Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

The atmosphere in the Imperial Hospital was noticeably more tense than usual, especially after Concubine Shu fell into a coma and the deadly Aconitum was found among the medicinal herbs.

There was panic in the palace, and even the air was filled with an unusual chill.

But I know that at times like this, the more nervous you are, the calmer you need to be.

After all, if I fall, who can rescue me from this muddy water and clear my name?

Returning to the Imperial Hospital, I summoned several trusted female doctors and Zhu Yuan for an emergency discussion.

"Everyone, everyone knows about Concubine Shu's situation. It's a very serious problem. Now it's not just a matter of reputation for the Imperial Hospital. If this matter isn't handled properly, everyone in the hospital might lose their heads."

I glanced around and saw that everyone's faces were unhappy, so I continued, "But I believe that someone must have done this intentionally. What we need to do is to find out the truth and clear our names."

Zhu Yuan nodded and couldn't help but interrupt, "President Yang, don't worry, I've already kept a close eye on those women doctors in the pharmacy. If anyone dares to tamper with anything again, I'll catch them right away!"

"Finding them is good, but we can't be too hasty." I waved my hand. "This incident involves more than just a few small fry. If we act rashly, we might alert the enemy. We have to proceed step by step and seize the key evidence."

"But where should we start?" an elderly doctor asked worriedly.

I thought about it for a moment and suddenly remembered a detail that Zhu Yuan mentioned - the contact between Xiao Anzi and the palace maid of Concubine De.

Maybe things can start from here.

I decided to take a bold action - to take the initiative, forge a fake news, and test the person behind it.

"Well," I said slowly, "let's spread the news first. Let's say that Concubine Shu's condition has stabilized, and the Imperial Hospital has discovered a problem with the medicinal materials and found a scapegoat. Let's see if there will be any movement in the palace after this news spreads."

Zhu Yuan's eyes lit up: "That's a good idea! We can see if those guilty people will reveal their true colors."

I nodded: "Yes, let's scare the snake and see if it will jump out on its own."

The next day, the news quickly spread in the palace.

"Have you heard? Concubine Shu's condition has improved. The Imperial Hospital has found that it was a problem with the medicinal materials."

"Really? I heard the Imperial Hospital arrested a female doctor and is preparing to report it to the Emperor..."

"Oh, Madam Shufei is so lucky! It's a blessing that the people in the Imperial Hospital are so capable!"

People in the palace have always been gossipy. The news spread quickly from one person to ten and then to a hundred. Before long, it seemed that the entire harem knew this "inside story".

As for me, I was quietly observing the movements in the palace in the Imperial Hospital.

Sure enough, as I expected, in the afternoon, Zhu Yuan came running over mysteriously.

"Yang Yuanpan, there's movement!" He lowered his voice, his eyes full of excitement, "A young eunuch from Concubine De's palace just sneaked over to the storeroom, acting very sneaky. I followed him and found him meeting with Xiao Anzi's men from the pharmacy!"

"Connection?" I raised my eyebrows, feeling a little excited.

Sure enough, this conspiracy was closely related to Concubine De.

"Yes! They seemed to be exchanging something. I didn't dare get too close, but I heard them mention 'Aconitum'." Zhu Yuan said, his eyes shining. "It seems that this time we really caught the tail!"

I thought about it for a moment. No matter what, this is an important breakthrough.

But this alone is not enough to directly accuse Concubine De.

We need more evidence.

"Keep watching them. Don't alert them." I patted Zhu Yuan's shoulder. "From now on, we have to be more cautious. It would be best if we could catch them in the act."

In the next few days, I continued to handle the daily affairs of the Imperial Hospital while secretly observing the movements in the palace.

However, during this period, the palace seemed calm. Apart from some occasional insignificant rumors, the little eunuch did not show up again.

Just when I thought things had reached a stalemate, an unexpected piece of news broke the apparent calm.

That evening, a palace maid suddenly came to deliver a letter saying that Concubine De was unwell and urgently summoned the Imperial Hospital for treatment.

My heart skipped a beat. Concubine De? What a coincidence?

"President Yang, what do you think is going on?" Zhu Yuan asked in a low voice.

"Is Consort De unwell?" I sneered. "I'm afraid she's testing us. Since she's actively recruiting people, let's just go with the flow and see what she's up to."

I took the medicine box and rushed to Concubine De's bedroom with Zhu Yuan.

The bedroom of Concubine De is more solemn and elegant than that of other concubines.

Although she was not as popular as Concubine Shu, she was known for her composure in the harem. Therefore, even though she was not the most favored, she still had a certain status.

When I walked into the bedroom, Concubine De was sitting by the bed, her face looking a little tired and pale.

When she saw me, she gently waved her hand and said, "President Yang, I've been feeling chest tightness and shortness of breath these past few days, and nothing I eat has any taste. Can you take a look at me and see if there's something wrong with my body?"

I bowed slightly, wary in my heart but respectful on the surface as always: "Your Majesty, please rest assured. I will take a look at you right away."

I went forward to take Defei's pulse. Her pulse was stable, so there was obviously no major problem.

"Your Majesty's pulse is fine. It may be that the weather is getting colder and your body is a little tired. I suggest you get more rest and eat a lighter diet." I said calmly, but I was thinking in my heart: I'm afraid that Empress Defei called me here this time not just to see a doctor.

As expected, Concubine De coughed lightly and said in a meaningful tone, "Counselor Yang, there have been rumors in the palace recently that Concubine Shu's condition has improved. Did the Imperial Hospital find something wrong?"

"This..." I was slightly stunned, then calmly replied, "To answer your Majesty, Concubine Shu's condition has indeed improved. However, the issue of the medicinal materials is still under further investigation, and no conclusion has been reached yet."

Concubine De smiled faintly, her eyes filled with inquiry. "Counselor Yang is truly cautious. However, I heard there's a problem with the medicinal materials, and the nobles in the palace are all in a panic. It seems the Imperial Hospital has also been in turmoil recently, right?"

I still wore a professional smile on my face. "Your Majesty, you are overly concerned. Everything in the Imperial Hospital is normal. We will do our best to ensure the well-being of the nobles in the palace."

Concubine De narrowed her eyes, as if considering something. She suddenly turned her head and said softly, "Yang Yuanpan, I believe you are a man of measure. The affairs of the palace are intricate and complex. Some things... knowing too much is not necessarily a good thing."

Her voice was gentle, yet contained a hint of warning.

I was startled. It seemed that she had noticed something and might even know that we were investigating secretly.

Now, she was testing me and also warning me not to meddle in other people's business.

After returning to the Imperial Hospital, Zhu Yuan and I briefly summarized the conversation we had just had.

"President Yang, what do you think is the intention of Concubine De's words just now?" Zhu Yuan asked cautiously.

I sighed. "She's testing us to see what we've found. At the same time, she's also warning us, trying to get us to back off."

"Then what should we do next?" Zhu Yuan was a little anxious. "We can't just let it go like this, right?"

I sneered, "Of course not. The fact that Concubine De is so eager to test us shows that she has something to hide. Since she has set a trap for us, let's follow her lead and see how far she can go."