Chapter 106 Just to put her mind at ease
The next day, the letter read: "I inspected the first post station today, and the soldiers are all doing well. I drank your calming tea and slept soundly." A steaming teacup was drawn on the note. Ye Wanning held the letter, imagining Pei Zhi drinking tea and sleeping, and a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips. Remembering the harsh winds and sandstorms of the Northwest that could damage her lungs, she quickly brewed some medicinal ointment, put it in a porcelain bottle, and sent it over, along with fresh crabapple blossoms, adding a note: "The sandstorms are strong; remember to apply the ointment. The crabapple blossoms were just picked, so you can enjoy their fresh scent."
On the third day, Pei Zhi's letter was filled with amusing anecdotes from the Northwest: "Today I saw a gazelle, it ran so fast, I almost caught it. Your ointment is very effective, my throat feels much better after applying it. The crabapple blossoms smell wonderful, I put them by my pillow." He also drew a picture of a gazelle running and stumbling, which was quite comical. Ye Wanning laughed out loud when she read the letter, and replied telling him not to chase the gazelle, and also told him that the children at Ci'an Hall missed him, and that Xiao Douzi had drawn a picture of him riding a horse, which was pasted in the courtyard.
In the days that followed, daily correspondence became Ye Wanning's greatest concern. Pei Zhi's letters sometimes described the progress of his inspection tour, sometimes the scenery of the Northwest, sometimes drew funny little animals, and occasionally wrote "I miss your red bean buns" or "I miss your little tiger." In her replies, Ye Wanning would tell him about things in the capital, the patients at the clinic, the children's daily lives, and the newly developed prescriptions.
On one occasion, a guard reported that Pei Zhi had encountered a small group of bandits while on patrol. Although the attack was resolved, he had sustained minor injuries. Ye Wanning was immediately alarmed and quickly prepared medicine for his wounds, sending it to the guard that very night. The letter contained numerous instructions: "How serious are your injuries? Have you applied the medicine on time? Take good care of yourself, and don't always be at the forefront..."
Early the next morning, Pei Zhi's reply arrived. The letter contained a drawing of an injured tiger cub, with the note: "It's nothing, just a minor injury. Your medicine has healed it. I'll be careful, don't worry." He also included a small wolf hair, saying it was from a wolf belonging to bandits, a keepsake for her. Ye Wanning held the wolf hair, tears welling in her eyes, but she smiled and placed the wolf hair and letter together in a brocade box. That was Pei Zhi for you; no matter how dangerous the situation, he always spoke of it lightly, just to put your mind at ease.
A month later, Pei Zhi was finally going to return. Ye Wanning had prepared everything in advance, making his favorite red bean buns, brewing calming tea, and cleaning the general's mansion spotless.
As soon as Pei Zhi appeared at the door, Ye Wanning rushed up and threw herself into his arms: "You're back!"
"I'm back." Pei Zhi hugged her tightly, resting his chin on the top of her head. "I'm sorry you had to go through all this trouble."
Ye Wanning looked up at him, her eyes instantly reddening as she saw his travel-worn appearance: "Are you hurt? Did you eat properly?"
"You're not injured and you've eaten well." Pei Zhi smiled and took out a brocade bag. "These are raisins and almonds I brought for you, and this too."
Besides dried fruit, the brocade pouch also contained a small jade tiger, made of warm and delicate Hetian jade from Northwest China. "Knowing you like tigers, I bought this for you," Jin'er said.
Ye Wanning took the little jade tiger and hugged it tightly to her chest: "I like it, thank you, sister."
The two entered the mansion, and Ye Wanning neatly placed his letters one by one on the table: "I've kept all your letters. When we're old, we can take them out and look at them to reminisce about your days in the Northwest."
...
After Ye Wanning's medical books were published one after another, they were bestsellers and even spread to other prefectures and counties. But one day, rumors suddenly spread in the capital that her medical books were plagiarized from the works of Zhang Jingyue, a male physician of the previous dynasty, and that she, as a woman, could not possibly have written such profound medical books, and that they were only able to be published because of Pei Zhi's influence.
The rumors spread like wildfire, with some even posting anonymous letters at the entrance of the female doctor's clinic, accusing her of being a "deceitful fraud" and "shameless." Business at the clinic gradually declined, with fewer and fewer patients than before.
Ye Wanning stared at the anonymous letter by the door, feeling both angry and aggrieved. This medical book was the culmination of two generations of her and her mother's hard work. Many of the prescriptions in the book were created by her mother, and it also incorporated her own years of medical experience. How could it be plagiarism?!
"Miss, please don't take it to heart, these are all rumors!" Chun Tao said angrily. "Someone must be jealous of you and is deliberately spreading rumors!"
“I know it’s a rumor, but everyone believes it.” Ye Wanning sighed. “If we can’t prove our innocence, not only will we lose the medical book, but we’ll also lose the women’s clinic.”
Just then, Pei Zhi returned. He had just heard the rumors from the palace, and his face changed drastically: "Who dares to spout such nonsense and slander my Wan Ning!"
"I don't know, it was leaked anonymously." Ye Wanning shook her head, her eyes filled with helplessness. "They said my medical book plagiarized Zhang Jingyue's, but I haven't read his book at all!"
"It's alright, I'll get to the bottom of this." Pei Zhi grasped her hand, his eyes resolute. "Your medical book is the result of your and your mother-in-law's hard work; we can't let them slander you like this!"
That night, Pei Zhi led his guards to the royal library. The library was filled with books, and Zhang Jingyue's works were placed in a corner, covered in dust. Pei Zhi and his guards searched by lamplight, turning page by page, until late at night, when they finally found Zhang Jingyue's "Classified Canon".
He flipped through the book and found that although some of the prescriptions were similar to those in Ye Wanning's medical book, there were essential differences: Ye Wanning's medical book focused more on practice, and many prescriptions had detailed instructions on usage and dosage, as well as her own annotations; while Zhang Jingyue's work was more theoretical, and it was written twenty years later than Su Wan's manuscript.
"Found it!" Pei Zhi excitedly closed the book and found Su Wan's manuscript from back then in the corner. The manuscript was written on silk paper, somewhat yellowed but very complete. The prescriptions on it were exactly the same as those in Ye Wanning's medical book, and it also had Su Wan's signature and date—twenty years earlier than Zhang Jingyue's work.
The next morning, Pei Zhi, carrying Su Wan's manuscript and Zhang Jingyue's book, went straight to the palace. The Emperor had already heard the rumors and was somewhat angry. After reading the manuscript, he immediately understood: "So someone is slandering Miss Ye! I knew it! Miss Ye's book is well-organized and full of experience; how could it be plagiarism!"
"Your Majesty is wise!" Pei Zhi said. "I beg Your Majesty to clear Miss Ye's name and restore the innocence of Miss Ye and her mother-in-law!"
The Emperor immediately issued an edict summoning all civil and military officials and renowned physicians of the capital to publicly display the medical books and manuscripts in the court. When Su Wan's manuscripts were brought out, all doubts vanished.
The renowned doctors praised it highly after seeing it:
"Madam Su is truly a miracle doctor! These prescriptions are even more ingenious than Zhang Jingyue's!"
“Miss Ye’s book inherits Madam Su’s medical skills, how could it be plagiarism!”
Pei Zhi also wrote a postscript for Ye Wanning's book, his handwriting heavy and weighty: "This book was written by two generations of the Su family, based on decades of practice, and the prescriptions listed have saved countless lives. Zhang Jingyue's book from the previous dynasty was written twenty years later than this book. The claim of plagiarism is pure fabrication. Pei Zhi respectfully writes this postscript."
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