Chapter 124 - 123: The Real Crux (First Update)

Chapter 124: Chapter 123: The Real Crux (First Update)

Sensing the anxiety in the woman’s tone, Xu Jing looked up at her and smiled reassuringly, "Young Madam Zhao, there is no need to worry. This is not a serious illness. As long as you follow the doctor’s advice, it can definitely be cured."

Young Madam Zhao was slightly taken aback, looking at Xu Jing with both hope and apprehension.

Among all the doctors who had treated her, Xu Jing was the first to remain so calm and composed after examining her condition and to state with such calm confidence that her illness could be cured.

Other doctors would either keep frowning or hesitate to give a definite answer, only suggesting that she try taking some medication first.

Even though this Doctor Xu appeared to have some confidence in her condition, Young Madam Zhao still didn’t dare to fully trust, "Doctor Xu, what exactly is wrong with me? Is it because I ate something wrong, or is there an issue with my body?"

"I will explain this to you in detail shortly, but first, tell me, do you have the prescriptions that other doctors have given you?"

Young Madam Zhao quickly nodded, "Yes, I will have someone bring those prescriptions right away."

As they waited for the prescriptions, there was a gentle knock on the door of the side room, and Madam Song’s concerned voice sounded, "Shaohua, how are you? I’ve sent Second Aunt and the others ahead. I am a bit worried about you. Is it alright for me to come in for a moment?"

It was clear that the relationship between this mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was quite good.

Upon hearing this, Young Madam Zhao stood up herself to open the door, helping Madam Song inside, "Mother, Doctor Xu says that my ailment can be treated. If Doctor Xu can cure it, it will be a tremendous blessing for me."

"Really? That’s wonderful, that’s wonderful. You’ve been so gloomy because of this illness, and Dalang has been so worried. He’s mentioned it to me several times in private since I returned."

Madam Song and Nanny Kang, who followed her, were instantly delighted. After sitting down opposite Xu Jing, Madam Song looked at Xu Jing, "Doctor Xu, what exactly is my daughter-in-law’s condition?"

Originally, Xu Jing intended to wait for the other doctors’ prescriptions to be brought over for analysis, but upon Madam Song’s inquiry, she could only say, "Young Madam Zhao is suffering from Beng Lou syndrome. Beng Lou refers to excessive menstrual bleeding or prolonged spotting in women outside of their regular cycle. The causes of Beng Lou are varied. Some cases are due to deficiency in both qi and blood, while others are due to deficiencies in the spleen and kidneys, and so on. Therefore, when treating this symptom, it’s crucial to identify the root cause before prescribing medication; otherwise, it can’t be permanently cured.

When I examined Young Madam Zhao earlier, I found that her tongue is red, with a yellow dry coating, and her pulse is string-like and forcibly felt. Additionally, as mentioned earlier, Young Madam Zhao experiences periods of hot flashes before her cycle begins. Her appetite is normal, but she suffers from severe constipation, having a bowel movement only every three to four days. This indicates liver yin deficiency and liver yang excess, which is the root cause of her Beng Lou syndrome."

Everyone listened intently, but after Xu Jing’s explanation, Nanny Kang was slightly taken aback, "How come what Doctor Xu says sounds similar to what the previous Doctor Guo from the palace said..."

Madam Song and Young Madam Zhao couldn’t help but furrow their brows.

Doctor Guo is an imperial physician from the palace, naturally skilled in medicine. That Doctor Xu could reach a similar conclusion to Doctor Guo already attests to her medical expertise.

But using Doctor Guo’s method couldn’t cure Young Madam Zhao’s illness!

Xu Jing noticed their change in expressions but remained unruffled, smiling slightly, "The conclusion I reached was through inquiry and examination of Young Madam Zhao. It’s normal for other doctors to reach similar conclusions. But if this conclusion doesn’t lead to curing Young Madam Zhao’s ailment, it indicates that there are other aspects of her condition we haven’t considered. That’s why I wanted to look at the previous prescriptions to analyze and find the crux of the matter."

Xu Jing’s composed demeanor reassured both Madam Song and Young Madam Zhao. Madam Song patted her chest repeatedly, "That’s good, that’s good."

