Dialectical genius
Bai Shu decided to "support herself" and followed Tai Shiyi to the streets to find a son-in-law.
The more I searched, the colder my heart became, chilled to the bone.
"Asking about dowry right off the bat, what's the difference between that and weighing a person like a pig?" the Grand Historian said indignantly. "Don't they even know their own worth!"
Bai Shu sighed and asked her, "How's it going with your family's inquiries?"
Tai Shiyi said, "Don't even mention it. My father and uncle have already inquired in other prefectures."
Families of historians were more prestigious than families of imperial physicians, but also poorer.
"You want to marry someone from another place?" Bai Shu was stunned. She said, "How can this be? It will be so difficult to go home in the future. You can't do that."
“There’s no other way,” Taishi Yi said. “I’ll be seventeen next month, and I don’t want to cause my parents to get punished. It’s easier to find someone in a prefecture than in the capital.”
A troublesome person.
Bai Zhu didn't know how to comfort her, so he said, "How about we find a son-in-law to live with us?"
Taishi Yi laughed at her: "Sister, what kind of wealthy and noble family do we have? We can't even afford a dowry, how can we find a son-in-law?"
This is even more worrying.
Atractylodes macrocephala is sad.
Taishi Yi comforted her, saying, "You still have more than half a year to go, no rush. My father said that things should get much better once this storm passes. There's also the spring imperial examination in between, so keep an eye out for the scholars coming to the capital; there might be an opportunity."
Bai Shu said, "The thought of you marrying far away and not seeing me again makes me so sad."
Taishiyi hugged her and said, "I will write to you, and you must remember to write to me too."
The two little girls were hugging each other and crying.
When Bai Zhu returned home, the Bai family members were careful with their words, and dared not even mention the word "meat".
The old physician Bai also began visiting his former colleagues to inquire about which families had eligible young men. He found out about a few, but when he returned and told his parents, they were not very satisfied.
Several more days passed, and then one afternoon, Taishi Yi burst into Bai Shu's room in a flurry of activity, saying, "Quick! Quick! The palace is recruiting people, let's go to the palace together!"
"Huh?" Bai Shu was completely confused. Before he could even ask a few questions, Taishi Yi dragged him out of the room. Bai Shu staggered as he was dragged and asked, "Explain yourself clearly, what do you mean by entering the palace?"
It couldn't be explained in a few words. Tai Shiyi dragged Bai Shu along as they ran wildly through the bustling Xuande Street: "It's too late! There are so many people! We've filled all the slots! If we're any later, there won't be any left!"
As Taishiyi ran along the road, he said to Baishu, "The palace just released a batch of palace servants, and today they are recruiting palace servants at Xuande Square. Originally, they were going to recruit for three days, but there were so many people that they filled up in just one day. Many young ladies from wealthy families also signed up. My father pulled several strings to get me into the Tongshi Bureau. Once I'm in the palace, I won't have to get married, so you'd better hurry up."
"No, wait..." Bai Shu was completely confused. "Didn't you say you'd rather die than become a lady-in-waiting?"
"Oh dear, what time is it? Who cares about these things!" Tai Shiyi said, pulling Bai Shu along as they ran, pushing through the crowd. "Excuse me, excuse me, please."
Finally, they arrived at Xuande Square before sunset, where there were still many people. However, the nobles who came out of the palace had already begun to pack up their writing implements. A man who looked like a eunuch brushed away the brides who were clutching his sleeves and said, "I've said that the Weaver Girls have all been recruited. Instead of dawdling with me, you should go and see if there are any seats left in the kitchen. Get out of here!"
Xuande Square is very large; as far as the eye can see, it is packed with people.
Bai Shu was so dizzy from being pulled around by Taishi Yi that Taishi Yi was also dizzy, and they went from seat to seat asking if there were any seats available.
The kitchen was full.
The next testing room was also full.
Bai Shu and Tai Shi Yi ran quickly, and unexpectedly bumped into a young woman. The woman cried out in pain, rubbing her back, and got up, scolding the two of them, "What's wrong with you two? Aren't you watching where you're going?"
Bai Shu and Tai Shiyi hurriedly apologized, saying, "We were in a hurry. We saw that the nobles in the palace were about to return, so we were too anxious."
The young woman glanced at the two women, then, no longer bothered by their bumping into her, kindly said, "The palace departments are almost full, and they're very selective. You two can't just run around aimlessly; you don't have any special skills, so you won't catch the eye of the nobles. I'm from the Zheng family of tofu makers in the west of the city; I know how to make tofu, which is why the kitchen staff hired me. What can you do?"
Tai Shiyi looked at Bai Shu, who said, "I think..." She thought for a moment and then said, "...I might eat tofu?"
That's the only solution.
Zheng Xiaoniangzi looked at Bai Shu, her eyes filled with speechlessness.
"I am Taishiyi, and I have just joined the Tongshi Bureau." Taishiyi then hurriedly asked Zheng Xiaoniangzi, "Which departments are still not full? Let's go and try our luck."
