“Hello, Elder Li?” Qi Yue asked with a smile.

The old man had difficulty speaking due to his rapid breathing, and his eyes moved slightly at the sound stimulation.

“I am a physician,” Qi Yue introduced herself. With this one question and look, she had already confirmed that the old man’s consciousness was unclear, his lips were cyanotic – clear signs of respiratory distress.

She extended her hand, and A’Ru had already opened the medicine box, put on gloves, and taken out a stethoscope.

“I’m going to examine you now,” Qi Yue said.

The maids stood frozen in shock to the side, but Qi Yue’s movements were too quick. Since there were indeed many physicians coming to the house, and seeing this woman had come from outside where physicians were still discussing, perhaps this was a newly invited palace female physician.

“Help me position the old gentleman in a semi-recumbent position,” Qi Yue said.

Two maids helped A’Ru position Elder Li properly in a daze.

“Record: Physical examination, percussion of both lungs shows clear sound…” Qi Yue began examining while speaking.

A’Ru took out a notebook to record.

“…liver-lung boundary cannot be percussed, breath sounds are coarse…”

“…right lower lung breath sounds significantly diminished, small amount of dry and wet rales can be heard…”

“…heart rate 78 beats per minute, regular rhythm, no murmurs in valve auscultation areas…”

“…abdomen not distended, soft, liver and spleen not palpable…”

Qi Yue placed her hand on Elder Li’s abdomen.

“Sir, does it hurt?” she asked while pressing.

Elder Li had no response.

“…no tenderness, muscle tension, shifting dullness negative…” Qi Yue continued.

Moving downward.

“…bowel sounds diminished, no edema in lower extremities…”

After completing the examination, Qi Yue also looked at the spittoon, bedpan, and urinal beside the bed.

“Yellow sticky sputum…” she said after careful observation.

Everyone in the room watched her, even more certain this was a palace female physician – only they would be so unperturbed by these filthy things.

After all this was done.

“He choked on an egg, and experienced suffocation with cardiac arrest?” Qi Yue asked a nearby maid.

The maid nodded.

“Yes,” she answered.

Qi Yue nodded and pondered.

“How is it, Miss?” A’Ru asked.

“Very simple, nothing serious. I’ve seen this condition before,” Qi Yue replied, extending her hand. “Thoracic pneumoperitoneum, give me the puncture syringe.”

A’Ru promptly took it out.

Seeing the strange tool in this woman’s hand, everyone in the room stared without blinking.

Elder Li had another coughing fit and his breathing became even more difficult. He was already somewhat unconscious, hearing a female voice speaking near his ear in his daze.

“Sir, I’m going to puncture your abdomen now. Don’t be afraid. There’s anesthesia, it won’t hurt.”

Then came a cold stinging sensation in his abdomen.

It seemed like a long time passed, yet also like just a blink of an eye. He heard women’s screams in his ear, sounding frightening, but with these screams, Elder Li felt the heavy stone pressing on his chest was removed. In an instant, it seemed that the long-missing air rushed into his chest, just like a struggling fish suddenly thrown into a pond, splashing water as it swam happily. This joyful sensation came too fiercely and suddenly. He actually couldn’t bear it and fainted immediately.

The physicians outside finally rushed in, seeing the trembling, screaming maids, then seeing the woman standing by the bed who was getting up from beside Elder Li, holding a strange tool in her hand.

“Miss Qi, what is this, what are you doing?” Dong Lin could no longer pretend not to recognize her and asked.

The other court physicians all looked at this woman, then at Dong Lin.

“This, isn’t this Elder Li’s concubine?” one court physician couldn’t help asking.

Dong Lin immediately felt frustrated.

He had deliberately ignored Qi Yue, calculating that this woman had a violent temper, so if the court physicians inquired, this woman would become angry at being slighted.

He hadn’t expected that in the blink of an eye, this woman had run into the inner room, nor had he expected that these court physicians would mistake Qi Yue for Elder Li’s concubine and ignore her.

It was all because this Elder Li had too many women!

“I am a physician,” Qi Yue turned to smile at this court physician, while putting away the syringe. A’Ru efficiently wiped and covered with a sterilizing cloth.

“Press down then secure it,” she didn’t forget to instruct.

A’Ru agreed.

“Physician?” Master Gong was also alarmed, stepping forward quickly. Seeing Elder Li unconscious at a glance, he immediately became furious. “Who let you in? What kind of physician are you?”

Good, although late, this attitude was more provocative.

Dong Lin sighed in relief and hurried forward.

“Sir, sir, this is my senior brother’s disciple…” he said hastily with some apology and unease. “It’s my fault, she’s young and doesn’t understand. I forgot to instruct her earlier…”

“You…” Master Gong was about to continue.

Qi Yue quickly interrupted.

“Oh, I’m the physician invited by Young Master Li Tong,” she said, her demeanor still calm.

What was going on exactly?

Master Gong was truly furious, throwing out a command to call the Li family people, then hurriedly went to treat Elder Li.

The physicians all crowded forward in chaos.

“It’s fine, he’ll wake up soon. Now give him some anti-inflammatory medicine…” Qi Yue said leisurely from the side.

“Ah, you should say less for now. This is Imperial Medical Academy’s Judge Gong,” Dong Lin hurriedly interrupted her, with some unease.

Given the woman’s temper, she definitely wouldn’t say less.

He thought to himself.

Qi Yue made an “oh” sound and stopped talking.

Dong Lin stood there somewhat stunned.

