Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

The prince in front of him had his hands behind his back, his expression solemn, like a sophisticated ancient instrument, ready to operate and solve all mysteries at any time.

"Imperial Physician Yang, I suspect that these strange illnesses are not accidental." He whispered, and although his tone was flat, every word was cautious.

My heart skipped a beat. Although I had long felt that the matter was not simple, hearing it from the prince's own mouth still made me feel a little cold.

There is indeed no simple matter in this palace.

"Your Highness, you mean..." I asked cautiously, but my mind was quickly calculating: Is there really a conspiracy behind the strange disease around the prince?

"I cannot say much, but the series of incidents surrounding the Crown Prince is definitely not a coincidence."

The prince's eyes were deep, and after a pause, he continued, "Have you ever noticed anything in common among these patients?"

My mind raced through the illnesses of Xiao Luzi and the young eunuch. They both suffered from cold poison and imbalance of Qi and blood. The symptoms were similar and occurred at a close time, which really made people suspicious.

"Although their symptoms may seem different, they're all related to cold and disordered Qi and blood." I nodded, my brow furrowed. "But where does this cold poison come from? Diet, environment... everything seems fine."

"Yes, everything looks normal." The prince narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, "But it is precisely this 'normal' that is most suspicious."

Oh wow, that's interesting.

A bunch of plots from modern detective films flashed through my mind: the murderer is often hidden in the most inconspicuous places, and the more inconspicuous, the more dangerous.

"Your Highness, what you mean is..." Before I could finish my words, the prince raised his hand slightly, signaling me not to continue.

"This matter has not yet been concluded, but the most urgent task is to protect His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

He paused, then continued, "You continue to use your medical skills. I will secretly investigate for other clues. If you find anything, please report it to me at any time."

I nodded quickly: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will do my best."

The prince nodded, turned and left the clinic, leaving behind a desolate figure.

After he walked away, I let out a long sigh and couldn't help but sigh in my heart: This palace is really in dire straits. Even an illness can involve so many levels of conspiracy.

I returned to the table, still pondering the prince's words - "The series of incidents surrounding the prince is definitely not a coincidence."

How much information does this sentence contain?

However, I don’t have time to think too much right now, after all, the patient is still waiting.

Since the prince has mentioned the "cold poison", I have to start from this direction.

Although ancient medical skills were limited, cold poison was not uncommon. The question was, where was the source of the cold poison that attacked these people?

I began to check the little eunuch's clothes and bedding, searching for clues inch by inch.

Suddenly, my hand stopped on his belt - the texture of the belt was a little cold, a little different from ordinary fabric.

There is a situation!

"Madam Zhang, what material is this belt made of?" I looked up and asked Madam Zhang, feeling a little uneasy.

Aunt Zhang came over to take a look, and her expression changed instantly: "This is... ice silk!"

"Ice silk?" I frowned. Although I had not been in ancient times for long, I had heard of the term "ice silk".

Legend has it that this silk comes from an extremely cold place and has a natural cold property, so only the royal family and a very small number of nobles can use it.

"This kind of belt is a reward given by the prince to his close attendants. What do you think... is there something wrong with it?" There was a tremor in Nanny Zhang's voice, and she was obviously a little unsure.

I picked up the belt and looked at it carefully. The more I looked, the more I felt something was wrong.

This ice silk itself has a cold nature. If worn for a long time, it will indeed affect the body's blood circulation, especially for people with weak constitutions, who are more likely to contract cold poison.

The problem has been found!

"I'm afraid Xiao Luzi and this young eunuch's symptoms are caused by wearing this ice silk belt for a long time." I looked up, and my mind suddenly became clear. "Their constitutions are already weak, and the cold has invaded their bodies, disrupting their qi and blood, which is why they have these strange illnesses."

Nanny Zhang's expression changed. "That... was a gift from the Crown Prince. How could there be any problem with it?"

I couldn't help but slap my forehead. Oh, I really forgot the rules of this era!

In ancient times, what the emperor bestowed was destiny. How could it be questioned casually?

If you just say "there's something wrong with the belt given by the prince", wouldn't that be exposing everything?

"No, no, no, Mammy, what I mean is that this belt is made of a special material. It's too cold, and their constitutions are relatively weak, which is why this happens." I quickly said, "If it were someone with a stronger constitution, they might be fine."

Aunt Zhang finally breathed a sigh of relief: "I see, so that's the case. In your opinion, how should we deal with this?"

Isn't this simple? I was delighted and quickly said, "First, replace their belts with ordinary ones. In addition, I will prescribe a few prescriptions to help them regulate their qi and blood and gradually eliminate the cold."

Nanny Zhang nodded repeatedly: "Very good, Imperial Physician Yang is indeed very capable!"

I smiled and finally felt relieved.

Although the problem has been solved temporarily, I have a vague feeling that there may be more hidden secrets behind this matter.

An ice silk belt? Accidents keep happening to people around the Crown Prince? Is this really just a coincidence?

No matter what, what I can do now is to cure the patient first. As for the mystery behind it, we have to wait for further investigation.

A few days later, Xiao Luzi and the young eunuch's conditions had indeed improved significantly.

After changing to ordinary belts, their qi and blood gradually returned to normal, and the cold poison was slowly eliminated under the conditioning of medicine.

I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. After all, although the condition was complicated, it was still under my control.

However, the prince's words still echo in my ears. The "normality" in this palace may be much deeper than it seems on the surface.

Just as I was about to relax a little, the door of the clinic was suddenly pushed open and a familiar voice was heard.

"Imperial Physician Yang, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince requests you to come into the palace!"

I was stunned, and alarm bells rang in my heart: What happened again?

They hurried all the way to the Eastern Palace. The atmosphere in the prince's bedroom was solemn. Several imperial doctors stood by, each with a complicated expression.

The prince did not faint and seemed to be in good spirits, but there was a hint of worry between his brows.

"Imperial Physician Yang, you're here." When the prince saw me come in, he forced a smile, but his voice was a little tired.

"Your Highness, what's wrong with you?" I hurried forward to check and found that the prince's pulse was stable and there was no major problem.

The prince sighed and waved his hand, signaling the palace servants around him to leave. When we were the only ones left in the room, he whispered, "I've been feeling uneasy lately, and even...sometimes have ominous dreams."

Dreaming of something ominous? My heart skipped a beat. Could it be that the prince had also been infected with this "cold poison"?

"Your Highness, have you taken any special medicine or used any new items recently?" I asked tentatively, my mind already rapidly calculating various possibilities.

The prince shook his head: "No, everything is normal for me."

I carefully observed the prince's expression, but I felt something was not right.

Could it be that the prince’s dream is related to these strange diseases?

"Your Highness, is there anything different in your bedroom recently?" I continued to ask.

The prince was silent for a moment, as if thinking. Suddenly, his eyes fell on the bed beside him, and his expression changed slightly.

"That bed... was a tribute sent a few months ago. I've been using it recently."

My heart skipped a beat. Tribute? Cold poison? Could it be...

"Your Highness, may I dare to check this bed?" I asked hurriedly, already having a vague guess in my mind.

The prince nodded slightly and motioned for me to go over and check.

I walked to the bed and checked it carefully, and sure enough, I found a clue - the bed board seemed to be made of some special material, with a faint chill.

Is there something wrong with this bed?

A bold guess suddenly came to my mind.

The prince's "strange dream" and cold poison may not be a coincidence, but may be related to this tribute bed...

We cannot underestimate the ancients. The conspiracies and tricks in the ancient palace were far more complicated than I imagined.