Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

Ever since I staged a big drama of "comprehensive health check" in the Third Prince's bedroom, Concubine De's face has been not looking good.

Although she didn't say anything, I knew it was just the calm before the storm.

How can things in the palace be resolved so easily?

Sure enough, within a few days, a new crisis quietly arrived.

One day, I was about to deliver some medicinal food to the Third Prince when I suddenly heard Yuanbao running towards me from a distance, panting and shouting, "Master Yang! This is bad! The Third Prince... The Third Prince has a new friend!"

I stopped and my heart skipped a beat. "New friend? Who?"

Yuanbao ran up to me, gasping for breath several times before he managed to squeeze out a sentence: "It's... it's a little princess! A little princess suddenly came to the palace. I heard she's a distant relative, and she was placed next to the third prince as soon as she arrived!"

I frowned. Distant relative?

How come there is suddenly another little princess in this palace?

I have to admit, I felt a little uneasy. Children in the palace were more than just children; they were often pawns of certain forces.

"Let's go and take a look." After I said this to Yuanbao, I quickly walked towards the third prince's bedroom.

"The Princess Arrives"

As soon as I arrived at the door of the Third Prince's bedroom, I heard laughter and joy coming from inside from afar.

When I got closer, I saw that the Third Prince was sitting at the desk with a little girl in a pink palace dress. The little girl was about seven or eight years old, with a delicate face. She was smiling and talking to the Third Prince.

"You lose! It's my turn now!" The little princess proudly waved the chess piece in her hand. The third prince looked annoyed and muttered, "Impossible! I calculated everything, how could I lose?"

Upon seeing me come in, the Third Prince immediately jumped up and waved at me excitedly: "Master Yang! Come and see my new friend! This is Princess Xiaorou!"

Princess Xiaorou also raised her head, bowed slightly, and said crisply, "Xiaorou greets Master Yang."

I hurriedly returned the gift, but my mind was quickly calculating.

Princess Xiaorou? Who is this fairy?

I have never heard of such a princess in the palace. Is she some relative who suddenly appeared?

"Third Prince, what are you doing..." I was about to ask when I suddenly heard a sharp announcement from outside the palace: "The Empress Defei has arrived!"

My heart suddenly tightened, and I immediately understood. This Princess Xiaorou was most likely arranged by Concubine De!

Sure enough, Concubine De walked in with a kind face. Seeing us, her smile widened. "Xiao Rou, you've become so close to the Third Prince so quickly? It's really rare. It seems like you two get along very well."

Princess Xiaorou immediately stood up and saluted, very obediently: "Greetings, Her Majesty the Virtuous Consort."

Concubine De walked over to the Third Prince and gently patted his shoulder, her tone full of love: "Third Prince, your mother has found a study partner for you. I hope you can study together and make progress together."

The Third Prince was somewhat surprised and looked up at Concubine De: "Mother, did you find this specifically for me? But... I don't need a tutor. I have Master Yang, he taught me a lot."

The smile on Concubine De's face froze, and then she said gently, "Lord Yang is naturally good, but Xiaorou is about the same age as you, and can accompany you to study and play. Mother is also thinking about you."

I stood aside and understood Defei's intention.

She was trying to distract the Third Prince's attention through Princess Xiaorou, and even win his heart.

This Princess Xiaorou is probably not just an ordinary "distant relative".

After Concubine De left, I immediately asked Yuanbao to find out the origins of Princess Xiaorou.

Not long after, Yuanbao came back with a complicated expression.

"Master Yang, Princess Xiaorou is indeed a distant relative... However, this 'distant relative' is a bit distant. I heard that her father is the cousin of Consort De, and is currently a marquis in another land. This time, she was sent to the palace specifically to 'learn etiquette'."

I nodded, my mind becoming clearer. This wasn't about learning etiquette; it was clearly Concubine De paving the way for her family.

"Also..." Yuan Bao hesitated for a moment and continued, "I heard that Concubine De has been looking for opportunities for Princess Xiaorou to meet the Empress Dowager more often. It seems that she wants the Empress Dowager to like this little princess as well."

I sneered, "Empress Defei is really good at this. She plans to use various methods to make the Third Prince dependent on her family."

Yuan Bao scratched his head. "Then what should we do? Princess Xiaorou is with the Third Prince every day now. If time goes on, will the Third Prince be led astray by her?"

I looked at Yuanbao's nervous expression, but I didn't feel so anxious at all.

I know that although the Third Prince is young, his character is not easily shaken.

However, the situation in this palace is constantly changing, and I cannot take it lightly.

