Chapter 34: The True Hua Tuo

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In truth, Hua Tuo never told Cao Cao that he needed to perform a craniotomy.

The story of opening the skull was invented by Luo Guanzhong as a scene in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It never happened.

Historically, Hua Tuo was summoned by Cao Cao because of his medical skill. He later became one of the sixteen extraordinary men maintained by Cao Cao, staying in Xuchang alongside Zuo Ci and the others, and often remaining at Cao Cao’s side.

When Chen Deng first fell gravely ill, Hua Tuo saved him. He also warned Chen Deng that the illness would return three years later.

Three years afterward, however, Chen Deng had already been transferred by Cao Cao from Guangling and appointed governor of Dongcheng.

While serving there, Chen Deng’s illness returned. He sent someone to Xuchang to request Hua Tuo’s help, but Cao Cao refused to release him.

By then, Cao Cao had grown deeply wary of Chen Deng.

Chen Deng had performed too brilliantly in Xuzhou. Not only was he beloved by the scholars and common people of Guangling, he had also twice defeated the northern advance of the Sun family’s army despite being heavily outnumbered.

The second victory was especially alarming: Sun Ce himself had led the troops, yet still suffered defeat and returned empty-handed.

More troubling to Cao Cao was the fact that Chen Deng was on exceptionally close terms with Liu Bei, almost like a sworn friend.

Had it been Liu Bei, Cao Cao might probably have tolerated it. But in such matters, Cao Cao was extraordinarily sensitive and suspicious.

Cao Cao had always possessed a romantic and delicate nature. After raising an army, he endured betrayal after betrayal, and his temperament gradually became more distrustful and devious.

Even after transferring Chen Deng from Guangling and appointing him governor of Dongcheng, Cao Cao still felt it was not enough. Now that such an opportunity had presented itself, he decided to resolve the problem once and for all.

Without Cao Cao’s permission, Hua Tuo could not leave Xuchang to treat Chen Deng in Dongcheng. As a result, Chen Deng died of his illness.

Chen Deng’s father, Chen Gui, had once supported Hua Tuo and recommended him for official service.

Although Hua Tuo had never actually entered Chen Gui’s service, he had, in effect, become a protégé of the Chen family.

Because of this incident, Hua Tuo developed a deep resentment toward Cao Cao.

Moreover, Cao Cao did not truly value Hua Tuo. He kept him bound to his side merely as a sycophantic retainer.

Proud of his own talent, Hua Tuo could not endure such a life. Eventually, he found an excuse, claiming that his wife was gravely ill, and obtained leave to leave Xuchang.

But Hua Tuo had requested leave on the grounds of illness, and leave must eventually come to an end.

After Hua Tuo departed, Cao Cao ordered him repeatedly to return as soon as possible. Hua Tuo, however, repeatedly requested extensions and refused to come back.

Cao Cao immediately grew suspicious. He ordered the local officials to visit Hua Tuo’s home and issued a secret instruction: if Hua Tuo’s wife was truly gravely ill, Hua Tuo was to be rewarded with four thousand measures of small beans, and his leave was to be extended so that his wife could recuperate properly.

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But if the illness proved to be false, Hua Tuo was to be arrested for deceiving his lord and escorted back to Xuchang.

When the local officials arrived, they found that Hua Tuo’s wife was indeed perfectly well. Hua Tuo was therefore arrested and taken to the prison at Xuchang.

There, he was tortured and confessed his crime.

Xun Yu wished to plead for him, asking Cao Cao to consider Hua Tuo’s extraordinary medical skill and pardon him for the sake of the future.

Cao Cao, however, mocked him, saying there was no need to worry; cowards and weaklings like Hua Tuo were everywhere.

In the end, Hua Tuo died beneath interrogation. When Cao Cao himself later fell gravely ill, did he ever regret not sparing Hua Tuo’s life?

At this point, Hua Tuo naturally knew nothing of the hardships that awaited him. Yet the thought of entering official service had troubled him for a very long time.

The Biography of Hua Tuo records: “Hua Tuo had originally aspired to become a scholar-official, but made medicine his profession, and often regretted it.”

