Re-determining the Classical Formulas

A profound sense of despair permeated the entire Imperial Medical Bureau.

Salary! It's all salary!!!

The only one who wasn't penalized was Yang Huaishu—she was still in the novice protection period and hadn't yet obtained a separate medical license.

Male physicians were not allowed to stay in the palace after nightfall without a valid reason, and instead gathered at their colleagues' homes, one department at a time; while female physicians would set up long tables in Shen Gongfeng's room and work late into the night by lamplight.

Yang Huaishu wanted to help, but she couldn't offer much assistance, not even knowing how to write Bai Zhu (a traditional Chinese medicine). She had to ask Lang Dianxian for guidance on how to write a "statement." Quiet and unassuming, Yang Huaishu didn't cause any trouble. She lit a small stove to boil water, made chrysanthemum and cassia seed tea, and ran around serving tea and grinding ink for her senior sisters.

Qiu Chuxin told her to go to sleep, and also told Bai Shuzhi and the other young girls who had only been at the Imperial Medical Academy for a short time and didn't have much "debt" to settle down and rest early after they finished their work.

"I feel relieved once everything is done," Xu Qingyan said. "I'll help you later."

So Bai Shu and the others finished writing their own and went to help their more senior female colleagues. The more senior the physician, the more "debts" they had to pay.

Bai Zhu went to help Pan Cheng, Lin Shaoyin helped Xiao Fu, and Xu Qingyan and Chang Zhifang got together to help Su You figure out how to make her prescription work... Night after night, the lights were on.

After staying up until late into the night, Shen Gongfeng could no longer hold on and urged them, "Let's disperse. This isn't something that can be resolved in a day or two. Your health is more important. You all have to work tomorrow."

Oh, right, some of them have to work the night shift tomorrow, and some have to make house calls; they all have jobs.

"Alright, alright," Qiu Chuxin put down her pen and stood up, pushing Bai Shu with one hand and pulling Yang Huaishu with the other, "You kids, go to sleep."

For several days in a row, everyone in the Imperial Medical Bureau looked pale and had dark circles under their eyes, as if their energy had been drained.

Xu Qingyan took out her ancestral silver needles—

Everyone had broken their hands from writing and desperately needed help from their colleagues in the acupuncture department.

Several of her senior brothers, including Yiqiancao, came to help the female physicians carry the neatly prepared documents to the Imperial Household Department. Bai Shu met her second brother. The second son of the Bai family had just gotten married and encountered such a thing; he hadn't been home for several days.

Bai Shu walked over to her second brother, and couldn't help but cover her nose, complaining, "Brother, have you not changed your clothes for days? You smell of sweat."

Bai Erlang raised his sleeve and asked, also disliking himself, saying, "I'll change when I get home today."

"It's finally over." Bai Shu was still shaken and didn't want to go through this again. "I used to only know that my father would sometimes not come home for several days, and I thought he had encountered some serious illness that required his presence. It turns out he was busy with these things."

Bai Erlang sighed, "I hope this will only happen once."

Yiqiancao finished counting the boxes and called Bai Erlang to set off. Bai Erlang didn't say much to Bai Shu and told her, "You should rest well these two days. I'll come to see you when I have time. Go back now."

After being busy for several days, Bai Shu took a nap.

In the afternoon, Bai Shu went to see Tai Shiyi, holding a cup of hot tea. Bai Shu said with a puzzled look, "Shi Xiaoyi, sometimes I don't understand what I'm doing. Am I treating patients or settling accounts? People are born, grow old, get sick, and die. How should we settle these accounts? Everyone says that doctors are benevolent, but how has the matter of treating patients and saving lives become a business?"

"Some people are heartless and rotten, you can't blame them." Tai Shiyi said indignantly, "Sister, let me tell you, some people in your Imperial Medical Bureau are too shameless! They prescribe a dozen or twenty kinds of medicine when a disease can be cured with just four or five herbs. Isn't that just wasting their money? And some people are even worse, exaggerating the illness, fabricating patients out of thin air, and making up medical records. Isn't that despicable?"

Bai Zhu was dumbfounded.

“No,” Bai Shu retorted, “who would bother to do such a thing? We all treat patients based on our conscience.”

“It’s not one of your female physicians,” said Taishi Yi. “But I’ve heard that there’s a physician named Qiu among your female physicians?”

"Yeah, what's wrong?"

"You should stay away from her," Taishi Yi instructed Bai Shu. "I heard she takes on private jobs outside, and it costs a lot of money to see her for a single consultation and medicine prescription. You can't even get an appointment without connections. Tsk tsk, this money comes too easily."

"How could that be!" Bai Shu said angrily, "Don't you know how many things Senior Sister Qiu has to do every day? How could she have time to take on any private work? Senior Sister Qiu is a very good person. I won't allow you to spread such rumors!"

"Do you believe me or others?" Taishi Yi was also angry at Bai Shu's words. "These are all things I heard from the officials of the Imperial Household Department while following the Empress. How could they be false?"

"So, do you believe me or the people from the Shaofu?" Bai Shu said. "I know what kind of person Senior Sister Qiu is, and what kind of people my colleagues are. Don't you believe me?"

"Then let me ask you, does Imperial Physician Qiu leave the palace every month?"

“Yes, she was sent to the Jiaofangsi by the Taichang Temple…” Bai Shu suddenly stopped, remembering the “relatives” of the Jiaofangsi.

It seems that for every patient that Senior Sister Qiu sees in a day, there is a corresponding number of "relatives" for the Director of the Music Bureau. Especially now that both she and Yang Huaishu can treat Qiu Chuxin, almost all the ladies of the Music Bureau have been squeezed to her and Xiao Shu's place, while Senior Sister Qiu has to see all the "relatives" for the entire day.

