Chapter 61: Qin Qiong Awakens

Everything was prepared. Li Shen had every corner of the room sprayed with alcohol before having Qin Qiong carried inside. After fumigating the space with vinegar for a while, Li Shen barred the others from entering.

"My lords. Huaihao and I will go inside alone. Bringing too many people in increases the risk of introducing impurities."

"Your Highness, Prince Ji. Might this old subject be permitted to enter as well to observe and learn? I swear I shall not disrupt Your Highness's work," Li Xiuxiu pleaded.

"Very well. Change your clothes." Li Shen put on a surgical gown made of coarse linen.

These garments had been soaked in alcohol and then air-dried. While they could not be considered absolutely sterile, they were at least somewhat sanitary.

They then stepped through the inner door, which had been fumigated with vinegar, and finally entered the silkworm room. All the instruments had been boiled in water and dried, after which Li Shen wiped them down with alcohol once more.

Using a bovine tendon to bind Qin Huaihao's arm, Li Shen began drawing blood with a bamboo-tube needle. He prepared to draw six hundred cubic centimeters of blood, roughly equivalent to one catty.

Losing over eight hundred units of blood posed a fatal risk to a human. Qin Huaihao had practiced martial arts since childhood, and coming from a well-to-do family, he was well-nourished. Thus, Li Shen judged that six hundred units would be manageable, though it might cause him some dizziness.

After a month or two of recuperation, he would fully recover. The blood was injected into a sterilized bamboo tube, the other end of which was inserted into Qin Qiong's blood vessel. Li Shen used a chicken intestine held in his hand to regulate the flow.

To obtain a clean chicken intestine, Li Shen had acquired over ten carts' worth of them. From these, he selected the finest ones, split them open to remove the fat, leaving only the membrane, and then repeatedly washed and sterilized them, ultimately yielding just three usable tubes.

After the blood draw, Qin Huaihao felt slightly dizzy and sat down to rest. Time ticked away drop by drop. Once the transfusion was complete and the needles were removed, Li Shen led the two men outside. Whether the amount was sufficient or not, this was all they could spare.

He could not afford to compromise Qin Huaihao's health either. This blood served merely as a primer to start Qin Qiong's recovery; the rest would have to be restored through proper nourishment later.

Upon stepping outside, Li Shimin asked, "How is it?"

"Father, the transfusion is complete. Whether he recovers now depends entirely on the Duke of Yiguo's fate," Li Shen replied with an air of helplessness.

Li Shen then turned to Lady Qin. "Lady Qin, Brother Huaihao has drawn a significant amount of his vital essence. He must be well-nourished this month. Feed him eggs, beef, and pig liver soup. A month of such care should restore his vital essence."

"Many thanks, Your Highness, Prince Ji. Regardless of whether Shubao recovers, my entire Qin household is boundlessly grateful to Your Highness. I know Your Highness took a tremendous risk to treat Shubao. This kindness is engraved in the heart of the Qin family." True to her status as a duke's wife, Lady Qin understood the immense stakes. If Qin Qiong were to die, a prince consort arbitrarily treating a duke and killing him in the process would compel Li Shimin to punish the offender, regardless of his own inclinations.

"You overestimate me, Madam. The Duke of Yiguo followed my father through countless battles across the realm, rendering meritorious service in carving out this vast territory. My father has never forgotten that.

He often speaks to us children of how fierce, intrepid, and exceptionally brave the Duke of Yiguo was in those days. Though nominally sovereign and subject, they were in truth like brothers, acting as my father's right arm. Today, whatever risks there may be, I shall bear them alone. I only pray that the Duke of Yiguo can weather this tribulation and turn misfortune into fortune."

Li Shen's words were exquisitely phrased, bringing a faint smile to Li Shimin's face as he thought to himself that this son of his certainly knew how to speak well.

"My thanks to Your Majesty. My thanks to Your Highness."

"Sister-in-law, there is no need for such formality. As long as Shubao recovers, I am willing to pay any price without hesitation," Li Shimin said, partly to win hearts, though genuine sentiment played a larger part. Qin Qiong was only fifty years old, fiercely loyal to Li Shimin, and still capable of leading troops into battle.

With nothing left for Li Shen to do, Li Shimin took him back to the palace to wait. Along the way, Li Shimin pressed Li Shen on the likelihood of Qin Qiong's recovery.

In truth, Li Shen had no certainty due to the myriad unpredictable factors, so he could only tell Li Shimin that the chances were fifty-fifty—it was a matter of life or death. Hearing this, Li Shimin's expression grew gloomy.

