his non-existence. Let everyone come to judge fairly...'

Thus he stood up bravely, took out a knife, scraped off the bark of five large pine trees, ground leftover bread crumbs and water into a paste, mixed in charcoal powder, and wrote textual research erasing Ah Yu on the tree trunks in very small tadpole script, taking a full three times nine, twenty-seven days. But anyone who wanted to read it had to bring out ten tender elm leaves. If they lived on a wooden raft, it was changed to a shell of fresh water moss..."

This story was not long. Zhou Shuren wrote over a thousand words in one breath. Stopping his pen, Zhou Shuren recalled the recent fierce attacks by Zhejiang literati on the People's Party and the Guangfu Society Western Zhejiang Branch, as well as thoughts on the future of the revolution. Zhou Shuren's expression was uncertain. His reason for willing to join the support and rescue team this time was not complex. Zhou Shuren was very clear about the People's Party's political attitude, and he didn't support the People's Party's political philosophy much either. However, this was not enough to prompt Zhou Shuren to participate in actions supporting Beiyang.

The Beiyang Fourth Army expelled the Japanese army through fierce fighting, and Zhou Shuren was very excited. Whether it was the People's Party defeating the Japanese army in Qingdao and annihilating the Japanese Kyushu Division, or Wu Peifu repelling the Japanese army in Rizhao, they were all China's victories. Given the People's Party's ruthless attitude towards enemies, blocking Wu Peifu wasn't too unimaginable. Zhou Shuren didn't want to participate in the merits and demerits or victory and defeat between the People's Party and Beiyang. It was just that those officers and soldiers injured in the war against Japan shouldn't die because of a lack of medicine. Being able to do something for these people was the duty of a Chinese doctor. This was the real reason that made Zhou Shuren lead the team to Rizhao. Otherwise, Zhou Shuren could have let someone else take his place.

But after listening to Wu Yutang's words just now, Zhou Shuren was quite dissatisfied with Wu Yutang's attitude in his heart. Moistening his pen, he crossed out a paragraph and modified his previous article.

"'But the most urgent thing is to quickly send a batch of large rafts to bring the scholars up to the high plateau,' said the third high official. 'At the same time, send people to notify the Country of One-Armed People, letting them know of our reverence for culture. Relief only needs to be sent here every month. The scholars have a joint petition here, which is quite interesting. They believe that culture is the lifeblood of a country, and scholars are the soul of culture. As long as culture exists, Hua Xia exists. Everything else is secondary...'

'They think the population of Hua Xia is too large,' said the first high official. 'Reducing some is also a way to achieve peace. Moreover, those are just ignorant commoners. Their joys, angers, sorrows, and happiness are definitely not as refined as what the wise contemplate. To judge people and discuss matters, one must first rely on subjectivity. For example, Shakespeare...'

'Fart his mother's fart!' Yu thought in his heart, but said loudly with his mouth: 'I have investigated and know that the previous method: "damming", was indeed wrong. From now on, "channeling" should be used! I wonder what everyone's opinion is?'

It was as quiet as a cemetery; the faces of the high officials also showed a deathly color. Many felt they had fallen ill and would probably have to ask for sick leave tomorrow.

'This is Chiyou's method!' a brave young official whispered indignantly.

'In my humble opinion, I think Your Excellency should seem to withdraw the order.' A high official with white beard and hair felt that the rise and fall of the world depended on his mouth at this moment. He steeled his heart, disregarded life and death, and resolutely protested: 'Damming is the old lord's established method. "Not changing the father's way for three years can be called filial piety." -- It has been less than three years since the old lord ascended to heaven.'

Yu did not say a word.

'Moreover, how much effort did the old lord spend? He borrowed the Breathing Earth from God to dam the flood. Although he provoked God's anger, the depth of the flood became a bit shallower. It seems we should still continue to govern according to the convention.' Said another high official with gray beard and hair. He was the godson of Yu's maternal uncle.

Yu did not say a word.

'I see Your Excellency might as well "follow the father's unfinished task",' a fat official saw Yu not speaking and thought he was about to be convinced, so he said loudly with some frivolity, though a layer of oily sweat flowed on his face. 'Follow the family law and redeem the family reputation. Your Excellency probably may not know how people are talking about the old lord...'

'In short, "damming" is a good method that already has a fixed verdict in the world,' the old official with white beard and hair was afraid the fat man would cause trouble, so he rushed to say. 'All other various kinds, the so-called "modern" ones, Chiyou died exactly on this point in the past.'

Yu smiled slightly: 'I know. Some say my dad turned into a yellow bear, some say he turned into a three-legged turtle, and some say I am seeking fame and profit. Let them say what they want. What I want to say is that I have checked the situation of the mountains and marshes, solicited the opinions of the common people, and have seen through the actual situation and made up my mind. No matter what, it must be "channeling"! These colleagues also agree with me.'

He raised his hand and pointed to both sides. The officials with white beards, gray beards, pale faces, fat and sweating oil, and fat but not sweating oil, followed his finger and looked over. They saw a row of dark and thin beggar-like things, not moving, not speaking, not smiling, like they were cast of iron."