Rebirth: Phoenix Riding the Ninth Heaven

After a busy day at the Imperial Hospital, Li Ruoyue finally felt a bit relieved and decided to return home. As she entered the mansion, a familiar atmosphere greeted her, and the fatigue she had felt for the past few days seemed to ease a bit.

As soon as she entered the room, her personal maid, Luzhu, greeted her with a beaming smile. Master and servant sat down, and Li Ruoyue sipped her tea, calming herself before discussing her recent schedule with Luzhu. Luzhu blinked her lively eyes and said crisply, "Miss, you haven't been at the Qihuang Pavilion these days, but everything is going well. I've been keeping an eye on it." Li Ruoyue nodded slightly, her eyes revealing concern, motioning for Luzhu to continue.

Lu Zhu's face was filled with excitement and admiration. She continued enthusiastically, "Miss, do you know? Mr. Chen Jingsheng is truly amazing! He has been very attentive to Lu Zixuan and Lin Feng's footwork! Under his careful guidance, these two young people have made rapid progress and are now able to diagnose simple headaches and fevers!"

As Luzhu spoke, she gestured with her hands, as if imitating Lu Zixuan and Lin Feng treating patients. Her movements were vivid and lifelike, as if she was narrating a wonderful performance.

"And, miss, these two young men are not only skilled in medicine, but also very discerning! They are also very diligent. Whenever a guest comes to the pavilion, they will take the initiative to help without waiting for instructions. Look, they are serving tea and water to the guests, and then tidying up the medicine cabinet. Everything is arranged in an orderly manner, which makes people feel very comfortable and at ease."

Lu Zhu became more and more excited as she spoke, her voice unconsciously rising an octave. "Grandpa Chen loves them so much! Every time he mentions them, he smiles from ear to ear and praises these two children as rare and promising talents!"

Li Ruoyue listened, her lips curling up unconsciously, her eyes filled with relief. She gently set down her teacup and said, "That's fantastic! With these two helping us, and with Old Master Chen's careful guidance, Qihuang Pavilion will surely flourish. These two children are diligent and hardworking, and with Old Master Chen's favor, they will surely achieve great things in medicine in the future." Li Ruoyue seemed to have already seen Qihuang Pavilion flourishing thanks to everyone's efforts, and her heart was filled with anticipation.

Inside the Qihuang Pavilion, the aroma of medicinal herbs filled the air, like swirling clouds and mist, bringing a sense of peace and tranquility. Lu Zixuan, dressed in a blue shirt, was intently treating a peasant woman for a cold. His fingertips gently rested on the woman's pulse, and he paused, as if he could discern her internal ailment through the subtle beats.

"Sister-in-law, your pulse is floating and tight, and your tongue coating is white and greasy. Did you catch a cold in the morning?" Lu Zixuan's voice was gentle and firm, revealing his accurate judgment of the condition.

The peasant woman, wearing a coarse headscarf and looking slightly pale, nodded repeatedly and replied, "That's right. I went to the river to wash clothes before daybreak, and when I came back I felt dizzy and weak all over."

At that moment, Chen Jingsheng slowly emerged from the back hall, carrying a celadon medicine bowl. Several herbs lay at the bottom of the bowl, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance. He walked over to Lu Zixuan and asked softly, "Zixuan, which is more severe, the chill or the fever?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zixuan quickly stood up and offered his seat to his master. He respectfully replied, "Master, according to the patient's description, he has a severe aversion to cold and a mild fever, which suggests a wind-cold exterior syndrome."

"Lin Feng, quickly get a pen!" Chen Jingsheng sat at the table, chopsticks in hand, gently stirring the medicine bowl in front of him. As he stirred, he muttered: "Three grams of ephedra, two grams of cassia twig..."

Before he could finish his words, Lin Feng quickly dipped a wolf-hair brush into ink and handed it to Chen Jingsheng steadily. Lin Feng's movements were swift and precise, as if he was already familiar with his teacher's needs.

Chen Jingsheng took the pen and nodded with satisfaction. He noticed the medicine bag hanging on Lin Feng's wrist, which was still stained with a few fresh perilla leaves, which were obviously freshly picked.

Chen Jingsheng looked at his apprentice approvingly, and then continued: "Add three grams of almonds and three slices of ginger." His voice was clear and steady, and every word seemed to be carefully considered.

The peasant woman standing by looked at the prescription written by Chen Jingsheng and asked hesitantly, "This ephedra... I heard it will make you sweat. I am an old woman with a weak body. Can I bear it?" A worried look appeared on her face.

Chen Jingsheng smiled and comforted her, "Don't worry. This is Zhongjing's modified Ma Huang Tang. I have reduced the dosage by half a penny. After drinking the medicine, cover yourself with a thick blanket and sweat a little. Come back for a follow-up visit tomorrow to see how things are going." His tone was gentle, and it made people feel very reassured.

"Master, should we hang the mugwort Aunt Liu from next door to dry first?" Lu Zixuan glimpsed the freshly picked mugwort under the eaves as he was putting away his pulse diagnosis pad. Chen Jingsheng nodded and said, "Let's dry it in the shade first. Once Lin Feng has copied the prescription, let him dry it." As he spoke, Lin Feng had already folded the copied prescription into a triangle and took out the mulberry paper used to wrap the medicine from the cabinet. "Master, do you think the handwriting is neat?"

