Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

The craze for the palace sports event had not yet completely faded, and Zhu Yuan began to plan his "greater" plan - the palace sports meeting.

Although this idea sounds a bit outrageous, his excitement makes people wonder if this guy has taken some "stimulants".

Early that morning, as soon as I arrived at the pharmacy, Zhu Yuan appeared at the door with a mysterious look on his face, as if he couldn't help but "show off".

"Miss Yang, my plan has taken shape!" He said as he took out a piece of paper from his pocket. It was covered with all kinds of crooked little pictures, like sports events randomly put together.

I smiled helplessly. "What's this 'genius plan' again? Tell me about it."

Zhu Yuan proudly slammed the paper on the table and pointed at one of the projects, saying, "Look! This is my latest inspiration—an obstacle race!"

I raised an eyebrow at the crooked drawing and couldn't help laughing. "You're really creative. An obstacle race? Are you going to have the maids jump over a fence or climb over a rockery?"

Zhu Yuan chuckled, "Neither! I plan to set up a few obstacles in the Imperial Garden. For example, let them go around the rockery, then through some flower beds, and finally jump over some 'small ditches' - of course, there won't be real water in the ditches. We emphasize safety."

I couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Are you going to turn the Imperial Garden into an obstacle course?"

Zhu Yuan nodded seriously. "Of course, a sports meet has to be a bit challenging! But my plans don't stop there. There's also a 'Palace Relay Race', a 'Pitch-Pot Competition', and even a 'Fun Race'!"

"Fun race?" I raised my eyebrows, already knowing that this wasn't a normal race name.

He explained excitedly, "Yes, it's the kind that makes people run with a shuttlecock in their arms, jump rope along the way, go around a few tree trunks, and finally kick the shuttlecock. That's it!"

I was so amused I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "This race is too strenuous, isn't it? Who can finish the whole race?"

Zhu Yuan blinked. "That's the point, isn't it? It's a fun race, and everyone's here for fun! Winning or losing isn't important, having fun is what matters most!"

Although Zhu Yuan's plan sounds like some kind of big farce, his enthusiasm has completely infected many people.

A few days later, the entire palace was quietly discussing the "sports meeting", and even many palace maids and eunuchs took the initiative to sign up and wanted to participate.

"Master Zhu, when will the sports meet start? Several of us brothers have already started practicing skipping rope!" the eunuchs in the imperial kitchen asked excitedly.

Zhu Yuan waved his hands and responded with great pride, "Don't worry! Don't worry! It's going to start soon! You must give your best performance then. Our palace sports meet will go down in history!"

I stood aside, smiled and shook my head: This guy is really an "agitator" who is everywhere.

However, just when everyone was busy preparing for the "sports meeting", an unexpected news came from the palace - the emperor suddenly decided to observe this sports event in person.

As soon as the news came out, everyone in the palace became nervous. After all, the emperor was coming in person, and this was no joke.

When Zhu Yuan heard the news, he was stunned for a moment, and then he almost jumped up with excitement.

"Miss Yang! The Emperor is coming! The Emperor is coming!" he yelled, spinning excitedly in front of me. "Do you know what this means? This means my sports meet has royal accreditation! It's the pinnacle of my life!"

I glanced at him helplessly and said, "Don't be too happy too soon. If the emperor doesn't like it, I'm afraid this sports meet will become your last."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuan's smile froze for a moment, but then he regained his confidence: "What are you afraid of? I, Zhu Yuan's sports meet, will definitely amuse the Emperor! Just wait and see!"

In order to welcome the emperor's observation, Zhu Yuan began to "upgrade and adjust" the sports meeting.

Not only did he increase the scale of the event, he also specially arranged several "special projects", such as the "Eunuch and Palace Maid Friendly Match", and even wanted to invite a few concubines to participate in the "Fun Race".

"Are you crazy? Are you really going to let ladies participate in this kind of competition?" I widened my eyes, unable to believe that he was so bold.

Zhu Yuan smiled and waved his hands, "Oh, don't worry, they don't necessarily have to actually run, they're just participating symbolically to encourage everyone. Besides, the ladies have also taken a liking to these sports recently. Concubine Zhang even said she wants to be a 'referee'!"

I almost laughed out loud: "Zhang Fei as the referee? That's really fair and just!"

Zhu Yuan nodded seriously, "Of course! I've already thought about it. Concubine Zhang will be in charge of the 'Shuttlecock Kicking Competition'. She's a good kicker, so she must understand the judging criteria."

The day of the sports meet has finally arrived.

The Imperial Garden was decorated to be particularly lively, with colorful flags flying, tables and chairs neatly arranged, and even a small viewing platform specially prepared for the Emperor and the Empress.

Zhu Yuan arrived at the scene early, wearing his specially made "sportswear", and looked in high spirits.

"Miss Yang, it's all up to me today!" As he spoke, he picked up his "invincible loudspeaker" and prepared to host this grand "palace sports meeting".

