Chapter 85 The Little Koi is About to Open Its Eyes!
"you?"
The emperor's gaze, sharp as a torch, fell upon Xie Zhiwei's still somewhat childish face, carrying a hint of scrutiny from someone in a superior position.
"Xie Zhiwei, the grandson of Xie, the chief physician of the Imperial Medical Academy?"
"That is indeed me."
Xie Zhiwei bowed respectfully, his voice clear and his demeanor composed, completely unlike a twelve-year-old boy.
"Do you have a solution?"
The Imperial Medical Academy Director's white brows furrowed tightly, his tone carrying the deep-seated skepticism of an elder towards a younger generation.
"We have been practicing medicine for decades and have been at a loss. What brilliant ideas could a mere child like you possibly have?"
His voice was full of disbelief, believing that the boy was just trying to attract attention.
Xie Zhiwei was not swayed by the other party's contempt; he calmly opened the needle case he carried with him.
The needle case was slowly unfolded, revealing gold needles of varying lengths that gleamed with a cold, eerie light under the illumination; each needle was in excellent condition.
"This humble subject dares to guess that Her Highness's eye ailment is neither an ordinary illness nor the result of evil spirits entering the body."
He paused, then turned his gaze to Mu Yu, who was sitting quietly on the soft couch, his eyes unconsciously softening.
"It's more like... a talent she was born with, which was forcibly suppressed for some reason."
“When the meridians are congested, the clear qi cannot rise and the turbid qi cannot descend, thus the eyes cannot see.”
These words were spoken in a mysterious and esoteric manner, leaving the imperial physicians present completely bewildered and dismissing them as utter nonsense.
But Mu Fang and Chu Chongjin were startled and exchanged a glance, both seeing the understanding in each other's eyes.
They were among the few who knew Mu Yu's true identity, and they also knew that she had only recently taken human form and that her foundation was unstable.
This explanation of "her talent being sealed" perfectly explains why she suddenly went blind, and it sounds much more palatable than "evil spirits at work."
Yan Ziche, who was standing to the side, quickly took out his notebook, and the pen tip flew across the paper, leaving a line of delicate handwriting.
"Xie's New Interpretation of Medical Classics: The Theory of Koi Meridian Blockage, Founding Father: Xie Zhiwei".
"How do we clear the blockage?"
Mu Fang's voice was filled with barely suppressed urgency. He stared intently at Xie Zhiwei, afraid of missing a single word.
"A two-pronged approach is needed."
Xie Zhiwei picked up the thinnest gold needle from her needle case. The needle trembled slightly at her fingertips, reflecting a cold light.
He explained, “First, we need to use the ‘golden needle acupuncture’ method, using a golden needle as a guide to insert into several major acupoints around the eyes, such as Qingming, Zanzhu, and Sizhukong, in order to open up the blocked meridian pathways.”
"This method is extremely dangerous!"
An elderly female doctor exclaimed in surprise, his beard trembling.
"The acupoints around the eyes are extremely delicate, with meridians as thin as silk. Even the slightest deviation can cause permanent damage! Only those with more than twenty years of acupuncture experience and absolute concentration would dare not attempt this!"
"I dare."
Xie Zhiwei uttered two words in a low voice, but they conveyed a confidence and determination that were completely out of character for his age.
The emperor's sharp gaze shifted back and forth between him and the golden needle. After a moment of contemplation, he nodded.
“Go on.”
"Opening the meridians is only the first step. The blocked channels need a force to flush them out and clear them."
"This power must be pure and yang, and contain abundant vitality, so that it can be guided through the golden needles to break through all the blockages in one fell swoop without harming the princess's delicate meridians."
Xie Zhiwei raised her head, her gaze passing over everyone else, and looked directly at Chu Chongjin, who had remained silent.
"And in the entire Great Chu, the only one who best fits this condition is Your Highness, the Ninth Prince... the aura of a true dragon!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire warm pavilion became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Acupuncture with golden needles, nourishing the Qi of the dragon.
One is a lost acupuncture technique that exists only in ancient books and fragments.
One is the imperial aura that exists only in royal secrets.
How can these two methods be combined to treat the eyes of a four-and-a-half-year-old child?
This sounds even more outrageous and absurd than the "miracle rice yield doubling per mu" that Chu Chongjin brought back!
"Nonsense!"
The head of the Imperial Medical Academy finally couldn't hold back any longer. He was so angry that his beard bristled and his eyes widened, and his hand trembled as he pointed at Xie Zhiwei.
"Dragon energy is the foundation of a nation's destiny, how precious it is! How can it be used for such...unheard-of medical techniques!"
"If His Highness's health is harmed in the process, and the foundation of the nation is shaken, can you, a mere child, bear the responsibility?"
Chu Chongjin spoke at this moment. His voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet courtyard.
"I do."
His gaze remained fixed on Mu Yu, his deep eyes filled with a tenderness and determination that were difficult for outsiders to understand.
