The Imperial Doctress Episode 21 Recap
> The Imperial Doctress Recap
Yunxian explained to Liu Pingan her unconventional method for curing the Princess Consort of Borneo. She had used soured buttermilk to treat the Princess Consort's bloating and diarrhea, a daring move given traditional medical teachings against curdled milk for dysentery patients. Yunxian clarified that with no other options, and the Princess Consort refusing conventional medicine and acupuncture, she resorted to this unusual yet effective approach.
Liu Pingan, though acknowledging the success, teasingly called her methods "bizarre" and compared her to a "voodoo magician," a sentiment previously echoed by Cheng Cunxia. Meanwhile, Cheng Cunxia was seething with resentment over his loss to Yunxian, complaining to his uncle, Chen Shisan, about her "shortcuts" and "dark methods" not found in medical books, while Chen Shisan tried to validate his nephew's claim of being the superior genius. Later, Qiyu came to take Yunxian back to the palace.
He apologized for his past misunderstanding, admitting he had verified his mother's feigned illness and regretted his initial misjudgment of Yunxian's actions. He asked for her forgiveness. Yunxian, in turn, reaffirmed her commitment to medicine, promising Qiyu that she would only treat men out of necessity and would specialize in gynecology, asking for his understanding. Qiyu conceded, playfully asking her not to "kick him out" again, noting her stubborn nature.
The Emperor, intending to congratulate Yunxian on her victory over Cheng Cunxia, arrived to find her and Qiyu in an intimate moment. Disheartened, he turned back to his palace. An official later announced that Minister Hang (Yunxian) had been recognized for her merit in curing the Princess Consort and was granted permission to wear red within the palace, a privilege she acknowledged with gratitude. Soon after, Consort Li sent for Yunxian to her palace.
Ding Xiang explained that Yunxian’s fame had spread throughout the palace because the Emperor, after over ten years of marriage, had no heirs. The concubines, desperate for a prince, had been consuming fertility medicines like water. With Yunxian, a "miraculous physician" even more skilled than Cheng Cunxia, now in the palace, everyone was eager for her help.
Ding Xiang further noted that the Emperor rarely sought out other consorts, primarily visiting the Empress, as the other consorts were arranged by the Empress Dowager and he wished to prevent any harm to the Empress. Upon arriving at Consort Li's palace, Yunxian noticed a palace maid kneeling in punishment. Consort Li explained the maid had accidentally dropped her "Feiyun Tablets" into water.
Consort Li recounted that this precious beauty product, brought by a Korean ambassador, was widely used in the Korean court for its skin-whitening properties. Yunxian, however, warned Consort Li that the tablets contained mercury, a poison recorded in medical texts as "Feiyun Tablet" when used by princesses for facial powder. Yunxian demonstrated the tablet's toxicity by showing how it reacted and turned black in lime water, similar to soap and bath beans.
Consort Li was horrified, realizing she had been applying poison to her face. Yunxian then accurately deduced Consort Li's recent symptoms, including sleep difficulties and increased aggression, as effects of mercury poisoning. Reassured by Yunxian that her poisoning was not severe, Consort Li pardoned the palace maid. Yunxian examined Consort Li, confirming no deep poisoning due to the absence of hand tremors, a typical symptom of severe mercury poisoning.
She prescribed a detoxification regimen of pea and dried green vegetable soup, along with fungus congee, noting this was the same method used to cure the Empress Dowager. For future beautification, Yunxian promised to prepare "Tao Hua Ji," a nutritious dessert made from Shandong donkey hide glue, black sesame, walnut kernel, and yellow wine, after Consort Li's recovery.
Consort Li was overjoyed and welcomed Yunxian to visit often for further guidance, solidifying Yunxian’s reputation as a highly sought-after physician in the palace. An Imperial Physician complained to Chen Shisan that Yunxian, as Minister Hang of the Imperial Pharmacy, was overstepping her authority by widely treating concubines, effectively "taking business" from the Imperial Faculty of Medicine. He proposed shutting down the Imperial Pharmacy. Cheng Cunxia, overhearing, supported the idea, suggesting an impeachment against Yunxian.
