Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

In the backyard of the Imperial Hospital, the sunlight shines on the bluestone slabs, making it look particularly peaceful.

But I know that this calm is just an illusion before the storm.

Ever since I reported the matter of the medicinal herbs and the secret passage to the emperor, I have felt a heavy stone hanging in my heart.

On the one hand, I was relieved by the emperor's trust in me, but on the other hand, Concubine De's suggestion of "going with the flow" was still echoing in my ears.

Go with the flow? How should I go with the flow? Which direction should I go with the flow?

It's windy and stormy like this. If you accidentally fall into the ditch, you won't be able to get out!

I was just thinking about it when Zhu Yuan suddenly rushed in, his face full of panic.

"President Yang, this is bad! The Third Prince is sick again!"

My heart tightened. The Third Prince's condition had been recurring, and the cause hadn't been fully discovered yet. How could he...

"Hurry, take the medicine box and let's go there immediately!" I didn't dare to delay for a moment and quickly called Zhu Yuan.

When they arrived at the Third Prince's bedroom, Concubine Shu was so anxious that she was about to cry.

"The third prince was fine just now, but suddenly he started to have a fever and convulsions all over his body. Court Judge Yang, what is going on?" Concubine Shu's voice trembled, her eyes full of worry.

I hurried forward to feel the pulse of the Third Prince. When I felt his pulse, my heart skipped a beat - there was definitely something wrong with the Third Prince's condition. His pulse was disordered, as if he had been poisoned, but it didn't seem like an ordinary poison.

"Your Majesty, the Third Prince's condition is somewhat complicated. I suspect that there is some chronic accumulation of toxins in his body, which causes the disease to recur." I said tentatively. After all, this condition was too strange, and I didn't dare to jump to conclusions.

"Poison?" Consort Shu turned pale with fear. She grabbed my arm and asked anxiously, "Counselor Yang, can...can the Third Prince be cured?"

I quickly comforted her, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I've already got some ideas. All we need to do next is prescribe the right medicine, and we should be able to gradually eliminate the toxins."

Although I said this, my heart was already beating fast.

This chronic poison is extremely concealed, and the Third Prince has been in the palace all the time. The person who can poison him like this is definitely not a simple person.

After dealing with the third prince's illness, Zhu Yuan and I returned to the Imperial Hospital without saying a word along the way.

Until Zhu Yuan finally couldn't help but speak: "Yang Yuanpan, could the Third Prince's illness be related to the matter of Concubine De?"

I was actually thinking about this question in my mind.

Empress Defei's recent behavior has been strange, and she seems to have connections with forces outside the palace, while the third prince is one of the emperor's most beloved children.

If someone wants to use the Third Prince to control the Emperor, then this poison... is likely premeditated.

But these are just my guesses. Without evidence, I can't draw any conclusions.

"We can't be sure yet," I said in a deep voice, "but this matter is definitely not that simple. Next, we must keep a close eye on the Third Prince's condition and see if we can find more clues."

Zhu Yuan nodded: "Then I will go prepare the herbs, and you can study the pulse case carefully."

At this moment, Eunuch Fu suddenly appeared at the door of the Imperial Hospital.

"President Yang, the Emperor has ordered you to come to the palace immediately. I have an important matter to present to you."

My heart tightened. So soon? Has the Emperor made another move?

"I obey your order." I quickly packed up my things and followed Eunuch Fu into the palace.

In the imperial study, the emperor's face looked heavy, and several secret letters were spread out on the table.

"President Yang, have you made any further discoveries regarding the medicinal herbs and secret passages I asked you to investigate?"

I quickly knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I discovered that the medicinal herbs were indeed transferred in through the secret passage of the cold palace. It seems that the eunuch Sun Laoliu, who serves in the outer palace, is involved in this. He is the key figure."

The emperor nodded, frowning slightly. "I have found some clues. The secret passage of the cold palace is indeed being used by the forces outside the palace, but there are more people involved than just a small eunuch like Sun Laoliu."

I was shocked. What the emperor meant was that there was a bigger mastermind behind this?

"Your Majesty, I am stupid and I hope you can explain it clearly." I asked cautiously.

"President Yang, do you know what Lord Zhao has been up to lately?" The emperor suddenly looked up, his eyes sharp as torches.

Lord Zhao? It was indeed him! I had already suspected it, but hearing the Emperor mention it himself still gave me a shock.

"I heard that Lord Zhao has been frequently entering and leaving the palace of Concubine De recently, and seems to be having secret talks with Concubine De." I reported the truth.