I couldn't help but laugh: "You really are all-rounder, both planning and hosting. If anything goes wrong, don't blame me for not warning you."

Zhu Yuan chuckled, "Don't worry, today will be foolproof! I've been preparing for several days!"

The sports meet has officially begun!

The first competition was the "Shuttlecock Kicking Challenge". Concubine Zhang was indeed sitting in the referee's seat, holding a fan, and observing the competition calmly.

The palace maids were all in high spirits, kicking shuttlecocks with ease, and the scene looked particularly lively.

"Good! Nice kick! Come again!" Zhu Yuan kept waving and cheering, as if he was there himself.

Concubine Zhang nodded gently from time to time: "Well, this palace maid kicked well, the movements are elegant, and the score can be given a higher score."

I stood nearby and couldn't help but laugh, "Madam, are you judging a dance competition?"

Zhang Fei smiled and said, "Miss Yang, you don't understand. There is also beauty in kicking shuttlecock."

The next event was the "Fun Race," which was, as Zhu Yuan had said, quite "fancy."

The contestants not only have to go around the flower beds, but also complete various strange tasks along the way, such as skipping rope while holding a shuttlecock, or climbing over a rockery while wearing palace shoes.

The entire stadium was filled with laughter and cheers, and even the emperor and the empress couldn't help laughing out loud.

"This Zhu Yuan is quite interesting." The emperor stroked his beard and said with a smile, "It's rare to have such a lively event in the palace. It seems that everyone is very happy."

The Queen also nodded in agreement: "Yes, although Master Zhu usually seems unreliable, he did a really good job this time."

Hearing the emperor and the empress's praise, Zhu Yuan secretly pricked up his ears and heard everything clearly.

He gave me a triumphant "victory" sign with a smug look on his face, as if to say, "See, I told you it was okay!"

However, just when the sports meet was in full swing, an "accident" suddenly happened.

During the competition, one of the participating palace maids was so nervous that she accidentally stepped on a decorative stone next to the rockery during the obstacle race. She missed her step and fell directly to the ground with a scream.

The scene instantly became quiet, and everyone looked at the palace maid nervously.

Zhu Yuan was also stunned and quickly ran over to check the situation.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

The maid covered her ankle, her face full of pain: "It seems... I sprained my ankle..."

I immediately walked over, squatted down to check her ankle, and found that it was indeed a little swollen.

I quickly took out the ointment I had brought with me and gently applied it to her, comforting her: "It's nothing serious, just rest for a few days. Don't worry."

Upon seeing this, the Queen immediately ordered a suspension of the competition and asked the palace maids to help the injured contestant go back to rest.

Zhu Yuan stood aside, his face full of self-blame: "Oh, it's all my fault for not making good arrangements and not considering the safety issues..."

I whispered to him, "Don't blame yourself too much. It's a sports meet, so there are bound to be some accidents. Fortunately, it's not a serious injury."

Although a small accident occurred, the sports meet went smoothly to the end.

The atmosphere in the palace became much more relaxed because of this grand event, and everyone seemed to have found a rare opportunity for fun and relaxation in it.

After the sports meeting, the Emperor and the Empress specially summoned Zhu Yuan and expressed their appreciation for his planning.

Although Zhu Yuan made a lot of jokes, his unique ideas and execution ability did bring new vitality to the entire palace.

In the evening, when I was about to rest, Zhu Yuan suddenly walked into the pharmacy with a tired look on his face, sat down on a chair, and sighed deeply.

"Miss Yang, I'm really exhausted today..." As he spoke, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

I smiled and poured him a cup of tea. "Seeing you've been so busy today, I thought you weren't tired."

Zhu Yuan took the tea, took a sip, and sighed, "Oh, today was really scary. Fortunately, the Emperor and the Empress were satisfied, otherwise I would be in trouble."

I looked at him with a smile. "Actually, you did a great job today. Everyone is very happy. Although there were some minor incidents along the way, overall, it was a success."

When Zhu Yuan heard this, he suddenly opened his eyes and smiled mischievously: "Of course, if I, Zhu Yuan, take action, there's no reason why I won't succeed!"

I smiled and shook my head: "You guy, you just said you were tired, and now you are proud again."

Zhu Yuan chuckled, then suddenly lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "But, Miss Yang, I have a bigger plan!"

I was immediately alert: "What's the 'big plan'?"

Zhu Yuan's eyes sparkled with excitement. "This sports meet is just the beginning. I've decided to organize a transnational sports meet and invite foreign envoys to participate! This will not only help everyone stay fit, but also promote international friendship!"

I almost burst out laughing. "You're really becoming more and more internationally minded. Are you planning to organize a cross-border competition?"

Zhu Yuan nodded seriously: "Of course! I've already thought about it. The next step is to go global!"

Looking at his energetic appearance, I smiled helplessly: This guy really can never stop.

However, perhaps this is what makes him so likable - no matter what challenges he faces, he can always bring endless joy to everyone with his optimism and enthusiasm.