I, Master Ji, trust him, just as I trust myself.
Yu Jinnian rode a fast carriage from Sanyu Pavilion into the prefectural yamen. Led by that young eunuch, he strode into the courtyard where the Crown Prince, Yan Sining, had been living——he saw that the door was half open, three or four young eunuchs who had followed him here were kneeling outside with fearful faces, and there came a burst of quarrels from inside the room.
Several young eunuchs prostrated on the ground, not daring to lift their heads. One of them asked in a low voice, “Tell me, if our Highness truly caught the great epidemic, would we still be able to survive……”
Another one spat once on the ground, then quietly raised his head and glared at the young eunuch who spoke, “Ptui, ptui, ptui! What do you mean by ‘live or not live’? Such treasonous and ominous words! Are there not so many imperial physicians inside?!”
“But I did not want to die…”
“Impudent! Who gave you the guts to speak recklessly about the prince? Go and each receive twenty strokes!” From the room came a rather steady palace attendant. He approached quickly and scolded those unruly youngsters in a harsh tone, scaring them so much that they cried out, “Manager Qi,” begging him to show mercy.
This eunuch’s name was Qi En, and he had served Yan Sining since childhood. Though he had just turned twenty last New Year’s Day, he was already considered an old-timer in the Crown Prince’s palace. Even though he was also terribly anxious about Yan Sining’s illness, he appeared a bit steadier than the other younger ones, capable of handling the situation to some extent.
The young eunuchs were about to depart tearfully to receive punishment when Yu Jinnian arrived. He waved his hand and said, “Manager Qi, enough, treating His Highness is more urgent. Besides, His Highness needs care now, so if you punish them at this moment, where would you find capable people? Just let them go.”
Qi En quickly saluted Yu Jinnian, then furrowed his brows. Eunuchs tended to appear softer than ordinary people, and that youthful face of his, upon wrinkling, revealed a bit of forced maturity. He glared at the kneeling young eunuchs and scolded, “Because of Little Divine Physician Yu, this punishment will be kept on record for now. Withdraw!”
The young eunuchs crawled away on their knees. Yu Jinnian asked no more and went straight into the outer room. He lifted the door curtain, and a clamor of dispute assaulted his ears. Ten imperial physicians had come south this time, and more than half had already gathered here. They crowded together, each one speaking a line, arguing noisily like ducks crossing the river, very annoying to listen to.
Yu Jinnian listened for a moment. They were merely discussing how to administer medication for Yan Sining. Although they were all formally appointed medical officers from the Imperial Medical Department, each belonged to different schools of thought, each firm in their own views, none yielding to the others. Moreover, it was the Crown Prince lying sick. If the wrong medicine were prescribed, who could bear the consequences? Therefore, after half a day of discussion, no one produced a plan that convinced everyone.
Someone even said that perhaps the Crown Prince might not have the plague at all, but merely suffered a common case of diarrhea due to water and soil incompatibility.
After hearing this, Yu Jinnian interjected, “What this lord said made some sense. His Highness has long stayed in Xia Capital, and upon suddenly coming to this place full of dampness and turbid air, perhaps it was indeed just water and soil incompatibility.”
Everyone fell silent, turning to look at him. Among the Imperial Medical Department, some disdained Yu Jinnian’s background as a barefoot doctor. The moment they saw him, they glared, barking, “Who do you think you are,” and told him to hurry out.
“Quite a coincidence, I really counted as something.” Over the journey, Yu Jinnian had grown used to the officialdom of these people. He took no offense at this time, treated it like a breeze past his ear, took out a face mask from his collar and looped it around his ears, rolled up his sleeves, and walked into the inner room.
Someone wanted to scold him for his lack of etiquette, but was stopped by Imperial Physician Chen.
