Looking at the doctors in the room whispering among themselves and shaking their heads, Qi Yue gritted her teeth and made a decision.

“Physician An said it cannot be cured, so he won’t come to examine the patient,” she announced loudly.

At these words, all the doctors in the room erupted in surprise.

Chang Yuncheng’s expression also showed some surprise. He glanced at Qi Yue, seemed about to say something but ultimately didn’t, just stood steadily to the side.

“What? Old Physician An said it can’t be treated!”

“Heavens, then what are we here for!”

“If the old master says it can’t be cured, how can we treat it!”

The doctors all looked agitated.

No wonder the Xie residence had suddenly invited them, these doctors. Which of the slightly prestigious high-ranking households in Shanning Prefecture didn’t guard only the An family’s door? If they couldn’t get the old one, they’d compete for the young one…

So it turned out the An family had already said it was untreatable.

All the doctors’ faces immediately darkened. So what were they doing here making fools of themselves?

Qi Yue looked at them, understanding their thoughts at a glance.

“Moreover, Physician An also said he won’t last until evening,” she said.

Of course, this wasn’t what Old Physician An had said, but what Young Physician An had said – that he wouldn’t survive tonight. But they were both surnamed An, and “won’t last until” and “won’t survive” had similar meanings, so her vague statement wasn’t too much of a stretch.

The doctors shook their heads and sighed even more.

“But you can see for yourselves how this infant is doing now,” Qi Yue pointed behind her and said loudly.

The doctors were startled and looked in the direction of her gaze.

That infant, positioned in a strange posture with wooden boards and pillows, though his eyes were tightly closed and his breathing rapid, was indeed truly and clearly alive…

The implication was…

Everyone unconsciously looked toward Qi Yue.

“The implication is that what Physician An said isn’t necessarily true or definitive,” Qi Yue took a deep breath and lifted her head slightly. “We physicians should guard our original intention. We shouldn’t just listen to whatever others say. No one can treat every condition, and likewise, no one can only stick to treating what they know and never take on what they don’t know. Whether we can or cannot, whether we’re capable or not – for us, these should not be boundaries. What we should consider is only how to treat. A senior once said that originally there were no roads in this world, but when many people walked, roads were formed. Treating illness is the same. Think about it – when people first knew about diseases in ancient times, didn’t they all not know how to treat them either? But there was still Shennong who tasted hundreds of herbs and tried, which is why we have today’s medical techniques, experience, and prescriptions. If back then someone had said a certain disease was incurable and everyone agreed without trying anymore, how would we have inherited so much medical knowledge today?”

She finished speaking in one breath, looking at the doctors in the room who were already somewhat stunned, then smiled slightly.

“To put it more simply,” Qi Yue’s gaze swept over these doctors, “imagine how it would feel to cure someone that Old Physician An said couldn’t be saved…”

This statement made the shocked expressions of the doctors present become animated.

What was she saying? Did she know what she was saying?

This… this…

But she wasn’t finished. Qi Yue continued speaking.

“I think that feeling must be wonderful! Hey, you doctors are often compared to that Physician An fellow, aren’t you? Tsk tsk…” She shook her head looking at these doctors with sympathetic eyes. “Unless absolutely necessary, those high-ranking households and noble families wouldn’t find you to treat illnesses, right? And even if they do find you, they’d say things like ‘how about Old Physician An,’ right?”

This was indeed the truth, and the doctors present couldn’t help but blush slightly.

“Being inferior in skill is nothing to be ashamed of,” someone said with a dark expression.

How could this woman speak so unpleasantly?

When scolding, don’t expose shortcomings; when fighting, don’t hit the face!

But she was doing exactly that – exposing shortcomings and hitting faces.

“This doctor speaks well,” Qi Yue laughed loudly at him and even clapped. “Having the courage to admit being inferior to others is itself a kind of bravery! Worthy of respect!”

Respect your head – who wanted this kind of respect!

That doctor’s expression grew even darker, and he was about to leave with a flick of his sleeves.

“There’s nothing wrong with admitting inferior skills. I admit it too – I’m not as good as you. What you all know, I don’t know,” Qi Yue continued laughing.

The doctor had intended to leave but couldn’t help wanting to hear what else this woman could possibly say.

“But there’s one thing I’ll never admit,” Qi Yue put away her smile and looked at these doctors. “And that’s courage.”

Courage?

The doctors looked at her.

“I will never admit that I would lack even the courage to try because of cowardice, because I’m inferior in skill, because others have already made a definitive judgment!” Qi Yue declared.

After saying this, Qi Yue no longer looked at these doctors but turned back to bend over the infant, repeatedly performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation with large breaths.

The room fell silent. Those doctors who had originally intended to leave or had already turned around all stood there without moving.

“Well, since you say it’s internal bleeding, I think we should focus on treating the liver,” a doctor suddenly said, turning to pick up a brush and write a prescription. “Let me write a prescription to try first.”

“No, no, I think we should prioritize eliminating phlegm,” another doctor also said while stroking his beard thoughtfully.

“This child’s qi and blood are not yet solid, his organs are very fragile. He belongs to the category of immature yin and yang. With mental confusion and convulsions, qi and blood in chaotic reverse flow, eliminating blood stasis should be the priority.”

