Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

Defei's temptation was like a chess piece that was gently pushed aside. Although it was not obvious, it was full of murderous intent.

Her implication was clear: knowing too much is not necessarily a good thing.

Unfortunately, she probably doesn’t know that I have never been a person who likes to keep to myself.

After returning to the Imperial Hospital, I fell into deep thought.

As this matter has developed step by step to the present day, it is no longer just a simple palace struggle.

Defei obviously doesn't want us to continue investigating, and Shufei's illness is closely related to her.

If I let it go, not only will the reputation of the Imperial Hospital be ruined, but I myself may also be trapped in the web woven by Concubine De and unable to extricate myself.

"President Yang, what are you thinking about?" Zhu Yuan walked over with a cup of tea and asked cautiously.

"I'm thinking about how to deal with Concubine De." I said lightly.

"Do you have an idea?" Zhu Yuan's eyes lit up, and he seemed eager to know my plan.

I shook my head. "We can't rush things yet. Since Concubine De is testing us, it means she's unsure. Our advantage is that she doesn't know how much we know. The more this happens, the more she'll feel guilty."

Zhu Yuan scratched his head: "So we're just going to wait like this?"

"Of course not." I smiled. "We need to be patient and hold our ground for now, but we must not let her think we're really scared."

As they were talking, a young eunuch ran in hurriedly.

"President Yang, the Emperor summons you!"

Zhu Yuan and I looked at each other, and our hearts couldn't help but skip a beat.

The Emperor summoned me suddenly. Could it be that Concubine De has already complained to the Emperor and wants to take this opportunity to intimidate me?

"Okay, I'll go right away." I suppressed the uneasiness in my heart, straightened my clothes, and took Zhu Yuan and the eunuch to the main hall of the palace.

When I arrived at the main hall, the emperor was reviewing memorials. When he saw me come in, he raised his hand and motioned for me to salute.

"Your Highness, I, Yang Yi, the Chief Judge of the Imperial Hospital, pay my respects to His Majesty."

The Emperor put down the memorial in his hand, looked up at me, and said with a faint smile: "Counselor Yang, there have been a lot of things going on in the Imperial Hospital recently."

I immediately bowed and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Hospital has always been dedicated and diligent in its duties, and we dare not slack off in the slightest."

The Emperor nodded. "I heard that Concubine Shu's condition has improved. Did your Imperial Hospital find any problems?"

My heart tightened. It seemed that the rumors about Concubine Shu had reached the ears of the Emperor.

This also shows that various forces in the palace are paying attention to this matter, and Concubine De is probably one of them.

Since the emperor asked me personally, I have to respond carefully.

"Your Majesty, Concubine Shu's condition has indeed improved. I am treating her according to my medical skills. As for the issue of medicinal materials, I am still investigating further and have not yet reached a definite conclusion." I tried my best to speak in a calm and steady manner, neither saying too much nor sounding perfunctory.

The emperor frowned slightly, seemingly dissatisfied with the answer. "No conclusion yet? Then you must hurry up. The health of the nobles in the harem cannot be neglected."

"I will definitely not be negligent." I responded quickly.

The Emperor waved his hand gently, as if not wanting to dwell on the issue any further, and asked, "I heard that you've been performing well in the Imperial Hospital recently, and even Concubine De praised you for your steadiness. Is that true?"

I sneered in my heart. Concubine De was being sweet on the surface, but she was preparing a knife behind her back.

However, I maintained a respectful expression on my face: "Your Majesty, I am only doing my duty."

"Duty?" The emperor looked at me thoughtfully, then smiled. "Alright, I know you're busy treating Concubine Shu, so I won't keep you any longer. Remember, find out the problem with the medicinal materials and give me an explanation as soon as possible."

"I obey your command." I felt a little relieved and bowed and left.

After leaving the main hall, Zhu Yuan asked nervously, "President Yang, what does the emperor mean by summoning me this time? Has he begun to suspect something?"

"The Emperor hasn't suspected anything yet." I shook my head. "He just wants to know the truth about Concubine Shu's illness and the medicinal materials issue as soon as possible. The Emperor hates the intrigues in the palace the most, especially when these struggles affect his favorite concubine."

Zhu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, but then became a little worried: "What about Concubine De? Has she already tried to trip us up in front of the Emperor?"

"I don't think Concubine De dares to touch us easily," I analyzed calmly. "She's waiting to see what we can find out. If she acts too hastily, she'll expose herself. So, she can only give me a 'good reputation' to make us let down our guard."

Zhu Yuan suddenly realized: "So she is setting a trap! What should we do then?"

I smiled slightly: "Since she wants to dig a hole, we might as well pretend to jump in and see what she wants to do."

In the following days, Zhu Yuan and I continued to keep our hands off and wait and see what would happen.

At the same time, the daily affairs of the Imperial Hospital were still busy, and the nobles in the palace, big and small, always had some minor ailments such as headaches and fevers.

Although these trivial matters seem to have nothing to do with the palace fight, I know that every step taken by the Imperial Hospital is invisibly affecting the entire situation.

One day, a palace maid quietly came to the Imperial Hospital with a letter.

"President Yang, this is the letter that Concubine Shu asked me to deliver." The palace maid said in a low voice, with a hint of nervousness in her expression.

I took the letter, opened it, and immediately frowned.

In the letter, Concubine Shu mentioned that her condition had recurred recently and she often felt weak, especially after taking the health-preserving soup provided by the Imperial Hospital, the symptoms seemed to have worsened.

"This is impossible. There is absolutely no problem with the prescription I prescribed." I muttered to myself, feeling a little uneasy.

"President Yang, do you think someone might have done something again?" Zhu Yuan asked in a low voice.

I nodded. "It's very likely. Since Concubine Shu's condition seems unresolved, we need to investigate the people around her, especially the palace maids and eunuchs who are responsible for her daily life."

So, I decided to go to Concubine Shu's bedroom in person to check on her condition.

Along the way, I was thinking to myself: The recurring condition of Concubine Shu could not be simply a problem with the medicine. It is very likely that someone around her is secretly doing something wrong.

We must find out the "traitor" as soon as possible, otherwise Concubine Shu's health will only get worse.

When I arrived at Concubine Shu's bedroom and saw her, my heart became even heavier.

Her face was paler than the last time I saw her, and she looked extremely weak.

Although she tried to maintain a dignified demeanor, she could not hide the fatigue and anxiety in her eyes.

"President Yang, has my condition worsened again?" Concubine Shu asked weakly, her voice light.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will do my best to treat her." I comforted her and began to take her pulse.

Sure enough, her pulse was more disordered than last time, as if a faint poison was spreading in her body.

My heart sank. This was definitely not a normal illness. Someone must have tampered with her medicine.

"Your Majesty, I need to check all the medications and diet you have taken recently." I said seriously.

Concubine Shu nodded and signaled the palace maid to present the medicinal herbs and food she had taken recently.

I carefully checked the herbs and diet, and sure enough, I found something abnormal.

A seemingly ordinary health-preserving soup actually contains an extremely hidden medicinal ingredient - Euphrasia officinalis.

Although this medicinal material is not fatal, long-term use can cause physical weakness, especially for someone like Concubine Shu who is already weak, which is extremely harmful.

"It turns out that someone is poisoning me secretly." I sneered in my heart. It seems that the mastermind behind this incident has been exposed.

I turned to look at Zhu Yuan and whispered, "Our counterattack is about to begin."