Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

Ever since I traveled through time, my medical skills have flourished. I have even cured the illnesses of the Crown Prince and the Queen, and I unexpectedly became the imperial physician.

Although I only wanted to make a living at the beginning, now I have become a well-known "extraordinary woman" in the palace.

As a modern doctor, I have to admit that the level of medicine in ancient times was really worrying, which also gave me more opportunities to show my skills.

Early that morning, just as I was about to go to the clinic to see a patient, someone came from the palace. It was my old acquaintance, Eunuch Liu.

Don't be fooled by the smiling face of this eunuch Liu, he is actually a capable and capable man beside the emperor.

As soon as he appeared, I immediately became very alert.

"Imperial Physician Yang, the Imperial Concubine is ill and has a severe headache. The imperial physicians are helpless, so we are requesting you to come into the palace to treat her."

Eunuch Liu spoke in a polite tone, but his smile revealed a hint of unwillingness to refuse.

The imperial concubine has a headache? I quickly calculated in my mind that according to modern medicine, this is probably a tension headache caused by stress and bad lifestyle habits. The ancients didn't understand this and thought it was caused by some evil spirit.

But no matter what, the imperial concubine is sick, and as the imperial physician of the palace, I must go there.

So I nodded and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, Eunuch Liu. I will prepare the things and follow you into the palace."

This is not my first time in the palace. After all, I have treated the prince and the queen before, so I am familiar with the roads in the palace.

However, every time I walked into the solemn and majestic palace walls, I felt a little nervous. After all, this was the center of power. If I wasn't careful, I might be caught up in the vortex of court struggles.

I followed Eunuch Liu into the harem, and the imperial concubine's bedroom exuded an atmosphere of luxury.

As soon as I entered the room, I saw the imperial concubine leaning on the bed with a frown on her face and a look of pain.

A group of palace maids and eunuchs stood nearby, all of them extremely anxious.

"Imperial Physician Yang is here!" Eunuch Liu announced loudly. I hurried forward and saluted, "Your Majesty, I am here to treat you."

The imperial concubine nodded slightly, her voice weak, "Imperial Physician Yang, I have had a severe headache for several days now, and the medicine prescribed by the imperial physicians is ineffective. Please come and take a look."

The symptoms of this headache are obviously an old problem. The imperial concubine, a VIP patient, usually lives a luxurious life, eats well and dresses well, but she also has many worries, especially the pressure of competing for favor in the palace, which inevitably leads to headaches.

Modern people call this a "stress headache," but in ancient times, they would simply think it was "imbalance of qi and blood" or "evil spirits entering the brain."

I went over to her, took her pulse, and carefully inquired about her symptoms. Sure enough, it was a tension headache combined with lack of sleep.

These high-ranking nobles in the palace may seem glamorous on the surface, but in fact, each of them has a huge stone weighing on their heart. They compete for favor every day, so how can they sleep well?

Thinking of this, I had an idea.

"My Lady, your condition is caused by poor blood circulation and liver stagnation turning into fire, which has led to blocked meridians in the head.

I'll use acupuncture to open up your meridians and activate your collaterals, and combine it with some liver-soothing and qi-regulating herbs, which should be able to alleviate your symptoms."

After saying that, I took out the silver needles from the medicine box and inserted them neatly into her temple, Baihui point and Fengchi point.

These acupuncture points are also believed in modern medicine to relieve headaches, especially those caused by stress.

The imperial concubine was lying on the bed. Although she was a little nervous, she still endured the pain and cooperated with me obediently.

There's nothing I can do about it. After all, she had heard about my "miraculous medical skills" before.

Not long after the acupuncture, the imperial concubine's brows relaxed and her complexion improved.

After a while, she actually opened her eyes and said in surprise: "Huh? My head... doesn't hurt anymore!"

I was secretly pleased with myself, but I kept a professional smile on my face. "My Lady, this is the initial effect of acupuncture. However, in order to completely cure it, you need to follow my prescription and pay attention to your daily routine. Get more rest and worry less."

