A new chapter in medical ethics
Just after the Lantern Festival, Sun Simiao hurriedly entered the palace carrying a medicine bag.
Wu Meiniang was preparing medicine by candlelight in a side hall when she saw the old man's brow furrowed with frost, and her heart sank.
"Your Majesty's pulse is like a cicada fluttering its wings in autumn," Sun Simiao withdrew his hand from taking the pulse, "a wind-induced disease that has penetrated the meridians cannot be treated with acupuncture and moxibustion."
Wu Meiniang stared at the white steam rising from the medicine furnace and suddenly remembered that rainy night in the third year of the Yonghui era.
At that time, she had just been granted the title of Zhaoyi. Li Zhi, despite having a high fever and braving the rain, came to see her, held her hand, and said, "Meiniang, with me here, I will never let you suffer the cold and desolation of Ganye Temple again."
You protected me back then, now it's my turn to fight for you.
She composed herself and asked, "If we increase the amount of Sichuan lovage to three qian (approximately 6 grams) and supplement it with gastrodia elata soaked in wine, could it open the orifices?"
The old physician looked up in astonishment: "How does Your Highness know the ancient methods of 'Lei Gong's Treatise on Processing Herbs'?"
(OS: Luckily, I remembered a few tips from watching a traditional Chinese medicine health program with my grandma in my past life. I never thought I'd be able to use them after traveling a thousand years.)
She stirred the medicine spoon without making a sound: "An ancient book says, 'To treat wind, first treat the blood; when the blood flows smoothly, the wind will naturally subside.'"
Before he could finish speaking, Li Zhi emerged from the inner room, his face pale but his gaze gentle: "My Empress, when did you secretly learn the Imperial Medical Bureau's secret techniques?"
He reached out to touch the medicine cup, his fingertips trembling slightly.
Wu Meiniang immediately grasped that hand, just like back in the cold winter at Ganye Temple, when he would always hold her hand in his palm and breathe on it to warm it.
"Does Your Majesty remember," she said softly, "that in the fourth year of the Yonghui era, when I contracted the plague, you suspended court for three days and personally attended to my needs with medicine?"
Li Zhi chuckled, then intertwined his fingers with hers: "Of course I remember. When you were delirious with fever, you clung tightly to my clothes and wouldn't let go."
(OS: So you've kept all these little things in your heart.)
That night, Wu Zetian summoned the staff of the Imperial Pharmacy and spread out the "Guiding Exercise Chart for the Recovery of Wind-related Illnesses," which they had drawn overnight, in the Hall of Longevity.
The acupoints and movements marked on the diagram actually combine the Five Animal Frolics with modern rehabilitation theory.
"Starting tomorrow," she said, tracing the Baihui and Fengchi acupoints with her fingertips, "Your Majesty, please practice according to this diagram every day at Chenshi (7-9 AM)."
Cheng Wuting's eyes widened in disbelief: "Your Majesty, this looks like military drills!"
"We are all of the same origin." She demonstrated the movements with silver needles, her sleeve slipping slightly to reveal an old scar on her wrist—a wound she sustained years ago when she was protecting the emperor from an assassin.
Li Zhi's gaze sharpened, and he suddenly stood up and walked to her side, his fingertips lightly tracing the faint scar: "This scar... it pains me more than the arrow wound in my heart."
(OS: What you remember, I remember too. Every wound is a shared mark.)
When the peach blossoms bloomed in March, Li Zhi was already able to practice the entire set of guiding exercises on his own.
That day, after finishing his practice, his forehead was damp with fine sweat, but his eyes were clear: "Meiniang, my dizziness has been less frequent lately, and I can even see the pattern of the new hairpin in your hair clearly."
Wu Zetian was teaching Princess Taiping how to identify medicinal herbs when she heard this, and her eyes welled up with tears. She carried the little princess to the millstone: "Your Majesty, can you try to see the veins of the goji berries?"
Li Zhi leaned down to look closely, and suddenly whispered in her ear, "Just like back then under the plum tree at Ganye Temple, I could count the snowflakes falling on your eyelashes."
(OS: It turns out that neither of us has ever forgotten those moments.)
Taking advantage of his delight, Wu Zetian presented him with a memorial entitled "Memorial on the Reform of the Imperial Medical Academy." It stated, "Master Sun is advanced in years; we should widely recruit physicians from across the land to jointly establish a medical academy."
Li Zhi stroked the delicate handwriting on the memorial, then suddenly pulled her into his arms: "Back then, you said you would help me create a prosperous era, but I thought it was just wishful thinking. Now..."
His voice choked slightly, "This vast land truly comes alive because of you."
The little princess, imitating her parents, was grinding medicinal herbs when she suddenly raised her tiny hand, covered in cinnabar: "Daddy...Mommy...Honghong!"
Wu Meiniang watched the father and daughter laughing together, secretly clutching the supplementary manuscript of "Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold for Emergency Use" in her sleeve.
The candlelight illuminated Li Zhi's face, which was gradually regaining its color. She suddenly recalled a snowy night when he stood outside Ganye Temple all night, wrapped in a cloak, saying, "Meiniang, come home with me, back to our Chang'an."
(OS: This time, it's my turn to take you home, back to our glorious past, back to the rest of our lives together, until we grow old together.)
——
[Treatment for love at first sight]
by: Li, suddenly overwhelmed by sweetness
Today, Meiniang was discussing medical techniques with Doctor Sun again. Her focused expression reminded me of the look on her face when she told me about the reform of the Grand Canal at Ganye Temple.
(How can this woman be so beautiful even when pounding herbs?)
When she held my trembling hand, her palm was still so warm.
I remember the first time I held her hand was in the plum grove at Ganye Temple. Her hands were as cold as jade, but now they're warming mine instead.
(That's really the opposite... but it feels good though.)
Seeing the scar on her wrist, my heart suddenly ached.
When the assassin rushed over, she stood in front of me without thinking.
(This silly woman, does she know I'd rather get hurt myself?)
She said she remembered me feeding her medicine.
She didn't know that I couldn't sleep at all for those three days, afraid that her fever would return as soon as I closed my eyes.
(Now it's her turn to supervise me taking my medicine.)
My vision has been much clearer lately; I can even see the new fine lines around her eyes.
These are the marks left by your hard work for me, more precious than any jewel.
(We need to get the Imperial Household Department to send over more pearl powder.)
When Princess Taiping ran over with her little hands covered in cinnabar, Meiniang smiled especially beautifully.
Just like the smile on her face when she showed me Hong'er after giving birth that year.
(Our Taiping looks just like her.)
Watching the mother and daughter playing by the medicine mill, I suddenly felt that my life with this disease was worthwhile.
If it weren't for this, I might never have known that she had secretly learned so much medicine for me.
(Wait, should I stay sick a little longer?)
But please get better soon, I want to take her to Lishan to see the peach blossoms.
Just as promised back then, I want her to see a prosperous and peaceful world.
(After all, in this prosperous era, no one can be missing except her.)
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