Six Apples

Bai Shu became famous overnight. After that night, no one called her "Lord Bai" anymore; they all called her "Little Bai Shu".

Su You would often rub Bai Shu and say, "Little Bai Shu, how can you be so cute?"

What else can you do with Atractylodes macrocephala? Just accept it.

Alright, besides studying Yin-Yang, Five Elements, and Eight Principles of Differentiation, Bai Zhu has also been diligently studying pharmacology and acupuncture.

Well, to put it simply, while I can remember things like Yin-Yang, Five Elements, Six Evils, Seven Injuries, Eight Principles, and Differentiation of Syndromes, I don't really understand them. As for the medicinal herbs, I simply can't remember them all. So many herbs, so many properties and flavors—I have to memorize them one by one, and then look at the prescriptions according to the "principal, assistant, adjuvant, and guide" principles…

Bai Shu felt that next time she worshipped her ancestors, she must kowtow to them more often to express her heartfelt respect and her repentance as an "unfilial descendant".

Just memorize it; the moment you open your eyes, you start memorizing it—it's rote memorization.

Bai Shu seriously considered the phrase her master had taught her, "If you don't even know this, go back and study." Her senior sisters had been so kind to her; Bai Shu couldn't bring herself to say something so rude. After much thought, Bai Shu decided to take the essence and discard the dross. Being a "master" was a posture, and postures could take many forms; being approachable was also acceptable.

Bai Shu carefully recalled the tone of her grandfather's words to Bai Zhou: when someone sought her out to discuss medical principles, she would bring along several of her senior female classmates. Bai Shu herself didn't offer any opinions, but simply looked at the others with a loving smile and posed the question: "What's your opinion?"

She would ask everyone in turn, and then Bai Shu would use a persuasive tone to raise questions she didn't understand, ask them again, summarize everyone's questions, ask them again, and so on, even two, three, four, or five times.

Sometimes the senior female students figure out the problem themselves—then Atractylodes macrocephala has nothing to do with it;

Sometimes the senior female students would start arguing among themselves—and then there was nothing for Bai Shu, who couldn't get a word in edgewise to do.

Sometimes the discussion goes on for too long—everyone is busy with their own work, so there's not much room for Atractylodes macrocephala to say a few words.

When she does have a chance to say something, she "draws on everyone's strengths," smooths things over, and summarizes everyone's opinions, saying both the positive and negative points, engaging in a dialectical discussion, truly displaying the demeanor of a master.

The female doctors who could enter the Imperial Medical Bureau were all outstanding, except for Bai Zhu, who was a hapless failure due to a twist of fate.

It has to be said that after listening to her senior sisters debate so much, Bai Shu's own muddled brain seemed to have opened up a little bit, and she wasn't so confused anymore.

Bai Shu felt that she was ready again, so she went to Mo Wan Gong Feng and said, "Master, Master, I want to go on house calls with you."

Qingyan and Zhifang, who had come with her, had long been working for their master or superiors, and everyone was very busy, while she herself was idle all day long. After a while, Bai Shu couldn't stand it anymore, as if she really was someone who lived off the protection of her family.

After all, even the other lazy scholar, Taishi Yi, was too busy to pay attention to her.

Without a partner, there's no point in just getting by.

The old man was so shocked that he almost broke the purple clay teapot in his hand. He said, "Save your breath. I don't want to lose my life with you."

Bai Shu drawled out his words, "Master, I really understand. If you don't believe me, ask me and test me again."

Wan Gongfeng looked at her with suspicion in his eyes.

Bai Zhu gave him a reassuring look that said, "Don't worry."

“Then let me ask you another question,” said Wan Gongfeng, “what are the properties and flavors of Codonopsis pilosula?”

“Codonopsis pilosula is sweet and neutral in nature,” Atractylodes macrocephala said confidently this time, drawing inferences from one instance to another. “It enters the spleen and lung meridians, and is especially good at replenishing qi, strengthening the spleen and benefiting the lungs, nourishing blood and generating body fluids.”

Wan Gongfeng nodded and then asked, "What are the properties and flavors of ginseng?"

