Chapter 150 (Poisoned)

Qi Chengming's mind went blank.

Does "[Hidden Poison]" mean that... there is already poison hidden in his body that has not yet been activated?

Qi Chengming stared at his health bar, puzzled.

Even though Doctor Bian wasn't around for the past year, he still had his prescriptions and medicine, and he was well-fed and pampered by the Prince's Mansion. The young man was lively and energetic, running around everywhere. His body was revitalized, and his health bar had unknowingly been fully restored, reaching the upper limit of "10".

Qi Chengming silently sensed it.

He felt no discomfort whatsoever; he was so healthy that he could eat two bowls of rice in one sitting, carry a heavy solid wooden four-wheeled cart, and had an indescribable, boundless energy that he had nowhere to expend.

Even after all this... the system is telling him he's infected with a virus?

When exactly did this happen?

The past few months have been too complicated and numerous. Qi Chengming recalled that he was either worrying about the sudden changes in the capital or having heart-to-heart talks with his confidants, with the main goal of resolving the issues by the end of the year.

I can't remember the last time I checked my health bar... when was that? I also can't remember who could have taken the opportunity to poison me.

Qi Chengming frowned in thought.

This can perhaps be addressed using the process of elimination.

Whether it's something that goes ingested or something that causes poisoning through skin contact... he usually doesn't like strangers serving him; he's always accompanied by Xiao Dezi, Xiao Chengzi, and at most Song Gu. Only on rare occasions does the head palace maid, Gan Tang, accompany him.

Further along... either his personal hygiene, such as washing, dressing, and combing his hair, would be assisted by the palace maids and eunuchs in the courtyard, or his personal clothing would be provided by his maids and wet nurse, while his other clothes would come from the embroiderers exclusively employed by the Prince's residence. His food came entirely from the Prince's kitchen; most of his fruits, vegetables, chicken, and duck were obtained from the estate for self-sufficiency, with only a few rare items purchased from the market...

If the poisoning didn't occur in the Prince's residence, it must have happened in a place he frequented, or during the months he was away searching for someone.

Thinking about it this way, there are quite a few areas where we can find oversights.

"..." Qi Chengming calmly put away the system panel. No matter how much he thought about it, he had to wait for Doctor Bian to finish his work and come out so that he could diagnose the situation before he could take any action.

His arm was still being gripped tightly by Bai Xuan, but the silly boy opposite him was so panicked that he didn't notice at all, so Qi Chengming just let him be.

This force should have been painful, and Qi Chengming could clearly recognize that, but his physical senses did not perceive any pain. He only felt a subtle sense of emptiness, reminding him that something had happened.

It's like a sense of 'disharmony' has replaced the original 'pain'.

Qi Chengming seemed to be deep in thought: "..."

He remembered that one time this year he was in a bad mood and went to farm with Prefect Mu. He came back with blisters all over his hands and feet. When he woke up in the morning, he was still wondering why his health bar was not working at this time. However, he had a fever once on the way to Liuzhou, but Qi Chengming did not feel anything.

What are the differences between the two situations?

Why does it sometimes work and sometimes it doesn't? Like now, he can't feel pain in his body anymore, and he's become a product of health bars.

Qi Chengming pondered for a while, but the surroundings were too noisy, and he couldn't figure it out. Bai Xuan was still anxiously muttering incoherently, constantly talking to alleviate his fear. Every now and then, a basin of water was carried out of the courtyard, and then hot water was carried in. There were quiet conversations and actions everywhere.

The ordeal felt like a hundred years had passed. The Imperial Guards who had ridden back to retrieve several key items returned one after another. Qi Chengming used a trick to distract the box, then called two maids and told them to give these items to Doctor Bian, briefly explaining how to use them.

"I'm going too!" Bai Xuan's legs went weak for a moment, but he still struggled to get up and scrambled inside. Hearing those rigorous and unfamiliar words, hope rekindled in his eyes.

Qi Chengming did not stop him.

Although the father couldn't be of much help going in, he could at least keep an eye on the two maids he had instructed to ensure there were no mistakes. Qi Chengming didn't intend to have Bai Xuan relay the message or the items; he was currently in a state of utter confusion, and no one trusted him.

Another period of agonizing waiting ensued.

“Your Highness…” Xiao Dezi didn’t really care about the woman, but seeing how worried His Highness was and how tense the atmosphere was, he became worried as well.

After an unknown amount of time, Qi Chengming finally heard a burst of cheers and commotion.

"How is it?" He looked up abruptly. More maids were coming and going in the courtyard, their eyes red with joy. After a while, Bai Xuan came out, laughing and crying, to offer her congratulations, "Your Highness!! They're all safe!!"

Qi Chengming wanted to ask what was going on, but in this day and age, asking such questions could be fatal, so he swallowed his words and quickly said, "I just had someone bring me a ginseng root. If you need anything, you can come to me."

