Chapter 202 Spreading Rumors and Slander Everywhere

After writing it down, Ye Wanning handed the prescription to Consort Yao and instructed her: "One dose per day, decocted three times. You must not eat anything spicy or cold. You can only get the medicine after Imperial Physician Zhang has verified the prescription. Even a slight difference in dosage will greatly reduce the potency of the medicine and may even harm your pregnancy."

Consort Li frowned. She had wanted someone to tamper with the prescription, but Imperial Physician Zhang was always fair and cautious and would never help her alter it.

“Madam Ye, there’s no need for such trouble. Just have Her Majesty’s apprentice prepare the medicine according to the prescription,” Consort Li tried to persuade her.

“Your Majesty, it’s different.” Ye Wanning’s attitude was clear. “Prescriptions for fertility aids require the utmost precision; the slightest deviation will ruin the entire prescription. Imperial Physician Zhang is very experienced, and only by having him verify the prescription can we be absolutely certain of its accuracy. If Your Majesty is not at ease, I will take this prescription back.”

"Use it! Use it!" Consort Li hurriedly pressed down on the prescription. "I trust you, I'll do as you say!" In her heart, however, she cursed Ye Wanning's intentions, saying that they had cut off her escape route.

Seeing this, Ye Wanning breathed a sigh of relief; Consort Li's idea of ​​changing the course of events and framing someone had completely failed.

"Now that the prescription has been written, Your Majesty, I will not disturb you any longer." She stood up.

"Madam Ye, please take care. I will have someone escort you out of the palace." Consort Li smiled, but her eyes betrayed her reluctance.

Leaving Chang Le Palace, Ye Wanning felt relieved and comfortable leaning against the sunlight. The inner palace was fraught with danger; one wrong step could lead to utter ruin. She only wanted to help the poor and needy and practice medicine, but she had been drawn into these power struggles and intrigues.

Back at the Heritage Hall, Chun Tao rushed out to greet her: "Miss, you're finally back! People from the palace came earlier, I thought something had happened!"

"It's nothing." Ye Wanning shook her head and recounted what had happened in the palace.

"That Consort Li is too wicked! How could she try to harm you like this!" Chun Tao was so angry that she jumped up and down.

"Alright, with Judge Zhang's prescription, she can't cause any trouble," Ye Wanning said with a smile.

But what she didn't know was that after Consort Li's scheme failed, her nephew from her maternal family joined forces with the previously suppressed owner of the imitation clinic and began causing trouble. Within days, rumors were spreading throughout the city:

"Ye Wanning entered the palace to curry favor with the powerful and influential, hoping to climb the social ladder by using Consort Li's help!"

"I heard that her Wanning Medical Clinic uses substandard medicine to cut costs, and her previous remedies for smallpox were all scams!"

"No wonder several copycat clinics have opened recently, claiming to use authentic medicinal herbs and are even cheaper than Wan Ning Clinic!"

As the rumors spread, many of Wan Ning's customers were scared away, and even her regular customers turned around and went to the imitation clinic across the street.

Chen stormed into the Heritage Hall, pointing at the imitation medical clinics in front and yelling, "Madam Ye, those imitation medical clinics are outrageous! They copy our prescriptions, sell inferior medicines, and spread rumors and slander everywhere!"

Ye Wanning paused in her work of organizing the medical texts, then abruptly turned her head: "Have you found out who's behind this?"

"We've found out!" Chen Sheng said. "It's the owner of the imitation clinic that was shut down earlier, and he even colluded with Consort Li's nephew!"

"Li Fei's family?" Ye Wanning sneered. "It seems she's unwilling to frame me with the prescription, so she's using a different method to suppress me!"

"What should we do then? If this continues, the medical clinic and the heritage center will be ruined!" Su Xiao exclaimed anxiously.

"Don't rush me." Ye Wanning curled the corners of her lips. "They want to play, and I'll play along!"

She instructed Chen Sheng: "Go and spread the word that the Heritage Hall has released a new 'Imperial Court Special Enhanced Smallpox Formula,' which is twice as potent as the original and is exclusively for the imperial court. It is now being distributed to the public in limited quantities. Also, deliberately leak part of the formula to them, but change the dosage of the key ingredients and add a cold-natured herb so that the medicine they concoct will not only be ineffective but will also worsen the patient's condition."

