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Lu Man instructed Lu Ying to prepare a small packet of powdered Bai Hezi dissolved in water for the Princess to drink, and she prescribed a herbal remedy for brewing. The prescription was based on the one Physician Gu had given Jiang Zhanyu, with a few adjustments based on their different symptoms, including the inclusion of digitalis. Given the severity of the Princess’s condition, digitalis was necessary for control.
She then proceeded to administer acupuncture to the Princess. This was a detoxification technique she had learned from medical texts, using Bai Hezi to counteract the toxicity of Foxglove, and then employing this technique to neutralize the effects of Bai Hezi. She wasn’t sure if it would be effective.
This intricate acupuncture process involved adjusting the acupoints to address the changing symptoms, requiring careful monitoring and adjustments.
After three hours, there was a noticeable change in the Princess’s condition, with her breathing becoming stronger.
One of the imperial physicians examining her pulse remarked, “The Princess’s pulse is slightly stronger than before.”
Lu Man nodded and continued to adjust the acupuncture points.
Three hours later, the Princess’s complexion shifted from purple to blue, then from blue to pale, and finally from pale to yellow, with her breathing gradually becoming more steady and prolonged.
After over an hour, Princess He finally opened her eyes, spoke a few words, and began to vomit.
Lu Man felt as though time had frozen, her sweat flowing continuously, her hands and neck sore and unrecognizable. Seeing the Princess vomit, hearing Prince He refer to her as “Mother”, and the Princess’s faint “Hmm”, she finally let out a sigh of relief.
After attending to the Princess and ensuring she had eaten porridge and taken her medicine, once she fell asleep again, Lu Man and the others gathered in the hall.
Prince Song Ming expressed his gratitude to Lu Man with a bow, “Thank you for saving my Mother.”
Lu Man shook her head and replied, “The Princess is not out of danger yet. To manage her heart condition, she needs digitalis, or Angel’s Trumpet. However, she has a slight allergy to this medication. Despite using a detoxifying herb, I’m uncertain of its effectiveness. The combination of these two treatments may be too much for her body to handle. In three hours, I will need to administer another round of acupuncture. For at least three days, I will need to perform acupuncture on her four times a day.”
Upon learning that he hadn’t administered the wrong medication and that the Princess’s critical condition was due to her sensitivity to Angel’s Trumpet, Physician Zhou finally felt relieved. He inquired, “May I ask, Lady Lu, what medicine counteracts the toxicity of Angel’s Trumpet?”
Not wanting to cause any more trouble, Lu Man replied, “This medicine itself carries some toxicity, and I am still researching and fine-tuning its dosage. As you have seen, not only do we need to use these two medications, but we also need to administer detoxifying acupuncture. Therefore, in the absence of complete certainty, I am not at liberty to disclose the name of this medicine. Moreover, heart conditions vary, and not every ailment can be treated with Angel’s Trumpet. Misuse could be fatal, and even divine intervention wouldn’t save the patient in such cases.”
Physician Zhou blushed and refrained from further questioning.
Upon hearing that the Princess was not yet out of danger, Prince Song Ming felt anxious. However, upon learning that Lu Man would stay to administer acupuncture, he felt a sense of relief. He thanked Lu Man respectfully, saying, “Thank you for your efforts, Third Young Lady Jiang.” This time, he used a more formal title.
While instructing the preparation of a bath and lunch, Prince Song Ming also dispatched someone to inform the Princess Changting’s residence. Since his primary consort had passed away, it wouldn’t be appropriate to have the secondary consorts accompany Lu Man. Despite Lu Man’s current status not diminishing the secondary consorts’ standing, Prince Song Ming felt it was respectful to let her decide. Hence, he arranged for his son, Song Mo, to keep her company.
Lu Man declined the offer. With the next acupuncture session scheduled for three hours later, she needed to return to the Princess Changting’s residence to provide an update.
Hurriedly finishing her meal, leaving Lu Ying to care for the Princess, Lu Man, accompanied by Xing, rode back to the Princess Changting’s residence, heading straight to the Crane Hall.
It was just before three in the afternoon, and the Princess had awakened from her nap. Jiang Jiu hadn’t returned to Orchid Pavilion and had rested there, only getting up now.
Relieved to hear that Princess He was temporarily out of danger, Princess Changting advised, “Stay at the Prince He’s Mansion for three days, focus on treating Princess He’s illness. Don’t come back tomorrow just to pay respects to me. It’s important to attend to Princess He. Since the Prince He’s Mansion lacks a mistress, ensure you have enough servants with you.”
Lu Man agreed and knelt down to kowtow to Princess Changting three times, offering early birthday wishes and blessings. She then exchanged a few words with Princess Changting, reminding Jiang Jiu to accompany Princess Changting and old Marquis Jiang well before departing with Sweet Pea for Orchid Pavilion.
She entrusted the cotton boots she had prepared for the Princess and the old Marquis to Jiang Zhankui, instructing him to present them on the Princess’s birthday. With both her and Jiang Zhanwei absent on such an important day, she advised Jiang Zhankui to kowtow and convey auspicious words on her behalf.
After taking a bath, preparing several sets of clothing, gathering essential medicines, and instructing Liu Ya to keep an eye on Donghui Courtyard, Lu Man set off for the Prince He’s Mansion with Mama Wang, Xing, Tao, Qingqing, and Huang. She also brought Sweet Pea, as she had been frightened by Wang Haobai’s lecherous behavior. While the Prince appeared gentlemanly, it was always wise to be cautious when staying outside.
During the carriage ride, Lu Man repeatedly reminded Sweet Pea not to cause trouble or run around, to keep quiet, or risk being brought home and put in chains.
Sweet Pea meowed incessantly but cleverly kept its voice subdued, even bowing with its front paws continuously to show respect to its owner – it feared being put in chains.
Upon returning to the Prince He’s Mansion, it was already pitch dark outside, and snowflakes began to drift down from the sky.
As she entered the main hall, a three-year-old boy approached her, bowing and saying, “Momo greets Third Sister-in-law.” His voice was soft and childish, his speech slightly unclear, but his gestures were precise.
The young boy had a fair complexion, charming features, and was dressed in a red silk-embroidered over-the-knee robe, white trousers, red boots, and a high topknot hairstyle.
After bowing, the boy stood up and gazed at Lu Man with adorable big eyes, then shifted his attention to Sweet Pea held by Qingqing, unable to take his eyes off the cat.
Lu Man recognized him as the Prince’s only son, named Song Mo, over three years old. She smiled and greeted him, “Hello, Young Master Song.”
Song Mo was naturally sociable and, given his role as the host for the day, he tried his best to act accordingly.
Despite his initial interest in Sweet Pea, he forced himself to focus on Lu Man’s face and politely said, “Call me Mo. Dinner is ready, please be my guest, Third Sister-in-law.” With a slight bow, he extended his left hand in a gesture of invitation.
His mannerisms and speech, practiced or not, had a charming quality that amused Lu Man.
Lu Man enjoyed the presence of cute children, especially handsome ones. Suppressing the urge to tousle his high topknot hairstyle, she replied, “I’ll check on the Princess first, then join you for dinner.”