Chapter 60 (combined with Chapter 60)
To celebrate Miaozhen's selection for the palace, her in-laws hosted a banquet and invited guests to their home. Miaozhen felt both embarrassed and touched. In any case, in the years since she married into the Xiao family, her in-laws had treated her well, her sisters-in-law had gotten along well, and her husband, though usually quiet, was very fond of her.
Many guests came to the Xiao family, and whenever someone boasted about their trip to the capital, Miaozhen would always be modest: "I don't know how things went in the capital yet, so please don't praise me."
Actually, being selected this time was entirely due to being already on the list last time, and then being chosen again from among them. Of course, whether the Huang family helped her or not, Miaozhen still doesn't know.
A member of the Xiao family whispered among themselves, "Jing Shi is a proud man. No matter what he does, he feels that he deserves it and that it is so appropriate. But Jing Shi's wife is a very humble person. I just went to congratulate her, and she repeatedly said that she was just lucky."
"Yes, she's very kind. Last time I came to her house to borrow grain, she was in charge of the household and treated me to tea and snacks. She didn't treat me perfunctorily at all."
...
These praises fully illustrate one thing: when a person gets better, they are surrounded by praise.
But these so-called compliments are only temporary. Most people are probably waiting for her to build a tall building and entertain guests, only to fall from grace. Therefore, she should focus more on the exam and diligently study medicine and medical techniques. Otherwise, she will be ridiculed for failing the exam after making such a big fuss. Secondly, she should consider the issue of raising her two children.
The first thing was easy to do, but the second thing was difficult.
The journey for her and Xiao Jingshi to Beijing was much longer than to Nanjing, and if neither of them were home, the child would need a reliable family member to accompany him.
She wasn't comfortable leaving the child at home in Suzhou. Everyone loves their own child, and besides her and her husband, who else would truly care for the child?
At this moment, her father and mother came over, and Xu Erpeng said to her, "Your mother has been holding a grudge about the last time I sent you to Nanjing alone. This time, let her go with you. Your older brother Jian is twelve years old, and your younger brother is eight. They can stay home and study on their own, so they can stay with me at home."
"Mother~" Miaozhen looked at Madam Mei in disbelief. You know, her mother is now the matriarch of a family and has many things to do. She never thought her mother would help.
Madam Mei laughed and said, "Silly girl, how could your mother not go to such an honorable event? If it weren't for the fact that the capital is so far away, your father would go too."
Miaozhen held their hands and said, "Father and Mother have shown me such great kindness and virtue that I have no way to repay you."
“As a family, we should help each other out, so why are you saying this?” Seeing her daughter like this, Madam Mei was very happy for her.
Suddenly, she remembered what Xu Erpeng had said to her that night: "It's easy to add flowers to brocade, but it's hard to provide charcoal in the snow. Even if our daughter gets married, she will still be our daughter. The Xiao family is wealthy and powerful, and we can't compare to them, but we can help with these things. Wouldn't our daughter be moved? Besides, she is a grateful person, and she will definitely treat you even better in the future."
Madam Mei hurriedly said, "I'll go, why bother calculating so clearly?"
But her husband said, “If there is resentment in your heart, you will always have trouble getting along with her. Now I will tell you the pros and cons. Just help her well, and your daughter will repay you in the future.”
"Am I the kind of person who does this?" Madam Mei shook her head.
The husband laughed and said, "We reward outsiders for running errands, so how can we not accept help from our own family? It's perfectly normal. I went with my daughter and got a government stipend and a degree. My son-in-law went with my daughter and even the brother of the Prime Minister Huang was able to host a banquet. Even if you don't get any official position or connections, I think my daughter will definitely treat you well."
Sometimes, Mei felt that her husband was too calculating, which seemed a bit inappropriate. But then she thought about it again and realized that he was right. Everyone has emotions and desires, and everyone gives and receives. Her husband explained the pros and cons to her beforehand, instead of her impulsively offering to help. Once on the ship, she would miss her son, and her daughter would inevitably see it.
Sure enough, seeing her daughter like this today, Madam Mei felt a surge of warmth in her heart and said those words.
With her parents' help, Miaozhen was even more powerful. The Xiao family provided a boat as usual, and also took the three scholars who were going to the capital with them. Xiao Jingshi sent someone to tell them the date of their departure. The family began to get busy.
First, they packed their belongings: Miaozhen's own clothes, the children's clothes, Xiao Jingshi's clothes, food, medicine, and so on.
