Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

Not long after I returned to the clinic, before I had time to catch my breath, there was another rapid knock on the door.

"Imperial Physician Yang, the imperial edict has arrived!"

What?! Imperial edict?!

The teacup in my hand almost fell to the ground. I am just a small imperial physician. How could an imperial edict suddenly come?

Is this a mistake?

I may complain in my heart, but I still dare not neglect the ancient imperial edict.

He quickly sat up straight, straightened his clothes, and thought to himself: Could it be that my performance in the Li Mansion in recent times has been too conspicuous and I have gotten into some trouble?

Before I could think about it, a eunuch in official uniform had already walked into the clinic, followed by a team of ceremonial guards, which looked very grand.

I quickly knelt down, unable to tell whether I was nervous or curious.

"Heavenly Emperor Tian Chengyun decrees: Yang Tong, with his skillful hands and compassionate heart, possesses superb medical skills and has repeatedly cured the pain of princes and nobles. He is hereby commended and awarded one hundred taels of gold and ten pieces of silk as a token of his appreciation. This is my decree!"

I was stunned for a moment. Is this... a compliment? And a bonus?

The eunuch finished reading the imperial edict in a shrill voice, then handed it to me with a smile: "Imperial Physician Yang, congratulations! The emperor is so gracious to you that he has even bestowed upon you this hundred taels of gold."

I quickly took the imperial edict, feeling complicated.

This reward sounds good, but why do I always feel that... there may not be something that simple?

"Thank you, eunuch, for conveying the order, and thank you, His Majesty, for your grace." I said respectfully, keeping a suitable smile on my face, but my mind was racing.

The eunuch smiled and nodded, exchanged a few polite words, and then left with the guard of honor.

I stood at the door of the clinic, watching their backs as they left, and suddenly felt that this matter was a little strange.

The Emperor suddenly rewarded me with a hundred taels of gold. Could it be that my recent behavior in the Li Mansion caught his attention? Or is it somehow connected to the Crown Princess's disappearance?

I returned to the room and placed the imperial edict on the table. The more I thought about it, the more I felt something was wrong.

No, I need to ask someone about this.

So, I decided to go find my father, Yang Shiqi.

After all, he has extensive connections in the court and is well aware of the court's situation. Perhaps he can help me sort out the ins and outs of this matter.

When I got home, my father was in his study reviewing memorials. When he saw me come in, he looked up and smiled: "What's up? Do you have any difficult illness that needs my help today?"

I rolled my eyes and said, "Dad, I'm here to ask you something important, not to see a doctor."

My father put down his pen and looked up at me: "Oh? What's the big deal?"

I took out the imperial edict I had just received and handed it to my father. "Today, an imperial edict suddenly came down, praising my medical skills and awarding me a hundred taels of gold. But I have a feeling this isn't that simple."

My father took the imperial edict, looked at it carefully, and frowned slightly: "It is indeed a bit unexpected that the emperor suddenly gave you such a generous reward."

I nodded. "Dad, do you think there's any mystery behind this? I haven't done anything earth-shattering recently. I just saved a few people."

My father pondered for a moment, his tone becoming more serious. "Your recent frequent visits to the Li Mansion and your efforts to save Li Wan'er have probably attracted the attention of the court. Minister Li is an important figure in the court, and the Emperor cannot fail to be concerned about all matters in his residence."

I asked nervously, "So...you mean, this imperial edict might be related to the Li Mansion?"

My father nodded. "It's very likely. Especially with the Crown Princess's disappearance, which remains unsolved, and Li Wan'er's illness is somewhat implicated in this matter. The Emperor's sudden reward to you may be a hint for you to continue to monitor the Li Mansion's movements."

Sure enough, the emperor’s reward was not that simple!

I felt helpless. Wouldn't this push me deeper into trouble?

"Dad, what should I do? Continue to investigate at Li's residence?" I hesitated. After all, the matter was getting more and more complicated, and it was beyond the capabilities of a small doctor like me.

My father smiled slightly, his tone softening. "Don't worry too much. Just do your job well. If you find anything unusual, report it to me. Don't act rashly. After all, you're just a doctor. You don't need to get involved in the power struggles of the court."

I nodded, feeling a little relieved.

