Manbao brought the prepared supplies home and put them away. Early the next morning, she handed over the anesthetic powder she had prepared the day before to Xiang Chao, instructing him to boil the medicine.
After breakfast, the medicine was ready, and Imperial Doctors Liu and Zheng had arrived. They inspected the supplies and, confirming that everything was in order, instructed Xiang Mingxue to drink the medicine.
Xiang Mingxue took a deep breath, picked up the concoction, and drained it in one go. Then, the three of them sat on chairs, waiting for him to lose consciousness.
Imperial Doctor Liu periodically checked his pulse to observe his condition.
After about two quarters of an hour, Xiang Mingxue gradually drifted off to sleep on the bed. Imperial Doctor Liu checked his pulse again and said, "The medicine is effective now; you can start."
Manbao gently poked him with a needle and, seeing no reaction, nodded, saying, "Everything is fine."
