Chapter 20: The First Patient

"Wait, Magistrate Jin, you cannot just walk in like that." Yu Yuanzheng immediately pulled him back, then kindly handed him a face mask.

Yu Yuanzheng had prepared these well in advance for today's outing, having even soaked them in medicinal liquid. Jin Lin took it, put it on, and pushed open the courtyard gate.

"The three of you wait for me outside. Chunlei, come in with me." Yu Yuanzheng instructed the three to stay behind; it was best to minimize contact as much as possible, just in case.

"But, Young Master..." Jiang Hua was worried.

"It is fine. You would be of no help inside anyway. Just wait here, and if anything truly happens, I will call for you."

Yu Yuanzheng had Chunlei carry the medicine chest inside. The courtyard gate was closed once more. Upon entering the main room, a manservant, also wearing a mask, stood at the entrance to the inner chamber.

"Greetings, Master."

"Hmm. How is Father today?"

"Answering to Master, the old master’s coughing has worsened compared to yesterday." The servant’s voice carried a hint of sorrow.

"Dr. He, I must trouble you." Jin Lin invited the elderly physician inside. Yu Yuanzheng followed closely.

Elder Jin was lying in bed. Having just finished a coughing fit, the flush on his face had not yet faded. He was already extremely thin, his complexion a sickly, sallow yellow.

"Father," Jin Lin called out, his voice choked with emotion, but he did not approach the bedside.

"Quickly, open the windows." Yu Yuanzheng was truly speechless; both windows were sealed shut, which only made it easier for the illness to spread. Yet, two servants were tending to him at close quarters every day. The servants, however, did not move.

"Magistrate Jin, Elder Jin cannot remain stifled in this room. The air is stagnant, which is even worse for his health. It is already April; there is no need to fear the cold. At most, he can wear an extra layer of clothing." Yu Yuanzheng had to explain this to Jin Lin.

"Dr. He?" Jin Lin looked toward the elderly physician.

"It can be opened. Letting the miasma of the illness dissipate is for the best." Only then did the two servants move to open the windows. As fresh air flooded in, the stifling, foul atmosphere quickly vanished.

"Lin’er, there is no need to summon more physicians. My illness is beyond saving. Just let me pass in peace." Seeing his son bringing yet another doctor, Elder Jin, who had already resigned himself to death after seeing no one else recover from this affliction, felt it was a waste of effort.

"Father, your son is unfilial." Hearing his father’s words, Jin Lin began to weep. He had already invited every physician from the Imperial Academy of Medicine he could reach, along with over ten folk doctors. He had even traveled over a hundred miles to bring this one today. He had followed every lead for a good doctor, yet not one had claimed they could cure him. He wanted to save his father, but despite all his efforts, he had failed.

"Elder Jin, Magistrate Jin traveled over a hundred miles to bring me here; you should accept his good intentions. Living even one more day is a blessing. Your child is truly filial."

*Cough, cough...* Another fit of coughing ensued.

"Alas, when one is reaching the end of the road, what difference does a day more or less make?" Elder Jin sighed helplessly.

Dr. He sat on the edge of the bed, began to take the pulse, and asked the patient to open his mouth to examine his tongue coating. He then pressed on his chest before shaking his head.

"Dr. He, how is he?" Jin Lin asked, wiping his eyes.

"Alas, the elder’s illness has reached the stage where toxic pathogens have taken hold. It is beyond saving. I can only prescribe some medicine to treat the symptoms and make him more comfortable." Dr. He felt deeply powerless. If it had been the early stages, perhaps the progression could have been slowed, but at this point, he truly had no solution.

Dr. He walked to a side table to begin writing a prescription. Meanwhile, Yu Yuanzheng stepped forward to diagnose the pulse and conduct an examination. She even leaned against Elder Jin’s chest to listen. It was not as severe as Dr. He had suggested; it could only be classified as the middle stage. It had not yet reached the point of being incurable.

"Magistrate Jin, I can cure him," Yu Yuanzheng stated with certainty.

The declaration caused Dr. He to stop his brush mid-stroke. Jin Lin’s eyes lit up. "Are you serious?"

"I am. But you must cooperate with my requirements; the patient cannot be headstrong," Yu Yuanzheng said confidently.

"Young man, do not make empty promises only to embarrass yourself later," Dr. He warned. In their profession, there were unwritten rules against speaking with such absolute certainty.

"Magistrate Jin, trust me. Give me the chance, and I will return your father to health."

"Very well! As long as you can cure my father, the Jin household will agree to any demand you make, provided it does not violate morality or the law," Jin Lin promised, clinging to the hope like a lifeline.

"Good. I will begin the treatment now. This illness cannot be cured in a day or two; it will take time. You should see results within a month at most, but a full recovery may take eight months to a year."

"As long as you can cure him, we will absolutely cooperate."

Yu Yuanzheng began the treatment on the spot.

"This illness is not necessarily treated by medicine alone; acupuncture, massage, cupping, and scraping are also effective. I will write a prescription to be taken on time daily, and I will perform the other treatments myself today. I expect he will be able to sleep much more peacefully tonight."

As she spoke, she walked to the table to write the prescription. When she finished, Dr. He picked it up to read. "Young man, you are truly bold with your medicine. You dare to use wolfsbane so casually?"

"Dr. He, this ingredient is the primary factor. Rest assured, there will be no issues. I have controlled the dosage perfectly."

She then took silver needles from her kit, sterilized them over a candle flame, and prepared to perform acupuncture. The servants helped loosen Elder Jin’s outer garment. Fearing he might catch a chill, they closed the windows again. She inserted the needles three-tenths of an inch into the *Feishu*, *Qihai*, *Dazhui*, and *Gaohuang* acupoints, then began to twist them.

"Young man, excellent! This acupuncture technique is even superior to my own," Dr. He remarked, nodding repeatedly as he watched her movements. Jin Lin felt a sense of relief upon hearing this.

A quarter of an hour later, she performed cupping on Elder Jin’s back and chest. Chunlei had purchased this set of tools, which now came in handy. Once this was done, she could not perform scraping; the elder would not be able to withstand it. However, massage was still possible.

"The two of you, watch my massage technique closely. Once you have learned it, you can perform it on the elder twice a day." Yu Yuanzheng called the servants to the bedside. She began to stimulate the various acupoints.

"Massage the *Tiantu*, *Feishu*, *Danzhong*, *Hegu*, and *Fengchi* points until each feels warm. Is that clear?"

"Yes, it is clear," the two servants replied in unison.

After the session, Yu Yuanzheng felt somewhat fatigued; this body belonged to a young lady, and her stamina was quite poor. "Good. Since you understand, demonstrate it for me once."

The servants each took a turn, and Yu Yuanzheng corrected them immediately wherever they faltered. From the moment she began acupuncture until the end of the massage, Elder Jin had only coughed a few times. The effect was remarkable.

"Very well. Since you two are tending to the patient, I will write a prescription for you as well to prevent infection. However, you must continue to wear these masks daily, and the windows must be kept ventilated."

Upon hearing this, the two men suddenly knelt before Yu Yuanzheng.