Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

Ever since the Third Prince agreed to teach Princess Xiaorou how to make a mechanical bird, he has been very busy these past two days.

Princess Xiaorou pestered him every day, asking questions non-stop, leaving the Third Prince no time to even breathe.

I couldn't bear to see the Third Prince looking so tired, so I suggested that he rest for a while.

The third prince immediately felt as if he had been pardoned and quickly came to hide with me.

"Master Yang, you saved my life!" He lay on the table as soon as he entered the door, gasping for breath.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Princess Xiaorou is just a child. How come you're so exhausted after just a few days of teaching her the mechanisms?"

The Third Prince sighed helplessly, "She's a little girl, but she's not obedient at all! I taught her how to assemble the mechanism, but she insisted on doing it herself. As a result, she broke several parts and she still blamed it on me!"

I shook my head, thinking that Princess Xiaorou had quite a temper.

However, since the Third Prince had already promised her, it would be difficult for him to go back on his word, so he could only continue to play with her.

At this moment, Yuanbao suddenly ran in mysteriously with a smile on his face.

"Third Prince, Lord Yang! Guess what I just heard?" he said excitedly.

The Third Prince and I turned to look at him at the same time. The Third Prince asked curiously, "What are you so happy about?"

Yuan Bao said proudly, "Miss Xiaolian just told me that the imperial kitchen is going to prepare a new dish tonight, which was specially ordered by the Empress Dowager!"

I was stunned for a moment, wondering why the Empress Dowager suddenly became interested in food recently?

But the Third Prince was obviously much more excited than I was. His eyes lit up and he patted the table: "New dishes? What are they? I want to eat them too!"

Yuanbao leaned closer, looking mysterious, and lowered his voice, saying, "I heard it's a special soup called 'Dragon and Phoenix Auspicious Soup'. It's said to taste amazing and invigorate people!"

The Third Prince's eyes lit up and he immediately stood up: "Then let's go to the imperial kitchen and take a look! I want to try it too!"

When I heard this, I quickly stopped him: "Third Prince, the Imperial Kitchen is a strategic location. It's not appropriate for you to rush in like this, is it?"

Yuan Bao said confidently, "Master Yang, don't worry! I've already inquired about it. The imperial kitchen is short-staffed tonight. We can go there to help out, and we can also try that new dish!"

I sighed helplessly.

When these two get together, they are simply a pair of funny people. Where is the dignity of a prince?

But looking at the expectant look on the Third Prince's face, I really couldn't bear to disappoint him.

"Okay, but you have to promise not to do anything rash. There are many rules in the imperial kitchen, and we have to be careful when helping." I agreed reluctantly.

In the evening, I sneaked into the imperial kitchen with the third prince and Yuanbao.

The imperial kitchen was indeed bustling with activity, with several chefs busy preparing dinner, and the legendary "Dragon and Phoenix Soup" was obviously the highlight of the evening.

The Third Prince looked around curiously as he entered, his face full of wonder: "Wow! The Imperial Kitchen is so big! I usually don't have the chance to come in!"

Yuanbao looked very proud, and it was obvious that he had already prepared to be an "undercover".

He pulled the Third Prince to a chef and said with a smile, "Master, can we help you?"

The chef looked up at us, obviously not recognizing the Third Prince. He just casually said, "Help? Can you cook?"

The Third Prince immediately said excitedly, "I can do it! I've worked on machinery, so cooking shouldn't be difficult!"

I almost laughed out loud when I heard that. What kind of logic is that? Building machinery and cooking are two completely different things!

The chef obviously didn't take the Third Prince's words seriously. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, then come and help wash the vegetables. Just don't make any trouble."

So, the three of us officially took up our posts in the imperial kitchen. The Third Prince and Yuanbao were in charge of washing vegetables, while I was assigned to chopping them.

Although such a simple job is not difficult for me, I couldn't help laughing when I saw the third prince seriously "studying" the vegetables while washing them.

"Lord Yang, the vegetables have been washed! What should we do next?" The third prince excitedly held up a basin of washed vegetables and looked at me expectantly.

I smiled helplessly: "Next it's time to chop the vegetables, but you'd better not use the knife. If you cut your hand, I can't bear the responsibility."

The Third Prince curled his lips, somewhat unwillingly: "Hey, I thought cooking was as interesting as making machinery, why is it so boring?"

I was just about to persuade him a few more times when I heard the chef's voice rise from a distance: "Oh no! The main ingredients for the Dragon and Phoenix Soup haven't arrived yet!"

The third prince and I looked at each other, and my heart suddenly skipped a beat.

This soup was specially ordered by the Empress Dowager. If the ingredients are gone, wouldn’t there be a big mess?

"What's going on?" I hurried over and asked.

