Chapter 2, under the Duchy government

Pu Liuru Jian was overjoyed: "Thank you so much, Divine Doctor. There is plenty of ginseng in the mansion. Quickly, Yuan Zhao, go and bring out the best ginseng from the mansion."

"Indeed, indeed, it was that scoundrel Yu Wen Shi who struck my elder brother on the head with a stone, causing him to fall into a coma." The boy in the underground knelt on the ground for a long time, his legs already numb. At this moment, upon hearing the newly appointed doctor mention the cause of his elder brother's illness, he hurriedly interjected, rubbed his knees, and attempted to rise from the ground.

Upon mentioning her eldest son, the Dugu matriarch immediately ceased to pay attention to the little boy. Although she dotes on her second son, the one lying on the bed is, after all, her biological child. She turned to Xu Yinzong and asked, "Xu Divine Doctor, if my son has injured his head, what dangers might he face, and when will he be able to wake up?"

Upon hearing that there was still hope for their son, the Dugu family managed to contain their emotions. Xu Yinzong had no choice but to remain in the Duke's residence, administering acupuncture to Xuan Difa every day. The Duke's household prepared high-quality ginseng soup daily to nourish Xuan Difa. Although he had not yet awakened, his complexion showed signs of improvement, which greatly increased the confidence of the Duke and his wife in Xu Yinzong.

Yuan Zhou let out a sigh of relief, quickly placing the lamp on the table, thinking to himself, if you don't say anything, who would know whether you need it or not

Xu Yinzong's hand did not stop at all; a silver needle had already been inserted into the brain of Xian Difa, penetrating several inches deep. The Dugu clan member was so frightened that he let out a loud scream

Perhaps the eldest son will forget some things after he wakes up

Xu Yinzong shook his head: "Madam, this depends on the fortune of the young master. Perhaps there is no danger at all, and the young master will be fine upon waking up, or perhaps..."

Pu Liuru Jian let out a sound of "Oh," sighed deeply, and reflected on the names of people and the shadows of trees. Although Pu Liuru Jian had never witnessed such a method of treatment before, he chose to trust Xu Yinzong. If it were someone else, daring to insert a long silver needle into his son's head, they would immediately be executed.

In the room were only the Duke and his wife, along with their family general, Yuan Zhao. At this time, it was still early, far from the hour for lighting lamps. Although Yuan Zhao did not know why Xu Yinzong needed the lamp, he hurriedly lit one and placed it on the table

Xu Yinzong carefully took out the silver needle from the box, helped the eldest son on the bed to sit up, and said: "Light the lamp"

Xu Yinzong picked up the silver needle and heated it over the lamp several times, then aimed to insert it into the eldest young master's head. Pu Liuru, who had been silently observing Xu Yinzong's actions, was suddenly startled and quickly intervened: "Doctor Xu, what are you doing?"

Xu Yinzong looked at Yuan Zhao with a strange expression and said, "I don't need it anymore, why are you still holding the lamp?"

Upon seeing the appearance of the Duke and his wife, Xu Yinzong quickly explained: "Your Grace, Madam, your son has sustained a head injury. I suspect that there is a blockage of blood in the meridians, which has caused him to fall into a state of unconsciousness. I need to use silver needles to help clear the meridians and to extract the stagnant blood from your son's brain, so that he may regain consciousness."

This cry is heart-wrenching. The Dugu family has always favored this son, and feeling a pang of compassion, she was about to call him to rise. However, the Duke of Sui interjected, saying: "Do not concern yourself with this beast. Let him kneel and reflect on the suffering he has caused, leaving him unaware of life and death."

Xu Yinzong was taken aback. If a single word from him could incite turmoil within the court, it would be a serious matter. He quickly waved his hand and said, "Your Excellency, Madam, there is no need to panic. Although the young master is gravely injured, there is still hope for him to awaken. However, I fear that I will have to administer acupuncture continuously, and during this time, since the young master cannot eat, it is essential to use high-quality ginseng to sustain his life."

Dugu's heart suddenly tightened. Although Xuan Di Fa was the eldest son, he did not receive much affection from her. The eldest son was honest and kind, which was at odds with the behavior of the Xianbei people. In contrast, A Mo was handsome and extraordinary in appearance, exceptionally intelligent, eager to learn, and had a wide range of interests, embodying the strengths of both the Xianbei and Han people. From the moment he was born, he was loved by both parents, and this affection remained unchanged even with the birth of the third, fourth, and fifth sons. Now, with the eldest son's life hanging by a thread, she recalled that it was all A Mo's fault. Unable to contain herself, she raised her hand, ready to strike A Mo, who was kneeling on the ground.

