Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

Just when I thought that Concubine De's warning was the biggest trouble in recent times, a sudden piece of news broke my peace.

"Master Yang, the Queen Mother invites you!"

When I heard the eunuch's message, my heart skipped a beat.

The Empress Dowager? That's not right. I haven't interacted with the Empress Dowager much recently. Why was she summoned all of a sudden?

Although I felt a little uneasy, I remained calm, straightened my clothes, and followed the eunuch to the empress dowager's bedroom.

The Empress Dowager has always been majestic. Although she does not directly interfere in the education of the Third Prince, every decision she makes is like a huge rock that can cause huge waves in the palace.

Could this sudden summons be related to Empress Defei's recent actions?

The Empress Dowager's bedroom was as solemn and dignified as ever, and the furnishings were simple yet majestic.

As soon as I reached the entrance of the temple, I felt an invisible sense of oppression.

I bowed respectfully, "Your humble servant, Yang Tong from the Imperial Hospital, pays respects to the Empress Dowager."

"Get up." The Queen Mother's voice was still that tone that was intimidating without being angry. Although it was not loud, every word revealed a power that could not be disobeyed.

I felt a chill running up my spine and couldn't help but be extremely alert.

"I heard that you have been teaching the Third Prince and Princess Xiaorou some mechanical arts recently?" The Queen Mother asked straight to the point.

My heart tightened slightly, knowing this conversation was no mere idle chat, so I replied respectfully, "Yes, Your Majesty, the Third Prince and Princess Xiaorou are very interested in these gadgets. I thought I could give them a chance to exercise their hands and brains while studying, so they could combine work and rest."

The Queen Mother was silent for a while, looking me over, as if she was thinking about something.

She picked up the teacup and said slowly, "The Third Prince is still young and indeed needs a balance between work and rest. However, I heard that Concubine De has some opinions on this. What are your thoughts?"

Sure enough, there is no way around this topic!

I felt helpless, but I remained calm on the surface.

At this time, the Empress Dowager obviously wanted to test my attitude. If I wasn't careful, I might offend her.

I smiled softly, bowed, and said, "Empress Dowager, my duty is to look after the Third Prince's health. Consort De has extremely high expectations for him, and I naturally understand her concerns. However, I believe that appropriate leisure time can help the Third Prince find balance in his intense studies. This is also for the Third Prince's future health and development."

The Queen Mother nodded slightly, her face expressionless. "You do have a point. I've also heard that the Third Prince trusts you very much, sometimes even closer to you than to Concubine De. What do you think of this?"

It really is a big pit!

My heart skipped a beat. The Queen Mother's question was extremely clever. She was testing my influence on the Third Prince, and at the same time, she was subtly reminding me not to cross the line.

I quickly lowered my head and spoke in a serious tone, "Empress Dowager, I am deeply grateful for the Third Prince's trust in me, but I have never dared to forget my position. I am merely a medical officer. The Third Prince's upbringing and education are naturally the responsibilities of Empress Defei and Mr. Sun. I will never overstep my bounds."

After hearing this, the Queen Mother's expression finally relaxed a little.

She sighed softly, "You are a smart person. I believe you know what's going on. The Third Prince is the hope of the country's future. I hope he can grow up safely."

I quickly bowed and replied, "The Empress Dowager's teachings will be remembered in my heart."

The Queen Mother nodded and waved her hand. "Alright, I was just asking casually. You can go down and continue to take good care of the Third Prince."

"Yes, I will retire."

Walking out of the Queen Mother's bedroom, I breathed a sigh of relief.

At that moment, it was like dancing on the edge of a knife.

Although the Empress Dowager did not say anything explicitly during this summons, every word she said was full of warnings and temptations.

It seems that my influence in the palace has attracted the attention of both the Empress Dowager and Concubine De.

When I returned to the Third Prince's bedroom, he was lying on the desk with a worried look on his face.

As soon as I saw his expression, I knew that he must have been "tortured" by Mr. Sun again.

"Third Prince, what's wrong with you?" I asked with a smile.

The Third Prince raised his head and said with a bitter face, "Master Yang, I really don't want to read those boring books anymore! Mr. Sun makes me memorize etiquette and poetry every day, and my head is about to explode!"

I couldn't help but laugh. The Third Prince's personality is somewhat similar to mine when I was a child. We were both afraid of studying.

"Then what do you want to do? You can't play with machines every day, right?" I asked casually.

The Third Prince's eyes rolled, and he suddenly came close to me and said in a low voice, "Master Yang, let's skip class and go play! Mr. Sun is not here now, and I want to go out for a walk!"

I was stunned and blurted out, "Skipping classes? You're the Third Prince. How can you skip classes in this palace?"