“Look,” Madam Zheng had clearly walked around quite a bit, and pointed into the distance, saying, “That’s the Imperial Medical Bureau, they’re recruiting female physicians. But they have to test your medical knowledge, it’s very strict, that’s why they haven’t filled all the positions.”
The Imperial Medical Bureau! Tai Shiyi's eyes lit up. He had searched high and low without finding it, but it came to him without any effort. Wasn't this the position that Heaven had reserved for Bai Zhu?
Taishi Yi thanked Xiao Zheng Niangzi and then pulled Bai Shu towards the territory of the Imperial Medical Bureau.
The people at the Imperial Medical Bureau were also packing up their writing materials.
There was nothing they could do; the Imperial Medical Bureau had high standards, so it was normal that they couldn't find female physicians. The Imperial Medical Bureau was used to this.
Taishi Yi and Bai Shu, panting heavily, clung to the desk of the Imperial Medical Bureau.
"Wait, wait!" Tai Shiyi gasped for breath, pointing at Bai Shu, "And her, she wants to register."
The Imperial Physician looked Bai Shu up and down. The fair-skinned young woman had big, innocent-looking eyes that seemed to hold a kind of naivety. She didn't look like someone who was skilled in medicine.
He was just about to send the two girls away to play when he suddenly twitched his nose and smelled a herbal fragrance.
The clerk asked, "Do you know medicine?"
Bai Shu was very honest and was about to say "I don't understand" when Tai Shiyi slammed his hand on the table and answered for her: "She understands!"
No… Bai Shu frowned and looked at Tai Shiyi, who gave her a look that said, “Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.”
The clerk rebuked the Grand Historian, saying, "I'm asking her, why are you interrupting?"
The clerk put down the case file and asked Bai Shu, "What's your name?"
Bai Zhu said, "Bai Zhu, Bai Zhu that strengthens the spleen and dries dampness."
The clerk gave Bai Shu a serious look, and the Grand Historian interjected, "She is a servant of the Bai family."
Ouch!
"So you're the daughter of the Bai family's honored guest!" Upon hearing this, the clerk immediately stood up to greet her, smiling kindly. "Oh dear, why didn't you say so sooner? How is your grandfather's health? Oh dear, I saw you when you were little, and you've grown into such a beautiful young lady that I didn't recognize you at first glance."
The clerk was about to exchange pleasantries with Bai Shu when the Grand Historian, concerned about Bai Shu's marriage, interrupted, saying, "My lord, there's no rush. It's getting late, and we shouldn't delay you from your shift. I wonder if Bai Shu could join the Imperial Medical Bureau?"
"Sure! Oh dear, if Bai Gongfeng's daughter can't get into the Imperial Medical Academy, then the Imperial Medical Academy won't be able to recruit any female doctors, haha." The clerk joked, adding Bai Shu's name with a stroke of his pen, "Gynecology and Pediatrics, is that alright? This is the only vacancy we have."
Bai Shu was completely bewildered. She knew nothing about the Imperial Medical Bureau, not even which way the door faced. She nodded in confusion and said, "Okay."
The clerk beamed with joy and praised her, saying, "Young Miss Bai is indeed from a family with a profound medical tradition. When you return, please give my regards to your grandfather and parents. Your two brothers are also young and skilled in medicine; they have a bright future ahead of them."
Bai Shu was no longer sure what expression she had. Her smile was so stiff that she felt her face was about to twitch. She said, "You flatter me too much. I don't deserve it..."
Bai Zhu entered the Imperial Medical Bureau in a daze.
When I got home, I was completely dazed.
Taishiyi also told her, "Don't be afraid. I don't know anything either. It's okay. We can learn as we go. My father said to find a mentor and we'll get the hang of it in a few days. Once we get through this storm, we can leave the palace in a few years. We'll have money, we won't need to get married, and we'll have a good reputation. Isn't that great?"
Bai Zhu thought about it and realized that her best friend made a good point.
Bai Shu returned home and told her parents and grandfather about her entry into the Imperial Medical Bureau, which shocked everyone in the room.
"You, you, you, say that again?" Bai Gongfeng's hand, pointing at Bai Shu, trembled like a leaf. "You want to join the Imperial Medical Academy? Which department? Not General Medicine, right?"
Bai Shu shook his head. "No."
"That's good, that's good." Bai Gongfeng breathed a sigh of relief and said, "With your half-baked skills, you'd be doomed if you tried to perform before the Emperor. Which department did you enter, prescriptions or processing?"
Bai Zhu replied, "Gynecology and pediatrics."
"What? Gynecology and pediatrics? Minor pulse diagnosis?" Bai Gongfeng gasped for breath, nearly fainting. Madam Bai quickly patted his back, speaking words of comfort.
Bai Zhu humbly inquired, "What does the Department of Gynecology and Pediatrics do?"
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Bai Shu then said, "Tai Shiyi said that we can learn by doing, and with a master to guide us, we can get the hang of it in three to five days?"
With a "crack," Bai Gongfeng lost his grip on the teacup that Madam Bai handed him, and the white porcelain teacup shattered into pieces.
