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Fei Qian spoke frankly to the elderly physician, "...To be honest, I have never formally studied medicine."
The young physician standing nearby widened his eyes in disbelief. How could this be?
Someone who had never studied medicine could write medical records more detailed than their own? Had all their years of training been for nothing?
The young physician's astonishment was understandable. After all, Cang Gong (Chunyu Yi) was considered the pioneer of medical record-keeping in Chinese medicine. Throughout his life, he meticulously documented every patient he treated, leaving behind valuable references for future generations. The Chunyu family had faithfully upheld this tradition ever since...
Yet, their records were nowhere near as detailed as Fei Qian's. His notes were vivid, as if the symptoms were right before one's eyes, and they were systematically categorized for clarity.
The elderly physician nodded as he read through the records before finally saying, "In that case, both of you, please follow me."
Fei Qian and Huang Zhong trailed behind the elderly physician as they made their way to the inner hall. Before they even reached it, they could hear the sound of an argument.
"...How can you prescribe such a dosage of aconite? While it can restore yang, rescue from collapse, and reinforce fire to support yang, its toxicity is severe—it must not be overused!" said an aged voice.
A middle-aged voice retorted, "Diseases arise from exposure to summer heat, dampness, wind, cold, rain, or dew. When external toxins invade the yang defenses, the pores open and close irregularly, and improper diet leads to internal accumulation of toxins. Thus, aconite can be used to expel cold and eliminate pathogens, as its qi is potent and dispersing. This patient has suffered from cold toxins for ten years, making it precisely suitable..."
The elderly physician stepped in and interrupted, "Boju, Zhongjing, let's pause your debate for now. Take a look at this first—what do you think?"
Zhongjing?
Fei Qian's ears perked up. Could this be Zhang Zhongjing? But why was Zhang Zhongjing in Luoyang? In his memory, wasn't Zhang Zhongjing supposed to be in Changsha?
After a brief introduction, it was confirmed—this was indeed the renowned Zhang Zhongjing!
Soon, Fei Qian's medical records were being passed around and scrutinized by the two men in the inner hall.
In ancient times, medicine was still grouped under the broader category of "Fang Ji" (方技), which included four schools: medical classics, prescriptions, bedroom arts, and divine immortality.
By the Han Dynasty, medicine had only just begun to separate from Fang Ji and was still in the process of forming its own school. This was why medical prescriptions ("Yao Fang") emerged. Ancient alchemists often relied on extraordinary imagination and mystical theories, but these methods became increasingly unsuitable for clinical practice. Thus, during the Han Dynasty, medicine gradually shifted from theoretical schools to clinical practice.
For clinical medicine, the most crucial aspect was detailed documentation—records of pathologies, prescriptions, and patient reactions. These individualized observations formed the foundation of clinical medicine.
As one of the earliest pioneers of clinical medicine, Zhang Zhongjing was deeply intrigued by Fei Qian's records. As he flipped through them, he nodded repeatedly, finally exclaiming, "After reading these medical notes, I feel that all my previous records are but worthless scraps!"
The elderly physician beside him nodded in agreement. As a senior practitioner of the Chunyu family, he was also a staunch advocate of clinical medicine, which was why he got along so well with Zhang Zhongjing—they discussed prescriptions and dosages rather than vague theories of yin-yang and deficiency-excess.
Zhang Zhongjing pointed to a particular line in the records and read aloud, "Symptoms of coughing... worsens in cold, severe in mornings and nights, sometimes intermittent, accompanied by wheezing... This indicates wind-cold invasion penetrating the lung meridian... Brilliant! Who wrote this?"
Upon learning it was Fei Qian, he immediately stepped forward, grasped Fei Qian's hand, and asked, "This... ah, Young Master Fei, under whose tutelage did you study?"
In ancient China, medical education followed a master-apprentice system. The master was the core of medical training, and disciples typically studied under a single teacher for life. Thus, one's master determined the content, research focus, and direction of a student's studies.
So, Zhang Zhongjing instinctively assumed Fei Qian had learned this method from a teacher.
"Haha, Zhongjing, you're mistaken!" The elderly physician who had brought Fei Qian laughed. "Young Master Fei did not study under an alchemist—he was a disciple of Court Counselor Cai Yong!"
You're getting off-topic here...
"Records are trivial—the patient's condition is what matters," Fei Qian interjected, gesturing to the notes. "This illness has persisted for years, with countless remedies tried, yet it keeps recurring. The coughing is incessant, the body weak, unable to endure long journeys. In desperation, I resorted to this method to seek help from renowned physicians... A child is the flesh of their parents' heart. Seeing them suffer, one would gladly bear the pain in their stead... I humbly beg for your assistance."
With that, Fei Qian clasped his hands and bowed deeply.
Beside him, Huang Zhong's eyes welled with tears as he mirrored the gesture.
Fei Qian's words brought solemn expressions to the three physicians' faces. They huddled together, carefully reviewing the previous prescriptions and symptoms, occasionally murmuring exchanges of opinion...
It was almost reminiscent of a modern medical consultation!
Fei Qian glanced at Huang Zhong, who was craning his neck, hands clenched, face tense with anxiety, beads of sweat forming on his forehead...
"Hansheng, try to stay calm," Fei Qian reassured him quietly. "Your son is surely under divine protection..." Truthfully, Fei Qian hadn't been entirely confident before arriving, but seeing Zhang Zhongjing eased half his worries.
Zhang Zhongjing was hailed as the founder of Shanghan school. He integrated theory with prescriptions, emphasizing clinical symptoms while tirelessly treating common folk, accumulating vast practical experience. His Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases later became a foundational text of Chinese medicine, establishing the principles of syndrome differentiation and treatment. It was revered as a classic, giving rise to the long-standing, influential Shanghan school.
Though Zhang Zhongjing had yet to become the governor of Changsha, his theoretical knowledge was undoubtedly solid. Combined with the expertise of the elderly Chunyu family physicians in Luoyang, Fei Qian was hopeful for a favorable outcome...
"If my son recovers," Huang Zhong whispered to Fei Qian, "I shall never forget your kindness, Ziyuan."
At that moment, the three physicians seemed to reach a conclusion. They approached Fei Qian and Huang Zhong.
Zhang Zhongjing glanced at the other two, deferring to the eldest to speak first.
The older physician who had been debating prescriptions earlier chuckled. "This condition is precisely your specialty, Zhongjing. No need for modesty."
The physician who had brought them in also urged, "Go ahead, Zhongjing."
"Very well, I shall presume to speak first. Please correct any oversights," Zhang Zhongjing said before turning to Fei Qian and Huang Zhong. "This illness originally belonged to acute cold damage, but due to delayed treatment, the cold pathogens deeply infiltrated the lung meridian, causing chronic coughing that worsens in cold and eases in warmth... The lung meridian has been impaired for too long, losing its nourishing function and depleting qi and blood. Thus, conventional remedies have lost their efficacy..."
Huang Zhong's face paled as he listened. Did this mean there was no cure?