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Usually, it’s only detectable after five months of pregnancy, but Lu Man didn’t check herself. She wanted to keep it a mystery and a surprise for herself. For her, she would be happy with either a son or a daughter.
Realizing her ability, Lu Man felt a sense of pride. In her past life, only ultrasound could reveal what she could now determine through pulse diagnosis. Traditional Chinese medicine was profound, and she shamelessly believed she had interpreted that saying very well.
However, Lu Man didn’t dare tell Lady Min, fearing she might spread the news. In ancient times, where males were favored over females, knowing the fetus’s gender in advance brought joy if it was a boy but uncertainty if it was a girl. Especially in the palace, revealing the gender could offend others and lead to trouble.
Sweet Pea and Qingqing returned on the twelfth of June at noon. They indeed found two stems of night yellow flowers and brought back four wilted yellow flowers, confirming they were night yellow flowers.
The guards mentioned finding these four flowers under the night yellow flowers. These two plants bloomed on the cliffside, making it challenging to dig them out, hence their delayed return. After discovering these two plants, Sweet Pea considered leading them deeper, an area even Zheng Qiang hadn’t explored, but eventually gave up.
Lu Man praised Sweet Pea greatly. Now, they had three night yellow flower plants and six seeds.
Unable to make the medicine herself, she instructed He Cheng and Lu Ying to do it and reiterated the precautions.
At the evening hour of Xu (around 7-9 PM), Lu Ying entered with a porcelain box, saying, “Third Young Madam, Young Master and I have produced forty pills.”
Lu Man examined the pills in the box, they were slightly darker in color and had a milder scent than the previous twenty pills.
It seemed that if the flowers were left for too long, the medicinal efficacy might decrease. However, were these the Huang Ke Lai mentioned by Sun Wa?
While lost in thought, Lu Man saw He Cheng entering, rolling up his sleeves, “Sister, I injured my arm.” He added, “Sister, don’t worry, it’s not a deep wound.”
There was a one-inch long wound on He Cheng’s arm, flesh turning outwards, and blood continuously flowing. Such a long and deep wound would have required stitches in the past.
This silly child must have intentionally injured his arm to test the medicine. Lu Man felt both angry and distressed, calling out, “Quick, apply the hemostatic medicine, wound-healing medicine, and bandage the wound.”
Lu Ying was also startled and quickly tended to his wound.
Lu Man, infuriated, glared at him and scolded, “Fool, even if you wanted to test the medicine, you shouldn’t harm yourself. You could have found someone else who was already injured.”
He Cheng replied, “Others don’t have the deep experience we have as physicians.”
According to records, Huang Ke Lai’s medicinal effects were excellent but came with significant side effects, not suitable for overconsumption. For severe external injuries, one should take three pills initially, followed by one pill daily. Lu Man wasn’t sure if these small pills possessed such great power, so she handed him five pills, saying, “Quickly take three now, and then one each tomorrow and the day after.”
She felt sorry for He Cheng, believing his wound to be a relatively severe external injury.
He Cheng agreed and took the pills.
The next morning, He Cheng didn’t come for class, prompting Lu Man to send Lu Ying to check on him at the Yuling Courtyard.
Lu Ying returned, saying, “Young Master is doing well after taking the medicine, he’s resting at home.” She didn’t mention that He Cheng hadn’t immediately taken Huang Ke Lai the previous day but had a concoction of other herbs first. It was only when the wound started festering at night and he developed a fever that he took two pills.
On the fourth morning, He Cheng arrived on time for class at Donghui Courtyard. After classes, he visited Lu Man’s room.
He happily told his sister, “Sister, that Huang Ke Lai is indeed a miraculous medicine. After taking it, my fever subsided, the wound stopped festering, even the previous pus dried up, and it’s healing fast… Just that my appetite hasn’t been good these past two days, I keep feeling nauseous and don’t want to eat.”
Lu Man unwrapped the bandage and saw that the scar on He Cheng’s arm had improved significantly, not yet scabbed but already closing up, with no signs of festering. With just the current herbal concoction and wound medicine, the wound wouldn’t have healed this quickly, it would likely have festered.
She suppressed a smile, confident that the medicine was indeed Huang Ke Lai, possibly with penicillin-like effects and maybe even cephalosporin-like properties, exhibiting exceptional antimicrobial properties.
After laughing, she sternly stared at He Cheng again, pinched his other arm, and said, “No more self-harm next time, or else I’ll ignore you. This medicine is effective, but unless there’s a special circumstance, avoid taking it excessively.”
He Cheng added, “For my type of injury, two pills initially, followed by one pill daily, is sufficient.” He chuckled, “I’ll keep the remaining pill, just in case.”
The siblings discussed and agreed that the medicine must be kept confidential and should not be used unless under special circumstances. They were uncertain if they could cultivate more night yellow flowers. Even if all six seeds were successfully grown, along with the original three plants, they would only have nine plants. Since this flower blooms once a year with two flowers per plant, the nine plants would yield a total of 180 Huang Ke Lai pills. This limited quantity truly made it a rare and precious medicine.
Records indicated that the leaves and stems of the night yellow flower had a protective effect on the digestive system. The flower was harsh on the stomach, but when combined with its leaves, the side effects were alleviated. Although Lu Man hadn’t personally seen the night yellow flowers, she learned from Mrs. Wei that the leaves could regenerate if they fell off while the plant was alive, making them freely available for use.
Considering the descriptions of the night yellow flower in the records, Lu Man discussed with He Cheng about collaborating with Master Qin from Tongren Hall to explore using the night yellow flower leaves mixed with substances like salicylic acid to create pills named Huang Ke Lai. They also discussed blending it with other materials like Bai Hezi to make pills named Bai Hezi. If successful, they planned to conduct further trials…
In the past, aspirin could treat various ailments, offering pain relief, reducing fever, and inflammation, as well as anti-coagulation properties for conditions like heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, cataracts, and rheumatism. However, it had several side effects, making it unsuitable for many individuals.
Lu Man educated He Cheng about the unsuitable population for these medications, urging him to document and remember these guidelines.
Due to the limited availability of night yellow flower leaves, the production of Huang Ke Lai and Bai Hezi Pills would be restricted, kept confidential for now.
Regarding the extraction of Huang Ke Lai, given its significant side effects and the risk of exploitation, the extraction process also needed to remain confidential. If a patient required it, they must be hospitalized, overseen by Tongren Hall physicians, strictly monitored, administered stomach-protecting herbal concoctions, and closely observed for any adverse reactions, promptly discontinuing if necessary…