Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

The next morning, I had just picked up the teacup and before I had time to take a sip, Yuanbao ran in from outside, panting, with panic on his face.

"President Yang, something terrible has happened!"

I raised my eyebrows and sighed inwardly. It had only been a day without any incident, so why did it happen again?

"What happened?" I put down my teacup and tried to look calm.

Yuan Bao panted as he spoke, "Empress Defei... Empress Defei spread rumors everywhere, saying that you rode a donkey around the palace last night. You don't act like a proper doctor at all!"

“…” The smile on my face froze and I almost crushed the teacup.

I knew this wouldn't be so easy!

"What else did she say?" I asked gritting my teeth, already imagining Concubine De's gloating expression.

"She also said...she also said that your behavior has damaged the Empress Dowager's reputation, and she is afraid that she will not be able to reuse you in the future." Yuanbao looked at me with a worried face, obviously he was very scared.

"Haha, insulting the Queen Mother? I think she is insulting me!" I sneered and couldn't help but get furious.

The methods of this Concubine De are so pervasive that she can even make a big fuss about me riding a donkey.

"Yang Yuanpan, what should we do? Concubine De is telling everyone in the palace about this. Everyone has started talking about it, and even some palace maids are laughing at you behind your back!" Yuanbao was so anxious that he was running around in circles, obviously taking this as a very big deal.

"Let her laugh, it's better than her kicking me out of the palace." I sighed helplessly, quickly thinking about how to deal with this sudden "public opinion crisis".

I know that my current situation is very embarrassing. It is obvious that Concubine De wants to use this incident to damage my reputation.

If I rush to fight back, I'll appear guilty.

Since she wants to embarrass me, I might as well do the opposite and make the matter funnier so that everyone can laugh enough and then there will be nothing more to say.

Thinking of this, my eyes rolled and an idea came to my mind.

"Yuanbao, since everyone is laughing, why don't we give them something to laugh about?" The corners of my mouth rose slightly, revealing a smile that made Yuanbao a little nervous.

"Ah? You...what do you mean?" Yuanbao couldn't help but take a step back when he saw me smiling so strangely, with an expression of "Is my master crazy?" on his face.

"Go find a few eunuchs who can tell stories and tell them that I'm treating you tonight and let's all tell each other about my 'glorious deeds' riding a donkey. Remember, the more exaggerated, the more outrageous, the better!" I patted his shoulder and smiled even more brightly.

"Huh? You still need someone to tell it yourself?" Yuanbao widened his eyes, obviously completely confused by my operation.

"Yeah, since Concubine De wants to embarrass me, I might as well take the initiative to embarrass myself thoroughly, so that everyone will laugh and there will be nothing more to discuss." I smiled complacently, thinking that the most frightening thing about public opinion is seriousness, the more serious you are, the more miserably you will lose.

Yuanbao scratched his head, and although he looked confused, he still did as he was told.

That night, I specially set up some drinks in the small pavilion in the palace and invited several famous "storytelling masters" in the palace.

These people usually entertain the eunuchs and palace maids. When they saw that I took the initiative to invite them, they naturally agreed.

Soon, the pavilion was full of people, and even the usually serious palace maids couldn't help but sneak in to join in the fun.

"President Yang is so generous that he actually took the initiative to invite us to listen to his story!" said a eunuch with a smile, his face full of curiosity.

"Of course not, Lord Yang is going to tell a big joke this time!" Yuanbao added fuel to the fire and laughed happier than anyone else.

I sat in the middle, holding a teacup, with a faint smile on my face, and silently waiting for this "self-deprecation" to begin.

Soon, the storyteller began his performance.

"Everyone, today we are going to talk about the 'heroic deeds' of Yang Yuanpan who rode a donkey across the palace!" As soon as the storyteller opened his mouth, the people around him burst into laughter.

"Speaking of that day, our Yang Yuanpan was so heroic, riding a donkey at lightning speed, just like a general on the battlefield!" The storyteller was very excited, and described the scene of me riding a donkey as more exciting than fighting in a war.

"That donkey seemed to have been possessed by a fairy spirit. It jumped up and Yang Yuanpan did three somersaults in the air before landing steadily. It was really earth-shattering and awe-inspiring!" The more he talked, the more outrageous it became. Even I couldn't help laughing out loud.

The people around were laughing so hard that they were rolling on the ground. Some palace maids even laughed so hard that tears came out of their eyes.

"Wow, Judge Yang's riding skills are amazing!"

"If I had known earlier, I should have gone to see it. What a wonderful scene it must be!"

Everyone was talking at once, and the whole pavilion was filled with laughter.

"President Yang is really open-minded. He even dares to make fun of his own embarrassing things. This is true magnanimity!" Someone whispered, with a hint of admiration in the tone.

I smiled slightly, feeling secretly proud.

Empress Defei wants to embarrass me?

I just treat this as an entertainment show. Once everyone has laughed enough, no one will take it seriously anymore.

Sure enough, the next day, although the rumor about me riding a donkey was still circulating in the palace, everyone's attitude was no longer one of ridicule, but instead one of good-natured teasing.

"Master Yang's donkey riding skills are really amazing!"

"Yes, Judge Yang is indeed open-minded. He can even make fun of himself. How rare!"

Listening to these words, I breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed this "public opinion crisis" had been successfully resolved.

However, Concubine De was obviously not happy.

"President Yang is so smart that he can turn an embarrassing situation into a joke. Humph, I really underestimated him." The news that Zi Yu secretly sent me confirmed my guess.

Empress Defei's conspiracy this time failed.

However, I also knew in my heart that she would never give up.

Empress Defei's methods have always been insidious, and her next actions will probably be even more covert and more deadly.

Just when I was about to take a good rest for a few days and enjoy the rare peace and quiet, the third prince suddenly sent someone to deliver a small box.

"The Third Prince specially asked me to deliver this to you. He said he wanted to thank Yang Yuanpan for saving his life." The young eunuch handed me the box respectfully with a mysterious smile on his face.

I was a little curious, so when I opened the box, I was stunned.

Inside was an exquisite little wooden sculpture, which turned out to be... a donkey!

"Hahaha! The Third Prince still has this kind heart!" I couldn't help laughing. I didn't feel angry in my heart. Instead, I thought this little guy was very cute and still remembered me riding a donkey.

"President Yang, the Third Prince is such a smart kid." Yuanbao was laughing so hard that he couldn't straighten his back.

I gently stroked the little wooden sculpture, and a warm feeling suddenly welled up in my heart.

This little donkey can be considered a special souvenir.

Although on the surface the turmoil in the palace has subsided temporarily, I know in my heart that the real crisis is still in the dark.

The Empress Dowager values ​​me and the Third Prince is grateful to me, but none of this can change Concubine De's hostility towards me.

"Yang Yuanpan, Empress Defei has been secretly contacting many foreign officials recently. I'm afraid she is planning something again." Zi Yu reminded me quietly, with a hint of worry in her tone.

"We don't know what she is planning yet, but..." I said thoughtfully, and a new strategy had already begun to form in my mind.