Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

Since becoming the imperial physician, the palace has been calling on me more and more frequently, but I’ve gotten used to it.

Treating the imperial concubine, the prince, and the queen is part of my daily work.

To be honest, as a modern doctor who traveled through time, I am not really afraid of these diseases. Instead, I am afraid of those palace fights.

After all, I am a doctor with excellent medical skills, but I don’t have any “palace fighting skills”.

That day, I had just been having breakfast in the clinic when another young eunuch came to the palace.

As soon as he entered the room, he was out of breath: "Imperial Physician Yang, please follow me to the palace. The Empress has an urgent matter to summon you!"

When I heard this, I almost choked on the bun in my mouth.

Is the Queen in trouble again? Wasn't she just fine before?

Although I was a little confused, I couldn't be negligent. After all, this was a summons from the Queen and I couldn't be careless.

"Okay, okay, I'll pack my things right away." I quickly picked up the medicine box and followed the eunuch to the palace.

Along the way, I couldn't help but ask, "Little Eunuch, what's wrong with the Queen this time? A headache or a stomachache?"

The young eunuch shook his head, his eyes flickering a little: "This... Imperial Physician Yang will know when he arrives."

Huh? That's a bit strange.

I became even more confused. Could it be that this time it wasn't a treatment?

Could it be that the Empress... wants me to help catch the "slippery fish" in the palace fighting?

I'm a doctor and I really don't want to get involved in these troubles.

When I arrived at the Queen's bedroom, I was taken into the inner hall.

The Queen was sitting on the bed, looking a little tired, but with a hint of irritation between her brows.

After I bowed and greeted her, the Empress waved her hand, indicating that I didn't need to be polite. "Imperial Physician Yang, I summoned you today not because I'm sick, but... I have a difficult matter that I'd like to ask for your help with."

Huh? Not a cure?

My heart sank. Is palace fighting really going to begin?

"Your Majesty, if you have anything to say, please feel free to tell me. If I can help, I will do my best." I answered cautiously, afraid of accidentally stepping on a landmine.

The queen sighed and pointed to the maid next to her.

The maid understood and pulled out a little eunuch from behind the curtain. The eunuch looked no more than twelve or thirteen years old and stood there timidly.

"Imperial Physician Yang, this young eunuch has been in poor health lately. He's been having nightmares at night, trembling all over when he wakes up, and even talking nonsense. The imperial doctors say he's been possessed by an 'evil spirit,' but they haven't been able to cure him. You are a skilled doctor, so please help me see what's going on."

Oh, so that's what it was! I felt relieved.

Fortunately, it’s not a palace fight, not a palace fight.

It's just a little eunuch having a nightmare. This is nothing new to me in modern times. It's probably due to sleep disorders or psychological stress.

"Your Majesty, please be patient. I'll check his pulse first." I walked up to the young eunuch and asked softly, "Have you been under a lot of pressure lately? Are you so anxious about the things happening in the palace that you can't sleep?"

The young eunuch was stunned, with a look of surprise in his eyes: "I dare not say... I just dream of some strange things every night, and when I wake up, I feel cold all over. The imperial doctors all say that I am possessed by an evil spirit..."

Possessed? Oh, the evil spirits are not to blame for this.

I know in my heart that this little eunuch was just young, under a lot of pressure, and the complex environment in the palace, so he was frightened and had a nightmare.

Modern people call this "anxiety disorder", but in ancient times, they could only think of it as "ghosts and gods".

"Your Majesty, I feel that this young eunuch is not possessed by evil spirits, but is suffering from excessive psychological pressure, which makes it difficult for him to sleep at night.

The palace has strict rules and regulations, and the young eunuchs are still young, so they are bound to feel fear and anxiety."

The Queen frowned: "How should it be treated?"

I smiled and said, "It's actually very simple. I'll prescribe some tranquilizers and teach him some relaxation techniques. Before going to bed at night, don't think too much and relax."

The Queen nodded, seeming to understand. "That's very good, Imperial Physician Yang, thank you for your help."

After writing the prescription, I also gave the young eunuch some simple psychological counseling.

Although there was no concept of "psychologist" in ancient times, I still used modern knowledge to tell him some tips to relieve psychological stress.

"You can take more deep breaths, take a hot bath before bed, and try to relax. There are many rules in the palace, but you must remember not to get too nervous and just relax."

The young eunuch nodded in confusion. The Queen watched from the side, seeming a little surprised by my "new method", but she was obviously more concerned about the young eunuch's health: "As long as it can cure his illness, I am willing to try your method."

I laughed in my heart: This is the power of modern science, your Majesty, you haven't seen it yet!

Just as I was about to leave, the Empress suddenly asked thoughtfully, "Imperial Physician Yang, I've heard that you're a skilled doctor, curing even the Crown Prince and the Imperial Concubine. Have you ever seen a stranger illness?"

A more bizarre symptom? My heart skipped a beat; the Queen's words seemed to be testing.

"Your Majesty, I have seen many illnesses, including quite a few strange ones. However, as long as we find the root cause, even the strangest illness can be easily solved."

The Queen nodded slightly, as if she was thinking about something, and then said, "I have heard some rumors recently that someone in the palace seems to have contracted a 'strange disease'. If you have the chance, you could help take a look."

I was stunned and secretly surprised.

Strange disease? What's going on in the palace?

However, I didn't dare to ask any more questions and could only nod and agree: "Don't worry, Your Majesty. If there is an opportunity, I will do my best."

After leaving the Queen's bedroom, I kept thinking about her words.

The imperial concubine’s headache had just been cured, and the prince didn’t have any serious health problems, so how come a “strange disease” suddenly appeared?

There was something hidden in the Queen's words, as if there was something hidden behind it that I didn't know.

Is there really a "strange disease" in the palace? Or is this the precursor to some kind of power struggle?

Oh, what a headache.

I was just a simple doctor, but I was always caught up in these complex vortexes of power.

It seems that I have to be more cautious in the future.

But then again, no matter how big the crisis is, my medical skills are my only recourse.

Now that you are in the palace, it is inevitable that you will be involved in these things.

As long as I can maintain my original intention as a doctor and not get involved in power struggles, perhaps I could live a more carefree life in ancient times.

After returning to the clinic, I started my daily diagnosis and treatment work again.

Although the things in the palace give me a headache, life must go on.

After all, the power of modern medicine allows me to thrive in this ancient society.

The apprentices surrounded me, chattering about the palace: "Miss, is the Empress particularly majestic?"

"Miss, everyone in the palace is dressed so gorgeously. They must look really good, right?"

I smiled and shook my head. "It does have some majesty, but if you enter the palace, don't be scared by those superficial things. There are many rules in the palace, and there are traps everywhere. We should be careful."

The apprentices were stunned when they heard this, feeling both admiration and fear.

Life went on as normal, but the "strange illnesses" and hidden secrets in the palace seemed to be laying new groundwork for my future. I was really looking forward to what would happen next.