Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

To be honest, I was really nervous about going into the palace to diagnose patients.

Although I have superb medical skills (self-proclaimed), those people in the palace are not ordinary people. The illnesses of the powerful and wealthy in ancient times were very complicated - not only in terms of the symptoms, but also in the causes.

You know, there are so many twists and turns in the harem, and if you are not careful, you may get yourself into trouble in a minute.

All the way, I couldn't stop wondering: What's wrong with the Empress? Is she suffering from a stomach upset? Or is it the legendary "Palace Intrigue Syndrome"?

Alas, there is nothing I can do. Who made me travel through time and space and become the "heroine", and be born with the "troublesome attraction"?

When I arrived at the palace gate, a eunuch was already waiting there. When he saw me, he immediately led me towards the harem.

Along the way, the palace walls were towering, and the magnificent buildings with red bricks and green tiles sparkled in the sun. Although the scenery was magnificent, I felt a little scared.

After all, this is not a place to have fun.

Soon, I was taken to the queen's bedroom.

As soon as I entered the room, I saw a group of palace maids and eunuchs gathered around the couch, all of them looking sad, as if the sky had fallen.

The Queen was half lying on the bed, her face pale and her eyes weak, as if she was in great pain.

"Doctor Yang is here!" A middle-aged eunuch in gorgeous clothes came up to me as soon as he saw me, his tone sounding a bit anxious.

"Doctor Yang, please hurry up and treat the Empress. The Empress has been ill for two days. The imperial physicians are helpless, and the Emperor is deeply worried."

As the eunuch spoke, he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

My heart skipped a beat. It really was a tough and difficult case!

But who am I? I'm a medical genius who traveled through time and space. How could a minor illness faze me?

"Okay, okay, let me take a look." I took a deep breath, pretended to be calm, and walked towards the queen's bed.

The Queen opened her eyes slightly, and when she saw me, a hint of doubt appeared in her expression: "Miss Yang is here?"

I immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, it is you, my humble servant."

The Queen nodded and said weakly, "This illness of mine...I'm afraid it's difficult to cure."

I smiled faintly, but my heart was churning: "My God, what you said puts a lot of pressure on me!"

However, as a "time-traveling doctor", I cannot afford to be stage-frightened.

"My lady, don't worry, I'll diagnose the cause first."

After I finished speaking, I took out my “magic pulse listening tool” from the medicine box - a modern stethoscope.

But who would have thought that as soon as I took out the stethoscope, the expressions of several imperial doctors around me changed instantly. They all opened their eyes wide and looked at me as if they were watching some kind of witchcraft.

"This...Miss Yang, what is this?" An imperial physician with a gray goatee asked cautiously, his eyes full of confusion.

I smiled awkwardly and explained, "Oh, this is a 'pulse listening device' I invented. It can diagnose a condition more accurately."

After saying that, I deliberately shook the "little ear" of the stethoscope to indicate that this thing was definitely not a monster.

The imperial doctors seemed quite curious: "A pulse listening device? It's quite a novelty."

"My lady, please wait a moment and let me check you."

So, I carefully placed the stethoscope on the Queen's chest and listened to her breathing and heartbeat.

Everything is normal, heartbeat is stable and breathing is normal.

Then I checked her pulse and pupils, and finally pressed her abdomen with my hands.

Sure enough, my guess was correct. The Queen's illness was not complicated.

I put down the "pulse listener" and said seriously, "My Lady, your condition is not actually a terminal illness. You will understand after I tell you."

The Queen frowned slightly and asked weakly, "Then Miss Yang, what disease do I have?"

I coughed and tried to explain in a professional tone, "Madam, have you been experiencing a loss of appetite, abdominal bloating, and some dull pain lately?"

The Queen nodded, her brow furrowed. "Indeed."

"That's right!" I smiled inwardly and continued, "Your Highness doesn't actually have any serious illness. It's just gastrointestinal discomfort caused by an unhealthy diet. Plus, you've been overworked lately, which has weakened your constitution, so you've experienced these symptoms."

"Improper diet?" The queen was stunned, seeming a little puzzled.

I smiled and patiently explained, "Yes, Madam, have you been eating a lot of raw, cold, or greasy food lately? Like cold cakes, pickled foods, and those so-called 'imperial snacks'?"

The Queen thought for a moment, her expression slowly becoming somewhat awkward. "I...have indeed had a poor appetite recently, and prefer some cool foods."

