Chapter 10: 010 Aconite

 Chapter 10: 010 Aconite

Everyone was looking at Chu Qianchen, including the young physician Liu. Physician Liu immediately noticed the needle pouch in her hand and realized that she was the girl who had just bought silver needles at the medical hall. 

How could a healer not even have their own silver needles?

As the shop assistant had said earlier, this girl probably just read some medical books and thought she was an expert, unaware that the medical path is profound and unfathomable. Simply reading books is useless; one must constantly practice, learning from thousands or even tens of thousands of cases, to truly grow as a healer.

This girl appeared to be no older than thirteen or fourteen, and how many years could a thirteen or fourteen-year-old have spent studying medicine? Even after twenty years of studying, he, Liu, would only dare to say he had just begun.

Physician Liu didn’t want to trouble the girl and kindly advised, "Miss, Wang A’niu already shows signs of Yin deficiency, he’s at the brink of death..."

Chu Qianchen didn’t engage with him, walking directly to Wang A’niu’s side. She skillfully pulled out a few silver needles from her pouch and began to insert them into several key acupoints on his body. Her needlework was steady and precise.

In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen silver needles were inserted into Wang A’niu’s body.

Physician Liu was stunned, forgetting what he was about to say.

Onlookers might just watch for the spectacle, but a professional like Physician Liu could immediately tell that this girl’s needling technique was extraordinary. It could even rival his grandfather’s, no, it might be even more refined.

Everyone’s gaze turned to Wang A’niu, and once again, the room fell silent.

The woman in green spoke uncertainly, "Mother, Second Brother, Third Brother, am I seeing things? It seems like A’niu’s complexion has improved a little?"

Wang Er and Wang San rubbed their eyes and looked at Wang A’niu carefully.

Physician Liu knew the woman was not mistaken. Just a moment ago, Wang A’niu’s face was ashen, his lips and tongue purple. But now, the formerly lifeless face had gained a bit of color and a faint hint of life.

Physician Liu crouched down again and checked Wang A’niu’s pulse. His expression grew more complicated.

He stood up once more and, with burning eyes, looked at Chu Qianchen. He gave her a formal bow and said seriously, "Miss, you mentioned earlier that Wang A’niu can still be saved. May I ask how we can save him?"

At this point, Liu had no way out. With his grandfather not present, he was the one responsible for running the Jishitang. He had no choice but to turn to this girl for help—treating a dead horse like a living one!

"If you can save him, I will offer a generous reward," Physician Liu added.

There was a stir among the crowd.

The common folk could at least tell from Physician Liu's words that the few needles the girl had inserted had indeed temporarily alleviated Wang A’niu’s condition.

Chu Qianchen didn’t keep them in suspense and directly said, "I’ll write out a prescription."

Even if Physician Liu hadn’t asked, Chu Qianchen would have still saved Wang A’niu.

Not only because of her compassionate heart as a healer but also because she needed an opportunity—an opportunity to make a name for herself.

The shop assistant quickly prepared the ink, and Chu Qianchen dictated the prescription: "Dried ginger, roasted licorice, raw cornelian cherries, twenty liang each; raw pinellia, ten liang; raw dragon bone powder, musk..."

Physician Liu silently repeated the prescription, pondering the idea behind it. This prescription seemed to be a modified version of the "Four Reverse Decoction for Typhoid," but... could it really save Wang A’niu?

He frowned slightly, but then he heard Chu Qianchen mention the last ingredient: "Aconite, fifty liang."

"Aconite, fifty liang?!" The shop assistant exclaimed, forgetting to continue writing.

Liu furrowed his brow in confusion and reminded, "Miss, fifty liang of aconite might be... too much..."

Aconite is highly poisonous. Normally, when used in medicine, its dosage should be carefully controlled. In the "Four Reverse Decoction for Typhoid," roasted licorice is added specifically to counteract aconite’s toxicity. But fifty liang of aconite seemed too much! Wang A’niu was on the verge of death, and he might not be able to handle such a potent medicine.

It’s known that one coin of aconite is enough to poison a cow!

Chu Qianchen knew full well the toxicity of aconite. She calmly responded, "What do you think of his condition?"

Physician Liu deliberated before answering, "Heart failure, dying, with the Triple Burner, the Five Zang Organs, and the Six Fu Organs, all suffering from excessive loss of Yin, Qi, and Blood, trapped by heavy Yin, life and death hanging by a thread."

Chu Qianchen nodded slightly and gave a brief explanation: "Aconite is a pure Yang substance, a powerful heart-strengthening agent. Its strong heat and intense bitterness are capable of breaking the Yin and reviving the Yang."

Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a soft halo around Chu Qianchen’s figure, and her phoenix eyes shone brightly behind the veil.

Physician Liu’s eyes widened slightly, his excitement palpable as he clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Wonderful! Truly wonderful!"

"Aconite’s great heat and intense bitterness have the power of thunder, capable of breaking through gates and returning the Yin to the Yang!"

Physician Liu, the young physician, became more and more excited, his eyes glowing with enthusiasm. He quickly ordered, "Quick, go and prepare the medicine according to the young lady’s prescription!"

The shop assistant was still a bit dazed, almost doubting whether Physician Liu had lost his mind. But with Physician Liu's grandfather not around, the assistant had no choice but to follow Physician Liu's instructions and treat this like a desperate measure.

The assistant hurried to prepare and brew the medicine, while the others in the medical hall didn’t just sit idly by. Wang A’niu, who was on the verge of death, was temporarily moved to a nearby bed.

Some of the onlookers outside grew impatient and left, but most of them remained, reluctant to leave, eager to see if this dying man could be saved. They debated among themselves.

"I think it’s hopeless!" an old woman in gray said with conviction. "This Wang A’niu has hardly any breath left. I don’t think he can be saved."

"Yes, yes," another elderly man agreed. "His lips, tongue, and fingers are all purple. My neighbor, Old Xu, looked the same before he passed. He might survive today, but not tomorrow..."

"Besides, what can a little girl with embroidery needles do? What illness can she possibly treat? All the famous physicians are seasoned, experienced old men."

Amidst the skepticism, Hu Po felt uneasy, while Chu Qianchen had already sat down quietly by the side.

It was unclear how much time passed before the assistant hurriedly returned from the back room, holding a large bowl with a white floral pattern, steam rising from it, filling the air with the scent of medicine.

The woman in green eagerly took the bowl, instructing her younger brother to gently lift her husband’s upper body so she could feed him the medicine.

Aunt Wang anxiously paced back and forth, mumbling incessantly. She would say that her daughter-in-law had lost her mind, that Jishi hall was only a place with a hollow reputation, or that the girl couldn't be trusted...

Suddenly, the woman in green cried out excitedly, "Husband! Husband..."

Aunt Wang rushed over, her heart pounding. She saw that her eldest son’s complexion, once ashen, had now turned a pale yellow, with his eyes slightly moving under his eyelids. He seemed to have improved somewhat.

Aunt Wang was overjoyed and immediately called out, "A’niu, A’niu." 

Wang A’niu slowly opened his eyes. His pupils were murky, and he only opened them briefly before closing them again.

This prescription is derived from Li Ke’s "Special Heart-Saving Decoction." In Traditional Chinese Medicine, one liang equals 30 grams, and one qian equals 3 grams.  

(End of Chapter)