Upon hearing this, Liu Pingan confronted Cheng Cunxia, making him kneel before their ancestors. He sternly reminded Cunxia of the sacred medical vows, emphasizing compassion, humility, and the rejection of fame and profit. Liu Pingan admonished Cunxia for his continued hostility towards Yunxian, recalling his earlier attempts to sabotage her during the skills exam and now planning impeachment, all stemming from his inability to accept Yunxian's success in curing the Princess Consort of Borneo.
Liu Pingan even hinted at Chen Shisan's connivance in the matter, expressing deep disappointment in Cunxia. Cunxia, however, defended his stance, claiming his uncle's actions were merely helpful and his report against the Imperial Pharmacy was legitimate given Yunxian's alleged abuse of power. Liu Pingan countered by citing past instances where even Chen Shisan had relied on Imperial Pharmacy eunuchs to treat concubines, implying that patients simply sought the most skilled physicians.
He urged Cunxia, his "treasured disciple" and a "rare medical genius," to embrace the right path, free from vanity. He expressed a desire for Cunxia and Yunxian to collaborate and improve their skills, and encouraged Cunxia to broaden his perspective by studying alternative methods like Zhu You. Ultimately, Liu Pingan compelled Cunxia to promise to get along with Yunxian, to which Cunxia reluctantly agreed.
Consort Dowager Wu informed the Empress Dowager of Qiyu’s changed stance, noting his determination regarding Yunxian and his use of her own previous words against her to justify his choices. The Empress Dowager, having witnessed Yunxian’s impressive medical skills in curing the Princess Consort of Borneo despite Chen Shisan’s schemes, expressed admiration for her talent and proposed that Yunxian be accepted as Qiyu's consort. The Empress Dowager conveyed this decision to Wang Meilin, who vehemently opposed it.
Meilin, distraught, argued against Yunxian becoming Qiyu's consort. The Empress Dowager attempted to reason with her, pointing out that many princes have concubines and that Qiyu's affections were already set on Yunxian. She also suggested that accepting Yunxian might earn Meilin more respect from Qiyu and noted that Yunxian did not seem to be an inherently malicious person. However, Meilin refused any compromise, even suggesting violent acts against Yunxian, such as killing her or disfiguring her, labeling her a "vixen."
The Empress Dowager was dismayed by Meilin's unruly behavior, reminding her that Yunxian was a government official protected by the Emperor. Meilin then accused the Empress Dowager of losing influence since returning power to the Emperor, suggesting she was no longer as effective an ally. Exasperated, the Empress Dowager dismissed Meilin, instructing her to consult Duke Wang. Meilin returned home in tears, questioning if Yunxian's treatment of the Empress Dowager had caused her change of heart.
Duke Wang initially chastised Meilin for her outburst, advising her to accept Yunxian as a consort, predicting Qiyu would eventually lose interest, leaving Meilin free to "make her suffer." However, Meilin expressed deep fear of living with Yunxian, citing her knowledge of "medicine and drugs" and the possibility of being poisoned. Duke Wang acknowledged the validity of her fears, concluding that it was an "either-or" situation.
Realizing the Empress Dowager would no longer assist them, he decided they must act on their own, hinting at exploiting the rumors about Yunxian’s "not ordinary" relationship with the Emperor. Yunxian prepared lunch for the Empress, delighting in the news that Consort Dowager Wu had seemingly approved her marriage to Qiyu. While enjoying the meal, the Empress, Qian, urged Yunxian to advise the Emperor against over-relying on Wang Zhen and the Eastern Depot.
Empress Qian expressed her concern that the Emperor, feeling isolated and no longer heeding her counsel, was becoming overly dependent on Wang Zhen. Yunxian inquired about the persistent rumor that Wang Zhen had implicated the Empress Dowager in the death of the Emperor’s biological mother. Empress Qian then shared her deep suspicions about the official narrative.
