Chapter 28 Suspicious Points
Magistrate Meng's health improved day by day. At first, he could only take a few steps around the room with Liu's help, but gradually he was able to walk out into the courtyard to bask in the morning sun. After a few days, he was able to stroll around the courtyard several times. He was no longer tired or out of breath, and his appetite improved day by day. He could even eat a bowl and a half of rice in one meal and still feel unsatisfied. The weight he had lost due to his serious illness quickly returned to his face, and his pale complexion gradually became rosy. He looked even better than when he was in the capital.
The family was overjoyed. Mother Mao went to great lengths to prepare all sorts of nourishing and nutritious meals for him. She was even happier to see Magistrate Meng finish all of them than if she had eaten them herself.
Yingchun came to report: "Master, Madam, Doctor Xie from Huichuntang has arrived and says he wants to take your pulse."
Doctor Xie had come several times already. Liu hated him for giving random medical advice and cursed Magistrate Meng to die within two days. She had long regarded him as a quack and refused to see him. This was his third visit.
When Yingchun came to report, Magistrate Meng happened to hear it and, smiling, instructed Yingchun, "Please invite Doctor Xie in."
Madam Liu said discontentedly, "Master, why do you want to see this quack doctor? I heard he's been practicing medicine for over thirty years, and he's made such a big mistake. We should have just stayed away to confront him, but he still dares to come here?!"
Magistrate Meng reassured her: "Huichuntang is already the most famous clinic in Biyang County. If we keep refusing to see them, it will affect their reputation. Doctor Xie has been practicing medicine for more than 30 years. When we first came here, we also sought medical advice from him. His medical skills are not bad. He just made a mistake once. There is no need to hold a grudge."
Doctor Xie quickly followed Yingchun in.
Upon seeing Magistrate Meng's rosy complexion, Doctor Xie was so shocked he was almost speechless. It took him a while to remember to bow to Magistrate Meng: "Magistrate."
Magistrate Meng gestured for him to rise, saying, "Please rise, Doctor Xie. May I ask what brings you here to see me?"
Doctor Xie immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness: "Please forgive me, Your Honor. I would like to take your pulse again. Please grant my request."
Magistrate Meng hurriedly helped him up, saying, "Doctor Xie, why such a grand gesture? Please rise."
Doctor Xie refused to rise, instead staring directly at Magistrate Meng, his expression agitated: "Your Honor, I am fifty-six years old this year. I started as an apprentice and have been practicing medicine for thirty-eight years. I have also been practicing at Huichuntang for over twenty years. I believe I have saved countless lives, but I have never misdiagnosed anyone like this. I checked your pulse repeatedly that day, and it was indeed a sign of your life hanging by a thread. I didn't even dare to administer any strong medicine to prolong your life, because your pulse was almost nonexistent. That's why I felt powerless to save you and uttered those rebellious words to your wife. But today, your complexion is rosy and your breathing is peaceful, just like a normal person. I dare not ask for forgiveness. I only wish to take your pulse one more time. If it is indeed a misdiagnosis, I will certainly offer firecrackers and gifts to apologize to Your Honor. Please grant my request!"
Misdiagnosing Magistrate Meng's illness was too fatal for Huichuntang. If not handled properly, Doctor Xie's reputation, which he had built up over decades, would be completely ruined.
Jimintang was Huichuntang's old rival, always being outdone by Huichuntang. However, because Liu invited Dr. Zhang from Jimintang to examine Magistrate Meng, word had already spread that Magistrate Meng was merely weak and needed rest, and was not seriously ill. This was a slap in the face to Huichuntang. If Magistrate Meng were to become angry and come forward to support Jimintang, it would be a catastrophe for Huichuntang.
Doctor Xie and the shopkeeper were completely baffled. If only Doctor Xie had examined Magistrate Meng's pulse, it would be one thing, but Shopkeeper Tong had also come, and the two of them had even discussed what medicine to use for Magistrate Meng. Otherwise, Doctor Xie would have been dismissed by Huichuntang long ago to protect himself after causing such a big mess.
Doctor Xie refused to believe he had misdiagnosed the pulse and personally went to confront Doctor Zhang of Jimintang. It should be noted that when Liu was in a desperate situation, she had also consulted a doctor from Jimintang. If Doctor Zhang dared to produce the pulse record from that time, he would not believe that there could be such a big difference between the two.
Of course, Doctor Zhang dared not show it. To be honest, the case he wrote was not much different from Doctor Xie's. At the time, he also felt that Magistrate Meng was beyond saving and medicine could not help him. Magistrate Meng's miraculous recovery also puzzled him. However, Jimintang bypassed Doctor Xie and asked him to have a follow-up examination, which made it seem as if he had cured Magistrate Meng. Jimintang wanted to take this opportunity to promote his reputation for miraculous healing and suppress Huichuntang. He could not go against his boss, so he had no choice but to keep quiet.
Doctor Xie was anxious. If Doctor Zhang refused to come forward to testify, and Magistrate Meng sided with Jimintang, wouldn't he be confirmed as a quack doctor?
That's why he repeatedly visited Magistrate Meng to seek an audience, hoping to clear his name.
Magistrate Meng and Liu exchanged a glance. Doctor Xie had already pleaded to this extent; if he refused, it would be deliberately making things difficult. They didn't know how many terms they would have to serve here, and offending a highly skilled doctor was clearly not a wise move.
He could only smile reassuringly and extend his right hand: "Dr. Xie, you flatter me. It's quite a coincidence. I've been recuperating for quite some time now, and the official business at the county office is piling up and no one is handling it. I was just thinking of asking you to come and take a look at my health and see if I could go back to work. And here you are."