“…Donkey-hide gelatin nourishes blood and supplements the liver, astragalus, codonopsis, and Chinese yam benefit qi…”

“…How can we not add agrimony?”

“…Actually, panax notoginseng would be better…”

“…I think we must add leech to eliminate stasis and swelling…”

Qi Yue was already dizzy from continuous artificial respiration and couldn’t hear clearly what these doctors were discussing. Even if she could hear clearly, she probably wouldn’t understand. She stood up to catch her breath briefly, not looking back at these doctors who were now engaged in heated discussion and argument. What she could do was point the direction; as for how to prescribe targeted medication, that was up to them. She bent down again to continue breathing.

Outside the room, people from the Xie family were also standing everywhere.

Old Madam Xie sat in a round chair, wrapped in a thick cloak.

Because she refused to wait in a side room, the eldest master, eldest aunt, and others had to accompany her here.

So everyone had heard the previous conversation inside.

“Can these quack doctors do it…” the eldest aunt frowned, anxiously looking toward the door, then bowing her head to speak to Old Madam Xie. “Mother, why don’t I go personally and offer more payment to invite Old Physician An… These people, these people are completely making a mess. Look at the things they’re using – wooden boards, braziers – can these cure illness? And these doctors can’t even write a prescription by themselves, huddling together arguing…”

Old Madam Xie neither moved nor spoke.

“Mother,” the eldest aunt couldn’t help but raise her voice, looking at her son and daughter-in-law who were pressed against the door like lost souls, then thinking of her own legitimate eldest grandson. “Your grandson’s face and status are precious, but my grandson is also your great-grandson. You, you’re being too partial!”

After saying this, she flicked her sleeves and left.

The eldest master couldn’t stop her with his scolding and quickly knelt before Old Madam Xie to apologize.

“It’s fine. She’s a blockhead – don’t mind her,” Old Madam Xie said slowly.

“Then, then, Mother, should we really not try again to invite Old Physician An…” the eldest master asked hesitantly after a moment.

After all, they really couldn’t trust those people in the room.

“No need,” Old Madam Xie gripped her cane tightly, sitting upright in her chair, and said in a deep voice. “Since Old Physician An is unwilling, then we shouldn’t force him.”

The An family’s gate was awakened by knocking in the middle of the night, leaving everyone somewhat helpless, though as a physician’s household, this was a common occurrence.

Young Physician An looked at the eldest aunt from the Xie family pacing anxiously back and forth in the reception hall and sighed helplessly.

“Madam Xie,” he stepped forward and bowed.

“Young Physician An, please ask the old physician to come again,” the eldest aunt said, her face full of anxiety, her voice somewhat choked. “This grandson of mine came with difficulty. If something happens to him, I’m afraid my daughter-in-law won’t survive either…”

Young Physician An asked her to sit, but how could the eldest aunt sit still?

“Madam, it’s not that we refuse to save lives, but we truly cannot save this one,” he said in a low voice. “Madam, this pediatric acute convulsive syndrome strikes fiercely and truly has no cure. It’s an incurable condition. Madam, when Bian Que saw Duke Huan and turned to leave, it was for this very reason.”

“But this disease isn’t incurable,” the eldest aunt said urgently, trying hard to remember the fragments she had heard. “It’s… it’s the brain… something bleeding. As long as we stop the bleeding, uh… stop bleeding… reduce… reduce something…”

“Brain bleeding?” Young Physician An frowned, not understanding the eldest aunt’s words. “What brain bleeding?”

How would the eldest aunt know?

“Anyway, it can be treated. Right now my nephew’s wife is treating it with a group of street doctors…” she could only say.

Young Physician An looked shocked, then smiled bitterly.

As the saying goes, when illness strikes, one desperately seeks medical help. This was understandable.

“Then let’s hope the young master will be blessed with good fortune and longevity,” he nodded.

“That’s not what I mean,” the eldest aunt wasn’t saying this. She quickly said, “How can they be capable? Old Physician An should still go take a look.”

Young Physician An sighed – they were back to this topic again.

“Madam, please forgive us, but we truly cannot,” he bowed.

“Then I’m not leaving!” the eldest aunt slapped her hand down and sat.

For Young Physician An, this wasn’t anything rare or troublesome.

“Someone, serve tea to Madam Xie,” he said gently.

Immediately servants brought tea and thoughtfully provided cushions and blankets.

“Madam, the night is cold,” Young Physician An said.

The eldest aunt felt a surge of anger stuck in her chest. After glaring for a long time, she angrily grabbed the cushions and blankets.

I’m not leaving! Deal with it!

Young Physician An hesitated for a moment before leaving the reception hall.

“Should we still inform the old master?” a servant asked.

“No need,” Young Physician An said. “I estimate that by dawn, the Xie family will come with news, and that Madam Xie will naturally return.”

The news would naturally be that the child had died…

The servant lowered his head in silence and said no more.

“However…” Young Physician An hesitated slightly, thinking of what the eldest aunt had said, and stroked his beard. “Brain bleeding…”

The servant looked at him uncomprehendingly.

Young Physician An looked at the courtyard, smiled, and shook his head. He wrapped his cloak tighter without saying anything more and walked along the corridor.