Chapter 462
Chapter 462
Human blood types are not overly complex, making the probability of a successful transfusion quite high. In theory, Type O can be donated to most other blood types, while Type AB is a universal recipient, capable of receiving blood from virtually any type. Of course, this was only done in emergencies; it was always best to receive a transfusion of the same blood type. This was especially true for large-volume transfusions.
Seeing Shen Lang's expression, the king asked anxiously.
“What is it?”
“Consort Bian’s blood is exceptionally rare. It has a rejection reaction with most other blood.”
The king shouted loudly.
“Go and bring people. Healthy people, people of noble status.”
At the king's command, a hundred eunuchs shot out of the palace like arrows. A short while later, Crown Prince Ning Yi, the Second Prince, Third Prince, Fourth Prince, Sixth Prince, and others had all gathered. They had all come after hearing that Consort Bian needed a blood transfusion. Though they initially considered their blood too precious to give away, who was Consort Bian? She was the king’s most favored woman, and behind her stood Bian Xiao, the paramount military figure in the State of Yue. Whether it was the Crown Prince or the Third Prince, gaining Consort Bian's support would instantly tip the scales of victory in their favor. Thus, they did not want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
This was not just about the simple act of saving Consort Bian. It was about their blood entering her body and saving her life, creating a sense of a shared bloodline. Consort Bian had no children and was unlikely to have any in the future. So, wouldn't she feel as if the one who saved her with their blood was her own child? The princes were, therefore, incredibly proactive.
Just then, Consort Bian's nephew and niece arrived. To avoid any suspicion of manipulation, Shen Lang did not draw blood from the Crown Prince or the Third Prince, but immediately took it from her relatives. Although a blood relation didn't guarantee a match, the hope was still greater than with others. But the result was a failure that dashed those hopes. Consort Bian's red blood cells still reacted with her relatives' serum, clumping together. Now, not only the king but also Shen Lang was on the verge of losing his mind. The failure even with blood relatives proved that Consort Bian truly had a rare blood type.
*This is really going to be the death of me!*
Consort Bian was still slowly bleeding out, her heartbeat and breathing growing weaker by the moment. Grand Princess Yongjue said.
“Shen Lang, hurry. I don’t think Consort Bian can hold on much longer.”
“Have her drink some ginseng soup. But only a very small amount. Absolutely no more.”
In truth, ginseng soup could easily induce more severe bleeding, so it shouldn't have been given to Consort Bian at all, but there was no other choice. Her body was so weak that she could stop breathing at any moment. Grand Princess Yongjue fed Consort Bian a tiny amount of ginseng soup. Fortunately, while her condition didn't clearly improve, she was pulled back from the brink for a moment. However, it was clear she would reach her limit again soon.
Lü Zhun quickly drew blood from all the assembled princes and handed it to Shen Lang. Everyone stared intently at him, worried he might resort to trickery. They feared that even if one of their blood types could save Consort Bian, Shen Lang might deliberately claim it was a mismatch or tamper with the experiment to suppress the Crown Prince or the Third Prince.
But this time, it wasn't just the physicians present; even the king could see clearly. Under everyone's watchful eyes, Shen Lang swiftly separated the princes' blood, added their serum to a suspension of red blood cells, and then injected the princes’ serum into the suspension of Consort Bian's red blood cells. The result was immediately apparent. The world went dark before the king's eyes again, and he swayed. There was still a rejection reaction; the blood clumped together, forming cotton-like masses. Everyone could see the scene distinctly.
Shen Lang's voice trembled as he spoke.
“Your Majesty, Consort Bian’s blood is too unique. No one here can donate to her.”
The king’s voice also trembled in response.
“I should have known she was different from the time she was a child. She nearly died at birth and only barely survived. But her health has always been frail.”
At that moment, the Crown Prince spoke.
“Master Shen, there are nearly a million people in the capital. Surely among them, we can find one person who can donate to Consort Bian?”
Shen Lang shook his head. If it were a common blood type—A, B, or O—they could find a large number of suitable donors. But having tested over a dozen people and failed every time proved that Consort Bian had an extremely rare blood type. With such a rare type, it was possible that not a single person among a million would be a match. Finding a suitable donor for her was like searching for a needle in a haystack. More importantly, they didn't have time. Consort Bian was already fading, still slowly bleeding, and could pass away at any moment.
The king asked in a trembling voice.
“Is… is there truly no hope at all?”
At that moment, something seemed to occur to Shen Lang and Grand Princess Yongjue, and their eyes lit up.
*Big Dummy!*
His golden bloodline was probably invincible. In their haste, they hadn't thought of it until now.
“Big Dummy, get in here, quick!”
Big Dummy rushed inside. Shen Lang quickly drew his blood, separated the serum, and dropped it into the suspension of Consort Bian's red blood cells. In that instant, everyone held their breath. The king, of course, desperately hoped for a miracle, that Big Dummy's blood could save Consort Bian. The Crown Prince, the Third Prince, and the others, however, hoped for failure. They absolutely did not want to see Shen Lang save Consort Bian. The favor and the repercussions of saving her life were too immense to imagine.
Shen Lang trembled inwardly.
