Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1477: Chapter 1578: Question Selection_1

The steward eunuch’s face turned deathly pale, thinking to himself that if he had known this Doctor Hao was capable of stabbing someone, he would never have dared to recommend her to Bai Ruozhu. Wasn’t this just offending Officer Bai for no good reason?

”Officer Bai, I truly didn’t know about this,” he said in a low, ingratiating voice.

Bai Ruozhu shook his head at him, ”This isn’t your fault, nor is it a big deal. If she could stab someone while delivering a baby and Fushou Hall still dares to employ her, that’s Fushou Hall’s business. But I cannot take that risk in the Female Physicians Institution; the Palace is filled with aristocrats. I can’t bear this responsibility.”

”Right, right, what you’re saying makes sense. I’ll have her leave immediately,” the steward eunuch said as he wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.

Indeed, Hao Baishuang couldn’t stay in Beiyu City any longer. She had previously been convicted and beaten with paddles, causing no one to dare hire her at Fushou Hall anymore. With the Du Family’s downfall, and no relatives willing to take her in, she made her way to the Capital City, hoping to get far enough from Beiyu City so that no one would know of her past.

Truth be told, she hadn’t been in the Capital for long and didn’t know many aristocrats. She was unaware of Bai Ruozhu’s recent appointment as an officer. She had just joined Fushou Hall when she heard that the Palace was recruiting female imperial doctors, and had someone introduce her, not expecting to run into Bai Ruozhu.

In her heart, Hao Baishuang had come to utterly despise Bai Ruozhu, feeling that Bai Ruozhu was her nemesis, that nothing good happened whenever they met.

”To accuse me of such things, I’ve been a doctor for many years and have never harmed anyone; how come it was only you who got hurt? You caused the death of my cousin, an eye for an eye, even stabbing you once is letting you off lightly,” Hao Baishuang said through gritted teeth.

”You keep saying that I killed your cousin, then why didn’t you report it to the authorities and let the Government Office deal with me? Your cousin was abandoned by her husband’s family and chose to hang herself, but you blame everything on me. Had she not harbored wicked intentions, hiring a killer to attack me, why would her husband’s family have abandoned her? Tell me, what family would dare marry a woman who hires assassins? You cannot distinguish right from wrong, see things in black and white. That day, when I was holding a newborn in my arms, you stabbed me without a second thought. Have you considered what would’ve happened to the innocent child had I not held on tightly?”

Bai Ruozhu hadn’t taken the matter with Hao Baishuang too seriously at first, merely thinking that the Government Office would deal with her. But since the topic of medical practice had come up, she found Hao Baishuang’s actions particularly intolerable.

”Enough, I don’t have the time to waste on you. If you refuse to leave, then let someone throw you out,” Bai Ruozhu said, giving the steward eunuch a sideways glance. He immediately understood and hurriedly called over a little eunuch to push Hao Baishuang out.

Hao Baishuang was lifted up by others, but she still turned back to shout loudly, ”Bai Ruozhu, just wait, I won’t let this go!”

With a crisp smack, the steward eunuch slapped Hao Baishuang across the face, ”You impertinent woman, to show disrespect towards an officer of the Imperial Court; even twenty paddles would be justifiable for your actions.”

Seeing that Hao Baishuang was about to speak again, he backhanded her with another slap. By now, he was truly afraid of angering Bai Ruozhu, with the backlash falling on him. Bai Ruozhu was favored by the Empress Dowager, and her husband was the Emperor’s confidant, with her brother being the newly appointed second-rank scholar. He could not afford to offend them.

Fear in his heart led to a heavier hand, and Hao Baishuang’s face quickly swelled. She felt a profound humiliation but attributed all of it to Bai Ruozhu, even thinking that Bai Ruozhu had coerced the steward eunuch into such a degrading treatment of her.

After Hao Baishuang was taken away, the remaining seven female doctors all lowered their heads, trembling and not daring to say a word.

”I hope you all take this as a warning. Whether or not you become an imperial doctor in the Palace, regardless of whether you treat patients inside or outside the Palace, you must not harbor malicious intent,” Bai Ruozhu said, looking at the seven of them.

The seven quickly bowed and said they would remember the officer’s teachings.

Bai Ruozhu nodded and didn’t continue discussing the matter. She began to pose questions to the seven, and after the first round of inquiry, she favored five of them.

Then, she asked the steward eunuch to bring some medicinal materials and had the seven identify and select the herbs; unexpectedly, the youngest of them proved to be the most proficient.

Looking at her, Bai Ruozhu asked, ”Your skill in selecting herbs must have taken at least seven or eight years to acquire, hasn’t it?”

Everyone was startled. The young woman looked to be no more than eighteen or nineteen. If she had been practicing for seven or eight years, didn’t that mean she started when she was just over ten years old? Could it be that Officer Bai was mistaken?

The young woman replied with reverence, ”Officer, you have a keen eye. My family used to run a pharmacy, and I began helping with selecting herbs when I was ten. I am also very familiar with the methods of processing and preserving medicinal materials.”

”What’s your name?” Bai Ruozhu asked.

”My name is Tian Fang, and I am nineteen years old,” Tian Fang answered excitedly.

The other female physicians showed disdain, thinking that at just nineteen, how could she be a physician? She was much too young.

But such thoughts merely flashed through their minds, none daring to voice them aloud, because their superior, Bai Ruozhu, was even younger, only eighteen, wasn’t she?

”You have your own strengths, but your medical skills still fall short. If I select you for the Female Physicians Institution, you will have to learn much before you can become a truly qualified physician. Are you willing to endure hardship?” Bai Ruozhu asked.

Tian Fang said excitedly, ”I am willing, I am not afraid of hardship.”

Bai Ruozhu nodded and said to the steward eunuch, ”Please register her information.”

She glanced at the remaining six, then her gaze fell on a little eunuch standing by, pointed at him, and said, ”Come over and help.”

The little eunuch hurried over to bow, and Bai Ruozhu looked towards the remaining six and said, ”This is the last question. Look and see what illness he has.”

The six of them observed eagerly, and the oldest woman asked, ”My lord, may we take his pulse?”

”You may do anything except ask him,” Bai Ruozhu said, then gave a look to the little eunuch, ”You must not remind them.”

The little eunuch pursed his lips and nodded vigorously.

Bai Ruozhu instructed the steward eunuch to light a stick of incense, and after fifteen minutes passed, she looked at the six and asked, ”You may take turns speaking.”

”He has stomach trouble, poor digestion,” one of the female physicians blurted out.

Three others voiced their agreement.

”Is that all?” asked Bai Ruozhu.

The oldest of the physicians spoke up, ”He has gallstones.”

Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but nod; age did bring more experience, indeed. The rest showed surprised expressions; they hadn’t been able to detect gallstones through taking the pulse.

The little eunuch also looked surprised, as he truly did not know he had gallstones.

”Is that it then? Would anyone like to think more carefully?” Bai Ruozhu looked at them and asked.

One of the physicians rolled her eyes and said, ”He has hypertonia in the stomach and often burps.”

Bai Ruozhu did not confirm if it was right or wrong but just quietly observed the crowd. Even the oldest physician began to feel anxious. Was there something she had missed?

At that moment, Tian Fang, who had already been registered, stepped forwards and asked timidly, ”Bai Ruozhu, may I have a look?”

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I’m out handling affairs and will try to update five Chapters later tonight~