The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Chapter 611

Doctor Zhang didn't take the opportunity to prescribe medicine for Xia Yan. In his line of work, he had long understood the minds of these high-ranking officials and nobles. The more eager you were to prescribe medicine for them, the less they would care and the less they would want to take it. On the contrary, if they asked for it themselves, they would feel that it was effective and they wouldn't have to take responsibility.

Hearing this, Xia Yan breathed a sigh of relief, then took out the prescription that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had given him and handed it to Physician Zhang.

"Take a look at this prescription, is there anything wrong with it?"

The doctor took the prescription and looked at the herbs on it. Many of the herbs overlapped with those in his previous prescriptions, since they were all tonifying prescriptions. However, his prescriptions were mild tonifying and generally wouldn't cause any problems, but this prescription was a strong tonifying one, belonging to the category of very hot herbs.

Zhang Langzhong doesn't understand the Six Channels Differentiation. His expertise lies in pulse diagnosis and prescription writing. Naturally, he wouldn't be able to see the problem. Even if he could, he probably wouldn't say it. After all, this prescription is very similar to the ones he usually writes. If he says there's a problem with this prescription, wouldn't that also mean there might be a problem with the prescriptions he wrote before?

"My lord, this prescription is very nourishing, so there's not much of a problem. However, you can reduce the amount of epimedium, as it's not suitable for long-term use."

Dr. Zhang pointed to the epimedium on the prescription and said...

He was originally an apprentice to an old doctor, but his skills were not good enough. He only remembered that his teacher said that epimedium should not be taken for a long time, otherwise it would cause excessive internal heat, dry up body fluids, dry up kidney water, and lead to kidney deficiency, resulting in the heart and kidneys not communicating.

He couldn't quite remember what was said, only that he couldn't take epimedium all the time. As for the underlying principles, he had almost forgotten them.

He said this not because he was worried about Xia Yan's health, but because he felt that if he didn't offer one or two opinions, he would appear ignorant and that would make him look foolish.

Xia Yan nodded upon hearing this, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, sir."

After Xia Yan finished speaking, he looked at the butler standing to the side.

"Please come with me, sir."

The steward immediately understood and led Doctor Zhang to the accounting office to withdraw the money.

After the housekeeper returned, Xia Yan handed him the prescription.

"Get several more doses of this medicine, but halve the amount of epimedium."

Xia Yan gave the instructions.

After leaving the Xia residence, the Imperial Guards bid farewell to Huang Jin and headed straight for the Zhou residence to report back.

"Sir, according to what you said, that old rascal Xia Yan will probably have a hard time seeing the problem."

The Imperial Guard approached Zhou Chu, eager to claim credit.

"Tell me, what prescription was given, and how is Xia Yan's health?"

Zhou Chu took a sip of tea.

"Xia Yan, that old fellow, has an excess of yang and a deficiency of yin, but it's not obvious and there's not much of a problem. However, I prescribed him a very strong and warming formula, including ginseng and epimedium. Unless he can find a doctor with exceptional skills, he won't be able to see the problem with this formula. But these days in the capital, most doctors are quacks."

The Imperial Guard looked on with disdain.

His family was originally a family of doctors. He learned the Six Classics Differentiation from a young age and was very skilled in medicine. However, being skilled in medicine does not mean that he can go far on the path of practicing medicine.

In the present Ming Dynasty, especially in the capital, the Wenbing School is rampant. Those great doctors who truly know how to cure diseases and save lives are constantly ostracized and suppressed by these people. These great doctors usually cure diseases with their medicine, but as soon as they have a problem, or rather, it is not that their prescriptions are wrong, but that the patient did not follow the doctor's advice, a problem occurs and someone dies.

These doctors and physicians from the Wenbing school would join forces to suppress him, calling him a quack. In this way, bad money drives out good, and nowadays, there are very few truly capable doctors in the capital.

This Imperial Guard's father was persecuted by those quack doctors for the same reason, and died with resentment in his heart. Before he died, he told his son that no matter what he did in the future, he must never practice medicine.