Chapter 24: Opening the Commandery Princess's Eyes

The Yin Yang Mystic Needle Record indeed has its marvelous aspects; for example, regarding nerves, by injecting vital energy into different acupoints, one can move the nerves throughout the body.

But the drawback is that one has to search for it; just sticking a needle in doesn't accurately locate the nerve one wants to adjust, so Jiang Yunzhou didn't even know which nerve his first needle would hit.

Hearing the commandery princess suddenly groan and turn her head away, clamping her legs together, everyone present was startled, and Jiang Yunzhou also suddenly stopped.

The Prince of Honor thought something had happened:

"Zhinan?"

Jiang Yunzhou explained:

"Commandery princess, my needle will adjust the meridians in different parts of your body; perhaps my move was a bit sudden just now—if you feel anything, tell me, and keep adjusting until you feel something in your eyes."

Zhao Zhinan blushed and hesitated:

"It's fine, just now... it was the sole of my foot; because it was too itchy I cried out, it's all right, Master Jiang, please continue the needling."

Everyone hearing this finally relaxed.

Jiang Yunzhou thought to himself, if he had really hit the commandery princess's sole, he should have instinctively lifted her foot; had he needled the wrong spot?

Thinking, he twisted the silver needle in his hand, then lowered his head and saw the commandery princess clenching her fists, her legs also tightly pressed together, as if struggling to endure something—this reaction didn't look like an itchy sole.

Jiang Yunzhou was indeed not mistaken; the spot the silver needle was connected to was indeed rather private.

Especially with so many people present, Zhao Zhinan really felt embarrassed to explain, so she could only claim it was an itchy foot.

But whether intentional or not, Jiang Yunzhou's fingers twisting the silver needle actually intensified, and although Zhao Zhinan couldn't see her own face turning red enough to bleed, the heat in her cheeks was still quite obvious.

Moreover, being blind, she couldn't give Master Jiang a glance.

Speaking up was hard to begin with, and besides, she worried that the physician might be punished because of her; she had no choice but to forcibly suppress that strange feeling and hint by turning her head:

"Master Jiang, it's really too itchy—could you trouble yourself to change position?"

"All right, commandery princess, sorry."

Under Jiang Yunzhou's control, the silver needle tilted downward, and this time Zhao Zhinan instinctively lifted her foot.

Jiang Yunzhou then clearly realized: this direction was the foot, and what he had just touched was......

Not daring to think too much about it, Jiang Yunzhou adjusted in the opposite direction bit by bit, and finally Zhao Zhinan also had a response:

"Eyes! It feels like someone is rubbing my eyeballs!"

Knowing this was the spot, Jiang Yunzhou moved his fingers, pressing his thumb on Zhao Zhinan's temple, his index and middle fingers lightly covering her eyelids, then gradually sending vital energy inward.

Upon touching it, he discovered the commandery princess's face was somewhat flushed, and recalling her earlier reaction, he realized it was likely related to him.

He also secretly thanked the commandery princess for enduring it; if word got out, even though he had cured her, he might still be accused of molestation.

One must say the commandery princess's skin is truly smooth and delicate; massaging it felt especially pleasant to his hands.

Of course, he was there to treat illness, not to rub a little face, so his demeanor remained very solemn; the Prince of Honor beside him also said nothing, after all, his precious daughter had not complained of discomfort.

Zhao Zhinan, meanwhile, felt very strange.

Just now, having been made breathless by the needles and her face flushed with embarrassment, she was now having her little face kneaded by hand.

In the past, physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau had also given her massages, but never had it felt quite this strange.

Perhaps it was discovering that this physician was about her age, stirring a hint of the shyness between men and women who should not be intimate.

Moreover, being in front of her father king made it feel even stranger......

"Commandery princess, if you feel uncomfortable, speak up at any time."

"Mm."

Zhao Zhinan thought to herself, you say that, but even if I felt comfortable I couldn't speak up.

Enjoying the eye-including facial massage, Zhao Zhinan's body also completely relaxed.

After massaging for a while, everyone present waited in silence, and then Zhou Chan was the first to speak, asking:

"So what exactly do you want to do to prove it to us?"

"It's this guy who ordered to stop the sale of medicine from the Azure Medical Hall to the Imperial Medical Bureau; originally Shen Qingru, not wanting to disturb Yunzhou's treatment, had kept silent, but hearing him preparing to cause trouble again, she retorted:"

"Master Zhou, aren't you being a bit too anxious? This is Yunzhou's first time treating the commandery princess; do you really expect him to cure in one afternoon what you've failed to treat for over ten years?"

Zhou Chan glared at Shen Qingru, and before he could say more, Zhao Zhinan, seated in the center, spoke first.

"Hey, wait a minute! It seems......"

Those who had been sitting around waiting, upon hearing this, also stood up, not knowing whether the commandery princess had gained some new sensation.

