The eldest sister was finally saved. Gao-Yuan exhaled a sigh of relief.
The old man, no longer holding onto Li Runyu, hurried over to check on his daughter's condition.
Outside, the crowd of onlookers gradually dispersed, chattering in amazement as they left.
With the situation settling down, Gao-Yuan instructed the staff to transfer the woman to the next ward for continued observation and intravenous treatment. People of this era, though simple and forthright, could be impulsive. While they might fight fiercely when angered, once they saw that the person was unharmed, they would let things go, including sparing Li Runyu.
However, Li Runyu had thoroughly lost face. Even after everyone had left, he remained dazed. His clothes were filthy, his hair a tangled mess, and his face bruised and battered. Slumping against the wall, he slid down to the floor, his eyes devoid of spirit.
Not far away, Gao-Yuan stood observing him, letting out a soft sigh. Li Runyu had always held himself in high regard, so today's incident must have dealt him a heavy blow.
"Wash your face."
Li Runyu looked up to see Gao-Yuan standing before him, holding out a towel.
With a bitter smile, Li Runyu said, "You know, the last person I want to see right now is you."
Gao-Yuan handed him the towel. "Wipe your face. You look a mess—what kind of image is that?"
Li Runyu took the towel, his voice filled with self-deprecation. "Everyone's already seen me at my worst. Do I really need to care about appearances anymore?"
Gao-Yuan replied, "Dr. Li, surely you're not someone who can't handle a setback like this?"
Li Runyu remained silent.
Gao-Yuan shook his head lightly.
After a moment, Li Runyu sighed deeply. "I just don't understand why she was poisoned. Even though I used four mace of the herb, by my judgment, it shouldn’t have led to this."
Gao-Yuan explained, "She boiled and consumed three doses together."
Li Runyu's head snapped up, staring at Gao-Yuan in astonishment.
Gao-Yuan continued, "I believe in your skills and your prudence in prescribing medicine. That's why I specifically inquired about the details just now."
Li Runyu turned his gaze toward the ward.
"I’ve already explained to them that it wasn’t your fault," Gao-Yuan added.
Hearing this, Li Runyu's lips quivered, his eyes welling up with tears. What kind of miserable luck was this?
Watching him, Gao-Yuan found it both frustrating and amusing. Li Runyu was undoubtedly the most skilled physician in the county—and yet, he had the most fragile heart.
Li Runyu sighed again and began wiping his face with the towel, especially focusing on his eyes. He muttered, "It's also my fault. I let my competitiveness with you get the better of me. When the patient questioned me, I adjusted the dosage. If I had stuck to the original prescription of two mace, even consuming three doses together wouldn’t have resulted in such critical poisoning."
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“Perhaps they’re right—if you don’t have the skills, why take on the challenge? I’m not like you, who can use four taels of Chuanwu and eight taels of Fuzi in a day. Competing with you, striving to win—what a joke. I deserve what happened today."
Li Runyu looked utterly dejected.
Gao-Yuan reassured him, "Today’s incident was just an accident. Although you’re competitive, you’ve always been cautious with your prescriptions."
Li Runyu shook his head.
Gao-Yuan continued, "Medicines like Aconitum and Fuzi are extremely potent and toxic. When used properly, they can achieve miraculous effects. But if you don't understand how to counteract their toxicity, poisoning will occur. Take Zhang Zhongjing’s Wutou Tang, for example. The preparation method involves boiling Chuanwu in honey."
“This is because honey, the essence of countless flowers, neutralizes toxins, particularly those of Chuanwu. Moreover, honey’s viscous nature tempers the herb’s harsh and fiery properties, further suppressing its toxicity."
Li Runyu looked at Gao-Yuan in confusion, unsure why he was sharing this.
Undeterred, Gao-Yuan continued, "Using this method to prepare small to moderate doses of Chuanwu minimizes risks. But for large doses, you need additional measures for detoxification. My principle is that no matter the original formula, I always include twice the amount of roasted licorice to balance its pungency and dryness while neutralizing toxins."
“First, honey-roast the Chuanwu. Then, boil the other ingredients separately, combine the decoctions, and add five taels of honey to further reduce toxicity. Finally, always include one tael each of black soybeans and Fangfeng in the prescription. These two ingredients work together to counteract the toxic effects of Aconitum."
Li Runyu stared at Gao-Yuan, his jaw nearly hitting the floor.
Unbothered by Li Runyu’s shock, Gao-Yuan continued, "Lastly, when boiling, start with five jin of water and simmer gently until it reduces to one jin. This takes about three hours, and prolonged high heat further destroys Aconitum’s toxicity. Administer the medicine in small doses, monitoring for numbness of the tongue and lips to avoid overdose. These are all my experiences in using large doses of Aconitum."
By the time Gao-Yuan finished, Li Runyu was completely stunned. He didn’t even notice when the towel slipped from his hands to the floor.
"W-What did you just say?" Li Runyu stammered.
"What’s the matter?" Gao-Yuan asked. "Didn’t you hear, or didn’t you understand, or didn’t you remember?"
It took a long while for Li Runyu to recover, his mind reeling from what he had just heard. Looking at Gao-Yuan as if he were a monster, he finally spoke.
"Why… why would you share such invaluable knowledge with me?"
"Why not?" Gao-Yuan replied with a slight smile.
Still puzzled, Li Runyu exclaimed, "Every doctor knows the potency of Aconitum, but they also fear its toxicity like a venomous snake. Do you realize the value of what you just said? For any other physician, this would be a closely guarded family secret, something they might not even fully teach their own disciples. Why… why would you share it with me, your rival?"
“Rival?” Gao-Yuan chuckled. “I’ve walked this path without ever seeing anyone as my rival.”
Li Runyu was rendered speechless, standing frozen like a statue.
At that moment, memories of his past attempts to make things difficult for Gao-Yuan and the badmouthing behind his back came flooding back.
Shame. Overwhelming shame. Li Runyu felt that even being slapped in public by that family a hundred times wouldn’t compare to the humiliation he felt now.
“I… I concede. I’ve lost. I’ve completely lost.” Covering his face, Li Runyu wept tears of shame.
Gao-Yuan, however, extended his hand toward him with a smile. “Get up, Dr. Li.”
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Elsewhere, Shen Congyun’s day seemed cursed. After being pushed to the ground earlier and still nursing a sore backside, he now ran into the old Chinese medicine doctor, Yan Qiao.
Yan Qiao, who had come to the hospital intending to check on the child with adenoviral pneumonia, spotted Shen Congyun in the ward. When enemies meet, tempers flare. This time, no one stood between Shen Congyun and Yan Qiao.
“Shen Congyun…” Yan Qiao blocked the doorway, glaring coldly into the room.
Shen Congyun’s teeth chattered with fear as he considered jumping out the window to escape.
Yan Qiao, leaning on his cane, glanced at the patient and then at Shen Congyun. “You’ve got guts, Shen Congyun—stealing our Yan family’s internal treatment techniques wasn’t enough for you? Now you dare to snatch my patients? Who gave you the audacity?”
Shen Congyun waved his hands frantically, stammering incoherently, “I… it’s not… not…”
Yan Qiao, with a frigid expression, ordered, “Yan Er, hit him!”