After pacifying the magistrate couple, Chang Yuncheng said nothing more and instructed servants to bring seating arrangements and warming stoves.

Marquis Dingxi and Madam Xie also rushed over upon hearing the news.

“What exactly happened? Wasn’t it said that he was fine?” Marquis Dingxi asked anxiously.

He had already planned how to promote his miraculous doctor daughter-in-law after this incident. Those who mocked him for being blind and bewitched into marrying a daughter-in-law of such background—may you never fall ill in your lifetime!

He had thought through how to be proudly elated yet modest and restrained without losing scholarly elegance. Was this all just empty joy?

No one answered his question. Hu San had turned and run inside when the situation was brought under control. Though the door was open, no one dared to go in and ask.

“Good, the heir is here, they won’t come in now.” Hu San said as he entered.

“Get out.” A’Ru was carrying a basin of water past the door and immediately turned to glare at him and shout.

Hu San snapped to attention at the scolding, quickly raised his hands in apology and retreated, running to another room to change clothes and wash his hands and face before coming back.

“How is it?” he asked carefully.

Zhang Tong stood to the side, watching with him as Qi Yue and Liu Pucheng gathered around the injured person.

“Not good.” Zhang Tong said. “High fever won’t break, he’s already started talking nonsense.”

Hu San felt sweat pouring from his head and couldn’t help but raise his hand to wipe it.

“Master must be terrified, right?” he murmured, thinking of how that woman had not had a moment’s peace since taking over the treatment. They had found her restlessness somewhat inexplicable, but now the boulder hanging over their heads had finally fallen. Would that woman be crushed by it?

Whether Qi Yue was crushed or not, she didn’t know herself. In any case, she was somewhat numb now.

The most feared wound infection hadn’t appeared—no abdominal pain, no headache, no limb swelling, nothing at all. But why, why was this happening?

What exactly was wrong?

“What exactly is wrong? If it were splenic heat, these symptoms wouldn’t appear.” Qi Yue murmured.

Rising blood pressure, rising body temperature, unconsciousness. Qi Yue looked at the only two tools in her hands and suddenly had the urge to cry.

“Pulse is rapid and weak, tongue is dark crimson, lips are black and nails are blue.” Liu Pucheng said while taking the pulse.

Though A’Ru’s face was pale and her expression panicked, she still quickly recorded Liu Pucheng’s words.

“Miss Qi.” Liu Pucheng glanced at A’Ru, then looked at Qi Yue, his voice suddenly rising several notches. “Look at this girl, then look at yourself.”

Qi Yue was brought back to her senses by this shout and looked at Liu Pucheng.

“She’s also afraid, but she still remembers what she needs to do.” Liu Pucheng scolded in a deep voice. “And you? What are you doing?”

Qi Yue’s body trembled slightly as she looked at A’Ru.

A’Ru’s face was half-covered by a mask, revealing slightly reddened eyes. A water basin was placed beside her, and she had put down her pen and paper to wring out a towel soaking in the basin. She stopped in place at Liu Pucheng’s shout.

“What are you doing? What are you afraid of? Why are you panicking?” Liu Pucheng continued shouting. “Didn’t you know early on that this situation would arise? Now that it has, then treat it.”

Qi Yue’s expression was agitated.

“I don’t know how to treat it.” She clenched her hands tightly and said, “I can’t.”

“How can you not know?” Liu Pucheng shouted, stepping forward. “You can perform abdominal surgery and suturing, you can disinfect, you can observe conditions, you can comfort patients, you can provide care. You keep saying you can’t, you can’t—how can you not know? What does ‘can’t’ mean?! Those who practice medicine encounter countless diseases they’ve never seen. Does meeting one unfamiliar case mean you should say you can’t? If you can’t, then think! Think how you can, think how to treat it. What’s the big deal?! Do your utmost—if you can cure it, cure it; if you can’t, it’s Heaven not sparing this life. What’s the big deal? Look at yourself now! You haven’t even tried, and you’re already panicking. Like this, like this—are you worthy of your skills?”

The voice rolled like thunder through the ears.

Everyone in the room was stunned. Since they’d known this old man, he had always been gentle and calm, never even raising his voice. They never expected him to suddenly shout these words with such agitation.

Zhang Tong, Hu San, and even A’Ru all stared at Liu Pucheng in shock, not daring to move or speak.

Qi Yue’s expression gradually returned to normal.

“Yes.” She responded loudly, picked up the stethoscope hanging in front of her, took a deep breath, and stood before the injured person to begin examination. “Heart sounds are irregular, but there’s no fluid accumulation. The high fever isn’t caused by this. No infection below the diaphragm, no lung collapse—”

She paused and looked at Liu Pucheng.

“Currently, the patient shows signs of heart failure.” She said, while taking a towel from the basin beside her and wringing it out to wipe the patient’s body. “As for why these symptoms appeared, I haven’t thought of it yet.”

Liu Pucheng nodded.

“This person has symptoms of yang collapse.” He shook his sleeves and returned to his usual gentleness, as if the previous incident had never happened. He turned to Zhang Tong, who was still stunned, and said, “Use roasted licorice, cinnamon twig, ginger, plus fresh rehmannia, donkey-hide gelatin, cannabis seed, ginseng, dwarf lilyturf, and jujube, with wine as the guide.”

Zhang Tong snapped back to attention, loudly responded yes, and immediately ran to another room where various medicinal materials and preparation tools had been prepared in advance.

“I’ll go help senior brother.” Hu San said.

“Your senior brother can handle it himself. Hu San, come help me cool down the patient.” Qi Yue called out.

Hu San loudly responded yes and quickly ran over.

