Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 249 Princess Yongning Zhu Yaoying's Ambitions?

Jingyang Palace.

Princess Yongning, Zhu Yaoying, upon seeing the medical log that the palace maid had memorized and copied, couldn't help but let out a heartfelt sigh.

"The knee-chest position method—Zhang Shiyuan is truly a genius, solving a problem that has plagued women for centuries with such ease."

The princess read the medical log again and again, especially this method; she even practiced it herself on the soft couch.

He would occasionally get up and flip through the medical books on his desk, seemingly trying to find some clues.

After searching for a long time, I found no record of the knee-chest position method in any of the books, including "Effective Prescriptions for Childbirth", "Complete Collection of Effective Prescriptions for Women", or the more comprehensive "Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold Pieces" from the Tang Dynasty.

This treatment method, which does not use drugs or apply external force, minimizes side effects to the extreme, yet achieves an amazing effect.

"Be good~"

Zhu Yaoying's bright eyes widened, and she threw aside all the medical books, becoming completely absorbed in reading the patient's medical log.

For a medical enthusiast, such firsthand clinical data is truly invaluable.

Upon seeing these records, the princess couldn't help but sigh again.

"This four-step palpation technique, fetal movement recording, and stethoscope are practically miraculous."

She pondered to herself for a long time before noticing the slightly timid little palace maid standing in the study.

Zhu Yaoying smiled and said, "Wan'er, keep up the good work, go back to the clinic and learn all of these things, then teach them all to me."

This includes details about the knee-chest position and the four-step palpation technique.

She tilted her head, reciting the stories as if they were her most treasured possessions.

"Bring me a copy of the fetal movement record sheet as well, and I'll arrange one for my sister-in-law as well. Also, help me steal one of those stethoscopes."

This young palace maid had been with Zhu Yaoying since she was a child, so she naturally trusted her implicitly.

The little palace maid named Liu Wan'er almost burst into tears as she pleaded.

"Your Highness, please spare this servant. That Magistrate Zhang is extremely ruthless. I was almost discovered by him, and he also had connections with the Empress Dowager."

Liu Wan'er was terrified of the consequences of sneaking out of the palace.

In addition, she heard rumors all the time that Zhang Shiyuan was a man who would eat people without spitting out the bones.

Lately, even though I can't feel it in the clinic, I still feel uneasy.

Most importantly, if the Empress Dowager finds out that I left the palace without permission, I will certainly be punished.

But Zhu Yaoying came up and patted the other person on the back to comfort her.

"Wan'er, what are you afraid of with me by your side? That Zhang Shiyuan isn't some jackal or tiger. Don't let his righteous anger towards others fool you; he's kind to ordinary people. Besides..."

She narrowed her eyes, a sly glint in her eyes.

"Do you really think Zhang Shiyuan didn't see the problem?"

If you rashly inquire about the surgery, he will surely notice something amiss.

Given Zhang Shiyuan's methods, the fact that he hasn't exposed you yet shows he doesn't dislike you; you can proceed with your plans without worry.

Zhu Yaoying seemed to have a very thorough understanding of Zhang Yunxiu's temperament.

"What about the Empress Dowager?" Liu Wan'er asked with some concern.

Zhu Yaoying smiled and said, "I have my own way of doing things, and I will never let our Wan'er suffer any injustice."

As she spoke, she casually put her arm around Liu Wan'er's waist, acting as if they were sisters.

Having lived in the palace since childhood, the only person he could confide in was Liu Wan'er.

Liu Wan'er clearly understood this as well, and she sighed, unable to help but offer some words of comfort.

"Your Highness, why do you insist on studying medicine? The Empress Dowager will surely be angry if she finds out."

"And then it was the same old thing again."

Zhu Yaoying looked sullen and crossed her arms as she spoke.

"What do you mean a woman's future is to be a good wife and mother? I'll do the opposite! Even the Wanli Daily News says that nothing in this world is predetermined, and everyone can choose to live the way they like."

"It's that Wanli Xinbao again," Liu Wan'er sighed inwardly.

He was convinced that his princess was completely infatuated with Zhang Yunxiu, and all he could talk about were newspaper articles and newly learned theories.

Zhang Yunxiu has caused a lot of harm!

But Liu Wan'er ultimately sided with the princess, and she sighed as she spoke.

"Your Highness, please be careful and don't get scammed."

She recalled the officials in the capital who had opposed Zhang Yunxiu in the past, as well as the Shanxi merchants who had tried to make money off Zhang Yunxiu.

More recently, there have been unkempt, spoiled young men hanging around teahouses, "speculating on futures."

These people were all manipulated by Zhang Yunxiu, let alone the princess who rarely left the palace.

However, Zhu Yaoying had a different feeling, and she sighed as she spoke.

