These days Kanghyok was staying at Sungryong Yu's residence.

He couldn't find any better house than Sungryong's in and around Konchondong in Hanyang.

Sungryong's house put even the one offered by the mayor of Suwon in the shade.

Kanghyok has been enjoying a happy and comfortable life every day since the surgery.

However, he felt somewhat uncomfortable about Sungryong's constant moaning due to post surgical pain.

“Are you alright, sir?”

“It's killing me. Are you sure it's getting better?”

Sungryong had to test his maximum patience when he had to p.o.o.p after surgery.

For Kanghyok cut open the bulging hemorrhoids.

Sungryong complained about the extreme pain every day.

“Yes, it's getting better. Don't you feel much better now?”

“That's true, but…”

Fortunately his hemorrhoids were getting better very fast day by day.

Every morning when he checked Sungryong's condition, Kanghyok felt satisfied.

“Now, start the sitz bath, sir.”

“Gee…”

Sungryong followed his instruction without any objection.

Soaking his hips in very warm water was pretty much effective.

And Kanghyok's treating methods were unique, which other Joseon doctors could not imitate.

“Do you feel good?”

“Yeah. I see that the bleeding has really decreased.”

Sungryong murmured, looking at the blood spreading in the basin.

At first the water became red with blood as soon as he touched his hips in very warm water.

But not it took some time to see the blood spreading slowly.

“Now, put your hips here.”

“Oh, okay.”

Though it was very humiliating for him to show his hips to Kanghyok, Sungryong now got accustomed to it thanks to his kind care.

“Very good now, sir.”

“Really? Thanks.”

“Let me apply some medicine.”

“Sure.”

Kanghyok suddenly waved at Dolsok, who was standing at a distance.

Dolsok quickly came running, holding a small pottery box.

Kanghyok pun on gloves to apply the medicine.

“Here you are, master.”

“Good. Is it enough?”

“Yes, master. I've already made more than ten medicine boxes.”

“Great.”

As guinea pigs, the bandit members' use was indefinite.

They were now busy with brewing medicinal herbs at the house offered by the mayor to Kanghyok.

'I wish I had steroid ointments!'

Instead Kanghyok had to use the so-called jaungo, medicinal herb brewn with herbaceous plant and Korean angelica root.

“You might feel chilly when I apply it on your a.n.u.s.”

“Okay.”

Then Kanghyok applied jaungo around his a.n.u.s with great care.

'Oh my… It stinks!'

Though he took the sitz bath, the stink was still there.

Kanghyok took off his gloves and threw them away quickly.

Sungryong put on his pants again.

As the pants with a hole in the back were specially designed for Sungryong, his hips were openly seen.

“Now, please take this medicine.”

“Sure. This medicine doesn't taste bitter, but it's very effective.”

“I'm glad to hear that, sir.”

Kanghyok gave him antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs as well as antacids.

Putting them into his mouth quickly, Sungryong asked him, “In how long do you think I will completely recover?”

“In ten days, I guess.”

“Oh, that's giving me a headache. It's been a while since I visited the royal palace last.”

“Don't you think the king would forgive you for your absence. I heard that you were sick in bed for about a month when you collapsed because of this hemorrhoid pain.”

How could he suffer from hemorrhoids for a month?

Kanghyok could not understand at all.

As the pain was so severe, Sungryong even thought of resigning.

If he had resigned at that time, it would have been very difficult for Soonsin to bring about brilliant achievements during j.a.panese invasion of Joseon.

It was not an overstatement to say that the fate of Joseon depended on Sungryong's hemorrhoids.

“You won't have the recurrence of hemorrhoids.”

“Let me keep my fingers crossed. Oh, he's bringing our breakfast tables.”

With a sullen face Sungryong pointed to a servant carrying breakfast for them.

Once he had breakfast, he would have to take a dump anyway.

Eating was pain itself to Sungryong.

All the side dishes on his table were vegetables.

“Doctor Paek here has ordered to prepare vegetables for you,” said the servant.

