Jinyi Spring

Feng Chuchen also emphasized the groups of people who are not suitable for episiotomy.

The key point is that "an episiotomy is considered a 'minor surgery.' A half-hour operation on the operating table requires ten years of practice off the table. Only highly skilled surgeons can perform it. Otherwise, the suffering the mother will endure afterward will be no less than what she experienced during childbirth..."

After he finished speaking, Dr. Li came in again to say a few more words: "Everyone should practice diligently as Dr. Feng instructed, and also consult with doctors at the clinic. Only after Dr. Feng confirms that you are ready can you begin to perform lateral incisions."

Feng Chuchen added with a smile, "Wang Yipo's episiotomy skills are excellent; she performs the vast majority of episiotomies in the clinic. If she agrees, it will be the same."

These words relieved Dr. Fan; she had no intention of humbling herself to ask Feng Chuchen for advice. She believed herself to be far superior to Cai Yuxiu; if Cai Yuxiu could do it, she could certainly do it even better.

After class, Feng Chuchen was asked by Judge Fang to sign for the silver.

He received fifty taels of silver as a "manuscript fee" for entering the medical classic, twenty taels for teaching, and forty taels for teaching female doctors how to perform episiotomy. All of this was put into a plain purse.

Feng Chuchen took the purse and said in a low voice, "There's something I need to mention to Lord Fang. It would be best not to arrange for Physician Fan to perform an episiotomy."

Judge Fang looked up at her.

Feng Chuchen said seriously, "I'm afraid she's too eager for quick success, and if something goes wrong, the episiotomy that we've finally managed to get started will be hindered again."

She wasn't seeking personal revenge; she was genuinely afraid.

The Imperial Physician sighed and said in a low voice, "We both know Doctor Fan's personality. She's not very skilled, but she tries to get any benefit by relying on Consort Xue and Imperial Physician Fan. She delivers babies for empresses and noble ladies, so we're afraid of causing trouble. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her."

On the way back, Feng Chuchen took out twenty taels of silver from his purse and handed it to Aunt Wang.

"From now on, I'll have to trouble Aunt Wang to take care of training female doctors in episiotomy procedures."

Aunt Wang accepted it with a smile.

The midwives, who were once looked down upon, are now going to teach the female doctors in the palace.

For a period of time afterward, female doctors came to the clinic almost every day, asking Feng Chuchen and Wang Yipo for guidance on lateral incision. The clinic was bustling with people, much more lively than before.

However, there are very few people who can actually perform an episiotomy.

Aunt Wang felt even more grateful to Feng Chuchen.

She was far inferior to these female doctors back then. It was Feng Chuchen who taught her step by step for a long time, explaining and guiding her again and again, until she slowly grasped the basics and learned the craft.

The girl and her doctor didn't have time to teach the female doctor like that, explaining it a few times, then giving them a piece of chicken to watch them cook it a few times. After that, they had to rely entirely on their own practice and understanding.

On October 12th, at the Mingshan Yuexia Yamen, I went directly to Furongtang.

The atmosphere inside was strange. Madam Ming had a sullen face, while the old lady and Madam Xia were beaming with joy.

As soon as Ming Shanyue entered, Madam Xia exclaimed with exaggerated laughter, "I've found out the truth this time. Miss Wan's younger brother did indeed suffer brain damage from a high fever when he was six years old. The old matriarch is very fond of him."

An ambiguous look flashed in the old lady's eyes as she said to Ming Shanyue, "Monkey, your aunt says that this Miss Wan is excellent in every way. Hurry up and arrange the marriage so that we can bring her home next spring."

Ming Shanyue looked reluctant. "I don't want to get a wife. Let my second brother get one."

The old lady raised her voice in anger, "You wretched child! Mingfeng's wife must come from a distinguished family. Miss Wan is not suitable."

Ming Shanyue was even more displeased, "Why are you offering me a girl that my second brother doesn't want?"

When the old duke saw that he had angered the old lady, he got up and wanted to rush over to hit her, but the old lady stopped him.

Xia explained, "Miss Wan wasn't saying this to Mingfeng. She was born in the Yin month and at the Yang hour, so she was saying it to you."

The group made a ruckus, and Ming Shanyue stormed off in a huff.

Xia was so angry that her liver hurt. After all this trouble, she thought she could finally get the marriage arranged, but now all hope was lost.

The old lady said to her, "It's rare to meet a suitable girl, don't rush to reject her, let me persuade him again."

Ming Shanyue went to the front yard, and Song Xian said, "I was just about to send someone to invite the master when he returned."

Looking at Ah Xuan in the golden cage under the eaves, he gave Ming Shanyue a wink, and the two went inside.

Song Xian said in a low voice, "Just now, Lord Hu sent someone to say that someone found a man with a scar on his face in Xishan. Judging from his height and age, he looks somewhat like the person you are looking for."

Ming Shanyue was excited. "Where is he? Where is he staying?"

Song Xian said regretfully, "That person is very cunning, and we lost track of him. Lord Hu is organizing people to search for him."

