Yang Yanfeng was reviewing the coursework of the inner college students when they came looking for him.
"Have me take Song Qiming as a disciple?" He asked Li Tianchong with a somewhat surprised expression.
Li Tianchong nodded. "Exactly. I want to win him over, but his elder sister is a bit of a tough nut to crack. We can only start with Song Qiming himself."
Yang Yanfeng frowned. "Song Qiming just entered the academy. The next provincial examination is in two years; he might not pass."
Li Tianchong: "I looked into Song Qiming's background before choosing him. He only started studying at age ten, yet he topped the county-level exam in less than two years. Proper nurturing will surely make him a great talent."
With a troubled look, Yang Yanfeng stood up and paced. "But he's at odds with Yan Baoyi. Taking him as a disciple would not only offend the Yan family but also displease Master Ding."
Li Tianchong said solemnly, "That's precisely why it's easier to win him over. Offering help in times of need is more effective than adding flowers to brocade."
"Brother Yang, when have we ever made a losing deal? Just trust me on this once."
Worry lines etched deeply between Yang Yanfeng's brows. Remembering how Li Tianchong's scheming had successfully married his own daughter to the Second Prince, his heart wavered slightly.
"Tomorrow, I'll ask the outer college instructors to assess Song Qiming's scholarly aptitude. If he truly is a genius as you say, I'll take him as my disciple."
The fine wrinkles at the corners of Li Tianchong's eyes almost reached his hairline as he smiled. "Make sure to offer help only when he's truly desperate and in dire straits. That's when it will be most effective."
Yang Yanfeng nodded in agreement. "I understand your meaning, Brother Li. I will act according to the circumstances."
For the first three days after opening, the food shop's business got better each day. Nearly half the households in Anyang Prefecture knew a shop selling braised dishes and tea drinks had opened on Wuyi Street.
The braised dishes made each day sold out before afternoon. They had to make another batch in the afternoon to meet the demand from evening customers.
Mu Hongyue arrived with a small jug of wine to find Ye Liangyu. Seeing the table before him laden with dozens of different braised dishes, a pang of envy stirred in his heart.
"You told me to visit your shop, but my servant couldn't buy braised pork intestines for three days straight. Turns out they're all here with you."
Ye Liangyu signaled to Yunhe to bring another set of bowls and chopsticks. "That's because the Song Family Food Shop's business is too good. You all go too late."
Mu Hongyue chuckled lightly and sat down. "I heard your student's situation at the academy isn't too good. Are you really not considering becoming a lecturer in the upper college?"
Ye Liangyu's hand, holding his chopsticks over a piece of meat, paused. He looked up and asked gravely, "What's wrong with Qiming? He seems fine when he comes by every day."
Mu Hongyue tilted his chin up slightly. "The student who came second in this academy exam is very resentful of him, the top scorer. Student jealousy and rivalry — you know how it is."
Ye Liangyu pressed, "Is the other party well-connected?"
Mu Hongyue shook his head, extending his little finger to indicate a tiny amount. "The Yan family are merchants, without much power. If Yan Baoyi has any illusion of superiority, it's just that his family has a bit of money and he found Ding Weiyue to be his teacher. In terms of talent and comprehension, he really can't compare to Song Qiming."
The Yan family had placed high hopes on Yan Baoyi since childhood, sending him to the best private tutors in Anyang Prefecture. Even so, he still didn't outscore Song Qiming.
"Ding Weiyue is an instructor in the inner college. Once Song Qiming passes the monthly exam and enters the inner college, he'll be under Master Ding's jurisdiction."
Ye Liangyu frowned. "Can't you, as the academy head, do something about it?"
Mu Hongyue rested his elbows on the table, leaning forward. "As long as they don't act blatantly, I, as the head, can't say much."
"Yan Baoyi is already inciting the outer college students to isolate Song Qiming. He still has Song Gaoli with him for now, but once he reaches the inner college, he'll truly become a lone soul."
Seeing Ye Liangyu's expression grow increasingly grim, a faint, almost imperceptible curve lifted the corner of Mu Hongyue's mouth. He picked up his wine cup and drained it in one go.
Having just one student wasn't enough. If such a heaven-sent talent was left unused, wouldn't he be failing as the academy head?
The food shop was bustling with customers, but for the three days since the clinic opened, not a single patient had come through the door.
Song Shixue measured out medicines one by one according to prescriptions patients had gotten elsewhere, sending them off with a smile that held a trace of bitterness.
"Sister, there are clearly no other clinics around, and plenty of people, so why does no one come to us for treatment!"
Song Jinzhao, sitting in a chair, was organizing the medical knowledge points she had learned during her schooling in her mind. "The clinic just opened; it's normal for patients not to trust us yet. Take it slow, don't rush. In the end, it's medical skill that matters."
