The Imperial Doctress Episode 5 Recap
> The Imperial Doctress Recap
Imprisoned, Yunxian found herself in a cell crowded with sick inmates. Overwhelmed with compassion, she immediately began to examine them, diagnosing their ailments as exogenous fever. She used cold water to help alleviate their fevers and offered them comfort. Hopeful for a proper remedy, Yunxian gave some money to a jailer, asking him to deliver a message to her family and request a specific medicine: "a thousand gold reed stem soup." Meanwhile, Prince Cheng was under soft confinement.
His attendant, Xiao Ma'zi, brought him pastries and updated him on the outside world. Xiao Ma'zi cautiously revealed that Lady Hang, to whom the Prince had sent a pearl flower, was now imprisoned in Shuntian Prefecture, accused of causing a death through her medical treatment.
Distraught and convinced of Yunxian's innocence, Prince Cheng gave Xiao Ma'zi his precious jade ornament, instructing him to find Official Zheng from the Ministry of Justice and urge him to investigate the case thoroughly to clear Yunxian's name. However, as Xiao Ma'zi attempted to leave, guards searched him, discovered the jade ornament, confiscated it, and punished Xiao Ma'zi, returning the pendant to Prince Cheng.
Elsewhere, the Emperor was concerned that Prince Cheng had not appeared at Yongqing Convent as scheduled and suspected Wang Zhen's meddling. Wang Zhen denied any involvement, prompting the Emperor to send his own people to find Prince Cheng. Later, Empress Qian encountered Wang Zhen, whose haughty demeanor was evident when a palace maid accidentally spilled something on him. Wang Zhen's guards moved to punish the maid severely, but Empress Qian intervened, preventing the harsh sentence.
She voiced her displeasure with Wang Zhen, criticizing his influence over the Emperor and his encouragement of the Emperor's informal outings in plain clothes. Back in the prison, Yunxian's hopes for the medicine were dashed when the jailer returned empty-handed. He claimed he found no one at her manor and mocked her concern for the sick, reminding her that deaths were common in prison.
He warned her to prepare for her upcoming trial, as Governor Xu had seemingly compiled solid evidence against her. Heartbroken and feeling helpless, Yunxian watched as her most severely ill patient, whom she had tried so hard to save, breathed her last. Just then, Luo Da Niang, the woman who delivered food, arrived. Without a word, she dramatically splashed cold water from a deep well onto the seemingly deceased patient. To Yunxian's profound astonishment, the patient miraculously revived.
Luo Da Niang then instructed Yunxian to collect fingernails and sparrow guano from the window, and an earthworm, to be mixed into a bowl of clear porridge for the patient. Despite her initial revulsion at these unconventional ingredients, Yunxian followed the instructions, and the patient showed remarkable improvement.
Realizing Luo Da Niang was a skilled medicine woman, Yunxian sincerely expressed her desire to learn from her, explaining her ambition to become a doctress, a path her imperial physician grandfather had once respected. Luo Da Niang, impressed by Yunxian's kind heart and dedication, agreed to teach her practical "earth" remedies, explaining the medicinal properties of common items like fingernails, bird droppings, and earthworms.
She also warned Yunxian about the dangers of practicing medicine without a solid theoretical foundation, emphasizing that even medicine women, despite their practical knowledge, could make fatal errors. Luo Da Niang encouraged Yunxian to cleverly question the details of her case during the upcoming trial. Simultaneously, in his confinement, Prince Cheng made a deal with his mother, Consort Dowager Wu: he would consider the Empress Dowager's marriage arrangements if she helped Yunxian.
Consort Dowager Wu attempted to influence Imperial Doctor Cheng Cunxia on Yunxian's behalf, but he refused any bribes, stating his commitment to upholding the law. The public trial commenced. Imperial Doctor Cheng Cunxia testified that the licorice root and dried ginger water prescribed by Yunxian were not poisonous and could not have caused Madam Xu's death. Yunxian then requested to question Madam Xu's servant.
The servant revealed that for a month prior, Madam Xu had been ill and was taking "Vitality Powder (Yi Yuan San) and Ginseng Soup" prescribed by Physician Wan Ning of Huimin Apothecary. As her condition hadn't improved, she then began taking Yunxian's prescription. Yunxian explained to the court that Wan Ning's medicine aimed to boost Yin, while hers was intended to boost Yang. Taking two such antagonistic medicines simultaneously, she argued, could indeed cause a sudden death.
Recognizing the complexity of the situation, the magistrate decided to adjourn the trial until Physician Wan Ning, who was currently out of town, could be summoned to testify. After the court adjourned, Cheng Cunxia discussed the case with his uncle, Supervisor Cheng. Cunxia presented his detailed analysis: Madam Xu had long suffered from an Yin deficiency and dysentery, for which Wan Ning's Yin-boosting medicine was appropriate.
However, when Madam Xu consulted Yunxian, her dysentery was gone, and Yunxian, unaware of her complete medical history, prescribed a Yang-boosting remedy. The abrupt discontinuation of the Yin-boosting medicine followed by the administration of a Yang-boosting one created a severe imbalance, ultimately leading to Madam Xu's death. Convinced of Yunxian's innocence, Cunxia expressed his intention to testify in her favor. However, Supervisor Cheng emphatically forbade him.
He reminded Cunxia that he had personally recommended Wan Ning to the Huimin Apothecary, and if Wan Ning were implicated, his own reputation and career would suffer. He dismissed Yunxian as a woman recklessly practicing medicine, suggesting that her conviction would serve as a warning and safeguard the medical profession. He impressed upon Cunxia the political intricacies of the Imperial Faculty of Medicine and the vital importance of protecting their family's name for Cunxia's future advancement to the top position. Reluctantly, Cunxia agreed to abide by his uncle's instructions.
