Chapter 118 The Female Physician Ji Nian'an
A thousand years ago.
The military camp at dawn was shrouded in a thin mist.
Ji Nian'an squatted in front of the stove, with coarse cloth wrapped tightly around her chest, making her gasp for breath.
He dabbed some cold ash on his face with his fingertips.
Old cook Uncle Zhang lifted the curtain and was startled to see her covered in soot: "Young man, wouldn't it be better to be a little cleaner? You have to look like the Kitchen God."
Ji Nian'an grinned and deliberately rubbed the ash on the tip of his nose: "The wounded soldiers probably won't dare to let me give them acupuncture when they see a baby-faced doctor."
Before he could finish speaking, a sudden burst of chaotic footsteps erupted outside the camp.
Wang Tiezhu stumbled in, his leggings coming undone: "Ji, Doctor Ji! Several people have collapsed in the general's tent! Their lips are all purple!"
His Adam's apple bobbed. "Doctor Ma said...it's a death warrant!"
The name "Yanwang Tie" was uttered with trembling by doctors; death was certain within three days, no different from a death warrant written by the King of Hell himself.
Ji Nian'an grabbed her silver needles and ran.
As soon as they arrived at the tent, they heard Ma Wenbo from the Imperial Hospital shout in a shrill voice, "Get back! This Yama's Decree will cause your flesh to rot if it touches you. What's the point of treatment? Just take him to the crematorium."
She lifted the curtain, and a wave of sweltering, foul odor hit her.
Five or six soldiers were curled up on the ground convulsing, while the old general in the middle had a purplish-red face.
Ji Nian'an knelt down directly, tearing open the general's clothes. The stench was so strong it made one's eyes sting, and the purplish-black bruises had spread to his heart.
Ma Wenbo grabbed her by the back of her collar: "Are you out of your mind—"
A flash of silver light, and a three-inch-long acupuncture needle had already pierced the general's Hegu acupoint.
Ji Nian'an didn't even turn his head: "Wang Tiezhu! Take the celadon jar from under my bed, scoop out three spoonfuls of corpse worm powder and mix it with strong liquor! Also, cut a section of fresh bamboo!"
Someone cried out, "Why are you cutting bamboo when people are about to die!"
Ji Nian'an shouted, "The King of Hell's Decree is made by corpse worms entering the blood! Bamboo sap mixed with corpse worm powder is a poison to fight poison. If it doesn't work in half a quarter of an hour, I'll die with the general!"
For three whole days, Ji Nian'an moved between the tents, the bamboo tube at his waist jingling.
At midnight, blood was drawn from the seriously wounded; at 1-3 AM, medicine was decocted; and at 3-5 AM, moxibustion was applied to the patient's Zusanli acupoint.
At dawn on the fourth day, Wang Tiezhu lifted her tent flap and saw Ji Nian'an lying on her medicine box, exhausted and unconscious, still clutching half a moxa stick in her hand.
With red-rimmed eyes, Wang Tiezhu nudged her, "Doctor Ji, the General... the General is awake!"
She groggily got up, feeling dizzy and almost stumbled and fell.
Soldiers surrounded the general's tent, and they all made way for her when she arrived.
The old general leaned back on the couch, sipping the specially prepared herbal medicine.
“Young doctor.” The old man grabbed her wrist, his rough thumb rubbing the burn mark on her hand, a mark left by days and nights of moxibustion. “I owe my life to you.”
The old general submitted his memorial requesting commendation for her, and within three days, the imperial edict arrived at the military camp.
"Ji Nian'an is a skilled physician and has rendered meritorious service in saving lives. He shall be appointed to the Imperial Hospital immediately and be granted a set of gold needles and an official robe—" The eunuch delivering the decree drawled, "His Majesty has decreed that he shall accompany me to the palace today to express his gratitude."
Ji Nian'an knelt down to receive the imperial edict, his palms damp with a thin layer of sweat.
Ma Wenbo stood on the outermost edge of the crowd, his eyes sinister.
"Imperial Physician Ma," a junior official behind him whispered, "you should receive your demotion decree soon..."
Ji Nian'an got promoted, but he's getting demoted. Why?
