Chapter 2585 - 2559: Family Members (New Year’s Eve Bonus)

Manbao wrote in great detail, including how he was injured, the size of the wound, the internal injuries, pulse, blood loss, and complexion.

Zheng Wang glanced at what she wrote, noticing intracranial hemorrhages in two places, swelling in three, two of which were connected...

Zheng Wang’s heart skipped a beat, and he couldn’t help but ask, "Imperial Doctor Zhou, is the swelling in the brain harmful?"

Manbao was startled, putting weight into her hands, leaving a heavy ink mark on the paper. She stared blankly at him for a moment before recognizing him, "Lord Zheng, what brings you here? Isn’t it inappropriate to be in the palace so late at night?"

State Duke Pi saw her confused expression and laughed, "Lord Zhou, Young Master Zheng is Lord Zheng’s nephew."

Manbao then recalled the connection, but she wasn’t present when the emperor told them to stay, so she didn’t know why the three remained in the palace. She glanced between them, curious, "Then State Duke Pi, you..."

State Duke Pi thought explaining was too complicated, so he directly said, "We were ordered to stay, Lord Zhou, Young Master Zheng’s injuries..."

"Oh, there hasn’t been much change." Manbao put down the pen and stopped writing, even covering the consultation records.

Zheng Wang looked intensely and pressed, "Lord Zhou, about my nephew’s injuries, is there no issue with the swelling in his brain?"

Manbao said, "We will prescribe anti-swelling medication."

"Will the swelling affect him in the future?" He really wanted to ask if it would make him mentally impaired, but thought it too inauspicious to voice out.

Manbao wouldn’t agree to say so, mainly because she wasn’t sure either; she was as clueless as could be, really.

But Zheng Wang didn’t see it that way, suspecting Zhou Man of intentionally hiding something, and raised his voice, "Lord Zhou, are you concealing the condition to cover for the Prince of Hejian?"

Manbao was displeased upon hearing this, especially since he was so loud that even Director Xiao’s light turned on next door. She had to send a medical assistant to urge Director Xiao to go back to sleep before checking Zheng Erlang on the bed, relieved to see him still lying safely.

She faced the infuriated Zheng Wang, pursed her lips, and pointed outside, "Let’s go talk outside."

State Duke Pi, worried they might argue, quickly intervened, "Let’s discuss this calmly, orderly discussion."

Lu Zhongyan curiously watched Zhou Man.

He wasn’t an official court member; he was merely traveling in the capital in recent years and was in the palace representing the Lu family.

Though he had entered the palace multiple times, even without an official position, he could attend banquets or play chess with the emperor occasionally due to his family background.

But he hadn’t seen Zhou Man once.

He had, however, heard much about her, the female official, and watched her inquisitively.

Zheng Wang, being an official and having had dealings with Zhou Man before in the court’s political debates, remained silent at first.

Feeling aggrieved, he huffed, flicked his sleeves, and walked outside to the courtyard, standing and glaring at Zhou Man, wanting to engage in a lengthy argument.

The night breeze was still a bit cool, so Manbao tucked her hands into her sleeves, closed the door to avoid disturbing the patient inside, and leaned against the railing, frowning, "Lord Zheng, do you even know where your nephew is injured?"

"Of course I do, don’t change the subject. I’m asking you, is your evasiveness because you want to favor the Prince of Hejian?"

Manbao bluntly asked, "Am I close with Minister Li? Why should I side with him?"

Zheng Wang paused, realizing that Zhou Man didn’t seem to have much connection with the Prince of Hejian, but she did have good ties with royalty.

Just as he was about to speak, Zhou Man sighed, "I’m being truthful because I really don’t know how he will be in the future; I don’t even know what will happen in the next two hours."

Zheng Wang and the others, including State Duke Pi and Lu Zhongyan, were stunned. The State Duke was about to stop Zhou Man, but Lu Zhongyan quickly held him back; the matter had to be clarified. If something happened to Zheng Erlang, the emperor must give an explanation.

This time, the Lu and Zheng families were united, while State Duke Pi naturally remained more loyal to the emperor, being his in-law.

Zheng Wang took a step closer to Zhou Man, demanding, "What does this mean?"

Manbao looked at him with curiosity, "Did Director Xiao not tell you? We only have a thirty percent chance to save him."

Actually, it was fifty percent, but by the standard of the Imperial Hospital, medical conditions were reported two or three degrees more severe outside of special situations.

Evidently, Zheng Erlang didn’t qualify for a special case by the Imperial Hospital.

The three were shocked; State Duke Pi was the first to regain composure and nodded immediately, "He did, he did, he did say."

The emperor could not take the blame at this time.

"Have you not considered what causes the seventy percent uncertainty?" Manbao continued, "Of course, it’s because the human brain is complex. With bleeding inside, we’re uncertain whether the hemostatic medication will completely stop the bleeding, whether intracranial pressure might overwhelm and rupture blood vessels, or if the flowing blood would lead to brain necrosis..."

"Plus, the swelling. Whether the anti-swelling medication and acupuncture will reduce it, and if it doesn’t, will it worsen, causing compression and irreversible damage elsewhere?" Manbao said, "That’s why we only have a thirty percent chance. We have the hemostatic medicine, the anti-swelling acupuncture, and other means to handle injuries. His pulse is on the mend, moving toward a positive outcome, representing that thirty percent chance we talked about."

"His survival has seventy percent uncertainty now; you’re asking me if he survives, will he be mentally impaired? How can I give you an answer?" She wasn’t even sure if he would survive; how could she promise something like that?

If she promised, and he turned out otherwise, she’d find no good from it.

Zheng Wang fell silent.

State Duke Pi quickly stepped up to support him, "Brother Zheng, Imperial Doctor Zhou is right; the outcome is uncertain. She, as a doctor, cannot promise anything with certainty. Let’s wait and see the developments."

Lu Zhongyan nodded in agreement, "Let’s wait."

Zheng Wang asked Zhou Man, "When will a definitive conclusion be reached?"

Manbao thought for a moment and said, "For intracranial bleeding, observe the bleeding tomorrow. If no more blood is extracted tomorrow, that will be the first good news. The next step is to wait for him to reduce swelling and wake up while his body absorbs the intracranial clots on its own..."

Manbao said, "The time frame is roughly three to ten days, during which he remains at risk until the clots are entirely absorbed."

"As for any lasting effects, we’ll get some insight once he wakes, more as the clots clear, so for specifics, ask me again in half a month."

The long timeframe and slow speed made Zheng Wang stomp his foot angrily, though he no longer had a tantrum, as Zhou Man’s explanation was clear.