Iron Laws of the Palace

Bai Shu remembered what her senior sister had told her—

"If you can't raise them well, send them back home."

Bai Shu's heart sank, and his throat felt like it was blocked. He murmured, "What... what wrong did Miss Zheng do?"

Su You also sighed and said in a low voice, "When serving in the palace, one must not show a sorrowful expression, especially not in front of noble people, as it brings bad luck."

Bai Shu felt heavy-hearted. In the quiet of the night, he suddenly thought of his grandfather.

As a child, she was playful and would whine and throw tantrums, refusing to learn the "family's secret skills," even coming up with a whole set of fallacies. Her grandfather, stroking her little head, let out a long, meaningful sigh—

"Physiological illnesses are easy to cure, but external ailments are difficult to treat. Since you have no interest in this, then so be it."

Bai Zhu regretted it.

She thought that if she had been more diligent when she was young, there would have been a better chance of curing Xiao Zheng Niangzi.

Bai Shu was feeling bad. She had nothing to do all day, so whenever she had free time, she would use the excuse of "treating illness" to accompany Zheng Xiaoniangzi. Sometimes Su You would accompany her as well.

Xu Qingyan also came to give Zheng Xiaoniangzi acupuncture every day. After three to five days, Zheng Xiaoniangzi's eyes regained their clarity and she was able to answer a few questions.

This gave Bai Shu great confidence. One day, while peeling an apple by Zheng Xiaoniangzi's bedside, she said, "You need to get better quickly. Your mother is still waiting for you. The head of your kitchen said that if you can't be cured in the next day or two, she will report you to the Imperial Household Department and expel you from the palace. Wouldn't that make your mother even more worried about you? Besides, you finally got into the palace. Wouldn't it be a pity to leave like this?"

Bai Shu offered half an apple to Zheng Xiaoniangzi, but Zheng Xiaoniangzi seemed stunned and wouldn't take the apple. Bai Shu asked, "What's wrong?"

Suddenly, Madam Zheng grasped Bai Shu's hand and pleaded, "Lord Bai, you're a good person, could you please do me a favor?"

This was the longest and clearest sentence Zheng Xiaoniangzi had uttered in recent days. Bai Shu was overjoyed and said, "Tell me, and I will definitely help you."

Zheng Xiaoniangzi took two strings of copper coins from the shelf beside the bed and said, "Please give these coins to my mother; she needs money for medical treatment." As she spoke, she put the two strings of coins into Baizhu's hands. "One string is for my mother, and the other is a gift from me to you. Please don't think it's too little; I beg you."

Holding the two heavy strings of coins in his hands, Bai Zhu felt even heavier. He quickly helped Zheng Xiaoniangzi, who was about to kowtow, and said, "What's the big deal? I've already asked someone to deliver both strings of coins to your mother. Get up quickly."

Miss Zheng asked incredulously, "Really? Really?"

Bai Shu nodded, "Where do you live? I'll have someone deliver it to you."

Madam Zheng shed tears, laughing and crying at the same time, saying, "This illness of mine was worth it. If I had met you sooner, my mother wouldn't have suffered so much..."

Zheng Xiaoniangzi told Bai Shu that the eunuchs in the palace who could leave the palace to make purchases were using their privileges to secretly deliver letters and messages to palace servants who could not leave the palace.

Madam Zheng wiped away her tears and said, "They are asking for too much. They charge a hundred coins for a single message. I entrusted them to deliver my monthly salary to my home, and they want to take seventy percent of it. I entered the palace to earn more money to treat my mother's illness, but I never expected to be exploited like this."

"What?" Bai Shu exclaimed incredulously, clicking her tongue. "This is too much! Why don't you tell the head maid?"

"This cannot be said," Madam Zheng hurriedly said. "The palace forbids the divulgence of forbidden words, and even more so, it is forbidden to smuggle anything in. Those eunuchs are already doing us a great favor by helping us pass on messages and items. It's something that money can't buy, so who would dare to report it openly?"

