In the side hall behind the Taiji Hall, the aroma of tea rose gently. Empress Dowager Li Yi and Empress Dowager Lin Yue sat opposite each other on the ancient table.
Lin Yue is already eighty-eight years old. Time has etched deep and shallow wrinkles on her face, but her eyes still exude wisdom and clarity. She took a light sip of tea and spoke slowly, "Your Majesty, I am getting older and older. Recently, I often recall the patients I have seen in the past. I think that while my consciousness is still clear, I will compile my life's medical practice into a book and summarize my experiences in detail, so that all medical practitioners in the world can benefit and treat more patients."
Li Yi nodded slightly, his eyes brimming with approval: "What Yue 'er has done is the greatest good. It is truly a blessing for all living beings."
Lin Yue recalled the time when the original master first ventured into the medical field. At that time, she was merely a spoiled young lady in the Su minister's family. By chance, she witnessed a maidservant at home falling ill but having no way to seek treatment, in great pain. She then secretly made up her mind to study medicine.
From initially studying obscure medical books with great effort to following the provincial doctors in the mansion to copy prescriptions and identify medicines, every step was soaked with sweat. She still remembers the first time she independently treated a maidservant's wind-cold syndrome. She was so nervous that her hands trembled slightly. However, relying on her solid knowledge, she prescribed a prescription and watched her recover. Her heart was filled with a sense of achievement.
Since then, Lin Yue has gone further and further into the medical field. When a family member is unwell, they are willing to ask their eldest daughter, Lin Yue, to treat them. She is always patient in asking questions, taking the pulse carefully and not missing any subtle symptoms. Later, there was a noble consort who suffered from a strange illness. She coughed non-stop all day long, looked sallow and emaciated. All the medical officers in the Imperial Medical College were at a loss and turned to Lin Yue to treat her. Lin Yue consulted a large number of ancient books and carefully observed the daily life of the imperial concubine. Eventually, she determined that it was due to improper diet and the accumulation of cold and dampness in her body.
She prescribed a prescription for warming Yang and eliminating dampness, and also instructed the imperial concubine on dietary adjustments. Within a few months, the imperial concubine miraculously recovered. This incident became a beautiful story in the palace, and Lin Yue's reputation for medical skills grew even more renowned.
Not only in the palace, Lin Yue was also extremely concerned about the hardships of the common people. She often left the palace in disguise, visited folk medical clinics and exchanged medical skills with doctors.
In a remote village, she saw an old woman who had been bedridden for years due to a stubborn leg disease. Her family was poor and unable to receive medical treatment. Lin Yue immediately squatted down to treat the old woman and found that it was due to years of overwork combined with the invasion of wind and cold that the joint pain was caused.
Not only did she prescribe prescriptions for the old woman for free, but she also personally guided local doctors in preparing herbs and taught her massage techniques. Several months later, the old woman was able to get up and walk, shedding tears of gratitude towards Lin Yue.
There are countless similar experiences. Each treatment has strengthened Lin Yue's determination to spread medical skills and benefit more people.
Nowadays, Lin Yue is well aware of the great responsibility of sorting out medical ethics. She ordered someone to move all the medical cases she had recorded over the years to her study one by one. The mountain of case files carried the efforts of countless days and nights.
She began to browse through the earliest medical cases. Every case and every diagnosis seemed like they happened just yesterday, vividly before her eyes. When encountering difficult and complicated diseases, she would also call in the imperial physicians who had participated in the diagnosis and treatment back then to recall and discuss together, striving to keep accurate records.
During the sorting process, Lin Yue also added her unique insights and treatment experiences regarding the illness. For instance, regarding common fever symptoms, she elaborated in detail on how to accurately determine whether it is due to external wind-heat or wind-cold or internal heat accumulation in the internal organs based on the duration, severity and accompanying symptoms of the fever, and how to flexibly apply different prescriptions.
For some chronic diseases, such as polydipsia and arthralgia, she offers comprehensive treatment methods from multiple aspects including diet, daily routine and emotional state. She hopes that this medical book will not only enable medical practitioners to learn how to treat diseases, but also help them understand how to prevent diseases, so that the common people can have a healthy body.
Meanwhile, Empress Dowager Li Yi and the new Emperor Li Muyang also fully supported Lin Yue's kind act. The new emperor Li Muyang ordered the assembly of renowned scholars throughout the land to assist Lin Yue in organizing medical books. These learned people, though not proficient in medicine, were good at organizing and compiling words.
Under Lin Yue's guidance, they classified the medical cases, insights and other contents by disease and arranged them one by one, striving for clarity and ease of reference. Li Yi also ordered a special copying room to be set up in the Imperial Medical College, and selected imperial physicians with excellent calligraphy skills. They would copy the contents of the organized medical books stroke by stroke, neatly and meticulously, ensuring that each copy was accurate and the handwriting was beautiful.
