Mad Queen Leaves the Palace

Two flowers bloom, each telling its own story. Li Yuan left Yuzhou and headed towards Shaozhou.

Meanwhile, in Shaozhou, it was time for Wu Yuyu's follow-up appointment. Doctor Cui arrived at the Jiang residence early and, after examining Wu Yuyu's leg injury, said to Jiang Xiuzhi and Xiao Lan: "Miss Wu's leg injury is healing well; she just needs to continue resting. I'll go back to the clinic later to get some medicine; applying it externally daily will speed up the recovery."

Xiao Lan then asked, "Doctor Cui, my aunt originally planned to return to the capital in seven days, but given my sister's current leg condition, I wonder if it will still be convenient for her to travel?"

Doctor Cui glanced at Wu Yuyu's leg and said, "Madam, Miss, Miss Wu's leg almost dislocated due to the delay in treatment. Even though it has finally returned to its proper position, it still requires regular treatment to prevent the bone from growing back and dislocating again. Going to the capital is not only a long and arduous journey, which is not conducive to recuperation, but also involves inevitable bumps along the way. I'm afraid that the hard-won correct position might shift again, rendering all our previous efforts futile."

"If you, Doctor, were to accompany us, would that be acceptable? Rest assured, once we arrive in the capital, if you are in a hurry to return, simply hand over the duties to the doctor who took over. The round trip by waterway will take at most ten days. We will compensate the clinic double for any damages, and the consultation fee will be charged separately to you," Jiang Xiuzhi said.

Xiao Lan had previously discussed this with her, feeling that Wu Yuyu's leg wouldn't heal anytime soon. The overland journey back to the capital would take seven days, and even if they switched to waterway after reaching Lingnan Prefecture, it would still take about four days—not a short time. It would be better to spend some money to hire a doctor to accompany them. Firstly, a doctor would look after them along the way, and secondly, any discomfort could be treated promptly. Once they reached the capital, finding a renowned doctor wouldn't be a problem. If Doctor Cui was in a hurry to return to Shaozhou, they could simply find another doctor then. What do you think?

After listening, Doctor Cui didn't answer immediately. He lowered his head and pondered for a moment before bowing and saying, "Madam, you may not know this, but although I am from Shaozhou, I have traveled with my master as a physician since childhood. Later, my master grew old and could no longer travel, so we practiced at Dechun Hall in the capital. Three years ago, my father suddenly contracted a serious illness, and by the time I returned home, it was too late for any medicine, and he had passed away. I have been observing mourning here ever since. Now, there is still a month left in the three-year mourning period. Therefore, I will absolutely not be able to return to the capital with you in seven days. I hope you will understand. If you are really in a hurry to return, please put more cushions in your carriage and be careful on the road. After arriving in the capital, take my letter to Dechun Hall to find my master, and he will naturally arrange for your daughter to be seen by the best doctor."

Xiao Lan's eyes lit up when she heard that Doctor Cui used to practice medicine at Dechuntang. When she heard that his master was still in the capital, she asked: "Doctor Cui, will you return to the capital after your mourning period is over?"

"To be honest, Miss, I did have that idea. Because of the mourning period, I opened a small clinic to see patients for the neighbors, or to treat difficult cases that other doctors couldn't cure. Every month, the consultation fee plus the cost of collecting herbs, after deducting the rent, is less than half of my salary in the capital. Originally, I planned to wait until the mourning period was over, settle my elderly mother at home, and then return to the capital to find another job."

"Doctor Cui, do you plan to return to Dechuntang to see patients after you return to the capital?" Xiao Lan asked. Although there were some things she had planned to do, she couldn't do everything herself, or she would be exhausted. She needed to gradually train people around her, and she didn't want to miss the opportunity when she met a suitable person.

"Miss, you may not know this, but each branch of Dechuntang has two resident doctors. If a resident doctor resigns, a medical assistant will take their place. I used to be a resident doctor, but I've been away for a long time. If I were to return, I would have to start as a medical assistant. I don't even know when I'll be able to go back to being a resident doctor."

"Then the salaries for medical workers and resident medical workers should be different, right? How much are they each month?" Xiao Lan asked.

"Indeed, they are different. The resident doctor receives five taels of silver per month, while the medical assistant receives two taels per month. In addition, the resident doctor also receives a monthly bonus for prescribing medicine." Doctor Cui wondered to himself why this young lady from an official family was asking about this.

"If Doctor Cui isn't going back to Dechun Hall, are there any other good places for him to go?" Xiao Lan asked, brushing the lid off her teacup.

