The timing
had come around sooner than expected.
"Hey,
Maomao!"
"
Maomao was called over by the old physician.
"What is it?"
"Could you go work in a different department for a while?"
"Understood. Where should I go?"
"To
Physician
Liu's place."
(Physician Liu!)
For Maomao, this was an invaluable opportunity. Physician Liu also served as the Emperor's personal physician. She might even be able to assess the Emperor's current condition.
But why was there a staffing shortage at Physician Liu's station?
"It sounds like there are other capable physicians with Physician Liu already."
"He did mention odd jobs. Maybe he wants someone to help with a medicine inventory."
"I see."
(Is that really the reason?)
Though she had her doubts, Maomao decided to comply without protest.
The medical office where Physician Liu worked was located in the heart of the palace. It stood in the outer court but was close to the Emperor's bedchamber—near the inner court and the rear palace as well. Close it was, yet the person she unexpectedly found before her left Maomao stunned.
"Old man."
"Don't call me old man. Here—let's see, just call me Physician Han."
Luomen.
Chapter 228. Luomen
Maomao was there. She was Luomen's adopted daughter, and she was supposed to be working as a palace physician.
"I heard Liu said you could probably make some medicine, so I called you over."
"You're probably good at it, right? I'm not too confident about surgery since you've been away from hands-on practice for so long, but I won't let you say you've gotten rusty in that area either."
Physician Liu and Luomen were old acquaintances.
"As for surgery, I think it'd be best to avoid it. I can't stand for long periods of time, so you know."
Luomen tapped his knee.
"Taking care of this one here would be the most suitable job for you."
Now Maomao understood the reason she had been called in by Physician Liu's words. Luomen had a bone removed from his knee, and his mobility was poor. He wanted her to assist with that, it seemed.
"For the time being, I'll have Luomen come here regularly."
Physician Liu said that much, then waved his hand as if to say the rest was up to Luomen, and left.
"Dad."
"That's not it."
"Physician Han."
Maomao corrected herself.
"What is it?"
Luomen headed toward the medicine storage room, leaning on a cane. The other physicians followed along.
"What was Physician Liu's intention in gathering everyone here like this?"
Maomao asked her father in a polite tone.
"It's something that's been common for a long time. Once the physicians get settled in, they divide into specialties based on their aptitudes. It's fine to have plenty of physicians who can do everything, but dividing up the work is more efficient, you see."
"I see."
Maomao wasn't fully convinced, but she didn't press the matter any further.
The storage room was lined with medicine shelves, one after another. Maomao came here once a day, but no matter how often she visited, it was always a calming place.
"So what exactly are we going to be doing?" one of the physicians asked.
"Right. I'm sorry to ask, but could each of you make a few different medicines?"
"Understood."
Three physicians had come besides Maomao. Two were mid-career, while one was
Ten'yu's
classmate.
All three were diligent, and none of them objected to Maomao handling the medicines. It was less that they were mild-mannered — more likely, all three, to no small degree, shared the same kind of air as Maomao.
As usual, Maomao didn't bother learning their names.
(Tall Senior. Short Senior. Medium Peer.)
The tall mid-career physician, the short mid-career physician, and the medium-height peer physician.
They were the sort who found satisfaction in working in silence, verifying the efficacy of medicines, and exploring more efficient methods of preparation. In other words, as long as they didn't get in her way, she didn't care who any of them were.
"The patient is a twenty-year-old woman. Her husband consulted us because she's been suffering from ongoing sleep deprivation, possibly from gastritis. What would you prescribe for now?"
The first to act was the medium peer. The peer opened several medicine chests and began gathering the necessary ingredients.
(
Longan,
with
dong quai,
and
licorice,
as well as
gardenia fruit,
plus...
Kagi Kihi To,
should do it.)
Maomao glanced sideways at the crude drugs arranged on the table.
"You lot not going to do anything?"
Luomen asked.
"Are there any other symptoms?"
The senior official narrowed his eyes.
"You're asking me, but..."
"Do you have any morning sickness?"
Maomao asked in a probing tone as well.
A twenty-year-old woman, consulted by her husband. Here, they had to consider the possibility of pregnancy as well. There were plenty of insomnia medications, but many were harmful for pregnant women.
The two mid-ranking medical officers, like Maomao, had indicated the same possibility.
"That's right. There seems to be nausea too, so it would be best to keep that possibility in mind."
The three of them—Maomao included—sprang into action. All three reached for similar crude drugs and produced similar medicines. The precise methods of preparation differed, but in the end they came up with roughly the same remedy.
"Yes, all three are correct. This one, I'm afraid, doesn't quite make it."
As expected, only the junior official failed. Though disappointed, the official checked the points that had been wrong and nodded in understanding.
"Now then, let's move on to the next question."
In this way, Luomen had Maomao and the others produce one remedy after another.
What set Luomen apart was that he didn't merely hand over a prescription and call it done.
(He really loves throwing in trick questions.)
It might be called mean-spirited, but patients often couldn't explain their symptoms well either. His teaching was that it was best to be just skeptical enough of the other person's words to question them.
(If only he were this meticulous about money, too.)
Since the man was employed as a medical officer, he surely couldn't be having his salary embezzlement, but she made a mental note to verify that next time.
(There's a real possibility he'd hand over his entire fortune to a passing stranger in need.)
As long as he never left the palace, she supposed there was no problem.
For several days, this cycle repeated.
Luomen confirmed their knowledge of medicinal drugs while also observing their work process.
"All right, next let's try making a large quantity within a time limit. I'd like you to follow the combinations written here."
Luomen continued raising the difficulty.
Maomao reviewed the prescription.
"Yes."
Maomao raised her hand.
"What is it?"
"I think it would be wasteful to make any more of this medicine. We won't be able to use it all up."
"I feel the same way."
"Wouldn't the cut medicine that the military officers often use work?"
The other court physicians also agreed with Maomao.
"It won't go to waste. The medicine we're about to make will be distributed to common patients."
"...What do you mean?"
A colleague of middling rank asked.
"It's to test the efficacy of the new medicine we'll be making. We've been gathering patients with the same symptoms to make comparison easier."
They had probably been gathered so that the experiment Maomao was conducting on her own left hand could be carried out more precisely.
"..."
Maomao checked the paper with the prescription once more.
Winter melon seeds
,
rhubarb
moutan bark
and so on.
(Medicine for the circulatory system?)
What sort of patients had been gathered?
Could it be that patients with the same symptoms as the emperor had been assembled?
With that question lingering in her mind, Maomao began gathering the listed crude medicines.