Being a traveling physician who went door to door soliciting patients through cold winters and hot summers was naturally much harder than obtaining the title of palace female physician and comfortably waiting at home for distinguished guests to invite you—it paid more, and you could take the opportunity to make connections with the powerful, truly a way to ascend to heaven in one step.
Lu Bing helping her like this was very unexpected to Wei Caiwei. In her reborn life, she had settled scores with her enemies in three days and planned to protect Wang Daxia—Yan Shifan naturally had a group of enemies and political opponents who would trip him up. Moreover, she had already formed good relations with the future Empress Li, Li Jiubao, so she had no plans to enter the palace as a palace maid in this life.
But Lu Bing was giving her the opportunity to enter and exit the palace, even paving the way for her career as a palace female physician. For Lu Bing, this was merely a small favor, but for her, it was undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that balanced protecting Wang Daxia, her future prospects, and revenge.
There was such a good thing?
Why help me? Wei Caiwei held the blank roster. She didn’t accept rewards without merit. Lu Bing was a smooth, people-pleasing, slippery old bureaucrat. Throughout history, Jinyiwei commanders had a curse of not meeting good ends. Starting with Mao Xiang, the first Jinyiwei commander from the Hongwu era who was executed by slow slicing, most commanders repeated Mao Xiang’s fate—very few died natural deaths.
But Lu Bing’s principle of always leaving room seemed able to escape this curse.
However, I’m just a small traveling physician with no utility value—he has no need to help me so thoughtfully.
Wei Caiwei thought it over and said, “Thank you for Lord Lu’s recommendation. The formula for that eye-burning powder for the Jinyiwei—I won’t charge for it.”
This was the defensive powder she had used that night when she scaled walls and set fires to rescue Wang Daxia. Lu Ying found it useful and wanted to buy the formula for Jinyiwei use.
Hearing this, Lu Bing knew Wei Caiwei didn’t want to owe him a favor. “Fine, then I won’t give you silver. Go back and prepare well for the imperial physicians’ examination. You’re too young—the imperial physicians will look down on you and examine you more thoroughly and harshly. If your skills are inferior and you fail, I can’t help you either. Future summons from palace nobles cannot tolerate the slightest error.”
Wei Caiwei agreed.
Wei Caiwei filled out the form and went into seclusion to study hard, preparing for the imperial physicians’ examination. Daily, except for diagnosing Ding Wu and adjusting his medicine, she delegated all tasks like boiling herbs to others.
Actually, medical skill level was related to patients seen and experience accumulated. Wei Caiwei was easily looked down upon for her youth because others felt she lacked experience and didn’t dare trust her. But Wei Caiwei had over thirty years of medical practice from her previous life—her medical skills were naturally no worse than those experienced midwives in their forties or fifties.
What Wei Caiwei lacked was the rote memorization knowledge from medical texts—she had to study behind closed doors.
Others were one thing, but Wang Daxia couldn’t sit still when he heard Wei Caiwei was going to enter the palace as a female physician. He ran to Wei Caiwei: “…Once you enter the palace gates, it’s as deep as the sea. If you go in, I’ll never see you again.”
Wei Caiwei looked down at the gynecology medical text “Jin Gui Gou Xuan.” “I’m not entering the palace—I’m registering my name with the Directorate of Ceremonial, waiting for inner palace summons. I’ll still live in Sweet Water Alley normally.”
Wang Daxia had rushed over in panic without listening clearly. Now hearing Wei Caiwei’s explanation, he relaxed. “You’re about to become a famous physician. From now on, good wine needs no advertising—people will pay handsomely to invite you. You’ll never have to carry a rattle and go door to door again.”
He was still a patient—she couldn’t hit him. Wei Caiwei patiently said, “If you keep disturbing my memorization and I fail the imperial physicians’ examination, I’ll still have to carry my rattle and wander the streets looking for customers.”
“I’ll leave now—won’t disturb you.” Wang Daxia came and went like wind, not at all like someone with injuries.
