Chapter Five: Diagnosis and Treatment

Inside the thatched cottage, Bamboo Shadow watched anxiously as Du Thirteen lay unconscious on the bed. The young master’s illness had miraculously abated, but now his lady, after being caught in the rain, was feverish and unable to awaken despite sweating under layers of quilts.

She had suggested fetching a physician, but Du Shiyi merely glanced at her flushed cheeks and shook his head, his reasoning irrefutable. “Don’t be stubborn. Look at your own reflection—your cheeks are as red as hers. You’ve gone out twice in this downpour; she may be feverish from the cold, but you’re no better. If you collapse midway and happen not to meet kindly souls as before, wouldn’t you be like a lamb thrown to wolves?”

Yet now, after Du Shiyi checked Du Thirteen’s pulse and asked her to fetch the set of silver needles, Bamboo Shadow felt even more bewildered. The Du family and the Lu clan of Fanyang had intermarried for generations; Du Shiyi and Du Thirteen’s mother both hailed from Lu, and the silver needles were a gift from an elder cousin, said to have belonged to the Medicine King Sun Simiao himself. They’d brought the needles along with other treasures from home, for Du Thirteen, in saving Du Shiyi, had given her most cherished heirloom to Master Tai Chong of Songyang Temple when all hope seemed lost.

Now she watched as Du Shiyi tested the needles for strength, then gently turned Du Thirteen over and inserted three needles at the back of her neck, deftly twisting them. Unable to contain her astonishment, she finally asked, “Young master, where did you learn this acupuncture?”

“In a dream,” Du Shiyi replied, not raising his head. He then withdrew another needle from a leather pouch, took Du Thirteen’s left hand from beneath the quilt, found the appropriate point, and inserted the needle. He repeated the process on her right hand. After some time, he removed the needles, carefully turned her back, and tucked her in. Then, turning to Bamboo Shadow, he said, “Show me your right hand.”

Obediently, she extended her hand, only to feel him take her pulse. Embarrassed, she lowered her head; though a maid since childhood, she had never been so close to a man. If not for the disaster that struck the Du household and Du Shiyi’s subsequent illness, she would never have needed to serve him so intimately, from washing to helping him with his most basic needs. Stifling her unease, she heard his voice beside her ear.

“You’re suffering from a cold fever, same as Thirteen. Your symptoms are milder, but you’ll need a few needles as well, lest the chill invade your body and worsen.”

“Master, it’s just a minor illness. Resting overnight will surely cure it!”

“Sit down! That’s an order, not a request. If you fall ill, am I to cook and wash for both of you?”

His tone brooked no argument, so Bamboo Shadow sat upright, tense and solemn. She felt his hand slip down her collar, and her whole body stiffened. When the needle pierced her skin, she felt an inexplicable shudder. Moments later, his hand gently patted her shoulder.

“You’re so tense—how can I needle you properly?”

At his admonition, she relaxed a little, and he swiftly inserted needles at both Wind Gate points. When he moved before her and inserted the final two needles at her wrists, he glanced up and saw her trembling, eyes fixed on him in panic. Noticing his gaze, she dropped her eyes like a startled fawn, as if engrossed in counting the dry grass and twigs on the floor. He was amused and exasperated.

Just as he was about to needle himself as a precaution, he heard a familiar voice from outside.

“Is Young Master Du inside?”

---

Bamboo Shadow instinctively tried to rise, but Du Shiyi barked, “Don’t move—the needles are still in you. I’ll answer the door.”

With a weary step, he opened the door to find several people beyond the fence. At their head was Sima Blackcloud, who had recently lent their party rain gear and escorted them home. The others were attendants carrying various boxes.

The only one in Daoist robes, a middle-aged man with a slender face and a faint smile, stood out among them. He nodded courteously at Du Shiyi, who, though unsure of their purpose, stepped outside calmly.

“I thought our paths would cross again only by chance, but here you are, Sima.”

The gate stood ajar, but neither Sun Zifang nor Sima Blackcloud nor their attendants stepped inside. When Du Shiyi opened it, Sima Blackcloud smiled.

“I hadn’t expected to return so soon. After I got back, I questioned those at the temple: the one Du Lady begged for treatment was Master Sun of Songyang Temple. He returned with my lord and, hearing of your miraculous recovery and the siblings’ exposure to rain, had me lead him here.”

So this was the famed Sun Tai Chong, whom Du Thirteen had implored, even knelt before in the rain, to treat her brother?