Equally anxious, but everyone's feelings differed:

The Prince of Honor Zhao Xiang wore an expectant look, hoping this young physician could bring a miracle; Shen Qingru hoped Yunzhou could truly find a cure; Zhou Chan, meanwhile, looked forward to seeing this lad fail at treatment and instead harm the commandery princess.

Jiang Yunzhou remained calm and composed as he asked:

"Commandery princess, have you seen some outlines?"

Zhao Zhinan, although she couldn't see clearly, still turned her head in shock and said:

"How could you know?!"

The Prince of Honor, somewhat disbelieving, rushed forward and said:

"Zhinan, is there really a change?"

Zhou Chan also widened his eyes and asked:

"Commandery princess, please confirm again—really not a hallucination or something else?"

Zhao Zhinan shook her head, her face lit with delight, and said:

"It's real; I can see your outlines, though only a faint outline, but unlike the previous total darkness!"

Saying this, Zhao Zhinan actually reached out her hand slowly toward the Prince of Honor's face.

The Prince of Honor stood excitedly in place, not daring to move.

With only a faint outline to gauge distance, Zhao Zhinan stepped forward bit by bit; although she adjusted her raised hand several times, she ultimately felt her way to place her hand accurately on the Prince of Honor's face.

Watching helplessly as his blind daughter, relying on her slightly restored vision, placed her hand on his own face.

Prince Rong's eyes reddened, and he tremblingly touched Zhao Zhinan's hand; this Prince Rong of Liang was so excited he could hardly speak.

Prince Rong, with reddened eye sockets, pulled Princess Ning Le into his embrace, then, trembling, lifted his head and asked:

"Doctor Jiang, does this mean that Zhinan's eyes can still be saved?"

Jiang Yunzhou rubbed his sore, numb fingers and replied truthfully:

"I am confident I can restore some of the princess's vision, but it will take a considerable amount of time, since her blindness has lasted too long; I cannot guarantee exactly how much she will recover, but I will do my utmost."

Jiang Yunzhou clearly understood that, today, by means of acupuncture and massage, he had caused a change in Princess Ning Le's eyes within half a day, mainly because the treatment at Magnificent Longevity Pavilion had gone in the wrong direction.

"The princess's blindness has lasted too long, proving I am right is not difficult, but if we want to cure her eyes, it is definitely impossible in the short term."

Prince Rong, upon hearing this, exclaimed joyfully:

"Good! Doctor Jiang, as long as you can heal Zhinan's eyes! Name your fee! I will immediately appoint you as Chief Medical Officer of the Prince's mansion; you need only attend to Zhinan alone."

Zhou Tan, shocked, even forgot the prince's mood, and advised against it:

"Your Highness, this seems somewhat against regulations."

Prince Rong turned his head to look at Imperial Medical Director Zhou Tan and glared angrily, saying:

"What? Is it the Imperial Medical Bureau that objects, or is it Magnificent Longevity Pavilion that disagrees?"

Zhou Tan also realized his remark was inappropriate, and hastily apologized:

"No, no, the Imperial Medical Bureau can also record this as serving the prince."

Although he spoke politely, Zhou Tan's heart was a tangled mix of emotions:

"I never expected this youngster's medical skill to be so superb at such a young age; his future is naturally limitless, but he belongs to Azure Medical Hall, and we must find a way to bring him to Magnificent Longevity Pavilion—even if we cannot secure Magnificent Longevity Pavilion for ourselves, we cannot let Azure Medical Hall keep him."

Prince Rong saw that Zhou Tan was not stupid, and so he said nothing further.

Just when everyone thought Jiang Yunzhou would bow and express gratitude, he instead bowed and refused, saying:

"Thank you for your generosity, Your Highness, but I must decline."

Zhao Zhinan, Shen Qingu, Zhou Tan, and even the surrounding maidservants were all startled by Jiang Yunzhou's refusal.

Prince Rong still thought he had misheard, and asked doubtfully:

"What did you say?"

Jiang Yunzhou stepped forward and respectfully explained:

"As a physician of Azure Medical Hall, I cannot serve as the prince's exclusive medical officer. But please rest assured, Your Highness, even though I remain at Azure Medical Hall, I will certainly spare no effort in treating the princess's eyes."

Faced with this young man's calm refusal of high office and generous emoluments, Prince Rong felt a slight surprise and also came to admire him, though his admiration did not lessen his worry:

"If you are not residing in the mansion, will it be inconvenient for Zhinan to receive treatment?"

Jiang Yunzhou had anticipated this, and replied:

"Please rest assured, Your Highness, the princess's eyes do not require frequent treatment; once every five days is sufficient, for excessive treatment would damage the meridians of the eyes."

"To unblock the obstructed meridians, one only needs to follow my dietary advice; I will prescribe a dose of medicine, and combined with a massage every five days, that will be enough."