The Daily Life of a Down-on-Hard-Life Medicine Girl Supporting Her Family

“My father moved to the village; he said he would stay with my mother to help her recover from her illness.”

Chun'an sighed: He always said that one must be able to diagnose and treat illnesses oneself, otherwise one wouldn't even know if one's own mother's medicine had been switched.

"My father said he also had to take responsibility for my mother's illness."

Master Xiao regretted his actions. After his wife fell ill, he only sent her to the manor to recuperate, never expecting that bad people would take advantage of the situation.

"It's good for Third Uncle to go to the village to accompany Third Aunt as she recovers; a better mood will help her recover faster."

Chunnuan had doubted her own medical skills, but she never suspected that her third aunt's medicine would be switched by the Huang family.

"Today I'll be teaching you about acupoints..."

Just as spring was warm and we were talking, a maid came to report: People from the palace have arrived.

The purpose of this visit was very direct: the prince's body had indeed turned yellow, and they requested that Chunnuan and Panpan enter the palace.

"Have the imperial physicians administered any medicine to the imperial nephew?"

Panpan got anxious as soon as she heard this and quickly asked.

"Medicine was administered, but since the prince is of high status, the wet nurse took the medicine and then fed it to the prince."

"It's useless."

Panpan immediately started swearing.

Chunnuan glanced at Panpan and wanted to remind her: You are a princess!

But to be honest, it felt really good to hear Panpan scold Chunnuan like that.

When a child is sick, giving medicine to the wet nurse is like scratching an itch through a boot—it's completely useless!
Spring warmth and Panpan entered the palace.

The little prince's skin and sclera were all yellowish.

Is your urine yellow?

The wet nurse shook her head.

"What do you mean by 'not yellowed'?"

"It was my oversight."

Spring warmth brings only a sigh.

These things require someone with medical knowledge.

"What medicine did the imperial physician prescribe?"

"Hurry up and bring me the prescription from the imperial physician."

Immediately, a palace servant went to fetch the imperial physician's prescription.

As spring arrived, Physician Lin and Physician Yu felt a mix of emotions, a mixture of anticipation and fear.

She felt a sense of awe when she thought of her grandfather.

"Are these medicines for the wet nurse?"

"Yes, the little prince is too young to take medicine."

Chunnuan gave the prescription to Panpan and asked her to take a look.

"These medicines are completely useless." Panpan was a child, and a princess at that, so she didn't care about saving face for them at all: "You can't cure the illness like this, you..."

There are some things she doesn't say, after all, she's just a child.

"Second Aunt, do you think this is okay?"

Panpan took out a prescription from her small cloth bag.

Chunnuan nodded after reading it.

"Artemisia capillaris, rhubarb, stir-fried gardenia, Lysimachia christinae, Citrus aurantium, Poria cocos..."

This child is indeed talented; he even had the same idea as me: medicinal bath!
"Where is the pharmacy? I'll go get the medicine myself."

Ever since the Huang incident, Chunnuan now sees everyone as a bad person.

If even Lady Huang has people who want to harm her, then the young prince is even more likely to be targeted.

Anything she touches is guaranteed to be foolproof.

She personally oversaw everything from picking and preparing the medicine to bathing the young prince.

"This medicine packet contains the herbs I collected. Your Majesty instructed someone to keep it and have it brewed daily for the little prince's bath. When bathing him, be careful not to wet the umbilical cord." "I understand."

The Empress Dowager nodded quickly.

She said it herself: ten imperial physicians couldn't compare to one Chunnuan.

To her surprise, Panpan also had such a great skill.

"Mother, I am learning medicine from my second aunt and I am one of her last disciples."

"Oh, I wonder which other disciples your second aunt has?"

“There are many. I have several senior sisters in Changzhou, and Uncle Chun’an and Cousin Mu Yang in the manor.”

"Your second aunt is truly remarkable."

"Your Majesty flatters me."

