The former female pharmacist was still standing there, seemingly unable to shake off her carelessness and mistake. She muttered to herself, repeating the same formula she had memorized so well in the past: "Ephedra, Cimicifuga, Peony, Ginger, Anemarrhena, Asparagus, Poria, Atractylodes, Astragalus. Angelica, Licorice, and Glycyrrhiza, fourteen ingredients, using both cold and hot herbs to harmonize Yin and Yang..."
At the same time, staring at the incomplete prescription he had personally written down on the table, he felt extremely guilty: "It turns out to be... Ephedra and Cimicifuga Decoction, with fourteen ingredients including Angelica sinensis, Ginseng, and Glycyrrhiza uralensis... It should be fourteen ingredients."
Looking around, she saw the crowd casting envious and admiring glances at Dingxiang, while Dingxiang herself was filled with gratitude that she couldn't express in words, yet it was all written on her face. Looking at Yi Shangyun, who was sitting in the seat of honor and seemed quite satisfied with her performance, she felt even more bitter.
Hearing that Judge Zhang had announced the start of the second round of the competition and that there was a time limit of half an hour, he suddenly came back to his senses as the gong that signaled the start of the competition sounded.
He had no choice but to angrily pick up the medicine packet and walk to the stove.
Looking at Dingxiang across from him, he thought to himself, "I don't believe it. I taught you how to decoct medicine. How could I possibly lose to you again? It's just a simple Ephedra and Cimicifuga Decoction. How could it take half an hour? Is it a test specifically designed for idiots like you?"
As he spoke, he silently recited the formula: "Ephedra and Cimicifuga Decoction: Use one dou of water, first boil the ephedra for one or two boils, remove the foam, add the other herbs, boil down to three sheng, remove the dregs, and take it warm in three divided doses."
After saying that, he quickly picked out the ephedra, put it into a ceramic jar, poured in cold water, placed it on the stove, and started other tasks while fanning the fire.
Meanwhile, Dingxiang, standing to the side, murmured and said, "For the Ephedra and Cimicifuga Decoction, first boil the ephedra, skim off the foam, then add the other herbs and decoct again."
However, she did not rush to start a fire. Instead, she quickly sorted out the ephedra from her medicine bag, put it into a ceramic jar, and soaked it in water.
Upon noticing this detail, Judge Zhang leaned closer and whispered to Yi Shangyun, "Did the Princess teach you this too?"
Yi Shangyun smiled but did not answer, but Judge Zhang already knew the answer in his heart, and his awe of her only increased.
Then, he deliberately teased and urged Dingxiang, "The ephedra has already been cleaned beforehand, so you don't need to do it. Hurry up and decoct the medicine, otherwise it will be embarrassing if you lose later!"
Dingxiang smiled but didn't say anything.
About fifteen minutes later, Dingxiang repeated the steps of her predecessor, the great medicine woman.
Soon enough, the female herbalist was the first to prepare the medicinal soup and serve it, deliberately extending the preparation time in front of everyone.
Seeing this, everyone around her praised her highly: "When it comes to decocting medicine, the Great Medicine Girl is quite skilled. She is quick and efficient. She will definitely win this round."
Upon hearing this, the Great Medicine Girl also raised her head high, puffed out her chest, and looked extremely smug, preparing to welcome her victory and watch Dingxiang make a fool of herself in front of everyone.
Later, Dingxiang had also completed the entire decoction process of Mahuang Shengma Decoction.
As the two people brought him two bowls of seemingly identical medicinal soup, Judge Zhang calmly asked Dingxiang a question.
"When preparing Ephedra and Cimicifuga Decoction, why do you spend twice as much time soaking the ephedra before decocting it, instead of quickly decocting the medicine directly to win?"
Dingxiang raised her hand and slowly explained, "Ephedra is pungent and slightly bitter, and warm in nature. It not only has the effect of inducing sweating and relieving exterior syndromes, but also has the effect of clearing the lungs and relieving asthma. It can even play a role in promoting diuresis and reducing swelling. Its decoction time is about 15 minutes. If the time is too long, a large amount of the effective ingredients in ephedra will evaporate, and in severe cases, it may even cause it to lose its medicinal effect."
She paused, glanced at the clouds on her clothes, and continued, "But Her Highness the Princess once taught me that one should never seek efficiency in everything. When decocting this medicine, it is important to note that ephedra must be soaked in water before decocting. Soaking in water before decocting helps to better extract the effective components of ephedra, thereby maximizing its therapeutic effect. The soaking time is usually about fifteen minutes, and it should not be too long."
Upon hearing this, Physician Zhang exclaimed in surprise, "Oh? The Princess once taught you how to prepare medicine?"
Dingxiang said, "Not only that, the Princess also taught me many details about decocting medicine, such as: the utensils for decocting, the soaking of medicinal herbs, the water used, the heat for decocting, covering the pot, and how some herbs need to be treated differently, such as decocting first, adding later, or taking with water. The decocting time is started from after boiling. Generally, it takes about fifteen minutes to decoct medicines for treating external diseases, about half an hour for tonifying medicines, and fifteen and a half minutes for other medicines. Sometimes, when the Imperial Pharmacy is short-staffed, in order to save time, some medicines are decocted in quantities enough for several days at once. When reheating the decoction, it is generally not necessary to boil it again, just until it reaches the drinking temperature. Usually, a low flame is used, and the decoction is just brought to a boil, then it is allowed to cool down a bit before drinking. There is also the storage of the decoction..."
Seeing Dingxiang talk eloquently about her usual techniques for decocting medicine, which were exactly the same as their daily work but which they had never thought of, everyone couldn't help but admit their inferiority.
