Chapter 53

Xu Yunxi’s first day at the Imperial Medical Office did not involve any consultations. Instead, Imperial Physician He had her follow Han Lin to understand the procedures and regulations of the Imperial Medical Office.

Han Lin handed her a stack of documents and medical cases and took her on a tour of the Imperial Medical Office. It turned out that the office not only provided medical consultations but also oversaw several departments, including the Department of Materia Medica and the Raw Medicine Warehouse. Besides the regular consulting doctors, there were also many medical officers responsible for liaising with medical bureaus in various provinces and counties, training medical practitioners, and creating lists of medicinal materials. There was even a group dedicated to compiling books, and the richness of the collection exceeded Xu Yunxi’s imagination.

After understanding the full picture, Xu Yunxi’s interest in the Imperial Medical Office grew stronger. “Truly, the medical knowledge here is vast and boundless,” she remarked.

Han Lin patiently explained everything without holding back. “The Imperial Medical Office is excellent in many ways, but there’s one aspect that isn’t as good as the outside…” Just as he was about to elaborate, an attendant hurriedly approached, bowing to Xu Yunxi and Han Lin.

“Physicians, Imperial Physician He requests your presence.”

The two of them followed the attendant back to the main hall, where they saw an arrogant eunuch in a purple robe standing with a duster at his elbow, looking down at them. “Which one of you is Doctor Xun?”

Imperial Physician He quickly pointed to Xu Yunxi. “This is the one. May I ask what your instructions are, Eunuch Zhao?”

Eunuch Zhao gave Xu Yunxi a brief, disdainful look. “Come with me to the Clan Office. Prince Qi is having a headache and requires your treatment.”

Imperial Physician He looked troubled. Xu Yunxi noticed that everyone around her seemed uneasy, indicating that something was amiss.

Indeed, Han Lin quickly whispered to her, “Prince Qi is the emperor’s biological brother. He is in charge of the Clan Office, handling the affairs of the imperial family. He is very domineering, using his seniority to his advantage. I guess he heard about how you treated the emperor’s headache yesterday and now wants you to treat him as well.”

Xu Yunxi had vaguely heard of Prince Qi’s reputation but had never met him. Seeing the Imperial Medical Office staff on high alert today, she realized he was not to be trifled with. Whether to go or not was not her decision to make; she waited for Imperial Physician He’s instructions.

Imperial Physician He was in a dilemma. If he agreed, he would be pushing Xu Yunxi into the fire pit. Furthermore, the emperor had only permitted her to treat women. If he didn’t agree, Prince Qi would surely make a fuss to the emperor, and the emperor would not refuse his brother’s request. Eventually, Xu Yunxi would still have to treat him, and the Imperial Medical Office would be left in a difficult position.

After weighing the options, Imperial Physician He quickly made a decision. “In that case, I will accompany Doctor Xun. It’s been a while since I last checked Prince Qi’s pulse.”

Eunuch Zhao, seeing his respectful attitude, softened his expression, “Alright, come with me.”

Imperial Physician He led Xu Yunxi outside and discreetly gave Han Lin a look, indicating for him to inform Pei Muheng, who was across the way.

The Clan Office was in the first row of the government office area. It was located north along the wide path between the Imperial Medical Office and the Ministry of Rites, right opposite the Ministry of War.

The Clan Office was built very grandly, with a five-partition hip-and-gable roof structure that was obviously more magnificent than other offices. However, compared to the Six Ministries, it was considered a leisurely office, housing a group of nobles who spent their days idly, seeking pleasure.

Xu Yunxi followed Imperial Physician He quietly into the hall. The vast hall was spacious and luxurious, with a twelve-panel bird and flower screen on the north side. Prince Qi sat on a grand tutor’s chair under the screen, smoking a pipe. One leg was resting on a crescent stool, listening to music leisurely. His figure was tall and slender, with a scraggly white beard, looking not much younger than the emperor.

