Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

"President Yang, something happened!"

Early in the morning, Yuanbao rushed into my room and scared me so much that I almost rolled off the bed.

He was panting and his face was pale, and it seemed that he had been running all the way here.

I rubbed my eyes, my heart skipped a beat, and I thought: The palace hasn't been peaceful for a few days, what new trouble is going to happen?

"Speak slowly, don't be anxious, what's going on?" I put on my coat and tried to calm myself down.

Yuan Bao stamped his feet anxiously: "The Empress Defei found some Taoist priest, who said that she wanted to consecrate the Third Prince. She said that this was the final step to completely exorcise the evil spirits and ensure his safety!"

"Consecration?"

I almost spit out the water I just drank. Is this Concubine De completely crazy?

Having a great master from Qixia Temple wasn’t enough, and now a Taoist priest comes to consecrate the statue?

Is the palace going to turn into a Taoist temple?

Zhu Yuan also rushed in at this time. It was obvious that he had heard the news a long time ago. "Yang Yuanpan, you have to think of a solution quickly! I heard that Taoist priest is quite famous. All kinds of magic pills and talismans are his specialties. If she gets the upper hand again this time, I'm afraid there will be no turning back!"

I took a deep breath, but felt a little weak in my heart.

It is obvious that Concubine De is going all out this time. She failed to attribute the Third Prince's illness to "evil spirits" the previous two times. This time she invited a Taoist priest to consecrate the statue. She must be planning to make a big move and block my way directly.

"President Yang, what should we do?" Yuanbao looked at me eagerly, and he was almost anxious.

I stood up and quickly went through various options in my mind.

A Taoist priest consecrating it? I absolutely can’t let him do that.

But the question is, how can we continue to play this drama without directly contradicting Concubine De?

"Don't be impatient, let's use the opponent's force to counter it." An idea suddenly flashed in my mind, the corners of my mouth slightly raised, and I had a not-so-serious idea in my mind.

That afternoon, the Taoist priest indeed entered the palace.

This legendary "master" is called Zhang Zhenren. He is dressed in a Taoist robe and carries a long sword on his back. He walks with a wind-like momentum and looks very majestic, as if he is really running down the mountain.

He had an expression of a "sage from another world" on his face, and the palace maids and eunuchs looked at him with shining eyes, as if they had seen a living god.

Consort De personally brought him to the Third Prince's chambers, boasting to Master Zhang all the way, "Master, you don't know, ever since the Third Prince fell ill, the palace has tried many methods, but none of them worked. In the end, it was only with your true immortal skills that we were able to completely exorcise the evil spirit."

Zhang Zhenren twitched his beard, stroked it, and nodded, saying, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will do my best to cast a spell for the Third Prince, ensuring that he is immune to all evil and remains as healthy as before."

I followed behind, sneering in my heart: This Taoist priest is full of confidence, and he really has the air of a charlatan.

If he knew what I was going to do next, I think he would be so scared that a corner of his robe would fall off.

Master Zhang began to "consecrate".

He stood in front of the Third Prince's bed, muttering something, holding a jade pendant in his hand that he had found from somewhere unknown.

It is said that this jade pendant has been refined through a secret ritual for "forty-nine days" and can ward off evil spirits, avoid disasters and ensure peace.

Empress Defei stood aside with a pious look on her face, her eyes full of anticipation.

She had obviously regarded this Master Zhang as her last straw, hoping that he could turn the situation around in one fell swoop, completely "cure" the Third Prince, and step on me in the process.

Master Zhang held up the jade pendant high, closed his eyes and began to chant.

I stood aside and didn't interrupt him. I couldn't understand what he was saying anyway, so I decided to see what he could come up with.

After chanting for about an incense stick of time, Master Zhang finally opened his eyes, slowly put down the jade pendant, and said in an enigmatic manner, "The Third Prince's evil spirit has been completely suppressed by this humble Taoist. From now on, he only needs to rest and he will be safe."

Upon hearing this, Empress Defei quickly smiled and said, "Thank you, Immortal! The Third Prince is where he is today thanks to your help."

