Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor Gao-Yuan

Gao-Yuan finally let out a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead before placing the fine needle down.

Everyone in the room stared at him in stunned silence.

He had actually done it!

"Is this... this powerful?" Dr. Tian mumbled in disbelief, turning to glance at Zhao Huanzhang. He remembered Zhao lecturing them about acupuncture and meridians during their training, but the Western medicine doctors had refuted him with modern anatomical theories, leaving Zhao embarrassed in the process.

Yet now, before their very eyes, this young doctor had used acupuncture to revive a critically ill child. Just yesterday, they had worked through the night without success, and the child’s condition had only worsened.

"You..." Dr. Qiao stared at Gao-Yuan in astonishment, hesitating before asking, "Who are you?"

Gao-Yuan looked back at him calmly and answered, "My name is Gao-Yuan. I’m a doctor."

"Ah..." Dr. Qiao suddenly found himself lost for words.

After a brief pause, he asked again, "What did you just do?"

"Acupuncture. It’s an external treatment method of Chinese medicine," Gao-Yuan explained. "In emergencies, acupuncture works the fastest. As the saying goes, 'Half the illness retreats once the needle is placed.'"

Dr. Qiao’s pupils dilate. Such confidence! Could simply using needles cause an illness to retreat by half? He wanted to be sceptical, but he had just witnessed it with his own eyes.

"He’s opened his eyes," Dr. Qiao could only acknowledge what he had seen.

Gao-Yuan added, "This is just a standard procedure for a Chinese medicine practitioner."

Hearing this, both Dr. Qiao and Dr. Tian looked over at Zhao Huanzhang.

"Ah, ahem..." Zhao awkwardly cleared his throat, forcing out a polite smile.

"What medication did you use last night?" Gao-Yuan asked.

"We used penicillin and aminopyrine, but they didn’t have much effect," Dr. Qiao replied.

Gao-Yuan nodded thoughtfully.

Dr. Qiao then enquired, "So, how do you plan to treat him, Dr. Gao?"

"The patient is suffering from a severe febrile infection, which has already penetrated the deeper energy layers, affecting the blood," Gao-Yuan explained. "Therefore, the treatment must involve clearing the fever and detoxifying, cooling the blood, expelling the heat, and calming the internal wind."

Both Dr. Qiao and Dr. Tian looked bewildered, their faces showing that they didn’t quite understand but were deeply impressed.

Noticing their confusion, Gao-Yuan asked, "What’s the matter? Didn’t you just attend a course on Chinese medicine? Didn’t Dr. Zhao explain this clearly?"

"Well..."

Now it was Dr. Qiao and Dr. Tian’s turn to feel embarrassed.

Zhao Huanzhang looked equally uncomfortable.

Shaking his head, Gao-Yuan continued, "Since the late Qing dynasty, Western medicine has gradually dominated over Chinese medicine, even to the point where some have called for the abolition of traditional Chinese practices. But now, the authorities are requiring that Western doctors nationwide study Chinese medicine, and there’s a reason for that."

"Our country is still facing hardships, and patients like this often don’t receive timely or adequate modern medical treatment. Our county hospital is severely lacking in medical equipment, and in rural areas, they can’t even access basic Western medications."

"Only these herbs that grow from our land are best suited to our current situation. They allow us to remain self-sufficient, minimising reliance on foreign resources, and with minimal cost, we can protect the health of the people. Moreover, Chinese medicine can treat serious illnesses. Herbal medicine can save patients from critical conditions and bear heavy responsibilities."

Dr. Qiao and Dr. Tian stood there in dazes.

Dr. Qiao’s lips quivered slightly as he said, "I’ve learnt something valuable today."

Dr. Tian’s face flushed with shame.

Zhao Huanzhang was also taken aback.

Even Zhang Yuancai and Director Qi now looked at Gao-Yuan with newfound respect in their eyes.

"Alright, let's write the prescription. The patient is still not out of danger, so we must remain vigilant," Gao-Yuan instructed.