Qin Qiong had helped him conquer the empire, and in every campaign, whenever Li Shimin gave the word, Qin Qiong always charged at the very forefront. He had even participated in the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

Furthermore, their bonds had once been profound. Yet in recent years, whether due to failing health or other reasons, Qin Qiong had rarely participated in court politics, living in seclusion much like Li Jing, shutting his doors to visitors. Li Shimin suspected that Qin Qiong was afraid—afraid of meeting the fate of Han Gaozu, Liu Bang.

At midnight, Qin Qiong, lying abed, gave a light cough and weakly called for water. The servants keeping watch were jolted awake instantly. One rushed to pour water for Qin Qiong, while the other sprinted to the adjoining room to summon Qin Huaihao.

"Eldest Young Master! Eldest Young Master! The Duke has awakened! The Duke has awakened!" the servant cried out urgently outside Qin Huaihao's door.

With a creak, the door swung open. "Really? My father has awakened?" Qin Huaihao asked.

Seeing the servant nod frantically, Qin Huaihao dashed into Qin Qiong's room, where he found his father propped up, sipping water.

"Father! Father, you're awake!" Qin Huaihao exclaimed with trembling excitement. With Qin Qiong having fathered him late in life, Qin Huaihao was only fourteen years old. If Qin Qiong perished, he doubted he had the capacity to uphold the family legacy.

"Huaihao, what has happened to me? It feels as though I have passed through a dream, muddled and confused," Qin Qiong asked.

"Father, you have been unconscious for two days." Thereupon, Qin Huaihao recounted the entire sequence of events: how the imperial physicians had pronounced his condition terminal, and how Prince Ji had subsequently treated him.

"Ah. We must thank His Highness, Prince Ji. You cannot imagine the magnitude of the risk he took," Qin Qiong said weakly.

"I understand, Father. You should rest for now. Tomorrow at dawn, I shall go to the palace to report. His Majesty commanded that we notify him instantly should any change occur in your condition," Qin Huaihao said, noticing his father's fatigue.

Early the next morning, all the princes, nobles, and court officials in Chang'an received the news: Qin Qiong had been cured by Li Shen.

He had been healed once more after the imperial physicians had declared his case hopeless, a feat that earned Li Shen immense goodwill among the military generals.

Qin Qiong was a leading figure among the former generals of the Prince of Qin's faction. Figures like Cheng Yaojin, the formidable rogue of the Tang dynasty who feared neither heaven nor earth, held absolute deference only for Qin Qiong.

Having grown up together, Cheng Yaojin treated Qin Qiong like an elder brother. Similarly, Yuchi Jingde was an overbearing man who rested on his laurels and looked down on everyone, once even beating Li Daozong publicly over a seating dispute.

Li Shimin had found no recourse against him other than execution, yet the moment Qin Qiong stepped in, Yuchi Jingde turned as docile as a lamb, no longer daring to act with such arrogance in recent years.

Meanwhile, the officials from the aristocratic clans realized that Li Shen had once again secured the favor of the Duke of Yiguo, making him all the more formidable to deal with in the future.

When Li Shen received the news, he was both pleasantly surprised and relieved. He instructed Qin Huaihao to continue nourishing Qin Qiong's vital essence just as he had been advised, for at least half a year to a year, noting that Qin Qiong could not recover as rapidly as the youthful and robust Huaihao. Profoundly grateful, Qin Huaihao promised to express his gratitude in person once Qin Qiong was fully recovered. Li Shen offered modest and polite replies that it was only right.

Upon learning that Qin Qiong had regained consciousness, Li Shimin was overjoyed and bestowed various precious tonics, such as century-old ginseng, fleeceflower root, and tribute ginseng from Goryeo.

Li Shen and Li Xiuxiu also made a trip to the Qin residence to inspect the patient's condition firsthand. Li Xiuxiu diagnosed Qin Qiong as weak but capable of being strengthened, and accordingly prescribed another medicinal formula to regulate his constitution.

On the return journey, Li Xiuxiu asked Li Shen whether this blood transfusion technique could be popularized. Li Shen bluntly told him it could not be popularized—at least not for the present.

This left Li Xiuxiu deeply disappointed. When he inquired about the underlying principles, Li Shen offered no answer, as he himself did not understand the science behind it. Li Xiuxiu, however, concluded that this was a guarded secret art not easily divulged.