Eunuch Zhao respectfully approached, whispered a few words in his ear, and pointed at Xu Yunxi. Only then did Prince Qi slowly open his eyes, glance at Xu Yunxi, and lazily lowered his leg, sitting up straight and pointing to the crescent stool. “Come, examine me.”

Imperial Physician He hurriedly brought the medical kit forward, but Prince Qi’s face darkened, and he said in a deep voice, “I wasn’t talking to you.” He pointed at Xu Yunxi.

Without hesitation, Xu Yunxi calmly approached and sat on the crescent stool.

Eunuch Zhao personally helped roll up Prince Qi’s sleeve, revealing his wrist, and carefully placed it on the wrist pillow. Xu Yunxi began to take his pulse.

Imperial Physician He took Xu Yunxi’s medical kit from Yin Xing and sat beside her on a brocade stool. After a moment of taking the pulse, Xu Yunxi stopped and frowned, examining Prince Qi’s complexion.

Prince Qi, with a bad temper, would not allow a woman to scrutinize him like that, and his face darkened immediately. “I have the same condition as the emperor. You can just treat me with acupuncture as you did with the emperor.”

Xu Yunxi shook her head. “Your Highness, your headache is different from the emperor’s. Rather than saying you have a headache, it would be more accurate to say you have diabetes.”

Hearing it was diabetes, Imperial Physician He almost choked on his saliva and gave Xu Yunxi a hard look.

In the past, Prince Qi’s illness was treated by Imperial Physician Fan. He had early on diagnosed Prince Qi with diabetes and had advised him on how to manage it. Unfortunately, Prince Qi did not listen and continued to indulge in rich foods, causing his condition to worsen. As the symptoms became more severe, he caused a commotion at the Imperial Medical Office, accusing Imperial Physician Fan of being incompetent. Imperial Physician Fan had no choice but to appease him, half-coaxing and half-deceiving him until now.

Imperial Physician He was surprised that Xu Yunxi could diagnose the condition accurately with just a pulse reading. This level of skill was genuinely impressive, catching him off guard as he had not briefed Xu Yunxi in advance.

Mentioning diabetes was like stirring up a hornet’s nest.

Prince Qi was indeed furious. “Nonsense, every time I had dizziness, Imperial Physician Fan would give me acupuncture, so why can’t you do the same?”

“The way you cured the emperor’s illness yesterday, you should cure mine today!”

Xu Yunxi looked helpless. “Your Highness, diabetes cannot be treated recklessly.”

Prince Qi huffed, “What exactly is diabetes?”

Imperial Physician He explained, “Diabetes is a condition where a person experiences excessive thirst, urination, and hunger, yet becomes thin and weak. Over time, it can lead to dizziness, numbness in the limbs, and other symptoms…” Thinking of Prince Qi’s ailments, Imperial Physician He did not go into further detail.

Prince Qi indeed experienced dizziness, but not to the extent of limb numbness. He shook his head, “You misdiagnosed. I don’t have this condition.”

Xu Yunxi smiled wryly, “Diabetes patients have sweet-smelling urine. A simple taste test can confirm it.”

Hearing this, Prince Qi’s face darkened. Every day, he could smell a sweet odor when relieving himself. Could it be that he really had this condition?

“Is this disease easy to treat?”

Imperial Physician He and Xu Yunxi exchanged a glance, showing difficulty. He got up and bowed, “Your Highness, this disease cannot be treated but must be managed. If the patient abstains from greasy foods, eats a light diet, moves more and thinks less, and slowly nurtures their health, the symptoms can be alleviated.”

Prince Qi did not say much and extended his arm, “Alright, start the acupuncture.”

Prince Qi had clearly heard of Xu Yunxi’s exceptional medical skills and remarkable acupuncture, and thus he spoke this way.

Xu Yunxi, however, was in a difficult position. She got up and bowed, softly saying, “Your Highness, the diabetes treatment is different from treating headaches. Since your dizziness is caused by diabetes, acupuncture will not cure it. Instead, let Imperial Physician He and I prescribe some medicine for you. Starting today, you should follow his advice and slowly manage this disease.”

