Bloodletting therapy

"Illusion Grass? Purple-Black Python?" Xie Chi muttered to himself, having never heard of either of these things before.

Gao Jiuyong had read "The Way of Poison" and had some understanding of these two things: "The Illusion Grass is a poisonous herb that bears fruit. This poisonous herb is afraid of the cold and can only survive in hot places such as the South. As for the Purple-Black Python, legend has it that the Purple-Black Python was raised by people feeding it poisonous insects. Its venom is extremely potent and it is a poisonous creature that has been bewitched."

“The Drunken Haze is not an ordinary poison; it is a Gu poison.” Gao Jiuyong’s expression was extremely solemn. “As the saying goes, ‘Gu poison comes in a thousand varieties, each different.’ According to the book, Gu poison is an ancient form of black magic. Wizards raise many poisonous insects and let them devour each other. The one that survives is the king of all insects—the Gu King. The Gu King is not only poisonous all over its body, but it can also parasitize a person’s body and control their mind, eventually turning them into a puppet that can be manipulated by the wizard.”

Xie Chi looked horrified. "You...you're telling the truth?"

Zuo Murui was completely stunned, her cold sweat pouring down her face from Gao Jiuyong's words.

Gao Jiuyong added, "Your Highness and Your Highness, please rest assured, the 'Drunken Haze' is not a mother-child Gu poison, but a slow-acting Gu poison."

"Unlike other parasitic poisons, the Hazy Intoxication does not contain any Gu worms. However, the toxin in it is extracted from the Gu King. Anyone who is poisoned by the Hazy Intoxication will have the toxin travel throughout their body via the blood. Once the blood in the whole body turns purplish-black, it means that the toxin has invaded the heart meridian. At that time, the person will be beyond medical help."

Xie Chi's eyes darkened instantly upon hearing this.

Gao Jiuyong coughed lightly: "As I said, although this poison is difficult to cure, it is not without a way."

A glimmer of hope rekindled in Xie Chi's eyes, and he asked urgently, "What method?"

"The purplish-black python is the legendary king of Gu, and very few people have ever seen it. But the Illusionary Heart Grass is different. Although it is a poisonous herb, its fruit has a strong detoxifying effect. Moreover, half of the poison in the Hazy Intoxication comes from the Illusionary Heart Grass. If we can find its fruit, I am confident that I can save the prince's life."

"Are you telling the truth?" Zuo Murui's crying had stopped.

Gao Jiuyong nodded: "Currently, the poison of the Hazy Intoxication has not yet invaded the Crown Prince's heart meridian. The best course of action now is to find the Illusion Heart Grass fruit as soon as possible, so that the Crown Prince may still have a chance to live."

Xie Chi became excited: "Find it! I'll send people to find it right away!"

"Your Highness, please do not be anxious. The situation is urgent. I have already sent Guard Wang to search for them. I hope Your Highness and Princess will not blame me for overstepping my bounds."

"Physician Gao, you're too kind. This matter is all thanks to you..."

The Prince's Mansion mobilized all its connections to search for the Illusion Heart Grass fruit, and soon found it in a caravan from the Southern Frontier and delivered it to Gao Jiuyong.

According to the "Way of Poison," the antidote for Hazy Intoxication requires more than just the fruit of the Illusionary Heart Grass; it also needs Bidens pilosa, Nine-Headed Lion Grass, Soapberry, Notopterygium incisum, Asarum heterotropoides, etc.

These medicinal herbs come from all over the country. By the time all the herbs are gathered, Xie Zhuo will probably already be dead.

Therefore, before refining the medicine, Gao Jiuyong told Xie Chi and Zuo Murui that Xie Zhuo was probably not in a good condition to wait for the antidote pill to be refined. He could only find another way and replace the antidote pill with a medicinal bath.

Alchemy requires a furnace, and the risk of failure is very high.

Although the medicinal properties of a medicinal bath are somewhat weaker than those of an antidote pill, it is more stable.

It doesn't matter if the medicinal bath takes a little longer to take effect, as long as it works. The detoxification pill takes effect quickly, but the process is complicated. If the pill making fails, the consequences are self-evident.

