Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

Ever since Mr. Sun officially took over the education of the Third Prince, the palace has seemed calm on the surface, but I know that a new round of struggle has begun in secret.

Although Mr. Sun is elegant and gentle, his teachings to the third prince clearly have a "corrective" meaning.

In particular, he would from time to time instill in the Third Prince the importance of "deep love between mother and son", clearly trying to win over the Third Prince to the side of Concubine De.

The Empress Dowager arranged for him to come, obviously to balance the power between me and Concubine De.

Every move in the palace is a chess game, and I am right in the center of it.

That day, the Third Prince had just returned to his bedroom after class, so I went to visit him as usual and see if he needed any help.

As soon as he reached the door, he saw Mr. Sun walking out with the Third Prince. He asked kindly, "Third Prince, do you still remember the etiquette you learned these days? You must behave well when you go to see the Empress Defei later."

The Third Prince nodded reluctantly, "Mr. Sun, my mother hasn't allowed me to see her recently, I..."

Mr. Sun's smile remained unchanged as he spoke softly, "Third Prince, etiquette must not be abandoned. Even if the Virtuous Consort is busy with palace affairs, you should take the initiative to go and pay your respects. This is the duty of a son or daughter."

I stood aside, frowning inwardly.

This sounds high-sounding, but behind the scenes it is putting invisible pressure on the Third Prince, forcing him to take the initiative to please Concubine De.

The third prince looked up at me and seemed a little hesitant.

I knew he was waiting for me to express my opinion, but in this situation, I couldn't interrupt directly, otherwise it would seem impolite.

So, I coughed lightly and walked forward with a smile: "Third Prince, I just happen to have some new prescriptions. I will give you some medicine to nourish your body later to prevent you from catching a cold in autumn and winter. As for the etiquette, I think the Third Prince will naturally keep it in mind, but health is the most important thing."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Sun's smile faded slightly. He turned his gaze towards me and said with a half-smile, "Lord Yang is indeed concerned about the health of the Third Prince. However, a gentleman should be governed by propriety. While health is certainly important, etiquette is also indispensable for a prince."

I thought to myself, you keep talking about "etiquette" because you want to tie the third prince to Concubine De. This is a very smart plan.

I kept smiling and spoke calmly, "Mr. Sun is absolutely right. However, the Third Prince is still young and his body is still in the process of growing. If he overworks himself, it might be detrimental to his future growth."

Mr. Sun smiled, seemingly unwilling to dwell on this topic any further. "Master Yang is indeed a capable person in the Imperial Hospital. It seems that the Third Prince is under your care, and I am certainly relieved."

I bowed slightly and said, "Mr. Sun, thank you for your praise."

After seeing Mr. Sun off, the Third Prince finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Lord Yang, Mr. Sun always asks me to see Mother, but... every time I go, Mother isn't too happy."

The third prince muttered softly, with a hint of annoyance in his eyes.

Although he was young, he was very perceptive and had already noticed that Concubine De's attitude towards him was not as friendly as it seemed.

I gently patted his shoulder and said soothingly, "Third Prince, you don't have to worry too much. Mother's mood may just be because she's been busy with palace affairs recently, and it's not directed at you."

The Third Prince lowered his head and muttered, "But... every time I see her, she always brings up things I don't like. Mr. Sun said I should listen more to Mother, but what Mother says... I really don't understand."

I sighed in my heart. The Third Prince knew that Concubine De’s expectations of him were more about power and status, rather than a simple mother-son relationship.

"Don't worry, as long as you do what you should do, mother will eventually see your intentions." I tried to speak in a relaxed tone, hoping to make him relax.

The Third Prince looked up at me and suddenly asked seriously, "Lord Yang, do you think I will be a good emperor in the future?"

As soon as these words came out, my heart suddenly tightened.

Although the third prince is young, he has already begun to think about the future.

I smiled, squatted down, and looked at him, speaking gently, "Third Prince, what kind of person you will become in the future is not determined by others, but by you. If you study hard and treat those around you well, you will definitely become a good and respected emperor in the future."

The Third Prince nodded, seemingly understanding, his brows relaxed and a smile appeared on his face. "Then I will listen to Master Yang from now on and learn more useful things."

My heart warmed, and I whispered, "Third Prince, I will always be by your side and help you grow."

Just when I thought the matter had come to an end for the time being, some rumors suddenly spread in the palace.

"Have you heard? The Third Prince has been too close to Yang An recently, and even Concubine De is not happy about it."

"Yes, the Empress Dowager is also a little worried. Why is the Third Prince surrounded by people from the Imperial Hospital? All the etiquette has been neglected."