Accompanying her to the capital were soldiers from the manor, and they hired another boat. Xiao Jingshi specially arranged for Qingfeng and Mingyue to accompany her for a meal.
Once the Dragon Boat Festival was over, everyone set off together. Madam Ren was reluctant to part with her two grandchildren, but Fu Jie'er and Zhao Ge'er were usually taken care of by Miao Zhen. Rather than staying at home with their grandparents, the two of them preferred to travel with their parents.
The weather in May wasn't too hot yet, and Miaozhen was dressed in a light shirt, which was just right. When Madam Mei noticed that her daughter's facial features had become more defined, she actually looked even more beautiful and charming. She couldn't help but say, "Zhenzhen, why do I think you've become more beautiful?"
“I think so too.” In fact, Miaozhen could also sense that since giving birth, her psychological burden had not been so heavy. Every day, besides taking care of her medical care and housekeeping, she was also taking care of her own body.
Get plenty of sleep, nourish yourself regularly, pay attention to your diet, and don't spend all your time hunched over a desk. When you're healthy, you'll have a good complexion, fair and rosy skin, and a slender figure. Even if you don't have striking features, you'll still have the aura of a beautiful woman.
Mei had the same problem as Xiao Jingshi: whenever someone said that someone was unwell, they would also think that they were sick. Mei's problem was: "I have noticed that I am getting thinner and thinner. There is no flesh on my arms, and the skin is loose. I don't know why?"
Although it's said that it's hard to be thin in old age, muscle loss is significant with age. Miaozhen knew her mother didn't like meat and only ate a bowl of porridge for breakfast, thinking she was being healthy. Therefore, she said, "Eat with me, and I guarantee you'll be well taken care of on this journey."
So for breakfast on the first day, she made Mei eat two eggs, a bowl of yam porridge, and two slices of braised beef. Mei initially felt that she was eating too much, but after half a month she got used to it and even found that she was not as thin as before.
Miao Zhen had just put away the medical book and played with the child for a while when she said to Tian Jie, "Take the plum sauce to the kitchen and have them make a dish of braised pork ribs with plum sauce. Also, take some sand ginseng from my cupboard and have them make a pot of sand ginseng and Solomon's seal duck soup. Oh, and have them make a lot and send some to the scholars on the ship as well, so that they don't feel that we are neglecting them."
"Yes." Sweetie quickly accepted the order and went to carry it out.
Xiao Xi had just given birth and couldn't leave, so she stayed home. Miao Zhen also asked her to look after the yard, have someone sweep and prune the plants regularly—it was better than the house getting moldy. Besides, Xiao Xi wasn't exactly freeloading in the Xiao family; she wouldn't be called around when she wasn't home.
Xiao Jingshi had lunch with her and Madam Mei. Miaozhen didn't feel old-fashioned at all because she was a mother of two. On the contrary, she felt that she was twenty years old and in the prime of her college years, so she dressed herself up in a youthful and beautiful way.
She wore a light white bodice with pearl trim underneath, and a pink gauze shirt over it. She wore a gold leaf hairpin with a dragonfly and silver foot ornament on her head, making her look bright and ethereal.
"Are you going to read your book tonight? If so, take a few sniffs and smell the incense. I've heard that this incense has a refined and elegant air about it, unlike the noisy and disruptive scents found in the boudoirs of women," Miaozhen said, looking at him.
Xiao Jingshi felt a surge of joy: "Did you make this for me yourself?"
Miaozhen quickly shook her head: "No, I bought it. It was very cheap. It's too much trouble to make it myself."
Xiao Jingshi still looked somewhat disappointed, and Madam Mei was still a little worried. Unexpectedly, her son-in-law's next words were: "Then let me make you some incense? What kind of incense do you want?"
"No, no, your priority right now is studying. We can talk about incense making after you finish your exams," Miaozhen said with a smile.
Watching the young couple from the side, Mrs. Mei couldn't help but smile. This is just how it is.
After finishing his meal, Xiao Jingshi went downstairs to chat with several scholars about everything under the sun. As the saying goes, "Poor scholars are rich graduates," and there are no poor graduates; they were all full of vigor. One of them, who was on good terms with Xiao Jingshi, asked him, "Is Ningxia planning to go to the capital and not come back? And she's even bringing her family with her. Well, it's good for your uncle to have more social connections since he's in a position in the capital."
