Stories from Ancient China: Cui Yan

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Cui Yan served in General Zuo’s army. One day he suddenly fell sick. This sickness prevented him from been able to see any light, people or other things even when they were only a few inches in front of him. His eyebrows and hair fell out and his nose collapsed into his face. Sores grew on his skin, and became big scabs. People believed that his sickness was incurable.

Cui Yan was a commander in the Luoziwu Valley at that time and he was in charge of many soldiers there. One day he saw a Taoist* walking into the valley. The Taoist refused to tell Cui Yan his name, but he did give Cui Yan a special prescription to cure his ailment. He said, “get one or two liters of Chinese Honey Locust sticks and bake them to ashes. Steam rhubarb nine times, drying the rhubarb each time after steaming it. Grind it into fine powder. Before eating it, pour the ashes of the Honey Locust sticks and the rhubarb powder into the decoction of rhubarb. Eat the entire decoction.”

After ten days, Cui Yan’s beard and hair grew back again. His skin started to shine and he made a full recovery. His eyes were even better than before.

The Taoist walked away after giving Cui Yan the prescription. Nobody knew where he went.

* A Taoist is one who cultivates the Tao. The term "Tao" can be translated to mean "the Way of the universe".

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