“...You mean there's gas in the abdomen?” Doctor Gong stammered out. “The patient definitely has a lung infection,” Qi Yue stated, peeling off her gloves after completing the examination.

“Prescribe him some anti-inflammatory medicine. In a few days, once the phlegm subsides and there are no dry or wet rales in both lungs, he should be mostly recovered.” Doctor Gong, being an expert, focused on the unfamiliar medical terms, while Elder Li, an outsider, focused only on what mattered most to him.

“My wife,” he called out hastily, raising a hand. “You prescribe the medicine, please.” Qi Yue smiled and shook her head.

“I… I don’t know how to prescribe medicine,” she said, then looked at Doctor Gong. “Let them handle it.” What?

This was a strange question; Qi Yue had explained it before, but she didn't feel like explaining again now. “Alright, I should take my leave,” she announced.

Having gone to such trouble to see her, they were hardly willing to let her go just like that. They assumed this woman was still reluctant to treat him, so Li Tong was pushed forward once more.

“Madam Qi, is there anything else I should pay attention to regarding my grandfather’s condition?” he asked. “Nothing particularly special.

For now, stick to liquid foods. As for the rest, defer to them,” Qi Yue said, again gesturing towards Doctor Gong and the others.

Doctor Gong and the others were left speechless. What did that mean?

Dong Lin stepped forward. “Yue Niang, please take a little more care of Elder Li’s illness...” he said earnestly, glancing at the hopeful faces in the room.

“They have already admitted their mistake.” Qi Yue turned to look at him. This man...

What kind of person was Elder Li? Even while ill, he wasn’t entirely confused.

“What did you people do?” he demanded. Although sickness had drained his imposing presence, his shout still made everyone in the room uneasy.

When the father was angry, the sons immediately knelt down. “No, no,” Qi Yue quickly intervened.

“It’s nothing, just a misunderstanding.” She then looked at Elder Li. “Sir, your illness isn’t benefiting from your temper, is it?” she remarked.

Hearing this, Elder Li quickly composed himself. Without waiting for anyone else to speak, Qi Yue softly and clearly recounted the entire sequence of events.

“You see, it was simply a failure in communication between both parties; there’s no definitive right or wrong,” she said with a smile. “If you scold your family like this, it makes things awkward for me.” The woman’s voice, crisp yet gentle, carried a constant smile as she spoke—polite without being subservient, poised, approachable.

Setting aside the content of her words, the manner alone was enough to bring pleasure to anyone listening. The heavy, oppressive atmosphere in the room instantly dissipated.

Dong Lin was stunned again. Looking at the smiling woman before him, he was one hundred percent certain that all the information he had gathered was false!

How could this woman be ill-tempered, arrogant, and eccentric? She was clearly a lady of impeccable breeding!

He prided himself on knowing the enemy and knowing himself, but damn it, he knew nothing! “Also, I truly cannot prescribe medicine,” Qi Yue repeated, this time looking at Doctor Gong.

“You can inquire around Yongqing Prefecture, and you will find out. I only possess the means to treat illnesses, but as for diagnosis by observation, listening, palpation, and writing prescriptions, I am utterly incompetent.

Doctor, I am not trying to play coy; this is the fact. The reason Elder Li’s illness wasn't improving is because the treatment wasn't targeting the core issue.

Now that I have diagnosed it as pneumoperitoneum and released the trapped gas, resolving the greatest underlying cause, the rest depends on your medication regimen.” Doctor Gong’s expression softened. Regardless of how unbelievable her claims sounded, her demeanor appeared sincere.

One shouldn't refuse a friendly face. “I am ignorant of these matters.

Madam, could you perhaps explain what pneumoperitoneum is?” he inquired. Qi Yue nodded.

“Pneumoperitoneum has many forms. Simply put, it is the presence of free gas within the abdominal cavity due to various reasons,” she explained, gesturing over Elder Li’s body.

