The cruel little princess

Shen Youyou had been training with His Royal Highness Prince Jin for almost two weeks. After she had mastered riding and was able to swiftly navigate this low hill, His Royal Highness took her to the deep mountains beyond Willow Village for further training. She looked up at the towering, winding mountain, at least three thousand meters high. And that was just the first mountain, not counting the rolling hills beyond. Besides a barely discernible path at the foot of the mountain, the deeper mountains were completely impassable. However, His Royal Highness Prince Jin understood the principle of gradual progress and only allowed her to make two trips up and down the first mountain. There was also a benefit to this trip. She had originally wanted to explore the mountains to see if she could find any herbs she could use. This would save her the trouble of buying herbs from the pharmacy. She could simply process them and make herbal pastes to sell. And with His Royal Highness Prince Jin's superb bodyguard by her side, she felt incredibly safe! So whenever Shen Youyou found some herbs while running, she would stop and tie a small red cloth strip she had prepared to mark the spot. From a distance, she could see small red cloth strips tied to herbs, some high and some low, fluttering in the wind.

More importantly, she actually found ginseng on the shady side, near the top of the mountain! If she hadn't noticed several snakes in that area, she wouldn't have stopped to observe. The older generation often said, "Ginseng grows in very strange places. It must be somewhere sheltered from the wind and rain, away from the sun and shade, and there are also a lot of snakes. So this place will produce great ginseng!" She had just come up the mountain and was not far from here when she found several snakes in the same place. When she passed by on her way down the mountain, she startled several large snakes as thick as an adult's arm and slithered around. They hissed and spit out their tongues, showing no fear of people at all. They even straightened their upper bodies and made attacking gestures, probably trying to scare her away.

But who was Shen Youyou? The closer you kept her, the more curious she became. Thinking of the rumors from the older generation, and seeing the presence of these snakes, she felt as if they were guarding something. She had to investigate. So, Shen Youyou turned and drew Prince Jin's sword. With unskillful strokes, she swung it repeatedly, and immediately, the provocative snakes were snapped in two. Seeing this, the other smaller snakes retreated.

Shen Youyou carefully went up the mountain to investigate, and what she saw amused her. Isn't this a fortune! There was actually a small piece of ginseng! She was about to tie a small red strip of cloth around it, but then she remembered that she didn't have any tools for collecting herbs, and there was no way to dig it out now. Maybe people hadn't noticed it before, but if she tied a red strip of cloth around it now, wouldn't it be a clear signal that it was a rare item? Better to wait until tomorrow, and bring tools to dig for ginseng tomorrow!

Shen Youyou carefully lifted up the grass she had trampled flat. Then, she slowly retreated from the area, carefully marking it and remembering it. This made Prince Jin laugh. "If you want to dig it up directly, I'll tell An Er and the others to go back to the barracks and get the tools. Don't be reluctant!"

"You're wrong. I'm not letting it go. I'm planning to bring some supplies to dig it up tomorrow morning! And I need to go through all the herbs along this mountain path. That way I'll know what's available and what tools I should bring tomorrow." Shen Youyou explained with a smile. "Don't worry, plucking the feathers of passing geese is my style. I won't leave ginseng unpicked!"

Your Highness Prince Jin...it turns out I was just being sentimental and misunderstood...

Afternoon classes resumed, but Shen Youyou had already trained the young medicine boys thoroughly. They had basically mastered the skills of disinfection, sterilization, hemostasis, and suturing. She also discovered that while mulberry bark thread was effective for suturing external wounds, it couldn't be used for internal wounds like the heart, liver, spleen, stomach, and kidneys. Not only was it prone to infection, it wasn't absorbable and difficult to remove. But who was Shen Youyou?! So, she happily suggested using catgut for internal sutures. Catgut, as the name suggests, is made from sheep intestines. Shen Youyou roughly understood that it was made from the intestines of seven- to eight-month-old sheep and lambs. Cow intestines would also work, but since oxen couldn't be slaughtered at will these days, cows weren't an option. First, scrape off the fat and other tissue, remove the innermost mucous membrane, and then soak and clean it in an alkaline solution. Then, smooth it out and fumigate it with sulfur to prevent insects and decay. Finally, twist the strands into varying lengths and thicknesses for use. But knowing doesn't mean you can do it. With the little master of action, His Royal Highness Prince Jin, there's no need to worry! Shen Youyou used willow charcoal to write down the method for making catgut and taught it to His Royal Highness Prince Jin, asking him to find someone to research and make it. This would allow for immediate use if needed later. After quickly scanning the recipe, His Royal Highness Prince Jin assigned someone to carry it out.