At this moment, Xiao Jingshi said with some pride, "It's not that. It's quite a coincidence. I originally planned to go to the capital by myself, but my wife has been summoned to the palace, so I had no choice but to come along."
In truth, these scholars were well aware of these things; they were merely using them to subtly praise someone. Xiao Jingshi was probably aware of this as well, but he was delighted that people were praising Miaozhen.
When the boat stopped to resupply halfway, Fu Jie'er had some intestinal rumbling and diarrhea. Miao Zhen gave her an appetite-stimulating pill, fifteen pills with warm rice water. She recovered in one day after taking the medicine.
Miaozhen looked at her and asked, "Fu'er, are you ready?"
Fu Jie nodded: "Mother, I don't poop anymore, and my tummy doesn't hurt anymore. Grandmother brought me some food just now, and I ate a bowl."
"That's good. I brought you and your brother out because I was worried about your health." Miaozhen touched her daughter's forehead.
Although Fu'er was young, she suddenly said, "I just want to stay with Mother."
The child would rather endure the bumpy ride than not stay with her mother; as long as the family is together, that's the best thing. Miaozhen hugged her daughter and said, "Mother will stay here with you."
After the child fell asleep, Miaozhen returned to her room. She went to her room to look through medical books and her medical records, feeling a little uneasy as she wondered what the imperial physicians would test her on.
She will arrive in the capital in about ten days, so she can't let her guard down. Now that her mother is helping her take care of the children and her husband is protecting her safety, everything is in the best position for her to study.
When Xiao Jingshi returned from outside, he saw Miaozhen sitting obediently at the table. Not knowing what to say, he patted her shoulder. Miaozhen turned around and looked at him excitedly: "You're back? Is your eyelid still twitching?"
"I'm not dancing anymore. I haven't had much tea these past few days," Xiao Jingshi said with a smile.
Miao Zhen stood up, looked into his eyes, and stared for a long time. Xiao Jingshi felt a little uncomfortable before she said, "You won't jump anymore. That's good. In the future, you must never stay up all night watching something you like. I used to do that too, and I got better after I started sleeping better."
In fact, Xiao Jingshi rarely stays up late, but he is very focused. Miaozhen, on the other hand, suffers from anxiety. If she doesn't sleep well about something, she becomes so anxious that she can't sleep. Many people admire her for her excellent medical skills at such a young age, but who knows the effort she has put in behind the scenes?
Seeing Miaozhen in a daze, Xiao Jingshi pressed her shoulder and asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, I just remembered some things." Miaozhen shook her head.
Xiao Jingshi then said to him, "You should go to sleep early. Your eyes are red from reading medical books these past few days."
Miaozhen smiled and nodded.
Not to mention that ten days later, when the group arrived at Tongzhou Port, the third branch of the Xiao family had already sent a steward to wait there. However, because Miaozhen's trip to the capital was an unexpected situation, the third branch of the Xiao family did not know that she was also coming. When they arrived and learned the situation, Madam Rao from the third branch also hosted a banquet with her three daughters-in-law.
Xiao Jingshi brought two or three thousand taels of silver with him to the capital this time, as well as many gifts for the members of the third branch of the family. The female relatives also met with each other. Most of the daughters-in-law of the third branch were married in other places, and Miaozhen did not recognize any of them.
Third Madam Gao was the eldest daughter-in-law of the third branch of the family. She had a long face, was of medium height, and was very well-mannered. She looked like the matriarch of a prominent family. Fifth Madam Liu was also said to be from an official family. Her father was a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue. She also looked like a lady from a prominent family, but her appearance was rather ordinary, especially with many freckles on her face. Then there was Bian, who had just entered the family. She was not old, but she seemed very worldly. It was said that Bian also came from a merchant family.
Besides these three, there was also Cen Yuan and his wife, who had come to the capital three years ago. It was quite a gathering. Xiao Jingshi said to his third uncle, "My family's trip to the capital has caused quite a bit of trouble. Please forgive us, Uncle."
Uncle Xiao waved his hand: "What are you saying? It's a good thing that my nephew's wife has come to the capital. You can all settle down here."
The housing prices in the capital were not very expensive. Xiao Jingshi thought that since he had not yet passed the exam, he should stay at his uncle's place for the time being, so as not to be thought that his uncle would say that he was being too distant. However, he still instructed his men to find a real estate agent to look at houses.