I had already prepared myself mentally. I smiled slightly, stepped forward, and said, "Master Zhang is indeed very powerful. However, I do have a small question. Could you please clarify it?"

Master Zhang stroked his beard and said with a hint of arrogance, "If Judge Yang has any questions, please feel free to tell me."

I feigned respect and said, "I've heard that the Immortal's 'opening' technique is a secret immortal method that can exorcise evil spirits and cure illnesses. It's truly admirable. However, as a doctor, I've always been particular about making careful diagnoses. When the Immortal performed the spell just now, it seems he didn't carefully check the Third Prince's pulse. I wonder if there's something special going on?"

When Master Zhang heard this, his expression changed slightly. He obviously didn't expect me to ask such a question.

But he quickly regained his composure and snorted softly, "Yang Yuanpan, my technique is that of an immortal. How can a mortal possibly fathom its mysteries? The Third Prince's illness is caused by an evil spirit. His pulse is merely a symptom. I have already seen through the true root cause."

I sneered inwardly, but a smile remained on my face. "Master, your opinion is profound. I dare not make any rash judgments, but... I have been following and treating the Third Prince since he fell ill. Although his condition is complex, it would be unfair to attribute it entirely to evil spirits. How about this: I take the Third Prince's pulse again to see if his condition has truly improved. This would also give everyone more peace of mind. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Empress Defei frowned. "Yang Yuanpan, Master Zhang has already completed his spell. Why are you doing this again? Don't you believe in Master Zhang's techniques?"

I smiled and shook my head. "Your Majesty, you've misunderstood. I have no intention of disbelieving you. It's just that the Third Prince's condition is of grave concern. Although he's fine for now, he still needs careful care to fully recover. I'm just being cautious. After all, the Third Prince hasn't fully recovered yet. If there are any other hidden dangers, I'm afraid it will delay the best time for treatment."

After hearing what I said, Master Zhang's face suddenly became a little embarrassed.

Although he spoke in mysterious ways, he actually knew in his heart that his "consecration" was just a trick to deceive people. If there were any problems, he would have no way to explain it.

"President Yang, are you questioning my magic?" There was a hint of dissatisfaction in Master Zhang's tone, and he obviously wanted to suppress me with his aura.

I smiled calmly, "Master, you misunderstood. I'm just worried about the Third Prince's health. How about this, we can do both at the same time? I'll take care of the treatment, and Master, you can continue to cast your spells. Wouldn't it be better to do both at the same time?"

Master Zhang was suddenly speechless.

He could see that I wasn't questioning him at all, but was putting him on the spot - if he refused, it would be tantamount to admitting that he was unsure; if he agreed, then I would have the opportunity to continue taking over the treatment of the Third Prince.

Empress Defei's face also looked a little ugly. She obviously didn't expect that I would propose such a compromise solution under such circumstances.

She originally wanted to use Master Zhang's "blessing" to completely defeat me, but she didn't expect that I would bring the situation back to a draw.

In the end, Concubine De had no choice but to nod in agreement, and Master Zhang had no choice but to go along with it.

I secretly breathed a sigh of relief, the contest ended in a draw for the time being.

Although Concubine De's "consecration" did not directly harm the Third Prince, her plan did not succeed.

After a few days, the third prince's condition gradually improved.

After the Empress Dowager learned the news, she summoned me and asked me to report on the progress of the Third Prince's condition.

Although the Empress Dowager did not say it explicitly, I could feel that she was quite dissatisfied with Concubine De's methods.

"President Yang, I know you have been doing your best. The third prince's recovery depends entirely on you." The Queen Mother said slowly, with a tone of entrustment.

I quickly bowed and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will do my best."

The Empress Dowager nodded in satisfaction, then sighed, "Although I cannot bear to say more about Consort De's thoughts, she has gone too far this time. The Third Prince is of royal blood. How can we allow her to do as she pleases?"

I was startled. The Empress Dowager's words hinted that her tolerance for Concubine De had reached its limit.

Just when I thought the situation had finally stabilized, Concubine De's last trump card quietly surfaced.

"President Yang, Empress Defei plans to..." Yuanbao ran in with a nervous look on his face. Before he finished speaking, I already had a bad feeling in my heart.