Atractylodes macrocephala states: "Ginseng is sweet, slightly bitter, and slightly warm in nature. It enters the spleen, lung, heart, and kidney meridians. It can greatly replenish the qi of the spleen and lungs, calm the mind and improve intelligence, and tonify the kidneys and assist yang."

Wan Gongfeng then asked, "Tell me again, what is sun-dried ginseng, and what is red ginseng?"

Bai Zhu replied fluently: "Sun-dried ginseng is raw ginseng, which is more effective in replenishing qi and generating fluids; steamed and then dried ginseng is red ginseng, which is more effective in warming and replenishing yang qi for a longer period of time."

Wan Gongfeng walked towards the cabinet where he kept the medicinal herbs he kept from the prescriptions he had examined each day, and asked as he walked, "Raw ginseng is ginseng, red ginseng is also ginseng, so is codonopsis pilosula ginseng?"

Bai Zhu shook his head and followed up, saying, "No. Codonopsis pilosula is mild in nature and has a gentle effect. It is mainly used for fatigue, poor appetite, and loose stools caused by spleen and lung qi deficiency. Ginseng is warm in nature and has a strong effect. It can restore yang and rescue from collapse, and can cover the pulse and consolidate the body. It is used for critical cases of qi deficiency and impending collapse, and weak pulse."

This time, Wan Gongfeng looked at Bai Shu carefully and nodded, saying, "This little girl has really put in the effort this time."

Bai Zhu chuckled and looked at Wan Gongfeng with bright eyes, saying, "Master, may I examine you now?"

Wan Gongfeng picked out a piece of processed ginseng and showed it to Bai Zhu, asking, "Tell me, what kind of ginseng is this?"

Well, upon closer inspection of the Atractylodes macrocephala, turning it over and over and examining it against the sunlight, I noticed that the ginseng slices were pale in color, as if they had been broken, and the cross-section was uneven.

To be honest, many medicinal herbs look the same to Bai Zhu, especially processed ones, which are all segmented or sliced, and he can't recognize many of them.

Bai Zhu regretted not asking more questions while her brother and sister-in-law were making medicine.

Bai Zhu could only stammer, "This is... Codonopsis pilosula?"

Wan Gongfeng shook his head.

Bai Zhu was confused again: "Ginseng?"

Wan Gongfeng snorted and said, "Go ahead and guess. When you're in front of a powerful person one day, and it's a matter of life and death, you'll still rely on your little bit of cleverness to guess."

Bai Zhu shrank his neck and admitted his mistake, saying, "I was wrong, Master. I really didn't recognize it. Please teach me."

“This is Adenophora stricta.” Wan Gongfeng broke it open again to show Atractylodes macrocephala, saying, “Adenophora stricta is slightly cold, nourishes yin, is brittle and light in color, try breaking it open.”

Bai Zhu tried it and carefully memorized it, saying, "I've memorized it, Master."

Wan Gongfeng took two more slices. "This is Codonopsis pilosula. There's a brown ring on the cut surface. Try it and see what it tastes like."

"I can't quite put my finger on it, but it has a slightly sweet taste."

Wan Gongfeng nodded, "I'll remember this taste. Now look at the ginseng; its chrysanthemum-like center is more prominent, and it's hard and brittle. The sand ginseng is light, while the ginseng is much heavier."

Bai Zhu compared the three kinds of ginseng slices repeatedly, listening to Wan Gongfeng's teachings, tasting, smelling, and breaking them apart. Wan Gongfeng said to her, "Although the prescription department is responsible for preparing and decocting medicine, as a doctor, you must also know these medicinal materials. A slight difference can lead to a huge error. Human life is a matter of life and death, and you cannot be careless. You must be thoroughly familiar with the efficacy of each medicinal material in the prescriptions you write and the medicine you decoct."

“Yes, yes,” Bai Zhu nodded repeatedly and said, “Thank you for your guidance, Master. I understand.”

Wan Gongfeng then put the medicinal herbs back one by one and asked Bai Shu, "Do you really want to study medicine?"