Xie Chi and Zuo Murui both opted for the safer option of a medicinal bath.

With Xie Chi and Zuo Murui's consent, he quickly changed the antidote pills into a medicinal bath.

The medicinal broth was freshly brewed and still piping hot. When it was poured into the wooden bucket, it created a misty white vapor, and the air was filled with a strong medicinal smell.

Wang Qianxin helped Xie Zhuo up and submerged him entirely in the bathtub, leaving only his shoulders and head exposed. Xie Zhuo's eyes were closed, and a drop of splashed medicine slid down his high nose. His pale face could not hide his handsome features.

While everyone was distracted, Wang Qianxin slipped an antidote into Xie Zhuo's mouth and then patted him on the back, the movements flowing smoothly and seamlessly.

Seeing Xie Zhuo swallow, he felt relieved and turned to ask, "Doctor Gao, is it enough for the medicine to reach his shoulder?"

Gao Jiuyong nodded, "This medicinal bath must be soaked for a full hour before your young master is taken out."

The medicinal bath must be taken every day, and after the bath, a bowl of toxic blood must be drained.

After three consecutive days of treatment, Xie Zhuo's blood finally returned to its original red color.

*

Seeing the bowl of bright red blood, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Wang Qianxin stood aside, looking at the bowl of blood, and prayed silently in his heart: "Young Master, please don't blame me. It was that old man Gao Jiuyong's idea to bleed me out. I am innocent!"

After taking Xie Zhuo's pulse, Gao Jiuyong pried open Xie Zhuo's eyelids to look at him and said, "Congratulations, Your Highness and Your Highness, the young master is out of danger."

"That's wonderful, Your Highness, that's wonderful! Huaiyan won't die!" Zuo Murui's joy was palpable. Although Xie Chi didn't say anything, the gloom between his brows had dissipated.

When Xie Zhuo woke up, it was already afternoon, and only Wang Qianxin was in the room.

Upon hearing the noise, Wang Qianxin went to the bedside: "Your Highness, you're finally awake."

Xie Zhuo lay on the bed and assessed his body's recovery. Apart from the pain in his shoulder wound, his arm was also throbbing slightly.

Why does my arm hurt?

He rolled up his sleeve and found three scratches on his wrist. He gave Wang Qianxin a look that seemed to ask, "What happened here?"

"Uh, well, Your Highness, this is a long story..."

Wang Qianxin took two steps back somewhat hesitantly and briefly explained to Xie Zhuo how Gao Jiuyong had performed bloodletting treatment on him.

Bloodletting therapy?

After learning that he had been bled three bowls of blood, Xie Zhuo's expression was inscrutable. He said three words to Wang Qianxin: "You are very good."

The eerie voice was like a demon in the night. Wang Qianxin shivered, and the little voice in his heart screamed: "Young Master, please let me explain! Please let me explain!"

However, before he could explain, a series of chaotic footsteps came from outside the door.

The first to enter was Zuo Murui: "Huaiyan, my son, you've finally woken up."

Zuo Murui sat down on the edge of the bed with a choked voice, staring at Xie Zhuo without blinking. He had been lying in bed for so long, which had really frightened her.

Fortunately, this ordeal is finally over.

"Mother, I'm sorry to have troubled you."

Then, his gaze shifted to Xie Chi behind Zuo Murui: "Father, I'm sorry to have worried you."

Seeing him struggling to sit up, Xie Chi quickly stopped him, saying, "You should lie down and rest."

Upon hearing that Xie Zhuo had woken up, Gao Jiuyong rushed over in a hurry: "Greetings, Your Highness and Your Highness, greetings, Your Highness."

Seeing that Xie Zhuo had indeed regained consciousness, a hint of pride flashed in his eyes. He marveled at his own medical skills, thinking, "See? Bloodletting therapy is indeed effective."

Zuo Murui stood up and made way for him: "Imperial Physician Gao, please take Zhuo'er's pulse again and see if he is really alright."

While Gao Jiuyong was taking Xie Zhuo's pulse, Zuo Murui said, "Zhuo'er, this time we are very grateful to Physician Gao. He used a medicinal bath and bloodletting therapy to remove most of the toxins from your body."

