The next day, Jiang Yuqing woke up early. After getting up, she took the layout plan and rode Bai Xiaoshi to wander around the Hou Mansion.
This was her own home, not those fee-charging gardens from her past life.
She could walk wherever she wanted to, and when she got tired of walking, she could simply wave her hand and have someone serve her food and drinks anytime, anywhere. It was truly comfortable and enjoyable.
She kept wandering until noon and only managed to explore half of the mansion.
When her stomach growled with hunger, she remembered that she should go back and have a meal with her master.
In this huge mansion, Jiang Yuqing was the only mistress, and Grandpa Lin from the Lin Escort Bureau was an esteemed guest. Naturally, she couldn't leave her guests unattended.
So, she accompanied her master for the meal.
Grandpa Lin said that after the meal, they planned to go out and buy some things for their family. In two days, they would be returning to Qingzhou.
Jiang Yuqing called Housekeeper Zhao and asked him to find two knowledgeable guides to show them around, so as not to be deceived by others.
After finishing the meal and returning, Jiang Yuqing discovered that there was a stranger in her master's courtyard.
This person was middle-aged, wearing a straw hat. He had a goatee on his chin, stood straight, and had a refined temperament.
As soon as he saw her, he smiled and said, "Is this Junior Sister Jiang?"
Doctor Qiu nodded and waved at Jiang Yuqing, saying, "Come here, my obedient treasure, and meet your eldest martial brother!"
Jiang Yuqing knew that she had three martial brothers.
The eldest martial brother was Tian Guang, who had a calm and gentle personality and exceptional medical skills. He was the head physician at the Imperial Medical Bureau.
The second martial brother was Guo Jie, the head of the largest chain medical clinic, pharmacy, and tranquil hall in Datianxia. Due to his constant travels inspecting his businesses, Jiang Yuqing had never had the chance to meet him.
However, this second martial brother had once sent her a token, which was said to allow her to obtain medicinal materials and money unconditionally from any tranquil hall in the country. He was indeed generous.
There was also a third martial brother.
It was said that this third martial brother came from a prestigious family and had a handsome appearance.
Not only was he skilled in medicine, but he also excelled in the arts of poison. He was a talented person but often went against conventions and enjoyed wandering in the jianghu.
This person in front of her should be Tian Guang, the head physician at the Imperial Medical Bureau.
Little Jiang rushed over and respectfully bowed, then looked up and sweetly greeted, "Hello, Eldest Martial Brother!"
Tian Guang lovingly patted her head and took out a cloth bundle from his sleeve, handing it to her, saying, "This is for you. Keep it well. It will be of great use in the future."
Little Jiang opened it and was astonished. It was a set of 23 gold needles, consisting of 8 long ones and 15 short ones.
The thinnest needle was as fine as a cow's hair. In this era, to produce such exquisite craftsmanship, it could be considered a priceless treasure.
Little Jiang carefully rolled up the cloth bundle and handed it back with both hands, shaking her head, "Eldest Martial Brother, this is too precious. Yuqing can't accept it."
Tian Guang didn't take it back and smiled, saying, "Don't refuse a gift from your elder! Keep it. Master said that you have exceptional talent and will achieve great success in the future. This set of gold needles will be of great use in your hands."
Little Jiang looked at her master in distress.
Doctor Qiu remained calm and said, "When an elder gives a gift, you must not refuse. Accept it! Moreover, as your eldest martial brother, it is only right for him to give you a gift as a token of meeting."
Only then did Little Jiang accept it.
She reached into her bag (actually, she took it from the spirit realm) and pulled out a cloth bag.
Doctor Qiu couldn't help but cringe at the tattered cloth bag, but he didn't say anything.
Tuanzi stuffed the cloth bag into Tian Guang's hand and smiled with her beautiful big eyes, saying, "A gift for you as a token of our friendship."
Tian Guang opened the casually wrapped cloth bag and was surprised to find a ginseng root as thick as a baby's arm, weighing at least eight taels.
He was momentarily stunned.
Tian Guang was reluctant to accept it, but as a physician, he couldn't resist the allure of such a precious medicinal herb. He found himself caught in a dilemma.
Doctor Qiu scolded his eldest disciple and said, "Look at you, so indecisive. Since your junior sister gave it to you, just accept it. She has plenty of good things. This is nothing compared to what she has."
Tuanzi's lips twitched at his words. What did he mean by saying she had plenty of good things?
Well... maybe she did have a few too many.
But she couldn't exactly say that out loud.
In the end, Tian Guang accepted the ginseng, treasuring it as he tucked it into his sleeve.
He had invited his master to come out of seclusion to save his dear friend, Yan Jijiu.