"Wan'er, I really envy you. You can leave the palace at will and are less restricted in your daily lives, unlike me who can only stay in this deep palace all day long. I want to learn medicine and read novels, but I can only do so secretly."

She looked quite indignant.

"Why is it that my imperial brother can hide in the Qianqing Palace all day long, painting and drawing, surrounded by piles of books without reading them, and no one can stop him, while I have to suffer like this?"

Liu Wan'er was startled, realizing that the princess's words were becoming increasingly dangerous, and quickly waved her hand.

"No, Your Highness, it's not like that, His Majesty..."

"alright."

Zhu Yaoying waved her hand, seemingly unwilling to waste any more words on this matter, and then smiled and said...

"Aren't we focused on helping my sister-in-law with her pregnancy lately? It's only natural that I read some medical books and learn some medical techniques, isn't it?"

"That's true." Liu Wan'er looked troubled.

After thinking for a moment, Zhu Yaoying narrowed her eyes and said, "Wan'er, didn't you say that Zhang Shiyuan also had some kind of 'Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold for Obstetrics'?"

"That sounds very good. Could you go and ask if it's finished writing it, and also make a copy for me to see?"

"what?"

Liu Wan'er was startled again, and she quickly reminded her.

"Your Highness, the physicians at the clinic regularly monitor Consort Wang's condition, so I suppose it's unnecessary to [take action]."

"Stop talking nonsense," Zhu Yaoying said impatiently, speaking with conviction.

"The doctor at the clinic, Mr. Dongbi, and Physician Yang are both men, so it must be inconvenient for them to treat the Empress Dowager."

"Since I am a woman, wouldn't it be much more efficient to treat my sister-in-law's illness immediately?"

Liu Wan'er said, "At the clinic, Magistrate Zhang said he wants to train a group of female doctors."

"How could it be that fast?" Zhu Yaoying shook her head, her gaze gradually deepening as she spoke.

"Besides, can an outsider treat my sister-in-law as carefully and reassuringly as a family member? Do you know how many people outside are eyeing my sister-in-law's belly these days?"

"This"

Liu Wan'er's face turned deathly pale with fright, and she naturally thought of the currently favored concubine in the harem.

If this imperial heir were to be born, it would indeed pose a great threat to her. She immediately dared not think any further.

Seeing this, Zhu Yaoying said with some dissatisfaction, "Wan'er, what's wrong with you lately? Why are you being so fussy?"

Liu Wan'er was startled and immediately knelt down.

"Your Highness, this servant deserves to die! This servant deserves to die!"

Upon seeing her like this, Zhu Yaoying immediately softened.

She understood the little palace maid's situation; she had always been timid and afraid of even small insects.

Forcing her to study medicine inevitably led her to see many unpleasant things. Coupled with Zhang Yunxiu's poor reputation, this naturally resulted in her being in such a state of panic.

Zhu Yaoying smiled, took a sachet from the table, and handed it to Liu Wan'er.

"I know you're shy and unwilling to go to Zhang Shiyuan, but I won't let you go empty-handed. Give him this sachet, and I guarantee he'll hand over the 'Prescriptions for Obstetrics and Gynecology' without hesitation."

Liu Wan'er took the sachet and said with some concern.

"Your Highness, if word gets out that you've rashly sent a sachet to a man outside the palace..."

Zhu Yaoying, hands on her hips, slapped her on the head in an annoyed manner.

"If you don't tell anyone, how will anyone know that it was sent by me? You can treat it as a gift from a disciple and give it to Zhang Shiyuan. What's wrong with that?"

"But..." Liu Wan'er hesitated.

"There are no buts." Zhu Yaoying lost her patience. "Just do as I say. Once I learn that medical skill, you will definitely benefit from it."

Liu Wan'er shook her head and said, "This servant doesn't want any benefits, I just want to stay by the princess's side peacefully."

"OK OK."

Zhu Yaoying took out a packet of candied fruit from her bosom, stuffed it into Liu Wan'er's arms, and pushed her out.

"From now on, everything I need depends on you."

Liu Wan'er, who was on the verge of tears, finally smiled when she saw the candied fruit.

"Thank you for the generous gift, Your Highness!"

"Look at your pathetic self." Zhu Yaoying, with her carefree manner, slapped Liu Wan'er's bottom and said in a very uncouth way, with her hands on her hips.

"Don't forget to find me the latest version of 'Journey to the West'."

Last month, the widely circulated storytelling version of "Journey to the West" was re-edited and published in the "Wanli Xinbao" newspaper after being sorted out and rewritten by someone. It became a hit in the Beizhili region.

After much persuasion, Zhu Yaoying finally managed to secretly send Liu Wan'er away and returned to her small study.

