Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

"Her Majesty the Virtuous Consort summoned me?!"

When I heard this, I was completely stunned.

I just managed to stabilize the Third Prince's condition, and Concubine De came to see me so soon... What on earth does she want to do?

Zhu Yuan was completely panicked, his face turning pale in an instant, his lips trembling, "Yang Yuanpan, it's over! The Empress Defei must have known about our investigation into her and wants to... want to take action against you!"

I slapped his head and said, "What do you mean by take action? Can you please stop thinking about palace dramas?"

Zhu Yuan covered his head, his face full of grievance: "But...but this Concubine De is insidious and vicious. What if she wants to deal with us? You are the only one who knows that she poisoned us!"

Although I felt a little uneasy, I pretended to be calm on the surface. "Don't worry, even if Concubine De is very capable, she wouldn't attack me in broad daylight. Besides, I just saved her son's life. She wouldn't turn against me right away."

"But..." Zhu Yuan wanted to say something, but I was too lazy to listen. I waved my hand and said, "Stop talking nonsense. Come with me to meet her and see what she wants to do."

So, accompanied by Zhu Yuan's bitter face, I set out on the road to the palace again.

The bedroom of Concubine De is gorgeous and eerie.

As soon as I stepped into this palace, I could feel an invisible pressure.

The palace maids and eunuchs lowered their heads and walked carefully, afraid of making any noise.

"President Yang, please follow me." A eunuch led the way, taking Zhu Yuan and me through a long corridor, and finally stopped in front of a carved door.

"The Queen is waiting for you inside." The eunuch whispered, then gently pushed open the door.

As soon as I entered the door, I saw Concubine De.

She was sitting on a soft couch with gold thread, wearing a gorgeous long dress with phoenix pattern, holding an ivory fan in her hand, fanning herself slowly, with a calm expression, but her eyes were as sharp as an eagle, as if she could see through everything.

"Your servant Yang Qing pays homage to Her Majesty the Defei." I bowed my head in salute, but the alarm bells had already sounded in my heart.

Concubine De waved her hand, her voice gentle yet commanding: "No need to be so polite, Court Judge Yang. I summoned you today because I have something to ask you."

"Your Majesty, if you have any instructions, I will do my best." I maintained a respectful attitude, but in my heart I was guessing her intentions.

Consort De smiled slightly, her eyes narrowed slightly. "I heard that the Third Prince's condition has finally improved. It's all thanks to Court Judge Yang's miraculous healing skills."

My heart tightened, but I remained calm on the surface. "Your Majesty, you are too kind. The Third Prince is blessed by heaven. I have only done my humble part."

Concubine De nodded gently, her tone still gentle: "There is no need to be modest, Court Judge Yang. I heard that the Third Prince was already terminally ill. If you hadn't intervened in time, I'm afraid..."

She changed the subject, and her words suddenly had a hint of coldness in them: "I'm afraid he is no longer alive."

My heart trembled and I almost broke out in a cold sweat.

What does she mean by this?

Could it be that she already knew that I had discovered that the Third Prince was poisoned?

"Your Majesty, the Third Prince is blessed with a long life. I was just following the routine diagnosis and treatment and dare not take credit for it." I responded cautiously, testing her attitude.

Consort Defei chuckled softly, put down her ivory fan, and her gaze suddenly became sharp. "Yang Yuanpan, I really want to know how you were able to find the cause of the Third Prince's illness in such a short time and prescribe the right medicine so accurately?"

Here she comes! She really started to test it!

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm myself. "Your Majesty, as the Chief Medical Officer of the Imperial Hospital, I'm well-versed in various difficult and complicated illnesses. Although the Third Prince's condition is complex, after careful analysis, I discovered that some of the symptoms are similar to those of common chronic poisoning. Therefore, I boldly tried a new antidote."

Empress Defei narrowed her eyes, as if to see if I was lying.

She didn't speak immediately, but fell into a brief silence.

This silence made me feel uneasy, like a silent trial.

Zhu Yuan was standing behind me, shaking like a sieve, obviously frightened by the aura of Concubine De.