By evening, when Wei Caiwei was eating dinner, Wang Daxia took the opportunity to come over, hands behind his back at his waist, his body carrying a strong scent of incense. “Guess where I went today?”
Wei Caiwei leaned over and sniffed. “You went to a temple to burn incense and make offerings?”
Wang Daxia raised his eyebrows. “Which temple?”
Wei Caiwei still had to study after dinner. “Stop being mysterious—I don’t have time to guess.”
Wang Daxia sat beside her and presented an amulet like offering treasure. “I went to Wenchang Temple to pray for an amulet for you. I heard that spring examination candidates all worship the God of Literature before their tests, praying for success on the gold list.”
Wei Caiwei was torn between laughter and tears. Wang Daxia was not only afraid of ghosts but also very superstitious. “What does this have to do with me?”
“They’re both examinations! Taking the imperial examination is a test, taking the palace female physician exam is also a test. Does the God of Literature only protect men and not women? Such favoritism?” Wang Daxia pressed the amulet into her hand and produced a paper slip. “I also drew a divination slip for you. Look what the verse says—”
“Today’s beautiful scenery brings joyous celebration, recalling days of reading books and reciting poetry. Years of cold window study with devoted will, spring breeze carries gentle steps up the cinnabar steps.”
Wei Caiwei looked at this semi-literate crooked poem. “Look, it says right here—without experiencing the hardship of cold window study, how can you ascend the palace’s cinnabar steps? Praying to gods and seeking amulets is useless—you still must rely on hard study.”
Wang Daxia said, “The divination-explaining Taoist at the entrance said this was an excellent fortune! He told some story about Liu Tingying from Shandong, who disguised himself as a woman and sold himself to bury his parents. A wealthy family bought him as a maid to serve their young lady. He secretly pledged himself to the young lady, who freed him. He passed the imperial examination as the top scholar and married the young lady.”
Wei Caiwei laughed, “You believe stories from operas too? Imperial examinations investigate three generations of ancestry. Former slaves didn’t even have qualification to take exams, let alone become top scholars.”
Wang Daxia said, “At least the meaning is auspicious.”
Wang Daxia produced another celadon bottle. “This is blessed water I bought from the divination-explaining Taoist. It was offered before the God of Literature for a year—very efficacious. Whoever drinks it succeeds. The Taoist only sold it to me seeing my sincerity.”
Wang Daxia was truly confused about small matters. Wei Caiwei said, “A bottle of stagnant water sitting for a year—of course whoever drinks it succeeds—succeeds in getting poisoned. Don’t waste money on such things anymore.”
Wang Daxia said, “With gods and Buddhas, it’s better to believe they exist than not. That night when we two joined forces against Zhou Xiaoqi, I threw the copper Buddha on the stairs and managed to escape and counter Zhou Xiaoqi—that was divine protection.”
Wei Caiwei couldn’t bear to dampen Wang Daxia’s sincere intentions. “Fine, fine, fine. You’re absolutely right. I’ll wear the amulet on my body and sprinkle the blessed water in flower pots to borrow some of the God of Literature’s good fortune.”
“That’s right. Let me put it on for you.” Wang Daxia stood up, tied the amulet to a red string, and hung it around Wei Caiwei’s neck.
When evening lamps were lit, Wang Daxia came again, carrying two giant candles as thick as a baby’s arm.
He lit the candles and placed them left and right on the desk. “Reading at night strains the eyes—this way it’s bright.”
Wei Caiwei sat at the center of the desk, looking at the two giant white candles on either side, suddenly feeling like a memorial tablet being worshipped.
Late at night, Wei Caiwei’s window was still lit. Wang Daxia came again, carrying a large bowl of steaming hot noodles.
“Come eat a midnight snack.”
Wei Caiwei was indeed somewhat hungry. She picked up chopsticks and saw the toppings piled into small peaks on the noodles—all white gelatinous things like tofu pudding.
“What is this?” Wei Caiwei asked.
“Brain flower noodles!” Wang Daxia said. “You are what you eat. It took three pigs to get these brains. Hurry and eat while they’re hot.”
