The Frontier Prince: Starting From Scratch - Chapter 50 - Allicin

“Dr. Hu, please prescribe a remedy to replenish General Chang’s blood. Leave the treatment of his wounds to me.”

“Your Highness knows medicine?”

Dr. Hu was the most renowned physician in Yan Prefecture. Whenever someone from the regional magnates fell ill, they would seek his expertise. Thus, he was quite proud of his medical skills. Although he dared not show any disrespect outwardly, he felt displeased upon hearing Prince Yan’s words.

Zhao Xu didn’t notice the subtle change in Dr. Hu’s expression. It wasn’t that he underestimated Dr. Hu, but Chang Wei’s life was at stake. Since Dr. Hu was at a loss, Zhao Xu had no choice but to rely on his own knowledge.

“Feng’er, go to the central courtyard and fetch the strongest liquor,” Zhao Xu instructed.

The arrows embedded in Chang Wei’s body had to be removed. The soldiers hesitated to do it, fearing Chang Wei might not withstand the pain. But they couldn’t leave them inside indefinitely.

Even Feng’er, who was usually brave, felt a bit frightened seeing Chang Wei’s condition. Her face turned pale as she headed to the central courtyard.

To avoid explaining what alcohol was, Zhao Xu had instructed the distillation of alcohol in the courtyard, referring to it as the strongest liquor. So, Feng’er was actually fetching alcohol.

Dr. Hu was about to leave but paused upon hearing Prince Yan mention alcohol, deciding to stay and see what he intended to do.

Soon, Feng’er returned with a jar of liquor. Zhao Xu opened it and said to Xu Lie, “Pull out the arrows one by one.”

Xu Lie, deeply connected to Chang Wei, didn’t hesitate in the rescue. He grabbed an arrowhead and pulled it out forcefully, while Zhao Xu poured alcohol into the wound.

“Ah…”

The removal of the arrowhead, combined with the alcohol in the wound, caused Chang Wei immense pain, waking him from his unconscious state. Perhaps delirious from the fever, he kicked out, sending Xu Lie sprawling.

“Damn Beidi, die!” Chang Wei cursed furiously.

Xu Lie scrambled back up, silently pulling out the second arrow, enduring Chang Wei’s blows. Zhao Xu pried open the wound again, pouring in alcohol, and took a few punches himself.

After treating all three wounds, Chang Wei quieted down, slipping back into unconsciousness.

Zhao Xu’s heart was heavy. Whether Chang Wei survived depended on his physical resilience and Zhao Xu’s plan.

“Stay here and watch over him. Feng’er, come with me.”

Zhao Xu called Feng’er out of the room and instructed, “Send someone to the Eastern Market and buy all the garlic available.”

“Garlic…” Feng’er looked puzzled.

“Don’t ask, just do it,” Zhao Xu said as he headed to the central courtyard. “Once bought, send it directly to the courtyard.”

It was the first time Feng’er had seen Zhao Xu so serious, so she dared not question him and turned to leave.

In the central courtyard, Zhao Xu instructed the craftsmen to prepare a pot and ten jars of liquor.

Half an hour later, Feng’er returned, followed by a dozen servants. Each carried a basket of garlic.

“Mash all the garlic,” Zhao Xu ordered.

This time, he intended to create allicin. In modern times, many people are familiar with penicillin and cephalosporins but rarely know about allicin, a broad-spectrum natural antibiotic. Allicin is effective against both bacteria and fungi. There’s even a medication called allicin capsules used to treat severe bacterial and fungal infections, with virtually no side effects.

In addition to its use as an antibiotic, allicin can also serve as an insecticide and an animal antibiotic, making it incredibly versatile.

Rummaging through his knowledge, Zhao Xu concluded that this was the only thing that could save Chang Wei, and it was something he could produce immediately.

Following Zhao Xu’s orders, everyone began crushing garlic. After mashing the garlic into a paste, they let it sit for half an hour before drying it in a large pot. Finally, Zhao Xu instructed them to pour the dried garlic paste into a vat and soak it in baijiu. The baijiu, with an alcohol content of around thirty percent, was ideal for this process. Allicin is not easily soluble in water but dissolves well in alcohol, which is the principle behind the extraction.

They let it soak overnight.

The next morning, Zhao Xu got up early and had the servants fetch some gauze to filter out the garlic residue, leaving behind the liquor. After a night of soaking, the liquor had turned a pale yellow. After letting it settle, the yellow oily substance sank to the bottom, and Zhao Xu instructed the servants to pour off the liquor from the top. He collected a bowl of the yellow solution and headed to Chang Wei’s room.

Typically, one ton of garlic yields about one jin of allicin when extracted with alcohol. A normal person only needs about a hundred milligrams a day. Zhao Xu had used roughly a ton of garlic the previous day. The amount of allicin in the vat was enough for five thousand people. However, given Chang Wei’s severe injuries and the fact that the extraction might not be very pure, Zhao Xu took a larger amount.

“Your Highness.”

The room was filled with people waiting for him, including Dr. Hu, who had stayed at the Prince’s Mansion overnight to monitor Chang Wei. He was also curious to see what Zhao Xu had concocted after working through the night.

“Apply some to the wounds and have him ingest some,” Zhao Xu instructed.

Dr. Hu sniffed the air. “Your Highness, why does it smell like garlic?”

“This is a secret remedy I concocted using garlic and other ingredients,” Zhao Xu replied, half truthfully.

Xu Lie didn’t hesitate. He took the bowl, poured some into Chang Wei’s mouth, and applied some to his wounds.

“Three times a day. The rest is up to Chang Wei,” Zhao Xu sighed, having exhausted his options.

Hearing this, everyone lowered their heads in dismay.

Zhao Xu ordered everyone to leave so Chang Wei could rest. Outside, he kept Liu Fu behind.

He hadn’t slept a wink the previous night, worried not only about Chang Wei but also about the threat from the Beidi.

From Chang Wei’s mission, it was clear that if the Beidi launched their autumn hunt, it would spell disaster for Yan Prefecture. No wonder the people were so relieved when he promised to resist the Beidi.

“The Beidi are rampant, causing death and injury to our people. Yan Prefecture lacks elite cavalry, and even if we start building one now, it’s too late. But I can’t stand by and watch the people of Yan Prefecture suffer. I thought of a plan last night. I want you to implement it immediately with the officials. It might save the people of Yan Prefecture and even achieve a surprise attack,” Zhao Xu said, rubbing his tired eyes.

Liu Fu, troubled by the situation, was delighted to hear this. “Your Highness, please tell me. If it can save the people of Yan Prefecture from disaster, I am willing to risk my life.”

Zhao Xu pondered for a moment, then took out something he had drawn during the night. “It’s this.”

Liu Fu glanced at it and was instantly astonished.