Chapter Thirty-Four: Showing Off (Part 1)

  To Chen Yi's surprise, Sun Simiao didn't "disappear" for many days, but returned the next morning!

  When Sun Simiao and his two companions returned, Chen Yi and Ning Qing had just finished their breakfast. Originally they were going to go out for a stroll after breakfast, and were discussing where to go when they suddenly saw Sun Simiao bring Wang Chong and Liu Hai into the inn, which was quite surprising.

  Sun Simiao seemed to have an urgent matter and after returning to the inn, he immediately called Chen Yi over to discuss something.

  "Zi Ying, today I have some things to ask you!" Sun Simiao said straightforwardly.

  Sun Simiao said so, with a very serious expression. Chen Yi was somewhat bewildered, but didn't dare to ask further, and only respectfully replied: "Whatever Sun Daozhang asks, I will answer truthfully!"

  "I would like to hear more about your views on Qi disease and asthma, especially how to distinguish between them and more symptomatic treatments," Sun Simiao said with a hint of a smile. "I know you have many medical theories that you haven't mentioned yet, especially regarding the treatment of Qi disease and asthma. You must speak in detail... even if it's just helping me out!"

  "Why did Sun Daochang say such a thing?" Chen Yiwu was completely puzzled.

  Sun Simiao let out a small sigh, looked at Chen Yi, and was about to speak but hesitated. Finally, with a hint of helplessness, he said: "Ziying, wait for some time, I'll choose another opportunity to tell you in detail what you want to know. What can be said, I will say it all to you... maybe I'll even need your help..."

  "Sun Daochang is so polite, it's really embarrassing!" Chen Yi said, standing up and bowing deeply: "After I was injured, I was rescued by Sun Daochang and managed to save my life. Although great kindness doesn't need to be thanked, the kindness of the Daochang will always be remembered in my heart. As for me and the Daochang, we are old friends, what do you need me to do? Please just give orders, no need to be so polite... otherwise it's too formal!"

  When Chen Yi said this, Sun Simiao's face broke into a smile, stroking his beard and chuckling twice. "Since you say so, I won't be polite with you either. Today, I'd like to hear your views on the medical principles of asthma and respiratory diseases - the more detailed, the better!"

  "Yes, Daozhang..."

  Chen Yi responded with a sound, sat up straight and tidy, organized his thoughts, and was about to start telling some respiratory system diseases that he had not mentioned before, which were very familiar to him. Just as he was about to speak, Wang Chong, Sun Simiao's eldest disciple, came over and knocked on the door.

  "Master, a patient with a strange illness has arrived, claiming to be an old acquaintance of yours and hoping for your diagnosis and treatment!" Wang Chong reported nervously, facing Sun Simiao's stern gaze.

  "Oh?! The deceased?" Sun Simiao's expression eased up, he glanced at Chen Yi before instructing Wang Chong, "Please let them in!"

  "Yes, Master!" Wang Chong responded and left immediately.

  Watching Wang rush out the door, Sun Simiao's face broke into a very kind smile, and he pointed at the simple stethoscope on the table, saying: "Ziying, there is a patient with a respiratory disease who has come to seek diagnosis, needing an examination of their breathing condition. I want to use your stethoscope to listen in, and after I've finished diagnosing, you also listen in, let's see if our diagnoses differ, and let me witness your diagnostic skills!"

  "Dao Chang, this..." Chen Yi wanted to make excuses, but after meeting Sun Simiao's gaze, he could only change his tone and said in a low voice: "Yes, Dao Chang!"

  Sun Simiao no longer instructed Chen Yi, but instead stood up and walked out.

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  "Young master has met Sun Simiao!" A young man with a noble appearance bowed respectfully to Sun Simiao and his companions.

  "It turned out to be Sun Daoyou and Sun Gongzi!" Sun Simiao returned the courtesy to the person who was paying respects to him.

  "Master Sun, I'm so sorry to disturb you today. My father's old illness has relapsed and after taking some medicine, there was no effect at all, so...I've come to ask for your diagnosis." The young master with the surname of Sun requested very respectfully.

  "It doesn't matter, since you're here, I'll take a look anyway. Sit down over there!" Sun Simiao replied and didn't say anything else, sitting down at the case and instructing the patient to move closer, preparing to examine them.

  The patient who came to see the doctor was a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, seemingly from a wealthy family, with several attendants following him. As Chen Yi approached the patient, he had already heard a rather heavy wheezing sound, and could basically judge that this was a case of chronic bronchitis or asthma. These two diseases are relatively difficult to distinguish in diagnosis, and can only be roughly diagnosed after asking about the situation before and after the onset of the disease, and carefully listening to the lung sounds and wheezing sounds. However, it is also very easy to misdiagnose, and sometimes it is impossible to make an absolute distinction.

  That young Mr. Sun said to Sun Simiao before he began his examination, "Sun Daozhang, the situation is like this... my father saw you three years ago and took the medicine you prescribed, and for these few years he hasn't had a relapse, but just the other day he caught a chill and his symptoms suddenly got worse. We found some doctors to take a look, and they gave him some medicine, but it didn't have any effect! Originally we were thinking of going to Mount Zhongnan to ask you for an examination, but then we heard that you've been in Chang'an these past few days, so we came right away... what luck!"

  "No need to be polite, you've come at the right time. Today, I happen to have some free time. If you had come yesterday or a bit later today, you wouldn't have found me here, haha! Come, let me examine you slowly!" Sun Simiao asked about the patient's recent symptoms, then took their pulse for a while. Under the confusion of the patient's entourage, he ordered them to open the patient's collar and handed Chen Yi the stethoscope that had just been made. He listened carefully at the patient's heart, lungs, and back for a long time before saying to the young noble: "Young Master Sun, your father's original asthma and lung qi deficiency have worsened. It should be due to catching cold in recent days..."

  Sun Simiao explained some of the patient's conditions and then said to Chen Yi who was standing behind him: "Ziying, you come and take a look!"

  "Yes, Doctor!" Chen Yi calmly sat down in the position that Sun Simiao had just given him, and seriously listened to the patient's breathing sounds and heartbeat. Chen Yi carefully listened for a while, and during the auscultation, he heard dry rales in the patient's lungs, similar to wheezing sounds. The patient had been coughing non-stop since entering the house, with heavy panting and a feeling of phlegm stuck in his throat that couldn't be coughed up. After further inquiry about the patient's condition before and after the onset of illness, Chen Yi found no history of allergies or other factors that could easily trigger asthma attacks, and was even more certain that this patient suffered from chronic bronchitis, not asthma.

  Chen Yi also cast a profound and meaningful glance at Sun Simiao after listening.

  Sun Simiao was taken aback for a moment, then understood, "Young Master Sun, first help your father to the outer room and let him lie down. I'll explain his condition to my disciples, and then I'll prescribe medicine for you right away! You can rest assured that I have a good grasp of his illness!"

  "Thank you, Master!" The young Mr. Sun bowed to Sun Simiao and the others, then ordered his attendants to move his father to an outer room and lay him down on a couch.

  "After the patient and his entourage left, Chen Yi bowed to Sun Simiao and said: 'Master Tao, based on my diagnosis, this patient has chronic bronchitis, old slow bronchitis, which is a long-term chronic inflammation of those small airways in the lungs...it can be said that it's lung qi deficiency, not asthma!'"

  As soon as Chen Yi said this, Sun Simiao and his disciples in the house were all shocked. He had just denied a possible diagnosis that Sun Simiao had made...