Chapter 53: Allicin (Update) If you can save my son’s life, I believe the country…
The next morning, at dawn, the Chu family's father and daughter boarded a carriage bound for Duke Xin's Mansion.
Despite the cool mid-spring weather, Master Chu perspired profusely as he sat in the carriage, constantly wiping himself with a handkerchief. He looked quite anxious, and he warned, "Fu'er, when we get to the Duke's Mansion, you must be cautious and behave according to the rules. Don't rush into anything when treating the young master; proceed with caution."
He thought for a moment, then added, "The wife of the Duke of Xin is surnamed Chen. She is the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Anping, and she has a close personal relationship with the Empress. You must be extremely careful with your words and do not offend her."
"Daughter understands." Chu Yufu agreed and asked, "Father, do you know why the Duke's Mansion insisted on inviting me this time?"
Master Chu's face was slightly bitter, and he waved his hand: "I am on patrol outside, how can I know?"
The carriage drove into Yongle Street and stopped steadily in front of the Mansion of Duke Xin. As soon as the father and daughter got off the carriage, a doorman came up to them and led them into the mansion.
"Master Chu and the Second Miss, right? Please come in. Madam and the Duke are waiting for you."
When she first entered the Duke's Mansion, Chu Yufu didn't dare to look around. She followed her father with lowered brows and eyes, glancing around with the corner of her eyes.
Compared to the Marquis's Mansion, the Xinguo Mansion was larger and more elegant. Emerald green glazed tiles shone atop the eaves, while brackets stacked in layers beneath. Walking inside, one could see a pond formed by flowing water, with Taihu rocks stacked along the banks and embellished with verdant bamboo.
It took them half a cup of tea to finally reach the flower hall in the front yard.
Master Chu took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, put on a smile, stepped forward, and bowed deeply: "Your humble servant Chu Changru and my daughter Yufu are here to greet the Duke and the Duke's wife."
Chu Yufu also lowered her eyes and bowed.
Duke Xin, Yan Guangyuan, smiled brightly and stepped forward to hold Master Chu's arm. "Doctor Chu, there's no need to be so polite. Please stand up quickly. I heard you came back from Linzhou in the rain. The journey must have been tiring!"
His attitude was so friendly that it was impossible to tell that he was the one who sent the letter to call the person back overnight.
Master Chu was helped up and said repeatedly, "I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it. If I can do my best for the young master, I will do my best..."
The corners of his mouth twitched unconsciously, and he continued, "It's just that I'm not very knowledgeable and talented, so I might not be able to help much. I'm afraid I'll disappoint you two."
As he spoke, the gazes of Duke Xin and his wife fell on the second daughter of the Chu family, who had remained silent.
The girl had a slender figure and was dressed in a snow-blue satin dress. Her hair was adorned with a pear blossom jade hairpin. Her eyelashes were slightly drooping, making her full appearance difficult to see. Only a section of her fair and delicate jaw was exposed. She indeed looked much younger.
Duke Xin's heart sank slightly, but Madam Shen's expression beside him remained unchanged. She only said gently, "Lord Chu is too modest. Your daughter was able to cure the old lady of the Mingxuan Marquisate's long-standing illness. I think she must have extraordinary abilities." She turned her gaze to Chu Yufu, her eyes brimming with anticipation. "As for the details, we'll have to ask the second young lady to see her first to find out."
Duke Xin nodded and said, "Madam, what you say makes sense. How about I go to the study with Doctor Chu and have a chat while Madam takes the second young lady to the inner courtyard?"
Master Chu quickly responded, "Yes."
Madam Shen turned slightly to the side and smiled at Chu Yufu: "Second Miss, please come this way. Then follow me to see Chen'er."
Chu Yufu bowed politely and said, "Yes."
Surrounded by their maids, the two of them left the flower hall and walked along the bluestone path towards the inner house. Chu Yufu followed quietly to Madam Shen's right, slightly lagging behind.
Just now in the flower hall, the Duke and his wife looked at her, and she was also secretly observing the Duke and his wife.
Duke Xin was of medium build, with a fair complexion and no beard. He had a slight smile on his face when he spoke, and he looked very friendly. However, judging from the handwritten letter that Father Chu had received, he seemed to be a smiling tiger.