Yan had been suffering from appendicitis for nearly two years, with frequent relapses, and now it had reached a point where no medicine or stone could help.
Appendicitis, also known as inflammation of the appendix.
The fact that he had been afflicted for nearly two years and had experienced repeated episodes indicated that it was chronic. If it were acute, he would have died long ago.
In her past life, this was a minor condition that could be easily resolved with a small surgery, but in this ancient era, it was considered an incurable disease.
Tian Guang explained that he had treated Yan a few times, and while there was some temporary relief, the condition would recur shortly thereafter. He had discussed it with his fellow doctors and colleagues at the Imperial Medical Bureau and consulted numerous medical books, but they had yielded no satisfactory results.
Tian Guang was at a loss and didn't want to stand by and watch his dear friend perish. With no other options left, he wrote a letter to his master, asking him to come out of seclusion and help.
Doctor Qiu asked where the patient was currently located.
Tian Guang replied, "He is at the Imperial Tutor's Residence in Ningkang District. My dear friend's name is Yan Zigu, and he currently holds the position of Yan Jijiu at the Imperial Academy. He is the only son of Imperial Tutor Yan."
Doctor Qiu said, "It's better to go sooner rather than later. Let's go and see him this afternoon."
"Tian Guang expressed his gratitude to his master and said, "I will go to the Yan Residence and inform them of this good news!"
It was said that Doctor Qiu had already arrived in the capital and would visit the Yan Residence in the afternoon to diagnose his son.
Imperial Tutor Yan was extremely excited and immediately wanted to arrange a carriage to personally pick him up from the Qing Prefecture Marquis Mansion.
Tian Guang was afraid that the ancestor would be too excited and suffer a stroke, so he tried to reassure him, saying that the master would come after having lunch.
There was no need to rush.
At this age, it would be troublesome if he had a stroke!
After the master and disciple had lunch and rested for a while, they set off for the Yan Residence. The carriage from the Yan Residence had been waiting at the front gate for quite some time.
When they arrived at the entrance of the Imperial Tutor's Residence, they found the main gate wide open. Imperial Tutor Yan personally led his entire family to greet them, indicating the high regard the Yan family had for Doctor Qiu.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Doctor Qiu and his disciples were welcomed into the Imperial Tutor's Residence and directly taken to the patient's courtyard.
The person on the bed is in his early forties, with a pale complexion tinged with a hint of green. Despite his tall stature, he appears frail and skeletal, worn down by illness and suffering.
Upon hearing that Doctor Qiu had arrived, he struggled to get out of bed to pay his respects, but Doctor Qiu held him down.
After a thorough examination, it was confirmed that he was suffering from chronic intestinal abscess. Moreover, due to the prolonged duration of the illness and recurrent episodes, it had developed into intestinal obstruction.
Tuanzi saw the serious expression on her master's face and knew that the situation was not optimistic.
However, she couldn't say much in front of the patient and his family. After all, she was too young.
She could only gently tug on Doctor Qiu's sleeve, signaling him to speak privately.
Having spent a long time together as master and disciple, they had developed a certain level of understanding. Doctor Qiu then said to the family, "May this old master and disciple have a discussion?"
Doctor Qiu's words implied that it involved secrets of their sect. The Yan family, being intelligent, naturally agreed.
They deliberately moved to the adjacent flower hall, dismissed the servants, and left only the master and disciple to talk.
With only the three of them remaining in the room, Doctor Qiu asked his young disciple, Jiang Yuqing, "Qingbao, in this patient's condition, in my opinion, it appears to be a terminal condition. Do you have a different perspective?"
Jiang Yuqing looked at him and then at Tian Guang. Doctor Qiu understood and said, "Speak up. Your eldest martial brother is one of us and can be trusted. He will never reveal your secrets."
Only then did Jiang Yuqing say, "At the end of our intestines, there is a segment called the appendix, which is of little use.
Once the appendix becomes contaminated and cannot be expelled, it becomes inflamed, resulting in appendicitis or intestinal abscess.
The patient's intestinal abscess has already progressed to a severe stage, accompanied by severe intestinal obstruction. It is necessary to open the abdominal cavity, remove the contaminated segment of the intestines, clean out the waste material, and then stitch it back together for the patient to recover."
Phew... Oh my goodness, that sentence was so long and exhausting.
When will this little body grow up a bit?
As soon as she finished speaking, Doctor Qiu and Tian Guang became excited. Doctor Qiu held her small shoulders and said, "Qingbao, do you know about Bian Que Divine Medical Skills?"
"What is Bian Que Divine Medical Skills?"
"It's what you just described, opening the patient's abdominal cavity and removing the diseased intestines."
