Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 512 The Smell of Medicine (1)

Moreover, Donggua is already a sixth-rank official in charge of food preparations, a female official with proper status. If Jianzhi is truly interested, others will likely say he is climbing the social ladder.

Meng Shu thought that Donggua was wonderful in every way, but judging from Donggua's current behavior, she was afraid that Donggua was only enthusiastic about it.

About half an hour later.

Hongyu lifted the curtain and came in to report: "Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Jian has arrived and is waiting in the front hall."

Meng Shu immediately got up, took a medical book from the desk, and went to the flower hall.

As soon as I reached the window, I saw Jian Zhi step into the inner courtyard. As expected, Donggua had been waiting at the front for a long time and was now following him step by step toward the bedroom, exchanging a few words from time to time.

Green Willow couldn't help but whisper, "Your Highness, look, this servant thinks Winter Melon is really hooked."

Looking at the two figures outside the window, Meng Shu suppressed her smile and turned to Green Willow, saying, "Go over there first and find an excuse to send Winter Melon away."

Jian Zhi is twenty-three or twenty-four years old this year. He has regular eyebrows and eyes, a tall and straight figure, and always has a gentle smile when he treats people. He has always been very popular in the palace.

He stepped into the flower hall and first bowed to Meng Shu through the curtain. When Green Willow led him to the soft couch under the window, he said, “Your Majesty, I was ordered to rush to the aid of the northern frontier. It has been more than a year since I left. Today I have come to take the pulse of Your Majesty and the First Prince.”

Meng Shu, who had been feeling well recently, raised her hand to indicate that he did not need to be so polite, and said gently, "I'm sorry to have troubled Imperial Physician Jian to make this trip. You have just returned from the Northern Frontier and should have rested for a few more days, but I'm sorry to have troubled you with my and the Imperial Concubine's needs."

Jian Zhi quickly replied, "Your Majesty, what are you saying? It is my duty to take the pulse of Your Majesty and the princes."

After saying that, he took out a pulse pillow, and Meng Shu placed her wrist on it, her fingertips lightly touching it for a moment. Then he called someone to bring Yu Nu'er over, and took the pulse of the little prince as well.

After a short while, Jian Zhi withdrew his hand, bowed his head, and replied, "This morning at the Imperial Hospital, I reviewed Her Majesty's pulse records for the past six months. I heard that during this period, Imperial Physician Li Rui has been taking the pulses of Her Majesty and the Imperial Concubine. Imperial Physician Li's medical skills are trustworthy. I just examined Her Majesty, and her pulse is steady and strong, her qi and blood are in harmony, and the First Prince is also very healthy and strong, without the slightest problem."

Upon hearing this, Meng Shu looked up at Lvliu. Lvliu understood and led the wet nurse and the others to take Yu Nu'er away.

"Did Imperial Physician Jian take Yun Baolin's pulse when he came from Huining Palace? Wan'er said she hasn't been sleeping well lately and is hoping you'll come back to see her."

"Your Majesty, I have already examined Consort Yun's pulse." Jian Zhi's tone remained gentle, but with a more detailed explanation, "Consort Yun is in good health, and her pulse shows no signs of weakness or stagnation. I have prescribed a calming formula for her."

Meng Shu nodded gently, then changed the subject, asking about what Consort Chun had been talking about in private: "Speaking of which, Consort Yun has been in the palace for over a year now. Her health has always been stable, but she has yet to conceive. Physician Li couldn't find the reason before. I wonder if Physician Jian noticed anything during his pulse diagnosis today?"

Upon hearing this, Jian Zhi's expression turned slightly solemn. After a moment of contemplation, he replied, "Your Majesty, when I examined Yun Baolin's pulse today, I paid special attention to her blood and qi, as well as the pulse of her uterus. Yun Baolin's six pulses are full and her Chong and Ren meridians are in harmony, making her extremely suitable for having children. It is indeed somewhat strange that she has not conceived yet. I dare not make a rash judgment. Only by carefully examining her pulse records and daily life over the past few months can I glean some reason for this."