Because no one had succeeded in their research the first time, Prince Jin had been eating mutton for a long time at his farm in the capital... And while other people's farms raised precious flowers, plants, birds, fish, etc., Prince Jin's farm was filled with sweet potatoes and herds of cattle and sheep...

But it must be said, the wisdom of the ancients is truly remarkable. After nearly two weeks of consuming mutton, they've finally successfully developed that goat gut! No more mutton with that pungent smell! Everyone in the village wept with joy. Quick! Hurry and report this good news to the prince! And include a copy of the successfully developed goat gut!

Shen Youyou, on the other hand, led a regular and fulfilling life. Every morning, just as the sun rose, she began her arduous special training. After the training, she would head deep into the mountains to dig for precious medicinal herbs.

Interestingly, she even invited An Er and An San to join in the effort. They worked together, like a small team. Surprisingly, hidden within the ginseng field were two ginseng plants that had weathered the storms of five hundred years! In addition, there were five plants over three hundred years old, ten over a hundred years old, and numerous younger plants. However, Shen Youyou didn't dig up all the ginseng, as she understood the importance of preserving ecological balance. After all, she had already taken the oldest ginseng, and she couldn't cruelly wipe out all of it, lest these precious plants become extinct. So, she decided to leave some as seeds, allowing them to continue to thrive.

Besides ginseng, this forest also boasts a vast array of other medicinal herbs. These include Ganoderma lucidum, Chuanxiong, Eucommia bark, Gastrodia elata, Panax notoginseng, Tripterygium wilfordii, Scutellaria baicalensis, Ramie, Golden lock, Adiantum fan-leaved fern, Quercus serrata, Echeveria scabra, Golden chicken feet, and Saururus chinensis. Each of these herbs possesses distinct medicinal properties. Some can be used to treat illnesses, while others offer nourishing benefits. Shen Youyou meticulously gathered these herbs, each one representing a gift from nature.

She personally prepared precious herbs like ginseng and ganoderma, carefully storing them for future use. As for other common herbs, while equally important, they were relatively easier to obtain and frequently used in the military camp. Therefore, she handed them all over to Doctor Feng and his young medicine boys. Doctor Feng was experienced, and the young medicine boys were clever and clever. She believed they would be able to prepare these herbs perfectly. This way, she could not only ensure an adequate supply of herbs for the army, but also improve their efficacy and better care for the health of every soldier.

Shen Youyou even brought out a 300-year-old ginseng and traded it with Doctor Feng for some raw materials for the Scar Relief Cream and Black Jade Ointment. Doctor Feng's exact words were, "If the young lady needs it, just send someone to get it. Why would you trade for ginseng? Ginseng is precious, and this little bit of herbal material is not enough!" Only after Shen Youyou repeatedly assured him that she could come directly to him for any herbs she needed next time was Doctor Feng willing to give up.

Shen Youyou sent An Er to the county pharmacy to buy pearl powder and fish bone glue, cosmetics not readily available in the barracks. She also went to a pottery shop and bought dozens of small, adorable, milky white porcelain jars. These were compact and easy to carry. An Er returned with the jars to Chun Tao. After Chun Tao brought them back to the camp, Shen Youyou diligently worked tirelessly to develop an improved version of the scar-removing cream. Not wanting to waste time, Shen Youyou prepared a dozen servings at once, pouring them into the small jars she had prepared beforehand and allowing them to cool and solidify before use.

"Miss, the scar-removing cream you made smells so nice!" Chuntao carefully sniffed the lingering fragrance in the tent.

"Well, to increase the purchase value of this scar cream, in addition to pearl powder and fish bone glue, I also added some osmanthus powder and rose water, so that it has two scents to choose from. Let the ladies buy whichever they like." Shen Youyou took a small bottle and placed it in Chuntao's hand, "Keep it for yourself!"

"Miss, how can this be done? I don't have any scars, so I don't need to use such precious things!" Chuntao waved her hands repeatedly to refuse.

"You don't have to have scars to use scar cream. You can also use it to even out your face and maintain your complexion!" Shen Youyou thought for a moment. "Besides, there are many people with acne scars on their faces, so they can all use it!" If this were to be used in modern times, it would be called an acne scar killer! She was still very confident in her craftsmanship. After all, anything Youyou made must be a top-notch product!