Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 109: Award Ceremony
[Today’s Intel: Aconite, a Pure Yang Medicine, circulates through the twelve meridians, addressing conditions both internal and external, superficial and deep. It is the foremost medicine for restoring Yang and reversing collapse. Modern herb farmers process Aconite using Daban Liquid. Daban Liquid is a substance of Yin and cold nature, while Aconite is a Pure Yang Medicine. The cold and heat cancel each other out, greatly diminishing Aconite’s medicinal effects...]
Li Xu fell silent as he read the new intel for the day.
’So that’s how it is.’
He knew a thing or two about Aconite.
Aconite was known as "overnight rot."
It would rot the day after being dug up, so many herb farmers would soak the freshly harvested Aconite in Daban Liquid before slowly processing it.
Gradually, this became common practice in many places.
’No wonder...’
Li Xu had an epiphany.
He remembered his teachers saying back in school that some Aconite was becoming less and less effective.
Many top experts had researched the issue but had come up with nothing.
So this was the real reason.
Chinese medicine places the utmost importance on cold, heat, Yin, and Yang. It would be a miracle if the medicine had any effect after putting a substance of Yin-cold nature together with a Pure Yang Medicine.
Then, Li Xu wondered why this particular piece of intel had appeared today.
For the past few days, the intel had all been about individual patient cases.
It had helped him cure many patients.
’I’m going to the commendation ceremony today and will see some major figures in TCM. Is this information meant for me to tell them?’
Li Xu guessed to himself.
’Whatever. I’ll find out when I get there.’
Li Xu packed a backpack, traveling light. He took a taxi to the high-speed rail station, ready to head to Shanghai.
On the way, something occurred to him. Was the Aconite in his clinic also soaked in Daban Liquid? If so, even if he prescribed an effective formula with the correct dosage, his patients wouldn’t see any results after taking the medicine.
Instead, the Daban Liquid in the Aconite might even cause gastrointestinal discomfort.
’It’s... impossible to guard against everything!’
Li Xu decided that after he got back from Shanghai, he would carefully inspect and replace the Aconite in his medicine cabinet with some that hadn’t been soaked in Daban Liquid.
But then again, could he even find Aconite on the market that hadn’t been soaked in Daban Liquid?
’If I can’t find any, I’ll go to the source...’
Li Xu thought fiercely.
Herbal ingredients were the lifeblood of Chinese medicine; there was absolutely no room for carelessness.
...
The high-speed train ride took just over an hour.
Li Xu arrived in Shanghai.
He then took a taxi to the Shanghai Association of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
After verifying his identity, he entered the conference hall.
The conference hall was spacious and bright, with attendees chatting in small groups of two and three.
Just as Li Xu entered, he spotted Professor Gao Guanghui talking with someone.
"Professor Gao!" Li Xu strode forward.
"Xiao Li, you’re here!" Gao Guanghui greeted him warmly before apologizing to the person he was speaking with.
He led Li Xu to the side. "You haven’t met Professor Wang Tao yet, have you? I’ll introduce you."
Li Xu obediently followed.
After about a dozen steps, they reached a lounge area in a corner of the hall.
"Old Wang, this is Li Xu."
Professor Wang Tao was in his early fifties, a bit younger than Professor Gao, and full of vigor.
"Haha, ah, Li Xu. We have you to thank for perfecting the Clearing Qi and Stabilizing Blood Formula," Wang Tao said with a laugh, standing up and extending his hand.
Li Xu quickly replied, "Professor Wang, you’re too kind. I was just lucky. You and your team are the ones who truly deserve the credit."
Wang Tao smiled and beckoned over a few young people. "Come, let me introduce you. These are my students, graduate students from the School of Life Sciences at Jinmen University."
The young people shook Li Xu’s hand politely, but the sense of distance in their eyes was obvious.
In their view, it was just a stroke of luck that this obscure young TCM doctor had been able to perfect the "Clearing Qi and Stabilizing Blood Formula."