Fearing that Miaozhen and Mei might feel uncomfortable living there, he first told them about his plans.
Miaozhen smiled and said, "That's what I was thinking too. Now, two families have to live in the same courtyard. It will definitely be uncomfortable in the long run. Buying a house would be good if we live in the capital in the future."
They lived opposite Cen Yuan and Xiao Suyin, each with three rooms. There was no other way; now that the third branch of the family had three sons who were all married, it was already quite good that they could allocate these few rooms.
Seeing that Miaozhen's face was flushed from drinking and that she was still reading by candlelight, Xiao Jingshi couldn't help but say, "The imperial physician and people from the palace will be here in a few days, and I will keep them company."
"Okay." Miaozhen simply smiled.
She really has a family who love her very much!
Xiao Jingshi and Cen Yuan were related by marriage and were born in the same year, so they should have had a good relationship. However, their relationship seemed to be just so-so. Cen's father had served as the magistrate of Hanyang for three years and was now a judge in Linzhou. It was not easy for such a civil official, who did not have much income, to have accumulated five thousand taels of silver. Moreover, Judge Cen was very careful in his work and was not the kind of greedy and domineering official who would run rampant in the countryside.
Like his father, Cen Yuan was very cautious, which is why he got along better with the eldest son of the third branch of the family and didn't like Xiao Jingshi, who was quite high-profile.
Xiao Jingshi also disliked his hypocrisy, so the two had a cold relationship.
Xiao Suyin, having lived in the second wife's quarters for a period of time, was quite familiar with Miaozhen, and the two were closer than the others.
"I never expected you to come to the capital too! This is wonderful!" Xiao Suyin was still somewhat incredulous.
Miaozhen said, "Even I didn't expect this. How are you? You seem to be living a very comfortable life. I hope you'll take good care of me in the future."
In fact, Xiao Suyin was born out of wedlock and lived in her parents' home. Naturally, she did everything she could to please her family so that her husband and son could feel at ease staying there. For example, the handkerchiefs she was making and the children's bibs next to her were all made for her family.
But it was not easy to tell Miaozhen these things, because she also knew that although Xu's family was not a wealthy family, they really loved their daughter. Seeing that Mrs. Xu had traveled a long way to the capital to help her daughter take care of her child, she knew that the family cherished their daughter.
Miaozhen didn't understand these things, but she didn't expect that Xiao Jingshi, who had said in the morning that he would go out to find a house later, would come back in the evening to ask her for money. He said, "It's quite a coincidence. When I went out today, someone heard that I wanted to buy a house and introduced me to one. I heard that it belongs to an official who is about to retire and asked someone to sell it. It has seven rooms in the front and five courtyards in total. The street next to it is very wide. Although it is a large garden like our old home, it also has a pavilion and surrounding buildings. Originally, it was 1,600 taels, but they said they would give it to me for 1,500 taels. What do you think?"
“You have excellent taste; the clothes and jewelry you pick for me are always beautiful. Since you think they’re good, I’ll take out the money. Speaking of which, our children can only live together now. My sisters-in-law and brothers have made very good preparations, but it’s still a bit cramped.” Miaozhen didn’t even have a chance to take out her medical tools.
Xiao Jingshi smiled and said, "I know."
He told Uncle Xiao about buying the house, and Uncle Xiao said he was being too polite. Xiao Jingshi replied, "You don't know, my father originally wanted me to buy a house to facilitate our business dealings. It just so happened that this happened. Besides, if my nephew's wife is in the capital, she'll need to dry medicinal herbs for a while—"
"Alright, alright, no need to say anymore. I'll go with you and take a look," said Uncle Xiao.
Xiao Jingshi then invited his third uncle and several cousins to take a look. Everyone praised it. Xiao Jingshi then had Qingfeng and Ping'an move some of the trunks over and spent several hundred taels to purchase some furniture.
Xiao Suyin was also envious. She said to Cen Yuan, "After some time, why don't we buy a house and move in?"
“He’s not an official, yet he bought a house with double eaves and animal-shaped corners, and such a large one at that. Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?” Cen Yuan shook his head.
Xiao Suyin laughed and said, "When Emperor Hongwu was alive, it was said that the houses one lived in could not exceed three rooms and five bays. But nowadays, what era are we living in? Which family doesn't imitate the mansions of officials? As long as a commoner's family has money, their halls are almost the same as those of princes and officials."
