A few days later, one section of the physician's office was conspicuously empty. The storage room the apprentice physicians had used, which had previously held mortar and pestles and academic texts, had been cleaned out completely.
"Did you do some kind of major cleaning?"
When
Maomao
happened to mention it,
"That one got transferred."
Dr. Liu answered.
"Did their training period end?"
"Something like that."
Dr. Liu replied without looking up from his ledger.
In truth, the physician's office near the military division was considered a prestigious posting for medical officers. The more injured patients there were, the more a physician's skills would grow.
Apprentice physicians were first assigned to this coveted location. After completing several months of training, they were reassigned to other departments. Those with greater ability were more often placed at busier postings.
Incidentally, the reason her old man, known as
Luomen,
was never assigned to the military division's physician's office was because the eccentric strategist practically lived there.
The monocle-wearing old man who had been coming around almost every day since Maomao was assigned to the physician's office—
Jinshi
had apparently distracted him with go, because he'd stopped coming by so often. She was glad of it.
(Thank goodness, thank goodness.)
For once, she wanted to be grateful.
He, too, had been visiting Maomao far less frequently since she was assigned as a medical officer's assistant. His work was probably busy, and this certainly wasn't a place he'd want to hang around. He just didn't mesh well with the eccentric strategist, albeit for entirely different reasons.
Since there was less laundry today,
Yenyen
was doing the washing by herself, and
Yao
was organizing the warehouse. The worrywart Yenyen had handed her a bell that made a loud noise, saying, "Use this if someone tries to attack you."
As for Maomao, today she was on duty at the medical office together with Doctor Liu. Well, it wasn't exactly just sitting idle — there was the bedding on the
sheets
to change, the place to clean, and the logbooks to write up. When an injured person came in, it was Maomao's job to administer first aid. Senior physicians only stepped in for tasks that apprentice physicians and physician assistants couldn't handle.
Today there wasn't much to do — just applying ointment to cuts that military officers had gotten during training, or putting poultices on bruises. Occasionally some officers would stop by for cold medicine, and the pre-packaged doses she'd prepared were running low, but Doctor Liu was busily making more. Even the higher-ups would apparently make a batch of medicine when they had nothing better to do.
So, with her hands free,
alcohol
— she asked Doctor Liu whether she could use the stove to distill it, and he gave her an exasperated look.
"Long ago, Luomen said the same thing and tried doing it, but..."
His expression turned bitter.
"While he was off in the latrine, some guy walked in with a lit pipe in his mouth."
"Wow. What an idiot."
Normally speaking, it was pretty obvious.
"Well, Luomen hadn't given any particular warnings."
From how flustered they got, you could tell exactly who had been smoking the pipe. Maomao, who simply kept quiet and did her work, could read the room.
Doctor Liu seemed to have known her father for a long time, so it was nice being able to hear stories like this every now and then.
"Don't use the stove. Some fool slacking off on the job might come wandering over with a pipe in his mouth. Here — use a brazier and do it in the next room."
"But the heat won't be as strong."
"You don't need that much anyway. You're just trying to kill time by figuring out something to make, right?"
(Hit the nail on the head.)
"Also, you were probably thinking you could get away with drinking a cup or two."
Why was his intuition so good?
Maomao brought over a large brazier, a distiller that looked like a medicine pot with tubes growing out of it, alcohol for disinfection, and cold water stored in a bucket.
"Oh, right. Take this too."
Placed down with a thud were scissors, medicinal wrapping paper, and the finished medicine.
"One hundred in total. Wrap them up for me."
"...Understood."
In general, it seemed he wouldn't be allowed any free time.
Maomao added charcoal to the brazier and set up the distiller. Unlike the makeshift distiller she had previously built at the Jade Pavilion from whatever materials were on hand, this one was a proper apparatus. It consisted of two pot-like sections stacked vertically, each fitted with an inverted medicine pot opening. Alcohol was poured into the bottommost pot and heated to evaporate; the vapor would rise, be cooled above, and distilled spirit would flow out from the spout.
