Arc 2: Part 36
Inside the tent, a stifling silence prevailed. The Grandmaster of the Royal Medical Academy bowed and asked, “Your Majesty, may I be allowed to check?”
Uncomfortably, Emperor Xuanyi coughed and said, "Yes, you can go ahead."
Xiao Qingwan stared intently at the Grandmaster, her hands tightly clasping and turning pale beneath her sleeves.
The Grandmaster carefully stepped forward and examined the Prince for a long time. He then picked up a piece of dried clam meat that had fallen on the ground, his expression clearly strained.
After a long time, he confessed, “It’s strange. It seems to look like rubella, but there’s no immediate occurrence upon ingestion of food..."
A satisfied grin crept onto Xiao Qingwan's face!
But just as her smile had yet to reach her eyes, Tong Su’s clear voice rang out.
"Master, have you ever heard of a disease called 'Peach Blossom Ringworm'?" (Note: 桃花癬 I looked this up, and it's not necessarily caused by ringworm, the parasite. It may also be caused by dry skin or acute dermatitis getting irritated/triggered by pollen & pollutants, especially during spring. It's called "peach blossom" because of the shape of the rash. I have no medical background though so don't quote me lol)
The Grandmaster, uneasy at the side of the Prince, changed his expression dramatically, exclaiming with joy, "That's it! Peach Blossom Ringworm! Your Majesty, Prince He Lian is not poisoned but has contracted Peach Blossom Ringworm! Please wait, Your Majesty, allow me to examine further!”
Emperor Xuanyi gazed doubtfully at Tong Su, while whispers went around. The Prince's guard sternly voiced, “Doctor, what does 'Peach Blossom Ringworm' mean?”
Busy examining the Prince, the Grandmaster waved him off, “Don’t disturb me now, go ask Miss Xiao!”
A few guards looked awkwardly and uneasily at Tong Su. Unfazed, Tong Su said, "I'll explain."
Those who thought she would give them a hard time breathed a sigh of relief, and their faces showed signs of embarrassment.
Tong Su said, "According to 'Complete Book of Therapeutic Evidence in Surgery', during the warm spring when flowers bloom, there are pollen and microbes that can be carried by the wind onto people, causing dermatitis and rashes in some. Since it is during spring when peach blossoms bloom, these types of skin rashes are colloquially known as 'Peach Blossom Ringworm'.”
Xiao Qingwan couldn't help but sneer, "It's not even spring now, and there's no pollen. How is what you're saying relevant?"
"Of course, it's relevant!"
The elder Grandmaster, with a face full of white beard, turned back and shouted indignantly.
Being contradicted in his medical knowledge annoyed him greatly. He reprimanded without courtesy, “If you don't understand medicine, don't talk nonsense and cause trouble!”
He then bowed to Emperor Xuanyi and Xiao Lingchen, saying, "Your Grace, if this woman continues to cause a disturbance, I won't be able to focus on treating the Crown Prince. I request that she be expelled!”
Emperor Xuanyi restrained a grimace, finding it inappropriate to intervene further.
Xiao Lingchen calmly looked at Xiao Qingwan and said, “Would you prefer to keep quiet or leave?”
Xiao Qingwan blushed from his straightforward scolding, embarrassed and angry, she muttered, "Is it not enough if I... if I stop talking..."
The Grandmaster nodded in satisfaction.
He had served as a royal doctor for three generations and once saved the previous emperor's life. The previous emperor treated him with politeness and respect.
Out of respect for the previous emperor, he treated Emperor Xuanyi courteously. However, this did not mean he could tolerate a little girl like Xiao Qingwan shouting at him!
The Grandmaster's outburst frightened everyone in the room. But he soon turned around and, under everyone's watchful eyes, asked Tong Su with great solemnity.
"Young lady, thank you for reminding me of 'Peach Blossom Ringworm' just now. Otherwise, I wouldn't have thought of it for a while. The Prince's rash is indeed a ringworm, but what do you think causes it?"
Everyone was speechless and astonished.
He was the chief physician of the Imperial Hospital, and he was seriously asking a young girl for her opinion?
Wasn't he afraid of losing face?
Tong Su was aware of everyone's astonishment.
She raised an eyebrow and thought inwardly that the elderly Grandmaster, who was devoted to medicine, was much more respectable than those who would change course with the wind.
As for the Crown Prince's rash, it was certainly not poisoning. It was simply an acute allergic reaction he had after consuming clam soup!
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