The conference hall gradually grew livelier.
At nine o’clock sharp, the commendation ceremony officially began.
On the stage, a crimson curtain displayed the golden emblem for the "17th Scientific Award Ceremony for Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine," which glittered under the lights.
"Respected leaders, experts, and colleagues..." The host’s deep voice resonated throughout the hall via the surround sound system. "Today, we gather to witness the outstanding achievements in the field of integrated Chinese and Western medicine."
Li Xu sat in one of the middle-to-back rows and looked around.
The thousand-seat venue was completely full. The front rows were occupied by titans of the industry, many of whom already had white hair.
Cameras and flashes flickered throughout the venue, while reporters from several major media outlets bustled along the sides.
"First up is the Annual Award for Outstanding Contribution." The host opened a gilt-edged awards booklet. "The winner is—Professor Zhang Qingming of the Dragon Country’s Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences!"
The entire hall erupted in thunderous applause.
A spry, elderly gentleman walked slowly onto the stage, guided by an attendant.
The large screen showed a video highlighting Professor Zhang’s outstanding contributions to the research of basic TCM theory over the past sixty years.
"Next, we have the First-Place Award for Annual Technological Innovation." The host’s voice rose a few notches. "The winning project is—Research on a TCM Treatment Protocol for Tick-Borne Viruses. The winners: Professor Wang Tao’s team from Jinmen University!"
Amidst fervent applause, Wang Tao strode confidently onto the stage.
The big screen began to play a video introducing the project: from the initial topic selection, to the team’s deep dive into regions where tick-borne diseases were rampant, to the round-the-clock efforts in the laboratory...
"Thank you to the association for this honor." Wang Tao adjusted the microphone, his voice steady and strong. "This achievement is the culmination of three years of hard work from more than twenty team members..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the audience. "I want to give special thanks to Dr. Li Xu, who perfected the ’Clearing Qi and Stabilizing Blood Formula’ for us at a critical moment."
The camera appropriately cut to Li Xu in the audience.
This was the first time Li Xu had ever faced such a situation.
Fortunately, a staff member had given him a heads-up just before.
He smiled and nodded.
The camera cut back to the main stage.
"Traditional Chinese medicine is an inexhaustible treasure trove." Wang Tao’s voice grew more impassioned. "During our research on the Clearing Qi and Stabilizing Blood Formula, it was the ancient wisdom of TCM that gave us our key insight. From the *Treatise on Cold Pathogenic and Warm Pathogenic Diseases* to the *Treatise on Warm Diseases*, the experience left by our predecessors still shines with wisdom today."
Many doctors in the audience nodded in agreement.
"But heritage is not about being conservative." Wang Tao’s tone shifted. "We use modern scientific methods to analyze ancient formulas and evidence-based medicine to verify their efficacy. This is the very essence of integrating Chinese and Western medicine."
Applause rang out once more.
Li Xu clapped along as well.
Professor Wang Tao was right; combining TCM with modern scientific methods could make it even better.
Of course, the integration had to be done correctly.
For example, soaking Aconite in Daban Liquid. Daban Liquid is a preservative that can inhibit bacterial activity, ensuring the freshness of the Aconite. This is technological progress.
However, this method ignores the cold nature of Daban Liquid, causing the cold and Yang to cancel each other out. The loss ultimately outweighs the gain.
The awards continued, and several other major prizes were also announced:
The Special Prize for Clinical Research, for the project "A Stepwise Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Treatment Plan for Coronary Heart Disease."
The First-Place Prize for Basic Research, for "Research on the Central Nervous System Mechanisms of Acupuncture Analgesia."
...
Each one represented an innovation in its respective field.
Some were even on par with the importance of Wang Tao’s team’s research on tick-borne viruses.
After the awards were presented, the president of the Association of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine gave a concluding speech.
Before they knew it, it was noon.
