Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

The early mornings in the Imperial Hospital are always unusually quiet, as if nothing that happened last night had happened.

I sat in the study, looking at the morning light coming in through the window, but I couldn't calm down.

Although last night's "adventure" ended safely, I know in my heart that Concubine De will never give up.

Especially when it came to the matter of Doctor Li, she had already developed murderous intentions.

"President Yang! Something terrible has happened!" Zhu Yuan rushed in like a gust of wind, and his voice was so loud that it almost blew off the roof of the entire Imperial Hospital.

I was so startled by him that I almost knocked over the teacup in my hand: "Zhu Yuan! Can you please stop making such a fuss every time?"

Zhu Yuan gasped, his face filled with anxiety. "President Yang, something really bad has happened! Imperial Physician Li—Imperial Physician Li…he's gone crazy!"

"Crazy?" My eyes widened. "What did you say? How could he be crazy?"

Zhu Yuan slapped his forehead and stamped his feet anxiously: "I don't know either! I just went to the Imperial Hospital to give him medicine, but he was lying on the bed crying and laughing, and kept saying something weird like 'I can't say it, I can't say it', as if he was possessed by a demon!"

My heart sank suddenly.

Imperial Doctor Li knows the secret of Concubine De. She was just rescued last night, but she went crazy this morning. There must be something fishy going on.

"Let's go and take a look!" I immediately stood up and took Zhu Yuan to Doctor Li's room.

Outside Doctor Li's ward, several doctors and palace maids were gathered together, discussing the matter, their faces filled with confusion and anxiety.

"Get out of the way!" I squeezed into the crowd and walked into the ward.

Doctor Li was lying on the bed, his hair disheveled, his eyes lifeless, and he kept muttering to himself: "I can't tell you... I can't tell you... She will kill me... I can't tell you..."

I walked over and patted his shoulder gently: "Doctor Li, it's me, Yang Qing, do you remember?"

Doctor Li stared at me with empty eyes, as if he didn't recognize me at all.

His lips trembled, and his voice was weak: "She...she will kill me...I can't say it...I can't say it..."

My heart tightened. This was obviously not an ordinary mental disorder.

Doctor Li's mind seemed to have been greatly stimulated by something, or he might even have been drugged.

"Zhu Yuan, go get my herbal encyclopedia." I said in a deep voice.

Zhu Yuan nodded and ran out quickly.

I squatted down and carefully checked Doctor Li's pulse.

Although his pulse was weak, it did not seem like a symptom of poisoning. Instead, it seemed like he had been extremely frightened, leading to a mental breakdown.

"President Yang, what happened to Doctor Li?" asked an elderly doctor nearby, his tone filled with confusion and worry.

I shook my head and didn't answer for the time being.

Things are becoming more and more complicated. Doctor Li's madness cannot be accidental. Concubine De must be behind it.

"He might be under the influence of some kind of ecstasy or hallucinogen." I stood up and pondered, "This kind of drug can cause people to fall into extreme fear and hallucinations, leading to a mental breakdown."

The elderly doctor frowned and asked, "Counselor Yang, do you mean someone is deliberately trying to harm him?"

I nodded. "That's right. Imperial Doctor Li holds too many secrets that shouldn't be known. Empress Defei obviously doesn't want him to have the chance to reveal them again, so she's using this method to drive him completely crazy."

"Then what should we do?" Zhu Yuan hurried back, holding the pharmacopoeia I usually use in his hands, his face full of anxiety. "Yang Yuanpan, are we just going to watch Doctor Li become like this?"

I took the pharmacopoeia, flipped through a few pages, and carefully searched for the right antidote.

This kind of intoxicating drug usually requires special herbs to detoxify it, and it must be done quickly, otherwise Doctor Li's mind may be permanently damaged.

"There's a way." I closed the pharmacopoeia and looked up. "We need a herb called 'Spirit-awakening Grass.' This herb can remove hallucinogenic toxins from the body and restore the spirit."

"Spirit-awakening grass?" Zhu Yuan scratched his head. "I seem to have heard of this name... but this herb is too rare. It seems that our Imperial Hospital doesn't have it."

I nodded. "Yes, the Awakening Herb is hard to find in regular pharmacies. You have to buy it from a specialized herbalist."

"Then I'll go find it now!" Zhu Yuan said, and started to run out.

"Wait!" I quickly pulled him back. "Don't be impatient. Although the Awakening Herb is rare, Consort De must know of its existence. If we go to buy it, it might arouse her suspicion."

Zhu Yuan was stunned for a moment and scratched his head: "Then...what should we do?"

I pondered for a moment and suddenly thought of someone.

"We can ask Yuanbao for help." I said.

"Yuanbao?" Zhu Yuan blinked. "That little eunuch who smiles all day long?"