Du Shiyi’s eyes flickered. The slender Daoist nodded again; though Du Shiyi had just performed acupuncture for Du Thirteen and Bamboo Shadow, with such a renowned physician at his door, he would not turn him away. Moreover, acupuncture had been a temporary measure; if medicine could be provided, he would not have resorted to it.

He bowed deeply. “So it is Master Sun. To have you travel here so soon is truly the compassion of a healer. My illness is no longer a concern, but my sister and maid have caught cold and fever from the rain. Yet the cottage is in disarray; I fear I may offend such distinguished guests.”

The praise was pleasing, and the polite refusal was merely courtesy. Sun Zifang laughed. “No matter. Since you said healers must show parental care, how can I, as a physician, pass the patient’s door and not enter?”

“In that case, allow me to tidy up first.”

Bamboo Shadow heard voices outside. When Du Shiyi returned, she tried to help tidy the rain gear and seats, but as soon as she moved, he shot her a glare. “Stay where you are and don’t speak until I say so!”

Once the cottage was ready, Sun Zifang and Sima Blackcloud came to the door. Remembering the cramped, humble furnishings, Sima Blackcloud offered, “Master Sun, since there are patients inside, I and the others will wait outside. Perhaps you and Young Master Du should enter together?”

Sun Zifang was about to agree, but Du Shiyi shook his head. “Sima is not a stranger. Please, come in as well.”

“Very well. The rest of you wait outside; Blackcloud, come with me.”

Though Du Shiyi wished Sima Blackcloud not to overhear certain matters, he realized the cottage’s thin walls would not muffle any words, so it was pointless to leave people outside. Sun Zifang nodded; Sima Blackcloud hesitated, then stepped inside at Du Shiyi’s invitation.

Sun Zifang surveyed the coarse furnishings and took stock. He saw Bamboo Shadow sitting upright, unmoving, and noted the two silver needles in her wrists. Judging by her bearing and dress, he did not mistake her for Du Shiyi’s sister.

“Young Master Du, where is the patient?”

---

“In the inner room.”

Du Shiyi checked the needles in Bamboo Shadow’s arms, signaling her to remain still, then led Sun Zifang past the screen to the east chamber. Sima Blackcloud remained silent in the outer room.

Sun Zifang seated himself before the bed, where a young girl, perhaps eleven or twelve, lay. Remembering her persistence in seeking treatment for her brother, even kneeling in the rain before Songyang Temple, he sighed inwardly. Du Shiyi brought out her hand from under the quilt, and Sun Zifang gently pressed two fingers to her wrist.

Her pulse was steady. He listened for her breathing, examined her complexion, and finally asked thoughtfully, “Judging by the maid outside, I suppose your sister was also needled. Was it you who performed the acupuncture? Which points did you use?”

“Wind Pool, left and right Wind Gate, left and right Crack Point.”

Sun Tai Chong’s face registered surprise. “Have you studied medicine or acupuncture before, Young Master Du?”

“I’ve only read a few medical books,” Du Shiyi replied calmly. “But when I was ill with that strange disease, I dreamt my late father needled my entire body and recited the essentials of acupuncture, said to be transmitted by the Lord of the Underworld. I managed to grasp a little, so when my sister and maid fell ill from the rain, I had to try my hand at it.”

Now Sun Zifang was truly astonished. He coughed gently. “May I check your pulse again, Young Master Du?”

“Please do.”

Du Shiyi extended his left hand without hesitation. Sun Zifang drew a deep breath and took the pulse with all seriousness. Having studied Daoism and medicine since youth, he had treated nobles and commoners alike and seen every kind of pulse. He could tell clearly that Du Shiyi’s pulse showed signs of deficiency, but that was expected after recovering from a severe illness. Privately intrigued, he withdrew his hand and smiled warmly.

“Congratulations, Young Master Du. Truly, the Lord of the Underworld has protected you; you needn’t worry anymore.”

Having returned to the cottage exhausted from the rain, Du Shiyi felt no signs of fever, so he had expected as much. With Sun Tai Chong confirming his recovery, he was finally relieved, his face showing genuine joy.

He bowed with a smile. “It is all thanks to my sister’s sincerity moving heaven and earth. Now I wish for nothing but her swift recovery. Master Sun, having checked her pulse, what is her condition?”

“Caught a fever from the rain, but if treated promptly, there’s no cause for concern. Your acupuncture was precise, and with a few days’ rest, she’ll recover. Just to be safe, I’ll leave a prescription; someone will bring the medicine later. Taken as directed, it should ensure her recovery.”