This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

”The illness has invaded the Yangming.” Wu Buwei was clear about this. As Du Heng asked, he immediately remembered that he and Du Heng had discussed this issue before, and he had even reviewed the ”Treatise on Febrile Diseases” again at the time.

Now thinking back, it all brings tears to his eyes.

Du Heng wasn’t surprised that Wu Buwei could answer. It would have been surprising if he couldn’t.

Glancing at the new doctor standing obediently nearby, Du Heng suddenly turned and asked the young man, ”You tell me, what is Yangming disease?”

The young man panicked and became bewildered; he had never expected the question to be directed at him.

But he knew that in the hospital, senior doctors would question junior doctors anytime and anywhere. This served as both an assessment and a way to encourage learning.

However, since joining the Health Clinic, he had had very little interaction with the Dean, who was like a deity there.

When he first arrived at the hospital, the Dean was busy dealing with a ’malignant lymphoma’ case every day and had no time for them—the new recruits who had yet to obtain their practice qualification.

Once the lymphoma was finally cured, they, the newcomers, were even more in awe of the Dean, who was almost their peer. Then, his girlfriend had an accident, and over a month was wasted.

Then, while they were still reeling, this elusive Dean was directly invited by experts from the Capital for an exchange study, leaving them utterly impressed.

A doctor from a remote area in the Northwest being invited by the Capital Hospital for an exchange study—this was something they dared not even dream of.

Initially, having been assigned to the Health Clinic, they felt inferior and couldn’t hold their heads high in front of their classmates and teachers. But now, merely mentioning Du Heng made everyone envious of them.

With such a towering tiger of a figure around, he felt proud, even just being a freeloader.

However, he had never imagined being questioned directly by this towering tiger in such an unprepared state.

Instantly, his mind went blank. Never mind not knowing the answer to Du Heng’s question; even if he had known it, it would have vanished at this moment.

When Du Heng questioned the young man, Wu Buwei also looked back at him, hoping the young man could save him some face. After all, this person was under his tutelage, and he had been mentoring him for almost five months.

But seeing the young man’s panicked eyes, he knew his face was lost.

He didn’t know if it was the difference in their learning or the gap in skill between himself and Du Heng. But compared to how he himself had been at this time last year, this young man was not as good.

Having no other choice, Wu Buwei had to speak up to ease the young man’s embarrassment and tension. ”The ’Treatise on Febrile Diseases - Diagnosis and Treatment of Yangming Disease’ states that Yangming disease results from fullness in the stomach. The pulse is surging and full, or deep and full. Symptoms include great heat in the body, profuse sweating, and intense thirst.”

Du Heng pursed his lips. With Wu Buwei’s way of explaining, it wasn’t easy to guide students effectively. ”Simplify it,” he said.

Wu Buwei sighed inwardly. His face was completely lost today. Still, at least it was in front of his senior brother, which made it somewhat acceptable. He then said, ”Yangming disease is characterized by symptoms such as fever, spontaneous sweating, no aversion to cold but rather an aversion to heat, and a surging pulse.”

Glancing at them both, Du Heng then asked, ”The patient also has a headache and eye pain. Where is the illness located?”

The young man peeked at Wu Buwei and quickly lowered his head. He still didn’t know the answer.

Wu Buwei thought for a moment and said, ”The illness is in the Taiyang and lesser yang.”

Du Heng spread his hands. ”So, to summarize, what is the patient’s condition?”

Upon hearing this, Wu Buwei had a flash of understanding. ”It’s a combined illness of Taiyang, Yangming, and lesser yang,” he said, a look of chagrin on his face.

Wu Buwei understood, but the young man beside him remained completely baffled.

He had studied for five years, but to be honest, he hadn’t learned these things in class. Perhaps he hadn’t listened carefully when the teacher was lecturing.

In any case, he had no idea what Du Heng and Wu Buwei were discussing. It seemed the traditional Chinese medicine they spoke of was entirely different from what he had learned.