Well, it seems that I don’t need to be a “spy” for the time being, I just need to continue to play dumb.

Having said that, I still feel a little uneasy.

With this reward, my status became more prominent in the Li Mansion and even the entire Yingtian Prefecture.

I'm afraid there will be more troubles coming next.

Sure enough, early the next morning, when I was about to go out to Li's house, another uninvited guest came to the door.

"Imperial Physician Yang, the palace is here to see you!"

My heart suddenly shuddered. The palace?! Another prince? I hadn't even gotten over the Li Mansion incident yet, and the palace was stirring things up again.

The visitor was a guard from the palace. His tone was polite but unyielding: "Your Highness has something to discuss with you. I would like to invite Imperial Physician Yang to come and discuss it."

I sighed. This prince must be looking for me for some bad reason, but I had no choice but to go.

So I had to put down the medicine box in my hand and follow the guards all the way to the palace.

When I arrived at the palace, the prince was sitting in his study. Seeing me, he smiled and gestured for me to sit down. "Imperial Physician Yang, I heard that you have made great achievements in the Li Mansion recently. Even the emperor has taken a new look at you."

I felt a surge of nervousness, but I tried to remain calm. "Your Highness, I'm so kind. I'm just doing my duty."

The prince smiled slightly, took a sip from his teacup, and then changed his tone: "However, Imperial Physician Yang, are you aware that there has been new progress in the case of the Crown Princess' disappearance?"

I was shocked. As expected, the prince was looking for me probably because of the Crown Princess!

"Please tell me clearly, Your Highness." I asked cautiously.

The prince put down his teacup, his expression becoming serious. "We recently discovered that before the Crown Princess disappeared, she had close contact with an old maid in the palace, and this maid was later transferred to the Li Mansion as a female official."

My heart was suddenly startled. No way, is it related to the Li family again?!

"What does Your Highness mean..." I asked tentatively.

"That's right. This nanny may know the inside story of the Crown Princess' disappearance, and she is now in the Li Mansion. I hope that while you are treating Li Wan'er, you can secretly keep an eye on this nanny's movements." The prince's eyes were deep, and his tone was full of unquestionable command.

Now, I have become the palace’s “informant” again!

I felt helpless. I originally thought that I only needed to save people, but now I have become an ancient version of "Sherlock Holmes". I have to solve cases and practice medicine at the same time. This time-traveling life is too difficult!

But facing the prince's order, I could only bite the bullet and agree: "Don't worry, your highness, I will do my best."

After leaving the palace, my mind was in a tangle. Such a small Li Mansion was actually involved in so many high-level struggles.

The Crown Princess, Li Wan'er, and the mysterious nanny, what shocking secrets are hidden here?

I sighed. It seemed that the days ahead would not be peaceful.

In the next few days, I continued to go in and out of Li's house frequently and continued to give Li Wan'er acupuncture to detoxify her.

Her condition has improved, but the toxins in her body have not been completely eliminated, and symptoms of qi and blood disorders still appear from time to time.

At the same time, I was also secretly paying attention to the movements in Li's mansion.

Sure enough, after a few days of observation, I found that there was indeed an elderly nanny in the mansion. She was not very conspicuous, but she had a very close relationship with Madam Li.

"This nanny should be the person the prince mentioned, right?" I guessed silently in my heart and decided to find an opportunity to approach her to see if I could get anything out of her.

One day, while I was giving Li Wan'er acupuncture, I deliberately chatted with the maid: "Mammy, you have been in the Li Mansion for many years. I believe you know everything about the mansion, right?"

The nanny smiled, a hint of caution in her eyes: "Imperial Physician Yang, you are joking. I am just a servant. It is not my place to care about the big and small matters of the mansion."

"Then Madam, you must have met many distinguished persons, right?" I continued to tease. "I heard that you once served in the palace?"

The nanny's expression changed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. "I'm just doing odd jobs in the palace. How could I possibly meet any noble person?"

Her reaction made me even more certain that she definitely knew something.

After leaving Li's house, my mood became more complicated.

It seems that this nanny is indeed a key figure. We have to be more careful next time, otherwise we will be dragged into a deeper vortex if we are not careful.

I sighed. The water in the Ming Dynasty is so deep!