"Don't worry, let's observe for a few days. Princess Xiaorou may be young, but she is still just a child. No matter how much Concubine De tries to control her, it will ultimately depend on the Third Prince's own choice."

A few days later, I discovered that Princess Xiaorou was indeed not simple.

Not only did she read and play chess with the third prince, she also told him stories of "family glory" from time to time.

It talked about how brave her father was and how loyal her family was, and even hinted at the importance of the Third Prince joining forces with his maternal relatives.

This made me secretly alert.

At such a young age, he already knows how to instill political awareness into his words. It seems that he has been carefully taught by Concubine De since childhood.

However, I also found that although the Third Prince nodded in agreement from time to time, he did not show any particular interest in these words.

On the contrary, whenever I appear, his eyes light up, as if waiting for me to tell him something "interesting".

This made me feel relieved. The Third Prince's character hasn't been completely affected yet, so I still have a solution.

In order to prevent Princess Xiaorou's "influence" from continuing to expand, I decided to take some action.

On this day, I specially prepared a "special lesson" for the third prince.

When Princess Xiaorou was preparing to study with the Third Prince as usual, I walked into the bedroom and said with a smile, "Third Prince, today we are not going to study what is in the textbooks. Let's learn something more interesting."

The Third Prince's eyes lit up: "Master Yang, what are we going to learn today?"

I clapped my hands gently, and Yuanbao came in from outside the door with a big basket filled with various strangely shaped things: bamboo strips, small wooden blocks, ropes, etc.

Princess Xiaorou frowned when she saw these things: "What is this? It looks so strange."

I smiled and said mysteriously, "This is our 'experimental tool' today. Third Prince, today we're not going to study. Instead, we're going to make a little 'mechanism.' Did you know that in ancient times, some clever craftsmen could use simple materials to create very complex mechanisms, such as doors that open automatically or puppets that move?"

The Third Prince immediately became interested and quickly came to the basket. "Master Yang, can these things really be used to make a mechanism?"

I nodded and began to demonstrate to him how to make a simple "mechanical bird" using bamboo strips and wooden blocks.

Princess Xiaorou was puzzled at first, but when she saw the Third Prince working enthusiastically, she seemed curious and gradually came closer.

"Sir Yang, how do we tie this rope?" The Third Prince asked me, sweating profusely from his busy work.

I patiently taught him how to combine ropes and bamboo strips to make a movable mechanism.

The third prince became more and more excited as he worked, and finally succeeded in making a small wooden bird that could "walk".

"Wow! It really moves!" The third prince jumped up excitedly as he watched the wooden bird slowly moving on the ground.

Although Princess Xiaorou did not participate directly, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes when she saw the Third Prince so happy.

Later, as I was about to leave, I suddenly heard a young eunuch running over in a panic, saying, "Master Yang, Empress Defei wants you to come over!"

My heart sank, knowing that this time it was probably about Princess Xiaorou.

Sure enough, when we arrived at Concubine De's bedroom, she had a gloomy expression on her face and asked me directly, "Master Yang, what did you teach the Third Prince today? Why did Xiaorou look so unhappy after returning?"

I sneered inwardly, but remained calm on the surface. "Your Majesty, I was only teaching the Third Prince some little mechanical gadgets, but I didn't expect him to be so interested. Princess Xiaorou is probably unhappy because she wasn't able to participate. I will definitely consider her next time."

Concubine De snorted coldly, her tone carrying a hint of warning: "Master Yang, the Third Prince will inherit the throne in the future. Teaching him these little gadgets is a bit too childish, isn't it? How can these mechanical tricks help him in his future?"

I calmly bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, the Third Prince is still young and extremely curious. I believe that cultivating his hands-on and observation skills will greatly benefit his growth. As for etiquette and rules, Mr. Sun will naturally teach them, and I will not delay."

After hearing this, Concubine De's expression softened slightly, but she still held a hint of dissatisfaction. "I hope so. I don't want to see Princess Xiaorou unhappy over this kind of thing again."

I bowed my head and replied, "I understand. I will pay more attention in the future."

I breathed a sigh of relief as I left the De Fei's palace. The turmoil had subsided temporarily, but it was clear that the De Fei wouldn't give up easily.

Yuan Bao came over, looking curious: "Master Yang, can teaching the Third Prince those mechanical techniques really help him?"

I smiled and patted his shoulder. "Of course. The Third Prince needs more than just etiquette and rules. He also needs independent thinking and hands-on ability. As long as he's strong-minded, no matter how much Concubine De manipulates him, she won't be able to truly influence him."

Yuanbao nodded thoughtfully: "I see... Sir Yang, you really have good intentions!"

I smiled helplessly and sighed in my heart: The struggle in this palace has just begun.