Ming Shanyue said, "Have Uncle Wei come over immediately."

The Ming government also sent several secret guards to search the Xishan area.

After searching secretly for many days, the man with the injury on his face seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.

On this day, under the moonlight at Mingshan, the gatekeeper bowed and said, "The old master and the Duke request that you go to Zhuyin Tower immediately."

Ming Shanyue's heart sank, wondering what had happened again.

Upon entering the house, they saw the old Duke and the Ming Duke beaming with joy.

Upon seeing him, the old Duke smiled and said, "I heard that Master Yuhui has returned to the Jokhang Temple. Come with me tomorrow to see the master and ask him about the matter."

Ming Shanyue said, "Grandfather, I can go by myself, why are you coming along?"

The old Duke said, "That won't do. I need to know as soon as possible whether my grandson can get married."

"It's my wedding, not yours, so why are you in such a hurry?"

The old Duke slapped him hard on the back of the head. "Rong'er and I want Feng Xiaoya to marry into our family as soon as possible. How can we not be in a hurry?"

Ming Shanyue advised, "Grandfather, the Jokhang Temple is at the foot of the Western Hills. I went there to ask Master Yuhui, and I can also enjoy the scenery along the way."

The Duke of Ming knew that his son wanted to balance public and private matters, and also investigate Wang Tu's whereabouts. He advised his father, "Father, let Shanyue go alone."

The old Duke had no choice but to give up.

Early in the morning, just after Feng Chuchen and the others finished breakfast, the courtyard gate was pounded on loudly.

A moment later, Uncle Wu brought in a monk who looked eight or nine years old.

The young monk, too embarrassed to enter the house, stood outside the main room with his hands clasped together and said, "This humble monk is Xuancong, a monk from the Jokhang Temple. One of our masters is seriously ill, and Master Yuhui says that only Benefactor Feng can save him."

"Please, Benefactor Feng, hurry to the temple to save this person. Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda. Amitabha!"

Feng Chuchen was stunned. Yu Hui from the Jokhang Temple asked her to save someone?

Jokhang Temple is a royal temple and the first ancient temple of the Great Yan Dynasty.

Master Yuhui was a famous and highly virtuous monk, the one who told Mingshan Yue's fortune and gave her a name, so she naturally couldn't refuse.

However, the person the young monk called "Master" couldn't be a gynecologist or pediatrician. There were only two things she could "save": surgery or the Taiyin Divine Needle technique.

That master had already predicted that she would know these two things? He's truly amazing.

It takes about three hours to get to Jokhang Temple one way. Including the time for medical treatment, I definitely won't be able to get back at night, so I'll stay at the temple for the night.

She said, "Please wait a moment, little master." She then gave Banxia a few more instructions.

Seeing that Xuanpei was still a child, having come down from the mountain before dawn, he probably hadn't had breakfast yet. So he asked Mujin to get him some yam and jujube cake to fill his stomach, and asked Aunt Wu to get some for the monk driving the cart at the alley entrance.

Xuan Cong blushed, accepted the pastries, and respectfully recited a Buddhist prayer, "Amitabha, thank you for the vegetarian meal."

In addition to her first-aid kit, Feng Chuchen also brought instruments for minor surgeries and disinfectant, and took Aunt Wang and Shaoyao with her.

During surgery, only Aunt Wang and Banxia could act as assistants.

Before leaving, she gave Xuancong a package of osmanthus sugar made by Aunt Wu, wrapped in oil paper.

He's still just a child.

They didn't ride in the temple's horse-drawn carriage, but in their own mule cart.

In early winter, the Western Hills are at their most vibrant and colorful.

Golden leaves, vibrant maple leaves, verdant pines, brown boulders, and clear spring water... it's truly breathtaking.

The golden temple roof at the foot of the mountain, nestled among colorful forests, gleams brilliantly in the sunlight.

As soon as Ming Shanyue opened the city gate, he left the city and rode at full speed, arriving at the foot of Xishan Mountain by the end of Chenshi (7-9 AM).

He led a few personal guards and hurried up the stone steps toward the golden expanse.

Sunlight filtered through layers of red leaves, casting dappled shadows on him. The cinnabar mole on his eye seemed even redder than when he arrived.

He had a burning desire inside him.

That girl must be his destined one—he was almost certain of it.

Once the master speaks, everything else will fall into place.

But the closer he got to the truth, the more uneasy his certainty became... What if?
What if Master Yuhui says no? What if there are some astrological secrets he doesn't know? What if her destiny, though extremely Yin, isn't his destined one? Or, what if he isn't her destined one?

He took a deep breath, the mountain wind filling his chest, carrying the fresh scent of pine and cypress trees and the slight chill of early winter.

He had never known that "waiting for an answer" could be so agonizing. It was like having your heart suspended in mid-air, unable to rise or fall.

But hidden within that torment was a hint of sweetness...

Seeing that their master's face was unusually serious, Song Xian and the others dared not say anything more.

Upon arriving at Jokhang Temple, they went directly to the dense forest behind the main hall via the covered walkway.