Yu Jinnian walked to the bed and closely observed Yan Sining, who lay on the couch. This Crown Prince had his brows locked tight, his complexion pale, with slightly sunken eyes and skin that had gradually lost elasticity. His body, due to excessive vomiting and diarrhea, curled up slightly. Although everyone in the world called him the Crown Prince, called him Your Highness, in Yu Jinnian’s eyes, he was merely a fourteen-year-old youth. To Yu Jinnian, Yan Sining was just a child.
He sat down and checked Yan Sining’s pulse while instructing the eunuchs serving him to bring over the spit basin and chamber pot for a look. After examining them, Yu Jinnian’s expression darkened. He then felt Yan Sining’s abdomen. During this short interval, Yan Sining abruptly turned over and vomited several mouthfuls of clear fluid.
A group of imperial physicians, led by Chen Yang, rushed in, asking anxiously, “How is it?!”
Among them, some admired Yu Jinnian, and some despised him, but at this moment, everyone fervently hoped that this “Little Divine Physician” famous throughout Xia Capital would speak in a tone of absolute certainty, telling them there was no need to worry, and that the Crown Prince merely suffered ordinary diarrhea.
Yu Jinnian stood, removed his mask, shook his head, and sighed, “His Highness’s pulse is thin and faint. He indeed caught the epidemic.”
Furthermore, based on the soft pulse, Yan Sining’s blood pressure likely dropped lower than normal—signs of dehydration.
Chen Yang and the others staggered a few steps, beating their chests and stamping their feet in lamentation.
Those eunuchs who personally attended Yan Sining were the most terrified, yet dared not speak. Holding the spit basin and chamber pot filled with filth, they wore ashen faces, so miserable that they seemed ready to follow their young master to the grave.
The previously steady head eunuch, Qi En, could not hide his panic, throwing himself in front of Yan Sining’s bed. “Your Highness, how will you have this slave report to His Majesty…”
“It is too early to mourn. Did you not come to eliminate pestilence and dispel the epidemic, my lords? How could you sigh and moan now? This truly went against the ways of such an esteemed group as the Imperial Medical Department.” Yu Jinnian frowned slightly. Lowering his head, he saw a small porcelain gourd on the low table by the bed, shaped like a medicine bottle, and asked if His Highness had taken any medicine.
Imperial Physician Chen said, “He took one dose of Huoxiang Zhengqi Powder, which had no effect, then also took five qian of Taiyi Surplus Grain.”
That Taiyi Surplus Grain was a fast-acting medicine used to treat diarrhea, actually a mineral with a sweet astringent taste, capable of constricting the intestines and stopping diarrhea. Because of its miraculous effect and rarity, many regarded it as a gift from the gods. Taking Taiyi Surplus Grain for diarrhea was not a mistake in itself, yet the epidemic here was terribly severe, and ordinary methods could not prove effective.
Moreover, though this epidemic included vomiting and diarrhea, one could not focus solely on stopping the diarrhea. Otherwise, the evil would be trapped deeper within, making the danger greater.
Chen Yang also understood that one should not excessively use astringent medicine, yet it was urgent now. Faced with a once-in-a-century epidemic, even Chen Yang, who had practiced medicine for decades, had never personally encountered such a plague, let alone possessed any experience to treat the Crown Prince. The other imperial physicians present were all in the same boat. If the patients were merely those refugees outside, they might have dared to try something, but regarding Yan Sining, none of them dared to decide on their own.
Some cunning imperial physicians either kept silent or pushed the blame around, criticizing who had been so careless as to let the Crown Prince contract the epidemic… No one wished to be the one who stuck his neck out. If cured, all would be well. If not, it would be a crime punishable by beheading.
“Why struggle over how he got sick? What point did it serve now?” Yu Jinnian most admired these people’s ability to shirk responsibility, while the patient’s life became the least valued. Incensed for a moment, he turned to ask the eunuchs, “Did His Highness eat or drink anything today?”
The attendant replied, “He had taken steamed rice and a bit of hot tea, yet he barely ate a few bites before vomiting them all.”
Yu Jinnian continued to ask, “Then, did you pay any attention to His Highness’s urination?”