"Oh, in my heritage, it's called surgery." Telling lies is really tiring, but she had no choice.
She couldn't possibly say that she had lived two lifetimes. That would be too unbelievable.
"Heritage?"
"Yes." Tuanzi pointed to her own head and said in a childish voice, "Right here, I've always known. But my father and my parents said I shouldn't tell anyone. Otherwise, I'll be burned alive.
I'm not a monster. I don't want to be burned alive!"
In fact, not even her father knew about this. And because she was born with extraordinary abilities, her father and her family had always protected her at all costs.
It was precisely because Doctor Qiu was the head of Bianque Valley that Jiang Yuqing readily accepted him as her master.
And because their ancestor, Bian Que, was one of the earliest physicians in Chinese history to use surgery to treat patients.
Her medical skills indeed needed a legitimate origin. Only when she demonstrated her abilities would outsiders look at her without prejudice.
"Good, very good! Qingbao, you are destined to be a disciple of Bianque Valley," Doctor Qiu exclaimed, barely containing his laughter due to the inappropriate occasion.
Doctor Qiu asked her, "So, when do you think would be the best time for the surgery?"
Tuanzi replied, "His condition has already worsened significantly. Sooner would be better, of course."
With a somewhat dejected expression, Tuanzi lowered her little head and extended her small hand with chubby fingers. "But I'm still too young. I'm afraid I don't have enough strength to perform this surgery. Besides, I've only dissected human bodies in my dreams. I still need to find a cadaver to practice on."
Doctor Qiu patted her head and said, "You don't have to do it yourself. I will personally come and let your eldest martial brother assist me while you guide from the sidelines. How does that sound?"
"Do you... dissect human bodies?" Tuanzi asked with difficulty.
Doctor Qiu and Tian Guang exchanged a glance before bursting into laughter.
Doctor Qiu explained, "You should know that one of the requirements for becoming a disciple of Bianque Valley is having great courage. This courage is not only necessary for a physician who often deals with blood but also because after entering the valley, disciples need to dissect corpses to understand the human body's structure. Every disciple of Bianque Valley has dissected no less than a hundred bodies. So, you don't need to worry about that aspect at all."
"But why didn't you tell me, Master?"
Doctor Qiu felt guilty and said, "It's because you were still too young. What if you got scared and ran away?"
At the age of fourteen, Yuqing became a top medical student, completing a continuous eight-year program from undergraduate to doctoral studies. He became a member of a special national department, experienced the battlefield, rotated through various departments in the military general hospital, and was renowned as the best neurosurgeon in the military district. He was Yuqing, and he was afraid of running away.
"..."
Since they had this foundation, things would be easier to handle.
She had the surgical instruments and necessary medications, but it was still necessary to explain the specific procedures, various precautions, and postoperative care to them.
Of course, they would discuss these matters in detail later. For now, they needed to figure out how to tell the Yan family.
The teacher and disciples discussed the matter in detail for a while, made a decision, and reached a consensus before opening the door.
When Imperial Tutor Yan heard that his son could still be saved, he almost burst into tears of joy.
However, when he learned that the method of saving his son involved surgery, cutting open his son's abdomen and removing the diseased portion of his intestine, he hesitated.
As an Imperial Tutor, he had once come across some medical methods of Bianque Valley's founder and Bianque Divine Medical Skills in a rare book.
These healing methods were also known as Bian Que Divine Medical Skills.
The Bian Que Divine Medical Skills were briefly mentioned in some medical books.
However, it seemed that no one had succeeded in using them after Bian Que. Over time, people began to regard them as legends.
Now, Doctor Qiu, the current master of Bianque Valley, brought up these skills once again, seemingly believing in them and having no other alternative.
Doctor Qiu further explained the various precautions for the surgery that were mentioned by his young disciple, including the need to prepare a clean room. He even had his senior disciple draft a "Surgery Consent Form."
The Yan family would only agree to the surgery if they signed the "Surgery Consent Form."
Imperial Tutor Yan looked at the numerous potential risks listed on the "Surgery Consent Form," and his hands trembled even more.
He feared that his son would once again be tormented by illness, and he dreaded the possibility of his son dying on the operating table.
Imperial Tutor Yan had not yet made up his mind, but Yan Jijiu spoke decisively, saying, "Let's do it!"
His idea was simple: rather than lying in bed and waiting for death, it was better to take a chance. What if it succeeded?
It was a desperate move, akin to trying to revive a dying horse.
In the end, Imperial Tutor Yan put his signature on the consent form for the surgery.
Doctor Qiu used the special anti-inflammatory medication provided by Jiang Yuqing to temporarily control the illness, and they agreed to perform the operation at the mansion in two days' time, in the morning.