The chef said anxiously, "Someone was supposed to deliver the main ingredients for the Dragon and Phoenix Soup—a rare medicinal herb and a special chicken. But now the time has come, and they haven't arrived yet! Without these ingredients, this soup can't be made at all!"

When the Third Prince heard this, he immediately became anxious: "What should we do? The Queen Mother is waiting to taste this dish!"

My mind raced, and suddenly an idea struck me.

As a medical officer of the Imperial Hospital, I am naturally familiar with the recipes of medicinal materials. Perhaps I can find a way to replace them with other ingredients?

"Chef, please show me the recipe for this soup, maybe I can help you," I said.

The chef was stunned, obviously not expecting me to offer to help. However, he didn't have time to think about it and immediately handed me the recipe.

I took a closer look and found that although the medicinal ingredients of this Dragon and Phoenix Soup are precious, they are not irreplaceable.

I quickly arranged and combined several common medicinal herbs and food ingredients in my mind, and came up with an idea.

"I have an idea!" I clapped my hands and said to the Third Prince and the chef, "Although the authentic ingredients haven't arrived yet, we can use another kind of medicinal herb and ordinary chicken instead. The effect should be similar."

The chef looked at me doubtfully. "Really? If the Queen Mother finds out, we won't be held responsible!"

I smiled and said firmly, "Don't worry, I guarantee that the Queen Mother won't be able to tell the difference. As long as you follow my method, there will be absolutely no problem."

The chef hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded: "Okay, I can only listen to you for now."

So, I began to instruct the Third Prince and Yuanbao to help prepare alternative ingredients.

Although the Third Prince is not good at cooking, he can still manage it under my command.

Yuanbao was busy working and laughing, obviously finding this adventure very interesting.

"Lord Yang, you are amazing! This soup looks really complicated, and you can actually come up with an alternative!" The third prince exclaimed while cutting vegetables.

I smiled and said, "Cooking and medicine are actually somewhat similar. They both focus on the right heat and the right proportions. As long as you put your heart into it, there's a solution to any problem."

The Third Prince nodded thoughtfully. "I see. It seems I need to study harder in the future and not just focus on playing with mechanisms."

Looking at his serious expression, I couldn't help but feel relieved.

Although this kid is naughty, he learns things very quickly.

However, just as we were busy, a shrill voice suddenly rang out: "Third Prince! Why are you here?"

I turned around suddenly, and my heart sank.

We saw Mr. Sun standing at the door of the imperial kitchen, looking at us with surprise.

"Oh no!" The third prince muttered softly, a trace of panic flashing across his face.

Mr. Sun walked over quickly, his face not looking good. "Third Prince, as a prince, how can you run to the imperial kitchen to do such rough work? If Concubine De finds out, you will be scolded again!"

The Third Prince scratched his head, his face full of innocence. "Mr. Sun, I just wanted to help make the soup. Lord Yang said we could use other ingredients instead, so I want to learn!"

Upon hearing this, Mr. Sun turned to look at me with a hint of suspicion in his eyes. "Master Yang, what new tricks are you teaching the Third Prince?"

I quickly bowed and explained, "Mr. Sun, the Third Prince is simply curious and wants to help, and I'm doing my best to teach him some common sense. As for the soup, there were indeed some minor issues, and I was simply trying to help with the ingredients."

Mr. Sun frowned, clearly dissatisfied with my explanation, but he didn't pursue the matter further. He simply sighed, "Third Prince, you are the future crown prince. You should learn how to govern the country, not these trivial matters. Hurry back! Concubine De is already looking for you."

The third prince curled his lips, obviously reluctant, but still followed Mr. Sun obediently.

I breathed a sigh of relief and secretly thanked God that Mr. Sun didn't ask any more questions, otherwise it would have been really troublesome this time.

Although the third prince left, Yuanbao and I continued to complete the "improved version" of the dragon and phoenix soup.

The chef carried the soup and carefully delivered it to the Queen Mother's bedroom.

A few hours later, the chef came back beaming with joy, announcing excitedly, "Master Yang! The Empress Dowager tasted it and was very satisfied! She even praised the soup as being even more delicious than before!"

I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when I heard that, and felt secretly happy.

It seems that this "alternative method" was not only successful, but also unexpectedly received the Queen Mother's praise.

Yuanbao also said excitedly: "Master Yang, you are really amazing! We have achieved great success this time!"

I smiled and patted his shoulder. "Okay, don't get carried away. This is just a small matter. We have to be more careful in the future and can't always rely on luck."

Yuanbao nodded repeatedly and looked at me with admiration: "Master Yang, I have learned a lot from you!"

I laughed in my heart, this kid really knows how to talk.

Although I survived this "adventure" in the imperial kitchen safely, I know in my heart that there will be more and more challenges in the future.

The secret rivalry between the Empress Dowager and Consort Defei has already made me feel a sense of unease.