As for Madam Shen, she was tall and slender, and her cloud-blue dress made her look very elegant. Her well-maintained face was very beautiful, and her long black hair was combed into a high bun, fixed on top of her head with only a simple green jade comb.
Her expression lacked the usual coldness and arrogance of a noblewoman; instead, it was shrouded in a deep sense of weariness, a stark contrast to the image of a Duke's wife she had imagined in the carriage. But upon reflection, her son's serious illness made her worrying so much, and it was perfectly reasonable for a mother to do so.
She was just wondering whether to ask about the young master's condition when Madam Shen's gentle voice rang out first, with a hint of subtle nervousness: "I heard that the second young lady's medical skills... are from a family tradition?"
Chu Yufu calmed herself down and replied, "Yes, my maternal grandfather was a doctor who saved the world, and my aunt is also knowledgeable in medicine. I have been learning from her since I was a child." She was not lying. The first book she used to learn was the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine in Aunt Wan's room.
Chen Lanzheng let out a light breath, her hands clenched slightly in her wide sleeves. She tilted her head to look at Chu Yufu, her eyes filled with hope. "I wonder how much of Wan Miaoshou's medical skills have you learned?"
Chu Yufu paused and asked in surprise, "Madam, do you know my grandfather?"
You know, the name 'Wan Miao Shou', she only saw this signature on another notebook not long ago!
Chen Lanzheng nodded slightly, motioning her to walk while talking, her voice slightly low.
"Second Miss, you may not know this, but my son has been born weak, and in recent years, I've been visiting many famous doctors. A few years ago, the doctor said his health wasn't good anymore, and that it wouldn't be good to take those bitter medicines. Acupuncture would be the best treatment, so someone recommended Wan Miaoshou to me. After much searching, I learned that the old man had passed away many years ago. It took a lot of effort and a lot of searching before I finally found you, Second Miss."
In fact, the night she first received the news, Chen Lanzheng's heart went cold. What could you expect from a girl of sixteen or seventeen? But with a last glimmer of hope, she sent someone to investigate, and unexpectedly learned that this girl not only knew medical skills, but was also quite good!
Just last month, the old lady of Mingxuanhou Mansion's long-standing illness was cured, which gave her a glimmer of hope.
At this point, asking her to come and take a look at it was a different path. Whether it would succeed or not was up to fate. But deep down, she still... hoped to hear good news.
As for Chu Yufu, she had been thinking about it over and over again recently, guessing various possibilities, but she never expected that the turning point would come from her grandfather! Fortunately, she had not neglected her medical skills these days. Whenever she had free time, she studied the notes and medical records left by her grandfather, and she did learn a lot.
She thought for a moment and then said, "Grandfather is an expert in acupuncture, and Yu Fu has studied it diligently and has made some progress. However, whether it is suitable for Master Yan's current condition requires a careful pulse examination before a definitive conclusion can be made."
Chen Lanzheng couldn't help but chuckle when she saw her cautious tone. "Second Miss, don't be nervous. As a mother, I know my child's situation best. I have no other choice but to ask you to come here. Just tell me the truth."
Chu Yufu was silent.
If there were any other way, why would the Duke's Mansion rely on a young girl like me? When it comes to treating illnesses and saving lives, people always trust experienced old doctors with white beards.
Wutong Garden was not far from the front yard, and they arrived there in just a few words. A bitter medicinal fragrance wafted out from the yard, and the smell became stronger the closer they got to the main house.
Arriving in front of the main house, Shen Lanzheng pushed open the door and said, "Second Miss, please come in."
The room was covered with layers of gauze curtains and the light was a little dim. Apart from the two maids serving, there was an old man dressed as a doctor standing by the bed. Chu Yufu walked closer to the bed and finally saw the rumored Master Yan.
He was sleeping, and his body looked very thin under the thin blanket, revealing a face that was 50% similar to Mrs. Shen. His handsome face was now flushed, and his breathing seemed rapid and labored.
Chu Yufu looked at his flushed face and frowned subconsciously: "Is this...lung heat?"
The old man next to him stroked his beard and replied, "That's right, it's wind-heat and lung-heat, and it's lasted nearly ten days."
