Chapter 2591 - 2565: Awakening with Acupuncture

The medical assistant wiped Young Master Zheng’s sweat and quietly glanced at Manbao. Seeing that she was bent over writing something, the assistant quietly reached out to feel Young Master Zheng’s pulse. Compared to its previous restless and weak state, the pulse now felt stable.

The medical assistant felt somewhat puzzled. The previous two bowls of calming soup didn’t seem to work this well?

Could it be that the medicine accumulated, and only now began to take effect?

The efficacy of herbal medicine can indeed be delayed; some people don’t recover even after taking medicine for three or four days, but improve after stopping the medication for two days.

This is not a case of healing without medicine, but rather a delay in the medicine’s efficacy.

The medical assistant pondered whether the delay was due to the medicine used or something inherent in Young Master Zheng’s body...

Manbao was also thinking deeply. If the medicine were administered to someone either stronger or weaker, what would the outcome be?

Manbao wrote until the early hours. It was Imperial Doctor Liu’s intuition that something was amiss, and he awoke from bed to see Director Xiao still asleep, so he nudged him with his foot.

Both awoke and finally noticed that it was nearly daybreak.

Zhou Man hadn’t called them to take over the watch.

Both were startled and immediately got out of bed.

Could she have fallen asleep?

They hurried to the next room to find Zhou Man painstakingly writing, with two candles luxuriously lit on the table.

Just as they arrived, she put down her pen, stretched her neck, and got up.

Seeing that she was awake, Director Xiao was less worried about Young Master Zheng in bed. He reached for the stack of papers she’d written and, upon opening it, frowned, "What is this?"

"This is my proposal for constructing a sterile ward, which I spent half the night writing. It’s a bit messy, but everyone can contribute ideas."

Director Xiao asked, "What is sterility?"

Manbao explained, "I refer to wind pathogens collectively as bacteria. They grow like fungi when the weather warms and are tiny like spores, making them hard to detect..."

Director Xiao understood and interrupted her, "Just say it’s wind pathogens, and I understand."

He didn’t even need Zhou Man to explain further. This time, Zheng Erlang’s rapid illness deterioration was due to wind pathogens invading, wasn’t it?

Otherwise, given their fifty percent success rate, they wouldn’t have been caught so unprepared.

However, maintaining such a ward would be enormously costly, and many talents would have to be dedicated to it, whereas few patients may benefit, so Director Xiao internally rejected the idea after just a glance.

He flipped through a bit more and was satisfied to find she had also thoroughly reviewed Zheng Erlang’s symptoms, placing the stack of papers down before asking, "How is he?"

The topic shifted immediately.

Manbao said, "He has improved."

Director Xiao and Imperial Doctor Liu stepped forward to examine him. The patient still had a slight fever, but his pulse was indeed much better. They sighed with relief and said, "At least there’s some effect. The newly concocted calming soup is good."

This time, Manbao didn’t nod but asked, "How long until he wakes up, do you think?"

Director Xiao looked at Zheng Erlang’s complexion, considered for a moment, and said, "If he doesn’t wake by noon, we’ll have to wake him with needles."

This wasn’t just to ask about the patient’s feelings but also to confirm some things. If he couldn’t be awakened, arrangements would have to be made.

Manbao nodded. If he couldn’t be awakened, it was fate’s arrangement.

At this time, as day broke but was not yet fully bright, Director Xiao thought she had been on duty too long, so he said, "Imperial Doctor Zhou, you should rest. We’ll take care of things here."

Manbao didn’t refuse, gathering her papers and going back to her room, waking the dozing assistant holding a pillar along the way, telling him to rest too.

Returning to her guest room, palace maids approached Manbao and asked, "Lord Zhou, would you like to have breakfast before sleeping?"

By now, it was almost dawn, and people were inevitably hungry.

Manbao touched her stomach and found she was indeed quite hungry, so she nodded, "Please also have someone bring a bucket of hot water so I can wash."

The palace maid responded and left.

With both bathing and changing clothes, and breakfast preparations, the small courtyard became brightly lit.

Zheng Wang, who had been worried all night without sleep, seemed to hear movement, hurriedly put on his clothes, and got up to look westward.

He couldn’t see, even standing on tiptoe didn’t help.

So, he climbed the fake mountain in the courtyard and saw the courtyard there brightly lit in the distance, his legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the fake mountain.

The attendant behind him was startled and quickly pulled him up while calling out, "Lord Zheng—"

State Duke Pi and Lu Zhongyan, awakened by this, hurriedly dressed and came out to see him collapsed on the fake mountain, rushing to support him, "Lord Zheng, what are you doing?"

Lord Zheng’s face was pale, "It...it’s not good, I need to see His Majesty, I need to see His Majesty—"

State Duke Pi glanced over there and said quickly, "Don’t jump to conclusions; first, let’s find out what’s going on."

"Someone, quickly go over there and ask what’s happening. Is Young Master Zheng awake?"

The attendant hurriedly descended the fake mountain, first needing to go through formalities to get a pass, then could open the courtyard door to go out, and upon reaching the pathway, had to beg repeatedly before being allowed through.

By the time he reached that courtyard, the palace bell sounded, and various palace doors and courtyard gates opened...

Attendant:... What was all this effort for?

Manbao had already eaten a small bowl of porridge, then rinsed her mouth and lay down, falling asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.

Meanwhile, Director Xiao and the rest were having breakfast. Seeing the sweat-drenched attendant arriving to inquire about the situation, Director Xiao spared him a glance and said, "Lord Zheng underestimated the situation. Isn’t it normal to make breakfast now that it’s morning? Young Master Zheng is currently in decent condition."

Lord Zheng, of course, didn’t believe, so he hurried over in just a robe to see for himself. When he found Zheng Erlang lying there, warm to the touch and unlike the scorching heat from before he left last night, he paused in surprise.

Director Xiao felt a bit angry at his distrust; after all, they had said there was no problem. Rushing over like this, could it be they were suspected of deliberately concealing the patient’s condition?

Indeed, the news of Lord Zheng rushing to the Eastern Palace in just a robe before the morning assembly quickly spread throughout the court, prompting the emperor’s inquiries into Zheng Erlang’s condition, and all civil and military officials kept their eyes on the Imperial Hospital, even setting aside the recent debate over matters between the Li and Zheng families.

At the court session, Director Xiao found himself nearly losing his voice amid queries from all sides.

If explained in-depth, they wouldn’t understand and would accuse him of only reciting medical books; if explained too simply, they wouldn’t believe it, thinking he was glossing over things.

They’re harder to serve than the emperor.

Having been promoted, Director Xiao’s temper had also grown, no longer as patient as before.

Meanwhile, Manbao slept soundly, waking at lunchtime and checking to see if Zheng Erlang could be awakened.

Waking naturally was out of the question, but after checking his eyes, Director Xiao and Imperial Doctor Liu felt he was conscious, so Director Xiao took several large, thick needles to wake him up.