In this situation, it would be better to wait for Doctor Bian to ask again.

Bai Xuan was still rambling incoherently: "Amazing! It actually works... I'll have to take good care of myself from now on... The divine doctor truly lives up to his name! Our Bai family has an heir!"

"You should rest and recover as well." Qi Chengming patted Bai Xuan's shoulder reassuringly, making him sway.

After suddenly experiencing such a major event, Bai Xuan and his wife needed a long time to recover.

Doctor Bian emerged surrounded by people. The midwife following behind him was covered in filth and blood, while Doctor Bian remained clean. Even if he disregarded the proper separation between men and women, he couldn't be the one who actually carried out the operation.

"Decoct this medicine as I instructed and drink it, taking it separately from the pills." Doctor Bian was still giving instructions, his face showing no signs of fatigue, but rather full of energy and high spirits.

"Your Highness has arrived as well." He turned and walked over, smiling as he bowed to Qi Chengming. "Those items... are very useful. The rest are here."

Dr. Bian has a keen eye and can see how effective this method is.

Qi Chengming didn't take it, but told him to keep it safe.

The barefoot doctor's manual, including these methods, was originally meant to be widely disseminated to help people alleviate their illnesses and injuries. These methods would be most effective in the hands of Doctor Bian, and Qi Chengming keeping some was already sufficient.

Dr. Bian did not refuse; he was indeed very envious.

"My lords, the carriage is ready." The steward of the Bai residence finally had a chance to prove himself. He parked the carriage at the door and helped the guests get on and go back.

Qi Chengming gestured for Xiao Dezi and the medicine boy to sit in the carriage at the back, as he wanted to speak with Doctor Bian alone.

As long as you sit in the carriage and keep your voice down, the coachman won't hear anything.

"What does Your Highness wish to ask me?" Doctor Bian asked.

"The Bai family... what happened just now?" Qi Chengming finally asked the question he couldn't hold back.

Fortunately, because he had brought the appropriate medication and had previously discussed the treatment plan with Doctor Bian, Doctor Bian understood that the prince meant no offense and was simply asking from a medical perspective. Therefore, he readily answered some of the less private questions.

"Madam Bai is having a difficult childbirth, which has dragged on for too long. I first tried acupuncture to stimulate her spirit, and then I added herbal medicine, but it still didn't work. If this continues, both she and her unborn child will die. I have no choice but to take a risky step to save one of them."

Doctor Bian sighed with a mixture of relief and admiration: "But thanks to the method Your Highness provided, Madam Bai was saved. That midwife is an experienced seamstress, and she's seen it all before. It's truly remarkable that she managed to keep things under control, and I was able to make the ruthless incision..."

As Qi Chengming listened, his heart gradually calmed down. When he came to his senses, all he felt was lingering fear and the joy that the books had saved people.

These things must be promoted!

Other matters could be learned through the imperial physicians and doctors throughout the city, subtly influencing others without much concern. However, the Prince's residence had no female members, and these issues concerning women... were difficult to spread. At most, the aunts from the palace might have heard a few things and possess some tips.

"I plan to support and train female doctors," Qi Chengming murmured.

Anyway, the school teaches everything, and we've already passed the initial, most difficult period of adjustment, so adding a course on female medicine isn't surprising.

Doctor Bian was very excited and wanted to bow to Qi Chengming in the carriage: "Good...good! I have seen many women suffering from illnesses along the way, but I can only cure one out of every ten miles, and this is even though I am already seventy years old."

"If there were a path for female doctors, that would be wonderful! Your Highness is truly benevolent!"

Qi Chengming looked at the usually arrogant and eccentric old man, who was now in tears, and sincerely respected him: "Dr. Bian, you are the true healer with a benevolent heart."

Dr. Bian is truly remarkable for being able to transcend the limitations of his time and always keep the patients' pain in mind.

"So," Qi Chengming said, his tone turning serious, "Dr. Bian, please take my pulse."

"Where does Your Highness feel unwell?" Doctor Bian asked, suppressing his previous excitement and extending his hand in a puzzled manner.

Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes observation, listening, questioning, and palpation, with pulse diagnosis being only one step. However, observing that the Second Prince's complexion was normal and failing to elicit any information from his questions, he decided to take his pulse...

First pulse diagnosis...

Dr. Bian's expression suddenly changed.

"Who poisoned His Highness?" he asked in a low voice, his voice filled with shock and anger.

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Author's Note: Jianqiu... My head hurts so much, my bones feel like they're melting. If it weren't for needing to meet the ranking deadline, I would have taken the day off... I'm writing this with barely any strength. My period combined with a fever makes me suspect I'm infected...

The previous chapter just mentioned that the male protagonist contracted the virus, please no, please don't predict it!

I've been sick at least a dozen times this winter.