"That's still not allowed..."

Bai Shu was only halfway through her sentence when she suddenly lost her nerve. "Forget it," she thought. "My senior sister told me not to meddle in other people's business, and I really don't have the ability to care about things in the inner court."

She accepted the two strings of copper coins from Zheng Xiaoniangzi and said, "Don't worry, I'll transfer these two strings of coins to your mother, not a penny less. Is there anything else you want to take home?"

“Then please pass on another message for me,” said Madam Zheng. “Tell my parents that I am doing well in the palace. The tofu I ordered was very popular with the nobles, and they all said it was delicious.”

"You..." Bai Shu choked for a moment, then nodded, "Yes, okay, I will definitely convey your message."

Madam Zheng smiled and said, "Thank you, Lord Bai."

The young lady from the Zheng family, who makes excellent tofu in the west of the city, was just a lowly palace maid delivering meals in the imperial kitchen.

It's not her place to order tofu.

It was still early, so Bai Shu, carrying two strings of copper coins, went to Dafangmai to find her brother.

Bai Zhu spends most of his time slacking off and usually doesn't dare to come to the Imperial Medical Bureau, for fear of being caught by someone "asking for medical advice" and having his secret exposed, which would be difficult to handle.

The brother and sister exchanged a few words, and Bai Shu took out some copper coins and instructed her brother, "Be sure to deliver them to the tofu Zheng family in the west of the city."

Bai Erlang didn't dare take the two strings of copper coins. He stared wide-eyed at Bai Shu and asked, "Where did you get these two strings of coins?"

Bai Shu recounted Zheng Xiaoniangzi's story and also mentioned the despicable purchasing eunuch, angrily saying, "Seventy percent! Second Brother, tell me, isn't this blatant robbery?"

Bai Erlang pushed the two strings of copper coins into Bai Shu's arms, as if afraid of getting hurt, and said, "Give them back to that young lady Zheng! My silly sister, that eunuch wanted 70%, so naturally there's a reason why others want 70%. They want the money for risking their lives. Do you know about the pearl theft case in the eighth year of Jingyu?"

Bai Zhu shook his head, looking bewildered, and said, "I don't know."

Bai Erlang was once again worried about Bai Shu's ignorance.

“It is strictly forbidden to smuggle things out of the palace,” Bai Erlang said succinctly. “If I were to take these two strings of coins out of the palace for you, and it were discovered, our whole family would be imprisoned in the Yeting Prison. Don’t you know the gravity of the situation?”

“But…” Bai Shu said urgently, “This is her mother’s life-saving money.”

"I'll go to her house after I finish my shift," Bai Erlang laughed. "Have you forgotten what our family does? Since she's your friend, it's no big deal for us to help her out. But you must return these two strings of cash, and don't agree to do anything like this again. If you're lucky, all will be well, but if something happens, it'll cost you your head. Don't take any risks. Just live a peaceful life for a few years, and then your family will come to take you away."

The series of events involving Xiao Zheng's wife left Bai Shu feeling uneasy. Bai Shu's mood suddenly plummeted, and he sniffed, saying, "Second Brother, I want to go home right now."

"Wait a little longer," Bai Erlang patted Bai Shu on the shoulder, comforting her, "It'll be soon."

Bai Shu was extremely reluctant to part with him, but she could only watch Bai Erlang leave the palace at Xuande Gate before returning to her residence alone.

She went to find Su You and asked, "Senior Sister, what is the case of the stolen pearl?"

Su You gestured for her to be quiet and asked in a low voice, "Are you talking about the pearl theft case in the eighth year of Emperor Jing's reign?"

"Um."

Why are you suddenly asking this?

"My second brother told me this."

