When Li Se first saw the mayor's wife, he sensed something was wrong. This was definitely not a simple intestinal problem. He had already suspected she might be afflicted by Gu, and after taking her pulse, it was confirmed.
However, he found it strange how she could have been afflicted by Gu so suddenly.
Because nowadays, people who can cast Gu are very few, not even commonly seen. Gu art is a type of witchcraft, also known as "bugs in the belly." In Traditional Chinese Medicine terms, it's a poison entering from the outside. Worms invade the human intestines and cause erosion, which is what "zhong Gu" means.
Legend says that the method to create poisonous Gu usually involves placing multiple highly venomous insects like snakes, scorpions, and centipedes into the same vessel, allowing them to gnaw on and kill each other. The only surviving venomous insect is then the Gu.
This is an extremely sinister witchcraft. Li Se had seen it mentioned in the records of his ancestors, and this was his first encounter.
"Doctor Li, how is it?" Elder Huang asked from the side.
Li Se said in a deep voice, "She's been afflicted by Gu."
Upon hearing this, Elder Huang's expression changed slightly. As a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, how could he not know about Gu affliction?
However, when Wang Xiang heard these words, he sneered, "Ridiculous, afflicted by Gu? You've watched too many TV dramas. You can't find a solution, so you've just made up an excuse?"
"Director Wang, don't always view things through your own limited perspective." Elder Huang snorted with displeasure. "Gu art is real. Even medical texts like 'Zhū Bìng Ér Hóu Lùn,' 'Qiān Jīn Fāng,' and 'Běn Cǎo Gāng Mù' contain detailed analyses of Gu affliction symptoms and treatment prescriptions. So, don't deny things you don't know. As doctors, we should be humble and accept."
Wang Xiang's face turned pale then flushed, but he dared not say anything more when refuted by Elder Huang, whose status was undeniable.
"Afflicted by Gu?" the mayor's wife asked with confusion. "How could I be afflicted by Gu?"
Li Se pondered for a moment and then asked, "Madam, did you happen to travel to Yunnan some time ago?"
"Yes!" the mayor's wife immediately nodded. "What does my trip to Yunnan have to do with this?"
"Gu art is mainly prevalent in the Yunnan region nowadays," Li Se said. After a moment's thought, he continued, "As for how you became afflicted, I'm not entirely sure. This kind of Gu art is usually man-made. Madam Mayor, I don't want to say anything more. You likely understand the grudges and enmities involved better than I do."
The mayor's wife's expression clearly shifted, and she didn't pursue the topic further. "Can it be cured?"
"Yes!" Li Se nodded, then looked at Wang Xiang and the others. "I'm about to begin acupuncture. To protect the patient's privacy, please leave!"
Wang Xiang immediately objected, "We are all doctors. Is there anything we can't see? Besides, you say she's afflicted by Gu, but our examination clearly indicated intestinal infection..."
Before he could finish, Li Se interrupted, "Then you treat it. Should I leave?"
Wang Xiang was speechless. It wasn't that it couldn't be treated, but using surgical methods would easily offend Mayor Ding.
The mayor's wife now had a degree of trust in Li Se. She looked up at Wang Xiang and said, "You all can leave. I'm willing to let this young doctor treat me."
The main reason was that Li Se had mentioned her recent trip to Yunnan, and his subsequent words made her realize something. Therefore, she was mostly certain that Li Se's diagnosis was not wrong.
"Doctor Li, are you confident?" Elder Huang couldn't help but ask. Although Traditional Chinese Medicine had ways to deal with Gu, honestly, very few TCM practitioners truly knew how to cure it. Even he could only manage to control it at best.
"Elder Huang, I am confident!" Li Se said with great assurance.
Elder Huang breathed a sigh of relief and didn't linger. He left with Director Tang and the others.
Meanwhile, at the hospital entrance, a black car pulled up. A man in his fifties, wearing an old-fashioned suit, stepped out of the car, accompanied by a secretary.
Before long, Director Tang and the others came out to greet them.
"Mayor Ding, please come in," Director Tang said respectfully.
Ding Peng glanced at everyone and asked anxiously as he walked, "How is my wife?"
"She is already undergoing treatment," Director Tang replied.
"Oh? Which renowned physician?" Ding Peng asked with some surprise. He looked around and saw that even Elder Huang was present, along with several authoritative doctors. He wondered which famous doctor was treating his wife.
"Mayor Ding, it's a TCM doctor, not very old, only around twenty years old," Wang Xiang immediately chimed in.
"Nonsense!" Ding Peng's expression changed drastically. "How can you let a twenty-something youngster treat my wife?"
"And they say she's afflicted by Gu, which is simply absurd," Wang Xiang added.
Ding Peng's face immediately turned somber, and his pace quickened considerably.
Director Tang and Elder Huang wanted to explain, but Ding Peng wasn't listening at all.
Wang Xiang sneered. Now Li Se was really in trouble.
In the ward, however.
Li Se looked at the mayor's wife and said somewhat awkwardly, "Madam, for the acupuncture, I'll need you to remove your trousers."
"I need to remove my trousers?" the mayor's wife asked, embarrassed. It was rather awkward for her, being over fifty, to expose herself in front of a young man in his twenties.
Li Se replied, "Illness should not deter treatment."
"Alright," the mayor's wife finally nodded. But just then, the ward door was pushed open.
Li Se said with slight displeasure, "Didn't I ask you not to disturb my treatment?"
"How dare you!" Wang Xiang was the first to jump out again, pointing at Li Se and scolding, "Do you know who this is? This is Mayor Ding. What kind of attitude is that, telling me not to disturb your treatment? This is utterly ridiculous. You truly don't know your place!"
Wang Xiang had always been quite resentful of Li Se. Therefore, whenever he had an opportunity, he would never miss a chance to mock him. Moreover, this matter was quite serious. If the mayor decided to pursue it, the director would not be able to escape responsibility.
Ding Peng said with a dark expression, "Get out!"
The mayor's wife quickly said, "Ding Peng, why are you shouting so loudly? He is here to treat me."
Ding Peng was, naturally, very gentle with his wife. He said, "Qiulan, I have already invited an Imperial Physician from the capital. He will treat you then, and it will surely be better than this young man performing acupuncture."
"But he..." Qiulan wanted to say something in Li Se's defense.
"Don't worry, once the Imperial Physician arrives, he will surely cure your illness," Ding Peng reassured her.
Li Se frowned. "Mayor Ding, the longer we delay, the more serious it will become."
Elder Huang said, "Indeed, Mayor Ding. Doctor Li's medical skills are extraordinary. They are in no way inferior to mine, and even more skillful than anyone else present."
Director Tang agreed, "Yes, Mayor Ding, I can also vouch for him."
With both Elder Huang and Director Tang personally vouching for him, Ding Peng was somewhat astonished. These two elders were authorities in the medical field, yet they were willing to guarantee a young man. However, this was still his wife, and he couldn't risk it. Having the Imperial Physician treat her was the safest option. Shaking his head, he said, "No need. With the Imperial Physician from the capital here, there's nothing to worry about."
"Mayor Ding, it's not entirely the fault of Director Tang and Elder Huang. They were also at a loss, which is why they let this young doctor treat her," Wang Xiang sighed at this moment.
Upon hearing this, Ding Peng's expression changed slightly. He suddenly looked at Elder Huang and Director Tang and said sternly, "Can you give me an explanation?"