The next day, Qin Liuxi arrived at the Old Princess Consort’s quarters early to prepare for the acupuncture treatment, and noticing her radiant and refreshed appearance, she couldn’t help but smile knowingly.
"Did Your Highness sleep well last night?"
The Old Princess Consort beckoned to her with a smile and said, "Thanks to your help, I had a good night’s sleep."
"That’s good to hear. One needs to be in good spirits to handle the upcoming acupuncture and medicine bath treatment," Qin Liuxi said with a smile. "Let me take Your Highness’s pulse first."
She took the medicine pillow handed to her by Chen Pi, checked the pulse, and felt reassured upon finding it steady. Then she said, "Your pulse is stronger, that’s good. As mentioned last night, today I will use a different acupuncture method named Rejuvenation Nine Needles."
While locating the acupoints for the Old Princess Consort, Qin Liuxi took the opportunity to explain the wonders of the Rejuvenation Nine Needles: "It is said in traditional medicine: Yang is the root of life, while Yin is the base of death. It is beneficial to diminish Yin regularly and to increase Yang. To follow Yang leads to life, to follow Yin leads to death. Mortals should maintain a balance of Yin and Yang. Yang energy is the foundation of life. Once Yin and Yang are imbalanced, one’s health and lifespan are naturally compromised. Your Highness has had cold poison in your body for many years, which means your body is typically Yin-dominant with insufficient Yang energy—this is an imbalance of Yin and Yang. It is necessary to eliminate the poison and elevate Yang energy."
"... The Rejuvenation Nine Needles are used to puncture nine of the body’s most critical acupoints. Upon administration, they can reverse the cycle of reincarnation and defy fate itself, bringing someone on the brink of death back to life for a time, cleverly seizing the opportunity for survival. Of course, Your Highness’s condition is not that severe, but the principle is the same. With the nine needles adjusting Yin and Yang, expelling the cold poison. After three cycles of treatment, you will feel the remarkable changes in your body."
Amazed, the Old Princess Consort said, "Hearing you describe it that way, I’m quite eager to start."
"Then you’ll have to endure a bit of pain," Qin Liuxi responded as she took out a stick of incense from a long box and handed it to Nanny Zhao. "Nanny, please light this calming incense."
Nanny Zhao quickly took it, lit it with flint as instructed by Qin Liuxi, and placed it in the incense holder on the bedside table.
This calming incense, with a subtle medicinal fragrance that was not bitter but rather pleasant, helped to concentrate the mind and promote a sense of tranquility.
Qin Liuxi had finished locating the acupoints, and she spread out the goat leather wrap of the Golden Needle. Nanny Zhao glanced at it and saw the needles lined up, each gleaming with golden light, yet not all were the same.
Qin Liuxi took a sharp needle, punctured the Yamen acupoint swiftly and steadily, with a shallow insertion followed by twirling the needle before inserting deeper. At the same time, she began to chant the needle spell: "Heaven Spirit nurtures life, grant eternal longevity, the one of Taixuan, preserves the true form... Hurry, as decreed by command."
Nanny Zhao watched on the side, filled with wonder. This Daoist doctor seemed quite different from ordinary doctors and Imperial Physicians, chanting spells while administering acupuncture—it was quite enlightening.
After the chant was completed, Qin Liuxi switched to another needle, piercing the Lao Gong acupoint, and this time the chant had transformed into the Rejuvenation Nine Needles Song: "Yamen and Lao Gong meet the three yin junction, Yongquan and Taixi follow Zhongwan’s connection..."
After administering the nine needles, a layer of sweat had formed on Qin Liuxi’s forehead, which Nanny Zhao helped to wipe off with a handkerchief. Turning to look at their Family Head, she noticed her frown, as if she was bearing the pain in silence.
"If it hurts, Your Highness, you may cry out; there’s no need to endure it in silence," Qin Liuxi said gently.
Breathing heavily, the Old Princess Consort trembled and said, "I can... I can bear it, uh..."
This child hasn’t fooled me; it really hurts, hurts a lot.
"Does every Daoist doctor chant spells like you when performing acupuncture?" The Old Princess Consort inhaled deeply, actively engaging in conversation to distract herself from the pain.
Qin Liuxi replied, "In the tradition of Daoist doctors, using needle spells can double the effect of the needles. Some Daoist skills, like the Zhu You Magic, even involve singing the Zhu You Song. Of course, it all comes down to belief; those who believe will find it effective, and those who don’t, will not—it varies from person to person."