After passing through the woods, a small courtyard came into view.

A winding path leads to a secluded spot, where a Zen room is surrounded by flowers and trees.

Apart from the birdsong, there is no other noise here.

Just as Ming Shanyue was about to knock, the wooden door creaked open.

A young monk put his palms together and said, "Amitabha, benefactor Ming, please come in."

He stepped aside to let Ming Shanyue in, and then gestured for Song Xian and the others to wait in the pavilion in front.

Upon entering the meditation room, an elderly monk of unknown age was sitting cross-legged on the couch, turning his prayer beads with his eyes closed.

Ming Shanyue straightened his robes, stepped forward and bowed deeply, "I, Ming Shanyue, pay my respects to the Master."

The old monk slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on him, a smile appearing on his face, "Young benefactor Ming, come closer, let this old monk take a good look at you."

Ming Shanyue stepped forward as instructed, bowing her head slightly, allowing him to examine her closely.

Master Yubei raised his eyes, carefully examining the mole on the man's face, and then intently observing his eyebrows, eyes, and complexion. After a moment, he stroked his beard and smiled, "Amitabha. The color of the mole on Benefactor Ming's face has indeed changed; it has truly broadened this old monk's horizons!"

He paused, then said, "Before, it was a somber color, like a stagnant pool, devoid of life. What I see today is a touch of vermilion, like the spring sun breaking through the ice, a sign of life just beginning to sprout."

Ming Shanyue's heart tightened, and she held her breath, not daring to miss a single word.

The old monk slowly turned the prayer beads, his voice as calm as a still pond, “A mole is where destiny gathers. You were born with extreme yang energy, and excessive yang energy is easily broken, like a raging fire burning a plain, where not a blade of grass can grow. Now that a red mole has appeared, it is a sign of the beginning of the interaction of yin and yang, and the balance of strength and gentleness—your destiny is quietly changing.”

He glanced at Ming Shanyue and continued, "Extreme yin and yang are inherently incompatible. However, according to the way of heaven and earth, isolated yin cannot produce, and solitary yang cannot grow. The one who can turn your mole red must be an extremely yin and gentle person, using stillness to control movement, and softness to overcome hardness. This is beyond human power—"

Ming Shanyue felt her heart leap into her chest, as if it were about to burst out of her chest.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the surging joy, and hurriedly asked, "Since yin cannot produce life alone, and yang cannot grow alone, since it is beyond human control... then we influence and restrain each other. So, she must be my destined one. And am I her destined one?"

The question was asked urgently and bluntly, to the point that even he himself felt he had lost his composure.

But he couldn't care less.

She is a princess. If he is not her destined one, it will be quite a hassle for him to marry her in the future.

The old monk raised his eyes, his gaze as deep as an ancient well, stared at him for a moment, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

“I have never liked to tell fortunes, but young benefactor Ming and that female benefactor both have extraordinary destinies, which are rare in the world. Your destinies are compatible and your fortunes are intertwined. Missing each other is missing out on a marriage.”

The heavy weight that had been hanging over Ming Shanyue's heart for so long finally fell to the ground.

He couldn't help but chuckle, but immediately realized his mistake, quickly composed himself, and bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you for your explanation, Master."

The old monk nodded, picked up his teacup, and said, "Another day, please invite Elder Ming to the temple for a few games of chess."

This is to see the guests off.

Ming Shanyue didn't move, but shamelessly spoke again.

“My grandfather had been talking about playing chess with the master for a long time. Last year, he got half a catty of pre-Qingming honeycomb tea, which he treasured and kept hidden away, saying that it would only taste better if he drank it with the master.”

After thinking for a moment, he added, “Master, you are compassionate and have the greatest desire to save all sentient beings. Sixteen years ago, at Zixia Nunnery, a pure Buddhist sanctuary, a heinous scene unfolded—a newborn baby was murdered and replaced with a skinned rabbit.”

"Fortunately, the midwife secretly saved the child. Xin Nan has been investigating this major case. Now, a key witness seems to have arrived in Xishan. May I ask, Master, if you have any guidance?"

The old monk put down his teacup, lowered his eyes, and slowly turned the prayer beads in his hand, one turn after another, extremely slowly and with profound awareness.

Just when Ming Shanyue thought he wouldn't speak, he did.

"Have you ever heard of the word 'karmic hindrance'?"

Ming Shanyue hurriedly said, "Please enlighten me, Master."

"Those who do evil think they can deceive the world, and therefore deceive Heaven and Earth." The old monk's voice was very soft. "Little do they know that when a thought arises, karma has already taken root. When a thought ceases, the result is already gradually taking shape. As for what you are seeking, there is no need for this old monk to say more. In the end, good and evil will be determined. Amitabha!"

He raised his eyes, his gaze passing over Ming Shanyue and landing on the sparse bamboo grove outside the window. "People come and go, all is due to fate. Whether we see each other or not, it is all within fate."

Having said that, he closed his eyes, the prayer beads in his hand continuing to turn slowly, and said no more. (End of Chapter)