Chunnuan never expected that Panpan would sell her family so easily.

As I said before, Chunnuan doesn't want Chun'an and Muyang to ever enter the palace.

If one cannot be a good prime minister, then one should be a good doctor. Studying medicine is more about saving the common people from suffering, rather than being trapped in the inner palace, living in fear and trembling with fear, at any moment risking one's life, or even the life of an entire family.

Therefore, Chun Nuan did not reveal to the outside world that she had taken Chun An and Mu Yang as her disciples.

But Panpan said there was nothing that could be done about it.

"Spring warmth, you took on a female disciple in Changzhou?"

The Empress Dowager was very surprised.

It makes sense that Panpan is her niece and her female disciple, but what is the relationship between her and the female disciple from Changzhou?
"Your Majesty, this is indeed true. Changzhou is quite lenient towards women. On that day, it was considered that it was inconvenient for men to treat women's illnesses..."

He then explained the background and circumstances surrounding accepting female disciples.

The Queen Mother nodded.

"Would you be willing to accept female disciples in the capital as well?"

How wonderful! Women's illnesses can be treated by female doctors, without the need for male doctors. There's no need to be shy or worry about not being able to speak up.

"What does the Queen Mother mean?"

"I am also a woman, and I know all too well the hardships women face," the Empress Dowager said. "You are a very capable female doctor. I know you well. If you can train a group of female disciples in the capital, it will be a blessing for the women of the capital, and even a blessing for the women of the Great Zhou."

"Spring warmth is willing to work hard for this."

"Very well, I hereby issue an imperial decree to directly establish a women's medical college, with you in charge of its management and instruction. Is that feasible?"

"What is the identity of that woman who studied medicine?"

"Regardless of their status, anyone with talent, the ability to endure hardship, and the willingness to learn is welcome." The Empress Dowager deeply understood the difficulties women faced in the world, especially women from ordinary families. If any of them knew medicine, they would surely benefit the women of the region.

"Thank you Queen Mother!"

Chunnuan's thank you was to thank her for speaking out for women and for advocating for women's welfare.

Only when the Empress Dowager, the supreme ruler of the land, values ​​this matter will it be accepted by the public and receive support, and will it not be aborted or seen as reckless behavior.

The Empress Dowager was also a decisive and efficient person.

Soon after, an imperial edict was issued, appointing Chunnuan as the headmistress of Chunshan Women's Medical College, with Chunnuan as the designated teacher to recruit women to study medicine, funded by the Empress Dowager.

"Since Your Majesty has funded Chunnuan to preside over the event, I would also like to express my gratitude." Upon hearing this, the Empress also contributed two thousand taels of silver: "I hope that Chunnuan can cultivate more outstanding female disciples and help women solve their problems."

The Empress Dowager issued an edict, and the Empress also contributed money to establish a women's medical college. The late Emperor's concubines also contributed money, and some even hurriedly spread the word that eligible women from their maternal families should study medicine under Chunnuan.

"Why study medicine? Women should learn music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Studying medicine doesn't necessarily mean you'll treat patients. It's such a disgrace to your daughter. No, she can't study it."

Many wives from wealthy families objected as soon as they heard it.

“I think learning medicine is a good idea,” Madam Qiu nodded. “Our Qin’er is nine years old. How about we ask Chunnuan to let Qin’er go and learn medicine?”

“Mother, I’m afraid Qin’er can’t endure this hardship.” Qiu Yan said while eating a sour plum. “If I had met Nuan Nuan earlier, I would have followed her to learn medicine.”

"You?" Madam Qiu laughed in exasperation: "Qin'er can endure more hardship than you, and you even studied medicine..."

Madam Qiu felt that she was already very fortunate that her daughter could get married, and she didn't dare to expect her to learn anything.

Looking at her today, she hasn't changed at all since her marriage; it's clear she's living a very comfortable life in the Zhao household. (End of Chapter)