I'd love to have one for the dormitory too.
Given its rather specialized design, it would be quite expensive to manufacture. The current one was made of ceramic, but even a metal version would cost a pretty penny.
I wonder if he'd give it to me once it's old and retired?
While indulging in that pleasant thought, she wrapped medicine in the wrapping paper. With the season being what it was, many officials were catching colds, so she was preparing medicine to give out. Like food, medicine would go bad if not used quickly, but it would surely be used up soon enough.
While Maomao was diligently wrapping medicine, someone seemed to have arrived in the next room. Wondering if it might be an injured person, she moved to return to the room where Liu was—
"Stay where you are and keep working."
Liu had positioned himself in front of the door as if to stop her.
"We have a guest, but don't bother with tea. Best not to prepare any."
"Best not to"?
Maomao found this puzzling, but she obediently returned to her wrapping work... or so she appeared to do.
Quietly, she pressed her ear to the door.
"I must ask you not to make unreasonable demands. Are you telling me to add yet another capable physician?"
That was unusually respectful language, even for Liu. Which meant the person on the other side was someone of higher standing.
Who could it be?
Maomao's question was answered in an instant.
"I'm asking despite knowing it's unreasonable. I'd like at least two more."
Even through a single door, the beauty of that voice was unmistakable. Compared to his time in the Inner Palace, the sweetness had diminished, but in its place was something else that drew people in.
He's gone from celestial maiden to celestial immortal, hasn't he?
Needless to say, it was Jinshi's voice.
"As you instructed, I am in the process of training the apprentice physicians. However, I would say only about half of them show real promise. Some have the body for it but lack the skill; others have the skill but lack the proper mindset. Cultivating both skill and mindset requires time."
Mind, technique, and body — are those what one needs to become a court physician?
"Is it impossible to teach them through hands-on practice?"
"I have no intention of making
corpses
out of them through experiments. At the very least, they need to have strong resolve — if not, they'll break down immediately."
Corpses...
Something about those words felt off.
What had been nagging at Maomao these past few days was now leading her thoughts in a particular direction. She wanted to ask about it right away, but she held back and focused on listening.
"Those with strong resolve might manage."
"If you're going to select candidates, it would be best to choose those with fewer ties. Overprotective parents would only cause trouble. Besides, no one would willingly volunteer to go to a distant land."
Those words carried an undertone.
Jinshi wanted court physicians. If they were heading to a distant land, he must want to bring them along on an expedition.
Preparations for war?
No, perhaps things hadn't progressed that far yet, but Jinshi was the type to do plenty of groundwork in advance. Thinking of the future, he might want to increase personnel at key defensive locations.
In that case — north or west?
To the west was
Sauo.
To the north was
Hokuaren.
Between Li and Hokuaren,
there was a great mountain range.
Crossing mountains said to be several li high was nearly impossible, so most armies coming from the north would appear where the northwestern mountain range had a gap — as stated in the problem set from the court ladies' examination.
Thank goodness for that sharp old woman. She'd made sure Maomao still remembered.
As expected of someone who wouldn't tolerate half-baked cramming.
If you were to ask what lay to the northwest...
Gyokuyou
The Western Capital, her hometown as empress.
(Come to think of it,
Shira Suzu
the young lady did say something odd.)
Something about the merchants in the west making strange moves, or something like that.
Or maybe it was connected to all this.
Maomao had her mind so full of eavesdropping that she was late to notice the distillation apparatus had run dry and started producing strange smoke.
Wrinkling her nose, she cautiously looked back and was startled by the rising smoke. She hastily splashed water to extinguish the brazier's fire.
Her response was quick enough, but there was no way those in the next room would miss the loud splash.
"What are you doing?"
The exasperated voice belonged to Jinshi.
Maomao, looking awkward, held a handkerchief and wiped up the spilled water.
"Well, you see, I dozed off while watching the fire..."
"Oh my. There's a door imprint plastered right on your cheek."
At Physician Liu's words, Maomao clapped a hand to her right cheek.
"......"
"......"