That attendant lowered his head and said, “His Highness was suffering severe diarrhea; we only focused on helping him change clothes and wash up, so we did not notice…”
“You did not notice, so begin keeping track from this moment on. Note down when His Highness urinates and how much each time.” Yu Jinnian instructed, “His Highness’s pulse was faint, and his skin had sunken, caused by excessive vomiting and diarrhea leading to fluid loss. Quickly use white rice to cook some thin porridge, take the watery rice broth on top, then mix one bowl of that rice broth with half a spoon of fine salt, and feed His Highness two small cups every half shichen. It doesn’t matter if he vomits or has diarrhea afterward; the crucial thing is that this salted rice broth was a life-saving medicine for him. He had to take it, or else if he kept losing fluids, he would cramp and die.”
The attendant promptly knelt to receive the order. “Yes, I have remembered.”
Yu Jinnian thought for a moment, then said to Chen Yang, “Lord Chen, as for other medicines, we should still focus on dispelling turbidity and dampness while strengthening vital energy.”
Chen Yang nodded, but still felt some confusion, so he asked Yu Jinnian, “Little sir, you mentioned using salt and rice broth, such mundane things. Could it be that by taking these two together, one could treat acute diarrhea and cramping?”
Yu Jinnian pondered briefly and said, “Yin and Yang and the Five Elements exist everywhere in this world, so all things under the heavens could serve as medicine. It is nothing strange. Salt was salty, and you know that salty flavors enter the kidneys. The kidney governs water, opening to the two yin, and it is internally and externally related to the bladder. This violent diarrhea was not unrelated to some disorder in how the kidneys open and close, so using salt as a medicine naturally helped stabilize the kidney energy. Do you agree? As for this rice broth, that was even easier to explain—it fortified the spleen and strengthened the stomach.”
Chen Yang felt that what he said did make sense, but still found it too astonishing. If merely one bowl of rice broth plus one spoon of fine salt could treat the vomiting and diarrhea of a plague, that would be unbelievable. However, salted rice broth could hardly be called a prescription, barely counting as a strangely flavored drink. Chen Yang could not find any excuse to stop Yu Jinnian, so he let him do as he wished.
Yu Jinnian then turned around and instructed Yan Sining’s attendants, “The filth from His Highness’s vomit and diarrhea must be mixed with white lime powder for disinfection before disposal—remember this. Also, this prefectural yamen was a public office with many people coming and going. You esteemed physicians cannot devote yourselves to only one person and disregard the thousands of citizens in the city. Later, when His Highness has a break between vomiting and diarrhea, carry him to my building. It would be more convenient to take care of everything together.”
“This…” The attendants felt troubled.
Yu Jinnian made this suggestion not entirely for Yan Sining; he had his own motives. After all, if even the Crown Prince were to stay at his Sanyu Pavilion medical clinic, the sick in the city would let go of their doubts and move in without worry.
The imperial physicians strongly opposed him. “His Highness’s body is so noble! How could he share a roof with those refugees? This is no way to conduct oneself!”
Yan Sining was already so ill that he was half-unconscious and could not make decisions for himself. Qi En, though in charge, was ultimately just a eunuch, so he dared not decide. Yu Jinnian thought that nothing could be done and was about to leave when a deep, magnetic voice sounded from behind: “Why is it improper? I permit it. If anything goes wrong, I alone will bear all responsibility.”
Yu Jinnian turned around. “Ah Hong!”
Ji Hong nodded at him, then said, “Lords, controlling the epidemic is now paramount. The people of Chunan were already on the brink of ruin, far less prosperous than those in the capital. We should dispense with any needless formalities. Master Yu was once from my household. Though still young, his medical skills are extraordinary. I trust him just as I trust myself. Sirs, since you are all physicians, please set aside your prejudices and stand together against the plague.”