No matter what others think, she still had great faith in Xu Jing.

Soon, the maid returned with three prescriptions. Young Madam Zhao explained, "Although I’ve consulted many doctors, I only tried these three prescriptions. Please take a look, Doctor Xu."

Xu Jing nodded, carefully examining each one. According to the laws of Great Chu, doctors are required to be responsible for the prescriptions they write, so formal doctors would sign and stamp their prescriptions. It’s easy to discern which doctor issued which prescription.

Earlier, Nanny Kang mentioned that her conclusion was similar to that of Doctor Guo, the imperial physician. Among the prescriptions, only one bore the surname Guo, clearly belonging to Doctor Guo. Upon a detailed review, it was found that Doctor Guo’s prescription indeed aligned well with Young Madam Zhao’s symptoms, recommending herbs to nourish the liver’s yin, clear liver fire, while also stopping the bleeding.

The other two doctors’ prescriptions were primarily strong astringent hemostatic medications.

After a while, Xu Jing had a grasp of the situation. She folded the three prescriptions and handed them to the maid, looking at the two expectant women opposite her. With a faint smile, she said, "I have a rough idea of where the issue lies. Ordinarily, the prescription given by Doctor Guo should have been perfectly suitable for Young Madam Zhao’s condition. Young Madam Zhao herself stated that previously, after taking the medication, her bleeding stopped quickly. However, when her cycle came again, it was as persistent as before.

Young Madam Zhao must have blood stasis in her body, obstructing the meridians and preventing new menstrual blood from flowing smoothly along its usual path, which is why the issue persists. Thus, to cure Young Madam Zhao’s Beng Lou syndrome, it’s essential to combine the liver-nourishing and yin-enriching medication with treatments that promote blood circulation and remove the stasis. Once the stasis is cleared, her symptoms can truly be resolved."

Though some of Xu Jing’s terminology was somewhat esoteric, Madam Song and her companions could understand some key phrases. Hearing this, Young Madam Zhao was slightly startled and, with a mix of worry and doubt, said, "You mentioned using medicines to promote blood circulation? But... my menstrual bleeding is already incessant. Wouldn’t using such medication cause even more bleeding?"

All the other doctors used hemostatic medicines, so why was Doctor Xu using the opposite approach with blood-circulating medicines?

If it weren’t for the fact that this Doctor Xu was invited by her mother-in-law, Young Madam Zhao might have been even more skeptical.

Although Madam Song and Nanny Kang remained silent, their faces reflected the same anxious and puzzled expressions.

Xu Jing shook her head, maintaining her calm demeanor, "Young Madam Zhao, you’ve misunderstood. The use of blood-moving treatment is meant to stop the bleeding. If the stasis in Young Madam Zhao’s body isn’t first addressed, using only hemostatic medicine will only exacerbate the internal obstruction caused by the blood stasis. The more you try to stop it, the harder it will be to truly stop the bleeding."

This time, Young Madam Zhao didn’t speak, but the suspicion and worry on her face didn’t lessen.

Even though Doctor Xu seemed to have a sound explanation, she was still hesitant to try such a novel treatment that no one had suggested before.

What if... the more she followed the treatment, the more she bled—what would she do then!

However, Madam Song was more decisive. She looked at Xu Jing for a moment and reassuringly patted Young Madam Zhao’s hand, calmly stating, "Employing someone means trusting them, and mistrust should not be among us. I trust Doctor Xu; please prescribe the medication. However, I have one request. Until my daughter-in-law’s condition stabilizes, can Doctor Xu remain in the Western Capital? That way, Doctor Xu can respond timely if anything arises."

Without waiting for Xu Jing to respond, Madam Song continued, "While Doctor Xu stays in the Western Capital, all expenses will be covered by our Song Family. In fact, I was already hoping Doctor Xu would stay a while longer. Previously, I spoke about Doctor Xu at some of the other ladies’ gatherings in the capital, and after they tried the cooling oil made by Doctor Xu, they found it both novel and effective. They are all keen to meet Doctor Xu.

If Doctor Xu agrees, I could introduce you to other ladies in the capital."