“It is classified based on the cause and location, such as abdominal pneumoperitoneum, thoracic pneumoperitoneum, gynecological pneumoperitoneum, iatrogenic pneumoperitoneum, and spontaneous pneumoperitoneum...” Everyone in the room, including the experts, was utterly bewildered. Qi Yue noticed this and smiled.

“You see, this is too complex to explain in a short while. Let me simply describe Elder Li’s case,” she said with a gentle smile.

“The chicken bone lodging in his throat was the trigger, leading to pathology in the alveoli or bronchioles, causing alveolar rupture... and then...” Her hand pointed out various spots on Elder Li’s body.

“...Gas enters the lung interstitium, then travels along the bronchi and vascular sheath through the hilum into the mediastinum, and from the mediastinum, it passes through the foramen of Morgagni into the abdominal cavity, or the retroperitoneal space, subsequently entering the abdominal cavity, forming free gas beneath the diaphragm... This is called pneumoperitoneum,” she concluded.

Doctor Gong fell silent. The strange, unheard-of terminology aside, the skill and accuracy with which she pointed out locations on the human body astonished him; his mind was rapidly committing her explanation to memory.

They weren't entirely unfamiliar with Madam Qi, having seen descriptions in documents, which evoked some surprise but mostly indifference. There were many people who claimed to have secret formulas effective against specific ailments; such people barely qualified as doctors.

But at this moment, he completely dismissed that thought. Elder Li and his family cared little for how the condition arose; they only cared if it was cured.

“So, is the gas still in my stomach?” Elder Li asked. “I have already drawn it out,” Qi Yue replied with a smile.

Elder Li vaguely remembered words he heard while unconscious. He instinctively reached down to touch his abdomen.

Doctor Gong also recalled the moment. “How did you extract it?” he blurted out.

That was his abdomen, a person’s body—extracting something from the inside... Qi Yue was about to answer when Dong Lin cleared his throat.

Hah! That was his master’s secret manual!

Although he didn’t know it yet, it absolutely could not be revealed to outsiders! Doctor Gong quickly understood.

Asking about the diagnosis was fine, but asking how she treated it touched upon the secrets of medicine. Qi Yue hadn’t caught the subtlety.

“I used a specialized syringe,” she answered casually. “But explaining the technique of extraction isn't something that can be covered in a day or two.” She hoped the doctor wouldn't press further; she genuinely didn't have the time to lecture them.

Doctor Gong naturally did not ask again. Qi Yue breathed a sigh of relief, gave a few more instructions, comforted the patient and the family, and then bid farewell.

The sky was already darkening. The Li family insisted she stay for dinner, but Qi Yue smilingly refused.

Finally, Li Tong was given a meaningful look and sent out again. “Thank you for your trouble, Madam.

We feel terrible if you don’t stay for a meal, and I wouldn't know how to face Brother Fan,” Li Tong said. “Him?

Just ignore him,” Qi Yue laughed. This single remark instantly bridged a gap, indicating a familiarity between the two that the other members of the Li family did not share.

The younger generation in the room all cast jealous glances at Li Tong. That boy really struck gold...

Perhaps that good-for-nothing young master of the Fan family could be useful sometimes after all. Perhaps they should try to befriend him later.

Li Tong tried to persuade her again. “Truly, another time.

I have matters to attend to,” Qi Yue said with a smile. I have matters to attend to...

As soon as she said that, no one tried to stop her anymore. Li Tong even subconsciously took a step back.

“Madam Qi, we thank you for your efforts. When you are free, you must grace us with your presence,” Elder Li stated.

“That is only natural,” Qi Yue replied with a smile. At this point, the First Master Li took a red packet from a servant and personally handed it to Qi Yue as he escorted her to the door.

“A small token of our esteem; please accept it for your hard work, Madam,” he said. Qi Yue smiled and accepted it without ceremony; Ah Ru, who was beside her, reached out to take it.

“First Master, please stop here. It is more important to ask the doctor about the post-treatment diet and regimen,” Qi Yue said, smiling.