A’Ru quickly recorded the conversation between Liu Pucheng and Qi Yue, then continued wringing towels to place on the patient’s forehead.

The sky gradually darkened, and lamps in the courtyard were lit one by one, illuminating the people still waiting outside the gate.

Because it was cold at night, Madam Xie instructed servants to bring thick cloaks for the magistrate couple.

The magistrate couple numbly allowed themselves to be attended to.

“Not eating or drinking, how much longer must we wait?” Madam Xie looked worried and frowned, glancing toward the courtyard. “How can they not let us go in to see? It’s not like they’re doing something shameful.”

“Don’t speak nonsense about things you don’t understand.” Marquis Dingxi said in a low voice.

Madam Xie snorted coldly.

“Does the Marquis understand?” she said indifferently.

Marquis Dingxi glared at her.

Madam Xie ignored him and walked toward Chang Yuncheng with a bowl of hot soup.

“Thank you, Mother.” Chang Yuncheng said, accepting it.

Madam Xie smiled slightly.

“Why did you suddenly lock up those girls yesterday?” she asked in a low voice, remembering something.

“It has to do with Yueniang’s incident, and it’s among those girls.” Chang Yuncheng also answered in a low voice.

Madam Xie suddenly realized and remembered—there was still that matter, which had been forgotten in the commotion with the magistrate couple.

“In your opinion, who did it?” she asked hurriedly in a low voice.

Chang Yuncheng was about to say something when he suddenly stopped, his gaze fixed on the courtyard gate as he stood up abruptly.

Madam Xie was startled and followed his gaze, her expression involuntarily darkening.

Qi Yue stood at the courtyard gate, having removed her mask.

Everyone’s hearts leaped to their throats. When Qi Yue hadn’t come out, they had countless questions to ask, but when this woman actually stood before them, they found they couldn’t say a single word.

“The young master’s condition is not very good.” Qi Yue took a deep breath and said.

At these words, the magistrate’s wife’s body went limp, unable to catch her breath, making an unclear “ah” sound from her throat.

“How can this be?” The magistrate rushed forward in one stride.

But someone was faster than him. Chang Yuncheng stood in front of Qi Yue—though he wasn’t facing her, but had turned to face the crowd surging forward.

“However, we will work hard to treat him. Though the situation isn’t very good, it’s still within our control.” Qi Yue said loudly. “You must believe that we won’t give up. Now you can go in to see him—from the window, of course. Doctor Liu will answer your questions.”

Before she finished speaking, the magistrate pushed past her and rushed in, followed closely by the magistrate’s wife being supported by others. Marquis Dingxi hesitated a moment, then followed.

Madam Xie remained in place, quietly watching Qi Yue at the gate and Chang Yuncheng standing very close to her in an obviously protective posture.

Qi Yue didn’t go in and didn’t hear how Liu Pucheng comforted and explained to the magistrate couple. In any case, after a while, the magistrate couple left with tears, and naturally everyone else followed. The courtyard inside and out returned to quiet, though everyone’s hearts were boiling with unrest like water in a pot.

Liu Pucheng’s herbal medicine was poured down, and the patient’s condition improved slightly—but only slightly. He remained unconscious.

Sunlight illuminated the room, and a new day had arrived.

“Urine is slightly yellow.” Qi Yue crouched down to examine the chamber pot.

A’Ru picked up her pen to record.

Qi Yue stood up and took the thermometer from under the patient’s armpit.

“Forty degrees.” She said while sighing. “The temperature is up again.”

When he had just taken the herbal medicine, the patient had sweated and his temperature had dropped somewhat. Not long after, it had risen again.

“Pulse is still rapid, weak, and powerless.” Liu Pucheng said, lowering his sleeve and withdrawing his hand.

Qi Yue looked at the patient thoughtfully and reached out to gently press and feel below his ribs. A’Ru tensely held her breath, afraid of disturbing her.

“Though I can’t see it, I’m certain there’s fluid accumulation here.” Qi Yue said.

Liu Pucheng also reached out to examine upon hearing this.

The unconscious patient moaned.

“Percussion causes pain.” Qi Yue added.

A’Ru carefully recorded this.

The room fell silent except for the patient’s rapid breathing.

“Both qi and yin are injured, so the spleen is deficient and water stagnates.” Liu Pucheng paced back and forth a few times and said, “Use roasted raw astragalus, white atractylodes, angelica, polygonatum, poria, boiled in water.”

Zhang Tong quickly responded yes and left.

“Also.” Qi Yue was looking at A’Ru’s continuous records when she noticed something and spoke up. “The patient’s temperature is highest in the afternoon.”

Liu Pucheng looked at her, somewhat puzzled.

“That is to say, he has irregular fever.” Qi Yue said, while flipping through the records again.

Liu Pucheng stood with his hands behind his back, deep in thought.

“Also add anemarrhena, tree peony bark, plantain seed, and lycium bark.” He clapped his hands and said.

Zhang Tong responded and stood still.

“Why aren’t you going?” Liu Pucheng frowned at him.

“Master, is there more?” Zhang Tong asked hopefully.

Qi Yue was amused by him.

“If there is, we’ll naturally tell you. Don’t be too clever, go quickly.” Liu Pucheng also laughed.

Only then did Zhang Tong smile and respond as he left.

The heavy atmosphere in the room was immediately relieved.

“Bring salt water, I’ll do oral care for him.” Qi Yue said, while washing her hands in the basin beside her.

Hu San responded and skillfully went to get the salt water. Several people stood to the side, watching as Qi Yue carefully rinsed the mouth and wiped the face of the unconscious magistrate’s son.

With her calm and steady movements, the tense and depressed atmosphere in the room seemed to ease as well.