Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

Ever since the general's illness and the queen's dream problems appeared one after another, the Imperial Medical Bureau seemed to have entered a busy vortex, with imperial doctors taking turns to work, and each of them was busy all the time.

After several days of non-stop work, everyone finally had a moment to breathe.

Zhu Yuan plopped down on the chair and sighed, "Oh, Miss Yang, my legs are almost broken from running! Yesterday you asked me to check the general's diet, and today it's the queen's prescription. Shouldn't I take a bath tomorrow?"

I smiled and handed him a cup of tea. "Don't complain, everyone's busy. Besides, our Imperial Hospital is so majestic, don't you enjoy it?"

Zhu Yuan chuckled, "It's enjoyable, but... we should also eat something good to replenish ourselves, right? I've been so tired these past few days that I've almost lost weight."

His voice was not loud, but the imperial doctors beside him heard it and nodded in agreement.

"That's right, Miss Yang. Our Imperial Hospital has put in a lot of effort recently, so we should have some 'nutritional supplements', right?" An old imperial physician said, stroking his beard, with some anticipation in his eyes.

I was moved. It seemed that everyone was indeed very tired.

Then, an idea struck me, and I said with a smile, "Well, how about we try a special 'New Imperial Hospital Recipe' today? It's both nourishing and refreshing, and I guarantee everyone will be satisfied!"

The imperial doctors instantly perked up and gathered around her: "Miss Yang, what exactly is this 'new recipe' you're talking about?"

Zhu Yuan also came over, looking curious: "Miss Yang, what new ideas do you have? Please don't make those bitter medicinal dishes, we can't stand it!"

I smiled mysteriously: "Don't worry, this time it will definitely not be bitter, and it will be delicious and fragrant."

They did it right away, and the kitchen of the Imperial Hospital instantly became bustling.

I personally cooked with the imperial doctors and decided to prepare an "upgraded version of medicinal food" for everyone.

Although I cannot use modern ingredients and seasonings, with the modern recipes in my mind and my understanding of the ingredients, it is still possible to make slight improvements.

First up – the main course: herbal chicken soup.

"Miss Yang, chicken soup? Isn't this what we drink normally? What's so special about it?" Zhu Yuan asked in confusion.

I smiled. "This chicken soup is different. I added codonopsis, astragalus, and angelica, but I controlled the amount so it's flavorful without being too bitter. I also added some goji berries and red dates, and finished it off with a sprinkle of cilantro for flavor. This soup is guaranteed to be fresh, delicious, and invigorating."

"Of all you said, I only understood wolfberries and red dates." Zhu Yuan scratched his head, "But it sounds interesting!"

I explained as I worked, "These Chinese herbs not only replenish qi and blood, but also relieve fatigue. They're perfect for people like us who work overtime every day."

"Be careful, you are going to turn the Imperial Hospital into a restaurant!" Zhu Yuan joked.

Next - side dish: steamed sea bass.

"This fish was just delivered from the imperial kitchen a few days ago. Let's use it to make steamed sea bass and add some yam slices. It's light and nourishing to the stomach." I said as I was processing the fish.

Zhu Yuan swallowed his saliva: "I like fish, but yams... aren't we still taking medicine?"

"Yam is a good thing. It strengthens the spleen and stomach and replenishes lung qi. Plus, the fish meat is tender and melts in your mouth. You will feel great after eating it." I explained with a smile.

The imperial doctors beside them nodded repeatedly and praised: "Miss Yang really understands the way to maintain health. It seems that today's meal is just around the corner!"

There is also a dessert - wolfberry and white fungus soup.

In anticipation of everyone, I also prepared a dessert.

Tremella soup was originally a common dessert in the palace. I modified it a little bit by adding wolfberry and rock sugar. It tastes smoother and can nourish the lungs while having a light sweetness.

"Good boy! Miss Yang, you really took care of everything!" Zhu Yuan looked at the pot of Tremella soup, his eyes full of anticipation, "I like the sweet ones the best!"

"Aren't you best at eating sweets?" I said with a smile, "But don't overeat this Tremella soup. It's too greasy."

Zhu Yuan muttered, "It's better to get tired of it than to drink bitter medicine every day!"

Finally, a table full of "Imperial Hospital New Recipes" was ready.

The imperial doctors sat around the table, their eyes shining, as if this was not an ordinary meal but a rare feast.

Zhu Yuan was so excited that he was already holding his chopsticks and eager to try it.

"Miss Yang, this meal is a truly significant event for the Imperial Hospital. We've all worked so hard these past few days, so we need to treat ourselves today!" He immediately picked up a piece of fish and stuffed it into his mouth, revealing a satisfied expression. "Wow, this fish is so tender! It melts in your mouth!"