Elder Li was only seen off by the steward once he reached the main gate. He turned back just as Doctor Gong finished preparing the prescription nearby.

First Master Li stepped forward, symbolically tucking the blanket corner around his father, and quietly inquired if anything else was needed. Elder Li, weakened by his illness, closed his eyes to conserve his energy.

Just as First Master Li motioned for everyone to withdraw, he opened his eyes. “Who invited Madam Qi?” he asked.

Because he had the lowest seniority and was standing near the door, Li Tong had already stepped outside. Upon Elder Li’s question, he was hurriedly pulled back and pushed in front of the elder.

This was perhaps the closest Li Tong had ever been to his grandfather. He nervously lowered his head.

Elder Li looked at him, having absolutely no memory of him, and frowned slightly. This child didn't even introduce himself.

Did he expect his grandfather to admit in front of so many people that he didn’t know his own grandson’s name? Luckily, Li Tong was slow-witted, but his father was sharp.

“Tong’er, answer your grandfather,” the First Master Li commanded in a low voice. Li Tong snapped back to awareness, and Elder Li nodded.

“Tong Ge'er, was it you who sought out Madam Qi through an introduction?” he asked. Li Tong quickly affirmed.

“You encountered Madam Qi just as she arrived in the capital—what great luck for me,” Elder Li mused. Li Tong stood there mutely, unsure what to say.

The First Master Li quickly stepped in. “Since learning of Father’s grave illness, this child has been worried day and night, constantly seeking a famous doctor, which is how he chanced upon Madam Qi upon her arrival in the capital, isn't that right, Tong’er?

How many days had Madam Qi been in the capital then?” he prompted. “It was the third day,” Li Tong replied.

Elder Li hummed in acknowledgment, seeming to tire quickly, and lowered his gaze without speaking further. A maid brought in the medicine from outside.

First Master Li moved to take it. “How old are you?

Let the younger ones handle these tasks,” Elder Li said, glancing at the standing figure of Li Tong. “Tong Ge, take this medicine to your uncle and serve me.” Serving someone was sometimes the job of a servant, but at other times, it was a mark of favor, an honor.

For instance, offering clothing or administering medicine—only those of direct lineage, trusted and favored, were allowed to do this. Even Li Tong’s own father had never received such an opportunity.

At this very moment, with that simple request, Elder Li bestowed this privilege upon a fourth-branch illegitimate son whose name most people hadn't even known previously. Everyone present had the immediate thought that from this day forward, no one in the household would be ignorant of Li Tong’s name.

Li Tong, pushed forward by his father, blankly took the bowl of medicine offered by his elder uncle and sat blankly on the stool beside the bed. While a room full of envious eyes watched, he spooned the medicine into his grandfather’s mouth, bite by bite.

The fortune came so quickly that if Li Tong hadn't had a sudden surge of composure, in his dazed state, he might have ended up feeding the medicine into the old man's nose. Qi Yue would neither know nor care about the events unfolding in that room.

Under the respectful guidance of the steward, she reached the entrance. “Open the main gate!

Open the main gate!” the gatekeepers, having been previously instructed, commanded loudly. The massive gates creaked open, startling the two men who had just arrived at the threshold.

“Your E—” A stout man with a small mustache grabbed the arm of the man next to him, about to shout. The man beside him, wrapped in a cloak of dark gold that concealed his entire face and head, appeared tall.

As the stout man began to speak, the cloaked man nudged him sharply with his elbow. The stout man choked back half of his shout.

“...The main gate is open! They must know—” The rest of the words finally came out.

The main gate of a high official or noble was not opened casually. The cloaked man was clearly surprised as well.

He tilted his head slightly, and the light from the lamps illuminated his thin lips and high nose bridge. Then he saw a woman emerge, shimmering radiantly under the four large lamps.

Remember to tune in tomorrow night at nine sharp! Thank you to the new alliance leader, Ling Xue Ai.

Thank you, thank you, deeply grateful. RS