At the newly opened clinic, when patients heard the resident physician was a sixteen-year-old girl, they turned and left without a moment's hesitation.
Thankfully, they had started out by hunting. If they had truly relied on medical practice from the beginning, they'd be drinking the northwest wind.
Song Shixue placed the abacus in front of Song Anhao for him to play with, then walked over and sat down opposite Song Jinzhao.
"Sister, Lanxi's blinded eye was caused postnatally. I can heal the external injuries and the broken arm and leg bones with some extra time. It's just the eye; I don't know how to proceed."
Song Jinzhao asked, "You've been treating Lanxi's injuries for several days now. Have you figured out what kind of person he is?"
Song Shixue propped her chin on her hand, looking up at a forty-five-degree angle as she recalled.
"He's not afraid of pain. He didn't make a sound when I set his bones."
"A bit cold, often lost in thought. It always feels like he's hiding some sadness in his heart that he can't tell anyone."
"And I've noticed, he doesn't seem to like his own eyes very much. Even though his pale blue pupils are as beautiful as the sky, he often lowers his head, unwilling to let people see them."
Song Jinzhao raised an eyebrow. "You think blue eyes are pretty?"
Song Shixue nodded without hesitation, touching her own eyes with her hand.
"Not only do I like them, even Anhao often tries to grab at them. Especially when sunlight shines on his eyes, they sparkle like gemstones."
Song Jinzhao glanced at the medical notes written on the table; the ink was half-dry.
"Lanxi's eye lost sight due to blood stagnation blocking the channels after a head impact, leading to monocular blindness. It could have been cured originally, but he delayed treatment for months without medicine. To cure it now requires internal herbal prescriptions and external acupuncture therapy."
Song Shixue shrank back, her tone carrying a hint of defeat. "My needle technique isn't at the level where I can work on the brain yet. Could you treat Lanxi's eye, Sister?"
Song Jinzhao: "There's a first time for everything. First, you formulate the prescription to dispel the blood stagnation. I'll supervise when it's time for the acupuncture."
Song Shixue's heart settled immediately. She stood up and went to the counter to start pondering the prescription.
A woman dressed in a light blue short-sleeved, narrow-cut shirt walked in hesitantly from outside. Meeting Song Shixue's gaze, her shoulders drew back slightly.
Seeing someone enter, Song Shixue's eyes lit up and she immediately greeted, "Are you here for a consultation or to fill a prescription, miss?"
The woman stole a glance towards the consultation desk. Seeing the person sitting there was indeed a young woman, she cautiously approached the counter and asked in a low voice, "Your resident physician is a female doctor?"
Hearing this, Song Jinzhao stopped writing and turned to look at the woman.
Song Shixue nodded in response. "Yes, both my sister and I are female physicians. Is the young lady here for a consultation?"
Qiu Ye glanced behind her to ensure no one was paying attention before approaching Song Jinzhao. "It's not me, it's my friend. She couldn't come today. Is the physician available every day?"
Song Jinzhao gestured for her to sit and picked up the patient record book beside her. "I am here for consultations after the hour of Si and before the hour of Wu in the morning, and after the hour of Wei and before the hour of You in the afternoon."
"What seems to be troubling your friend?"
Qiu Ye lowered her voice to a whisper only the two of them could hear. "Her monthly courses are irregular. They used to come once a month, but five months ago they started coming every month and a half. Last month, they didn't come at all."
She quickly added, "My friend is unmarried, she is... a maiden."
Song Jinzhao's hand paused for a moment. "How old is your friend?"
Qiu Ye: "Sixteen."
Song Jinzhao pressed further, "Are there any other symptoms?"
"For instance, has she been feeling anxious lately, sleeping less, often waking startled in the middle of the night?"
"Has there been any noticeable change in her figure? How is her hair loss?"
Qiu Ye's breath hitched, her fingertips trembling.
"She has indeed been losing more hair than usual. When her courses were regular, she would sleep for four ke a day, but now she wakes after just two. She doesn't feel tired during the day. Her figure seems a bit fuller, but her appetite hasn't changed; she doesn't eat more than before."
She didn't look like someone who couldn't afford treatment. How could she have delayed for so long?
"Has she not seen any other physicians in the past six months?"
Qiu Ye shook her head. "Matters concerning the monthly courses are not something to be known by outsiders."
Song Jinzhao set down her brush. "The patient needs to come in person. I need to examine her and check her pulse to determine the cause."
Qiu Ye nodded. "Tomorrow during the hour of Si. Please do not receive other patients then. I will bring my friend."
Song Jinzhao noticed the faint calluses on her fingertips and nodded, gesturing behind her. "There is a separate examination room inside. You may bring your friend directly."
Qiu Ye craned her neck to look inside. Seeing the room offered reasonable privacy, she felt slightly reassured.
