Chapter 421: Chapter 155: Visiting the Pei Mansion
The pale moon peered out halfway from beneath the eaves, and the night wind whistled through the gaps in the plum tree branches, rustling the medical texts drying in front of the window.
After a while, Miao Liangfang spoke, his gaze full of puzzlement as he looked at Lu Tong.
"Xiao Lu, why do you ask about this?"
Lu Tong fell silent.
That day, in the Medical Officer Institute’s storeroom, she had seen Qi Yutai’s medical records.
Qi Yutai had long come of age, yet the records in his case history were scanty, perhaps because he had been healthy for many years with no major concerns. However, five years ago, late at night, he had requested Envoy Cui Min from the Medical Officer Institute to make a house call and diagnose him.
The medical records indicated that Qi Yutai suffered from an excess of liver heat, leading to a stagnation that turned into an accumulation. The internal heat from his organs caused an imbalance, and the prescriptions Cui Min wrote were largely comprised of herbs for soothing the liver and relieving depression, nourishing yin to generate fluids.
But Lu Tong noticed that there were also some other ingredients, many of which were of the kind used to calm the mind and soothe the spirit.
Qi Yutai’s medical record was written very briefly, almost without any description of the patient’s condition, only a few simple lines of conclusions. In the nearly half-year period following that night, Qi Yutai had Cui Min attend to him several more times to strengthen his foundation, but the medications used were also mostly sedative in nature to counter insanity.
Along with that, she recalled that during her previous visit to the Board of Rites Office, Qi Yutai had admitted to using Spirit Rhinoceros Fragrance to calm his mind for many years.
All these points seemed to suggest long-term treatment for a disorder of mania...
However, with the medical records being limited and such secrets unknown to others, she could only return to Renxin Medical Hall and seek advice from Miao Liangfang.
Lu Tong looked up, "Mr. Miao, can you tell me?"
Miao Liangfang’s throat tightened.
This young female medical officer, who was proficient in various poisons and medical principles, was shrouded in mystery. Even Du Changqing, after a long association, knew almost nothing about her. And Yin Zheng, who would chat away with the neighbors on West Street, kept her lips sealed about Lu Tong’s affairs, without uttering a word.
She came bearing secrets, and no one knew what she aimed to do. Having arrived at West Street less than a year prior, she supported the medical hall, sold medicinal teas, sat for the spring examinations, entered the Medical Officer Institute, and before leaving, she did not forget to arrange for the future respective paths of everyone at Renxin Medical Hall.
But in fact, she was only seventeen years old that year.
If he had a daughter, she would be at this age now.
Miao Liangfang sighed, "No."
Lu Tong was startled.
"Before I left the Medical Officer Institute, I had not heard of Qi Yutai suffering from mania, hypochondria, visual hallucinations, or any sense of confusion."
He was quite certain.
Lu Tong slightly clenched her hand.
No.
Those sedative herbs in his medical records and the long-term use of Spirit Rhinoceros Fragrance...if there was no such illness, why the need for ongoing care?
Moreover, she had once felt Qi Yutai’s pulse, which was thin and hesitant, indicative of blood deficiency and a lack of spiritual nourishment, not resembling symptoms from taking Cold Food Powder.
Yet, judging by Qi Yutai’s actions and behavior, he seemed no different from an ordinary person.
Could it be...
Was she mistaken?
Just as she was pondering, she heard Miao Liangfang’s voice, "However, what you say reminds me of something."
"Please, speak."
"When I left the Medical Officer Institute, Qi Yutai was still a youth, and I don’t know much about his situation. But more than a decade ago, I gave a consultation to Qi Yutai’s mother... His mother was suffering from delirious speech."
Lu Tong suddenly looked up: "What?"
Miao Liangfang said, "That was many years ago."
At that time, Miao Liangfang had just been appointed as an Envoy at the Medical Officer Institute.
His medical skills were exceptional, well-appreciated by the royal family, and he had the reputation of a "genius medical officer". Naturally, he felt a bit proud. When the veteran court officials and high-ranking lords had a headache or fever, they would often send for him, and when busy, he couldn’t attend to everyone.
One day, Miao Liangfang received a note from the Qi Qing Residence.
At the time, Qi Qing wasn’t as powerful in the court as he was now, with supreme authority. The people from the Qi family came in a hurry, simply stating that Lady Qi was seriously ill and urging Miao Liangfang to check on her right away.
Miao Liangfang quickly grabbed his medical kit and hurried to the Qi residence.
Lady Qi was Qi Qing’s second wife.
Qi Qing had a wife in his early years who had been in poor health and passed away early, leaving behind no children. It wasn’t until middle age that Qi Qing married his current wife, who was the younger daughter of the Minister of Rites, Miss Zhong, nearly twenty years his junior.
Miss Zhong, young and beautiful, married Qi Qing and soon bore him a son and a daughter, enjoying his affection deeply.
Miao Liangfang had met Lady Qi during that time.
"That Lady Qi was very strange," Miao Liangfang recalled the scene of that day, "hiding in her room, unwilling to see anyone, with an absent look on her face. When I diagnosed her and felt her pulse, I noticed she must have taken sedatives beforehand, she was feeble and lacked strength, but whenever I approached, she trembled and looked terrified."
At that time, Miao Liangfang felt something was off.
The Qi family claimed that Lady Qi’s emotional imbalance was due to a fright, and perhaps that was why they had sent for him, hoping his outstanding medical skills could cure her.