Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 111: Changing the Itinerary

Professor Wang Tao was stunned.

He knew, of course, that foxtail grass could improve eyesight.

He had even seen articles published by social media accounts claiming foxtail grass could cure nearsightedness.

His students had even researched it in the lab.

Their conclusion was that the effect was mediocre—negligible, even.

He never imagined that combining it with a few other medicinal herbs could produce such a remarkable effect.

"Li Xu, this research of yours is incredible," Professor Wang Tao said with emotion. "It’s not even the slightest bit inferior to our ’Clearing Qi and Stabilizing Blood Formula.’"

The Clearing Qi and Stabilizing Blood Formula was the culmination of several years of research by their entire team. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

They had conducted countless experiments to develop it.

Li Xu definitely didn’t have access to those kinds of resources.

For him to develop a medicine on par with the Clearing Qi and Stabilizing Blood Formula, all by himself and without a lab...

If Li Xu’s earlier proposal about Apigenin repairing internal organs, or his answer just now about the damaging effects of Daban Liquid on Aconite, could be dismissed as a flash of brilliance...

...then developing such effective eye drops was something else entirely.

Professor Wang felt a true appreciation for his talent bloom within him. He asked once again, "Are you really not considering further studies? How about this... If you’re willing, I can discuss it with the university and arrange a special admission for you. No entrance exam required. What do you say?"

Professor Wang’s students were so envious their eyes turned red.

They had worked day and night, burning the midnight oil, just to pass the difficult entrance exams for graduate school.

And Li Xu could get in without an exam?

But they couldn’t say a word against it.

Even their professor was envious of the product Li Xu had developed.

It was something they were incapable of doing.

Li Xu had brought ten bottles of eye drops in total.

He took the opportunity to hand them a few bottles.

After trying them, they were even more at a loss for words.

"Professor Wang, I still want to gain more practical experience first."

Li Xu politely declined once again.

"Alright then."

Professor Wang said with regret, "Whenever you decide you want to pursue further studies, don’t hesitate to find me."

"I will."

Professor Wang left with his students.

Before leaving, Professor Wang transferred 500,000 yuan to him.

The Clearing Qi and Stabilizing Blood Formula had won a first-class prize, which came with a national award of 7,000,000 yuan.

His team had taken the main credit for the achievement.

For Professor Wang to give Li Xu 500,000 yuan was already a considerable amount.

After a bit of polite back-and-forth, Li Xu accepted the money.

Gao Guanghui also had a conference presentation the next day and had to leave as well. "Li Xu, if there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to give me a call."

"Thank you, Professor Gao."

Li Xu saw Professor Gao to his car and checked the time. It was already five o’clock.

There were no more high-speed trains back to Feng City for the day.

He booked a hotel, planning to return the next day.

However, when he woke up the next day and saw the daily intelligence report, Li Xu changed his mind.

[Today’s Intelligence: The Aconite in Anchi Village of Xinzeng Town, near Qianyuan Mountain in Jiangyou, is of extremely high quality. In three days, the Anchi villagers will begin harvesting the Aconite. They will follow their usual custom of soaking the harvested roots in Daban Liquid for preservation, to be processed slowly later.]

Li Xu couldn’t sit still.

The three major Aconite-producing regions in the entire country were Jiangyou, Han Zhong, and Yunnan.

Among them, Jiangyou’s Aconite was the best and was considered a *didao* medicinal herb.

A *didao* medicinal herb, also known as a geo-authentic herb, is synonymous with high-quality traditional Chinese medicine. It signifies that the herb is of superior quality and efficacy. This concept originates from production and clinical practice in traditional Chinese medicine and has been verified by countless clinical applications over thousands of years.

Aconite generally grows in temperate and humid regions. It can be cultivated in areas with an annual rainfall of 1050-1200 millimeters, an average annual temperature of 15.9°C, a frost-free period of more than 270 days, and more than 1320 hours of annual sunlight.

Jiangyou’s climate perfectly meets all the "temperamental" needs for Aconite’s growth.

Thus, there is a saying: The world’s best Aconite is in the Dragon Country, the Dragon Country’s best Aconite is in Sichuan, and Sichuan’s best Aconite is in Jiangyou.

Legend has it that an Old Daoist from Qianyuan Mountain in Jiangyou, Sichuan, discovered the root of the common monkshood (Aconite) in his woodshed. After processing it, he added it to his Elixirs, significantly enhancing their medicinal effects.