After leaving the clinic, Qiu Ye went to a pastry shop, bought a box of sweets, and returned to the Guo residence as if nothing was amiss.
The young lady, who had been waiting anxiously all morning, immediately pulled her personal maid into the inner chamber as soon as she returned.
"Well? Is she a female physician? Did you find out her background?"
Qiu Ye set down the pastries and spoke softly, "Rest assured, miss, she is a female physician. There's also a younger apprentice in the clinic; the two look like sisters."
"I've made inquiries. The Song family who opened the clinic moved to Anyang just a few months ago because their younger brother was taking the academy entrance examination. After he enrolled in the Anyang Academy, the whole family relocated from their hometown. They have no relatives here in Anyang Prefecture."
"Most importantly, the clinic has only been open for a few days and doesn't have many patients. The Madam would never notice such a place."
Guo Yiyao bit her lip, troubled. "It's just that we don't know how skilled this female physician is, or if she can cure my illness quickly."
Qiu Ye quickly comforted her, "Don't worry, miss. When I told the physician about your condition, she seemed to already have an idea. We'll go see her tomorrow."
"There are still three months until the wedding. There's definitely enough time."
The next day at the hour of Si, two women wearing long veiled hats entered the Song Family Clinic.
Qiu Ye lifted her veil and nodded to Song Jinzhao. Only after entering the inner room did they remove their hats.
Judging by their attire, they didn't look like friends, but more like mistress and maid.
Song Jinzhao gestured. "Please sit and extend your hand."
Qiu Ye moved a stool and wiped it with a handkerchief before Guo Yiyao sat down.
Song Jinzhao noted this but didn't ask, placing her fingers on the woman's pulse.
"Did you used to have abdominal pain two days before your courses? And has that pain stopped since they became irregular?"
Guo Yiyao seemed struck by a chord. The corners of her mouth lifted briefly before her eyes fell again.
"Yes. If it weren't for the fear of infertility, I'd almost prefer not to treat it."
"Please stick out your tongue."
Song Jinzhao leaned closer to examine Guo Yiyao's face and neck.
Under her makeup, faint red spots were visible. The acne on her neck and the back of her neck was more pronounced, and her neck had a slight darkening.
"Did these acne breakouts only start appearing in the last six months? Would it be possible for me to see your back and chest?"
Guo Yiyao looked at her maid. Qiu Ye immediately went outside to stand guard.
Song Jinzhao glanced at her chest and back after she loosened her collar.
Guo Yiyao: "There are some on my chest and back, but fewer. On my back, one or two keep appearing, healing and then popping up elsewhere. My appetite is normal. Apart from the irregular courses, everything else seems fine."
Song Jinzhao parted her hair to examine her scalp, finding slight scabbing at the back.
"Do you have a particular fondness for sweet foods in your daily diet?"
Guo Yiyao pursed her lips and nodded, gesturing slightly. "Not that much, just two plates of pastries a day."
Song Jinzhao: "How has your mood been lately?"
Guo Yiyao lowered her eyes, twisting her handkerchief tightly. "Not very good. I lack energy, have no interest in anything, feel a bit anxious and irritable."
Irregular menstruation, metabolic issues, signs of high androgen levels... it was basically diagnosable as polycystic ovary syndrome.
"It's not a serious problem. I'll prescribe some medicine for you. Take it on time, avoid raw, cold, and cooling foods during this period, and don't eat sweets."
"Engage in moderate exercise every morning. Keep your spirits up, don't suppress your feelings. The more you hold it in, the more depressed you'll become."
Guo Yiyao pressed, "Physician, roughly how long until I'm cured? When will my courses return to normal? Will it affect my fertility?"
Song Jinzhao pressed her lips together, trying to accept that a sixteen-year-old girl marrying and bearing children was normal in this era.
"Your friend said you are unmarried. Are you in a hurry to have children?"
Guo Yiyao stiffened slightly, avoiding Song Jinzhao's gaze. "I am to be married in a few months."
Song Jinzhao nodded. "Your condition requires careful regulation. If you take the medicine on time for two to three months, the menstrual irregularities and acne should show significant improvement. After that, pay attention to your diet to prevent a relapse."
"You may engage in marital relations once your courses have been regular for six months, but it's best not to conceive before then."
At the mention of "marital relations," Guo Yiyao's face flushed slightly.
She replied in a low voice, "I understand. Please keep today's matter confidential. Could you also prescribe a separate formula for loss of appetite and stomach discomfort? If anyone comes asking, please say that's why I came for a consultation."
Seeing her cautious demeanor and considering the potential intrigues within a wealthy household's inner quarters, Song Jinzhao nodded in agreement. "A physician keeps their patients' conditions confidential. You may rest assured."