No one knew where these rumors came from, but they spread quietly in the palace and even reached the ears of the empress dowager.

That day, when the Queen Mother summoned me, her expression was obviously much more serious than usual.

"Sir Yang, I have always valued you. You are the one who has taken care of the Third Prince's health. However... there have been some rumors in the palace recently. I have to ask - are you interfering too much in the Third Prince's personal affairs?"

I quickly knelt down and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I am only taking care of the Third Prince's medical affairs and would never dare to interfere in other matters."

The Queen Mother narrowed her eyes, as if weighing my words. After a moment, she sighed softly, "I believe in your loyalty, but you must also understand that the Third Prince is not just your patient; he is the future of the imperial family. Etiquette and rules—you cannot ignore them."

I was secretly alert in my heart. The Queen Mother's words were apparently a reminder to me, but in fact they also revealed her concern that my relationship with the Third Prince was too close.

"I will remember the Queen Mother's teachings and will pay more attention in the future to prevent the Third Prince from neglecting his other studies." I replied with my head down, but in my heart I began to wonder where these rumors came from.

After leaving the Queen Mother's bedroom, I immediately summoned Yuanbao and asked him to find out the source of these rumors.

A few days later, Yuanbao came back mysteriously, breathlessly saying, "Master Yang, I've found out! These rumors originated from Concubine De's palace!"

I was startled, it was just as I expected.

"Empress Defei is trying to use these rumors to undermine the Empress Dowager's trust in you!" Yuanbao said indignantly, "This is too insidious! She actually used such tactics to stab me in the back!"

I was silent for a moment, but I already understood Defei's intention.

She was forcing the Queen Mother to regain control of the Third Prince's education and exclude me.

She knew that as long as I lost the Queen Mother's trust, the Third Prince would be back under her control.

"Yuanbao, don't be impatient." I patted his shoulder and said calmly, "We can't fight this head-on. We have to outsmart it."

Yuan Bao looked bewildered. "Outsmart them? Then what should we do? This rumor is not easy to deal with!"

I smiled slightly, a sly glint in my eyes. "Since Consort De likes to play dirty, let's be more transparent with her. Doesn't she want to accuse me of meddling in the Third Prince's affairs? Then I'll show her that my meddling isn't transparent enough."

The next day, I brought several medical officers from the Imperial Hospital to the Third Prince's bedroom and gave him a "comprehensive" physical examination.

When Empress Defei rushed over after hearing the news, she saw me and several senior doctors from the Imperial Hospital surrounding the Third Prince, discussing his future health care plan.

"The Third Prince is still young, and this is a critical period for bone growth. He should pay more attention to his diet and avoid excessive intake of tonics."

"Also, autumn and winter are prone to colds, and the Third Prince has a hot constitution, so his medicinal diet should be light."

Empress Defei looked at us busy as we worked, her face a little stiff, but she couldn't get angry because she was in front of so many people.

I turned to look at her and smiled faintly. "Empress Defei, I am currently developing a comprehensive health plan for the Third Prince to ensure his future health. Is there anything I need to add?"

Consort Defei forced a smile, her tone tinged with displeasure. "Lord Yang has truly dedicated himself to this. I am certainly relieved. However, the Third Prince's etiquette lessons cannot be neglected. You won't forget, will you?"

I smiled and nodded. "Of course, etiquette lessons are important, but health is the capital of revolution—er, the foundation of the Third Prince's future. I will definitely take both into consideration and not let the Third Prince be delayed."

When Concubine De heard the word "revolution", she obviously didn't understand, but she didn't want to dwell on it. She just smiled coldly and said, "That's good. I'm waiting to see what Lord Yang has planned."

After Concubine De left, Yuanbao immediately came over and whispered to me, "Master Yang, did you do that on purpose? Concubine De will definitely be unhappy with such a high-profile inspection!"

I smiled and said calmly, "It's better that she's unhappy. Isn't she trying to accuse me of interfering in the Third Prince's affairs? Then I'll show her clearly so that she can't stab me in the back again."

Yuan Bao scratched his head: "But...wouldn't the Queen Mother be unhappy if we did this?"

I patted his head and narrowed my eyes. "Don't worry, the Empress Dowager is most concerned about the health of the Third Prince. As long as I act honestly, no matter how the Virtuous Consort manipulates me, she won't be able to find fault with me."

Yuanbao nodded, not quite understanding, and then looked at me with admiration: "Master Yang, you are really amazing! The Empress Defei must be very angry now!"