Wei Caiwei put down her chopsticks. “I don’t eat organ meat or offal.”
Wang Daxia said anxiously, “I already stewed them for you. The kitchen chef said this is the best brain supplement.”
Wei Caiwei sighed, “I don’t eat this, just like you don’t eat cilantro.”
Wang Daxia hated cilantro most.
Understanding by comparison, Wang Daxia stopped urging and asked, “What do you want to eat?”
Wei Caiwei knew that if she didn’t say something, Wang Daxia would keep asking. “In summer, of course lotus seeds—make me lotus seed soup.”
“Just that?” Wang Daxia asked. “That won’t fill you up.”
Wei Caiwei said, “Add some white fungus.” She pushed the noodle bowl toward Wang Daxia. “You worked so hard to find three pigs—don’t waste it. You eat the brain flower noodles.”
I think you’re the one who needs to properly supplement your brain.
A month later, Ding Wu had recovered and temporarily remained in the capital. The Directorate of Ceremonial arranged for Wei Caiwei’s palace examination.
Wang Daxia drove the carriage, taking Wei Caiwei to Xi’an Gate, watching her walk toward the palace entrance.
Even knowing she could finish the exam and come out in the afternoon, Wang Daxia still felt somewhat worried. The towering palace gate was like a giant beast opening its mouth wide to swallow Wei Caiwei.
Strange, why does this place look so familiar, as if I’ve been here before?
Wei Caiwei had a spiritual connection and felt Wang Daxia’s worried gaze. She turned around, looked back, pulled at the red string around her neck, took out the test-passing amulet he had prayed for at Wenchang Temple, and showed it to Wang Daxia to reassure him.
For the ghost-fearing, superstitious Wang Daxia, this was more effective than a thousand words.
This trick indeed worked. Wang Daxia stopped his wild thoughts, feeling that Wei Caiwei was entirely bathed in morning light—protected by the God of Literature. The stone path under her feet gleamed with golden light, each step a path to success.
This trip would surely succeed!
Wang Daxia smiled and nodded at Wei Caiwei, waved his hand, his smile more brilliant than sunlight.
Wei Caiwei saw his smile, and the hardship of a month’s intensive study seemed to vanish. She had to seize this opportunity, quickly become strong, and protect his happiness.
The female physicians’ examination was at the Inner Palace within Xi’an Gate, also called the Wet Nurse Palace, where the imperial family selected and kept wet nurses. Whenever consorts or princely consorts became pregnant, the Inner Palace would select wet nurses in the capital, bring them to the Inner Palace for selection, then keep them there, providing chicken, duck, fish, and meat daily to properly condition their bodies in preparation for nursing future princes and imperial grandchildren.
But Emperor Jiajing was already old. Of the eight princes in the palace, only two survived to marry and establish households. Prince Yu Zhu Zaiji had two sons and two daughters, all of whom died young. Prince Jing had been married but still had no children. Currently, neither prince’s household had pregnant consorts, so the Wet Nurse Palace had no wet nurses recently—it was empty and quite desolate.
Female physicians selected from various regional offices numbered about fifty, mostly aged thirty and above, many in their forties and fifties, all dressed as widows or married women. Wei Caiwei, only seventeen and a young widow, was particularly conspicuous.
Surrounding eunuchs whispered:
“…She’s really too young.”
“Which eunuch’s connections did she use?”
“Shh, lower your voice. She was recommended by Lord Lu.”
Wei Caiwei kept her eyes on her nose, her nose on her heart, ignoring this gossip. She walked to the examination booth for the written test first—all gynecology questions. The first question was “On Continuous Menstrual Bleeding.” Wei Caiwei had seen this in the medical text “Lan Shi Mi Cang.” After pondering briefly, she picked up her brush to answer.
Author’s Note: Wang Daxia worked tirelessly preparing for his wife’s exam, worrying himself sick. I’ve watched pig slaughter videos—despite such a big pig, the pig brain is just a tiny bit.