Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

Tribute bed?

I stared at the beautifully carved bed in front of me, and a sense of foreboding suddenly welled up in my heart.

Could it be that the prince’s recent “strange dream” is really related to this bed?

I reached out and touched the bed board, and sure enough, it was icy cold, as if it had been kept in an ice cellar for years.

This is not right. How can normal wood be so cold?

I immediately turned to look at the prince: "Your Highness, where did you get this bed?"

The Crown Prince frowned slightly, as if recalling something. "These were tributes sent from the north some time ago. They were said to be treasures from the extremely cold land. Therefore, I've changed a lot of the furnishings in my bedroom."

A freezing cold place? Treasures?

I couldn't help but roll my eyes in my heart. Is this meant for people to sleep well or to experience an Arctic adventure?

Such a cold bed, let alone the prince, anyone who sleeps on it for a few days will get a chill!

"Your Highness, I dare to say that this bed may be the source of the problem," I quickly explained. "It's too cold. If you sleep on it every day, your qi and blood will be disrupted over time, which will inevitably lead to physical weakness and even nightmares."

The prince's face changed slightly when he heard this, and he seemed a little unconvinced: "But, this is just a bed, how can it have such a big impact?"

I raised my hand and touched the foot of the bed, then carefully examined the edge. Suddenly, I pointed at the wood grain at the bottom and said, "Your Highness, this wood grain isn't just any ordinary wood, but the legendary 'Ironwood.' This wood is inherently extremely cold, especially in winter. It absorbs the surrounding cold air, accumulating it to a certain level before releasing it. Sleeping on it every day, the cold air enters your body, causing your qi and blood to stagnate, and your health is naturally deteriorating."

After hearing this, the Crown Prince's expression gradually grew serious. "Cold iron wood? Why would something like this be sent here as a tribute?"

I rolled my eyes inwardly. Why else?

You people in the palace just like weird and strange things. The more unpopular it is, the more high-end you think it is.

"Your Highness, although this tribute is a rare item, it is not suitable for daily use as bedding." I continued to explain patiently, "Especially since you have been weak recently and the cold poison has entered your body, which is why you have these strange dreams."

The prince's expression gradually softened and he nodded: "You make sense. So how do we solve this problem next?"

I quickly stood up straight. "First, Your Highness must change this bed immediately. Otherwise, if you continue to sleep on it, I'm afraid the cold will become even worse. Secondly, I will prescribe some cold-dispelling and conditioning medicine. Be sure to take it on time. Once the cold is expelled from your body, Your Highness's health will fully recover."

The prince nodded in agreement, and I breathed a sigh of relief. It's finally done!

While the maids in the prince's bedroom were busy changing the beds, I quietly stepped aside, but I still felt a little uneasy in my heart.

Although the incident with the tribute bed sounds like just an accident, is there a deeper hidden story behind it?

Just as I was thinking about it, the door behind me was suddenly pushed open and a familiar figure flashed in.

Oh, this prince is here again!

"Imperial Physician Yang." The prince came over and glanced back and forth between me and the bed, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes.

He smiled slightly and whispered, "It seems that you have found the crux of the problem."

I nodded, feeling a little proud. “It was this cold ironwood bed that allowed the cold air to enter the body, causing the prince to become weak and even have nightmares.”

The prince nodded gently, still wearing that unfathomable smile on his face. "It is just as I expected. It seems that the story behind this cold poison incident is not simple."

My heart tightened, and I quickly asked, "What does the prince mean?"

"This bed was a tribute from the north, and it arrived at the Eastern Palace not long ago. His Royal Highness's strange illness happened to flare up during this time." The prince's voice was low and cold. "Everyone in the palace thought it was a coincidence, but I think someone might have done it on purpose."

Was it intentional? My heart skipped a beat. Could there really be a conspiracy behind this bed?

The prince looked at me with a sharp gaze, "Imperial Physician Yang, have you ever considered that the Crown Prince might not be the only victim of this cold poison incident?"

I was stunned for a moment, my mind racing.

Yes! If the cold poison really came from this bed, then why was only the prince affected?

