Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

Ever since I cured Lady Shen last time, I thought the matter was over. At most, I would need to boil a few more prescriptions and recuperate for ten days or half a month, and then we could all live a peaceful and tranquil life.

However, it turned out that I really underestimated how deep the water in the palace was.

That day, I was just planning to make myself a bowl of red dates and longan soup to regulate my "overworked" body, but before the water could boil, I heard hurried footsteps at the door.

"Doctor Yang! Quick, quick, there's something going on in the palace again!"

My heart skipped a beat and the red dates in my hand almost fell into the stove.

What's going on in this palace? Why is there always something going on?!

The one who came this time was the same anxious eunuch from last time. He stood in front of me, panting: "Doctor Yang, something's happened to Concubine Shen again!"

As I was packing my medicine box, I cursed in my heart: I knew that Lady Shen’s illness would not be cured so easily!

"What's wrong with her this time?" I asked, mentally prepared to hear all kinds of strange symptoms.

The eunuch looked anxious: "Concubine Shen...she fainted again!"

"Fainted again?" I frowned. "Is it low blood sugar again this time? Did you give her the brown sugar water and herbal food to nourish her qi and blood as I told her to?"

"I drank it." The eunuch nodded repeatedly, "But, the situation is a little different this time..."

"What's different?" My heart tightened. Could it be that her condition has worsened?

The eunuch came over and lowered his voice: "This time it was because... the Imperial Concubine came to see her suddenly, and she collapsed as soon as she saw the Imperial Concubine."

"Huh?" I was stunned. "You fell down when you saw the imperial concubine? Are you shy or are you under too much pressure?"

The eunuch said sternly, "Doctor Yang, this is no joke. The rumor in the palace is that Concubine Shen fainted because of the Imperial Concubine's anger."

I held my forehead, thinking: Is Concubine Shen too weak to even collapse when she sees the Imperial Concubine? However, this incident does sound a bit like a classic scene from a palace drama. Could it really be the Imperial Concubine's doing?

"Okay, I'll go with you now." I picked up the medicine box and prayed silently in my heart: Lady Shen, please don't do anything weird again. I don't want to be involved in the disputes in the harem!

When I arrived at Concubine Shen's bedroom, I felt that the atmosphere was not right as soon as I walked in.

In addition to Lady Shen, there was also a woman in luxurious clothes and with elegant temperament, standing coldly beside the bed.

There is no need to ask, this person must be the legendary "Empress Dowager".

Lady Shen was lying on the bed, her face as pale as paper, her lips trembling slightly, and she looked like she was terrified.

My heart tightened and I hurried forward to take her pulse.

"Doctor Yang, what happened to Concubine Shen?" The imperial concubine spoke coldly, with a hint of coercion in her voice.

I quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Lady Shen fainted due to a deficiency of Qi and blood, coupled with emotional tension."

The imperial concubine raised an eyebrow. "Nervous? I'm just here to visit her. Could I possibly scare her to the point of fainting?"

I secretly groaned in my heart: I dare not say anything because of the nervousness. If I say something wrong, I may end up pleasing no one.

"Your Majesty has misunderstood." I quickly explained, "Miss Shen's body is weak and easily stimulated by external factors. She is prone to fainting when her emotions fluctuate greatly. This is not Your Majesty's fault."

The imperial concubine gave me a meaningful look and said, "Oh? I see."

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and thought to myself: I finally got away with it this time.

Unexpectedly, the Imperial Concubine suddenly spoke again: "However, Doctor Yang, I have heard that your medical skills are very advanced. How about you help me too?"

What? The Imperial Concubine also needs medical attention? I haven't even recovered from Concubine Shen's fainting spell yet, and I'm supposed to take the Imperial Concubine's pulse again?

I wailed inwardly, but on the surface I still had to smile and agree, "Of course, if your Majesty is unwell, I will do my best to treat you."

The Imperial Concubine smiled slightly, her tone teasing, "There's nothing serious wrong with me. I just haven't been sleeping well lately and have nightmares frequently."

I was speechless: Isn't this just a modern combination of insomnia and stress? Ancient people didn't understand psychological counseling, but I do.

"Your Majesty, this is because you've been overworked and restless," I said seriously. "I suggest you drink some soothing medicinal food every day, and then relax appropriately, and that will help."

The Imperial Concubine raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Relax? How do you relax?"

I opened my mouth and realized I'd spoken too quickly. There weren't any massage chairs or yoga classes in ancient times. How could I explain this?

I said stubbornly, "Your Highness, you can try listening to some soft music or taking a walk to relax your body and mind."

The Imperial Concubine nodded thoughtfully: "Listening to music? That's a new idea."

I breathed a sigh of relief and quickly added, "Also, Your Majesty can drink more chrysanthemum tea and wolfberry tea to clear away heat and detoxify, and help you sleep and calm your mind."

The Imperial Concubine smiled slightly and said, "Okay, I will listen to you."

Things finally came to an end, I breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to pack up and retreat.

Just as I was about to leave, the Imperial Concubine suddenly spoke up again, "Doctor Yang, I've heard you're an excellent doctor. Would you be willing to stay in the palace and be my personal physician?"

I nearly choked. What?! You want me to stay in the palace? I don't want to be at the center of this palace drama every day!

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty." I quickly declined. "I am only a humble doctor, used to practicing medicine outside the palace. I am afraid I am not qualified for the important task in the palace."

The Imperial Concubine raised her eyebrows: "Oh? You don't want to?"

I panicked and quickly made up an excuse: "My medical skills are not yet perfect. If I could practice medicine outside and see more patients, perhaps I could improve my skills and better serve the palace."

The Imperial Concubine seemed satisfied with my reasoning and nodded gently. "That's fine. I believe that if there's anything I need from you in the future, I will definitely summon you back to the palace."

I quickly bowed and said, "Thank you for your tolerance, Your Majesty."

After leaving the palace, I almost ran home.

Zhu Yuan had been waiting at the door for a long time. Seeing me running back, sweating profusely, he immediately came over and said, "Hey, Miss Yang, you just came back from the battlefield?"

I rolled my eyes. "You're absolutely right! I almost got dragged into a 'harem drama' today!"

Zhu Yuan looked curious: "Oh? What happened?"

I briefly mentioned that the Imperial Concubine wanted me to stay in the palace, and Zhu Yuan immediately burst into laughter. "Hahaha, you're really likable! Even the Imperial Concubine wants to keep you in the palace. Why don't you just become a 'royal female physician' and enjoy the good life every day?"

I glared at him fiercely. "Enjoy a good life? I think 'live a short life' is more like it! Places like the palace may seem glamorous on the surface, but who knows how many swords and spears are hidden behind the scenes. I don't want to live in fear every day."

Zhu Yuan held his belly and laughed so hard he couldn't straighten his back: "Hahaha, so you are afraid of things too!"

I sighed helplessly. "I'm not afraid of anything, I'm just afraid of trouble. You said I'm a modern person who finally traveled here. Medical skills are used to save people, not to get involved in palace intrigues."

Zhu Yuan wiped away the tears of laughter and said, "Okay, okay, okay, I get it. You just want to be a quiet doctor. No matter what, don't forget that so many people in the palace are watching you."

I nodded. "Yeah, it seems I have to be more careful and not get involved in these messy things."

Back home, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Things in the palace are really not going away for a single day.

I was lying in bed when a question suddenly popped up in my mind: Is Lady Shen’s illness due to congenital weakness or is it man-made?

Although I pretended not to care about anything on the surface, I had a feeling in my heart that there must be something behind it that I didn't know about.

It seems that I still need to be more careful to prevent any accidents.