Xu Yunxi did not tell him that this disease was almost incurable, and Prince Qi was already seriously ill.

Prince Qi’s face grew long, “Yesterday, you cured the emperor’s chronic illness with one acupuncture session. Why are you unwilling to perform acupuncture on me? Do you look down on me?”

Hearing this, Imperial Physician He broke out in a cold sweat and quickly bowed to apologize, “Please forgive us, Your Highness. Everything Doctor Xun said is true. Different diseases require different treatments. If we act recklessly, it is you who will suffer…”

Prince Qi could not afford to take risks with his own health, so after a moment of patience, he asked, “If you prescribe medicine, how long will it take to cure?”

This was the question Imperial Physician He and Xu Yunxi least wanted to answer.

Imperial Physician He waited for Xu Yunxi to answer, and Xu Yunxi also waited for him to answer. As a result, their hesitation was noticed by Prince Qi, who immediately flew into a rage, “Outrageous! Are you telling me this is an incurable disease?”

Imperial Physician He quickly tried to remedy the situation, “Not at all, Your Highness. If you follow the prescribed regimen and take good care of yourself, you will be no different from ordinary people. Although this disease is not easy to treat, it is not a serious matter…” He said the last part with difficulties.

Prince Qi, however, was not satisfied. He fixed his eyes on Xu Yunxi, “First, give me acupuncture to relieve my headache and dizziness.”

Xu Yunxi had encountered difficult patients before, but never one so powerful and stubborn. “Your Highness, I can indeed give you acupuncture, but once it is performed, it will cause the energy channels to shift, which will not help your dizziness and may even worsen it. I have a way to treat your condition. Will you trust me?”

The first priority in treating Prince Qi’s illness was medication and avoiding rich, greasy, and sugary foods, not acupuncture.

Prince Qi had already run out of patience and looked at Xu Yunxi coldly, “Don’t think that because your father is the Prime Minister, you can ignore me. Others may fear Xun Yunhe, but I do not. He, the dignified Prime Minister, is being played by a woman. I feel ashamed for him!”

Xu Yunxi’s expression paused; the softness in her eyes slowly faded, and her hands, clasped in front of her, slowly lowered. She stood silently for a moment, then replied, “Sorry, Your Highness, I cannot treat your illness.”

For a moment, Imperial Physician He wanted to persuade Xu Yunxi to humor Prince Qi, but seeing the determined look in the young girl’s eyes, he ultimately said nothing.

Prince Qi flew into a rage, “If you won’t treat me, believe it or not, I will have the Imperial Medical Office revoke your license?”

“You dare!” A cold voice interrupted from the direction of the door.

Everyone turned to look and saw Pei Muheng, dressed in a crimson royal robe, striding in with his hands behind his back. Seeing him arrive, Imperial Physician He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stepped aside.

Pei Muheng stepped forward, pulling his wife behind him, and turned to face Prince Qi, “Your Highness, you are a senior prince. How can you trouble the doctors? Doctors treat illnesses with precision; how can they act according to your whims?”

Prince Qi was displeased with his tone and sneered, “Pei Muheng, even your father must bow and scrape before me. Don’t be so arrogant here.”

“I am asking you: today I summoned them to treat my illness. They are receiving their salary to serve me. What is wrong with that? I respect this young lady’s abilities, so I invited her to treat me. Otherwise, why would I call her when the heads of the Imperial Medical Office are present? I called her as a courtesy to you.”

“Oh, there’s no need for that courtesy,” Pei Muheng said unceremoniously.

Prince Qi was stunned, as it was the first time anyone had challenged him like this, and he laughed out of anger. “Imperial Physician Fan can perform acupuncture, so she can too. She cured the emperor so she could cure me. In short, since she is a doctor at the Imperial Medical Office, she must treat me.”

