allonlinenovel Chapter 269
Chapter 269
The main thoroughfare of the capital city was bustling with traffic and people, a scene of prosperity and hustle. The heavy, vermilion doors, adorned with the four gilded characters "Jishi Medical Clinic," gleamed in the sunlight. Since Ye Qingchen began personally seeing patients, the clinic had become incredibly popular. Every morning, before it even opened, long queues formed outside, with people arriving in droves seeking medical advice. Among them were ragged commoners, hurried merchants, and wealthy young men in fine clothes—all arriving with a yearning for health and trust in Ye Qingchen's medical skills.
Despite being in this bustling and noisy medical clinic, Ye Qingchen always adhered to her principles. She established a rule that, aside from the Emperor, Empress, and Princess whom she regularly treated, those she didn't have a close relationship with, even high-ranking concubines in the palace, had to come to the clinic for treatment in person. She wasn't a full-time imperial physician, and naturally had no desire to travel to the palace to curry favor with anyone; what she cared about was only family.
In her heart, a doctor should be compassionate and treat every patient equally, not be swayed by status or position. She believed that whether high-ranking officials or ordinary people, everyone should be treated equally in the face of illness, and the clinic's doors should be open to all who need help. That day, the clinic was filled with the rich aroma of medicine, bustling with activity. Ye Qingchen, dressed in a plain-colored robe, her long hair casually tied back with a few strands falling beside her face for easier consultation, sat before her antique-style desk, methodically examining her patients. She deftly took a patient's pulse with her slender fingers, then picked up a brush and wrote a prescription on yellowed paper, her movements fluid and graceful, displaying the demeanor of a skilled healer. Her gaze was focused and gentle as she took the pulse, softly inquiring about the patient's symptoms and feelings, patiently listening to every word, as if the world's clamor was irrelevant to her; her eyes were only on the patient before her.
Suddenly, a flurry of hurried footsteps broke the busy rhythm within the clinic. Several servants, dressed in coarse linen, rushed in, their expressions panicked, carrying a stretcher. On the stretcher lay an old man, his face as pale as paper, eyes closed, lifeless, half his body limp and motionless. "Doctor, please, please save my husband!" A middle-aged woman followed behind, her silk robes disheveled with anxiety, her face streaked with tears, her voice trembling with sobs as she cried out urgently. Ye Qingchen immediately put down her pen, quickly rose, and strode to the stretcher. Her expression was grave, her eyes revealing concern and focus as she carefully observed the old man's symptoms. Then, she reached out and gently placed her hand on his wrist to take his pulse. Her fingers were slender and nimble, as if she could sense every subtle change in the old man's body through that gentle touch. A moment later, her brow furrowed, and she made a judgment. "The old lady has had a stroke," Ye Qingchen said slowly, her voice steady and calm, "but it's not a cerebral infarction, but a brain hemorrhage." Those around her gasped, exchanging worried and fearful glances. In this era, even ordinary traditional Chinese medicine practitioners dared to attempt to treat cerebral infarction, but brain hemorrhage was an extremely difficult condition to treat. A slight mistake could endanger the patient's life; who would dare to attempt it lightly? This was undoubtedly a huge problem facing Ye Qingchen. "Doctor, we've already had someone use acupuncture to seal the acupoints and temporarily stop the bleeding, but how do we remove the blood clots?" the middle-aged woman asked anxiously, her eyes filled with helplessness and hope.
Ye Qingchen pondered for a moment, then looked at the middle-aged woman with unwavering determination. "I will try my best," she said. "But this illness is dangerous, and there may be many risks involved. Are you willing to trust me?" Without hesitation, the middle-aged woman knelt down and kowtowed, her voice trembling with tears. "Doctor," she said, "we believe in you! We are willing to take any risk as long as you can save my husband." Ye Qingchen nodded slightly, a flicker of emotion in her eyes. She then turned and, in a clear and firm voice, instructed Bai Zhi and Fu Ling, "Prepare clean cloths, hot water, and my silver needles." The group moved swiftly, their steps hurried yet orderly. Ye Qingchen sat beside the old man, carefully examining his condition once more. Her gaze was focused and resolute, as if she wanted to find hope for a cure in every subtle expression and physical reaction of the old man.