"Counselor Yang is truly clever," Empress Defei finally spoke. Her voice remained gentle, but her eyes were like two sharp knives. "However... the Third Prince's illness is so strange that even the other doctors in the Imperial Hospital are helpless, yet you alone can crack it. Tell me, how should I view this matter?"

These words were already filled with obvious doubt.

She obviously didn't believe that I could find out the truth so quickly. After all, she was the one who poisoned the person, and she knew the complexity of it best.

I forced myself to remain calm and bowed my head slightly. "Your Majesty, medical skills cannot be generalized. I only have a little experience, and it happened that I encountered the Third Prince's condition, so I was able to prescribe the right medicine. As for the other imperial physicians, perhaps they lacked experience and failed to perceive the key point."

After saying this, I prayed silently in my heart: I hope she won't continue asking questions, otherwise if she says a few more words, I'm afraid I'll really be exposed.

Unexpectedly, Concubine De did not continue to ask questions.

She stared at me for a long while, then suddenly laughed, her tone carrying a hint of meaning: "Council Judge Yang is indeed a capable person. No wonder everyone in the Imperial Hospital respects you so much."

I breathed a sigh of relief and quickly nodded in agreement, "Your Majesty, I am truly humbled by your kind words. I do not deserve them."

Consort Defei gently waved her hand. "Alright, I don't want to embarrass you. The Third Prince's life has been saved for now, thanks to you. However..." She changed the subject, her voice suddenly becoming deeper. "Whether he can fully recover depends on your performance going forward."

Performance? Why does this sound a little off?

I nodded quickly: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will do my best to treat the Third Prince."

Consort De's smile deepened. She slowly stood up and walked over to me. Her tone was gentle, yet it carried an undeniable sense of pressure. "Counselor Yang, I have high hopes for the Third Prince. I hope you understand that every decision you make concerns his life or death, and also... your own fate."

This is a naked threat!

I secretly groaned inwardly, but on the surface I maintained a respectful attitude: "Your Majesty, you are absolutely right. I will do my best to live up to your trust."

Consort De smiled slightly, a cold glint flashing in her eyes: "Okay, then I'll wait and see."

After leaving Concubine De's bedroom, I finally felt relieved, but at the same time I also felt a chill.

"Yang Yuanpan, you're truly amazing!" Zhu Yuan patted his chest behind me, his face full of admiration. "Just now, the aura of Concubine De was so strong that my legs went weak, and you managed to remain calm!"

I rolled my eyes at him and said, "You seem to be taking it easy, but I dare not relax even for a second."

Zhu Yuan nodded quickly: "Yes, yes, you are right! But, what does Concubine De mean by that? Does she already suspect us?"

I sighed. "Of course I doubt it. She knows full well that I've figured out that the Third Prince has been poisoned, but she can't do anything to me right now. After all, the Third Prince's life is still in my hands."

Zhu Yuan scratched his head: "What should we do next? She doesn't seem to be planning to let us go."

I pondered for a moment, my eyes gradually becoming firm. "Next, we must proceed with caution and try not to let her catch us. At the same time, I need to quickly find out the real purpose of Concubine De and why she poisoned her own son."

Zhu Yuan nodded vigorously: "Okay, I'll listen to you! Let's be careful!"

When I returned to the Imperial Hospital and was about to start a new round of investigation, I suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the door.

I looked up and saw that it was Yuanbao, running in breathlessly, his face full of panic: "President Yang, something happened!"

"Why are you in trouble again?" I asked with a frown.

Yuan Bao gasped for breath and said hurriedly, "Somehow, the maid under Empress Defei was suddenly silenced!"

My pupils shrank suddenly: "What?!"

Yuan Bao nodded, his face filled with fear. "I just heard the news. That maid was the most trusted person under Concubine De. I saw her buying medicine a few days ago, and today she suddenly...died!"

My heart was immediately filled with shock. How could Concubine De act so quickly, even targeting her own people?

"President Yang, what do you think... is Concubine De covering up something?" Yuanbao asked cautiously.