Chen Yang, caught between both sides, used this opportunity to relent. “Since Lord Ji has already said so, then we shall…”
…
That empty Sanyu medical clinic finally received its first patient—the Crown Prince, Yan Sining.
With the Crown Prince as its banner, the consultation area downstairs quickly filled with patients coming to be seen. According to each physician’s specialty, Yu Jinnian roughly divided them into several stations, so that there were doctors available for internal medicine, external medicine, women’s care, and pediatrics. This not only allowed each physician to utilize his strengths but also kept the patients from becoming confused. Those whose ailments could be handled on the spot simply took their medicine and left, while those with the plague were admitted to the rooms upstairs. The entire clinic ran in a steady and orderly manner.
That Young Master Jiang, whom Yu Jinnian had earlier suggested sending out of the city, was perhaps moved by the atmosphere and insisted on staying to help. Yu Jinnian could not talk him out of it, nor could he tie him up and toss him out. But, since he was the eldest son of the Jiang family, how could they really put him “on the front lines”? Yu Jinnian merely arranged for him to boil medicine and handle sundry tasks in the back, allowing him to do his part in the relief effort.
Not only did Sanyu Pavilion begin admitting patients, but the public announcements Yu Jinnian had mentioned earlier were also taken up by Ji Hong, who organized the imperial physicians to compile more than a dozen important guidelines. They posted these notices prominently throughout the city. At the same time, Duan Ming led a small team of yamen runners to go from street to street to explain matters. Anyone who could memorize these points and proactively pass them along to neighbors would receive a monetary reward from the prefectural yamen.
Everything developed steadily according to Yu Jinnian’s plans. Perhaps people’s lives were at stake, or maybe they had fallen into a reckless desperation of “treating a dead horse as if it were alive,” but in short, the citizens here were far more cooperative than he had imagined. The huge weight he carried on his chest eased slightly at last.
Night had fully fallen when Ji Hong brought some food, and Yu Jinnian suddenly realized he had not eaten a single thing all day. He had been too busy to feel hungry; by now, even though his stomach was empty, it no longer felt uncomfortable.
“You should still eat a bit,” Ji Hong said, watching him wash his hands and face, then change into fresh clothes that had been boiled in hot water. Only then did he pull Yu Jinnian into his arms to sit down.
Yu Jinnian did not stop working even after taking a seat. He wanted to look over the few medical records he had just brought back, because certain issues required more careful study so he could discuss them with the physicians tomorrow. So, when Ji Hong fed a small piece of something into his mouth, Yu Jinnian chewed for quite a while before realizing that he had swallowed lamb. Surprised, he looked up at Ji Hong and asked where the lamb came from.
Ji Hong smiled. “Look at you. You’ve become so obsessed with treating illnesses that you forgot even this. A local squire delivered it to thank you for saving his wife. I only kept a half leg of young lamb. The rest was given to Duan Ming to distribute among the yamen runners and physicians.”
Yu Jinnian could not remember whom he had saved or not saved, nor did he recall which local squire that was—perhaps such a person did exist. He felt as if he had returned to his former days of working continuously around the clock, so busy that his feet barely touched the ground and medical orders fluttered about like snow. Only, now the era was different, and the person beside him was different, giving him a strangely disjointed feeling.
He was about to use the mouth that had just eaten young lamb to tease Ji Hong, but before he could kiss him, someone outside rushed in, sounding alarmed.
It turned out to be Qi En.
That loyal attendant refused to leave Yan Sining’s bedside for even a moment, determined to live or die with his master. Somehow, he left His Highness this time to come here.
Qi En banged on the courtyard gate. Upon coming in, he did not bother with Ji Hong and Yu Jinnian’s mealtime but got straight to the point, saying to Yu Jinnian, “Little sir, you told me to keep watching His Highness’s urination. This morning His Highness woke briefly in a daze, and at that time, he passed a small, meager amount. Afterward, he vomited again, then up to now, there hasn’t been a single drop…”
Yu Jinnian immediately stood up. “Take me to him.”