*It has to work this time. Big Dummy has the golden bloodline; it’s invincible.*
However, the result was unexpectedly disappointing. It was another failure. Big Dummy's serum clumped with the suspension of Consort Bian's red blood cells, forming cotton-like masses. The king was completely devastated at that moment, thinking he might have to accept the fact that he could lose Consort Bian, his true love, forever. The king closed his eyes in pain, then opened them after a long moment and said.
“Shen Lang, thank you. I know you did your best. Perhaps this is all fate, and it is all my fault. I have committed too many sins, and Heaven is punishing me by taking my first wife, and now Consort Bian as well. It is all my fault…”
As the king spoke the last few words, his voice turned ice-cold. Shen Lang also closed his eyes in pain. He actually had no particular feelings for Consort Bian. She was the king's gentle and wise woman, but she had never done him any favors. The last time Shen Lang was captured by the Blackwater Terrace, Ning Zheng had asked Consort Bian to intervene. At the time, she had wanted to help, but she said that the inner court could not interfere in state affairs and that she could not break the rules for him.
Shen Lang's pain now was an instinctive reaction as a physician. Although he had been away from the profession for quite some time, whenever he went all out to save someone, he naturally hoped for success. To fail and lose a patient's life was, of course, incredibly painful. Shen Lang bowed low to express his apology.
“Your Majesty, please forgive my incompetence.”
The king shook his head.
“Did I not say so? It is not your fault. You have already demonstrated outstanding medical skill. This is my fault. The sins I have committed have fallen upon Consort Bian.”
These words alone showed how utterly heartbroken the king was. What a proud man he had been. He had never admitted fault to anyone in his life, nor would he ever admit to having sinned. For the king to say such things in front of everyone, he must have been so desperate and pained that he had lost his senses. Yet, the Ning Yuanxian of this moment seemed incredibly genuine. He was harsh and ungrateful, but on the other hand, he poured all his emotions into the few people he held in his heart. The king gestured for everyone to leave.
“All of you, leave. I will be with Consort Bian in her final moments.”
Shen Lang, feeling dejected, was about to leave, and everyone else began to depart as well. But just as he reached the doorway, the king suddenly spoke.
“We haven't tested one person yet. There is still one more.”
Shen Lang was startled.
*Does he mean Ning Zheng?*
“Lü Zhun, go and bring Ning Zheng. Quickly, quickly, quickly!”
Shen Lang wanted to say something but ultimately held his tongue.
“Just as Consort Bian nearly died at birth, so did Ning Zheng. When Ning Zheng was young, it was as if he was cursed; his innate destiny was completely different from others. In that, he is similar to Consort Bian.”
*Isn't that too much of a stretch?*
“Your Majesty, His Highness Ning Zheng’s strange condition at birth was due to jaundice. Moreover, the meteor that fell and burned down a commoner's house at the time of his birth was purely a coincidence. I will, of course, test His Highness Ning Zheng's blood, but I urge Your Majesty not to hold out too much hope. There is no scientific basis for any of this. His Highness Ning Zheng is in excellent health and is no different from anyone else.”
The king glanced at Shen Lang and shook his head.
“You do not know. You are brilliant, but there are some things you do not know!”
Shen Lang certainly thought the king's theory was preposterous and without any basis. Fortunately, the Temple of Imperial Ancestors was very close, and in less than a quarter of an hour, Grand Eunuch Lü Zhun returned with Ning Zheng. As he entered, everyone instinctively held their breath. A strong odor emanated from Ning Zheng. It couldn't be helped. The weather was hot, and bathing was not possible in the prison of the Temple of Imperial Ancestors. Having been locked up for several days, it was only natural that he reeked of a sour stench.
Shen Lang took out some alcohol and wiped the vein on Ning Zheng's wrist until it was spotless, then swiftly drew his blood. After collecting the blood, he quickly separated the serum. Most serums are colorless, though some can be a pale yellow. Of course, this pale yellow was not indicative of a golden bloodline. And Prince Ning Zheng's serum was a pale yellow.
Shen Lang dropped Ning Zheng's serum into the suspension of Consort Bian's red blood cells and held his breath. In that moment, a small flicker of hope ignited in his heart, but he dared not expect anything. Shen Lang understood science; he knew that finding a suitable donor for a rare blood type was an incredibly difficult task, like finding a needle in a haystack. The probability of Consort Bian and Ning Zheng's blood types matching was so, so low as to be nearly impossible.
In contrast, the king held his breath and awaited the result, yet he was filled with great hope. Ning Zheng was an ominous person, as if cursed by the heavens, but that made him exceedingly rare.
And then, the scene that unfolded before them left everyone stunned, including Shen Lang himself. There was no rejection, no agglutination; Ning Zheng's serum mixed perfectly with the suspension of Consort Bian's red blood cells. What did this mean? It meant that Ning Zheng's blood could be transfused into Consort Bian's body without causing a rejection reaction.
The king was so overjoyed that his entire body trembled.
“Shen Lang, this… this proves it’s possible, doesn't it?”
Shen Lang stared at the incomprehensible sight before him and nodded. This was something that defied common sense. It had actually succeeded. The king shouted.
“Quickly, quickly, go and do it!”
Shen Lang nodded and quickly drew Ning Zheng's blood into a sterilized glass bottle. He first drew 400 milliliters. Consort Bian had lost so much blood that it was likely over 1000 milliliters. A 400-milliliter transfusion would still be insufficient, but it would be enough to save her life.