I smiled slightly. "That's right. Although Yuanbao may not look very conspicuous, he is well-informed. He knows everything going on in and out of the palace. Especially when it comes to medicinal herbs, he must have some connections."

Half an hour later, at the back door of the imperial kitchen.

Zhu Yuan and I stood beside a big tree, waiting for Yuanbao to arrive.

Yuanbao is a clever little eunuch. Although he holds a low position, he has many friends inside and outside the palace, and he can often get some strange and unusual things.

Not long after, the sound of brisk footsteps was heard in the distance.

Yuanbao walked towards us with a smile on his face, holding a small bamboo basket in his hand.

"President Yang, long time no see!" Yuanbao smiled and bowed to me, "How come you have time to look for me today?"

I smiled and said, "Yuanbao, I came to you today to ask for a favor."

"Oh, don't be so polite. You are the chief judge of the Imperial Medical Bureau. What can stump you?" Yuanbao said with a smile.

"This matter is really a bit tricky." I lowered my voice. "I need a herb called 'Wake-up Grass'. I heard it's quite rare. I wonder if you can get it?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Bao's eyes flickered, and he whispered, "Yang Yuanpan, you've really asked the right person. The Awakening Herb is indeed rare, but I happen to know an herbal medicine dealer who seems to have recently received some."

My eyes lit up: "Really? That's great!"

Yuan Bao nodded: "But... this awakening grass is not cheap, Yang Yuanpan, you need to prepare some silver."

When he heard the word "silver", Zhu Yuan immediately touched his purse with a look of pain on his face: "Yuanbao, you are asking for too much! People in the palace also want money?"

Yuanbao chuckled, "Oh, I didn't charge for this. This is the price agreed upon for the herbs. I'm just running errands for you. Why don't you try to find it yourself?"

Zhu Yuan immediately became depressed and muttered, "I really don't have that ability..."

"Okay, I'll take care of the money issue." I interrupted Zhu Yuan's complaints and said to Yuanbao with a smile, "Yuanbao, please help me get the Awakening Grass as soon as possible. Saving people is important."

Yuan Bao nodded, patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, Judge Yang, I'll do it right away! The herbs will be delivered in two days at most."

"Thank you." I bowed and breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as we have the awakening grass, Doctor Li’s condition should be able to be controlled.

As for Empress Defei... we can only take it one step at a time.

After returning to the Imperial Hospital, I continued to stay by Doctor Li's bedside, quietly waiting for news from Yuanbao.

Doctor Li was still unconscious, sometimes mumbling, sometimes silent, as if he was trapped in some endless fear.

I looked at his painful expression and couldn't help feeling a little guilty.

"President Yang, do you think... Doctor Li can really get better?" Zhu Yuan asked in a low voice.

I nodded: "As long as we can detoxify him in time, he should be able to recover."

Zhu Yuan sighed and scratched his head. "Oh... I never thought that these people in the palace would be so cruel. Doctor Li has saved many people, so how could he end up like this..."

I also felt a sense of emotion.

The power struggles in the palace are far more cruel than I imagined. Once you are involved in it, no matter how many people you have saved, it will be difficult to protect yourself.

"We have to be careful too," I said in a deep voice. "After failing this time, Consort De will definitely not give up easily. She's likely to attack us next."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuan's face turned pale with fear: "Yang Yuanpan, please don't scare me... We are all good people, why would Concubine De want to harm us?"

"Good guys and bad guys are all the same in the face of power." I shook my head. "As long as we stand in her way, we become her enemies."

Zhu Yuan shrank his neck, clearly frightened by these words: "Then... then what should we do? Are we just going to wait for her to deal with us?"

I patted his shoulder and said with a smile, "Don't worry, we haven't lost yet. Imperial Doctor Li's life is saved for now. From now on, as long as we proceed steadily, we won't have to worry about Concubine De."

Zhu Yuan forced a smile, obviously still feeling a bit scared.

That night, the Imperial Hospital was silent.

I sat in the study, flipping through some medical books, but my mind kept thinking about the things that had happened recently.

The conspiracy of Concubine De is getting deeper and deeper, and it is no longer just about controlling the illness of the Third Prince.

She seems to be planning a larger power struggle.

And I, a mere judge of the Imperial Hospital, was inexplicably drawn into this vortex.

"This is truly hellish..." I muttered to myself, unable to help but smile bitterly. I just want to live a peaceful life, but I always find myself dragged into these troubles.

Just then, there was a slight knock on the door.

I put down the book, walked over and opened the door, only to see a little eunuch standing at the door with a nervous look on his face.

"President Yang, there's someone outside asking to see you."

"Who would come so late?" I frowned.

The young eunuch whispered, "He said it was someone from... the Third Prince's Mansion."

My heart was shocked. The Third Prince’s Mansion?

Could it be that something happened to the third prince?