I thought to myself, "Haha," isn't this just the ancient version of getting a stomach upset?

But of course, I couldn't put it so bluntly. I cleared my throat and said, "My lady, your stomach is actually a little weak. The food you've been eating lately has actually increased the burden on your stomach, which is why you're experiencing bloating and pain."

After hearing this, the Queen's eyes revealed a sudden realization: "I see. Does Miss Yang have any good ideas?"

"Simple!" I laughed. "I'll prescribe a stomach-tonifying medicine for you, along with dietary therapy to avoid raw, cold, and greasy foods. I guarantee you'll be back to full health within three days."

The Queen nodded slightly, a look of relief on her face. "As expected, Miss Yang's medical skills are extraordinary. She was able to diagnose the cause of my illness so quickly."

"Hehe, no big deal, no big deal." I smiled and waved my hands, secretly feeling relieved.

Fortunately, this "Queen's Case" is not too complicated, otherwise I would really have a headache.

I pulled out a few sheets of paper from the medicine box and quickly wrote down a prescription: "Your Majesty, this prescription is mainly for regulating the spleen and stomach. It will be effective after three days of use. In addition, Your Majesty should drink plenty of warm water and avoid excessive fatigue."

The Queen took the prescription and nodded slowly, "Thank you, Miss Yang. I understand. Don't worry, I will follow the doctor's orders."

I was secretly happy in my heart that I could finally retire with honor.

Just as I was about to say goodbye, I suddenly heard hurried footsteps coming from the side.

"Your Majesty, I have something important to report!" A eunuch hurried in, looking a little panicked.

The Queen frowned: "Why are you so flustered?"

The eunuch whispered, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has just returned from outside the palace. He seems... seems to have caught a cold and is coughing in the Imperial Garden."

"Crown Prince?" The Queen's expression suddenly became serious. "Quickly call the imperial physician!"

I was stunned for a moment, and groaned inwardly: "I just finished treating one patient, why is there another one?"

Just as I was about to quietly leave, the Queen suddenly turned to look at me with a look of anticipation in her eyes: "Miss Yang, since you are such a skilled doctor, why don't you help the Crown Prince?"

I:"……"

Oh my God, I’m just a “part-time doctor” who traveled through time and space. How did I suddenly become the “full-time health doctor” in the palace?

However, since it had come to this, I couldn't refuse, so I had to bite the bullet and agree: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will go and see how His Royal Highness is doing."

So I was taken to the Imperial Garden again.

From a distance, I saw the prince sitting on a stone bench, his face pale, coughing constantly, surrounded by several eunuchs and maids.

I walked forward and bowed, "Your Highness, are you experiencing chest tightness, shortness of breath, or sore throat?"

The prince looked up at me and nodded: "Yes, I don't know why, I have been coughing non-stop these past few days."

I was speechless: "Coughing non-stop? You must have caught a cold!" However, I maintained a serious expression on the surface and walked over to take his pulse.

Soon, I confirmed my guess - the prince's cough was simply a cold, coupled with some mild allergic symptoms.

In modern times, I can just take some cold medicine and anti-allergy medicine, but in ancient times... I can only use a combination of Chinese and Western medicine.

"Your Highness, your symptoms are caused by a cold. Coupled with the change of seasons, the pollen in the air may also have triggered some allergic reactions," I explained.

The prince frowned slightly. "Pollen? There are so many flowers in this palace, it's possible."

I nodded. "That's right. You just need to take some cold medicine and avoid staying among flowers for a long time, and you will be cured."

Although the prince was young, he obviously understood some of the principles and nodded to show that he understood.

I immediately wrote a simple prescription and handed it to the eunuch: "This prescription will be effective after three doses. In addition, Your Highness is advised to stay away from the Imperial Garden, especially around the blooming flowers."

The prince took the prescription and smiled slightly: "Thank you, Miss Yang."

Finally, after dealing with all these "palace medical disputes", I secretly breathed a sigh of relief, said goodbye to the queen and the prince, and prepared to return home.

Along the way, I couldn't help but sigh, "Ah, traveling back to ancient times, I thought I could be a leisurely person, but I didn't expect to become a full-time doctor. It really is... worrying!"

But then again, being able to use modern medical technology to cure diseases and save lives in ancient times is quite fulfilling, especially when I think of the scenes where those imperial doctors were helpless, I can't help but feel secretly proud.

"Hehe, it's me indeed—Yang Tong!"