Magistrate Meng offered a way out, and Doctor Xie readily accepted, standing up and bowing, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Magistrate Meng."
He sat down beside him, gestured for the young apprentice to bring out a pulse pillow, and respectfully placed Magistrate Meng's hand on it, carefully listening to his pulse.
The pulse under the fingertips is neither too strong nor too weak, but it is calm and regular. This may be because the body is still weak and not strong enough. However, as long as the vital energy is replenished, this is a healthy and normal pulse.
Doctor Xie's face turned deathly pale, and he was drenched in cold sweat. He muttered, "How could this be? How could this be?"
This terrified Liu: "Doctor Xie, what are you saying? What do you mean, how could this be?"
Doctor Xie then came to his senses and cupped his hands, saying, "Madam, there is no need to worry. Lord Meng's pulse is no different from that of an ordinary person. He is just weak after a serious illness. As long as he strengthens his body and rests properly, he will soon recover to normal."
Liu was relieved: "That's good."
Doctor Xie's face turned ashen. If Lord Meng had this pulse a few days ago, how could he have been so wrong? What exactly happened?
He couldn't help but ask, "Perhaps my medical skills are truly lacking. May I ask what kind of miraculous medicine Lord Meng took seven days ago? May I have a look?"
Magistrate Meng was unconscious seven days ago, so he naturally wouldn't know what medicine he had taken. Liu said irritably, "Master was unconscious at the time, and he couldn't even be fed any medicine. Besides, you and Doctor Zhang left without prescribing any medicine, so where would you get any medicine to feed him?"
Dr. Xie was even more surprised: "Did he recover without taking any medicine?"
At this point, Liu also felt something was strange. She finally remembered that Lord Meng had not only invited Doctor Xie to see the patient, but also invited almost all the well-known doctors, including Granny Qi. They all left with heavy expressions. If Doctor Xie was the only one who made a mistake, it would be understandable, but it was impossible for every doctor to make a mistake, right? But what was strange was that she remembered that Magistrate Meng had not given her any medicine.
She looked up at Yingchun: "I was lying in the side room with a dizzy head and didn't know what had happened. Did you give the master any medicine?"
Yingchun immediately remembered that Li Xiaoxiao had entered the main room that day and even spoke to the young master. A thought struck her: Could it be that she had done something to help the master with his illness?
But instinctively not wanting the master and mistress to know about this, she immediately said, "No—"
"That day, it was the kitchen maid Li Xiaoxiao who fed Father a bowl of porridge." A clear voice came from outside the door, and soon after, a young man walked in; it was Meng Guanqi.
Liu stood up: "Qi'er, you're back."
After Magistrate Meng was out of danger, Meng Guanqi returned to the county school to study.
Magistrate Meng was taken aback: "You fed me a bowl of porridge?"
Doctor Xie then added, "Given Lord Meng's condition at the time, it would have been very difficult to pry open his jaw. How could he have been fed a bowl of porridge?"
All eyes in the room were on Meng Guanqi.
Meng Guanqi glanced at his father's chin, then guiltily looked away.
Magistrate Meng reached out and touched his chin, which had just recovered from the bruising. To be honest, his chin had been sore for two days when he first woke up. Could it be related to that girl?
Doctor Xie, however, was unwilling to give up on the topic easily: "Young master, please tell me, how was Lord Meng able to drink a bowl of porridge?" He should have been delirious at the time and had long lost his appetite, so how could he have drunk a bowl of porridge?
Under pressure, Meng Guanqi could only stammer, "Li Xiaoxiao, she's strong, she's quite strong..."
Doctor Xie cupped his hands and said, "Young master, could you please let me see this girl? It truly concerns Lord Meng's health. With decades of medical experience, I can assure you that Lord Meng's condition at the time could not have been saved by a mere bowl of porridge..."
Liu said to Granny Qi, "Go to the kitchen and call over Mama Mao and that girl. Ask her what happened."
Li Xiaoxiao had just returned from outside the city and had only drunk a bowl of water when she was summoned to the main room by her mother. Madam Liu asked her about feeding Magistrate Meng porridge, and with Doctor Xie watching her intently from the side, she naturally denied everything, lying without batting an eye: "I fed him."
But Dr. Xie recognized her at a glance and exclaimed, "It's you?!" That bizarre case of a patient whose pulse was comparable to that of a critically ill person, yet who moved freely like a normal person.
Liu asked in surprise, "You two know each other?"
Doctor Xie immediately said, "Please allow me to take this young lady's pulse, Madam."
Li Xiaoxiao had last seen a doctor more than a month ago, and her internal injuries had long since healed. She wasn't afraid that Doctor Xie could still find something wrong with her, so she obediently reached out her hand to let him take her pulse.
Doctor Xie listened for a long time, his brows furrowing more and more. He had seen all kinds of difficult and complicated diseases in his many years of medical practice, but he had never seen anything like Li Xiaoxiao. Moreover, Magistrate Meng, who was related to Li Xiaoxiao, had also inexplicably recovered, which made him almost doubt his decades of learning. He sighed and said with mixed feelings, "The young lady is in good health, her pulse is steady and strong, and she has recovered well."
Undeterred, he asked, "You said you fed Lord Meng a bowl of porridge. Did you put some kind of medicine in the porridge?"
Everyone in the room couldn't help but focus their attention on Li Xiaoxiao.
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Author's Note: Begging for my favorites! [Rabbit head with upright ears]
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