"As long as it can cure Xiaoyu'er's eyes, I would not hesitate to sacrifice my life, even if it meant losing some of my dragon energy."
That's a very...
Standing under the corridor, Xiao Beichen clicked his tongue in disbelief. He nudged Yan Ziche beside him with his elbow and lowered his voice.
"Hey, don't you think something's off about what His Highness said? Doesn't it sound like one of those love-obsessed male protagonists from a storybook?"
Yan Ziche didn't even look up, writing furiously while muttering to himself.
"Supplementary entry to 'Quotes of the Admirers of Princess Anguo,' Ninth Prince Chapter, Item 17: To give one's life for love, with deep affection and no regrets."
Mu Fang's expression became somewhat complicated.
He looked at Chu Chongjin with a mixture of gratitude and a vague sense of wariness, like a lone wolf guarding its cubs, scrutinizing a tiger with unclear intentions.
Isn't this guy being a little too nice to his daughter? This goes beyond ordinary care.
The emperor remained silent for a moment, his deep gaze sweeping between Chu Chongjin, Mu Fang, and Mu Yu, before finally making his decision.
"Alright! Let's do as Xie Zhiwei says!"
He looked at Chu Chongjin, his eyes becoming incredibly deep.
"Chongjin, you are the future of Great Chu, and also Xiaoyu'er's support. This action is not only to save her, but also to consolidate the auspicious energy of Great Chu, so that the dragon's energy and good fortune complement each other even more. Do you understand?"
"Your subject understands."
Chu Chongjin solemnly agreed without the slightest hesitation.
That's how it was settled.
The treatment was held in the quietest warm room of the Princess Anguo's residence, where the floor heating was on full blast and the windows were bright and clean.
All irrelevant people were cleared out of the courtyard. Inside the warm pavilion, only Mu Fang, Chu Chongjin, Xie Zhiwei, and Yan Ziche, who called himself the "medical record recorder," remained.
Mu Yu was placed on a low couch covered with thick cushions. She wasn't afraid at all; on the contrary, she was curious about the "treatment" that was about to begin.
"Brother Zhiwei, will it hurt when I get acupuncture?"
She clutched the hem of her clothes with her little hands, looked up, and asked.
"It will feel a little like a mosquito bite," Xie Zhiwei said softly as she crouched down. "I will be very, very gentle."
"Then... is there any candy?"
Mu Yu blinked her unfocused big eyes; this was still what she cared about most in her little head.
"have."
Xie Zhiwei poured out a bright green sugar pill from the porcelain bottle in her bosom and handed it to her palm.
"This is a heart-soothing and lung-moistening candy made with mint and fritillaria cirrhosa. You can eat it after getting acupuncture."
Mu Yu was immediately satisfied, clutching the candy tightly, and obediently lay down.
Xie Zhiwei walked to the copper basin to the side, carefully washed her hands three times with a special medicated soap, and then lit a censer of sandalwood incense to calm her mind.
After the fragrance filled the air and his mind was completely calm, he took a deep breath and picked up the first gold needle from his needle case.
His movements were as fast as lightning, yet as steady as a rock, with not a tremor in his wrist.
One, two, three...
In the blink of an eye, several fine gold needles, as thin as cow hair, were precisely inserted into the acupoints around Mu Yu's eyes, leaving only a very short needle tail outside, trembling gently with the flow of qi and blood.
Mu Yu grunted, feeling a slight tingling and numbness around her eyelids, as if tiny ants were crawling on them, but it didn't hurt.
"Your Highness, we may begin."
Fine beads of sweat had already seeped from Xie Zhiwei's forehead. Maintaining such precise acupuncture was extremely taxing on his mind.
Chu Chongjin followed the instructions and walked to the soft couch, sitting cross-legged opposite Mu Yu.
Looking at the little guy's completely trusting face, who didn't cry even after being pricked with a needle, his heart softened.
He stretched out his hands, his well-defined fingers slightly curled, preparing to place his palms lightly on Mu Yu's temples as instructed by Xie Zhiwei, and then slowly infuse him with dragon energy.
The air in the warm room seemed to freeze at that moment, and everyone subconsciously slowed their breathing.
Just as Chu Chongjin's fingertips were about to touch Mu Yu's soft hair at her temples...
A tall, imposing figure, exuding a powerful sense of oppression, silently loomed between the two.
Mu Fang, without anyone noticing, had already moved a stool from the corner and sat steadily on the edge of the soft couch, right between Chu Chongjin and Mu Yu.
He didn't speak, but simply crossed his arms, his eyes, sharp as a hawk's, honed on the battlefield, fixed intently on Chu Chongjin's hands.
That look seemed to be a silent warning: Kid, if you dare to have any wicked thoughts, or even hurt a hair on my daughter's head, my sword won't be merciful.
Chu Chongjin's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, his movement halted.
Yan Ziche silently drew a Vajra warrior carrying a greatsword and glaring angrily in the corner of his notebook, and labeled it next to him in tiny print: "Guardian of the Nation, Supervisor of Construction," with outstanding effect.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com