Thirteenth Section: Seizing Blood to Prolong Life (One)

  "That Cloud Ye has gone to the Wing State Duke's mansion, and it is said that he will again display his skill of stealing blood to extend one's life." Li Er said listlessly while playing with a piece of jade ring in a pale green color, speaking to the Empress who was combing her hair.

  "Your Majesty has an idea of observing?"

  "There are countless ingenious and cunning techniques in the world, often using mysterious and deceitful methods to conceal their unmentionable purposes. Stealing blood to prolong life? Hmph..."

  "That's different. In the Longyou army, the Marquis of Lantian had once performed a remarkable technique to save lives, this is an indisputable fact. I heard that his current guard was one of those he saved, and his martial arts skills are unmatched by ordinary people. Cheng Qian told me that it's true, many people in the army have witnessed it with their own eyes." The empress said slowly and calmly.

  "In that case, I'll go take a look. Anyway, it's been many days since I've seen Uncle Bao, so I'll also go visit him."

  I don't get it! Wei Chi, the old fool, just likes to capture enemy generals. He grabbed Yun Yan like a chicken and clamped him under his armpit, striding into the back hall with big steps. The sweat glands under his arms secreted out a strong smell that pierced straight into Yun Yan's brain. Good grief! If you have body odor, can't you not clamp people under your armpits?! He strongly suspected that the enemy generals he captured weren't killed by clamping, but were smoked to death instead. When they arrived at the destination and he threw Yun Yan to the ground, his legs were numb.

  Four princes sat on the kang, surrounding a small table and drinking wine. Qin Qiong was still wearing his fur-lined coat in the room, with three braziers lit on the floor, filling the room with smoke and fire. It's not just that he had a weak body due to illness, even healthy people couldn't stand it. His physical weakness made him afraid of the cold, creating a vicious cycle: the colder it was, the more braziers were added for warmth, but the more braziers there were, the more carbon monoxide filled the room, and his poor blood quality made it difficult to transport oxygen... after inhaling several mouthfuls of coal fumes... it's amazing, really amazing, that he could still drink wine and eat meat and live until the tenth year of the Zhenguan era.

  She bowed her head to greet a few elders, then turned around and ordered Qin Huaiyu to remove all the braziers in the house and open the doors and windows for ventilation. Seeing Qin Huaiyu's difficult expression, she pushed him away, opened the doors and windows, and threw three braziers outside, along with the wine pots and meat plates of her elder brothers. Little Qin was stunned, unsure of what to do. Those elder brothers were indeed forged in the fire of adversity, and in the face of sudden change, they remained calm and composed, smiling and watching Yun Ye's actions without saying a word or intervening.

  "Huai Yu, please ask Auntie to come out, I have some medical instructions to inform her." Ignoring these few old rascals, his mother's pure friends are indeed a loss. Is it because they're afraid Old Qin won't die quickly enough? Outside, the servants and maids were in an uproar, busy cleaning up the overturned brazier, shattered wine jugs and dishes. They couldn't understand why there was such a reckless guy who dared to cause trouble in front of the five princes. The scene of these princes is probably something even the emperor wouldn't do.

  Lao Cheng raised an eyebrow and winked at Li Ji, saying: "How about it? The young fellow I, Lao Cheng, have taken a liking to has some temperament, doesn't he?"

  "He's got a lot of nerve. Just you wait and see how I'll deal with him. He dares to stir up trouble for my brothers? He's asking for it."

  Li Jing smiled and said nothing, Wei Chi was foolishly gloating, Old Qin seemed to be thinking of something.

  Before long, Mrs. Qin hurried over in a flurry, seeing the mess on the ground and wondering what had happened. Yun Ye stepped forward to greet her.

  "Aunt Qin, I came to see Uncle and didn't expect to see the worst scene. The few things that are most harmful to Uncle's body all happened at once. Uncle can't stand the smell of smoke, but there are three braziers in this room. Wine and meat will increase the burden on his body, and with his weak physique, he can't take it anymore. Please remember, Aunt."

  Madam Qin had long heard of Yun Ye's medical skills, and upon hearing this, she hastily nodded her head. When she looked at the several friends who had come with Qin Qiong, their eyes seemed somewhat resentful.

  Lao Qin rubbed his nose: "I'm just a little unwell, you're exaggerating, aren't you?"

