Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

As the saying goes, after a storm comes a period of peace.

After Concubine De was confined to her room, the atmosphere in the palace did calm down a lot, but I knew that behind this calmness, there were still hidden waves.

The struggle in the harem is like a steaming hot pot. It looks calm on the surface, but it is already boiling underneath.

The key point is that there are still a lot of chili peppers in this hot pot, and no one knows when they will get too spicy.

After the incident was over, the Imperial Medical Service finally restored some of its former order.

"President Yang, the palace has been quite peaceful lately, and our workload has decreased a lot," Zhu Yuan lamented as he leisurely sipped his tea. "Usually, we're so busy that we're spinning like a top, but now it's a little hard to get used to."

I smiled and sighed to myself, "Yes, the Imperial Hospital was on the verge of death a while ago. It almost became the 'Imperial Court of Conspiracy'. But don't relax. The palace may seem calm, but who knows when the next wave of trouble will come."

Zhu Yuan scratched his head, his face filled with helplessness. "I say, isn't our Imperial Hospital supposed to cure illnesses and save lives? Why is it constantly involved in these palace intrigues? It would be so much better if we could just be 'doctors' in peace."

I patted his shoulder and sighed, "Being a doctor? It's not that easy in the palace. We treat not only diseases, but also people's hearts."

Just as we were lamenting the changing situation in the palace, a familiar figure quietly walked into the Imperial Hospital.

It was Xiao Xing, Empress Shufei's personal maid. She entered, bowing slightly. "Yang Yuanpan, the Empress sent me to thank you. Thanks to you, the Empress's condition has improved significantly, and she's been much more energetic these days."

I smiled and said, "This is all thanks to Your Majesty. I am just doing my duty. How is Your Majesty's health now? Are you feeling any discomfort?"

Xiao Xing shook her head, a look of relief on her face. "The Queen said that she feels much better recently, and her spirits are much better. But... the Queen is still a little worried."

"Worried?" I asked, frowning.

Xiao Xing hesitated for a moment and whispered, "Your Majesty is worried. Although Concubine De is temporarily under house arrest, she has been in the palace for many years and has a deep foundation. Although your Majesty's condition has improved, the situation in the palace is unclear. Your Majesty is worried that there will be more trouble in the future..."

I sighed inwardly. Concubine Shu's worries were not without reason. Although Concubine De had temporarily lost power, her influence in the harem was deeply entrenched, and confinement might not completely solve the problem.

"Tell Her Majesty that the Imperial Hospital will always pay attention to her health, and we will do our best to protect Her Majesty." I said solemnly.

Xiao Xing nodded and bowed gratefully, "Thank you, Judge Yang. If Her Majesty knew how dedicated you are, she would surely feel much more relieved."

After sending Xiao Xing away, Zhu Yuan suddenly came over and said mysteriously, "Counselor Yang, when will our Imperial Hospital finally be able to have some peace and quiet? With all this fighting going on every day, it feels like we're turning into the 'Imperial Dou Yuan'. We're living in constant fear."

As I sorted the herbs on the table, I smiled and said, "Peaceful? You're overthinking it. As long as there are palace maids in the harem, the struggle will never stop. We doctors must also be prepared to deal with 'palace fighting disease' at any time."

Zhu Yuan curled his lips: "Palace fighting disease? Your term is quite fresh."

"That's right," I said seriously. "Palace fighting syndrome has complex and varied symptoms, the cause cannot be traced, it recurs at irregular intervals, and it's extremely difficult to cure. The only treatment is to keep your distance and don't get involved."

Zhu Yuan laughed heartily. "President Yang, what you said is truly insightful. It seems that from now on we must not only study medicinal herbs, but also the human heart!"

I sighed softly, "It's easy to mix medicinal herbs, but it's hard to cure mental illness."

At this moment, hurried footsteps were heard outside.

A young eunuch ran in breathlessly, his face a little panicked. "Yang Yuanpan, this is bad! Concubine De suddenly fainted while under house arrest. The Emperor orders you to go and treat her immediately!"

Zhu Yuan and I looked at each other and our hearts skipped a beat.