She walked through the mountain of books in the study, sat back down at her desk, and focused her gaze on her recent journal entries.

This is an extra record that Zhu Yaoying made every day specifically to monitor Consort Wang's health.

Following the practice of Renmin Medical Hall, she meticulously recorded Wang Gongfei's diet, daily life, and the symptoms that appeared on her body every day.

On the one hand, it is to facilitate future diagnosis and treatment, and on the other hand, it is to prevent unscrupulous people from taking advantage of the situation.

Compared to Consort Zheng Mengjing, Zhu Yaoying clearly had a better impression of Consort Wang Gong, who came from a poor background, was gentle and unassuming, and did not compete for anything.

Consort Zheng was quite different; she was clearly an extremely ambitious woman, which made Zhu Yaoying feel quite uncomfortable.

She mimicked the teacher's manner, pacing back and forth in the study with her hands behind her back, seemingly lost in thought or perhaps daydreaming.

Zhu Yaoying has grown into a rather slender woman, and her rather mature movements make her look quite comical.

Finally, she stopped and turned her gaze to the poem that was being copied halfway on the desk.

The delicate calligraphy, though attempting to convey a powerful and majestic spirit, appeared rather strained.

Zhu Yaoying silently recited the contents of the poem.

"On the peaks of Dongling Mountain, crimson banners flutter in the west wind. Today we hold the long spear in our hands, when will we bind the azure dragon?"

"Such magnificent verses—one can only imagine the grand ambitions of the poet who wrote them."

She couldn't help but think of the young man she had glimpsed from afar on the palace tower, heading to court, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

"You don't want anyone to know. I suppose it must be you who can write such audacious verses throughout the capital."

Just as she was talking to herself, a palace maid hurriedly reported from outside.

"Your Highness, Her Majesty summons you. She says you felt some fetal movement again just now, and this time it was more intense."

With a "snap," Zhu Yaoying instinctively covered up the poem.

Upon hearing the news, her face immediately turned serious, and she called out to the outside.

"Write down the time!"

"Remember to be meticulous, and absolutely no mistakes can be made!"

"Make sure to remember the location and intensity!"

"I'm coming right now! Tell my sister-in-law not to rush!"

Datong Prefecture, Shanxi Province.

Li Mingxing, Fan Yongdou, and Wang Dengku gathered around the Xuan paper, staring intently at the flowing calligraphy on it and examining the poems within.

Fan Yongdou smacked his lips, pretending to know a lot, and it took him a long time to finally utter a judgment.

"This line about a vast sky and light clouds does have some charm, but unfortunately, the poem lacks some allusions and is too sharp, which really ruins this otherwise excellent line."

But someone immediately objected.

"No, no, Manager Fan, you haven't read enough books. This poem is a masterpiece, especially the last line: 'Today we hold the long spear in our hands, when will we bind the azure dragon?'"

Wang Dengku shook his head repeatedly and said with emotion.

"He is truly extraordinary in spirit; this man has a broad mind and must have great ambitions."

I suspect it was written by Zhang Jiangling. This man holds power; he's probably plotting to usurp the throne!

Li Mingxing squinted, looked at it again and again with his reading monocle, and said with a cold laugh.

"Zhang Jiangling is shrewd and calculating, and has been patient for many years. Even if he had such thoughts, he would never give anyone a reason to criticize him."

In my opinion, this must have been done by Zhang Shiyuan. Such a young age, yet he possesses such ambition; given time, he will surely become a major threat to us!

Fan Yongdou shook his head and said, "The two shopkeepers are giving this father and son too much credit. Such verses are probably the work of some reclusive literary master."

The three of them took turns analyzing the poem, but their limited education meant they couldn't come up with a clear explanation after reading it for a long time.

This song, "Qing Ping Yue," spread from the capital to all parts of the country at some unknown time.

The content of poetry is too sensitive, yet many people still appreciate it and secretly admire it, trying to guess the true author from just a few words.

Of course, it is understandable for poets to remain anonymous. If they wanted to flaunt the ambitions and aspirations they expressed through poetry, wouldn't that be like complaining that the emperor's sword was not sharp enough?

Shanxi merchants were not particularly adept at refined matters, and even when they tried to appear cultured, they found it rather difficult.

But once the topic of making money came up, the three of them started to light up.

Fan Yongdou sighed, “I heard that Zhang Shiyuan has come up with some kind of futures market. With just a few certificates, one can buy and sell all kinds of goods. This has made many gentry and nobles in the capital obsessed with this and have earned them huge sums of money.”

"It seems we can no longer sit idly by and wait for our doom. We must take action, otherwise, won't all the silver in the world end up in Zhang Shiyuan's pocket?"

(End of this chapter)