"...effective immediately, he is demoted to a seventh-rank medical officer and his salary is reduced by six months..."
The eunuch's voice was like a dull knife cutting flesh.
Ma Wenbo knelt down, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the old general stroking his beard and sneering.
That old scoundrel impeached him, listing his crimes of dereliction of duty and embezzling medicine for wounded soldiers.
"Your subject...accepts the decree."
He kowtowed heavily, his forehead pressed against the cold bluestone slab.
No one gave him a second glance; Ji Nian'an was surrounded by congratulatory guests like a star orbiting the moon.
"Imperial Physician Ji, let's set off."
The palace's vermilion walls were so high they made one dizzy.
Ji Nian'an followed behind the eunuch, passing through one palace gate after another.
In front of the Golden Palace, the eunuch suddenly stopped and lowered his voice, saying, "His Majesty is listening to the Imperial Advisor cast a divination inside the palace. You shall wait here."
Ji Nian'an stood outside the hall with his head bowed, his heart filled with longing.
She had heard too many legends about this Grand Preceptor.
She was the first woman in thousands of years to stand upright in the Golden Palace.
The coarse cloth tightly bound around my chest suddenly felt painfully tight.
If one day, she too could, as a woman, proudly wield a golden needle...
She slightly raised her eyes and saw a woman in white walking out of the hall, her wide sleeves flowing like clouds, her features exquisite.
—Lu Yao, the Imperial Preceptor.
Ji Nian'an hurriedly tried to kneel, but Lu Yao raised her hand to support her.
"The newly appointed Imperial Physician?" Lu Yao's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, then she chuckled softly, "From now on, you will be my comrade."
The words "comrade-in-arms" were pronounced very lightly, yet they felt like a drop of hot water splashing on Ji Nian'an's heart.
She looked up abruptly and met Lu Yao's smiling eyes.
Those eyes were crystal clear, reflecting her astonished expression.
Ji Nian'an was stunned.
Was she overthinking it?
Or perhaps... the Imperial Advisor truly saw through something?
After expressing his gratitude, Ji Nian'an walked out of the palace gate in his brand-new official robes, only to find Ma Wenbo waiting under the palace wall.
His face had been ashen ever since he was demoted, but at this moment there was a hint of smugness in him.
"Imperial Physician Ji—" he said sarcastically, bowing slightly, "Congratulations on your promotion."
Ji Nian'an didn't want to get entangled and tried to walk away, but he grabbed her wrist.
"What's the rush? We're colleagues, shouldn't we have a good chat?"
He used tremendous force, his nails almost digging into her flesh.
Ji Nian'an struggled but failed to break free, and said coldly, "What does Physician Ma mean by this?"
Ma Wenbo leaned close to her ear, "You think you can get away with this?"
His voice was very low, but every word was like a knife, "Just now when I was changing clothes in the side hall, I saw the breast wrap of our Imperial Physician Ji."
Ji Nian'an's blood froze instantly.
Ma Wenbo looked at her pale face with satisfaction, released her hand, took a step back, and hypocritically straightened her collar: "Tomorrow at noon, in a private room at Zuixianlou. If you don't come..."
He smiled meaningfully, "The Imperial Medical Academy probably can't tolerate a female imperial physician who deceives the emperor."
The sound of guards' footsteps came from afar. Ma Wenbo immediately took two steps back and laughed loudly, "Imperial Physician Ji is young and promising. I will definitely seek his guidance another day!"
That night, Ji Nian'an tossed and turned in the imperial physician's office, unable to sleep.
Suddenly, a soft "thud" came from outside the window; something had hit her window frame.
She pushed open the window and saw Lu Yao leaning against the old locust tree by the palace wall in the moonlight, her fingertips twirling a copper coin.
"Little Imperial Physician," Lu Yao said with a half-smile, "you look so worried, have you encountered a difficult and complicated illness that you can't solve?"
Ji Nian'an stood there, stunned.
A night breeze swept by, and the cloth binding her hair suddenly came loose, letting her long hair cascade down like a waterfall.
The smile in Lu Yao's eyes clearly showed that she had already seen through everything.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
