Chapter 226 The Empress Dowager's Pulse is Strange
Ye Wanning stood on the throne, watching Lu Zhong leave in a sorry state, without the slightest pity—this was his own doing.
Pei Zhi looked at Ye Wanning standing among the officials, his eyes full of admiration. When she came out, he quickly caught up with her: "Wanning, you did very well."
Ye Wanning looked at him, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Thank you for your support, Lord Pei."
This was their first direct exchange since the Cold War, and their tone was natural and polite, without the previous distance.
The Empress Dowager's old ailment of dizziness has recently flared up again, getting worse day by day, and she often feels dizzy and weak all over.
Every time Ye Wanning examined the Empress Dowager, she felt that her pulse was strange, but she couldn't pinpoint what was wrong.
Until one day, after taking the Empress Dowager's pulse, she drank the Empress Dowager's leftover medicine and smelled a slightly numbing aroma—Aconitum carmichaelii!
Aconitum carmichaelii is highly poisonous; long-term consumption can cause dizziness and weakness, and in severe cases, even death! Who dared to poison the Empress Dowager's medicine?
Ye Wanning discreetly put away the sample of the herbal medicine and secretly investigated.
She discovered that the Empress Dowager's medicine was always prepared and administered by her personal maid, Liu. Liu was an old palace servant of the Empress Dowager, and usually appeared to be extremely loyal.
But Ye Wanning always felt something was wrong, so she had Chuntao secretly follow Granny Liu.
Chun Tao discovers that Granny Liu often meets with a strange man late at night and also delivers packages to him.
Ye Wanning had the man arrested first, and only after questioning him did she learn that he was a servant of the Wei family.
Granny Liu was an old member of the Wei family. When she was young, the Wei family had helped her family, so Prime Minister Wei asked her to add a little aconite to the Empress Dowager's medicine to frame Ye Wanning.
Having figured things out, Ye Wanning immediately ordered a search of Liu Mama's residence. Sure enough, they found Prime Minister Wei's letter in her jewelry box.
The letter detailed how Liu Mama could add aconite to the medicine and frame Ye Wanning.
Ye Wanning took the letter and the sample of the medicine and went to the palace to see the Empress Dowager.
In the warm pavilion of Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager lay on a soft couch, her face pale.
Ye Wanning handed over the letter and sample: "Your Majesty, this is the letter found in Granny Liu's jewelry box, and your medicine—it contains aconite!"
"Granny Liu is a member of the Wei family. Prime Minister Wei ordered her to poison me and tried to frame me!"
After reading the letter, the Empress Dowager trembled with rage: "You wretched Liu! I have treated you well, yet you dare to betray me and even try to harm me!"
"Your Majesty, please calm down and take care of yourself!" Ye Wanning said. "Your Majesty, I have already arrested Granny Liu and the servants of the Wei family, and they have all confessed!"
The Empress Dowager took a deep breath, her eyes turning cold: "Bring Liu Mama here!"
When Granny Liu was brought in and saw the letter and sample, her face turned deathly pale, and she hurriedly knelt down:
"Your Majesty, I...I am innocent! It was Prime Minister Wei who forced me; I dared not disobey! I beg Your Majesty to spare my life!"
"You traitorous wretch!" the Empress Dowager roared. "I treated you like a sister, yet you betrayed me for the sake of the Wei family and even tried to take my life!"
"Guards, beat Granny Liu to death and throw her into a mass grave!"
"Your Majesty, spare my life!" Granny Liu's cries grew fainter and fainter until they finally disappeared completely.
After dealing with Granny Liu, the Empress Dowager looked at Ye Wanning with eyes full of trust: "Wanning, this time I owe you a lot, otherwise I would still be in the dark."
"I know you are a loyal and skilled doctor."
She removed a jade bracelet from her wrist and handed it to Ye Wanning: "This was bestowed upon me by the late Emperor, and I am now rewarding you with it. From this day forward, you are my personal physician, free to enter and leave Cining Palace at any time without prior notice, and no one is allowed to stop you!"
