Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

In Doctor Li's room, the air was filled with tension.

Doctor Li's face turned even paler, and his hands trembled slightly. He obviously didn't expect me to appear suddenly.

Zhu Yuanze stood behind me. Although he didn't dare to speak, his eyes were as big as copper bells. It was obvious that he was frightened by this sudden situation.

"President Yang, what...what do you mean?" Imperial Physician Li tried hard to force a smile, but there was a hint of panic in his tone.

I smiled faintly and pretended to be calm. "Doctor Li, don't be nervous. I'm just asking casually. Empress Defei's behavior has been a little unusual recently. As a veteran of the Imperial Hospital, you should know a lot, right?"

Doctor Li's expression became increasingly grim, and he seemed to be hesitating whether to answer.

I know in my heart that this old fox must be hiding a lot of secrets, but he obviously doesn't dare to reveal them easily.

"President Yang, you misunderstood. The duty of our Imperial Hospital is to cure the illnesses of the princes and queens. I am just trying my best to do my duty." Doctor Li's voice was trembling a little, but he still spoke in an official tone.

I smiled, took a step closer to him, and lowered my voice, "Doctor Li, we're all colleagues. You know that Concubine De has been quite restless lately. You don't want to be involved in the Third Prince's poisoning, do you?"

As soon as these words came out, Doctor Li's expression changed obviously.

He obviously knew that the third prince was poisoned, and it seemed that he was very conflicted.

Zhu Yuan whispered behind me, "Court Judge Yang, could it be that Imperial Physician Li is really having some shady dealings with Concubine De?"

I turned around and glared at Zhu Yuan, signaling him to shut up. I turned back and continued to stare at Doctor Li. "Doctor Li, let's be frank. You should know something about Concubine De's affairs. If you choose to remain silent now, you will probably be used as a scapegoat once the matter is exposed."

After hearing this, Doctor Li finally couldn't hold it anymore.

He took a deep breath, clutched his sleeves tightly, and after a long while, he whispered, "President Yang, you're right. Things are indeed not as simple as they seem..."

I was delighted, finally there was a breakthrough!

Doctor Li pulled out a thin piece of paper from the file on the table with trembling hands and handed it to me.

I took it and looked at it carefully. The paper was densely covered with Chinese herbal medicine formulas and some medicinal material names that I was not familiar with.

These herbs may seem ordinary, but if mixed in certain proportions, they can have highly toxic effects.

"This is the prescription that Empress Defei personally ordered me to prepare." Doctor Li's voice was low and somewhat helpless. "She said it was to help the Third Prince recuperate, but I know there's something wrong with it. She...she's probably trying to control the Third Prince's condition."

My heart sank. It was just as I expected! Concubine De's plot wasn't just to poison the Third Prince; she also wanted to achieve some purpose by controlling his illness.

"Then why didn't you report it earlier?" I asked with a frown.

Imperial Physician Li smiled bitterly and shook his head. "Yang Yuanpan, you know that Consort De is quite powerful in the palace. I'm just a humble Imperial Physician. How could I dare to offend her so easily? If she knew I had secretly leaked this information, I wouldn't be alive until tomorrow."

I snorted coldly: "If you tell me now, it will still be the same, right?"

Imperial Physician Li lowered his head, a complex expression on his face. "I... I have no other choice. Empress Defei's people have been keeping an eye on me, and I haven't had the chance to report to the Emperor. Now that things have gotten out of hand, I can only take the risk of telling you. I hope you can help me escape."

I sneered in my heart. This old guy is smart. He knew that things were about to get out of control, so he quickly distanced himself from it.

"Doctor Li, since you already know about Concubine De's conspiracy, I advise you to cooperate with us. Otherwise, when the matter is exposed, it will be too late for you to shirk the blame." I changed my tone and put some pressure on him.

Doctor Li's face turned even paler, and he obviously realized that he had no choice.

He whispered, "President Yang, don't worry, I'm willing to cooperate...but I beg you to spare my life."

I nodded. "As long as you cooperate, nothing will happen. I will report the situation to the Emperor and ensure you are safe."

Doctor Li finally breathed a sigh of relief, and he looked as if a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

After leaving Doctor Li's residence, it was late at night and Zhu Yuan followed me with a look of surprise on his face.

"President Yang, you were so amazing just now! Just a few words scared Doctor Li so much that he revealed all the secrets." Zhu Yuan said with admiration.

I shook my head helplessly. "This isn't my fault, it's clearly Imperial Doctor Li's own guilt. He knows that Concubine De is playing too big a game this time, and if he doesn't find a backer quickly, he'll be dragged into it sooner or later."

Zhu Yuan scratched his head. "So what should we do next? Concubine De will definitely not give up easily. Will she attack us directly next?"

I thought about it, and I felt a little unsure. Consort De's methods were sinister. She had just poisoned the Third Prince, and she might make even bigger moves next.

"We must act quickly," I said in a deep voice. "While Imperial Physician Li's testimony is useful, it's not enough. We need more evidence to completely bring down Concubine De."

Zhu Yuan nodded hurriedly: "Yes, yes, yes! We have to hurry up, otherwise if she launches another surprise attack, we won't be able to withstand it!"

I patted Zhu Yuan on the shoulder and said, "Don't be nervous. Things haven't reached that stage yet. First, arrange for someone to keep a close eye on Concubine De's movements, especially the maids and eunuchs around her. Report anything unusual immediately."

Zhu Yuan responded, turned around and hurried away. I stood in the night, looking up at the crescent moon in the sky, feeling a heavy feeling in my heart.

The conspiracy of Concubine De is becoming clearer and clearer, but how deep is the water behind it?

What exactly does she want to achieve by controlling the third prince's illness?

The next day, inside the Imperial Hospital.

I had just sat down to attend to some routine matters at the Imperial Hospital when a maid suddenly rushed in, breathlessly announcing, "Counselor Yang, Empress Defei requests that you proceed to her chambers immediately. She says she has an urgent matter to discuss."

I frowned. Concubine De suddenly summoned me?

"Did she say what it was?" I asked, my heart already beating fast.

The maid shook her head: "No, the Queen just said that you should go there as soon as possible."

My heart tightened. Concubine De's sudden summons definitely wasn't a good sign. Could she have sensed we were investigating her?

"No matter what, we will fight back against the enemy with our soldiers and block the water with earth." I took a deep breath, composed myself, and followed the palace maid to the bedroom of Concubine De.

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

As soon as I walked into the hall, I felt an invisible pressure.

Empress Defei sat in the main seat, looking at me coldly, with a look of scrutiny in her eyes.

I felt a vague sense of unease, but I remained calm on the surface. "Your servant, Yang Qing, greets Her Majesty the Virtuous. I wonder what instructions you have for me?"

Consort Defei smiled slightly, but there was a hint of coldness in that smile: "Yang Yuanpan, I heard that you have been busy taking care of the Third Prince's illness recently. Thank you for your hard work."

My heart trembled. She really did know something, but she still had a smile on her face: "Your Majesty, you are too kind. Taking care of the Third Prince is my duty."

Empress Defei raised her hand slightly, signaling the palace maids to leave.

When we were the only two left in the hall, she slowly spoke, "Yang Yuanpan, you know, I've been a little unhappy lately."

My heartbeat quickened, but I remained respectful on the surface. "Why is Your Majesty unhappy? I am a fool, so please explain."

Consort De sneered, her eyes sharp as knives. "I've heard that someone has been secretly investigating the Third Prince's condition and is even questioning my good intentions. Judge Yang, how do you think this matter should be handled?"

My heart sank suddenly. She already knew that I was investigating her!