The old imperial physician beside him also took a sip of the chicken soup, stroked his beard and praised: "This medicinal soup is really amazing. The medicinal taste is not strong, but the soup is rich and fresh, and there is a sweet feeling aftertaste."

"That's right!" Zhu Yuan patted my shoulder proudly, "Our Miss Yang is no ordinary cook! She's a 'genius' who has mastered both medical and culinary skills!"

I smiled bitterly and shook my head: "Alright, alright, stop praising me, eating is more important."

The atmosphere at the dinner table suddenly became much more relaxed.

While eating, the imperial doctors talked about the interesting things that happened in the palace recently.

Some people said that the imperial kitchen had recently received some spices from the Western Regions, and everyone was speculating that there would be no special dishes at the next palace banquet.

Some people also mentioned that several new imperial doctors in the Imperial Medical Bureau were so nervous that they copied the prescriptions as recipes, which resulted in a lot of jokes.

"Come to think of it, that young imperial physician a few days ago probably made 'tonic soup' into 'meat and bone soup', didn't he?" Zhu Yuan laughed heartily. "I even saw him put a big spoonful of salt in it that time!"

I couldn't help but laugh too. "Isn't it? I thought it was so salty after drinking it that day. I almost thought I was eating a new dish from the imperial kitchen."

Everyone laughed together, and the atmosphere suddenly became much more relaxed. This meal not only filled everyone's stomachs, but also relieved the fatigue and tension of the past few days.

However, just when everyone was enjoying their meal, a burst of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the Imperial Hospital.

A young eunuch ran in breathlessly, "Miss Yang, something's wrong! Someone's coming from the palace. They say the Emperor... has a sudden stomachache, and the Imperial Kitchen suspects he may have eaten something bad. They want you to go and see him right away!"

I nearly choked on a mouthful of chicken soup and quickly put down my chopsticks. "Your Majesty, does your stomach hurt? Is there something wrong with the food in the imperial kitchen?"

"This...this servant doesn't know either, but the emperor is in great pain right now, and the imperial doctors dare not neglect him!" The young eunuch looked anxious.

Zhu Yuan almost spit out the fish in his mouth when he heard this: "What? The emperor also has a stomachache? Isn't this poisoning?"

I quickly packed up the medicine box and said to him hurriedly, "Stop guessing, let's go and take a look. Maybe the food is just not to your liking."

On the way to the palace, my heart was in turmoil.

Zhu Yuan muttered quietly along the way: "Miss Yang, the food in this palace has always been exquisite, how could you suddenly get sick? Besides, we just finished eating, there's nothing wrong."

I sighed helplessly. "Do you think the emperor eats the same as us? The imperial kitchen prepares dozens of dishes every day. If there's something wrong with one of them, the emperor would be much more sensitive than we are."

Zhu Yuan nodded, a bit nervous on his face: "Yes, the emperor's health can't be taken lightly."

When we arrived at the emperor's bedroom, we smelled a strange smell as soon as we entered.

The emperor was lying on the bed, his face a little pale, his hands on his stomach, his brows furrowed.

The imperial doctors nearby looked nervous and seemed unsure of what the problem was.

"Miss Yang, you're finally here!" An imperial physician saw me and hurried over to whisper, "The emperor has been feeling stomach discomfort since lunch, and the imperial kitchen couldn't find anything wrong. We took his pulse, and it's stable, but he's still feeling abdominal discomfort."

I walked forward and carefully took the emperor's pulse.

Sure enough, there was no major problem with the pulse, but there was indeed some bloating in the abdomen.

I gently pressed his abdomen and heard some slight bowel sounds - this was obviously a problem with indigestion.

"Your Majesty, what did you have for lunch today?" I asked cautiously.

The emperor frowned slightly, his voice a little weak, "For lunch today... the imperial kitchen sent some dishes from the Western Regions, saying they had new spices... I tasted a few bites, and they were indeed delicious... but then I felt a little bloated."

I immediately understood a little bit.

Spices from the Western Regions? These spices can indeed increase appetite, but if the stomach and intestines are not used to them, especially if consumed in excess, they are likely to cause indigestion.

"Your Majesty, I think you may have eaten spices that are not suitable for your constitution, causing stomach discomfort." I said softly, "I will prescribe some medicine to strengthen your spleen and stomach to aid digestion. If you feel uncomfortable, you can drink a small amount."

The emperor nodded, a look of helplessness on his face: "It seems... I will have to eat less of these novel things in the future."