Here, the Li family people poured in, seeing Elder Li surrounded by physicians, thinking it was bad, they all immediately began crying.

“He’s not dead yet,” Master Gong hurriedly shouted.

The Li family people nearly choked from not catching their breath.

“What happened?” Master Li asked urgently.

“I should be asking you what happened!” Master Gong turned and scolded. “If you invited other physicians, you should have informed us. Random treatment – if something goes wrong, whose fault is it?”

The Li family people were stunned by the scolding.

“Naturally we would inform Master Gong. The person hasn’t arrived yet, but when they do, we’ll certainly introduce them to you,” Master Li said hurriedly.

At the same time, he was surprised – how did Master Gong know so quickly that they had invited another physician?

But with Duke Deqing’s mansion’s reputation, everything would be fine.

Master Gong became even angrier hearing this.

“Hasn’t arrived? Isn’t this a person?” he said angrily, pointing at Qi Yue.

Only then did the Li family people notice the woman standing to the side.

Qi Yue smiled slightly at them.

“I’m the physician invited by your Young Master Tong… did he mention to you…” she said.

That boy again!

It seemed this boy was asking around for physicians everywhere, dragging anyone into the house!

Master Li angrily interrupted Qi Yue.

“Get out!” he shouted.

“Master Li, don’t be angry. This is my senior brother’s disciple, young and doesn’t understand…” Dong Lin hurriedly said again, personally bowing to Master Li while gesturing to Qi Yue, “Quickly, apologize to Master Li.”

Qi Yue smiled.

“So you don’t agree to let me treat him?” she asked.

Master Li was already too lazy to speak with her and hurriedly went to check on his father.

“Of course we don’t agree. Please leave quickly,” said Li Tong’s father, his face full of anger. He had already decided to immediately send that rebellious son back to the ancestral home to guard the house when he returned!

Qi Yue nodded.

“Then I’m truly sorry for disturbing you. Farewell,” she said.

Watching the woman disappear from the room, Dong Lin was somewhat dumbfounded.

Just this… just this soft demeanor?

Had he recognized the wrong person?

This wasn’t the Miss Qi who was lawless in Yongqing Prefecture, speaking with absolute authority, cursing people to death at the slightest disagreement!

Not even a word of explanation. When told to step aside, she stepped aside; when told to get lost, she really left?

Not even a single harsh word…

Had she become timid after coming to the capital?

This wasn’t strange either – after all, this was the capital.

Dong Lin snorted through his nose looking at the doorway.

Here in the room, no one else paid attention to the inexplicably expelled physician, all anxiously watching the unconscious Elder Li.

“What did that woman do to father?” Master Li asked urgently, then thinking it was wrong to let that person go like that, he turned and shouted, “Have that rebellious son kneel outside!”

He had wanted to shout about having that woman arrested and sent to the Shuntian Prefecture. But the words reached his mouth and he thought of Dong Lin saying this was his senior brother’s disciple – not looking at the monk’s face but the Buddha’s face – he forcibly swallowed the words. However, if father really took a turn for the worse, it wouldn’t be too late to deal with this matter. By then, even Dong Lin couldn’t protect her.

Li Tong was inexplicably dragged out of the room and made to kneel in front of Li Huaiqing’s courtyard, drawing stares from passersby.

“What did I do?” he couldn’t help asking.

The servants didn’t know if they truly didn’t know or were too lazy to bother with him, just saying they didn’t know.

Li Tong could only grit his teeth and kneel.

At this time, the room was still in chaos.

“The funeral arrangements should still be prepared,” Master Gong finally said quietly.

Master Li’s eyes immediately reddened.

“Master, master…” a maid by the bed suddenly called out stuttering.

The people in the room were all gathered to one side speaking in low voices, not paying attention to the maid’s words at first.

The maid raised her voice again.

“Master, the old master has awakened!”

Everyone heard this shout, but weren’t particularly surprised – Elder Li had always been half-awake, half-unconscious.

While others didn’t move, Master Li and Judge Gong hurried forward.

Elder Li on the bed let out a long breath.

“…Ah…” he spoke with a long sigh, opening his eyes, “…Is it… Guanyin Bodhisattva…”

Master Li and Judge Gong who approached were shocked with wide eyes.

For days, this was the first time Elder Li had spoken clearly. Although his voice was dry and hoarse, his pronunciation was very clear.

“Father,” Master Li called out, kneeling by the bed. “You’re awake!”

Elder Li turned his head to look at him.

“I’m awake,” he said, breathing heavily again. “So comfortable…”

So comfortable? Being sick was comfortable?

Master Li couldn’t quite process this.

“Elder, how do you feel?” Judge Gong asked hurriedly, reaching out to feel his pulse, his expression surprised.

“I’m very good, much better,” Elder Li said.

Without him saying so, Judge Gong already knew.

“This, this, how is this possible?” he stammered. “How is your breathing smooth?”

Elder Li breathed slowly.

“It really was Guanyin Bodhisattva’s divine intervention…” he said, grasping Master Li’s hand tightly. “Just now, Guanyin Bodhisattva treated my illness. I dreamed she punctured my stomach… and I immediately got better…”

Punctured the stomach?

Guanyin Bodhisattva?

Master Li was dazed – was father having delusions from his illness?

But Judge Gong thought of something and suddenly lifted the blanket and clothing from Elder Li’s body.

On Elder Li’s stomach, a piece of yellowed, stained cloth was clearly visible.

Could it be that woman!