Chapter 1311: Chapter 1289: Good Memory
After examining three eunuchs, Manbao then examined four palace maids, and took them to the large room next door. Except for Eunuch Wu, who she treated with acupuncture alone, the others lay on beds where Ms. Doctor Liu and Doctor Xiao tried the needles on them.
Ms. Doctor Liu and Doctor Xiao primarily served women in the palace. In fact, besides the Emperor and the Crown Prince, only women were served by them in the harem.
So when the eunuchs undressed and lay before them, their faces turned red with embarrassment.
But Manbao didn’t ask them to leave. Instead, she took the confirmed pulse cases of the eunuchs to examine and asked Ms. Doctor Liu, "What acupuncture techniques do you think should be used?"
Which acupoint to needle, how to needle it, how deep, and for how long all vary depending on the patient’s condition.
Ms. Doctor Liu hesitantly pointed out a few acupoints. Doctor Xiao thought for a moment without adding anything, while Shao, having studied longer with Manbao, barely added a note of caution.
Manbao nodded and then explained the correct acupuncture techniques to them. After glancing at them, her gaze settled on Shao, whom she instructed to perform the needling first.
Ms. Doctor Liu and Doctor Xiao breathed a sigh of relief and stepped back to let Shao step forward.
It was Shao’s first time performing acupuncture on a patient. He usually practiced on his own leg or on family members...
So he was understandably nervous at the moment.
Manbao instructed him to find the acupoints first. After she checked and ensured everything was accurate, she let him start needling. He had to recite the name of each acupoint, the depth at which it should be needled, and the duration...
The eunuch lay quietly on the couch, listening. When Manbao touched the acupoints on his back, she noticed it was tense and softly comforted, "It’s alright. You have moisture in your body, which is why your joints hurt. With some acupuncture, you’ll improve a lot..."
The eunuch carefully glanced at the adjacent room, separated by a curtain, where Eunuch Wu lay.
Though he felt he shouldn’t ask, he quietly inquired, "Divine Doctor Zhou Junior, do I need medication for my condition?"
Manbao pondered for a moment. She already knew from Ms. Doctor Liu that the eunuchs and palace maids in the palace couldn’t take medicine casually, so she said, "No need for medicine. Just come for acupuncture once every five days and see how it goes. After a few times, it should be about right."
The eunuch quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Some conditions do not require medication, while for others it is unavoidable. If acupuncture alone is ineffective, only then would Manbao suggest medication.
After taking the three to finish with the eunuchs, Manbao checked the time, then twisted the needles on Eunuch Wu before taking Ms. Doctor Liu and Doctor Xiao next door to see the palace maids.
Her memory was fantastic. She remembered precisely who needed needle twisting and which person’s session was completed.
When dealing with one or two patients, Ms. Doctor Liu and the others could keep up with her. But when the number increased, not only did they struggle with the acupuncture techniques, but even the pulse cases got mixed up.
Moreover, the ailments of these eunuchs and palace maids were very similar. Although the acupuncture points were generally the same, subtle differences existed.
For example, one might need to begin at the Zusanli point, while another should start at the Shangjuxu. A slight mistake could lead to incorrect needling.
Manbao would diagnose and treat them in one go, diagnosing eight people, needling eight people, twisting needles when necessary, pulling needles at the right time. Sometimes, while patients still lay in the room, they would head out for pulse diagnoses.
Next to them, there was a water clock to record time. After completing the needling session for one patient, the time had to be recorded. At the right time, they had to twist the needles, and at the proper time, remove them...
Only now did they realize that as a doctor, the acupuncture techniques weren’t the most important thing; having a good memory was.
Because it wasn’t just one patient. They had to remember eight patients at once. How on earth did Doctor Zhou Junior remember all this?
Regardless, for Ms. Doctor Liu, who was dealing with this for the first time, they were quite clumsy.
Once Manbao finished guiding Doctor Xiao, watching her needle, she glanced at the water clock in the corner, then turned to ask Ms. Doctor Liu through the curtain, "Is it time to remove the needles from that bed over there?"
Ms. Doctor Liu was a bit flustered, so Manbao said, "Don’t panic, just twist these here first; I’ll go remove them for him."
She nodded after checking Doctor Xiao’s selected acupoint and went over...
Eunuch Wu had already dressed and, aside from the partition with the palace maids, followed Manbao around the room, observing how she taught others to find acupoints, needle, twist, and remove needles...
Upon returning, he reported to the Crown Prince, "In my opinion, it’s no surprise that Doctor Zhou Junior is so skilled at such a young age. Ms. Doctor Liu is a bit stronger, able to handle three patients at once. Doctor Xiao is less experienced but clever, managing two patients at a time. The apprentice is a bit slow, but diligent and eager to learn, also managing two patients. But Doctor Zhou Junior handles eight patients effortlessly while still teaching them between tasks."
In short, her memory is incredibly impressive!
The palace has trained personnel in this area specifically, yet they may not match Doctor Zhou Junior.
The Crown Prince asked, "Is there anything extra in there?"
Eunuch Wu replied with his head down, "There has been nothing out of the ordinary so far."
The Crown Prince sneered, "Apart from the Eastern Palace, arrange for everyone from the harem who wants to see her to come over."
Eunuch Wu agreed quietly.
He had been undergoing acupuncture for nearly two months, and as per Zhou Man’s strict rule not to exceed that time, the apparitions and specters should be showing up by now, shouldn’t they?
Manbao knew nothing of this. When she exited the Eastern Palace, Ms. Doctor Liu and the two others were pale, exhausted, and so groggy they could barely walk.
Manbao looked at them and said, "When you return home, make a blank booklet for recording medical cases. Leave some space under each case for notes. If you can’t remember the time, jot it down in the booklet. Review it several times until it sticks."
She added, "You should memorize today’s medical cases and the acupuncture techniques used before you sleep tonight."
She sighed softly, lamenting their poor memory.
The next day, Shopkeeper Zheng heard Manbao’s complaint and couldn’t help but chuckle, "It’s not that their memory is poor, your memory is just too good."
While Shao was busy upfront, Shopkeeper Zheng candidly added, "Shao’s talent is mediocre, that’s true. But Ms. Doctor Liu, I’ve secretly tested her, and her memory isn’t bad at all, even better than some of the apprentices I’ve trained. It’s just a pity..."
Manbao asked between bites of lunch, "Pity what?"
"Pity she’s a woman and missed the best time to study medicine," Doctor Ding, having finished eating, set down his bowl and chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and said, "Isn’t she seventeen this year? Her memory isn’t as sharp as it was a couple of years ago. Had she met you earlier, she would have learned even faster."
Manbao disagreed, "Memory at seventeen is still very good. They’re just used to being lazy, which is why they can’t remember. If they had to memorize a lot daily, their memory would improve."
Doctor Ding was curious, "Did you have to memorize a lot when you were studying in Yizhou?"
Manbao sighed, "Yes, Mr. Zhuang’s assignments, the medical cases I saw at Jishi Hall that day, and the notes I took after cross-referencing medical cases and reading books when I got back..."
Both openly and secretly, I actually had three teachers.