Chapter 20: In Critical Condition

 Chapter 20: In Critical Condition

Half an hour later, the head maid brought in a steaming bowl of medicinal soup, and General Ming almost eagerly drank it. 

Madam Ming nervously watched him from the side, personally wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

After a short while, General Ming's expression changed subtly. He had the servant help him towards the restroom, and after a cup of tea, he emerged, his furrowed brow relaxed, looking refreshed, no longer needing assistance.

“Madam, quickly have someone make me a bowl of noodles!” General Ming urged.

Seeing him in better spirits, Madam Ming sighed with relief. If he wanted to eat, it meant he was improving!

She hurriedly instructed the maid to cook noodles, smiling as she said, “My lord, Physician Wang from the Imperial Medical Hall really is a remarkable physician. Once you’re fully recovered, I’ll personally…” 

Before she could finish, she saw General Ming’s complexion change again, turning as white as paper.

“Ugh…”

General Ming bent over and vomited a large mouthful of fresh blood, leaving a bright red pool of blood on the floor.

Madam Ming was horrified and screamed, “My lord!”

His face became even worse, and he vomited again, blood splattering onto his white inner garments and Madam Ming’s dress, a shocking sight.

“My stomach hurts… so badly,” General Ming groaned, pressing his hand to his abdomen. The pain felt as though his intestines were being twisted and pulled mercilessly.

He gritted his teeth through the excruciating pain, sweat pouring down his face in large drops.

Madam Ming, watching her husband suffer, felt both terrified and heartbroken. Tears filled her eyes as she empathized with him.

The head maid, standing nearby, was equally flustered and panicked. “But Physician Wang said the medicine would cure the illness…”

“Quick… quick, go get Physician Wang again…” Madam Ming frantically ordered, but before she could say anything further, General Ming vomited another large mouthful of blood, leaving her too stunned to continue.

“Madam…” The head maid suddenly seemed to remember something. Her face turned pale as she said, “The physician from Jishi Hall repeatedly warned that we couldn’t use Sanqi. He said that since the general is vomiting so much blood, there’s imminent danger. If we use Sanqi to promote blood circulation and stop the bleeding, it could worsen the bleeding and endanger his life!”

Madam Ming froze for a moment, recalling what Physician Wang had said. Physician Wang had insisted that Sanqi was necessary to treat the bleeding, but now her husband’s condition had worsened!

The physician from Jishi Hall was right!

“What’s the prescription from Jishi Hall?” Madam Ming urgently asked.

The servants and maids all looked instinctively at the desk where Physician Wang had prepared the prescription earlier, but the desk was now completely empty.

The room was in chaos.

Soon, the young maid who had been cleaning was called over. She timidly handed over a piece of silk paper with the prescription written on it.

Madam Ming looked carefully and saw that the prescription was written in regular script—clear, graceful, and forceful.

Unlike Physician Wang’s prescription, which included at least a dozen different ingredients, this one was incredibly simple, containing only five ingredients: raw yam, raw rehmannia, cooked rehmannia, purified black plum, and raw ochre stone.

These five ingredients were quite common and not rare or precious.

Madam Ming couldn’t help but feel doubtful. Could these simple herbs really cure her husband?

She continued reading, and below the prescription, she saw seven more words: "Second dose to be given tomorrow."

A flicker of light flashed in Madam Ming's eyes. Regardless of whether the physician from Jishi Hall could cure the general’s illness, one thing was clear: Physician Wang’s prescription with Sanqi had only worsened the condition.

She gritted her teeth and said, “Quickly, go get the physician from Jishi Hall!”

She had barely finished speaking when General Ming interrupted weakly, “...Take me to Jishi Hall!”

Soon, the entire general’s household was in an uproar. Two young servants helped General Ming onto a sedan chair, which was then transferred to a horse-drawn carriage. The procession made its way to Jishi Hall on Huahong Street.

The scene was so grand that it drew the attention of many people on Huahong Street. The bystanders thought there was some sort of disturbance at Jishi Hall.

But they didn’t expect...

“Shopkeeper, who prescribed the prescription that was just delivered to General Ming’s residence?”

The head maid, holding the prescription she had gone over several times, asked the shopkeeper at Jishi Hall.

The shopkeeper, who certainly knew who had written the prescription, shook his head and honestly replied, “It wasn’t a physician…”

What?! Madam Ming, who had been listening closely, furrowed her brows slightly.

At that moment, Physician Liu came out from the back room and added, “Madam Ming, the prescription wasn’t written by one of our physicians. It was written by a young miss. Her medical skills are exceptional. Because the general’s condition was so serious, I had to ask her for the prescription.”

The general’s vomiting blood wasn’t an uncommon condition. Physician Liu had treated blood vomiting before, but General Ming had been suffering from a cough with blood since last winter. He had consulted countless famous physicians in the capital, but none of them had been able to help. As spring arrived, his condition worsened into blood vomiting, which became a life-threatening issue!

At this point, no one, including Physician Liu or any other physician, could offer a solution.

If it hadn’t been for the young miss’s extraordinary medical skills, Physician Liu wouldn’t have dared to bring up her prescription.

“And where is this young miss?” Madam Ming asked urgently, taking a few steps closer to Physician Liu.

“She only comes every five days, but since she wrote that the second dose should be given tomorrow, she is likely to come in the morning,” Physician Liu replied.

As soon as he finished speaking, a young maid let out a loud scream: “My lord!”

They turned to see General Ming, still on the sedan chair, vomiting another large mouthful of blood. His condition was dire, his breathing shallow and labored. It was clear to anyone that General Ming would not make it until tomorrow.

Physician Liu immediately understood what had happened. He could even guess that General Ming hadn’t received the prescription he had offered, which was why his condition had worsened so dramatically.

Madam Ming, unable to continue talking with Physician Liu, hurried over to General Ming, fearfully calling, “My lord! My lord, are you alright?”

The response she received was another violent coughing fit, followed by a large mouthful of blood, leaving her on the verge of tears.

At that moment, a masked figure, accompanied by Hu Po, arrived at Jishi Hall and witnessed the scene.

(End of Chapter)