"You mean... this cold air may have affected other people?" I asked tentatively.

The prince nodded slightly: "Not only that, I suspect that there is a greater conspiracy behind the appearance of this bed."

My heart skipped a beat. It seemed that this was not just a simple 'bedding issue'. It was probably some kind of intrigue within the palace.

I quickly cheered myself up: "Your Majesty, what should we do next?"

The prince thought for a moment and said calmly, "You continue to observe the Crown Prince secretly. If you have any new clues, report them to me immediately."

I nodded quickly: "Yes, I understand."

Back at the clinic, I lay over the table, writing a prescription while thinking about what to do next.

It seems that I not only have to be a doctor, but also a detective on the side.

The prince, the cold poison, the tribute... Is everything behind this a coincidence or a conspiracy?

Just as I was lost in thought, I suddenly heard hurried footsteps at the door.

A young eunuch rushed in, his face pale and breathless, and said to me, "Imperial Physician Yang, help! Something happened in the East Palace again!"

I was startled and quickly grabbed the medicine box: "Another accident? What happened?"

The young eunuch gasped: "This time it's not the Crown Prince, it's... it's the Crown Princess!"

The Crown Princess?! My heart tightened. Not only was the cold poison not over, it actually spread to the Crown Princess?

When they arrived at the Eastern Palace, the Crown Princess's room was already in a mess.

Several palace maids surrounded the bed. The Crown Princess looked pale, with cold sweat on her forehead. She was so weak that she hardly even had the strength to open her eyes.

"The Crown Princess suddenly fainted just now. Imperial Physician Yang, please save her quickly!" A palace maid was so anxious that she almost cried.

Oops, this is no joke.

I hurried forward to check and felt her pulse. Sure enough, the Crown Princess's symptoms were somewhat similar to those of Xiao Luzi and the young eunuch. Cold air had entered her body, causing disorder in her qi and blood.

I spoke quickly, "Quick, prepare some hot water and some cold-repelling soup. Also, is there anything new in the Crown Princess's bedroom?"

A palace maid whispered, "Your Highness has been sleeping with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince recently, always on the bed in His Royal Highness's bedroom..."

Sure enough, it was that broken bed again!

I have completely understood in my heart that the reason why the Crown Princess suddenly fell ill must be because she had recently slept on that cold iron and wood bed, and the cold air invaded her, causing her to fall ill.

"Quick, move the Crown Princess to another room, away from that bed." I quickly ordered the palace maids.

The Crown Princess was transferred to another bedroom, and I immediately gave her acupuncture, combined with hot water to dispel the cold. After a while, her breathing finally stabilized and her complexion gradually returned to normal.

"Imperial Physician Yang, the Crown Princess..." the palace maid beside her asked cautiously.

I breathed a sigh of relief and stood up. "The Crown Princess is just suffering from a cold that has entered her system. She's fine for now. She'll be back to normal after a few days of good care."

That night, I sat under the light in the clinic, still thinking about what had happened that day.

The cold ironwood bed, the Crown Prince, and the Crown Princess, all of this seemed to be an accident, but there was obviously another mystery behind it.

Just as he was thinking about it, the door of the clinic was gently pushed open, and a familiar figure appeared at the door again.

"Your Highness." I quickly stood up.

The prince walked in and smiled slightly: "It seems that you have solved another crisis."

I nodded, but my heart was still full of questions: "Your Highness, the Crown Princess has also been poisoned by the cold. This matter may not be simple."

A hint of coldness flashed across the prince's eyes, and he whispered, "I have already made preliminary inquiries. The source of this bed was not a normal tribute to the palace, but someone secretly sent it to the East Palace."

I was shocked: "Did someone do this on purpose?"

The prince nodded with a hint of sneer on his face: "The water in the palace is much deeper than you imagine. Next, what we need to do is to find out who is behind this."

Hearing this, my heart beat faster.

It seems that this palace turmoil has just begun...

The intrigues in the ancient palace were far more complicated than I had imagined.

Next, I must not only continue to help the prince recover, but also assist the prince in uncovering the truth behind this cold poison storm.

It seems that I have to put my medical and detective skills to good use!