Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

The emperor's stomachache problem came to a temporary end. After taking medicine, his complexion gradually improved, and even the bloating in his stomach disappeared without a trace.

However, this incident caused a small uproar in the palace.

Early in the morning, the steward of the imperial kitchen rushed to the Imperial Hospital in a hurry.

"Miss Yang, Miss Yang! You have to save us!" The steward almost knelt down when he saw me, his face full of tension and helplessness.

I was stunned for a moment, then quickly supported him: "Boss, please don't worry, what's going on?"

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, his voice trembling a little, "It's all because of what happened yesterday! The Emperor's stomachache has made everyone in the Imperial Kitchen feel insecure! Everyone is worried that we might have done something wrong. If the Emperor gets sick again, all of us in the Imperial Kitchen will be dead!"

Zhu Yuan happened to be passing by and heard this. He couldn't help but interrupt and said, "Butler, don't be too nervous. The emperor just has indigestion. Our Miss Yang has already taken care of it. It's not that serious."

I nodded. "Yes, Steward, don't worry. The Emperor is fine now. The spices I used yesterday may not be suitable for his constitution, but it's not a big deal."

The Imperial Kitchen's head steward heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing what I said, but his expression remained uneasy. "Even so, we in the Imperial Kitchen won't dare use those Western spices lightly again. Miss Yang, is there any way you can help us check if these spices are safe to use? If something unexpected happens again, our Imperial Kitchen will be finished!"

I thought about it and it makes sense.

Although the spices of the Western Regions have unique flavors, many of them are very irritating to the stomach and intestines, especially for people with sensitive constitutions. Excessive consumption can easily cause discomfort.

"Okay, I can help you look at these spices, but you also have to pay attention that for any new ingredients or spices, it is best to use a small amount first and observe the reaction. Don't use too much at one time." As I said, I reached out to take the several small packages handed to me by the butler, which contained the newly arrived Western spices.

After returning to the Imperial Hospital, Zhu Yuan and I began to study these spices.

"Miss Yang, do you think these spices are really that potent?" Zhu Yuan came over curiously and picked up a pinch of yellow powder. "They smell quite fragrant."

I nodded. "Spices do smell good, but they're not just for flavor. Some spices can stimulate the stomach and intestines and speed up digestion. But if used incorrectly, they can cause indigestion or even abdominal pain."

Zhu Yuan squinted his eyes and sniffed it, then suddenly frowned: "Ouch, why is this so spicy that it chokes my nose!"

I couldn't help but laugh. "That's 'pepper,'" I said. "While the pepper from the Western Regions has a unique flavor, it can easily irritate your stomach if you use too much."

Zhu Yuan touched his nose with a depressed look on his face: "The people in the imperial kitchen are really bold. The emperor eats such strong-flavored food. Are they really not afraid of anything happening?"

I smiled and shook my head. "The Imperial Kitchen is also trying to please the Emperor. After all, new things are always attractive. However, we still have to help them check and make sure nothing goes wrong."

In the next few days, Zhu Yuan and I were busy with the daily affairs of the Imperial Hospital while taking time to study those Western spices.

We found that in addition to pepper, some spices are indeed not suitable for long-term consumption, especially for people with weak constitutions or sensitive stomachs, such as the emperor.

So, I decided to go to the imperial kitchen in person and give them a simple training.

"Miss Yang, are you really going to the imperial kitchen?" Zhu Yuan said excitedly, "This is a great opportunity! Maybe we can even get some delicious food!"

I glanced at him and said, "You're dreaming. We're going to help, not to eat for free!"

Zhu Yuan muttered, "What's wrong with helping? It's not a big deal to try it by the way, right?"

In the imperial kitchen, the chefs were all busy.

When Zhu Yuan and I arrived, the head chef of the imperial kitchen was already waiting for us respectfully with a group of chefs.

"Miss Yang, please come and take a look at how to use these spices. We can't put them anywhere else." The steward looked anxious, obviously still in fear of the previous incident.

I smiled, walked forward, picked up a few spices, and explained them one by one: "It's not that these spices can't be used, but they must be used in moderation. For example, pepper has a spicy and stimulating taste. A small amount can enhance the flavor, but too much can easily irritate the stomach. Although cumin has a strong aroma, it is not suitable for every dish. Especially for those with weak spleen and stomach, it is best to use it sparingly..."

The cooks nodded repeatedly after hearing this and took out their small notebooks to start taking notes, fearing that they would miss anything.

Zhu Yuan stood aside and couldn't help but mutter in a low voice: "Miss Yang, you are more serious than when I was studying medicine in the Imperial Hospital."

I glanced at him and said, "This is the emperor's diet, of course we have to take it seriously."

In order to let the chefs in the imperial kitchen understand the use of these spices more intuitively, I decided to demonstrate a dish myself.

"Let's make a simple 'steamed sea bass' today, adding a small amount of pepper and cumin, which can not only preserve the freshness of the fish but also highlight the flavor of the spices." I said while skillfully handling the ingredients.

Zhu Yuan was watching from the side, marveling: "Miss Yang, your cooking skills are really becoming more and more like the chef in the imperial kitchen! Why don't you just change your career and become a head chef in the imperial kitchen?"

I smiled and shook my head: "I don't have such plans. Saving people is more important."

After a busy time, the steamed sea bass was soon served.

I used only a small amount of pepper and cumin, with a few slices of ginger and scallions to enhance the flavor without being overly pungent. The fish was tender and fragrant, and the chefs from the imperial kitchen gathered around the table, their faces full of anticipation.

"Miss Yang, this looks delicious!" Zhu Yuan couldn't help but pick up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of fish and put it into his mouth.

As soon as he took a bite, his eyes lit up: "Wow! This tastes amazing! Pepper and cumin can be combined like this. It has the flavor of spices without stealing the freshness of the fish!"

The chefs in the imperial kitchen also tried the food and praised it highly.

"Miss Yang, you are really the savior of our imperial kitchen! With your guidance, we will never be afraid of using the wrong spices again!" The steward was so excited that he almost knelt down in front of me.

I quickly supported him and said with a smile, "The steward is exaggerating. We are all concerned about the health of the emperor. As long as we pay attention to the dosage in the future, spices can still add flavor to the dishes."

The spice scandal in the imperial kitchen had come to an end, but life in the palace was still turbulent.

After returning to the Imperial Hospital, Zhu Yuan held his stomach and sighed, "Miss Yang, we had a full meal in the Imperial Kitchen today! But you say, with so many new things coming out of the palace every day, will our Imperial Hospital have to deal with a case of 'spice poisoning' one day?"

I smiled helplessly: "Who knows? But we in the Imperial Hospital are not here to eat for free every day. Our main job is to treat illnesses and save lives."

Zhu Yuan nodded and sighed, "Yes, curing illnesses and saving lives is the most important thing, but I always feel that while curing illnesses, we also have to cure these imperial chefs of the problem of 'using spices indiscriminately'."

I couldn't help but laugh: "Then you must study hard, what if one day you become a spice expert?"

In the next few days, the Imperial Hospital returned to its former tranquility.

However, I am still a little worried about the emperor's physical condition.

After all, his stomach was not particularly good, and the imperial kitchen was always trying new ingredients and spices in order to please him.

Although this storm has subsided, who knows what problems will arise next time?

It seems that I have to keep an eye on the food situation in the palace to prevent similar incidents from happening again.