"Not for now. I'm thinking of going back to Beijing to see if there's a suitable place. If there isn't one right now, I'll go to a pharmacy and practice traditional Chinese medicine."

"A wandering doctor? What is this?" Xiao Lan asked, puzzled.

“Miss may not know, but in the capital, pharmacies like Dechuntang are large pharmacies with many branches, one every few streets. Because of their numerous branches, they have a full range of medicinal herbs and an excellent reputation, so they never have to worry about business. Each branch has a fixed resident doctor. On the other hand, some smaller pharmacies only have a fixed number of commonly used medicines. Their business is not as good as Dechuntang's, and they can't afford to hire a fixed doctor, so they hire itinerant doctors. Itinerant doctors don't practice at one pharmacy, so they don't have a monthly salary, but their consultation fees are split with the pharmacy. If they get medicine dispensed at the pharmacy, they also get a share of the profits. Although it's hard work, it's more than what a medical worker earns,” Doctor Cui explained to Xiao Lan.

Xiao Lan smiled after listening and said to Doctor Cui, "Doctor Cui, please don't be offended. The reason I asked so many questions is that I have a relative whose family lives in the capital. They have an ancient book that records some ancient medicinal formulas. Due to improper storage, some parts have been damaged by termites, so the formulas are incomplete. They asked me to find a physician who is proficient in pharmacology to repair the ancient formulas. The monthly salary is ten taels of silver per person, and there is also a separate reward for each formula repaired. I think this job is much better than your job as a traveling doctor. Moreover, once the ancient formulas are repaired, they will definitely be useful, and it will probably take a while, so it's relatively stable. What do you think?"

Doctor Cui immediately stood up: "Is what you say true, Miss? If such a good job were available, I would be extremely grateful to you." After saying that, he bowed deeply to Xiao Lan and said, "However, I am still in mourning, and it will take at least a month to get to the capital. I wonder if that noble person has the time?"

"Don't worry about the time, Dr. Cui. Filial piety is the most important virtue. She can wait about a month."

"Then thank you very much, Miss. However, please forgive my rudeness, but may I ask one more question? We have only met twice, so why are you introducing such an important matter to me?"

"Dr. Cui, it's nothing. Although we've met twice, firstly, in this dynasty, mourning doesn't actually require returning to one's hometown. Yet you gave up your position as a resident physician at Dechuntang in the capital to open a clinic in your hometown that only earns two taels of silver a month. My aunt offered you a large sum of money to help my sister return to the capital, but you resolutely refused because your mourning period wasn't over. A person who values ​​filial piety can't be a bad person."

Secondly, I heard you say that you traveled around with your master to practice medicine, so you must have seen many medical cases and are more experienced than many doctors. I see that you are only in your early thirties, yet you were able to work as a resident doctor in a place like Dechun Hall three years ago. Your medical skills must be quite good. In addition, I asked the servants yesterday, and they said you don't have any acquaintances in the Jiang family. I said before that I would find the best doctor for my sister. The fact that I was able to invite you means that in less than three years, you have already built up a good reputation in Shaozhou City. I suppose you have treated quite a few difficult and complicated diseases that you mentioned before.

Thirdly, you said that when the clinic first opened, there was no business and you had to go up the mountain to collect herbs. This suggests you are quite knowledgeable in pharmacology. Moreover, the fact that someone who used to be a resident doctor was willing to go up the mountain to collect herbs proves you are a reliable person.” After saying this, Xiao Lan took a sip of tea to moisten her throat and continued…

Fourthly, you happen to need a job; sometimes, meeting someone is simply a matter of fate.

At this moment, Doctor Cui immediately bowed to Xiao Lan: "Miss, you are truly wise. Cui Sumu of Shaozhou thanks you."

"Dr. Cui, please don't thank me yet. You know this ancient prescription shouldn't be shared, but unfortunately, no one in my family understands pharmacology. My relative is genuinely worried about the prescription being leaked, so she needs to sign a contract with the person involved in restoring the ancient prescription. This means you can't reveal the prescription to a third party, otherwise the employer has the right to hold you accountable. She also hopes you can sign a long-term contract, at least five years. Discuss it with your family first. If you agree, after you've finished examining Yu-mei in three days, you can come directly to me, and I'll discuss the details with you then. Is that alright?"

"Thank you, Miss. I'll go home and discuss it with my family first, and then I'll come back to report to you."

After Cui Sumu finished speaking, he gave some instructions, and Jiang Xiuzhi asked Qiaozhu to see him out and then find someone to go to the clinic to retrieve Wu Yuyu's medicine.