“Look,” said the Grand Historian, “it all makes sense now. She was using her position for personal gain. Otherwise, why do you think she didn’t get promoted to Imperial Attendant? Because if she were promoted, she wouldn’t be able to leave the palace to go to the Imperial Music Bureau, silly girl.”

"I don't care," Bai Shu said sullenly, but firmly. "I trust Senior Sister Qiu's character, and you're not allowed to talk about her like that!"

Tai Shiyi was shocked and heartbroken. She put her hands on her hips in disbelief and said, "Sister, you actually argued with me over a physician?"

“That’s right!” Bai Shu retorted without backing down. “My senior sisters are dedicated to healing and saving lives, and you’re slandering them by saying such things! I was also punished, why don’t you say that I’m also heartless and rotten?”

"Fine, fine, Bai Xiaoshu, you've changed your mind!" Tai Shiyi's chest heaved with anger. "I kindly reminded you, and you actually sided with outsiders?"

"I didn't!" Bai Shu said. "I just won't allow you to slander my senior sister and colleagues!"

"You've changed. You've joined those who make money through illicit means!"

"I don't!"

You have it! You absolutely have it!

"You..." Bai Shu was furious and shouted, "I'm breaking off all ties with you!"

"Fine, let's break off our friendship then!" Tai Shiyi wasn't intimidated by her. "I guess I misjudged you. I wasted over ten years being your friend!"

"Fine, fine, you said it." Bai Shu's eyes reddened with anger. "Fine, let's break up then!"

"Whoever makes up is a puppy!"

"Don't worry, the puppy has just made up with you!"

"snort!"

"snort!"

Bai Shu had a big argument with Tai Shiyi and returned to the Imperial Medical Bureau full of anger.

Back at the Imperial Medical Bureau, Bai Shu grew increasingly angry and aggrieved. She locked herself in her room, hugged her blanket, and cried. After crying, she felt deflated, realizing how childish and ridiculous she had been. She missed her senior sister Qiu and some of her colleagues…

For several days in a row, Bai Zhu was listless. Pan Cheng thought she was tired from staying up late the previous days, so he told her to go back and rest: "I will make house calls for you."

Bai Shu looked at Pan Cheng, wanting to ask something, but ultimately didn't, only saying, "It's alright, Senior Sister, I'm fine."

Unable to sleep, Bai Zhu put on his clothes, lit the oil lamp, and sat down by the window again.

She ground the ink, picked up her brush, and wrote down her thoughts and observations.

She had many questions, and she wrote them all down.

Bai Zhu wrote a lot, looked up at the window, and suddenly saw that the light was still on in Sister Qiu's room.

Bai Shu couldn't let go of Tai Shiyi's words. After thinking for a while, he got dressed and went to knock on Qiu Chuxin's door.

Hearing the knock, Qiu Chuxin, who was inside, asked, "Who is it?" and then opened the door.

“It’s me, Senior Sister,” Bai Shu said. “I… have some things I want to…”

Qiu Chuxin opened the door. Before Bai Shu could finish speaking, he saw that Pan Cheng and Fang Lingshan were there, as well as Yang Huaishu, Xiao Fu, and Lin Shaoyin.

Bai Zhu paused.

"What are you standing there for? Come in." Qiu Chuxin invited Bai Shu in and said with a smile, "What wind blew you all here today?"

Fang Lingshan also laughed and said, "It's clear that we've all thought of the same thing. Great minds think alike, isn't it?"

Qiu Chuxin chuckled and shook her head. Yang Huaishu poured tea for Bai Shu, and Pan Cheng asked Bai Shu with concern, "You haven't been in good spirits these past few days. Why aren't you resting properly and are you worrying about so many things?"

Bai Shu was completely bewildered, wondering what they were doing gathered together. Qiu Chu thought to herself, "The Shaofu's inspections are getting stricter every year, and we all know why. I was just thinking of working with Xiao Shu to organize the traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions and folk remedies I've accumulated over the years, but I didn't expect you all to come."

Fang Lingshan scolded her, "Who knew you were hiding a good prescription from us? I originally came to Acheng to discuss how to modify the prescription, but she said you were an expert in this, so I came to ask you."

Xiao Fu said, "It's a terrible thing for everyone to be punished like this. I was thinking of sorting out the prices of commonly used medicinal herbs so that everyone would have a clear understanding of the costs. I had just started writing when Shao Yin pulled me aside. She said that you guys are all acting strangely and are secretly plotting something."

Lin Shaoyin said, "I know how to process medicinal herbs, and Xiao Fu's family is in business and knows the origin, yield, and price of various medicinal herbs. We can't help with other things, but we can help you calculate the price." As she spoke, she pointed to Xiao Fu, who was holding an abacus, "Look, we even brought our abacus."

Xiao Fu cooperated by waving the abacus around, and the beads clinked together with a crisp sound.

"It's only just begun, and there's no finished draft yet." Qiu Chuxin's brows relaxed as she said, "I was thinking of at least getting it sorted out before telling you all, but you're all rushing to do the work for me."

"It's a good opportunity for everyone to study this together," Pan Cheng said to Bai Shu. "Since you're here, why don't you join us?"

Bai Shu understood what his senior sisters were going to do. The three most skilled female physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau, along with "Little Divine Doctor" Yang Huaishu, Xiao Fu from the wealthy merchant Jin family in Jiangnan, and Lin Shaoyin who was proficient in processing medicine, were planning to revise the classic prescriptions!

The prescriptions that the female physicians formulated and revised this time not only had to be effective, but also inexpensive and effective.

We must ensure that everyone can afford medical treatment.

Bai Shu immediately forgot her original purpose for finding Qiu Chuxin, nodded and smiled, "Okay! Let's go together!"