The Third Prince nodded seriously, "I know, but I really can't stand it anymore! If I don't get some fresh air, I'm going crazy!"

I held back my laughter, thinking that this boy was quite bold, actually thinking of skipping class.

However, if you think about it carefully, the third prince is indeed trapped in the palace all day long, and he does nothing but study, so it is inevitable that he feels a little depressed.

"Okay then, I'll accompany you for a walk, but don't go too far. If Mr. Sun finds us, I won't be able to stop him." I agreed reluctantly.

The Third Prince immediately beamed and gave me a thumbs-up: "Master Yang, you are truly the best man in the world!"

I took the third prince to avoid crowded places and took a sneaky walk in the imperial garden.

The imperial garden in autumn is filled with falling leaves, creating a unique scene.

The Third Prince looked around and said excitedly, "Wow, there are so many places in the Imperial Garden that I haven't seen yet! Sir Yang, have you come here often before?"

I smiled and said, "I am only a medical officer. I don't often have the opportunity to visit the Imperial Garden. However, it is a pleasure to be able to take a walk with the Third Prince."

The Third Prince said with a grin, "Master Yang, you are really good at talking!"

As we were walking and talking, we suddenly heard a low-pitched argument coming from not far away.

The third prince came over curiously, and I followed him closer, only to find that it was Princess Xiaorou and her maid Xiaolian!

"What's going on?" I asked in a low voice, frowning.

Princess Xiaorou was seen standing under a big tree with a righteous look on her face, while Xiaolian lowered her head, seemingly trying to explain something.

The Third Prince and I looked at each other, hesitating whether to go over.

The Third Prince whispered, "Master Yang, should we go forward and take a look?"

I nodded and quietly approached with the Third Prince.

Princess Xiaorou said angrily, "Xiaolian, I don't care! You must help me! You are my maid, how can you not listen to me?"

Xiaolian replied in a low voice: "Princess, I just feel that...this matter may not be appropriate."

"What's wrong with that! I just want that mechanical bird! The one made by the third prince looks great, I want it, go get it!" Princess Xiaorou stomped her feet, her face turning red with anger.

When I heard this, I immediately understood a little bit.

It turns out that Princess Xiaorou has taken a fancy to the third prince's mechanical bird and wants Xiaolian to secretly take it away.

The third prince widened his eyes, obviously not expecting that Princess Xiaorou would be interested in his mechanical bird.

I quickly whispered to the Third Prince, "Third Prince, let's not get involved. Let's go back and talk about it."

The third prince frowned, seeming a little unwilling, but still nodded.

Just as we were about to leave quietly, Princess Xiaorou suddenly turned around and saw us!

"You...you eavesdropped on me!" Princess Xiaorou screamed, her face turning red instantly.

My heart skipped a beat, thinking to myself this is not good, and I quickly said, "Princess Xiaorou, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I just happened to be passing by..."

Princess Xiaorou, however, refused to give in and angrily stepped forward, "Master Yang, you taught the Third Prince to build so many mechanisms, why don't you make one for me? I want one too!"

Upon hearing this, the Third Prince hurriedly said, "Princess Xiaorou, I made the mechanical bird myself. Lord Yang was just guiding me. If you want to learn, I can teach you, and you can make one yourself!"

Princess Xiaorou pouted, clearly unhappy. However, upon hearing that the Third Prince was willing to teach her, her expression softened slightly. "Really? Are you really willing to teach me?"

The Third Prince nodded seriously, "Of course! As long as you're willing to learn, I'll definitely teach you!"

The gloom on Princess Xiaorou's face finally dissipated, revealing a satisfied smile: "Okay! It's a deal then, you will start teaching me tomorrow!"

I stood aside and breathed a sigh of relief. This little storm was finally over.

After returning to the bedroom, the Third Prince said to me with a helpless look on his face, "Master Yang, Princess Xiaorou is really difficult to deal with! But since she wants to learn about mechanical devices, I have no choice but to teach her."

I smiled and nodded. "Third Prince, this is just a small matter. If you can work with Princess Xiaorou to build some mechanisms, it will actually help your relationship. The interpersonal relationships in the palace are sometimes more complicated than the mechanisms themselves."

The Third Prince nodded thoughtfully. "Lord Yang, I understand. When I become emperor in the future, do I also need to learn how to handle these complex interpersonal relationships?"

I was slightly stunned. I didn't expect that the third prince would start thinking about these issues so quickly.

I patted his shoulder gently and said with a smile, "Third Prince, you will surely become a wise and benevolent emperor in the future. Now, all you need to do is study hard and gain experience. You will know how to deal with this in the future."

The Third Prince showed a determined look on his face and nodded seriously: "Master Yang, I will try my best!"

Looking at his serious expression, I couldn't help but feel warm in my heart.