Lin Yue was born in a modern small mountain village surrounded by hills and streams. Though peaceful and beautiful, the village suffered from a lack of medical resources. Despite her rural upbringing, she harbored an obsession with medicine. While others found medical texts obscure and difficult, she was fascinated by their mysterious allure.
One sweltering summer, her neighbor's child, Xiaohu, suddenly fell into a high-fever coma. His parents panicked, and Lin Yue's parents rushed to fetch a physician. As Lin Yue stayed by Xiaohu's bed, watching him cry in pain, she felt desperate. When the physician arrived, diagnosed, and prescribed medicine, Lin Yue was inspired by his confidence to vow to become a healer.
Thereafter, Lin Yue embarked on a tough medical journey. Hearing that an elderly villager owned medical books, she eagerly requested to borrow them. Moved by her sincerity, the elder lent her precious texts. Trembling with excitement, she studied day and night, consulting literate villagers when confused.
With limited books in her village, Lin Yue often trekked to neighboring villages for more knowledge. The mountain paths were rugged, especially muddy in rain—she slipped and fell many times, covered in mud, but never retreated. To borrow renowned medical works, she endured hardships, treating each book as a treasure.
As she grew older, Lin Yue's medical skills improved, and she began treating minor illnesses in the village. One day, Aunt Wang doubled over in severe abdominal pain. Lin Yue rushed to her home, carefully inquired about symptoms and diet, felt her pulse, and diagnosed gastrointestinal qi stagnation from improper eating. She prescribed medicine and explained decocting instructions. Days later, Aunt Wang recovered, praising Lin Yue as a "little miracle doctor," and more villagers sought her help.
Yet Lin Yue never complacent, aware of medicine's vastness. She studied hard and was admitted to the best medical university in the country. At school, she absorbed medical knowledge, practiced on classmates and friends to gain experience, and learned from excellent teachers and doctors. During vacations, she traveled to visit renowned physicians and absorb their experiences.
On her journeys, Lin Yue encountered various diseases and challenging cases. In a small town, she met an elderly man with generalized edema, yellowish skin, and faint breath; local doctors had given up, and his family despaired. Vowing to save him, she consulted numerous texts, sought advice from senior healers, and finally developed a treatment plan. Through carefully prepared prescriptions and attentive care, the man recovered, enhancing Lin Yue's reputation and strengthening her resolve.
During her travels, she befriended like-minded peers—young medical students and experienced TCM doctors—with whom she exchanged medical insights. At a seminar, she met Su Ran, adept at acupuncture with unique techniques. Fascinated, Lin Yue actively sought guidance, and Su Ran shared knowledge generously. Their mutual learning significantly improved Lin Yue's acupuncture skills.
After a fateful accident that transported her from the modern era to the Tang Dynasty, she continued to pursue medical knowledge, seizing every opportunity to learn from outstanding physicians. Witnessing stark medical disparities—renowned doctors and abundant resources in the capital versus scarce care and suffering in remote villages—she resolved to compile her knowledge into an accessible medical text for broader benefit.
With years of experience, she was now a highly skilled practitioner. Despite fatigue, she dedicated herself to writing, filling her room with books and materials, working by lamplight late into the night. To ensure prescription accuracy, she personally collected herbs, decocted medicines, and even tested remedies on herself, enduring side effects without complaint.
After relentless effort, Lin Yue completed her medical compendium—a lifetime's work covering diverse fields, rich in content, and easy to understand, with illustrations and case studies. It detailed common Chinese herbal properties and uses, providing great convenience for both doctors and civilians.
However, she faced a new hurdle: printing required substantial funds, and her low-cost medical practice left her financially strained. Despite borrowing from friends and family, the amount was insufficient. Gazing at the unprinted manuscript, she felt anxious and helpless, often staring at the night sky in despair.
Just as hope faded, Li Yi, the diligent and compassionate young emperor, intervened. Admiring her medical ethics and skills, he was determined to help when learning of her plight. Visiting Lin Yue, he was impressed by the manuscript's depth and practicality, recognizing its significance for medical advancement. "Yue'er, rest assured—I will ensure this book is printed and distributed to benefit many," he declared firmly.
Touched to tears, Lin Yue thanked him profusely. Li Yi campaigned tirelessly to raise funds, appealing to wealthy merchants and scholars. Though initially met with indifference, his perseverance convinced many to donate. With funds secured, he partnered with the best local printing workshops, personally supervising quality—insisting on premium paper and ink, and demanding reworks for any defects.
At last, the books rolled off the press, fragrant with ink. Lin Yue and Li Yi felt immense pride as he ordered nationwide distribution to clinics, pharmacies, and schools. The book profoundly impacted medical development: doctors gained new insights and improved treatments, while civilians learned prevention and self-care.
At a medical seminar, a renowned capital physician praised, "Doctor Lin's book is a blessing for healers, offering new perspectives on diseases and enhancing clinical outcomes." In rural areas, farmers rejoiced, "Previously, we panicked when sick; now, we can treat minor ailments using this book!" In remote mountain villages, where medical access was scarce, the book became a lifeline. "Miss Lin's work is a guiding light for our medical needs—villagers no longer need to travel far for care," said a grateful village chief.
Lin Yue became a revered figure, but she remained humble, committed to ongoing research and practice. She traveled to remote areas for free clinics, documented new diseases and treatments, and trained disciples with a focus on both skill and compassion. "A healer must not only cure but also care with a compassionate heart," she often advised her students.
Li Yi continued to promote medical education, establishing clinics and schools nationwide, inviting renowned doctors to lecture, and inspiring young people to pursue medicine. Together, their efforts accelerated medical progress, improved public health, and fostered social harmony.
Years later, revisiting their journey as they admired the thriving landscape, they felt profound satisfaction. Their labor had borne fruit, contributing to medical history. Lin Yue's compendium became a classic, studied and inherited for generations—a testament to their dedication and a monument inspiring future healers to advance medicine with unwavering resolve.