Su You immediately became alert. "Why are you talking to me like this all of a sudden? You're not thinking of smuggling something into or out of the palace, are you?" Su You warned Bai Shu, "Don't even think about it, you'll lose your head. The theft of the pearl led to a bloodbath in the palace, countless people lost their lives, you wouldn't dare."

"No, no," Bai Shu shook her head repeatedly. "My brother explained the importance of it to me, and I understand."

"The two palace gates—the market, the outer court, and the inner court—are strictly enforced. Xuande Gate is for strictly checking items taken out, and Chengping Gate is for strictly checking items taken in. Everyone must be searched when coming and going," Su You said to Bai Shu. "Although we are a bit more relaxed than those in the inner court, we still cannot disobey the rules. Not a single piece of paper from the palace can be allowed to enter the market, and nothing from outside can be allowed to enter the inner court. Otherwise, if something happens, it will be difficult to explain."

“That’s not right, Senior Sister,” Bai Shu said, “didn’t you bring that whole bag of apples in that day?”

Su Youbai glanced at her and said, "Where did you let me in? Didn't you tell me to 'reduce' my weight?"

Bai Shu said, "But then a manager came and allowed you to bring him in."

“That’s not the manager,” Su You said, hands on her hips. “That’s the Palace Gate Commander, my father, my own father.”

Bai Shu: "..."

Bai Shu remained silent. Oh, right, Senior Sister was right after all; she wasn't Su You.

Fortunately, Madam Zheng's condition improved day by day, and by the seventh day, she had almost fully recovered.

This gave Bai Shu great comfort.

Bai Shu felt he had a talent for medicine. He had only been with Su Youkai for two days when Pan Cheng suddenly asked him, "As the person in charge of the first consultation, have you two written down the pulse record for that young lady Zheng?"

Bai Zhu asked, "What case?"

Su You said, "I can't write it."

Pan Cheng was exasperated with this pair of lazy bums and said, "Then you two can just wait to be fined."

Su You, who was not short of money, said indifferently, "Fine, then."

Pan Cheng crossed his arms and added, "Your punishment will also be a penalty on your master's salary."

That won't work.

Everyone at the Imperial Medical Academy knows that the medicated oil is stingy.

The two old official robes were worn out and faded from washing, patched one after another. His salary was docked, and Wan Gongfeng was able to send Su You back to the Duke of Huai's mansion.

Su You looked distressed. Pan Cheng continued, "Send it to Fang Cheng for filing within two days. You'll be fined if you're late. You two don't have much time left."

Bai Shu never imagined that one day she would also be doing the work of the Imperial Historian.

Bai Shu chewed the pen until it was worn down, then asked Su You, "Senior Sister, how do I write this?"

The "rewards" from Consort Shu could not be written down, nor could the "seven out of ten" commission from the purchasing eunuchs, nor even the news of Lady Zheng's mother's serious illness being delivered to the palace... They all knew the cause of the illness, yet none of them could be written down.

Su You said, "Then... let's write about being possessed."

What evil? Never mind, it doesn't matter. Bai Zhu picked up his pen and wrote down "external wind evil".

That night, Pan Cheng was on night duty in the inner palace. He took Su You and Bai Shu with him and watched them write pulse diagnosis records. Pan Cheng was so angry with the two of them that he said, "Take a look for yourselves and see if what you've written makes sense."

Bai Zhu, this dialectical genius, can twist even the most angular and sharp points into something round. She thought her writing made perfect sense and argued vehemently, "She fell ill due to a shock. Wind is the leader of all diseases, directly attacking the spirit; how can it not be 'external wind-evil'? Wind-evil combined with fright, the liver governs fright; when wind-evil attacks the liver, the liver qi becomes rebellious, hence the soul is not at peace. Wind, phlegm, and blood stasis intertwine, obstructing the spirit's function, thus the body's vital energy is weak, and the pathogenic factors disturb the vital mechanisms..."

Pan Cheng told her to stop, "Stop spouting your nonsense!"