However, because Aconite is poisonous, the Old Daoist worried about its misuse. Later, his disciple improved the method by using the less toxic daughter root for medicine.

Because the master and his disciple were often mistaken for a father and son, the herb was given a name that sounds identical to the words for "father-son" in Chinese: *fùzǐ*, or Aconite.

This legend explains the origin of Aconite’s name and emphasizes its characteristic of "growing attached to the main root." Li Shizhen once used the analogy of a taro corm and its cormels to describe the relationship between the main monkshood root and the Aconite daughter root.

Because of its toxicity, Aconite has also been used as a poison throughout history.‌

During the Han Dynasty, when Huo Guang held power, the female physician Chunyu Yan used Aconite to create poison pills in a plot to assassinate the empress, who was about to give birth.

This is the earliest recorded case of poisoning with Aconite, highlighting its lethal properties.

Although Aconite is highly toxic, its toxicity is reduced after processing.

The 2020 edition of the *Materia Medica* records five processing methods, such as *Hei Shun Pian*, *Yan Fuzi*, *Bai Fupian*, *Pao Fupian*, and *Dan Fupian*.

In reality, there have been over forty different processing methods from ancient times to the present day.

Nowadays, to save time, many places soak the Aconite in Daban Liquid before processing it further.

This turns perfectly good Aconite into little more than medicinal dregs.

Li Xu decided to make a trip to Jiangyou.

He had to ’rescue’ the Aconite from Anchi Village.

How would he rescue it?

The most direct method was to buy it all with cash.

He would have the local villagers use ancient methods to process it, which would both remove its toxicity and preserve the Aconite’s Pure Yang medicinal properties.

’Money...’

Li Xu took stock of his savings.

Recently, he had earned around 100,000 yuan from treating Ding Aiguo’s wife and granddaughter, as well as a few patients with anorexia.

His income from other patients, for whom he just prescribed regular medicine, only amounted to a few thousand yuan.

The largest sum was the 500,000 he had just received.

That made for a total of 600,000 yuan.

’Would that be enough?’

Li Xu estimated it was far from enough.

’I’ll go scout out the situation first. If the money isn’t enough, I can borrow from President Ding.’

Li Xu canceled his high-speed train ticket to Feng City.

He then bought a plane ticket to Chengdu.

From there, he would transfer to another vehicle to get to Jiangyou.

...

「Meanwhile.」

At Ding Pharmaceutical Company, under the direction of Ding Kaifang, the promotional campaign for Mao Dudu Eye Drops had begun.

Sales Manager Wang Lei arrived at a branch of a chain pharmacy in Feng City, the "Kangning Pharmacy."

"Boss Zhang, long time no see!" Wang Lei greeted him warmly.

The pharmacy’s owner, Zhang Zhigang, looked up in surprise. "Well, if it isn’t Manager Wang? I thought you folks at Ding’s stopped making medicine?"

"New project, new product!" Wang Lei pulled out a sample with an air of mystery. "It’s an eye drop with an exclusive secret formula. The results are absolutely stunning."

Zhang Zhigang took the bottle. Seeing the folksy name "Mao Dudu Eye Drops," he couldn’t help but frown. "What kind of knock-off brand is this? 98 yuan a bottle? Are you crazy? ’Bright’ brand only sells for 35."

Wang Lei had anticipated this reaction. "Boss Zhang, just try it and see the effect for yourself."

"It’s something that goes in your eye. You think I can just try it casually?"

Zhang Zhigang was unwilling to try it.

Wang Lei pushed hard, "If it can be produced, it means it’s already been tested and approved. There’s no way it’ll cause any problems."

Without waiting for an answer, he opened the cap and moved to put a drop in Zhang Zhigang’s eye.

"Hey, you—"

They were acquaintances, so Zhang Zhigang didn’t want to be rude and refuse him outright. "I’ll do it myself."

He took the eye drops and squeezed out a single small drop.

At the same time, he prayed internally: ’Please don’t let anything go wrong.’

The next second, the drop entered his eye.

He suddenly froze.

It felt very comfortable.

There was no discomfort whatsoever.

He knew that some poor-quality eye drops could even sting enough to make a person tear up.

"This effect... it’s really good."

Zhang Zhigang said in astonishment.