"Ding Yaonu really knows a lot!"
"No wonder the maids who served the Empress before were all using the same prescription. The maid who drank the medicine prepared by the female medicine master Ding was cured long ago, while the maid who drank the medicine prepared by the female medicine master Da showed no improvement and eventually developed a serious illness. So that's where the problem lies!"
Hearing everyone pointing fingers and making disparaging remarks about her, the former "Big Medicine Girl" turned green with anger.
He couldn't help but point at the crowd and shout, "Shut up, all of you! These are just petty tricks, nothing to brag about!"
Judge Zhang leisurely stroked his small mustache, seemingly quite satisfied with the result.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "It seems that, as everyone has been watching, Ding Yaonu has won the second round again. Now, only the final round of the competition remains."
His gaze suddenly fell on the former Great Medicine Girl, and seeing her furious expression, he asked her, "This competition is already a best-of-three affair, the outcome is clear, do you still want to continue?"
Unexpectedly, the former master of medicine stared wide-eyed, still unyielding: "Of course, we must continue the competition, even if there is only one round left."
"In that case, the last question of the competition..." Seeing her persistence, Judge Zhang realized she still wouldn't give up even after all this.
As she pondered, she suddenly turned her gaze to Yi Shangyun beside her and said, "How about Her Highness the Princess sets the final question for this competition?"
"I..." Yi Shangyun looked at Zhang Yuanpan's face, and Zhang Yuanpan nodded to her, indicating that it was okay for her.
So, Yi Shangyun looked up and thought for a moment before saying, "The last question of the competition is... benevolence."
"Benevolence?"
What is benevolence?
What is benevolence?
How should one test their benevolence?
Upon hearing this, the crowd erupted into another uproar, and a heated discussion began.
Yi Shangyun then explained, "That's right, benevolence, the benevolence of a doctor, boundless love, practicing medicine to save lives and heal the wounded."
Hearing those four words, Judge Zhang seemed to recognize them. She recalled the past, and for a moment remembered the time she and her colleague cured the Crown Prince of smallpox in the Crown Prince's courtyard. Back then, she was so selfless, her heart and mind only focused on the patients.
Yi Shangyun's kindness and skill still leave a deep impression on him, and he admires her greatly.
Once he came to his senses, he asked, somewhat puzzled, "But how can one test one's benevolence?"
Yi Shangyun thought for a moment, and for some reason, the scene of her first meeting with Xuan Yuanhan suddenly appeared before her eyes.
After a moment's thought, he said, "It's actually quite simple. I have a story to tell... Imagine a dark and windy night when a general from an enemy country is injured while on a mission and collapses by the roadside in a remote mountain area that almost no one passes through. You happen to be passing by and find him there. My question is, if you were in his shoes, would you choose to save him or not?"
Upon hearing this, everyone present began to discuss it animatedly.
"How can we save a general from an enemy country?"
"In my opinion, we should finish him off with another blow now, so that he is completely dead and there will be no future trouble."
...
At this moment, the former Great Medicine Woman glared disdainfully at Yi Shangyun and said passionately, "What kind of question is this? Anyone would choose not to save him. If we save the enemy general today, are we supposed to wait for him to go back, recover from his injuries, and then regroup to destroy you?"
Upon hearing this, Yun Xiu frowned slightly and gave him a calm smile.
At this moment, Dingxiang spoke up: "I will choose to save them."
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at him with questioning eyes.
Ding Xiang calmly explained, "What is benevolence? What is the heart of a doctor like a parent? It means that in the eyes of a doctor, there should be no distractions such as national borders, politics, interests, or money. Everyone is equal. We cannot refuse to treat someone just because he is a criminal and let him fend for himself. That would be extremely immoral."
Upon hearing this, Yi Shangyun was completely stunned.
Judge Zhang clapped his hands excitedly and exclaimed, "Excellent! Very excellent! Today's competition was truly spectacular!"
Having witnessed this competition between the top female healers today, Yi Shangyun couldn't help but sigh at the passage of time.
Time flies. She was happy that the Imperial Pharmacy had such a responsible and dedicated young pharmacist like Dingxiang, and she was also amazed by the profoundness of medicine. So she stood up and said slowly.
The rise and fall of the world
Only medicinal herbs remain in the human world.
Silent yet resolute
With his life
Fighting against the merciless collapse of this world
It was carefully mended and restored
Sunrise and Moonrise
The sea changes into mulberry fields
Every word in the pharmacopoeia
All are the most beautiful poems
How fortunate to be born!
A connection with medicine
Only then did I have the most beautiful encounter in my life.
When you see lives overlapping
Then you'll realize that imperfection is also perfection.
Fallen leaves and flying blossoms offer no solution
Herbs bring warmth to the world
The moon in the night sky
Mountains climbed
The stream crossed
The medicine note I longed for
Ultimately, it becomes eternal life.
In the pitch black night
do not be afraid
Do not back down
Go forward without hesitation
Benevolence in the world
Never left
Upon hearing this, applause erupted instantly, stunning everyone present.
At this point, Judge Zhang finally spoke, concluding, "Alright, all the competitions for today are over. Now I announce... the winner of this competition for the Great Medicine Maiden is... Ding Xiang."
Finally, enthusiastic applause rang out from all around.
Even Zhang Yuanpan's voice was almost drowned out: "She has sacrificed more than any of you. She is a well-deserved great pharmacist. From now on, you must respect her and learn her skills well. It will not be in vain for your hard work in the Imperial Pharmacy all these years."
In an instant, everyone, led by Zhu Yu, surged towards Ding Xiang...
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