Old Physician Bai tapped his cane and stamped his foot, saying, "You brat! How can our medical profession be compared to their historical records? Huh? They think they can do it just by being literate, while we can learn in three or five days? What are you thinking? In our line of work, it takes three years of apprenticeship, five and a half years, and even ten years of hard study, and you might not be able to open your own practice. You think you can do it in three or five days? You, you, you're... deceiving the emperor!"
This is a disgrace to our family, a complete loss of face for our ancestors! What a terrible misfortune for our family!
The reputation of this centuries-old family of imperial physicians is about to be ruined by Bai Shu.
No, ruining one's reputation is a minor matter; the real problem is that harming a benefactor could be fatal!
The Bai family was on high alert.
With only a few days left before entering the palace, the Bai family was busy running around, their legs practically giving out.
Bai Shu's father, her eldest brother, her second brother, and her fourth brother split up and begged and pleaded with all their colleagues and classmates at the Imperial Medical Academy.
Bai Zhu's father said, "My daughter is unruly and uneducated. She accidentally ended up in the gynecology and pediatrics department. I hope you can take care of her and be more tolerant."
The people at the Imperial Medical Bureau all felt that the Bai family was being modest, and even a little boastful. Upon hearing that Bai Shu had entered the Department of Gynecology and Pediatrics, they all became respectful and said, "Your daughter is indeed from a family with profound medical knowledge, and she has set her sights on Gynecology and Pediatrics. We admire her greatly. Your Excellency is too kind to say that. We will certainly have to ask your daughter for guidance."
—Gynecology and pediatrics? Bah, even a dog wouldn't do that.
The Bai family: They have something to say but can't say it.
There's another story behind this. Bai's father was a doting father to his daughter. When Bai Shu was little, he would boast to everyone how clever and adorable his daughter was, even smarter than the two boys. As a result, his colleagues at the Imperial Medical Bureau all knew that the Bai family had produced a child prodigy. Little did they expect that Bai Shu would grow up to be such a lazy, good-for-nothing. But since he had already made that boast, Bai's father didn't want to go back on his word.
Now, Father Bai regrets it, saying it would have been better to slap himself in the face sooner rather than wait for his own daughter to do so.
Bai Shu's grandfather, leaning on his cane, visited old friends and students one by one, inquiring about which physician Bai Shu had been assigned to. He hoped that if he could get in touch with her, that would be best, at least so that his own people could keep an eye on her and prevent her from causing a major disaster.
Bai Shu wasn't idle either; she spent these last few days studying intensively, learning as much as she could. Her teacher... was her five-year-old nephew, Bai Zhou.
Bai Shu felt insulted and protested to her grandfather, but the old physician Bai said, "Kaimeng'er, Xiao Zhou, that's enough."
Bai Zhu followed her chubby little nephew and learned the "Four Diagnostic Methods, Five Elements, Six Evils, Seven Evils, and Eight Principles" from scratch.
That's incredibly insulting!
Atractylodes macrocephala wept, and then...
Yes, she was too stupid and insulted Mr. Bai Zhou.
Bai Zhou explained to Bai Shu the different types of insomnia: "Restlessness, red tongue and yellow urine indicate excessive heart fire; frequent dreams and easy waking, pale face and palpitations indicate deficiency of both heart and spleen; restlessness and lower back pain, imbalance of water and fire, indicate disharmony between heart and kidney; chest tightness and greasy tongue coating, heaviness of the head and nausea, indicate phlegm-heat disturbing the heart..."
Bai Shu tilted his head, biting the pen, his clear, foolish eyes filled with only a bewildered confusion.
"Wait a minute." Bai Zhu couldn't listen anymore, becoming more and more confused. She asked, "I don't understand. Both excessive heart fire and heart-kidney disharmony cause irritability. How can I tell whether it's due to excessive heart fire or insufficient kidney water causing excessive heart fire? Is there a difference?"
Bai Zhou explained, "Excessive heart fire is a real fire, a sign of heat; disharmony between the heart and kidneys is a deficiency fire, with symptoms of yin deficiency such as lower back pain and dry mouth."
“No,” Bai Zhu frowned. “If heart fire is real fire, a heat symptom that burns body fluids, then isn’t that dry mouth? So it’s yin deficiency. Also, you said that deficiency of both heart and spleen can cause palpitations and chest tightness, and phlegm-heat disturbing the heart can also cause palpitations and chest tightness. Then what’s the difference between blood deficiency and phlegm blockage?”
Bai Zhou scratched his head, thought through what the old physician Bai had said, and said in a childish voice, "There are differences. Deficiency of both heart and spleen is emptiness and panic, while phlegm and heat is stuffiness and blockage. The tongue and pulse are also different."
"Please allow me to sort this out."
Bai Shu felt that her brain was currently half clear water and half clear flour. When she wasn't thinking, the two were clearly distinct. But as soon as this dialectic of Yin and Yang, the Five Elements and the Eight Principles started to swirl in her mind, the water and flour mixed together and turned into a bowl of paste.
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