The Martial Doctor

"What is the name of that female physician?"

"I heard her surname is Guan."

"Guan, I remember there is a female physician in the palace named Guan Biyun, she seems to have a good relationship with that poison consort?" Zhao Rui was shocked, "It can’t be her, she’s almost forty, why would Chun’Er be interested in her?"

"Old Yao, tell me, what exactly is going on?"

As the emperor, Zhao Rui is well aware of his son’s character. His fifth son is more like him in personality, whereas the Crown Prince resembles his mother more.

Therefore, since the fifth son is like him, he favors him more.

"Your Majesty, this old servant heard that the physician is the master of Lien Yurou, the niece of Lien, and Consort Xue intends for this Yurou lady to be a concubine to Prince Qi, but when the Lien Family went to Dongshan, they didn’t see Yurou lady..."

"Why were they in Dongshan?"

"The physician was sent to Dongshan by the Imperial Pharmacy to supervise Mr. Lin, and Lien Yurou went with her master." Mr. Yao the Eunuch explained.

"So that’s what happened." Zhao Rui now roughly understood what was going on, Lien Yurou didn’t want to marry the fifth son as a concubine. When the Lien Family went to Dongshan to find her, she hid with the help of Guan Biyun.

Because of this matter, the fifth son was dissatisfied with Guan Biyun and Lien Yurou, the master and disciple duo. Guan Biyun completed her supervision and returned to the capital to report, but Lien Yurou didn’t come back with her.

Although the fifth son is young, his mind is not very broad. He thought Lien Yurou’s reluctance to enter Prince Qi’s residence was certainly instigated by Guan Biyun.

Lien Yurou couldn’t be reached, so he targeted Guan Biyun...

All of this is still understandable, but for him to do such a thing to a woman old enough to be his mother, is something Zhao Rui, both as an emperor and as a father, finds very hard to comprehend.

Moreover, Guan Biyun had a close relationship with Consort Yi, a woman Zhao Rui still recalls. He had entertained similar thoughts, yet even as the emperor, he couldn’t force a female physician to consent to him.

"Your Majesty, I can handle Guan Biyun’s matter, and ensure she poses no threat to Prince Qi or Your Majesty." Mr. Yao the Eunuch tentatively suggested.

If Guan Biyun were just a normal palace officer, it would be simple; just arrange for her to die of illness or have an accidental death.

But Guan Biyun is a registered physician at the Imperial Pharmacy, and if news of this spreads, it would be a royal scandal.

No matter if it’s for the future of the fifth son, or for the face of the royal family, Zhao Rui can’t allow such a thing to happen.

But he also can’t let Guan Biyun disappear like that, as she leads a group of female physicians who serve the royal family...

"Can you manage it properly and ensure she keeps silent?"

"This old servant has means to keep her silent, but if she has established such a relationship with Prince Qi, what if..."

"What if she carries the offspring of the fifth son, right?"

"Although Guan Biyun is already forty years old, she’s never married, and before Prince Qi, she was a virgin."

"In that case, find a place to settle her first, don’t put her in Prince Qi’s residence. This matter cannot be spread; if she doesn’t have the fifth son’s offspring, we will deal with it." Zhao Rui thought for a moment and slowly spoke. The royal reputation is important, and a mere female physician is not.

"This old servant obeys the order." Yao the Eunuch responded.

"Go warn the fifth son, such matters must not happen again, otherwise, I will surely punish him. Also, he is about to marry, how can he not focus, is he dissatisfied with the princess I appointed for him?" Zhao Rui instructed.

"This old servant understands." This was the emperor reprimanding Prince Qi.

In the royal family, such absurdities are not uncommon. It’s just sleeping with a female physician, how many female physicians yearn for this.

How many women in the palace want to climb onto the emperor’s bed but cannot?

Although the fifth son used means, could it be said that the female physician with the surname Guan wasn’t half willing? Even being a concubine in Prince Qi’s residence is better than being a physician at the Imperial Pharmacy, right?

...

Spring Pavilion.

Prince Qi, Zhao Yuanchun, in his palace residence. Although he’s been conferred as a prince, the emperor has bestowed upon him a Prince Qi Mansion in the capital for both living outside the palace and for his upcoming marriage.

In a special chamber, Guan Biyun was imprisoned here. The place was luxuriously decorated with various amenities, but there was no view of sunlight.

Guan Biyun greatly regretted trusting Consort Xue’s words and agreeing to enter the palace to diagnose her pulse.

Little did she know it was a trap.

Consort Xue hadn’t been seen, and she lost her freedom, was drugged, and was violated by that little scoundrel. When she was in the palace, she had heard some rumors; although the fifth prince appeared diligent and clever on the surface, in reality, he was a downright little demon.

Just, his crimes were covered by his mother, Consort Xue, and discussions were banned. Anyway, every now and then, there would be a disappearance or an unaccounted death of palace maid in Consort Xue’s palace.

Consort Xue was deeply favored by the emperor, second only to Consort Yi, and who dared to speak more? Since the palace maids had lowly status, losing one just meant losing one, and wouldn’t be pursued. Many of these maids came in with a bondage contract or were daughters of convicted officials.

Even their death would go unnoticed, let alone avenge them.

She had already submitted her resignation to the Imperial Pharmacy, intending not to work anymore, but before it was approved, such a thing happened.

She felt immense regret inside, if she had known, she wouldn’t have observed protocol, and just left after submitting her resignation.

Even without court approval, she didn’t plan to return anyway.

This little scoundrel targeted her to avenge Lien Yurou, Consort Xue chose Lien Yurou as the concubine candidate for the little scoundrel, Yurou naturally refused, one with such narrow mind would not easily give up, and without Yurou, he vented his anger on her.

This is all a muddle, difficult to untangle.

But in the end, it’s Zhao Yuanchun the little scoundrel’s fault, Guan Biyun is not a young girl in her teens, she wouldn’t cry or seek death over such a loss, she is forty years old and a female physician who frequently took small lessons under Lin Miao. She learned that the so-called female ’chastity’ is merely a thin membrane, with cell division, and after renewal, no trace of the old remains; let alone just a membrane?

Calming down, she first thought about saving her life, without life, everything is lost. Feigning compliance with the little scoundrel is necessary.

Next is regaining her mobility, after being drugged initially, she then fell victim to the Sealing Meridian Skill, having her Dantian’s energy sealed, unable to exert any martial prowess.

Moreover, she was within the vast confines of the royal palace and required a pass token to escape.

The Zhao Family had issues in that aspect, they relied on external aids to satisfy women, besides having inherent perverse desires.

These were secrets shared by Consort Yi, who was once confined in the cold palace, which Guan Biyun knew but couldn’t speak of externally.

Having studied some acupuncture techniques with Lin Miao, she understood some of Lin’s Pulse Science. During her days in captivity, she pondered methods of escape.

To prevent self-harm by imprisoned women in this chamber, it naturally lacked "needles" and "knives" or any sharp objects.

But the furniture like tables and chairs had edges, while the "Sealing Meridian Skill," though magical, required regular reinforcement, or else a Dantian would be permanently sealed, rendering the person useless.

Nevertheless, Guan Biyun, acquainted with pulse science, utilized the sharp edges of furniture to counter the Sealing Meridian Skill, leveraging her understanding to restore the energy flow within her Dantian.

Upon regaining mobility, she continued acting fragile and even learned the timing of the annual feast.

The annual feast, where most palace personnel would be busy assisting, reducing the guarding forces and presenting an optimal escape opportunity.