Chapter 2644 - 2577: Unable to Diagnose

The emperor summoned Director Xiao over to treat Wei Zhi, and at the same time ordered Wei Zhi to rest for two days.

Minister Han and the others went together to visit Wei Zhi, and happened to run into Zhou Man giving Wei Zhi acupuncture.

So everyone crowded around the screen to watch—oh, no, to "discuss state affairs."

Manbao looked at them, utterly baffled, then withdrew her gaze and continued.

Minister Han said, "His Majesty was still clamoring at dawn today that he wanted to personally lead the campaign. When can Lord Wei return to court?"

Manbao drew out a long needle from her needle pouch, located an acupoint on Wei Zhi’s back with her fingers, and then inserted it.

Minister Han and the others watched with their eyes wide open as that long needle sank into Wei Zhi’s body, and all shivered in unison.

Wei Zhi, however, didn’t react much. Lying prone on the couch, he said, "His Majesty is just saying it; there’s no way he’ll personally lead the troops."

He said, "It’s just Goguryeo, a trifling matter. We only need to send a capable general, and besides, we have Silla attacking with us from the other side."

Minister Li said, "That’s what we think as well."

The few of them still didn’t leave, continuing to crowd at the screen to watch Wei Zhi being needled, and doggedly probing, "Lord Zhou, Lord Wei’s illness isn’t serious, is it?"

"It’s not serious," Manbao said. "It’s internal heat from summer, compounded by overwork, that’s all. Two days of acupuncture, and then paying attention to recuperation afterwards will do. It’s pretty similar to His Majesty’s condition."

Minister Han looked at her skeptically. "That’s not what Lord Zhou said yesterday."

Manbao sighed and said, "It’s my fault—and Lord Wei’s too."

Wei Zhi, lying there: ...

Manbao made excuses for herself. "Lord Wei was standing when I took his pulse, so I didn’t read it accurately in that moment. Lord Han, His Majesty already scolded me yesterday. Please don’t bring it up again, or when Lord Tang arrives in a few days, I’ll be in for it."

Minister Han and the others didn’t know whether they believed her or not, but they laughed heartily and agreed, "All right, all right."

Seeing them agree, Manbao warmly said, "Many thanks, my lords, for looking out for a colleague. Since that’s the case, why don’t I examine you all as well? If there’s anything wrong with your bodies, I can stick a few needles for you?"

Minister Han immediately let go of the screen, straightened up, cleared his throat lightly, and said, "It’s getting late. Minister Li, shouldn’t we be getting back to our duties?"

"Indeed. Isn’t His Majesty hosting a banquet tonight? We must finish our work during the day."

"We must go attend to our official business as well. Lord Wei, do rest well."

Everyone said their goodbyes one after another.

The old servant escorted them out.

Manbao let out a breath of relief, and Wei Zhi did the same.

Manbao twisted the needles in his back a little and asked, "Lord Wei, with such a crude excuse, you think they’ll buy it?"

Wei Zhi asked with a smile, "Is the excuse that crude?"

"Of course it is. Even if I did misread the pulse, I wouldn’t go so far as to turn summer-heat into some ’your days are numbered’ sort of disease. I really feel that the excuse His Majesty came up with for me isn’t very good."

"And yet you agreed to it?"

Manbao shrugged. "I didn’t have any better excuse. Director Xiao is coming; maybe he can come up with a good reason."

Director Xiao was already on his way to the temporary palace, except the people sent to summon him only left that morning. They were pushing their horses hard, but even so, once they’d called Director Xiao, he’d only arrive around dusk.

The ones sent to summon him didn’t say they needed him to treat Wei Zhi, but that the emperor was feeling unwell and was summoning Director Xiao to diagnose him.

The emperor had only been at the temporary palace for one day. Director Xiao was so startled he gave a jolt, immediately packed his things, and galloped off toward the temporary palace with the guards.

It was only when they were about to leave the capital that he remembered Zhou Man was at the temporary palace.

Given Zhou Man’s current level of medical skill, for her to need to rush anxiously to summon him made Director Xiao even more worried.