Xu Yunxi looked at her tall husband standing in front of her and sighed inwardly. It was indeed not easy to work at the Imperial Medical Office. She was not used to hiding behind someone, nor did she want to put Pei Muheng in a difficult position.

“Third Master…” she gently tugged on Pei Muheng’s sleeve, but Pei Muheng held her hand and looked at Prince Qi sharply.

“The emperor’s decree only allows her to treat female officials inside and outside the palace. May I ask, are you a female official?”

This statement was tantamount to an insult.

Prince Qi almost jumped up, ‘You, you, you! Do you believe that I will go to the emperor and seek justice? The emperor will still order her to treat me. Besides, I am your great-uncle, a senior, and a blood relative. What is this talk of gender separation? If your father falls ill, would you not let her treat him?”

At this point, he changed his tone, “To tell you the truth, Imperial Physician Fan’s acupuncture has been less effective over the years. I just want to test her skills. Whether it’s good or not, I won’t blame her. Henger, you are now in charge of the Censorate and the Ministry of Revenue, wielding power and bearing responsibility. You must not act impulsively. Check the rules of the Imperial Medical Office and see if this is not the case?”

Pei Muheng looked at him calmly, his tone leaving no room for negotiation, “Prince Qi, I am first a person, then an official. As her husband, I am not here to mediate; I am here to support her. She will not treat this illness!”

With that, he took Xu Yunxi’s hand and left the Clan Office without looking back.

Prince Qi was furious, pointing at the backs of the departing couple, cursing, “How dare he! How dare he!”

Stepping out of the main hall, Pei Muheng led Xu Yunxi back to the Imperial Medical Office with quick and steady steps. Xu Yunxi looked sideways at her husband, seeing his lingering anger, and apologized, “Third Master, I caused trouble on my first day at work, and it brought you trouble.”

Hearing this, Pei Muheng stopped and shook his head, “Yunxi, precisely because it is your first day at work, you must set the rules. If a patient trusts you, you treat them; if not, you don’t. Your status is different from that of other imperial doctors, so you don’t need to bow to others.”

Listening to his words, Xu Yunxi felt a surge of indescribable emotions. This had always been her principle as a doctor. However, upon entering the Imperial Medical Office, many things could not be done her way. She had prepared herself to endure hardships, but it turned out Pei Muheng did not intend for her to suffer.

“Thank you,” she said, her eyes slightly brightening.

Seeing her like this, Pei Muheng felt relieved and promptly escorted her back to the Imperial Medical Office.

Soon, an attendant came from the palace, saying that a young princess had a high fever and urgently requested Xu Yunxi’s treatment. Xu Yunxi and Han Lin immediately hurried to the inner palace. Pei Muheng’s actions had a significant effect, as Consort Chen silently followed all of Xu Yunxi’s instructions.

This delayed them until the afternoon, and they hadn’t had lunch yet, feeling famished. Yin Xing couldn’t walk anymore, and Han Lin took the medical kit from her.

Yin Xing didn’t hesitate, supporting her waist while walking and asking Han Lin, “What were you saying to my lady this morning? What’s different between the Imperial Medical Office and the outside?”

Han Lin wiped his sweat with his sleeve and said to Xu Yunxi, “I wanted to tell you earlier, in the Imperial Medical Office, whether a disease can be cured is secondary, but you must never offend anyone. Now, it seems I was overthinking. Pei Muheng has thoughtfully paved the way for you.”

Xu Yunxi recalled her husband’s raised eyebrows, “I’m starving, let’s hurry back to the Imperial Medical Office to rest…”

Seeing that they were near the Meridian Gate, a figure in a scarlet robe stood ahead, clearly waiting for a while. “Nannan, it’s still a long way to the Imperial Medical Office. By the time you get back, the food will be cold. I’ve prepared lunch for you at the inner courtroom. I need to talk to you,” Xun Yunhe said, his eyes gentle.

Xu Yunxi’s expression paused, and she stopped in her tracks.