This clearly shows that Hua Tuo not only wished to enter public service, but also regretted that his medical practice had delayed that ambition.

Faced with Liu Feng’s question, Hua Tuo became uneasy.

After hesitating for quite some time, he finally replied, “I do indeed harbor a desire to enter official service. It is only that I grow older with every passing year, and possess no special accomplishments. I have nothing but a little medical skill, which is truly an embarrassment.”

Liu Feng nodded and continued, “Master Yuanhua, suppose an opportunity to enter public service arose, but you were required to exchange your medical skill for it. Would you be willing?”

Hua Tuo was startled. Though he did not understand why Liu Feng asked such a question, after some thought he shook his head.

“I have drifted through half a lifetime. Apart from this small measure of medical skill, I possess nothing else.”

“When I was young, I entered the medical profession simply because I enjoyed it. In the blink of an eye, more than forty years have passed. If I were now to abandon medicine, I would truly have nothing left.”

Liu Feng hurriedly explained, “You misunderstand me, Master. I am not asking you to give up medicine. Rather, I wish to ask you to spread the medical arts widely and make your knowledge available to the public.”

Hua Tuo’s expression changed, and displeasure rose within him.

In those days, every craft and profession guarded its traditions with extreme caution. Choosing an apprentice was much like choosing a son, and there was even a rule that knowledge should not be passed on to a sixth ear.

Much of Hua Tuo’s medical knowledge had indeed been developed through his own research, but he had still been influenced by this way of thinking.

Now Liu Feng had come asking him to make his medical knowledge public. How was that any different from smashing his rice bowl?

How could Hua Tuo possibly feel pleased?

“Master, please hear me out.”

Seeing the displeasure on Hua Tuo’s face, Liu Feng hurriedly continued, “You have read the classics and studied the works of the sages. Consider this: if the sages who left behind so many great works had guarded them jealously and forbidden others from reading them, what do you think the consequence would have been?”

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Hua Tuo paused, then said unhappily, “The classics of the sages are immeasurably precious. How could the lesser art of medicine be compared with them?”

Liu Feng remained calm. “Master Yuanhua, is the life of a sage important?”

“Of course.”

Hua Tuo answered without hesitation. He had already begun to look down on Liu Feng inwardly.

During their previous encounters, he had thought the boy precociously intelligent and well versed in proper etiquette. But how could he be speaking such confused nonsense today?

Liu Feng continued, “Then if a sage were gravely ill, would the medical skill capable of saving him be important?”

“This…”

Hua Tuo was completely stumped. He managed to utter a sound, but could not continue.

If he said it was important, then what he had said earlier would have been false.

Yet if he said it was unimportant, he would be implying that the life of a sage was unimportant as well.

“Master Yuanhua, in my view, the art of medicine is no less valuable than the classics of the sages. Whether they are the writings of the sages or the practice of medicine, both exist to guide people toward goodness. One improves people spiritually, while the other improves them physically.”

Liu Feng’s words were like a great hammer, striking Hua Tuo squarely in the heart.

In truth, Hua Tuo was something of a contradiction to himself.

At heart, he genuinely loved medicine. He took pleasure in studying it, and treating patients with it brought him a profound sense of fulfillment.

Yet the scholar-official’s spirit within him made him feel ashamed of medicine. He believed that by spending his time on it, he had disappointed both his parents and his own aspirations.

Seeing Hua Tuo fall silent, Liu Feng knew the time had come to reveal his strongest argument.

“Master, I once advised my father to establish an Office of Medicine.”

Liu Feng finally revealed his true intention. “This office would be responsible for gathering every branch of medical knowledge, discarding the rotten and preserving the essential, separating truth from falsehood, and then disseminating it, educating the people, and training physicians.”

“Master Yuanhua, our great Han realm has fifty-five million people, all of them suffering under the torment of various epidemics.”

Liu Feng bowed deeply. “Do you truly have no compassion in your heart? Can you bear to watch the people be deceived by the Yellow Turbans’ talisman water and die from infectious disease?”

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