She recounted that the Emperor's biological mother, who was reportedly illiterate, had supposedly left a blood-written letter, produced by Wang Zhen years after her death, claiming she was poisoned by arsenic by the Empress Dowager. This led the Emperor to exhume her body, finding black bones, which cemented his belief in the Empress Dowager's guilt.
However, Empress Qian questioned why the Empress Dowager would wait over a year after adopting the Emperor to act, and how an illiterate woman could write such a letter. She suspected Wang Zhen, leveraging the power of the Eastern Depot, had fabricated the will, though the blackened bones remained a mystery.
Empress Qian cautioned Yunxian to keep these doubts secret, as it was a deeply painful and sensitive matter for the Emperor, especially in the absence of concrete evidence to clear the Empress Dowager. During their conversation, Yunxian noticed Empress Qian's unusually small appetite, a detail confirmed by her attendant who noted the Empress typically ate very little.
Checking Empress Qian's pulse, Yunxian diagnosed her with a weak spleen, leading to insufficient qi and blood, which explained her poor appetite, pale complexion, and quiet demeanor, and contributed to her difficulty conceiving. Yunxian immediately prescribed a new regimen, including a blend of sour jujubes, Xia Hezi, atractylodes rhizome, donkey hide gelatin, yam rhizome, and medicated leaven.
After consulting Liu Pingan, Yunxian also prepared medicinal hot spring baths using mugwort leaves, atractylodes, Chinese dodder seeds, and essential oils, designed to warm the womb and enhance fertility. Yunxian discovered that palace maids and eunuchs had no access to medical care when ill. Defying established rules, she opened the Imperial Pharmacy at Changshou Hall for consultations, which quickly became bustling with patients.
Her attendant initially hesitated, stating the Imperial Pharmacy was not for consultations and lower-ranking servants couldn't see physicians. However, Yunxian insisted that "a eunuch's life is also a life" and that in medicine, there are only patients, not distinctions of gender or rank. Despite warnings, she began treating the sick, including male eunuchs, attracting large crowds that Ding Xiang struggled to manage.
Xiao Ma'zi, delivering a message from Qiyu, witnessed the overwhelming crowd and overheard some eunuchs making suggestive comments about Yunxian. Alarmed by their inappropriate thoughts and Yunxian's naivety regarding palace intrigues, he reported the incident to Qiyu. Qiyu, furious but knowing Yunxian was engrossed in her medical mission, opted for a discreet approach.
He sent Xiao Ma'zi to warn Liu Pingan at the Imperial Faculty of Medicine about the situation and instructed Ding Xiang to identify and remove any servants harboring "rude thoughts" towards Yunxian. Later, the Emperor dined with Yunxian, having sent Xiao Ma'zi to excuse himself from Consort Dowager Wu. The Emperor playfully chided Yunxian for overworking herself by "sticking her nose in other's issues."
Yunxian countered, revealing her shock at discovering the countless palace maids and eunuchs who were denied medical attention and often died from trivial illnesses. The Emperor admitted his ignorance of this long-standing ancestral rule. Yunxian passionately argued that "human life is even more important" than old rules, proposing to train eleven palace maids from the Imperial Pharmacy or Imperial Faculty of Medicine in basic medical practices.
Impressed, the Emperor agreed to consult his ministers about expanding medical care for palace staff. Feeling a moment of closeness, the Emperor placed his hands on Yunxian's shoulders, reminiscing about their shared tradition of watching fireworks. He expressed missing her and wished she would proactively visit him. He then acknowledged hearing about her previous declaration of loyalty to the Empress.
He informed her that Consort Dowager Wu was no longer making a fuss, and the marriage decree for her and Qiyu was prepared. However, Yunxian clarified that Consort Dowager Wu still desired Qiyu to take a "real wife" first. The Emperor scoffed at this, calling it a "dream." Unbeknownst to them, Qiyu witnessed this intimate interaction between Yunxian and the Emperor, leaving him deeply shocked.