Ye Wanning accepted the jade bracelet and knelt down to express her gratitude: "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty! I will certainly live up to your trust and do my best to treat Your Majesty and protect your safety!"
From that day on, Ye Wanning gained the Empress Dowager's complete trust, and her position in the harem became even more secure.
Pei Zhi witnessed all of this. After learning that Granny Liu was a former member of the Wei family, he sent his secret guards to assist Ye Wanning in gathering evidence and also investigated the connection between Granny Liu and the Wei family.
Ye Wanning had been staying in the palace lately to help the Empress Dowager with her health. One day, while she was administering acupuncture to the Empress Dowager, Pei Zhi happened to arrive.
He looked at Ye Wanning, who was focused and concerned, but didn't go up to disturb her. He just stood aside and watched quietly.
After Ye Wanning finished administering the acupuncture, she turned around and saw him, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Lord Pei, you've arrived."
"Yes, I've come to visit the Empress Dowager." Pei Zhi nodded, his gaze falling on her hands. "Don't overwork yourself."
As the medical heritage center has grown, more and more women want to learn medicine. However, the quality of female doctors in the community varies greatly, and misdiagnosis often occurs.
After careful consideration, Ye Wanning suggested to the emperor the implementation of a "female physician examination system": any woman who wanted to practice medicine would have to pass three examinations: identifying medicines, diagnosing diseases, and practical skills, and only after obtaining a certificate could she legally practice medicine.
However, this proposal was met with opposition from conservative officials as soon as it was put forward.
The Minister of Rites, with tears streaming down his face, knelt down and pleaded, "Your Majesty, this is absolutely forbidden! It is improper for women to show their faces in public to take the exam, and it will likely corrupt social morals!"
"Besides, women with long hair are short-sighted and have no right to practice medicine!"
Other conservative officials chimed in, "The Minister is right! The female physician assessment system must not be implemented! Ye Wanning is trying to overturn the established order and throw the country into chaos!"
The remaining forces of the Wei family were also stirring up trouble behind the scenes, saying that Ye Wanning wanted to use the assessment system to expand her power and control the private medical industry.
The emperor was somewhat undecided and turned to Ye Wanning, asking, "Ye Wanning, do you think this system is feasible?"
"Your Majesty, I think it's feasible!" Ye Wanning said firmly. "Regardless of gender, women can learn medicine and heal the sick!"
"The purpose of implementing the assessment system is not to expand our influence, but to regulate the medical practice of female doctors, prevent misdiagnosis and harm, and protect the safety of the people!"
She then looked at the conservative officials: "Your Excellencies, it has been a tradition for women to practice medicine since ancient times. My mother, Lin Yuewei, was a female doctor who saved lives and benefited the people."
"All the apprentices at the Heritage Center are women. They are skilled in medicine and have the people at heart. They are no less capable than men!"
"That's just sophistry!" the Minister of Rites retorted.
"Whether it's sophistry or not, practice will prove it," Ye Wanning said. "Your Majesty, I humbly request that Your Majesty hold the first-ever examination for female physicians, inviting all officials to witness the ceremony, so that everyone can see whether women are capable of practicing medicine and whether the examination system is beneficial to the country and its people!"
The Empress Dowager, who was already on Ye Wanning's side, immediately spoke up: "Your Majesty, I think Wanning is right. There is nothing wrong with women practicing medicine, and the assessment system is beneficial to the country and the people."
"I am willing to preside over the assessment ceremony so that all officials can witness it!"
Seeing that the Empress Dowager had expressed her opinion, the Emperor agreed: "Very well! The Empress Dowager shall preside over the first examination ceremony for female physicians and invite all officials to observe!"
The examination ceremony was scheduled for a month later at the Heritage Center. Upon hearing the news, male doctors, female doctors, and women aspiring to study medicine all rushed to register.
On the day of the assessment, the heritage center was packed with people, including many officials who came to observe. The assessment consisted of three parts: identifying medicinal herbs, diagnosing ailments, and practical skills.
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