Gravely ill

[CHUNG Yoon-Ngan <chungyn@mozart.collective.com.au>]

   Gravely ill
  
   During the Warring States Period (453BC to 221BC), Jing Gong, the ruler
of the State of Jin (present day Yi Cheng county in Shanxi province) fell
very ill. All the doctors in the State could not cure him. He heard about 
a renown doctor, named Qin Huan, in the neighbouring State of Qin (present
day Feng Xiang county in Shaanxi province). Jing Gong successfully sought 
the permission from the ruler of Qin, who was related by marriage, to allow 
the doctor to travel to Jin. 
   
  Jing Gong had a dream while the doctor was still on his way to Jin.
He dreamt that he met the monster of sickness who suddenly changed itself
into two little boys. 

One boy said to the other, 
       "Qin Huan is a very good doctor from Qin. 
        When he arrives he is going to harm us.
        I think we should run away."

The other replied,
        "Why should we be scared?
         I have an idea. 
         You and I are going to live inside his heart. 
         You live on top of the heart and I live below.
         There is nothing the doctor can do."
 
  The ruler woke up with surprise and said to himself,
        "It was a very strange dream."
 
   The doctor finally arrived in Jin and went straight to his royal patient.
He took Jing Gong's pulse, examined his tongue and checked his eyes. He told
Jing Gong,

       "You are suffering from a serious illness.
        There is no cure because your illness is in two spots
        which are inside your heart. 
        One is on the top of your heart and the other is below it.
        There is no medicine to cure the spots".

Upon hearing the prognosis, Jing Gong suddenly remembered his dream of the
two boys and knew that he was going to die. He said to the doctor,

      "You are a very smart doctor."

   Jing Gong realised that his illness was beyond treatment and no one
knew better than him what was wrong with himself. Jing Gong rewarded the
doctor generously and sent a few officials to escort the good doctor back
to Qin.

"Bing4 Ru4 Gao3 Huang".

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan.     chungyn@mozart.collective.com.au