Meng Shu was taken aback. She pondered deeply. Yun Baolin wasn't exactly favored, but since gaining the emperor's favor, she had been able to serve him once a month. If she was destined to be fertile, after such a long period of adjustment, she should have some good news by now.

"The matter of having children can be caused by emotions, opportunities, or external illnesses. It is difficult to detect the pulse at the moment, and there is also the possibility that the fetus is obstructed," Jian Zhi slowly added.

Meng Shu nodded, "Wan'er is very fond of her cousin Yun Baolin. From now on, I'll trouble Physician Jian to take good care of Yun Baolin."

Jian Zhi quickly cupped his hands and replied, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, this is my duty. I will regularly visit Ganlu Palace to examine Yun Baolin and adjust the prescription as needed, and I will certainly live up to Your Majesty and the Noble Consort's trust."

Green Willow quietly retreated to the side to stand guard.

Meng Shu asked in a deep voice, "I have a question for you, Physician Jian. Do you know which of the following herbs, if added to a common prescription for nourishing the uterus, will emit a faint bloody smell after being stewed?"

Jian Zhi frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then cautiously replied, "Your Majesty, most prescriptions for nourishing the uterus focus on warming and invigorating the blood. Common ingredients like angelica, rehmannia, and white peony, when stewed, produce a rich medicinal aroma and rarely have a fishy smell. If there is such a smell, I can think of a few, the first being deer placenta paste. Although it can replenish qi and blood, warm the uterus, and aid fertility, it is made from deer placenta and naturally carries the fishy smell of flesh and blood. If it is not processed properly, or if it is not combined with enough neutralizing herbs like licorice and red dates, the fishy smell will be particularly noticeable after stewing."

Meng Shu shook her head and said firmly, "It's definitely not deer placenta cream."

Upon hearing this, Jian Zhi looked up at her, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

Meng Shu then explained, "Back when we were at the Changchun Garden Palace, when the Empress framed Qing, she specially sent me, Wan'er, and several other concubines a box of deer placenta cream. At that time, Donggua even examined the smell of the deer placenta cream. Although it had a slightly fishy smell, it was mellow and mixed with honey fragrance, completely different from the fishy smell I smelled that day. A couple of days ago, Donggua made an excuse to go to Renming Hall and said that compared to the deer placenta cream, the smell was stronger and had an indescribable astringent feeling, as if... the fishy smell of the medicinal materials themselves had not been masked, rather than the mellowness after processing."

"Your Majesty, there's another ingredient, earthworm. Although it can break up blood stasis, clear the meridians, and regulate uterine congestion, it carries an earthy and insect-like odor. Unless it's a severe case of uterine obstruction, it would never be used in ordinary remedies." Jian Zhi pondered deeply, then suddenly widened her eyes.

(Note: Earthworm, also known as ground beetle)

Upon hearing this, Meng Shu immediately ordered, "Green Willow, call Winter Melon over here."

After giving her instructions, she glanced at Jian Zhi, whose face was filled with deep thought, showing no other emotion. Meng Shu sighed softly, pondering how to probe Jian Zhi's thoughts.

However, the important matter at hand is more pressing.

Before long, light footsteps could be heard outside the hall, and Donggua lifted the curtain and came in.

Today she wore a dark blue dress embroidered with floral patterns, and her hair was styled in the same double-loop bun as Green Willow. But with her round face and bright eyes, she looked even more charming and adorable than usual.

"Miss."

Donggua glanced at Jian Zhi, who was standing to one side, before speaking.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Moving this weekend was exhausting. I need to use the rest of today to organize my thoughts. The original plan was to finish it around the middle of the month, but I've been incredibly busy these past few days, so it'll probably be at the end of the month. After that, I'll add some side stories about Madam Yun and the others.