Chapter 112 You Still Have a Way
Ye Wanning took the erhu, gently stroked the patterns on the body, and said with a smile, "Alright, I want to see how good General Pei's erhu skills are."
Pei Zhi sat down on the stone bench in the courtyard, placed the erhu on his lap, adjusted the strings, and began to play. But as a military general, he was adept at wielding swords and spears, yet playing the erhu was somewhat difficult for him.
The melody of "Phoenix Seeking Its Mate" was supposed to be gentle and tender, but in his hands it was intermittent, stumbling, and several parts were out of tune. Ye Wanning couldn't help but chuckle, took out a silver scribe from her pocket, and started tapping several teacups on the coffee table.
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!" The crisp sound of the cups mingled with the music of the erhu, creating a surprisingly harmonious sound. Upon hearing the crisp sounds, Pei Zhi gradually stabilized the rhythm of his erhu playing.
He watched Ye Wanning completely absorbed in her music. Sunlight streamed down from behind her, making her cheeks slightly flushed, which looked beautiful. His fingers plucked the strings, his heart filled with sweetness, and the melody he played unconsciously became gentler.
When the music ended, the courtyard fell silent again. Pei Zhi put away his erhu, walked to Ye Wanning's side, took her hand, and smiled, "You really have a way with things, otherwise I would have been really embarrassed."
"Who told you to only know how to fight and not learn anything refined?" Ye Wanning laughed, but still couldn't help praising, "But the last part was pretty good, you've improved."
“That’s because you’re accompanying me.” Pei Zhi sat down next to her and placed the erhu in her hands. “You should try it too, play a piece you like.”
Ye Wanning shook her head: "I can't play the violin, so forget it."
“It’s okay, I’ll teach you.” Pei Zhi held her hand and placed it on the strings. “Look, press the strings like this, and then pull the bow…” His palm enveloped her hand, and the warmth of his body traveled to her fingertips, making Ye Wanning’s heart skip a beat.
Following Pei's instructions, she gently plucked the string, and the erhu made a "creaking" sound. "Not bad, play it like that, play it again, play a simple tune." Pei Zhi smiled and helped her adjust her posture.
"Mmm." Ye Wanning nodded and slowly pulled the bow. Although she was still quite clumsy, it was much better than Pei Zhi's first attempt. Pei Zhi looked at her serious expression, smiled, and kissed her forehead.
"Oh dear." Ye Wanning blushed, her hand trembled, and the erhu played even worse, making the sound even more jarring. "Stop playing." She quickly put down the erhu and turned her head away, not daring to look at him.
Pei Zhi couldn't help but laugh, hugging her from behind: "What's there to be shy about? We're husband and wife, what's wrong with a kiss?"
"Who's shy?" Ye Wanning retorted stubbornly, but still nestled in his arms, her heart filled with sweetness. Pei Zhi picked up his erhu and played another simple tune, while Ye Wanning continued to accompany him by tapping her teacup with a scratching needle.
Sunlight bathed them, the sounds of the erhu and the clinking of glasses blending together, creating a warm and beautiful atmosphere. "From now on, I'll play the erhu, and you'll accompany me, for the rest of our lives," Pei Zhi whispered in her ear, putting down his instrument, his voice so gentle it could melt water.
Ye Wanning nodded, leaning against him, her heart filled with anticipation.
When the people from the Imperial Medical Academy came to invite Ye Wanning to the palace to explain the ways of female physicians, she was organizing the medical books left by her mother. The visitors said that the imperial physicians still had doubts about female physicians and wanted her to talk about the advantages and importance of female physicians to dispel their concerns.
Ye Wanning felt a little nervous. Although her medical skills were good, this was her first time lecturing in front of so many imperial physicians. "I... can I not go?" she asked softly.
“Miss Ye, this is the Emperor’s will and the Imperial Medical Academy’s requirement. You should go.” The man smiled. “Don’t worry, the imperial physicians are all upright people and will not make things difficult for you.”
Ye Wanning had no choice but to agree: "I'll go."
Back in her room, she was restless and didn't eat well at dinner. Pei Zhi noticed her unease and laughed, "It's just a lecture, what's there to be afraid of? Aren't you very capable when you're treating patients and explaining their conditions?"
“That’s different.” Ye Wanning shook her head. “Those imperial physicians are all senior and renowned doctors. If I, a woman, were to talk about medicine in front of them, wouldn’t they think I’m showing off my limited skills? What if I’m wrong? Not only would I lose face, but I would also implicate the women’s medical clinic.”
Pei Zhi put down the military book in his hand, walked over to her, squatted down, and held her hand: "Silly girl, how could you presume to teach someone who is not an expert? Your mother is Lady Su Wan, and even the head of the Imperial Medical Academy had to consult her back then; you yourself have saved many people, and even the Empress Dowager praised your medical skills. Why should those imperial physicians look down on you?"
He paused, his eyes resolute: "Besides, it's only natural for female doctors to treat patients. You're going to give lectures to help more people recognize female doctors and enable more women to practice medicine and save lives. This is a meritorious deed, so what's there to be afraid of?"
Ye Wanning looked at him, still somewhat uncertain: "I'm afraid they'll make things difficult for me, asking me a question I can't answer and embarrassing me."
“Then let’s have a simulation exercise.” Pei Zhi stood up with a smile and pulled her to sit down. “I’ll be the head of the Imperial Medical Academy and deliberately make things difficult for you. You can argue with me. After practicing a few more times, you won’t be afraid anymore.”
Ye Wanning hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, let's begin now."
Pei Zhi cleared his throat, deliberately put on a stern face, and imitated the tone of an old minister, saying in a deep voice: "Miss Ye, since ancient times, medicine has been a man's business. What kind of propriety is it for a woman to show her face in public and practice medicine? Isn't this immoral and corrupting?"
Ye Wanning was taken aback, not expecting him to be so sharp right off the bat. She took a few deep breaths to compose herself and retorted, "Your Excellency is wrong! Healing and saving lives are not limited by gender. In ancient times, there was a female physician named Qi Bo who saved countless people. Even the late emperor bestowed upon her the title of 'Lady of the World-Saving County.' Does that mean she is immoral?"
She paused, then her tone became more firm: "Women are more perceptive and have an advantage in gynecology and pediatrics. Many female patients are afraid of losing face and are unwilling to see male doctors, which ultimately delays their treatment. If there were more female doctors, many tragedies could be avoided. Isn't that a good thing?"
Pei Zhi, who had been pretending to be unhappy, couldn't help but laugh: "Well said! Let me ask you again, women can study medicine, but your books were all left by your mother. Maybe you just memorized them by rote and don't have any real skills. How can you teach others?"
“My mother’s book is just a reference. I have also summarized many methods when treating patients. For example, in the case of difficult labor, my mother’s book says to use acupuncture to induce labor, but I will adjust the needle position and intensity according to the mother’s constitution, and the effect is better. When treating roseola infantum, I will add some mild herbs to the medicine to make the child less painful. These are all my own summaries, not rote memorization.”
Pei Zhi couldn't help but clap his hands and cheer: "Perfect! See, you've explained it so well, there's nothing to be afraid of, we'll definitely be able to intimidate them tomorrow!"
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