Zhang Wen also arrived upon hearing the news, followed by Dong Zhuo, seemingly wanting to see how to treat the toothache.
After all, toothaches were a problem that was unsolvable here. Neither Chang'an nor Luoyang had any doctors who could cure toothaches; one could only endure it, and once a toothache started, it wouldn't go away.
"What are you doing here? The doctor is treating me. You should go and drink and wait," Madam Zhang said, not wanting anyone to see her with her mouth agape, so she ruthlessly shooed her away. This was still giving her some face; if she hadn't, her words would probably have been much harsher.
Zhang Wen felt quite embarrassed. He had only come to take a look out of curiosity, but he hadn't expected to be chased away by his wife. It was truly humiliating.
Dong Zhuo was also feeling a bit ashamed, annoyed but unable to retaliate, since he was in the wrong.
Lu Ming, however, had a quick wit and spoke up to extricate them from their predicament. "You must have come to ask if there's anything you need to prepare. Lord Sikong is also concerned about your wife. This is my uncle; he's the one who recommended me to treat your wife."
"Well, in that case, there's nothing for you to do here. You may leave now." Madam Zhang seemed quite shrewd, dismissing her husband with a few words.
Women who could dominate their husbands at home were not uncommon, though most were virtuous and gentle.
From the Western Han Dynasty onwards, female dominance had always existed. Emperor Wu of Han's mother was also a second-marriage woman, having dumped her ex-husband to become a sex slave in the palace.
Many ministers were also initially kicked out by their wives; given the encouragement of childbirth, this was not uncommon.
Zhang Wen and Dong Zhuo bowed and took their leave. If Lu Ming hadn't spoken up, they would have been truly embarrassed. They felt some gratitude towards Lu Ming; this young man was capable and knew how to conduct himself!
"Madam, please rinse your mouth with warm water first to clean your oral cavity, then we can begin." Lu Ming took out simple treatment tools; this was a basic treatment method.
He cleaned, disinfected, and relieved the pain in the cavity, then sealed it.
After a period of time, he would begin the filling—almost a modern procedure.
It was just more troublesome, after all, in ancient times.
Madam Zhang began to follow Lu Ming's instructions, rinsing her mouth, lying down, and opening her mouth.
Opening her mouth in front of a strange man was a very uncomfortable and shameful thing.
It was only because the toothache was unbearable that she agreed.
That's how people are; unless they're desperate, they generally won't do things they don't want to do.
Lu Ming's treatment method was simple: he tapped on the cavity with something, then asked if it hurt, confirming the location of the tooth.
He then used his diagnostic skills, followed by a simple loading screen; he didn't need to handle the details, as the skill would take care of them.
Madam Zhang initially felt pain, but as Lu Ming treated her, the pain gradually subsided, though the area that had previously hurt felt slightly burning.
Half an hour later, Lu Ming got up and went to wash his hands at the nearby basin. "Alright, Madam, I'm going to seal it with medication now. In two weeks, I'll do a more intensive treatment to fill in the missing part of your tooth. In your case, the missing tooth irritated the flesh, causing the pain. Do you feel less pain now?"
Madam Zhang moved her lips and, finding that the pain had indeed lessened, exclaimed with delight, "It doesn't hurt! It doesn't hurt! It really doesn't hurt! Doctor, you're amazing!"
Lu Ming smiled and shook his head, gesturing for her to lie down. He then took out a… He applied some ointment to her mouth, then put it in her mouth a few times. "This is just initial treatment; it needs to be treated further. If it's not treated, it will relapse in less than a month. Curing an illness requires a complete cure, which takes a little longer, but as long as it's completely cured and you're no longer bothered, it's all worth it. A toothache isn't a disease, but when it hurts, it's excruciating."
"Ah, um, thank you very much, doctor. I've prepared some small gifts; I hope you'll accept them." Madam Zhang was shrewd. Lu Ming was still young, and she'd heard he was a veteran of the battlefield. Such a person, coupled with his recent merit in suppressing the rebellion, if someone were to mentor him, his future would be limitless!
"Madam is too kind. There's no need for small gifts. If you know any friends or other officials who are suffering from illnesses, please introduce me to them. To be honest, we're planning to raise some funds, which we might need in Luoyang." Lu Ming's words were rather veiled, mentioning his motives for making money, but not explicitly stating the intended use.
Buying and selling official positions—this was not a respectable thing. Only Emperor Ling of Han would do something like that; he truly disregarded face, caring only for the substance!
Madam Zhang smiled upon hearing this and sat up straight. "Doctor, you are truly honest. Few people speak to me like you. Very well, I agree to your request. You can come to me with anything; there's nothing in Chang'an I can't handle."
"Thank you, Madam. Is there anything else that bothers you?" Lu Ming thanked her, maintaining his gentle smile. A good first impression was crucial to maximizing his gains.
His medical skills and pharmaceutical blueprint allowed him to use treating illnesses as a starting point to enter the circle of nobles, but he would need to cultivate the relationship carefully afterward.
Having had the initial experience of treating her, and feeling ashamed to have spoken up before, Madam Zhang frankly admitted, "Sometimes my stomach hurts a lot, and it happens for a few days every month. Doctor, do you have any way to treat this?"
Menstruation was indeed a rather shameful matter for women, something they were very reluctant to discuss in ancient history. However, Madam Zhang thought that since she had already seen it, she might as well see more.
Lu Ming pondered for a moment, then said softly, "This requires further examination to see if there are any injuries or internal blockages. It would require seeing the abdomen, which is really inconvenient."
Hearing this, Madam Zhang looked at Lu Ming with some surprise. If he hadn't mentioned it beforehand, she wouldn't have known. "Why don't other doctors need to do this?"
"That's why I can treat difficult and complicated illnesses, while they can't. Even a cure requires knowing the location of the illness, and because of the constraints of etiquette, sometimes the conclusions are inaccurate, and therefore a complete cure cannot be achieved," Lu Ming explained earnestly. In reality, it wasn't necessary; he was just saying it that way on purpose.