Concubine De fainted at this time?

Whether it is true or false, there must be something behind it.

"Let's go!" I quickly packed my medicine box, took Zhu Yuan with me, and rushed to Concubine De's bedroom.

The atmosphere in Concubine De's bedroom was extremely solemn.

Concubine De was lying on the bed, her face pale and her breathing weak, while the palace maids were running around anxiously.

The emperor was actually present as well. He stood aside with a frown on his face, looking very worried.

"President Yang, Concubine De suddenly fainted, you should take a look at her immediately!" The emperor's tone left no room for doubt.

I was secretly on guard in my heart, but I bowed respectfully on the surface: "I obey your command."

My mind was racing as I stepped forward to take Concubine De's pulse.

Defei's pulse was weak, but there were no obvious signs of poisoning or illness.

Her physical condition is not as serious as it seems. Instead, it seems like... she is pretending to be sick?

"I'd like to ask if Your Majesty has been feeling unwell recently or taking any special medicine?" I asked, with a hint of tentativeness in my words.

Concubine De opened her eyes weakly, her voice halting, "This palace... This palace just feels... suffocated, my blood circulation is blocked, I've lost my appetite lately, and my body is getting weaker..."

Her expression was just the right amount of pale, and her tone was a bit weak.

But I knew in my heart that she was probably acting.

Concubine De is playing the emotional card, trying to gain the emperor's sympathy, or even to reverse the current unfavorable situation.

"Your Majesty, Consort De's condition doesn't seem serious. It's likely due to the depression she's experienced during her confinement, which has led to poor blood circulation." I carefully considered my words, trying to make them sound reasonable. "I suggest that Consort De take care of her mind and relax. Perhaps she will recover faster."

The emperor frowned and seemed a little hesitant.

At this time, Concubine De suddenly said softly, "Your Majesty... I know I am wrong, but during this period of house arrest, I really can't control my emotions. If you can let me go out for a walk, perhaps... perhaps my health will improve..."

Her voice was weak and tears welled up in her eyes, making her look particularly pitiful.

I secretly sighed in my heart: "Wow, such acting skills! If it were in modern times, she would definitely win the Best Actress award."

The emperor looked at Concubine De with a complicated expression on his face, as if he was considering her request.

At this moment, Zhu Yuan suddenly interrupted the atmosphere with an untimely cough.

"Ahem! Court Judge Yang, you're right, poor blood circulation can indeed cause fainting! But..." He changed the subject, his tone carrying a hint of unintentional ridicule, "We at the Imperial Hospital have plenty of prescriptions, so why would you need to go out and look around? Your Majesty, if you just drink more of our prescribed medicine, I think you'll be full of energy in a few days."

Defei's expression instantly became stiff, and the emperor was also stunned for a moment, then he coughed lightly, as if to hide his smile.

I suppressed my laughter, gave Zhu Yuan a light kick, and whispered, "You really have amazing 'lung capacity'."

Zhu Yuan said innocently, "Didn't you say that illnesses must be treated with medicine? Don't let your mental illness get worse."

The Emperor seemed to be awakened by these words and said in a deep voice, "In that case, let's follow Yang Yuanpan's advice and let Concubine De recuperate well. As for the house arrest, I will consider it later."

De Fei's expression changed slightly, but she could only respond in a low voice: "Your Highness obeys your command."

After leaving Concubine De's bedroom, I finally couldn't help but pat Zhu Yuan on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Your trick of 'unintentionally planting willows' is really brilliant!"

Zhu Yuan said innocently, "President Yang, I really didn't think that much. I just felt that since we are imperial physicians, we still have to rely on medicine to treat illnesses."

"Your natural sincerity is sometimes more effective than any scheming," I said with a smile. "However, Concubine De really put on quite the show this time. It seems she's still unwilling to be grounded."

Zhu Yuan scratched his head: "Will she do something weird again?"

I sighed. "I don't know if there will be any trouble, but we in the Imperial Hospital must remain vigilant at all times. The hearts of people in the palace are always much more difficult to cure than prescriptions."