So, disregarding his old arms and legs, he swung his whip and sped toward the temporary palace. As a result, he arrived at about the hour of Shen.

When he dismounted, both his legs were trembling.

He hugged the medicine box to his chest and had two guards support him under the arms as they carried him up toward the palace.

By this time, Manbao had just finished moxibustion treatment for the emperor and was very sleepy, carrying her medicine box back to her own courtyard. She saw Director Xiao being practically carried up from the foot of the mountain by two guards, going straight past her toward the Longevity Palace, and her mouth fell open in surprise.

Director Xiao saw her too and immediately called out, "Stop, stop, stop for a moment."

The two guards halted. He set his feet down, steadied himself, then turned and looked down from above at Zhou Man, who was staring up at him, wide-eyed and agape.

Director Xiao furrowed his brows and asked, "Imperial Doctor Zhou, if His Majesty is ill, why are you not by his side tending to him?"

Manbao closed her mouth, cast a longing glance at her courtyard, then turned her head and resignedly hefted her medicine box. "Come on, let’s go see His Majesty together."

Seeing her look like that, Director Xiao relaxed quite a bit. It seemed the emperor was fine.

He tucked the medicine box under one arm, used his free hand to straighten his somewhat rumpled official robes, and went with her to see the emperor.

Thus Wei Zhi, who was supposed to be recuperating at home, was summoned by the emperor to play chess. In reality, the emperor had sent all the eunuchs and palace maids away so that Director Xiao could examine him.

Director Xiao carefully felt his pulse, looked at Wei Zhi’s complexion, asked a few questions, and then pondered aloud, "Lord Wei is indeed overworked; his vital essence and blood are overly depleted, leaving him somewhat weak..."

But not to the point of "his days are numbered," surely?

He couldn’t help but look at Zhou Man.

Manbao looked utterly serious. She didn’t realize Director Xiao hadn’t detected any "days are numbered" pulse. She was gazing at him expectantly, hoping he could offer some effective advice.

Director Xiao had worked with her for many years, and the moment he met her gaze, he understood. So he said, "This is a grave condition. Your servant needs to confer with Imperial Doctor Zhou."

The emperor, understanding it was a serious case, waved a hand to let the two of them withdraw. He kept Wei Zhi behind to continue playing chess.

Director Xiao followed Zhou Man back to the medical office of the temporary palace. Imperial Doctor Zheng was running all over the place treating the various sick nobles, so he wasn’t there; only Assistant Doctor Duan was on duty.

Director Xiao waved Assistant Doctor Duan away, then asked Zhou Man, "On what basis did you determine that Lord Wei’s days are numbered?"

Manbao was surprised. "You didn’t see it?"

Director Xiao looked at her in silence. Manbao began to doubt herself. "Could I have misdiagnosed him?"

"He’s a bit mentally fatigued and qi-deficient, but not to that extent, surely?"

Manbao carefully reviewed the pulse she had felt those two times. If she got it wrong once, that was possible, but she’d felt it twice, so she shook her head. "No, that’s not right. I didn’t misdiagnose him."

She said, "It truly is the appearance of depleted spirit and exhausted qi. All his internal organs show signs of weakness. If this continues over time, he... likely doesn’t have many days left, though it hasn’t yet manifested outwardly."

Manbao said, "With this sort of extreme overwork, there are rarely obvious outward signs. Once clear symptoms appear, that’s already the point where it’s beyond saving."

Director Xiao was himself a court physician and understood what Zhou Man meant. "You’re talking about signs of sudden death and complete qi collapse?"

Manbao nodded.

Director Xiao’s mind conjured up Wei Zhi’s complexion, and after a long moment he sighed. "His complexion really isn’t great. I’ll take another look later."

Though in his heart he trusted Zhou Man’s judgment somewhat, he still wanted to confirm it with his own diagnosis. If that didn’t work, they might have to invite Imperial Doctor Liu and the others for a joint consultation.

If they couldn’t even be certain of the condition, it would be hard to prescribe medicine.