Moreover, Xiao Suyin thought to herself that even the Cen family had built a house with painted decorations and tall buildings in their hometown.
Seeing Xiao Suyin say this, Cen Yuan was also quite unhappy, but since Xiao Suyin was his legal wife, he couldn't very well go to the concubine's room.
Miaozhen was eager to move quickly, as it would make the space more spacious. However, before that, the Palace Ceremonial Office and the Imperial Physician came over specifically to test her.
Xiao Jingshi led Miaozhen to the front hall. The two people who came were a pale-faced, beardless man with a serene expression, and a man with a beard hanging down to his chest. Miaozhen was a little nervous. She was the kind of person who liked to work quietly and would never tell anyone before she succeeded. But now it was different. Everyone knew about this. If she wasn't selected, it would be too embarrassing.
She composed herself and listened as the imperial physician said, "I only have a few questions; I hope Physician Xu can answer them."
Unlike the imperial medical examinations, the female doctor only needs to answer questions face-to-face.
Miaozhen quickly replied, "Please ask."
She had already done some research beforehand; the Imperial Medical Academy's exams generally tested knowledge of Mohist principles, general principles, pulse diagnosis, hypothetical theories of prescriptions, hypothetical methods, and the principles of Qi circulation. So, on the way here, she had been studying, hoping to pass. Despite not believing in ghosts or spirits, she silently prayed to Buddha, God, Guanyin, Jesus, and all the great gods of the East and West to help her!
The imperial physician said, "Therefore, those who treat illnesses must understand the principles of divination and geomancy." [1]
Miao Zhen thought to herself, “This sentence comes from the ‘Suwen·Wuchangzheng Dalun’”, so she said, “The northwest is insufficient, the left is cold and the right is cool; the southeast is insufficient, the right is hot and the left is warm. Why is this? Qi Bo said: “The yin and yang energies, the principle of high and low… Therefore, those who treat diseases must understand the principles of heaven and earth.”
The beginning of this passage was a bit nerve-wracking, but gradually he memorized it all, taking about half an hour to memorize, which surprised Xiao Jingshi. He thought that studying medicine required memorizing so much.
After listening to her complete and flawless preparation, the imperial physician finally showed some emotion and couldn't help but nod. He then asked, "Does a person's pulse also change depending on their dwelling place, activity level, courage, and fear?"
Miao Zhen thought this question was discussed in "Suwen Jingmai Bielun". She combined her own understanding and discussed it again. She had given a speech and knew that when speaking, you can pause slightly and speak more slowly, but you can't always insert "then" in the middle.
After she finished answering the question, she saw the imperial physician smile and nod at her again. Miao Zhen thought to herself, "Stay calm, Xu Miao Zhen, you must stay calm."
The imperial physician then asked her a question about the principles of righteousness, which Miaozhen readily answered. Next, there were two more questions about the principles of righteousness, which Miaozhen answered normally as well.
The last question was about clinical diagnosis, also known as the hypothetical case method. The imperial physician asked: "For example, if a patient presents with symptoms of consumptive disease and night sweats, and the weather is in accordance with the season, what pulse should be observed? What is the underlying cause and which organ is affected? What are the symptoms? What prescription should be used to treat the condition? If there are any changes, how should the treatment be adjusted according to the pulse?"
“The description of night sweats due to deficiency comes from the “Treatise on the Origins and Symptoms of Various Diseases: Symptoms of Deficiency” written by Chao Yuanfang in the Sui Dynasty. The “Jinkui Xuanjie” also states that fatigue is a disease. This is the general outline of deficiency. Its pulse is floating and large, and the yang qi is deficient inside and excessive outside…” Miaozhen became more and more engrossed in her speech.
Upon hearing this, the imperial physician's smile widened: "Physician Xu's answers were so methodical; even a great physician like Fang could not have done better."
Although the eunuch couldn't understand, he nodded slightly at Miaozhen's demeanor and speech.
Upon hearing his words, Miaozhen couldn't help but ask, "Then have I passed?"
The imperial physician said decisively, "If this isn't acceptable, then who knows who will be?"
Immediately, the eunuch bestowed upon Miaozhen a bolt of satin, saying, "Physician Xu, please wait for the imperial decree. If you are to enter the palace, dress up and go in."
Miaozhen heard her own voice say "Okay".
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The author says: [1] The questions set by the imperial physicians all came from the book "Annotations by Cheng Wenge of the Imperial Medical Bureau of the Song Dynasty".
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