The old man took the prescription and looked at it against the light. His vigorous fingers traced over the word "ephedra": "Please be more careful with your writing. Spelling the wrong name can be fatal." Lin Feng agreed with a blushing face. As he turned to get the medicine, Lu Zixuan gently bumped his shoulder. "Don't be nervous. The first time I wrote 'Huangqi' I wrote 'Huangqin' as 'Huangqi'. My master punished me by making me copy the Compendium of Materia Medica a hundred times."

A bronze bell rang softly from the eaves of the Qihuang Pavilion, and an old woman holding a child arrived in the twilight. Lu Zixuan was about to greet her when he saw Lin Feng quickly bringing a rattan chair over. "Old lady, please sit here. What's wrong with the young master?"

"The child was fine during the day, but suddenly developed a high fever in the evening and was delirious." The old woman opened the swaddling clothes. The child's face was as red as a ripe apple, and his forehead was burning hot. While Lu Zixuan was taking the child's pulse, he suddenly convulsed and twitched, his little hands clutching his sleeve tightly.

"Don't panic." Chen Jingsheng came out from behind the medicine cabinet, rubbed the peppermint oil in his palms to warm it, and gently pressed it on the child's temple. Lin Feng had quickly fetched the antelope horn powder and mixed it with warm water using a bamboo spoon. Lu Zixuan calmed himself and repeatedly pressed his fingertips on the child's wrist. "Master, this pulse is rapid and seems to indicate pericardial heat."

"Take half a penny of Zixue Dan." Before Chen Jingsheng could finish his words, Lin Feng arrived with a celadon medicine bottle. The old man scooped up the powdered medicine with a silver spoon and gestured for Lu Zixuan to feed it. The young man held his breath and slowly fed the liquid along the corner of the child's mouth, letting out a long sigh when the convulsions subsided.

"Zixuan, do you remember the treatment for acute convulsions in the 'Direct Prescriptions for Pediatric Medicinal Treatments'?" Chen Jingsheng wiped the silver needles, and Lu Zixuan nodded hurriedly. "Acute convulsions are yang, so they should be treated with cooling and purging. Chronic convulsions are yin, so they should be treated with warming and nourishing. This child has a high fever and is unconscious, so we should use the method of clearing heat and calming the nerves."

"Then I'll give you the acupuncture." The old man warmed the silver needle over the candlelight, but Lu Zixuan hesitated. "This child's fontanelle has not closed yet. The Baihui acupoint..." Chen Jingsheng handed the needle to him and said, "A doctor should be bold and careful. Only need to insert the needle three-tenths of a foot into the Baihui acupoint."

Lin Feng carefully held the candlestick and slowly approached the boy's face. The faint candlelight reflected on the boy's profile, making his facial features appear particularly clear, like a finely crafted work of art.

Lu Zixuan took a deep breath, calmed himself, and then extended his fingers, trembling lightly like butterfly wings, accurately piercing the acupuncture points. As he moved, the child suddenly cried out, and the cry echoed in the silent room, making people nervous.

Seeing this, the old woman hurried forward to stop it, but the moment she took a step, she was surprised to find that the child's high fever began to gradually subside, and his originally red face slowly returned to its normal rosy color.

"Quickly go get the three-bean drink." Chen Jingsheng calmly pushed the medicine bowl in front of Lin Feng and ordered, "Three grams each of red beans, mung beans, and black beans, and one gram of light bamboo leaves."

Lin Feng quickly responded and turned to weigh the herbs. He worked expertly while muttering, "Three Bean Drink can cure acne and reduce fever. It's really effective, but this bamboo leaf..."

Chen Jingsheng seemed to have guessed the doubts in his heart and explained with a smile: "Bamboo juice can clear the heart fire. The internal heat accumulation in this child's body is quite serious. The medicinal power of the beans alone may not be enough." As he spoke, he picked up a silver needle and gently stirred it in the medicine bowl, as if he was mixing a precious work of art.

"Lin Feng, do you know why we don't use Coptis chinensis?" Chen Jingsheng suddenly asked, his eyes falling on Lin Feng, as if testing his medical knowledge.

"Coptis chinensis is very bitter and cold, and may harm a child's spleen and stomach." Lin Feng placed the medicine bowl on the charcoal stove and boiled it. "Master taught me that medicine for children should be like a spring breeze blowing on a willow tree, curing the disease without harming the body."

Lu Zixuan carefully swaddled the child, his movements so gentle that he seemed afraid to wake the newly born little life. However, the moment he completed this action, his eyes inadvertently fell on the back of the child's neck, where a dark red rash was faintly visible.

Seeing this, Chen Jingsheng quickly fetched a magnifying glass and took a closer look. As he observed, his expression gradually grew more serious, his brows furrowed tightly. Suddenly, his expression changed slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "Quickly go get some Shengma Gegen Decoction, and send someone to notify the Imperial Hospital!"

Although his voice was quiet, the urgency in it was impossible to ignore. Both disciples were stunned, clearly surprised by their master's reaction. However, without further hesitation, they immediately took action separately.

Lin Feng picked up his medicine bag and hurried towards the Imperial Hospital. His pace seemed a bit hurried, as if he was afraid of losing time. Meanwhile, Lu Zixuan quickly shuttled between the medicine cabinets, skillfully selecting various herbs to prepare the Shengma Gegen Decoction.

Chen Jingsheng stood there, watching his two apprentices walk away, his worry growing stronger. He clutched an ancient medical book in his hand, the pages gently rustling in the evening breeze, as if to convey the severity of his sudden illness.