The Emperor sneered, "Lord Zhao, Concubine De, and this secret passage and medicinal herbs—all clues point in the same direction. I suspect they are secretly colluding with forces outside the palace to plot something nefarious."

The emperor's words were so cold that I couldn't help but feel a chill down my spine - this was no longer just a palace fight, but a huge conspiracy involving the power of the court.

"Your Majesty, what should I do?" I asked cautiously. After all, in such a serious situation, I dare not act rashly.

The Emperor pondered for a moment and then said slowly, "You continue your investigation, but remember not to alert the enemy. I have already sent people to secretly monitor the movements of Lord Zhao and Concubine De, but I need more evidence before I can apprehend them in one fell swoop."

I nodded: "I understand, I will do my best."

After saying goodbye, I let out a long sigh.

Things are becoming more and more complicated. Lord Zhao and Concubine De are colluding with forces outside the palace. What is involved behind this is not just a few packets of medicinal herbs, but a power struggle in the entire court.

And I, as a small judge of the Imperial Medical Bureau, was actually caught in the center of this storm.

"President Yang, you don't look well." Zhu Yuan looked at me worriedly.

I smiled bitterly and shook my head: "If you knew what I've been through these days, your face wouldn't look much better."

Zhu Yuan immediately became nervous upon hearing this: "Then what should we do next? This palace is becoming more and more dangerous!"

I sighed. "What else can we do? Just keep investigating. We're already on the verge of collapse. We have no choice but to go all the way."

That night, I returned to my dormitory in the Imperial Hospital, but I couldn't fall asleep.

Lord Zhao, Concubine De, secret passages, and outer palace forces—these clues were all jumbled together in my mind.

I thought about it and felt that my current situation was terrible - I couldn't investigate openly, but I couldn't stay out of it either.

I tossed and turned in bed until midnight, when I finally sat up and said, "No, I have to find out what these people's true intentions are."

The next morning, I decided to go to the cold palace to check the situation myself.

This time I brought Zhu Yuan with me. After all, with my "detective intuition", if I act alone again, I would probably be caught.

There was silence everywhere near the cold palace.

We hid in a secluded corner, quietly observing the entrance to the secret passage.

Sure enough, not long after, Sun Laoliu appeared again stealthily, carrying a small bag in his hand.

"President Yang, should we follow them?" Zhu Yuan asked in a low voice, looking as nervous as a mouse seeing a cat.

I nodded: "Follow, but be careful not to be discovered."

We quietly followed Sun Laoliu and watched him walk into the secret passage again.

This time, I decided to take the risk and follow them in secretly - only by seeing the end of the secret passage with my own eyes can I know what they are doing.

In the secret passage, a damp smell hit me in the face, and it was so dark that I could hardly see the road.

Zhu Yuan and I followed Sun Laoliu's footsteps carefully. After walking for about half a cup of tea, we suddenly heard whispers in front of us.

I quickly grabbed Zhu Yuan, hid behind a stone wall, and looked forward secretly.

Sun Laoliu was seen handing the bundle to a man in black. The man whispered, "The master has ordered that this batch of medicinal herbs must be shipped out of the palace as soon as possible and must not be discovered by anyone."

Sun Laoliu nodded, his face full of flattery: "I understand, how dare I neglect the master's orders?"

The man in black snorted coldly: "Remember, if this matter is exposed, not only you, but your entire family will be buried with you."

Hearing this, my heart sank - it seems that the "master" behind this is indeed not simple, his methods are ruthless, and he is definitely not an ordinary person!

After Sun Laoliu and the man in black left, I pulled Zhu Yuan and retreated quickly.

When I returned to the Imperial Hospital, I immediately recorded my findings.

This time the clues are clearer. The medicinal materials were indeed transported out of the palace through the secret passage, and the person who directed all this behind the scenes is most likely Lord Zhao.

"President Yang, what should we do next?" Zhu Yuan asked nervously.

I pondered for a moment and said slowly, "We must act carefully this time. We can't report directly to the Emperor. If we alert the enemy, the consequences will be disastrous. We must wait until the most critical moment before taking action."

Zhu Yuan nodded: "Then I will prepare some new prescriptions to prevent the Third Prince from getting into trouble again."

I waved my hand and said, "Go ahead. From now on, we have to proceed step by step carefully and cannot make any mistakes."

It was late at night and everyone was asleep. I sat under the lamp, feeling increasingly depressed.

This palace storm is gradually approaching, and I am caught in it and cannot escape at all.

Concubine De, the Third Prince, Lord Zhao... everyone's fate is closely linked, and all I can do is try to maintain balance in this storm.

"Hopefully, I can hold on until the end."