Ji Zizhao paid no mind to the physicians' thoughts. She carefully sniffed the lingering bitter scent in the courtyard, her mind gradually forming a clear picture.
Three-leaf Ganoderma, Fire Lotus Fruit, Thousand Spirit Grass, Swift Dragon Saliva, Night Spirit Leaf...
Ji Zizhao was no stranger to these medicinal ingredients.
Back in Luoyang, Uncle Zhang Zhong had mentioned this prescription.
This was the first batch of prescriptions for treating the epidemic. Due to the rapid spread of the plague at the time, the court could only order the burning of the city and the slaughter of its inhabitants.
Since the prescription was originally written by Zhang Zhong, he remembered it particularly clearly.
Although Ji Zizhao hadn't used Zhang Zhong's prescription in Luoyang, the prescriptions she devised were built upon Zhang Zhong's old ones.
Therefore, Ji Zizhao was certain that this prescription was absolutely fine.
If General Xue had indeed contracted the epidemic in Luoyang, this prescription, even if it couldn't cure him, would temporarily suppress the plague within his body and show signs of improvement.
But looking at the trembling servants in the courtyard, it seemed General Xue had been bedridden since his return.
Ji Zizhao frowned slightly.
If the prescription was not the problem, then the problem must lie with the patient himself.
The physicians who had entered the room earlier had done so in batches.
They entered quickly and exited quickly.
Although Ji Zizhao was at the end of the line, she had only waited for about fifteen minutes.
The young servant standing on the steps knew that these physicians were probably not sincerely treating his master. Seeing them practically scrambling to get out after going in, how could they be considered doctors?
By the time Ji Zizhao walked up the steps, the servant hadn't even lifted the door curtain. He looked at Ji Zizhao and said, "If you're truly scared, then never mind. Our old madam said that no matter what the Xue family faces, they will not wrong a young lady."
The physicians standing in the courtyard couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at these words.
See? Women are useless. They deserve to be looked down upon wherever they go.
But in their amusement, they forgot that it was their perfunctory attitude that had led to this situation.
Ji Zizhao did not wish to waste time on unnecessary people. She lifted the curtain herself and went inside.
She bypassed the main hall and went to the inner room on the left. There, she saw Xue Yongnian lying on the bed, his breathing weak.
At this moment, Xue Yongnian had lost consciousness, his eyes tightly closed, his mouth slightly open, and he was muttering something in pain.
Ji Zizhao walked to the bedside and reached out to feel the wrist placed outside the quilt. However, as her fingers touched his skin, she recoiled with a jolt.
This temperature...
Ji Zizhao steadied herself and pressed on Xue Yongnian's wrist.
A normal pulse beats four times per breath, but Xue Yongnian's pulse was now beating six times per breath.
Ji Zizhao then felt for Xue Yongnian's breath and then looked at his eyes. The confusion in her heart finally found a satisfactory answer.
As expected, the problem was not with the prescription.
It was with the person.
The physicians in the courtyard waited and waited, but Ji Zizhao did not emerge.
They exchanged glances, the smiles in their eyes growing wider.
Perhaps the young lady had fainted from fear?
"Hurry and go in to check on her. If she's fainted, quickly bring her out," one of the physicians called out to the servant on the steps.
The servant was also worried. Even though he looked down on these people who were just going through the motions, they were still people close to the princes. With this thought, he gestured to a maidservant nearby.
This maidservant had been serving Xue Yongnian for a long time, and without much hesitation, she entered the room.
However, those standing in the courtyard did not wait to see Ji Zizhao being carried out. Instead, they heard the maidservant's exclamation, "You, what are you doing!"
The servant heard the unusual sound and quickly entered the room.
As soon as he stepped into the inner room, he almost fainted from the heat.
Although it was only March and not particularly hot, the silver charcoal in the room should have been nearly extinguished. But now, the silver charcoal that should have been out was burning fiercely. It would be strange if it weren't hot.
The servant stood at the doorway and saw Ji Zizhao sitting by the bedside, inserting silver needles into his master. He shouted angrily, "How dare you disrespect our master!"
Ji Zizhao didn't even turn her head and said, "If you want him to live, do as I say."
The servant was speechless.
The physicians in the courtyard stood until their legs were numb, wondering if the woman had fainted.
Unexpectedly, they saw the servant rush out of the door. Before the physicians could ask any questions, the servant had disappeared.
When the servant returned, he was followed by several other servants, each carrying a basin of water. The water was filled with ice, chunks of which could be seen faintly, having been scooped from the lake in the garden.
As the physicians watched with increasing astonishment, Ji Zizhao stepped out.
The physicians, thinking of the people who had entered the room one after another, and then looking at Ji Zizhao descending the steps, subconsciously stepped back a little.
They probably thought this woman not only lacked medical skills but had also unfortunately encountered General Xue's illness.
Otherwise, what were those servants busy with just now?
With such thoughts, when they returned to the front hall to report, they all kept their distance from Ji Zizhao, afraid of being infected if she contracted the illness.
In the main hall, the princes were chatting about something. They quieted down when they saw the physicians enter.
The Eighth Prince spoke first, asking, "How is General Xue?"
The physicians had agreed on their answers beforehand, and they answered in the order they had examined Xue Yongnian.
"Replying to the Eighth Prince, General Xue's limbs are stiff."
"His breathing is rapid."
"He is unconscious."
"He experiences alternating chills and fever."
Although these physicians had been scheming, the symptoms they described were indeed real.
So, when it was Ji Zizhao's turn, the preceding physicians had already stated the symptoms.
The princes present breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
They had not truly come to save the man, but merely to gain favor with their father, the Emperor. Now that the physicians they brought had made a diagnosis, their task was considered successfully completed.
In fact, this was a secret understood by everyone present.
However, Old Master Tong, recalling Ji Zizhao's sharp tongue from earlier, deliberately asked, "Why is this female physician brought by the Fourth Prince so silent? Does she have a different opinion from the other physicians?"
This question was deliberately framed. If Ji Zizhao had agreed, she would have made enemies of all the princes present.
Ji Zizhao, of course, would not fall into such an obvious trap. She spoke softly, "The words of the esteemed physicians are correct. My diagnosis is also the same."
Old Master Tong, however, had no intention of letting Ji Zizhao off the hook.
He looked at the ministers beside him with a half-smile and joked, "This female physician not only knows how to treat illnesses but also knows how to behave. Chewing what others have already chewed and then swallowing it is truly something she can do."
Although the princes wanted to see the Fourth Prince make a fool of himself, their task was now complete, and they wanted to quickly go to the palace to make their presence known to their father.
Therefore, upon hearing Old Master Tong's words, they merely laughed and prepared to take their leave.
However, just as they were about to rise, Ji Zizhao's voice floated out again, "My diagnosis is indeed the same as the esteemed physicians, but I can treat him."
This statement shocked the entire hall.