Soon, Bai Zhi and Fu Ling had prepared all the necessary items. Meanwhile, a crowd had already gathered outside the clinic. Everyone had heard about the old woman's condition and had come to see if Ye Qingchen, the renowned physician, could pull off a miracle. The crowd buzzed with discussion. "This is a brain hemorrhage! Even the imperial physicians from the palace wouldn't dare to act rashly," said a man in coarse cloth, his brow furrowed with worry. "Yes, Dr. Ye's medical skills are superb, but this illness is far too dangerous," an old woman shook her head, her eyes filled with concern. The crowd discussed amongst themselves, their words reflecting both anticipation for Ye Qingchen and worry about the patient's condition. "Perhaps we could try the golden needle penetration method," Ye Qingchen murmured to herself, a glimmer of hope flashing in her eyes. She quickly stood up, picked up a long golden needle, carefully sterilized it over a fire, then with alcohol, and finally soaked it in spiritual spring water.
Then, she took a deep breath and slowly walked to the old man's side. "Everyone, please be quiet and don't disturb me," Ye Qingchen said softly, her voice carrying an undeniable authority. The crowd immediately fell silent; the entire clinic was deathly quiet, as if time had frozen, with only Ye Qingchen's soft breathing breaking the silence. She hadn't touched the needles used to stop the bleeding. Carefully, she inserted the long gold needle into the bleeding area of the old man's head. Her glasses allowed her to see directly into the affected area of the brain. Supported by her internal energy, she probed the bleeding point, drawing out the blood with gentle precision; every movement seemed meticulously calculated.
She carefully observed the old man's reaction, adjusting the strength and angle of the acupuncture, her eyes revealing focus and caution. Time passed slowly, and fine beads of sweat covered Ye Qingchen's forehead, slowly sliding down her cheeks. Her arms ached from maintaining the same posture for so long, but she dared not slacken her efforts, seemingly forgetting her physical exhaustion. Suddenly, the old man's fingers twitched. Ye Qingchen was overjoyed, knowing her efforts had been effective. A flicker of surprise and relief crossed her eyes, but she quickly regained her focus, continuing to draw blood while simultaneously using her internal energy to assist the treatment. Her internal energy, like a warm and gentle force, slowly flowed into the old man's body, adding a glimmer of hope for his recovery. "Sir, wake up!" the middle-aged woman cried out anxiously, her voice filled with expectation and worry. With Ye Qingchen's help, the old man's eyelids slowly twitched, and then he slowly opened his eyes. His eyes revealed a trace of confusion and weakness, but it brought a sigh of relief to everyone present. "Master, you're finally awake!" The middle-aged woman cried out excitedly, tears streaming down her face—tears of joy and excitement.
Ye Qingchen let out a long sigh and slumped wearily to the ground. A relieved smile appeared on her face, a smile filled with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. At this moment, all the fatigue and hardship turned into tears of happiness. "Grandpa, how are you feeling?" Ye Qingchen asked softly, her voice filled with concern and tenderness. The old man opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but found his voice hoarse. Ye Qingchen quickly had Fuling bring a cup of warm water, added some spiritual spring water to it, and gently helped the old man sit up, bringing the warm water to his lips and feeding him with a spoon. "Thank you... Doctor..." the old man finally spoke, his voice weak but full of gratitude.
Ye Qingchen gave him a pill of Angong Niuhuang Wan and said, "You're alright now." The people around her applauded and cheered. Everyone was impressed by Ye Qingchen's medical skills, and their admiration for her grew spontaneously. "Dr. Ye, you're truly a miracle doctor!" "Yes, to cure such a dangerous illness, Dr. Ye's medical skills are simply divine!" The praises from the crowd rose and fell, like a beautiful melody echoing in the clinic. Ye Qingchen simply smiled and shook her head. Then she wrote a prescription, including the acupuncture points, and had others prepare the medicine and administer the acupuncture, since that half of his body was still not very mobile. However, the blood had already been cleared, and there wasn't much faster way to do it with ordinary acupuncture.