Imperial Palace

Being a matter talked about in whispers everywhere in the palace, it was not long before the emperor got wind of it and invited the child to the imperial palace. That night, the imperial physician came back home with a black face and many of the gossiping maids had been punished. No one had seen physician Shun so angry before.

Calmed down, he sat down by the table, sipping the tea his daughter just served. He was not in a great mood and Shu Fen could see it, so she was obediently silent, waiting for him to talk.

His cup finished, he sighed and turned to face his daughter.

"Tomorrow morning, you'll follow me to the palace to see his majesty the Emperor. Tonight, we'll rehearse your etiquettes."

Though she was being taught etiquettes assiduously by her female teacher, it wasn't as constraining as palace etiquettes. And these last months, she had complained about not really wanting to learn about dancing and he didn't force her. He hoped that come tomorrow, no one would make it difficult for her at the palace.

The morning before they took the road, he once more, urgently reminded her,

"Don't go blabbering nonsense anywhere, and don't talk if not asked!"

At home, he had let her be quite free-spirited. The moment she had an inquiry she was one to voice it and it was something he had actually encouraged, but at the palace, being blabbersome could lead to disaster. Who knew if one wrong word wouldn't offend someone?

What was supposed to be a little reminder became a long-winded speech and as her father kept on talking, the little girl couldn't help herself but think that he had already said so much that she felt like giving him water for his certainly sore and dry throat!

***

Once they came to the palace, they were made to wait. Today, there wasn't supposed to have court in the morning. The emperor had them called into his study and the chief eunuch led them there.

Upon entering, Shu Fen saw a richly dressed old man with golden robes, and under the table, she could see his dark golden glibbed boots, behind a desk full of papers and folded reports. While she was dazed, the imperial physician presented his respects. Remembering her etiquettes, she hastily saluted, following her father's teachings. They were then invited to take place in the prepared seats in front of his majesty's table and Shu Fen helped herself to the pastries in front of her. She listened on as the emperor engaged in small talk with her father before bringing his attention to her.

"We heard that you like playing physician?"

She briefly glanced at her father who nodded, before bowing her head to the friendly emperor,

"Shu Fen doesn't play. Shu Fen sincerely wished to learn."

The man laughed boisterously.

"Aye, aye. You are really your father's daughter. And how much did you learn already?"

"Shu Fen is still learning the basics of differentiating pulses... It is hard."

That was her weakest point so far. Though she couldn't say she had all the medicinal herbs in mind, at the very least, she could recognize the more commonly used ones, but after three months now that she started learning how to differentiate pulses, she still made no progress and the little girl was quite frustrated over this, even secretly crying at night because of it.

The emperor didn't really know the difficulty of it; this was a field he knew very little about, but he touched his beard and smilingly said,

"Maybe more time with your father will let you learn more. Little girl, do you want to become an imperial physician?"

Imperial physician Shu coughed, colored surprised. It wasn't that there weren't physicians who were women in the capital. But all these women were actually looked down upon and no matter how skilled they were, people would still feel safer when addressing male physicians; thus, females, if they weren't used when delivering babies would only serve when helping with small wounds and bandages; very rare were those who could prescribe. More so, there had never been a woman between the imperial physicians!

When he had let his daughter learn under him, physician Shun didn't think that far and even if he did, he would have just come to the conclusion that he would find a husband for her who wouldn't clip much of her freedom, letting her be a physician if she wanted, for those willing to let her prescribed medicine. And if she wouldn't become a physician, it was still best to have some medicinal knowledge just in case. He would be more assured for herself and her future children like that. He never expected that the emperor would actually go as far as proposing she became an imperial physician!

And look at that girl, her eyes were shining at the thought of following her father every day! Forget it, no matter what, this was his only child, and if she wanted, he wouldn't mind. Even if she was an imperial physician, it didn't mean she couldn't marry in the future.

Reigning in her excitation, she approved of the emperor, her tone of voice one of pure joy though she didn't forget to say that she would obey her father's opinion in this matter. Saying such, she faced her begetter with the most pleading eyes he had ever seen her make. Imperial Physician Shun could only thank the emperor for his grace and like that, she became her father's twelfth current apprentice!

Of the apprentices, she was the youngest. After all, people usually entered here at ten to become apprentices, when they could perfectly read by themselves and had no problem with writing.

The next day when coming, Shu Fen saw that those boys' ages ranged from ten to twelve and though outwardly welcoming, when her father wasn't around, they made things quite difficult for her. After all, even before she came here, their master had been praising her and now even the emperor allowed her here. To be permitted to study there wasn't an easy affair and even more so, she was a girl! Things like her books disappearing, and her medicinal herbs being switched started to happen.