Madam Shen glanced at the old man and introduced him, "This is Doctor Xu Renfu, the former director of the Imperial Hospital. I'm grateful for his care for me over the years. He was also the one who mentioned your grandfather to me."
Xu Renfu looked at the little girl in front of him and vaguely felt that her nose resembled Wan Jilin. He couldn't help but lean forward and asked, "When we met, Brother Wan said he was working on a 'compound tonifying and draining acupuncture method' that could treat both the symptoms and the root cause. After all these years, I wonder if he's achieved anything!"
Chu Yufu met his gaze and nodded, "It has achieved something. My grandfather named it 'Burning Mountain Fire', 'Cooling Through the Sky', 'Yang Born from Yin', and 'Yin Born from Yang'."
"Really?!" Doctor Xu's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but take a big step forward. He turned to look at Madam Shen, and seeing that she was also full of joy, he hurriedly said, "Okay, okay, okay, then, let me take Master Yan's pulse first, and take a look."
Immediately, a clever maid brought a stool, placed it in front of the couch, and lifted the quilt, revealing Master Yan's thin and hot wrist.
Chu Yufu gathered her skirt and sat down, gently placing her right hand on his wrist. She listened attentively for a moment, then pulled back the quilt and put her ear to the boy's chest to listen to his lung sounds.
In modern terms, Young Master Yan was born prematurely due to maternal damage, resulting in a deficiency of innate immunity, or what is known in Traditional Chinese Medicine as a deficiency of vital energy. This deficiency of vital energy made him susceptible to illness, and illness further depleted his vital energy. This continued depletion weakened his body.
Seeing Chu Yufu silent and silent, Madam Shen was a little anxious. She subconsciously felt something was wrong, and her nose was slightly sore. She clutched the bed curtains tightly and said calmly: "Second Miss, if you have anything to say, just say it directly."
Chu Yufu withdrew her hand and looked at the two of them. "Young Master's constitution is indeed suitable for 'Burning Mountain Fire' to warm his foundation." She paused, "However, right now, the heat in his lungs is like a raging fire. We must put out this evil fire first. Otherwise, rashly applying acupuncture may damage his foundation and worsen his condition."
Upon hearing this, Doctor Xu sighed with embarrassment, "Young lady, you are absolutely right. However, Master Yan's high fever and wheezing may appear to be symptoms of a serious illness, but in reality, it is simply a decline in his Yang Qi. A gust of wind could dissipate this little Yang Qi. How could I dare prescribe such a strong cold medicine? That's why this has dragged on until now."
As a fellow doctor, Chu Yufu could understand Doctor Xu’s difficulties.
When she took Mr. Yan's pulse just now, she felt that it was chaotic. If it were not for Doctor Xu's skillful hands and precise prescriptions, Mr. Yan might not have been lying here long ago. She asked herself if she could not prescribe a better prescription than Doctor Xu, but acupuncture could not be used indiscriminately, and conventional Chinese medicine seemed to be no longer feasible.
Suddenly, she had a flash of inspiration and thought of another way!
"I do have a method here, but I can't guarantee that it will work." She took a deep breath and looked up at Madam Shen.
Chen Lanzheng had just been listening to the conversation between the two and was almost heartbroken. Now that she saw that she had a solution, she spoke directly.
"Please go ahead and try, Second Miss! I would be more than happy to help you if there's even a glimmer of hope. If you can save my son's life, everyone in the Duke of Xin's Mansion will be grateful! If...if it doesn't work, then it's definitely not your fault, Miss. This is my son's fate!"
Chu Yufu nodded vigorously. "Okay, then have someone peel an ounce of garlic and mash it into a paste. Add two ounces of liquor and let it soak for 25 minutes. Use gauze to filter out the juice and bring it in."
"garlic?!"
Doctor Xu and Madam Shen exclaimed at the same time, "Can such an ordinary thing with a pungent smell be used to save lives?"
"That's right." Chu Yufu said with certainty.
Adding garlic paste to liquor can extract allicin, and the sulfide in allicin can kill Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Garlic is spicy and unlike the commonly used cold and strong medicines, it can be antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, and will not extinguish the little yang energy in Master Yan's body. This is the "magic trick" she came up with.
She had seen this method in a book but had never actually tried it. It worked in theory, but whether it was actually useful was still unknown.
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