Chapter 18: Blood Mansion Decoction for Dispelling Stasis

Inside the clinic, several imperial physicians took turns examining the father of Song Lao San—checking his pulse, inspecting his tongue coating, and so forth. No one could have imagined that he would recover overnight. This was a stroke, a life-threatening ailment, yet his recovery was astonishingly swift.

“Although there is still a slight blood stasis on the tongue coating, to recover this quickly is nothing short of a miracle,” remarked Zhou Taifu, who recognized that this miraculous recovery was thanks to Su Chen’s miraculous elixir. Without the “An Gong Niu Huang Wan” pill, Song Lao San’s father would never have improved so rapidly.

Many imperial physicians marveled at the potency of this medicine. Having taken only two pills yesterday, the patient was already mostly recovered. Su Chen also conducted an examination and confirmed that the progress was remarkable. As long as the treatment continued, full recovery might be achieved within a few days. Afterward, some ordinary medicines would suffice to fully cure Song Lao San’s father.

Song Lao San followed closely beside Su Chen, feeling a deep debt of gratitude—his father’s life had been saved by this man, and without Su Chen’s help, he wouldn’t even know how to manage the clinic’s affairs.

“Master, please let me stay. I heard you need some craftsmen. I am a craftsman myself and can do physical labor,” Song Lao San said earnestly.

It turned out that Song Lao San had always made a living through his craft—whether forging iron or building houses, he was capable despite being unlettered but quite clever. Su Chen appraised him thoughtfully. Since Song Lao San’s father owed his life to him and understood the value of the precious medicine, it was only natural he wanted to repay the kindness.

After some contemplation, Su Chen nodded in agreement. “Very well, come work with me. But I will pay you a wage—you need not refuse that. I have conditions.”

Song Lao San initially wanted to repay Su Chen through labor alone, without wages, but Su Chen refused. The cost of an extra worker’s wages was minimal to him, and more importantly, Su Chen planned many undertakings where loyalty mattered far more than money.

Overwhelmed, Song Lao San knelt down repeatedly, bowing his head. “Master, as long as you allow me to repay you, I will agree to any condition.”

He accepted without even hearing what the conditions were. Su Chen found him sincere; otherwise, he would not have kept him.

In reality, Su Chen’s demands were not excessive: Song Lao San must bring his entire family over and never disclose anything about their work or the clinic to outsiders—not a word—under penalty of severe consequences. “If you can abide by these terms, you can stay here, and I will grant you prosperity,” Su Chen declared clearly.

Song Lao San bowed again, grateful beyond measure. His father’s life was saved without any charge, and now he had a place to stay, work, and receive decent wages. Naturally, he was elated.

Su Chen then dismissed him and arranged for someone to guide him to the distillery workshop.

The clinic doors opened once more, and crowds streamed in as usual. Many had witnessed Song Lao San’s father’s stroke the previous day—his face distorted and mouth askew—but today, seeing him nearly normal, the townsfolk marveled aloud.

“This medicine is truly miraculous. Yesterday he was unconscious; today his complexion is rosy and healthy,” the commoners exclaimed in wonder.

Among them, Cheng Chumo pushed through the crowd. After returning home that night, he had spoken to his father, Cheng Yaojin, about Su Chen’s remarkable skill. Cheng Yaojin was unconcerned but decided to grant Su Chen a place to display his wine in their tavern. Normally, a merchant would be charged rent for a booth, but Su Chen would be exempt.

“Brother, I told my father last night. He’s arranged a spot for you. Once your wine is ready, you can sell it in our tavern,” Cheng Chumo hurriedly relayed the news, which Su Chen had already anticipated.

Cheng Yaojin cared little for his tavern; it was a minor source of income for the Cheng family, and the ten percent profit Su Chen offered was not a serious consideration.

“Good—that will be the first source of income,” Su Chen said. With a place to sell, his wine would not go unsold. Fine wine always finds a market.

That day, Su Chen also planned to visit Li Jing’s household.

“I will write a prescription. You prepare several doses for Song Lao San’s father to drink and wrap three packages for me to take away,” Su Chen instructed as he quickly wrote on paper.

Upon hearing that Su Chen was prescribing medicine, Zhou Taifu and the other imperial physicians grew excited. Every prescription Su Chen wrote seemed miraculous, with remarkable effects that ordinary doctors could not match.

Once finished, the physicians eagerly stepped forward to analyze the prescription.

“Peach kernel, safflower, angelica, prepared rehmannia, chuanxiong...” they hurriedly named the ingredients.

This prescription used no rare or expensive herbs—only common ones—but the simplicity revealed a unique brilliance. Safflower was used to break up blood stasis, while angelica nourished the blood. The peach kernel and chuanxiong followed this principle.

“What a fine formula! Since Song Lao San’s father still has blood stasis on his tongue, this recipe will surely cleanse it,” the physicians studied the prescription intently.

They realized the ingenuity of this formula: it simultaneously breaks up blood stasis and nourishes the blood, clearing the stagnation without harming the patient’s body. Though lacking costly ingredients, the combination was exceptionally skillful.

“This is Xuefu Zhuyu Tang, known for its extraordinary effect on blood stasis and even clearing old blood stasis from prior injuries,” one remarked.

This formula came from the esteemed medical scholar Wang Qingren’s “Medical Forest Correction.” Wang Qingren was a medical genius; his book contained only thirty-six prescriptions, each a classic that corrected earlier medical errors—a remarkable achievement.

Xuefu Zhuyu Tang was famously effective, and as the imperial physicians examined its components, they appreciated its subtle artfulness.

“Wonderful—the name fits perfectly. ‘Xuefu Zhuyu Tang’—a formula focused on removing blood stasis,” Zhou Taifu and the others diligently recorded the prescription.

To the layman, this was mere spectacle; to experts, it was a treasure. These physicians recognized the quality of the formula.

“Chumo, come with me. It’s time to visit Uncle Li,” Su Chen said without hesitation. He had no need to hide knowledge—let them remember what they could. He had mastered far more than they could ever hope to learn.

With the clinic entrusted to Zhou Taifu and the others, Su Chen took the medicines, accompanied by Cheng Chumo, and set off toward Li Jing’s residence.