Chen Sheng's eyes lit up: "Madam Ye is so clever! They'll definitely fall for it!"

Before long, several people came to complain that their conditions had worsened after taking the medicine from the imitation clinic.

Ye Wanning said to Chen Sheng, "Go and inform the Prefect of the Capital, and make your move!"

Chen Sheng responded and hurriedly sent someone to deliver the message.

When Ye Wanning arrived at the imitation medical clinic with her men and the soldiers of the Prefect of the Capital, there were still many people inside who had bought prescriptions. They all ran away in fright when they saw the soldiers.

"What are you doing?!" The impersonator, looking pale but still defiant, demanded, "We're doing legitimate business, why are you shutting us down?"

"A legitimate business?" Ye Wanning sneered. "Copying prescriptions, selling substandard medicine, spreading rumors, and worsening people's illnesses—is that legitimate?" She then turned to the soldiers and ordered, "Search! Find all their medicines and ledgers!"

The officers and soldiers rushed in and searched the backyard, finding countless substandard drugs and an account book detailing the business dealings between the boss and Consort Li's nephew.

"With witnesses and physical evidence on display, what else is there to say?" the Prefect of the Capital shouted sternly.

The imitation clinic owner collapsed to the ground, unable to speak. The concubine's nephew tried to escape, but was already ambushed and captured by soldiers.

The officers and soldiers immediately shut down the clinic and took the owner and his nephew to the government office.

Ye Wanning stood at the door and said to the crowd, "Everyone, please stop crowding around. Those rumors are all fabricated by them, just to bring us down! Their medicinal herbs are of poor quality, their prescriptions are useless, and taking them will only harm people!"

"This is the prescription from Wan Ning Medical Clinic. The herbs are all top-quality and unique!" She then pulled out a prescription for smallpox. "If anyone has mistakenly taken their medicine and feels unwell, we'll treat you for free now. Come in with me!"

The crowd cheered and followed Ye Wanning to Wanning Medical Clinic.

After that, the imitation clinic went bankrupt completely, and Consort Li's nephew was arrested. Consort Li was also implicated, scolded by the Emperor, and confined to her quarters for half a month. The rumors were dispelled, and Wan Ning Clinic's reputation improved even more. More and more people came to see Ye Wan Ning for treatment, and the number of apprentices at the inheritance hall also increased.

But Ye Wanning sat in the clinic, unable to feel happy. She knew that Consort Li would not give up; the palace was in chaos, and the court was even more chaotic. This was only the beginning.

Unexpectedly, new trouble soon followed, this time involving Pei Zhi's cousin, Pei Wan'er.

Pei Wan'er entered the palace through the imperial concubine selection and was given the title of Consort Wan. Although she was originally from the Pei family, she was determined to climb the social ladder and soon attached herself to Consort Li. Seeing that Ye Wanning was favored by the Empress Dowager and was close to Pei Zhi, she was insanely jealous and targeted Ye Wanning at every turn.

That day, after Pei Zhi finished his court duties and returned home, Pei Wan'er came looking for him: "Cousin, you're finally back!" She said with a smile, "I heard in the palace that my sister-in-law is now a favorite of the Empress Dowager, and the Heritage Center is doing very well."

Pei Zhi smiled and said, "Wan Ning is indeed very capable."

“But,” Pei Wan’er’s tone changed, “my cousin-in-law has a high status now, so I’m afraid she looks down on us relatives. I’ve been in the palace for so long, and when she was treating the Empress Dowager, she never came to see me once, not even to say hello.”

Pei Zhi frowned: "Wan Ning is very busy. She has to take care of the inheritance hall and the medical hall. Perhaps she doesn't have time."

"No time? I think you just don't want to come!" Pei Wan'er sneered. "I also heard that the Heritage Hall is recruiting palace maids as apprentices, saying they'll learn medicine. I bet they just want to plant spies in the palace to benefit themselves!"