"But did Li Shizhen actually go to the Northeast?" Shen Xingyue expressed doubt at Yao Yao's words.
"He did. My master, following his agreement with your father Khan, never went west of Shanhai Pass, nor east of the Yalu River in his lifetime. So, his meeting with Li Shizhen was in the Northeast," Yao Yao asserted. "Although Li Shizhen was from your Great Ming, in a way, he also bears undeniable responsibility for the downfall of the Ming dynasty."
"Oh? What do you mean?" I asked, confused. "Did Li Shizhen surrender to your Later Jin?"
No, Li Shizhen was a man of the Ming dynasty, and had no dealings with the Later Jin.
Shen Xingyue also narrowed her eyes, looking at Yao Yao with suspicion.
Yao Yao explained that at that time, her father Nurhaci had not yet declared himself king, nor had he even unified the Jianzhou Jurchen tribes. Nurhaci was merely a local tribal leader. However, because his grandfather and father died at the hands of the Ming army, Nurhaci harbored a deep desire for revenge.
Originally, Nurhaci had no intention of rebelling against the Ming. He was, in fact, a general of the Ming dynasty and only wished to seek justice for his grandfather and father (who were also subordinate officers under the Ming army and were 'accidentally' killed by their own men during a campaign to attack other tribes). But the Ming border generals were extremely arrogant. They insulted Nurhaci and appointed his mortal enemy, the Lord of Turen City in the Left Guard, Nikan Wailan, who bore direct responsibility for the deaths of his grandfather and father, as the "Lord of Manzhou." This action enraged Nurhaci, and he then raised an army to rebel against the Ming.
Because his forces were too small and there were few skilled fighters, Nurhaci could only choose a strategy of 'wily development' in the preceding years. In 1583, Li Shizhen was traveling around, collecting herbs and conducting research. He passed through Shanhai Pass and came to the Changbai Mountains. While digging for wild ginseng in the area of Wunü Peak, he accidentally got lost and couldn't find his way out. He was eventually discovered by Nurhaci's men, who mistook him for a spy from the Ming and captured him, bringing him to meet Nurhaci.
Li Shizhen was already over sixty years old at that time. He had served as an imperial physician and was renowned throughout the land. Fearing he would be detained, he didn't dare to reveal his name as "Li Shizhen" and falsely claimed to be "Dongbi," perhaps lamenting that he had encountered an obstacle ("碰壁," which sounds similar to "Dongbi") in the Northeast. However, he admitted he was a doctor. At that time, the number of Shamanic healers in Later Jin was already very scarce. As the army expanded, these martial practitioners would inevitably suffer injuries, and many wounded would die due to a lack of professional medical attention.
Nurhaci kept Li Shizhen by his side, assigning guards to watch him. Since Li Shizhen had nothing else to do, he began to treat and heal the Jurchen people.
On one occasion, Nurhaci was seriously wounded in the leg during an attack on Nikan Wailan. Li Shizhen washed Nurhaci's leg and applied medicine, quickly healing him.
A healer's compassion knows no race. More importantly, the Jianzhou Jurchens were too few in number at that time. Li Shizhen could never have imagined that, decades later, such a backward group of "barbarians" would threaten the rule of the Great Ming dynasty.
Therefore, Li Shizhen did not hold back his medical and herbal knowledge. He asked the Jurchens to bring him the herbs they collected, and he taught them how to identify and prepare herbs, and explained the principles of pharmacology. He treated their illnesses during the day, and at night, he continued to organize his manuscript of Bencao Gangmu. Many of the herbs from the Northeast were included in Bencao Gangmu precisely because, during this period, the Jurchens procured numerous medicinal plants for Li Shizhen.
The Jurchens looked up to the Han people of the Central Plains, revered their culture, and especially admired the miraculous medical skills of the Central Plains. Li Shizhen possessed all three qualities and had an ethereal demeanor, thus earning the reverence of the Jurchens, who all called him "Living Immortal." Nurhaci also showed Li Shizhen exceptional respect, often chatting with him. Through Li Shizhen, Nurhaci gained a deeper understanding of the conditions and history of the Central Plains Han people. Nurhaci, being forty years younger than Li Shizhen, respectfully addressed him as "Okdoma Fama," which translates to "Doctor Grandfather."
During this time, Li Shizhen also befriended a younger man of the same surname, a friendship that transcended age. This boy was not a Jurchen or a Central Plains native, but a prince from Chaoxian to the further east, who was kept in Jianzhou as a "hostage." His name was "Li Chengfeng."
Although a hostage, Li Chengfeng had a good relationship with Nurhaci. Having studied Han culture in the Chaoxian imperial palace since childhood, Li Chengfeng found he could converse very engagingly with Li Shizhen.