Bai Shu firmly replied, "Yes."

"Girl, have you thought this through?" Wan Gongfeng asked. "This is not something that can be accomplished in a few months. Will you stay out of the palace for several years?"

Bai Shu felt it wouldn't affect anything, saying, "I don't know when I'll be able to leave the palace. I can't just drift through life like this every day. My senior sisters are very knowledgeable and heal people. I think it's great, and I really admire them."

"It's a good thing that you can think this way."

"Master, does that mean I'm allowed to follow you?" Bai Shu asked happily.

"You wish! Do you think you can just casually touch the pulse of a noble person?" Wan Gongfeng said. "Follow your senior brothers and sisters first. When you've learned a thing or two, then come and talk to me."

Wan Gongfeng summoned several of his disciples and formally introduced Bai Shu, saying, "This is your junior sister. Please take good care of her in the future."

Only then was Bai Shu officially accepted into the sect.

Not counting Bai Shu, Wan Gongfeng had four disciples, one of whom was Bai Shu's senior sister, Pan Cheng.

The other two senior brothers, the eldest of whom was only in his early thirties but already somewhat balding, found it inappropriate to wear a crown, so he wore a headscarf instead. There were always more people wearing headscarves in the Imperial Medical Bureau than elsewhere, and everyone was used to it.

The second senior brother has truly mastered the "all-purpose" technique. Bai Zhu heard Su You say that the second senior brother always adds licorice to his prescriptions, no matter what the formula is, as licorice harmonizes all the other herbs. He is also surnamed Qian, so people call him "One-Coin Grass".

The eldest brother was Wan Gongfeng's deputy and often accompanied Wan Gongfeng in and out of the palace. Bai Shu rarely saw him.

Second Senior Brother... Master Wan forbade Bai Shu from learning from him. Master Wan said to Bai Shu, "You've only just begun your studies, don't learn his old tricks." He told Bai Shu to learn more from her senior sister.

However, although Senior Sister Pan Cheng's medical skills were superb, she had a sharp eye and a very cold personality. When Bai Shu approached her and asked two questions out of the blue, Pan Cheng knew that Bai Shu was just a charlatan.

Pan Cheng didn't say much, but explained the two questions to Bai Shu in detail before going about her own business, without saying another word to Bai Shu. The look in Pan Cheng's eyes, which seemed to see right through her, made Bai Shu blush with embarrassment. Feeling awkward and unable to sit still, Bai Shu went to find her second senior sister, Su You.

Senior Sister Su is still the one who gets along with her.

Su You thought so too.

The two of them spent all their time together, discussing medical principles with great enthusiasm.

The female physicians of the Imperial Medical Bureau had to take turns on night duty in the palace to prevent any sudden illnesses among the palace women after the gates were locked. Su You had been working at the Imperial Medical Bureau for a year and had also been assigned a shift. Bai Shu had been sticking to Su You these days, wanting to go on night duty with her.

Bai Shu mentioned it to Su You, and Su You was very helpful. She said to Bai Shu, "I was thinking about how to get Senior Sister Pan to accompany me, but it's great to have you! There's usually nothing to do on night duty, so I'll go prepare some good food. We can't let our stomachs go hungry."

She then told Bai Zhu many things to keep in mind when she was on night duty, as if she wanted to tie Bai Zhu to her with a rope.

Su You was born into the Su family of Huaiyin. His grandfather inherited the title of Duke of Huai, and his father joined the Xiliu Camp, where he was stationed year-round at the Guanshan Camp on the banks of the Wushui River to guard against the southward invasion of the Quan Di.

Su Yousheng grew up with her father on the frontier, and was a daughter of a military family.

On the night of her shift, Su You carried a very large bundle. The eunuchs at the palace gate examined it closely and said with difficulty, "Lord Su, it's not that we don't want to make things convenient for you, but look at what we're carrying... could you please lighten it a bit?"

Su You carried a bag of apples, six in total.

Later, the palace gatekeeper was summoned, and he reluctantly waved his hand to let Su You and Bai Shu in.