When the news spread, both the imperial physicians of the Imperial Medical College and the folk doctors were greatly encouraged. In the Imperial Medical College, the young imperial physicians were all rubbing their hands together, looking forward to the early publication of this medical book so that they could draw wisdom from their predecessors.
They were well aware that Empress Dowager Lin Yue had treated countless patients throughout her life, and her rich experience far exceeded that of ordinary people. A young imperial physician said excitedly, "If I could acquire even the slightest bit of the Empress Dowager's medical skills, I would surely be more confident in treating patients in the future."
And the folk doctors have also been eagerly awaiting this medical book. Most of them practice medicine at the grassroots level. When facing complex diseases, they often feel lacking in knowledge. Now, upon hearing that the Empress Dowager is going to make her medical skills public, everyone is extremely grateful and looks forward to improving their own medical skills and saving more fellow villagers through this.
During the days of organizing medical books, Lin Yue would get up very early every day and throw herself into the study. Sometimes she frowned in deep thought, and sometimes she wrote furiously, completely disregarding her advanced age.
Sometimes, in order to determine the best treatment plan for a disease, she would repeatedly consult ancient books and discuss with imperial physicians until late at night. Her personal palace maid was heartbroken and repeatedly advised her to rest. Lin Yue always smiled and said, "My time is becoming more and more precious. If I sort it out a little more, I can help more people."
With the advancement of the sorting work, the rudimentary form of medical books gradually emerged. The book is divided into multiple categories such as internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, and pediatrics. Under each category, various diseases are further subdivided. The book not only offers detailed interpretations of classic prescriptions but also features Lin Yue's unique self-created therapies.
For some rare diseases, Lin Yue also attached detailed case analyses, elaborating in great detail on the symptoms, diagnosis process, treatment methods and prognosis. To help medical practitioners better understand, the book is also accompanied by a large number of illustrations, vividly demonstrating human meridians, acupoints, as well as the forms, picking and processing methods of various herbs.
In terms of gynecology, Lin Yue particularly emphasized the conditioning of women during their menstrual period, pregnancy and postpartum period. She recorded many cases of menstrual disorders caused by emotional distress and proposed treatment ideas such as soothing the liver, regulating qi, nourishing blood and regulating menstruation.
For various discomforts during pregnancy, such as morning sickness and edema, she also provided safe and effective treatment methods, and particularly reminded pregnant women to keep a pleasant mood and have a balanced diet.
In the pediatric section, Lin Yue elaborately described the symptoms and treatments of common pediatric diseases, such as infantile convulsions and acne. She is well aware that children's internal organs are delicate and medication should be given with caution. Therefore, in the book, she particularly emphasizes the dosage and compatibility of drugs.
In surgery, Lin Yue is particularly experienced in treating trauma, ulcer and other conditions. She recorded how to properly handle wounds, prevent infection, and how to apply herbal medicine externally and internally to promote wound healing.
For some difficult-to-treat ulcer, she also described surgical options including preoperative preparations, precautions during surgery, and postoperative care. These contents played a significant role in promoting the development of surgical medicine at that time.
After more than a year of unremitting efforts, Lin Yue's medical books were finally sorted out. The entire book consists of thirty volumes, with hundreds of thousands of words, embodying all her life's efforts. On the day the book was completed, Lin Yue let out a long sigh of relief, her eyes brimming with satisfaction.
Emperor Tai Shanghuang Li Yi personally wrote a preface for the medical book, praising Lin Yue's medical skills and benevolent heart, and calling this book "a treasure for saving the world and a beacon of the medical path".
Once the medical books were published, they spread rapidly within the territory of the Tang Dynasty. The Imperial Medical College regarded it as a compulsory book for its physicians and regularly organized study and discussion sessions. Folk clinics and pharmacies also purchased them one after another. The doctors regarded them as treasures and studied them day and night.
For a time, the medical atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty underwent a complete transformation, and the medical skills of the practitioners were significantly enhanced. Countless patients have benefited from this. Diseases that were once difficult to treat now have more effective treatment methods. Many families troubled by illness have once again welcomed laughter and hope.
Lin Yue's medical books not only had a profound influence within the Tang Dynasty but also spread to neighboring countries. When the envoys to Tang China from Japan, Silla and other countries heard of the publication of this book, they all requested that it be brought back to their own countries.
They translated medical books into the local language and promoted their study in their own country. Lin Yue's medical skills and benevolent heart thus spread far and wide overseas, making significant contributions to the development of medicine in East Asia.
Many years later, Lin Yue passed away with a smile. But the medical books she left behind are like an immortal monument, standing forever in the hall of medicine. Later generations of medical practitioners, whether in the imperial court or among the common people, held Lin Yue in high regard and passed on her medical skills from generation to generation.
Under the influence of Lin Yue, the medical cause of the Tang Dynasty continued to develop and progress, bringing health and well-being to countless people. Lin Yue's kind and benevolent deeds have also become an eternal and beautiful story in the history of the Tang Dynasty, inspiring future generations to keep moving forward on the path of saving lives and healing the wounded.