At this ti, Bai Erlang and his companions had just learned from Mr. Zhuang that his parents had arrived in the capital, and they were utterly surprised, "Why have my parents co?"
Mr. Zhuang smiled and said, "What’s so surprising about it? Both you brothers are in the capital. Isn’t it normal for them to co and see you once in a while?"
He didn’t tell them that Old Madam Liu had sent a letter ho earlier, prompting Old Master Bai to co.
However, Old Master Bai and his party had arrived quite quickly, likely setting off as soon as they received the ssage.
Bai Shan was in the palace, and most of the news from ho relied on Mr. Zhuang to bring it in. Bai Erlang did not know why Old Master Bai ca, but Bai Shan did. After a brief contemplation, Bai Shan told Bai Erlang, "You should keep studying hard recently. The Emperor might personally test your coursework again."
Bai Erlang felt a tight squeeze in his heart, a mix of excitent and nervousness, "Really?"
Bai Shan reached out and patted him on the shoulder.
anwhile, the prepared Imperial Doctors were now standing together in front of Prince Gong.
For convenience during the bone-setting, they opted not to do it on a bed, instead moving Prince Gong to a couch in the room where people could stand around all sides, making it easier to apply pressure.
Director Xiao even borrowed four guards from the Emperor. After all, this group of Imperial Doctors consisted mostly of the old and the young, and only the borrowed Zheng Gu and Zheng Shao had so strength, though they lacked experience and probably couldn’t hold the person down effectively.
Alongside sending guards, the Emperor asked, "Will it hurt much?"
Director Xiao replied, "Naturally, pulling misaligned bones straight will hurt, but rest assured, Your Majesty, we will be careful."
Manbao, on the side, comforted the Emperor, saying, "Rest assured, Your Majesty, no matter how painful, it’s not as painful as childbirth. The pain won endure, Prince Gong should be able to bear it too."
The Crown Prince, who ca to watch, also comnted lancholically, "Indeed, the suffering the third brother endures now doesn’t compare to the pain Mother suffered giving birth to him. This will teach him that a child’s pain also pains the parents."
The Emperor, thinking of the Empress’s current illness, pursed his lips and said no more, then waved his hand to have the guards move forward to await orders.
Director Xiao then allocated tasks among the subordinates, "Imperial Doctor Zheng and Imperial Doctor Liu, pull the legs. Zheng Gu, you and Imperial Doctor Liu each take a side, try to hold firmly. Zhou Man and I will monitor the bone-setting situation, Zheng Shao will assist."
Director Xiao glanced at Zhou Man and, seeing she had no additions, knew she did not intend to use acupuncture to relieve Prince Gong’s pain before starting, so he did not ntion it.
After agreeing on their roles, everyone stood in position, the guards also moved forward, with two holding Prince Gong’s upper body, and two pressing down his left leg.
Just as Prince Gong was about to speak, Imperial Doctor Zheng stuffed a cloth-wrapped wooden wedge into his mouth. Director Xiao then picked up scissors and cut his right pant leg up to the thigh, signaling Imperial Doctor Liu and Imperial Doctor Zheng to proceed.
The two stepped forward, each holding one side, while Director Xiao used his hands to feel his bones. Prince Gong couldn’t help but shiver, although it wasn’t too painful, there was an overwhelming sense of fear within.
Just as he was panicking, Director Xiao shouted, "One, two, three, pull—"
Imperial Doctor Zheng and Imperial Doctor Liu simultaneously exerted force outward. Instantly a sharp pain emanated from within the bones, causing Prince Gong to widen his eyes and struggle fiercely. The guards, prepared in advance, pressed him firmly.
Zheng Gu and Zheng Shao then stepped up to assist Imperial Doctor Liu and Imperial Doctor Zheng, all four holding one leg and pulling outward, while Director Xiao and Manbao closely observed the changes in the bones.
Director Xiao, entirely relying on his hand movents, continuously pressed to feel the changes in the bones, while Manbao pressed and paid points to Keke to continue scanning data from the broken leg.
She thought that cases like Prince Gong’s where there were misaligned bones along with fractured ones were rare, and scanning the data could help determine the path bones take under force, providing experience for future patients requiring bone-setting.
After several pulls, Prince Gong silently howled in agony, his mouth making muffled sounds due to the cloth, and tears stread down his face.
The Emperor couldn’t bear watching, turned his back and paced back and forth.
However, Director Xiao’s expression didn’t change much; upon feeling so realignnt in the bones, he instructed Imperial Doctor Liu and Imperial Doctor Zheng to adjust the force and reposition the leg for continued pulling.
Director Xiao carefully felt the bones again, nodding slightly, "One is straightened now; let’s find a way to straighten the other misaligned one too."
Manbao also reached out to feel, and she agreed it was straightened. She then glanced at Keke’s scan data, and indeed, the fractured bone was aligned, while the gap from the misaligned bone was almost adjusted, missing just a slight position. However, the small misaligned part remained.
Director Xiao then had everyone rest briefly before removing the wooden wedge from Prince Gong’s mouth, allowing the palace maid to wipe his sweat and give him water.
He softly said, "Your Highness, rest for a mont, avoid unnecessary movent in the leg, otherwise the recently aligned bone might easily misalign again."
Prince Gong, who wanted to cry holding his leg, instantly dared not move.
Director Xiao and Manbao discussed the angle of force for the next attempt, rested a bit, and began again. This ti was more painful than before because previously it was rely pulling the long leg; this ti it involved directly pressing on the misaligned bone while pulling the long leg.
Even the Crown Prince was witnessing for the first ti, seeing Director Xiao and Zhou Man each on a side, directly massaging at Prince Gong’s fractured leg bone position while extending outward and pressing, while Imperial Doctor Liu and Imperial Doctor Zheng took the chance to exert force for long leg extension...
Gradually separating the misaligned bone and extending again, the pain was evident, leading Prince Gong to struggle more fiercely than before, nearly making the guards lose hold. Ultimately, the Emperor stepped forward amidst his frustration, pressing on his upper body while shouting at the Crown Prince who stood watching, "What are you dazing at? Hurry and co help."
Upon hearing, the Crown Prince imdiately rolled up his sleeves, stepping forward unreservedly to hold down his left leg alongside the other two guards...
In the end, Prince Gong fainted from sheer pain.
Director Xiao and his entourage had to pause; more precisely, Director Xiao and Zhou Man paused, while Imperial Doctor Liu, Imperial Doctor Zheng, along with the two young assistants maintained the pulling posture.
Manbao applied acupuncture to wake Prince Gong, while Director Xiao prescribed dication upon checking his pulse.
Once Prince Gong regained consciousness, they continued once more. Despite being distressed, the Emperor firmly insisted, disregarding Prince Gong’s tearful pleas to halt montarily.
The six of them worked tirelessly from morning till the late afternoon. By the ti they finished applying dicine and binding Prince Gong’s leg properly, they were all exhausted.
Manbao was sowhat alright, though fatigued and hungry, her complexion rely paled a bit, while Imperial Doctor Liu and Director Xiao, both getting on in age, had their hands slightly trembling.
After downing a cup of tea, and without ti to eat, they went to report to the Emperor, "The two bones, the newly fractured one has been set, with good care, it should return to normal, but the other one..."
Director Xiao paused before continuing, "The misaligned part remains slightly curved, not to ntion Prince Gong can’t endure the pain of pulling, even if he could, it’s challenging to straighten it entirely. Fortunately, we’ve managed to separate quite a bit, as long as he doesn’t move recklessly, once healed, walking slower won’t be noticeable."
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