Her eavesdropping was completely exposed.
Maomao averted her eyes, but Physician Liu's gaze didn't waver. Maomao's head was grabbed by Physician Liu and squeezed right then and there.
(Ow ow ow ow!)
Maomao crouched down, clutching her head.
She figured they had left her in the next room thinking it wouldn't matter if she overheard, but apparently eavesdropping was still off-limits.
Jinshi was holding back a look about to crack. Standing beside him was
Bashen
In addition, two military officials who appeared to be bodyguards were also present. It was no small feat maintaining such a polished image.
The laughter seemed to have died down, and Jinshi cleared his throat with an unusually solemn air.
"Dr. Liu, may I ask you one question?"
"What might that be?"
"You said the apprentice physician's performance was middling, but what about the medical assistant?"
"...What do you mean? A medical assistant is just an assistant, after all."
"However, I've heard that the actual duties of an apprentice physician and a medical assistant are nearly identical. In other words, if one possessed the heart, technique, and constitution—wouldn't they be eligible for promotion to physician?"
Jinshi must have been mulling over what Yan Yan and Maomao had discussed about how she might become a physician.
(The problem lies in that heart, technique, and constitution.)
What did Jinshi consider sufficient to qualify someone as a physician? But pressing that point here would only put Maomao in a difficult position.
From her dealings with Jinshi up until now, she had grown fairly adept at reading what he was thinking. Of course, there were times she couldn't, but she could tell what he was about to say.
"How strong is this medical assistant's resolve?"
She felt as though he had flashed a grin right at her. Not a gentle smile—a mischievous, teasing one.
"This Maomao is nothing more than someone who is brashly thick-skinned. More importantly, she is a woman. There is no way she could become a physician."
Dr. Liu stated plainly.
(That may be true, though.)
Maomao couldn't very well not think about what it would be like if she could become a physician.
(Father wouldn't be too pleased about it, I imagine.)
Luomen had raised Maomao as an apothecary. It was a skilled trade sufficient for surviving in the pleasure district, but he never tried to make her into a physician, despite the higher income it would bring. On the contrary, he had taught her: "Never touch a corpse."
"You might even try to turn a human being into medicine."
Those were his words, but there must have been a different meaning behind them.
"At this point, it doesn't have to be a physician. If someone possesses the same skills as a physician, a town doctor is fine,
or an apothecary.
I'll grant special permission. So, can you prepare at least two more people?"
Jinshi's words carried a hidden undertone. The atmosphere was reminiscent of the many troublesome matters he had brought during his days in the rear palace.
But at the same time, Maomao's entire body was tingling with excitement.
Not the bad kind of tingling. It was the kind of excitement that surfaces amid a slightly prickly tension—the feeling you get when you experiment with a medicinal herb for the first time with your own hands.
She considered what Jinshi wanted her to do here. Probably—no, certainly—something troublesome. But at the same time, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to receive something she could never normally receive.
Would she regret taking on the troublesome task, or would she regret letting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip by?
Maomao's answer was already decided.
Physician Liu was staring fixedly at Maomao. His expression practically screamed "refuse this."
(That's impossible.)
Maomao knelt on one knee before Jinshi.
"There is a pharmacist here. How would that be?"
The corners of Jinshi's mouth rose ever so slightly.
"That is the proposal. What do you think, Physician Liu?"
"..."
Physician Liu was glaring at Maomao. He had thought that when it came to professional evaluations, apprentices and assistants alike would be treated fairly. Was it really the fact that Maomao was a woman that was the problem?
"...I cannot answer on my own authority. Above all, the foster father of this medical aide is Luomen."
Father's name had been brought up.
(So he was being considerate of Father.)
Maomao pictured her father's face—the kind, harmless former eunuch who on very rare occasions upended entire ecosystems.
If he were to look at her with that sad expression...
(That would be incredibly hard to deal with.)
He was arguably Maomao's greatest weakness.
"If Maomao can obtain Luomen's permission, I have no objections."
Physician Liu looked at Maomao in a way that said, "Well then—can you do it?"