Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

After a few busy days, I finally have some free time.

Ever since Zhu Yuan last "treated illnesses" on the street, he has been telling me all day long that he wants to "keep up the good work," as if curing illnesses and saving lives has become a new kind of "entertainment project" for him.

"Miss Yang, I heard that there is a wealthy businessman in the south of the city who has been ill for a long time and has consulted many doctors but none of them could cure him. Why don't we go and see him?" Zhu Yuan jumped in front of me early in the morning and suggested excitedly.

I looked up at him and muttered to myself: Are you a little bored, kid?

However, I am also a little curious: Just how serious were these ancient diseases? Can modern medicine be of any use?

Thinking of this, I nodded and agreed: "Okay, let's go take a look. I'm too bored anyway."

When we arrived at the rich businessman's house, the door was already full of servants. It seemed that this rich businessman was indeed no ordinary person.

As soon as we entered the door, family members came to greet us with sad faces.

"Miss Yang, you're finally here! Our master has been ill for several months, with splitting headaches, and even the imperial physician is helpless. You must save him!"

Headache? I was struck by this. Modern medicine has a wide variety of diagnoses for headaches. This must have been a real problem in ancient times.

But I dare not jump to conclusions immediately. After all, modern medical knowledge tells me that headache is just a symptom and the cause of the disease may be hidden very deeply.

I followed the servant into the inner room and saw a middle-aged man lying on the bed. His face was pale, his eyes were closed, and his brows were furrowed. It was obvious that he was enduring great pain.

I walked up, carefully checked his pulse, and asked about a few symptoms. It was indeed what I had guessed.

His wife asked me anxiously, "Miss Yang, what's wrong with the master?"

I pondered for a moment and began to analyze it using modern medical thinking: "His headache isn't a simple cold or poisoning, but rather a chronic tension headache caused by long-term fatigue, improper diet, and excessive mental stress."

"Tension headache?" His wife looked confused.

I nodded and continued to explain, "Simply put, he's just too tired. His mind never relaxes for a moment, causing his nerves to remain tense. Add to that his irregular diet, which may also be accompanied by mild bloating and poor blood circulation, and over time, the headaches have become chronic."

In fact, this disease is not uncommon in modern society, especially among people who are under great work pressure.

But in ancient times, people had no knowledge of this concept at all. Most people who could diagnose "headache" only focused on the surface symptoms and had no way to understand the cause in depth.

I laughed in my heart: It seems that the ideas of modern medicine can really come in handy!

"Then Miss Yang, can you cure it?" The wealthy businessman's wife looked at me expectantly.

"Of course, it can be cured," I replied confidently. "But first, he needs to rest completely for a while, not handle any business matters, and eat a light and balanced diet, and avoid overeating."

The wealthy merchant's wife nodded quickly, "Okay, okay, we'll do as you say! Do you have any other prescriptions?"

"Medicine is secondary," I smiled, "This disease mainly depends on nursing care.

However, I can give him a few acupuncture treatments and massage to help him relieve his nervous tension.

Then, using some modern relaxation techniques—er, ancient, I mean, ancestral massage techniques—the effect should be very good.”

"Then I'll leave it to you, Miss Yang!" The wealthy businessman's wife hurriedly expressed her gratitude.

I got down to work right away. I asked Zhu Yuan to help me prepare the silver needles and started giving acupuncture to the rich businessman.

I selected a few acupuncture points specifically used to relieve nervous tension and inserted the needle very deeply. As expected, the rich businessman slowly relaxed and the painful expression on his face also eased.

Then, I used some modern massage techniques, especially targeting the businessman’s shoulders and neck, to help him relax his tense muscles.

In fact, this technique is the modern shoulder and neck massage, but in ancient times, it was definitely considered "black technology".

Zhu Yuan was stunned watching from the side: "Miss Yang, your technique is truly magical! It's so relaxing to watch!"

I couldn't help but laugh. "Of course! This is a modern...er, ancestral secret method that has been refined through countless trials and tribulations!"

The wealthy businessman's wife and the family members nearby were filled with amazement and couldn't help asking me, "Miss Yang, if you press it a few times like this, will the master be healed?"

"A few massages are necessary, but the most important thing is to take care of him. His illness has accumulated over a long period of time, and you can't expect it to be cured in one or two treatments. You need to let him rest well, relax more, and stop worrying about too many things."

The wealthy businessman's family nodded and said they would follow my medical advice.

Only then did I feel relieved and helped the rich businessman adjust his sitting position to ensure that he could completely relax.

A few days later, I visited the rich businessman again. Sure enough, his headache symptoms had been significantly alleviated and he looked much more energetic.

"Miss Yang, thanks so much to you! The master's headache has tormented him for several months, but now he's finally feeling much better!" The wealthy businessman's wife said to me with gratitude on her face.

I smiled and said, "This is just the beginning. We still need to continue to recuperate and we can't take it lightly."

The wealthy businessman nodded repeatedly: "Miss Yang is indeed a skilled doctor. I didn't expect that my illness could be cured!"

I waved my hand: "It's nothing. The key is that you have to learn to relax and stop overworking yourself."

The wealthy couple thanked me profusely, and my "healing" trip ended successfully.

Although I wasn't treating a terrifying emergency like poisoning, I still felt a sense of accomplishment - after all, being able to use modern medical thinking to solve ancient difficult and complicated diseases was a kind of validation for me.

On the way back, Zhu Yuan sighed as he walked, "Miss Yang, you really can do anything! You can even cure this headache so well, you're truly a miracle doctor!"

I smiled and patted his head. "Don't talk nonsense. I only know a little bit. If we talk about miracle healers, those modern experts are much better than me."

Zhu Yuan looked confused. "Modern? You keep saying 'modern'. Where exactly is it? Is it more powerful than the capital?"

I couldn't help but laugh: "Forget it, forget it. I can't explain it to you. Just treat me as a god sent down from heaven!"

Zhu Yuan immediately put on an admiring expression: "Alright! Miss Yang, your magical skills are amazing! Could you teach me a few moves next time?"

I thought about it, smiled wickedly and said, "Sure, but this massage technique is very tiring, you have to be mentally prepared."

Zhu Yuan patted his chest and said, "Don't worry! I was born with supernatural strength, I won't get tired!"

"Okay, then go back and give me a back massage first, as part of your internship." I replied with a smile.

Zhu Yuan foolishly believed it and happily massaged my shoulders and back along the way, attracting the attention of passers-by.

I laughed secretly: This kid is such a funny guy.

After returning home, I was planning to have a good rest, but unexpectedly, as soon as I entered the door, I saw my father Yang Shiqi sitting in the living room with a serious face waiting for me.

"Dad? What happened?" My heart tightened. Is there going to be another trouble?

Yang Shiqi glanced at me and said in a deep voice, "Word has come from the palace that the emperor is ill and the imperial doctors are helpless, so they specifically requested you to come into the palace for treatment."

I nearly spit out the tea in my mouth. "What?! The emperor is ill? And he specifically asked me to go?"

Yang Shiqi nodded. "Yes. This is no small matter. The Emperor's condition is complicated, and the imperial physicians are helpless. The palace is in chaos."

I was overwhelmed: This is really a double whammy! I can handle ordinary illnesses, but if I treat a patient of the emperor's level incorrectly, my life will be in danger!

However, at this point, I have no way to refuse and can only agree to it.

"Okay, I'll go to the palace and take a look." I sighed and prayed silently in my heart: I hope the emperor just has a stomachache this time, and I don't want to get into any big trouble!