20demayo Chapter 23: A Cure-All?
Chapter 23: A Cure-All?
Old Nine hesitated for a moment, then leaned in to smell it, his brows furrowing slightly.
It doesn't have the common herbal smell of Qianghuo or Duhuo, but rather a strange smell, like burnt tree roots or overcooked medicinal dregs.
"I've never smelled it," he said honestly.
"That's right." Yin'e pushed the porcelain bottle forward a little more. "You've tried all those doctors' prescriptions, but they didn't work."
Why not try mine? It's all medicine anyway, what's the harm if it makes you sick? At most you'll throw up once, it can't hurt any more than it does now, can it?
Old Nine fell silent.
His gaze swept across Yin'e's face, as if trying to determine whether he was joking.
But Yin'e's expression was very serious, without the slightest hint of jest.
"Ninth Brother," Yin'e said again, "trust me this once. We grew up together. Would I ever harm you?"
These words were spoken so sincerely that Lao Jiu felt a little embarrassed.
He hesitated for a moment, then finally reached out and took the small porcelain bottle from Yin'e's hand.
He brought the bottle to his lips, paused, and glanced at Yin'e again.
Yin Yichong nodded, his gaze firm.
Old Jiu tilted his head back and poured the paste from the bottle into his mouth.
The stuff was sticky and had a strong bitter taste, like a wad of burnt cotton stuck in my throat.
Old Jiu almost vomited, but he gritted his teeth and swallowed it down. Then he grabbed the teacup on the table next to him and gulped down a mouthful of tea to suppress the bitterness.
"Cough cough cough." He coughed a few times, tears welling up in his eyes. "Tenth brother, this stuff is too bitter, even more bitter than bitter melon."
Yin'e smiled and put the porcelain bottle back into his sleeve: "Good medicine tastes bitter."
Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince) watched this scene from the side, his brows furrowed slightly, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
He also had doubts about this "Autumn Water Alkaloid", but since Lao Jiu had already taken it, he couldn't say anything. He could only pray in his heart that nothing bad would happen.
The three of them chatted casually like that.
When Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince) inquired about the Ninth Prince's illness, the Ninth Prince berated the imperial physicians for their incompetence.
Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince) asked about the Ministry of Revenue again, and the Ninth Prince said that he was too ill to get out of bed and knew nothing.
Yin'e chimed in with a few casual remarks, mentioning that the theater in the manor had ceased operations.
Old Jiu chuckled, a rare occurrence, and said, "Your theater has been under construction for half a year and it's still not finished. That's quite something."
Time passed little by little.
The sun outside the window moved from the east to the southeast corner, and the light shone through the window frame, casting neat streaks of light on the ground.
The atmosphere in the room gradually relaxed, and Lao Jiu's emotions calmed down considerably. He even had another pot of tea served.
The three of them drank and chatted, just like when they usually gathered at the Eighth Prince's mansion.
But Yin'e's heart remained uneasy.
His gaze would occasionally drift towards Lao Jiu, observing his complexion, breathing, and demeanor.
The effects of colchicine take about half an hour to an hour to take effect, and more than half an hour has passed now, but Lao Jiu doesn't seem to have changed much.
It neither has a fever nor sweats, and it doesn't even burp.
"Is the dosage not enough?" he wondered to himself.
Just then, Lao Jiu's expression suddenly changed.
In an instant, it was as if someone had splashed a basin of red paint on his face, turning it red from his neck all the way down to his forehead, making his whole face swell up like a boiled crab.
Large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, temples, and nose, trickling down his cheeks.
His breathing became rapid, and his chest heaved violently.
His lips were trembling, his teeth were grinding, and his body began to quiver slightly.
"Ninth Brother!" Yinzhi (Eighth Prince) suddenly stood up, his expression changing drastically. "What's wrong with you?"
He whirled around, his gaze piercing like a knife as he stared at Yin'e: "Tenth Prince! What did you feed Ninth Brother?!"
Yin'e's face also turned pale.
His mind went blank, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.
It’s over.
The dosage was too high.
He quickly calculated in his mind: two grains of rice. The dog vomited and became weak after eating two grains of rice, but it didn't die.
This old man is so fat, much bigger than a dog, so theoretically he should be fine.
But theory is theory, and reality is reality.
The way Lao Jiu is now is clearly a sign of poisoning.
He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but it felt like something was choking him, and he couldn't utter a single word.
"I'm going to find a doctor!" said Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince), and headed out.
Although Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince) was a shrewd and resourceful ruler in the court, he lost his composure when faced with the poisoning of his brother.
"Someone, quickly prepare soapy water!" Yin'e shouted as well.
Although almost an hour has passed, I don't know if stomach lavage will still be effective.
But we have to give it a try.
Immediately, the servants in Prince Yin Tang's (Ninth Prince's) residence were in a flurry of activity, creating chaos.
"Myna, wait a minute."
A hoarse voice came from behind.
Yinzhi (the Eighth Prince) turned around.
Old Nine sat on the bed, his face still flushed, sweat still pouring down, and his breathing still rapid.
But the pain and anxiety from before were gone from his eyes.
Instead, an incredible, almost ecstatic light shone forth.
He looked down at his left foot, then slowly raised his head to look at the Eighth Prince and Yin'e, his lips trembling slightly.
"I...I'm not in pain anymore."
The room fell silent instantly.
Yinzhi was stunned, his mouth agape, unable to utter a single word.
Yin'e was also stunned, then overwhelmed by a huge surge of joy.
His eyes welled up with tears, and he almost couldn't hold them back. He quickly lowered his head and pretended to straighten his cuffs.
It wasn't because he felt sorry for Lao Jiu, but because if Lao Jiu died after taking his medicine, he would be finished too.
"It doesn't hurt anymore?" Yinzhi was the first to react, quickly walking back to the bedside and looking down at the Ninth Prince's toes. "It really doesn't hurt anymore?"
Old Nine nodded and gently pressed on his left big toe.
The spot that I never dared to touch before actually doesn't hurt anymore.
Although there is still some swelling and redness, the excruciating pain, like being stabbed in the flesh, has indeed disappeared.
"Eighth Brother," the Ninth Brother raised his head, his gaze falling on Yin'e, "Tenth Brother's medicine... it's fucking effective."
Yinzhi was silent for a moment, then turned around and looked at Yinyi.
His gaze was very complex.
But soon his gentle smile reappeared on his face.
"Tenth Brother," he patted Yin'e on the shoulder, "this medicine of yours really saved Ninth Brother's life."
Yin'e quickly and modestly waved his hand: "It was just a coincidence, just a coincidence."
His voice was calm, but his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of his chest.
He let out a long sigh of relief, swallowing back the "Thank God" that he had been holding back for so long.