Dr. Tian hurriedly fetched the prescription pad and handed it to Gao-Yuan with both hands, saying, "Dr. Gao, please."

Taking the pad, Gao-Yuan began writing down the formula for "Ling Xiang Zhi Jing Powder" and included two bottles of "Yu Shu Dan." These were both pill and powder medicines.

Then he wrote out the formula for a decoction.

As Zhao Huanzhang walked over and glanced at the prescription, he couldn’t help but gasp.

Even though he had prepared himself, knowing that this young doctor was bold and decisive, he hadn’t expected such audacity.

Seeing Zhao’s expression change, Zhang Yuancai asked, "Dr. Zhao, what’s wrong?"

Zhao Huanzhang’s face stiffened as he whispered, "Dr. Gao, did you make a mistake? Did you mean to write seven qian of gypsum? You wrote seven liang."

Gao-Yuan calmly replied, "No mistake. It’s seven liang."

Zhao Huanzhang was stunned.

Director Qi asked, "What’s going on?"

Zhao Huanzhang was too shocked to respond.

Gao-Yuan explained, "He thinks I prescribed too much gypsum."

Director Qi asked, "How much did you prescribe?"

"Seven liang," Gao-Yuan replied.

Director Qi’s body jolted. As someone involved in the centralised purchasing and distribution of herbs, he had a fair understanding of medicinal ingredients. Seven liang of gypsum was indeed a substantial amount.

But Gao-Yuan wasn’t concerned with their reactions. He continued writing out the prescription with quiet confidence.

Dr. Qiao and Dr. Tian looked at each other, utterly clueless as to why the others were so shocked.

After finishing the prescription, Gao-Yuan finally spoke, "People often say gypsum is extremely cold, but according to Shennong Bencao Jing, gypsum is only mildly cold and can even promote lactation. There’s no need to fear its 'extreme coldness.'"

"Moreover, Zhang Xichun once said, 'In prescribing medicine, the focus is on defeating the disease, not the quantity.' He treated one patient with over ten jin of gypsum in a month, with single prescriptions using as much as half a jin."

"His patient ate and drank normally and had regular bowel movements without feeling cold at all. During the Ming Dynasty, Li Shicai treated a prince of Lu who had false cold but real heat, using three jin of gypsum decoction in three bowls. After the first dose, the prince removed his fur coat; after the second, his wool blankets; and after the third, he sweated and recovered."

"They used far more than I’m prescribing. I’m only using seven liang—not even half a jin. So what’s there to be surprised about?" Gao-Yuan questioned them in return.

Everyone was left speechless, thinking, "You would’ve gone with half a jin? What, as if it were a meal?"

Gao-Yuan explained, "For illnesses like this, the onset is rapid and ferocious. The disease doesn’t typically follow a gradual progression through the defence, energy, nutrients, and blood levels. It often strikes the blood and energy levels simultaneously, causing intense heat, convulsions, and a collapse of the mind."

"Against such a dangerous pathogen, we must act even faster, stronger, and more decisively. We need to quickly expel the heat with gypsum while simultaneously using rhubarb and mirabilite to drain it from within. We must strike with overwhelming force, for the faster and more decisive we are, the greater the patient’s chances of survival."

Zhao Huanzhang stared at Gao-Yuan in shock. He recalled Gao-Yuan’s earlier words—this truly was a doctor of unwavering resolve, a warrior ready to charge into battle against illness, a man unafraid to collide headfirst with danger.

Zhao Huanzhang believed that even if the King of Hell had set a time for someone's death, Gao-Yuan would step forward, slap the king twice, and ask if they could reschedule.

Director Qi no longer knew what to say.

It was the child's mother, Gao-Yuan’s daughter-in-law, who finally spoke. "Dr. Gao, I believe in you. You were the one who woke my son just now. I trust you can pull him through this and bring him to true safety."

Gao-Yuan nodded solemnly and declared, "The prescription is ready. Let’s get the herbs!"