  "Uncle had been suffering from aplastic anemia, was weak and dizzy, and would take to bed at the slightest headache or fever, which wouldn't easily subside. In spring, when all things come alive, his spirits would lift somewhat, but in the sweltering summer days he'd be drowsy all day, and in autumn it would ease up a bit, while winter was the most unbearable time - food had no taste, sleep was fitful, his chest felt like there was a stone weighing on it, even breathing was laborious. And yet you're burning fire pits, drinking strong liquor, and gorging on meat as if life was just a game?" Yun Heng said one sentence, and Qin Furen nodded once, until later she was scared pale, not a single word of what Yun Heng said was off the mark.

  "Old Master." He had just called out when tears began to fall. This made Old Qin at a loss, and several of his friends also looked embarrassed.

  "You were called here just to help my brother with his illness. Do you think that anemia can be cured?" Old Cheng asked Yunyan, changing the subject.

  "Let's wait for Little Brother to examine it carefully before saying anything."

  Lao Qin lay on the couch, took out his phone to check the time, felt his pulse, which was very rapid, possibly due to having just finished drinking. His pulse was 120 beats per minute, clearly indicating a lack of cardiac blood supply and a heavy burden on the spleen. These common sense things were still not enough to stop him. He then used a stethoscope to listen to Lao Qin's heart and lungs, unfortunately without a blood pressure meter, which would have revealed his very low blood pressure and weak heart and lungs. Trouble was brewing, indeed it was anemia, he instructed Qin Hua Yu to raise Lao Qin's feet high, using a silver needle to lightly prick the soles of his feet, the blood flowed out black, oxygen supply was insufficient. "Uncle today drank wine, causing pulse disorder, but I can already determine that uncle is severely anemic, this is related to being injured too many times in his youth, his body's hematopoietic function has weakened, leading to uncle's qi and blood deficiency, requiring long-term quiet nursing, today's events cannot happen again, otherwise even if I were a god, I would be powerless." Seriously warning Lao Qin, his body was not allowing him to act recklessly, the bad habits of drinking large bowls of wine and eating large mouthfuls of meat that he had developed in his youth must be resolutely eliminated.

  Lao Cheng was overjoyed and grabbed Yun Ye's hand, saying: "So you're saying that my brother's illness can be cured?"

  "Uncle Chang, the losses from early years can be easily made up for? Now, my young nephew only has to go through nourishing his body with food and medicine first, and then talk about treating the illness. Here are two recipes for nourishing the body: First, red date lotus seed porridge, take 10 red dates and soak them in hot water, remove the heart of 2 liang of lotus seeds, best to use red lotus, simmer over low heat, add a little sugar, cook until it's reduced to one bowl from three bowls of water, drink the soup and eat the red dates, once every night. Second, immortal porridge, take 1 liang of processed he shou wu, boil until it's concentrated, strain out the residue, then cook with 1 liang of millet and 5 red dates, when the millet is cooked and the dates are soft, it's done, can be eaten as breakfast every day. I'll wait until I find someone who knows how to use ginseng to make a medicinal pill."

  "Isn't what you're saying, little one, that Brother is lacking blood in his body?" Old Cheng asked.

  "Yet it is so."

  "Why don't you just give my brother a direct blood transfusion? Why make it so complicated?" Zhang San stopped drawing Qiang Ren's blood, and he was fine. It was useless to talk to Lao Cheng, Zhang San had no choice but to do a direct transfusion, Lao Qin had his own problems, his body couldn't produce enough blood on its own, and a transfusion wouldn't solve the problem.

  "Don't worry, little one, there's no shortage of blood for Second Brother to draw. The prison is full of death row inmates, and it won't be a problem to get some from them!" Yun Ye always felt that the eager-to-try Wei Chi Lao was not trying to treat Qin Qiang, but rather see how to extract human blood.

  "Gentlemen, blood transfusion is indeed the fastest and most effective method. Now, Qin's condition is different from that of Zhuang San. Qin's body has reduced its own hematopoietic function, so after one blood transfusion, he will need a second, third... This is the last resort, and it should not be used lightly unless absolutely necessary."

  "Just tell me, after a blood transfusion, how many days can I feel refreshed?" Old Qin was really fed up with his illness and didn't want to be weak for even one more day. It's true, a general who was invincible on the battlefield, if you make him unable to stand steadily, walk quickly, drink wine, eat meat, or hold a sword, it's like making an old man spend his remaining years trembling with fear, which is not as good as killing him directly.

  "Half a year, maybe less."