The little boy took the opportunity to climb up from the ground, nestled into the embrace of the Dugu family, and obediently said: "Mother, I understand now, my brother will definitely be fine"

Xu Yinzong, however, was not satisfied and said, "Bring the lamp over here"

"There is no rush, no rush." Upon hearing Xu Yinzong say this, everyone could only wait patiently

Yuan Zhou relit the lamp on the table, while Xu Yinzong had already begun to extract needles from the head of the Xuan Di Fa. Each time he took out a needle, Xu Yinzong would examine it before placing it back into the wooden box. When he reached for the needle in the middle, as soon as it was extracted, a thin stream of black blood slowly flowed from the head of the Xuan Di Fa. Xu Yinzong carefully inspected it, wiped away the black blood with silk, and then took another needle. After extracting more than ten silver needles, several of them were covered in black blood.

Dugu felt that her son had become much more sensible, and her heart was filled with comfort, which in turn alleviated her sorrow by more than half

Du Gu's heart suddenly tightened: "What does it mean that Doctor Xu will never wake up again?"

Pu Liuru could only watch Xu Yinzong; if her son truly had no hope, then what harm would it do to risk offending the emperor in order to fulfill the lady's request

Xu Yinzong comforted, "Madam, do not worry. This is the worst-case scenario, and I will do my utmost to awaken the young master."

"Shut your mouth and kneel down," Pu Liuru Jian shouted loudly at the boy, "If it weren't for your mischief, how could your elder brother be in a coma?"

How is it? The silver needle has been removed, yet the patient remains completely still. Dugu hurriedly inquired.

Amo looked up, his face covered in tears, showing no signs of avoidance, and instead welcomed the moment, gazing at the tears on his son's small face. The heart of the Dugu family softened once again, and the hand that had fallen turned into a gentle caress, wiping away the tears on his face. In a soft voice, she said: "Amo, do not easily cause trouble in the future. You see, every time before, it was your brother who took on the responsibility for you. You must pray for your brother to wake up soon, and you should always respect him in the future, do you understand?"

"Divine Doctor, when will you be able to remove these things from my son's head?" A person had over a dozen silver needles inserted into their head, a sight that was too frightening. Seeing Xu Yinzong stop, the Dugu clan could not help but ask.

After a long while, Xu Yinzong finally withdrew his hand from the pulse examination and said: "Your Excellency, the eldest son may have suffered a head injury, which has led to his unconsciousness"

That's fine. Dugu thought to himself that it was nothing to be concerned about

The boy gazed at the Duchess Dugu, tears streaming down his face, and cried out: "Mother"

Yuwen Shi is the youngest son of the former Ming Emperor and the nephew of the current Wu Emperor. Pu Liuru Jian is aware that if she does not stop the Dugu family, they might truly carry out such an act. The Dugu family has a young daughter who has been favored since childhood. Considering the combined strength of the Pu and Dugu families, even if they were to capture and kill Yuwen Shi, the Emperor would at most only reprimand Pu Liuru Jian. He would not risk his own life by provoking a rebellion from the Pu and Dugu families just to avenge his nephew.

Over there, Xu Yinzong has opened the medicine box he brought, and from the box, he took out an exquisite flat wooden case. As soon as the case was opened, a layer of silk was revealed inside. Xu Yinzong carefully lifted the silk, and underneath it lay a dozen long needles glimmering with silver light.

Ah! Yuan Zhou quickly responded, bringing the lamp in front of Xu Yinzong

The room fell silent all at once, with no one speaking. The lamp on the table grew increasingly bright, while the sky outside gradually darkened. It was not until the sky was completely dark that Xu Yinzong said, "Alright, bring the lamp over."

"What should we do?" The Duke and Duchess immediately became tense

Xu Yinzong shook his head, and the Dugu clan was immediately taken aback, losing their composure as they said: "There is no hope?" A surge of intense hatred welled up in her heart, "Whoever harmed my son, I will not let them go. That Luo Ting (the childhood name of the Duke of Sui) should gather the troops of our duke's residence and capture Yu Wen Shi to take revenge for Xian Di."

Yuan Zhou stood by the bed, holding the lamp high, not daring to move, fearing that Xu Yinzong would need it at any moment. Even though he was a valiant and skilled military general, he could not endure maintaining this posture for long. In the early March weather, Yuan Zhou soon began to sweat profusely, the drops falling to the ground with a patter.

Xu Yinzong did not dare to say that the boy on the bed might suffer from intellectual impairment and become an idiot. He paused and said: "Your Excellency, Madam, there is one most serious possibility, which is that the eldest son may never wake up again"

Xu Yinzong inserted the silver needles with great speed, taking them from the box and briefly warming them over the lamp before inserting them into Xian Difa's head. In a short while, all the silver needles from the box were embedded in Xian Difa's head, causing it to shimmer with a silvery light, resembling a hedgehog.