Wu Buwei noticed the young man’s confusion and offered the simplest explanation, ”Taiyang, Yangming, and lesser yang are the three Yang meridians in the Six Meridian Differentiation.”

This was meant as an explanation, but it only deepened the bewilderment in the young man’s eyes. What on earth was Six Meridian Differentiation?

Had he attended a fake university?

Or had he missed so much during his studies simply by zoning out for a moment?

Ever since he started working, he had realized there were many things he didn’t know, whether complex or fundamental. It felt like starting from scratch.

He had no recollection of such terms and began to suspect he might have slept through his five years of university.

Observing the two, Du Heng sighed. This young man truly wasn’t as capable as Wu Buwei had been the previous year.

At the same time, he understood why this young man hadn’t pursued further studies or sought a position in a Big Hospital, instead coming to his Health Clinic. With this level of skill, he wouldn’t qualify elsewhere.

Sighing to himself, Du Heng picked up where Wu Buwei had left off. ”The earliest ’Emperor’s Inner Classic’, and later texts like the ’Synopsis of Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber’, all contain detailed explanations of the Six Meridian Differentiation. You should spend more time reading.”

This remark made the young man want to die of shame.

Du Heng showed no particular reaction after saying this, merely brushing past it. He continued to question Wu Buwei, ”So, have you thought of a treatment method? And if it were you, what kind of prescription would you write for the hospital room?”

It had been a long time since he had tested Wu Buwei like this. Today was a good opportunity to properly assess Wu Buwei’s progress in recent months.

However, when Wu Buwei actually began to explain his treatment approach, Du Heng felt a little disappointed.

If it were a more difficult case, Du Heng wouldn’t have minded so much. But for an illness like this, caused by a common cold, Wu Buwei, after a year of his direct, hands-on guidance, shouldn’t be making such mistakes.

”Unify the treatment of the three Yang meridians,” Wu Buwei said, quite confidently. After a moment’s thought, he stated the prescription he deemed appropriate: ”The Major Blue Dragon Decoction. It treats external wind-cold with concurrent internal heat, chills, fever, and generalized body pain—it’s just right.”

He then looked at Du Heng, hoping for his affirmation.

Of course, in this situation, he didn’t dare hope for praise.

But when he saw the look in Du Heng’s eyes, his heart couldn’t help but skip a beat.

Was that a look of disappointment?

Du Heng sighed and asked Wu Buwei in return, ”Think carefully. Can the Major Blue Dragon Decoction truly dispel the evil qi from all three Yang meridians?”

Wu Buwei was stunned. But before he could think, Du Heng no longer intended to press him further and said directly, ”According to what you said before, the cold evil first enters Taiyang, then goes to the lesser yang. To expel evil qi from different meridians simultaneously, one must harmonize their stomach qi. You should know this, right?”

Wu Buwei swallowed hard and then gently shook his head.

Du Heng had no choice but to continue, ”You yourself said earlier that Yangming illness means the stomach home is replete. Once stomach qi is generated, the Yangming evil will inevitably become isolated. At this point, the evil qi from Taiyang and lesser yang will all converge on Yangming to support it.”

”Only in this way can the evil qi be gathered together, and only then can the unified treatment of the three Yang meridians be effective.”

Saying this, he took the first sheet of the prescription he had been writing and handed it to Wu Buwei. ”Look at my formula.”

Wu Buwei took it. On it were written several Medicine Ingredients: gypsum, kudzu root, poria, bupleurum, and white peony. Wu Buwei’s knowledge of medicinal herbs was very weak. He had no problem writing out standard formulas, but he couldn’t quickly grasp the function of such a freely combined prescription.

”This formula treats Yangming by seventy percent, Taiyang by ten percent, and lesser yang by twenty percent. Although it also treats all three meridians together, it actually specializes in treating Yangming. Therefore, just one dose will stop the eye pain, a second dose can eliminate the headache, and three doses will completely resolve the chills and fever.”

As Du Heng explained the formula, Wu Buwei did his best to understand and absorb the information, striving to keep up with the explanation.