“I see. As he says this is good for my health, I can't stop him.”

Looking down at the table, Sungryong couldn't eat at all.

“d.a.m.n it. I've never enjoyed meat all my life, but it's really painful as I hardly eat these days.”

“You have to endure it, though. If you eat meat, you will find it more painful to have a dump.”

“I believe what you're saying, Kanghyok.”

In fact, it was not too much to say that hemorrhoids were caused mainly by constipation.

“Oh, I love this food!”

“You should…”

Sungryong grumbled because his table was full of delicious food such as roasted chicken, salted oyster with hot pepper as well as dried octopus.

“I'm sorry, sir.”

“You told me vegetarian food is good, but I don't see it on your table.”

“Well, I've been taking the sitz bath almost all my life, so I don't have any problem with eating meat, sir. You will soon be able to eat like me.”

“Yes, that's what I want.”

Sungryong's wishes came true exactly ten days later.

“Hahaha!” Sungryong kept laughing while moving around here and there.

Of course, it's not because he became insane but because the hemorrhoids that had been troubling him for decades disappeared at the end of the day.

He felt even better after taking the sitz bath.

“Hey, Kanghyok.”

“Yes, milord.”

“I'm not sure if this is the right expression, but I feel as if I was born again.”

Then he looked up at the moon in the sky, as if he regretted his sick days in the past.

“Haha, it's my honor, sir.”

“Thanks so much. I never thought I would ever have my hemorrhoids cured like this.”

“Please pay attention to your diet, and keep taking the sitz bath.”

“Sure, will do. I would follow whatever you instruct me. Can I have a drink tomorrow?”

Tomorrow Soonsin was finally leaving for the northern area.

Kanghyok readily nodded his head.

“Sure, you can.”

“I'm glad to hear that.”

“You have to eat lots of vegetables, though.”

“Sure, sure.”

The news that Sungryong recovered spread to the servants widely.

Hemorrhoids.

How many days their master had to endure the pain!

They remembered that he used all kinds of medicine and brought many famous doctors to treat his disease, but all failed.

“Wow, Dr. Paek is really excellent.”

“As he came from Suwon, I didn't think highly of him, but he was better than any other doctor.”

“Look at the master's happy look these days. Even I do feel better.”

“You bet!”

There were many powerful guests visiting Sungryong's house.

Those from the Tongin scholar faction such as Yunkil Kim, Sungil Kim and Sanhae Lee visited him almost every day.

Even Chul Chung, the prominent figure of the Soin scholar faction who politically differed with Sungryong and the Tongin faction, also visited him.

Hangbok Lee and Dokhyong Lee, the promising young scholars, also visited his house frequently.

“You know that our lord was troubled by hemorrhoids for a long time, right?”

“Sure, I know that.”

“He had it cured completely.”

“Really? What a miracle!”

Those visiting his house took great delight in talking about Sungryong's chronic disease, which was now cured once and for all.

“I think I have to see the doctor.”

“Is his name Kanghyok Paek?”

Among those who showed great interest was Hangobok Lee.

He a.s.sumed major government posts before being promoted to his current position of jongrang, or senior director of the culture and education ministry.

He got married to Gen Yul Kwon's daughter early, leading a happily married life.

But he had one grievance about his wife.

As his wife's face was a carbon copy of General Kwon, she was ugly.

In fact, Dokhyong Lee and Sungryong Lee were rumored as the prominent good-looking men in Hanyang, along with Hangbok Lee.

Accordingly Hangbok didn't feel good about his wife's appearance.

“Can he change my wife's face?” Hangbok, famous for being naughty and mischievous, asked Kanghyok.

“What did you say, master?” his servant asked back with an embarra.s.sed look.

“As Sungryong has recovered, I think I have to pay a call on him.”

“Oh, I see… I heard that he has to go to a drinking party with a guy named Soonsin Lee tomorrow, sir.”

“Really? That sounds good. As I have good wine here, let me have an outing to his place tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir. We'll be ready.”