Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

Ever since the last chapter, when I was inexplicably pushed to see the prince, my life seemed to have embarked on a path of no return.

The prince recovered from his illness, and Zhu Yuanzhang's eunuchs praised me, the "miracle doctor", and even said they would tell the emperor that I had "superb medical skills".

I was so scared that I almost fell to my knees and begged them to stop talking nonsense. Miracle doctor? I'm just an ordinary doctor who traveled through time!

But having said that, although saving the prince gave me a slight sense of accomplishment, it also made me more aware that practicing medicine in ancient times really cannot be taken lightly.

After all, the medical conditions here are not even close to those of modern times. I have to be vigilant at all times and not get myself into trouble.

However, I soon discovered that it was not that I didn't want to keep a low profile, but that trouble was finding me.

That day, I was lying in the back garden of Yang's house, enjoying a rare "time-travel vacation".

Come to think of it, life in ancient times wasn’t all bad. At least the air was fresh, the food was natural, the pace of life was slow, and there was no need to work overtime.

Just as I was leisurely thinking about whether I should go to the kitchen to ask for some snacks, suddenly, a servant came running over and said breathlessly: "Miss, someone is coming from the palace!"

I suddenly sat up with a start: "The palace? Has the prince's illness relapsed again?"

The servant shook his head. "It's not the Crown Prince, it's the Empress! They say the Empress is unwell and they want you to come into the palace to treat her."

What?! The Queen is sick? I was completely confused.

Oh my God, the prince has already made me nervous enough, and now even the queen comes to see me for medical treatment?

Are they forcing me to become an imperial physician? How can a modern doctor like me compete with the ancient imperial physicians for their jobs?

Walking on the way to the palace, I felt extremely complicated.

Xiao Cui followed me, extremely excited. "Miss, you're amazing! Last time you cured the prince, and this time you're treating the queen! If you can perform more meritorious deeds, maybe the emperor will give you the title of 'Miss Doctor'!"

"Come on, I just want to save my life." I rolled my eyes and complained silently in my heart: If this continues, I'm afraid I'll lose my life.

When I arrived at the palace, I found that the queen's bedroom was indeed extraordinary. The magnificent decorations almost dazzled me.

The palace maids took me into the inner hall, where I saw the Queen leaning on the bed, her face pale, and she certainly looked uncomfortable.

I quickly stepped forward and saluted: "Your humble servant Yang Tong greets the Empress."

The queen waved her hands weakly and said, "Hurry up and get up. I heard that you are an excellent doctor and even cured the crown prince. I am also feeling a little unwell today, so please come and see me."

I secretly complained in my heart: Smart? I'm just an emergency doctor who happened to use the right modern medical methods. What's so smart about that?

But now that I'm here, I can only go ahead with it.

I approached the Queen and tentatively asked, "What's wrong with you lately, Her Majesty?"

The Queen said softly, "I've been experiencing chest tightness and shortness of breath for the past few days, and sometimes dizziness. Even the imperial doctors couldn't find any serious illness, they just said it was caused by overwork."

Overwork leading to illness—the universal diagnosis of ancient times! I almost rolled my eyes when I heard that.

Well, it seems I have to rely on my "modern medical skills" again this time.

I asked the palace maids to prepare some clean towels and hot water, and took out my "pulse listening device" - that is, a stethoscope.

Ever since the prince's last success, I have completely given up on explaining this thing. Everyone believes it is a "magical medical tool" anyway.

I gently placed the stethoscope on the Queen's chest and listened carefully to her heart and lungs.

Fortunately, it was not pneumonia this time, but the Queen's heartbeat was a little weak. Judging from her symptoms, I initially suspected that she had insufficient heart blood and mild anemia.

This problem is not a serious problem in modern times, but it was a troublesome thing in ancient times.

After all, the nutritional conditions in ancient times cannot be compared with those in modern times. If you are not careful, anemia will make people very weak.

"Empress, your condition isn't serious, but it requires some recuperation," I said. "It's probably because you've been overworked lately, and your diet isn't balanced, which has led to insufficient Qi and blood. I'll prescribe some blood-tonifying and Qi-regulating medicine for you. Also, make sure you get enough rest. You should recover soon."

The Queen listened to my words and nodded slightly: "Then it will be as you say."

I wrote a prescription, the main ingredients of which are some common herbs that replenish qi and blood, such as angelica, astragalus, red dates, etc.

Although these are commonly used things in ancient times, I also added some nutritional suggestions from modern medicine, such as letting her eat more meat and protein. After all, iron and protein are key to anemia.

The Queen looked at my prescription and seemed a little puzzled: "Why do I need to eat more meat?"

I smiled and tried to explain in language that ancient people could understand: "Meat is nourishing and can replenish qi and blood, especially beef and mutton, which are extremely beneficial for conditioning the body."

The queen nodded, seeming satisfied with my explanation.

Leaving the palace, I breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, this time the illness wasn't too serious, so I managed to get through it without any problems.

However, this ancient medical environment really worries me.

When I returned to Yang's house, I fell headfirst onto the bed and thought: It would be great if I could have the facilities of a modern hospital, or even just a small clinic!

Just as I was lying in bed in a daze, Xiao Cui suddenly ran over and said excitedly, "Miss, I heard that the Queen was very satisfied with your treatment this time and even sent a gift!"

I was shocked: "Gift? What gift?"

Xiao Cui excitedly pointed to a box of pearl jewelry on the table and said, "That's it! Miss, you are amazing! This is a gift from the Queen!"

I looked at the box of glittering jewellery and felt mixed emotions.

I just cured a minor illness, and I actually got a reward?

The ancient royal family was quite generous.

However, I also have a little worry in my heart: What if one day I really encounter an incurable disease, will I have to pack up and run away?

In short, after this "Queen Incident", my reputation in the palace has been completely established.

The people in the Yang Mansion were even more respectful of me. Even my father, Yang Shiqi, came to talk to me, praising my "extraordinary courage and superb medical skills" and saying that I had brought honor to the Yang family.

The corners of my mouth twitched when I heard this, and I thought to myself: Dad, I really was forced to do this.

But then again, as a modern doctor, I am still a little proud.

At least I didn’t suffer from the “climate incompatibility” of the ancient times. Instead, I made a good living relying on my medical knowledge.

Next, I have to continue to find ways to improve my "medical skills". After all, I can't always rely on luck in this era.