Gao Jiuyong carefully took Xie Zhuo's pulse, a relieved expression on his face. "Not bad, not bad, the pulse is a little weak but still steady, neither floating nor sinking. He is indeed out of danger."

Looking at Xie Zhuo's face, he had been lying in bed for a long time due to poisoning, and had also undergone repeated bloodletting to release the poison. Although his face was pale, at least his life was not in danger.

Xie Zhuo's face was already pale, and it darkened even more after hearing Zuo Murui's words. He gritted his teeth and said, "Thank you, Physician Gao."

Gao Jiuyong smiled broadly: "Of course, of course. It's a doctor's duty to be compassionate." He waved his hand, appearing humble, but his eyes clearly showed immense pride.

Wang Qianxin shrank to the side: Imperial Physician Gao, you are truly ignorant and fearless!

Xie Zhuo had just woken up and was still weak. After everyone took a look and confirmed that he was alright, they left.

Xie Zhuo sat cross-legged on the bed, mobilizing his internal energy. After circulating it for several cycles, the poison in his body was indeed greatly reduced!

After everyone left, only the two of them remained in the room. Wang Qianxin kept his head down, afraid that Xie Zhuo's anger would be directed at him.

Xie Zhuo's face was cold, revealing neither his joy nor anger: "Speak, what happened?"

Wang Qianxin recounted in detail what happened during Xie Zhuo's coma.

Upon hearing that Gao Jiuyong was worried about failing to refine the antidote pill and planned to use a medicinal bath and bloodletting to help him detoxify, Xie Zhuo's expression was a mix of emotions.

When Wang Qianxin heard that Gao Jiuyong was planning to use bloodletting therapy, he tried to dissuade him. However, Gao Jiuyong said, "Guard Wang, I know you are anxious to wake the young master, but some things cannot be rushed. The Illusion Heart Grass fruit is hard to come by, and gathering the other medicinal herbs is even more difficult. The young master can't wait! Not to mention the accidents that might happen when refining the antidote pill. What if the furnace explodes during the refining process? Then all our efforts will be wasted, and the young master will completely lose his chance to live!"

Finally, Gao Jiuyong made the final decision: "I am a doctor, listen to me and you won't go wrong!"

Little did Gao Jiuyong know that as long as he chose to refine the antidote pill, he would definitely succeed.

Xie Zhuo's poisoning was part of the plan. The real antidote had already been prepared. Wang Qianxin was just waiting for Gao Jiuyong to finish preparing the antidote so he could switch it with the real one. Even if Gao Jiuyong failed, Wang Qianxin would find a way to make him succeed in preparing the antidote.

Who knew that Gao Jiuyong, to be on the safe side, would not refine the antidote pill, causing the young master to bleed even more.

Wang Qianxin recounted the whole story.

Xie Zhuo: The Death Gaze.

Why didn't you stop it? Don't tell me you couldn't stop it?

Wang Qianxin lowered his head nervously, avoiding his gaze.

Xie Zhuo took a deep breath: "What about Qiao?"

"Everything is normal. Miss Fu has been staying at the villa."

Xie Zhuo nodded.

"However, a few days ago, Sheng'an sent a message saying that Miss Fu kept asking to see you, but in the following days, no more messages came."

Sheng An hadn't sent any news from Wen Yuan Villa for several days, which puzzled Wang Qianxin. In his letter, Sheng An said that Miss Fu was very determined to see the Crown Prince, but after only a few days, Miss Fu had stopped caring about the Crown Prince altogether.

Xie Zhuo had a vague idea of ​​what was going on. At first, A Qiao insisted on seeing him, but then suddenly stopped being in a hurry. He was afraid that she had discovered something.

"Okay, send a message to Sheng An and tell him to tell A Qiao that I'm fine."

Aren't you going to see Miss Fu?

Wang Qianxin couldn't understand why he couldn't see her, even though he was thinking about her a lot.

"The time is not right."

After a pause, Xie Zhuo asked seriously, "By the way, how is things going with the Yu family?"

"Madam Yu has visited, and the Princess has already postponed your wedding."