The imperial concubine nodded, her tone revealing a hint of gratitude: "Imperial Physician Yang is indeed a skilled doctor. I am truly indebted to you."

I smiled slightly and said modestly, "Your Majesty, I am grateful for your kindness. I have done my best to help you."

But I was thinking: This pressure is so great that it gives me a headache, can you blame me? Don't you have any idea of ​​what's going on?

Just as I was about to pack up and leave, I suddenly heard footsteps outside the door, and then a familiar figure walked in - Eunuch Liu.

"Your Majesty, His Majesty heard that you had a severe headache, so he asked me to come and see you. If necessary, please report to His Majesty at any time." Eunuch Liu's tone was full of concern, but it also revealed some meaning that made people think more.

The imperial concubine smiled and said gently, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. Fortunately, with the help of Imperial Physician Yang, my illness has improved a lot."

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Liu turned to look at me and said with a smile, "Imperial Physician Yang is truly a miracle worker. He can even cure the Empress's headache. The Emperor has also heard of your medical skills."

After hearing this, why does it feel like something is not right?

I quickly bowed my head and said, "Thank you so much, Your Majesty and Your Majesty, for your kindness. I have only done my humble part."

Eunuch Liu glanced at me with a smile, then said slowly, "Since the Empress's condition has improved, it's time for Imperial Physician Yang to return home and rest. The palace is full of complicated matters, and Imperial Physician Yang will have more opportunities to treat the Empress in the future."

It sounded like he was asking about my well-being, but after thinking about it, I felt like there was something else behind his words.

Is he telling me to stay out of other people's business? Or is there something else going on in the palace?

However, one has to bow his head under the eaves. Since Eunuch Liu has spoken, I can't stay any longer.

So I smiled and nodded: "I will take my leave now. If Your Majesty feels unwell, you can summon me to the palace at any time."

The imperial concubine nodded slightly, her eyes seemed to be a little tired: "You have worked hard, Imperial Physician Yang, go back and have a good rest."

After leaving the palace, I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Although the imperial concubine's headache was not a serious problem, I was a little confused by Eunuch Liu's attitude.

Everyone in the palace speaks with hidden agenda, and the atmosphere of intrigue is truly chilling.

Thinking back to when I treated the Crown Prince and the Queen, I couldn't help but feel helpless.

I am just a doctor, so how did I become an "accidental participant" in these power struggles?

But then again, since I am now an imperial physician, it is inevitable that I will have to go to the palace to see patients.

It seems that I have to be more careful in the future. If I get involved in a palace fight by accident one day, it will be a real headache.

The next morning, as soon as I arrived at the clinic, I saw a young eunuch rushing over.

He held an exquisite brocade box in his hand, smiling broadly, "Imperial Physician Yang, a reward from His Majesty."

Reward? Another reward?

I opened the brocade box and saw a pair of exquisite jade bracelets inside, which were beautifully crafted and worth a lot of money.

The eunuch continued, "His Majesty heard that you cured the Imperial Concubine's headache, so he specially rewarded you. The Imperial Concubine also said that if she has any illness in the future, she will invite you to the palace for treatment."

Ah...it seems like I can’t escape being the “VIP client” of this palace.

I smiled and nodded, accepting the reward: "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will definitely live up to your trust."

After sending the little eunuch away, I looked at the jade bracelet in my hand, feeling a little complicated.

Although rewards are a good thing, it also means that my involvement with the court will only become deeper in the future.

After returning to the clinic, the apprentices heard that I had returned to the palace to see a doctor and had cured the imperial concubine. They were all very excited and surrounded me, asking questions non-stop.

"Miss, is the palace really so magnificent?"

"Miss, isn't the imperial concubine particularly beautiful?"

I smiled and shook my head: "The palace is indeed magnificent, but if you have the opportunity to go there for treatment, remember to stay calm and don't be fooled by the superficial glamour."

The apprentices were stunned when they heard this. They all shut their mouths, with a look of awe in their eyes.

Life has to go on, and as the number of visits to the palace for treatment increases, there will definitely be more and more troubles in the future.

But no matter what, as a modern doctor, I have the confidence to face all challenges!