Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

Recently, the "illnesses" of the concubines in the palace have come one after another, making the Imperial Hospital extremely busy.

It was at times like this that I always felt a sense of unease in the air—the concubines seemed to be unwell, but in fact, they were all worried, as if a huge storm was brewing in the palace.

That day, I was just about to take advantage of the rare leisure time to have a cup of tea when Zhu Yuan rushed into the Imperial Hospital in a hurry, looking as panicked as a cat with its tail stepped on.

"President Yang! Something big has happened!" He shouted breathlessly, his voice so loud that even the sparrows outside the yard were scared and flew away.

I'm used to his exaggerated reactions, so I slowly raised my head and asked, "What's going on? Which lady choked on too many grapes again?"

Zhu Yuan stamped his feet anxiously, "No! It's much more serious than that! The Queen is having another nightmare! This time... there's even blood in the dream!"

When I heard that, I almost dropped my teacup. Bleeding in a dream?

This doesn't sound like some simple nightmare.

Moreover, the Queen's dream has always been the focus of the palace, especially the Queen Mother has been particularly sensitive to this matter recently. If it is not handled properly, it may cause a series of troubles.

"How is the Queen now?" I quickly stood up and packed the medicine box.

"Fortunately, the Queen was just a little panicked after waking up from the dream. The Queen Mother has already sent someone to notify her, but the Queen specifically asked you to go and take a look in person." Zhu Yuan wiped the sweat from his forehead as he spoke. It was obvious that the run was not easy.

I thought to myself: It is not surprising that the Queen has nightmares, but what is surprising is why she dreamed of "bleeding" this time.

Could it be that this dream really has some special omen, or has her psychological pressure reached its limit?

"Come on, take me to the Queen's bedroom." I carried the medicine box on my back and followed Zhu Yuan hurriedly to the Queen's bedroom.

When we arrived at the Queen's bedroom, the atmosphere was indeed more solemn than before.

The Queen sat on the edge of the bed with a pale face, a handkerchief tightly clenched in her hand, as if she had not yet recovered from the nightmare she had just had.

Several palace maids stood cautiously beside her, all with nervous expressions, afraid that they would accidentally cause the queen to lose control of her emotions again.

I quickly stepped forward and saluted: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. How is your Majesty's health?"

The Queen looked up at me, her expression somewhat weary, and waved her hand gently, "Excuse me...Yang Yuanpan, I had another nightmare. This time...I saw blood in my dream. The ground was covered in blood."

I asked tentatively, "My Lady, were there any other scenarios in your dream? Dreaming of blood is often a psychological suggestion and not necessarily a bad omen."

The Queen sighed, her voice filled with resignation. "In my dream... I was walking down a long corridor. It was pitch black. Suddenly, my foot slipped. I looked down and saw blood all over the floor. I also saw... saw... a snake."

I was shocked. The snake is coming again?

This was not the first time the queen had dreamed of snakes.

Snakes usually symbolize some hidden crisis or fear. Could it be that she really has unresolved worries in her heart?

"Your Majesty, dreams are often a reflection of your thoughts and worries, not necessarily a sign of omens." I tried to sound relaxed. "I believe your Majesty has been overworked lately, causing you to be restless and uneasy, which is why you had this dream. I will prepare some tranquilizing medicine for you to ensure you get a good rest."

The Queen was silent for a moment, as if considering my words. After a moment, she nodded gently. "Yang Yuanpan, you're right. Things have been really unsettled in the palace lately. I've been feeling anxious, and perhaps I've just scared myself."

I breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "Your Majesty, don't worry too much. I will prescribe a prescription for you. Take it on time and go to the Imperial Garden more often to relax. You will naturally feel much better."

The Queen nodded: "Alright, I really should take good care of myself."

After taking the Queen's pulse, I quickly prescribed a tranquilizing medicine and said goodbye before leaving the palace.

As soon as he walked out of the palace gate, Zhu Yuan approached like a shadow and asked mysteriously, "Yang Yuanpan, what's going on? Does the Queen's nightmare this time indicate something big?"

I glared at him. "What's going on in your head all day? The Queen is just under a lot of pressure. The blood and snakes in her dream are just a reflection of her worries. Don't speculate."

Zhu Yuan curled his lips. "But I heard that seeing blood in a dream is not a good sign. Do you think something big is going to happen in the palace?"

Although I felt a little uneasy, I pretended to be relaxed on the surface. "Dreams are mostly illusions. How can they be as mysterious as you say? Our Imperial Hospital's duty is to cure illnesses and save lives. Don't act like a fortune teller."

Zhu Yuan muttered helplessly, "I'm just worried. There have been a lot of strange things happening in the palace lately. Who knows if something really bad will happen one day?"

I patted his shoulder and said, "Alright, let's just do our own job and stop worrying about things that we shouldn't worry about."

When I returned to the Imperial Hospital, I had just sat down for a while when I heard hurried footsteps outside the door again.

"Yang Yuanpan, the virtuous concubine sent someone to ask you to come over, saying that she is feeling a little unwell." A young eunuch hurried in and reported to me breathlessly.

I sighed inwardly. It looked like there was no way I could have a peaceful day today. Concubine Xian had just gotten better recently, so why was she in trouble again?

"Okay, I'll be there right away." I carried the medicine box on my back, told Zhu Yuan to take care of the Imperial Hospital, and hurried to the virtuous concubine's bedroom.

When I arrived at the virtuous concubine's bedroom, I found her lying on the bed, her face pale and looking a little tired.

"President Yang, I have been feeling weak and listless lately, and I even have no appetite for food." Concubine Xian said weakly.

I went forward to take her pulse. It was steady but a little weak. It seemed that the fatigue was caused by insufficient qi and blood.

"Your Majesty, your qi and blood are weak. Have you been overworked recently?" I asked tentatively.

The virtuous concubine sighed softly, "This palace has indeed been very worried recently. As for the emperor... well, it's better not to mention it."

I suddenly realized that Concubine Xian had been feeling uneasy lately because of the competition for favor within the palace, which had caused her mental fatigue and weakened her blood. The concubines in the palace were always fighting for the emperor's favor, and they were really exhausted both physically and mentally.

"Your Majesty, don't worry too much. I will prescribe a prescription for you to regulate your qi and blood. If you take it on time and get more rest, your body will naturally get better." I quickly comforted her.

The virtuous concubine nodded, with a look of helplessness on her face: "This is the only way."

After returning to the Imperial Hospital, I finally had time to sit down and take a break.

The atmosphere in the palace has been getting increasingly tense recently. The Empress' nightmares, the Virtuous Consort's weakness, the Shu Consort's mood swings... These seemingly unrelated little things seem to have some connection behind them, as if an invisible net is slowly tightening. And I - as a medical officer who traveled through time and space, although I am not involved in it, I cannot completely stay out of it.

"President Yang, do you think there is any connection between the recent events in the palace?" Zhu Yuan suddenly came over and asked with a gossipy look on his face.

I glanced at him. Although I felt something was amiss, I pretended to be indifferent. "Don't let your imagination run wild. The duty of our Imperial Hospital is to cure illnesses and save lives. We shouldn't get involved in other matters."

Zhu Yuan muttered, "I always feel that the recent events in the palace are not that simple. Look, the concubines are getting into trouble one after another, and the Empress has had such a strange nightmare. There must be something behind this."

I took a deep breath. Although I appeared calm on the surface, I had a vague feeling in my heart that Zhu Yuan might be right this time - something big might really be happening in this palace.

As the chief judge of the Imperial Medical Service, I'm afraid it would be difficult for me to stay out of it.