The Herbalist's Manual

LI YIN MAN is a famous doctor in Binhu, Danzhou. Finding that the social status of a local doctor very low, he wishes his son, LI SHI CHUN, could take the imperial civil examination and become an imperial official. Under the influence of his father’s profession, CHUN indulges himself in the studies of herbs. He even does not stop treating people when he is preparing for the exam. He meets TUNG CHING, who pretends to be the Goddess of Medicine and practices medicine for free, and appreciates her kind-heartedness very much. MAN made a promise to his late friend of his that CHUN will marry NG MO YUNG, the niece of the Duke of KING, after the exam. The Duke of KING, nevertheless, looks down upon them. YUNG falls for CHUN’s talent and looks very much forward to marrying him. SISTER YAT, who is a widow, faints during a difficult delivery. Her family members believe that she has died and so bury her……

MAN asks CHUN to study in at a local school in preparation for the exam. CHUN has no choice but to do as told. YAT has become friends with CHING, who has saved her. She even regards CHING as her son’s second mother. CHING is influenced by her foster father, LITTLE BUDDHA, and has developed a great interest in medicine. Seeing that there is discrimination against women practicing medicine, she decides to become a physician herself. Fisherman KAM SHUI comes to CHUN for his leg problem. As CHUN has promised his father not to practice medicine when he is preparing for the exam, he turns to CHING for help. CHUN gets to know PONG HIN, an outstanding student of the imperial medical school. He would like to borrow some medical books from HIN. HIN refuses at first but changes his mind later because of CHUNG’s sincerity. CHUN and CHING gather herbs for medical use in the countryside……

YUNG has very poor health. CHUN prepares some nourishing herbal soup for her. KWO is picking herbs when he sees CHING, who leaves a remarkable impression on him. KWO’s wife died a few years ago. Now that he has found someone he likes, CHUN encourages him to go for her. CHUN, nevertheless, does not realize that it is in fact CHING whom KWO likes, the very girl he himself admires. KWO helps CHING mend her house. She mistakes that CHUN has arranged this. CHUN plans to express his love for CHING and calls off his engagement with YUNG after the exam. CHUN encourages KWO to propose to the girl he likes. He even gives KWO a betrothal gift. Mistaking that KWO has come to propose on behalf of CHUN, CHING accepts right away. CHUN is sitting for the exam in Wuchang. He has accidentally offended CHAN, one of the examiners. Later, he sees YIM SAI FAN, the son of imperial official YIM SUNG, committing fraudulence and corruption during the exam……

YUNG looks for CHUN in Wuchang without telling the Duke of KING. She is attacked by some thieves on the way. Luckily, HIN comes to her rescue. HIN finds her even more charming now he has bumped into her again. CHING hears that a miracle doctor has made a wrong diagnosis and his patient died as a result. She looks into the case and finds that the doctor is LITTLE BUDDHA, who is both skillful and adventurous in using different kinds of herbs. He never declines patients with terminal illness too. Nevertheless, since he does not have any reference books, accidents happen from time to time. CHUN, who has been in a coma, has no idea that it was CHING who saved him. CHING would like to take CHUN home. But fate has it that it is YUNG who does the job, making him believe that YUNG is the one who saved him. CHUN is shocked when he hears from KWO that CHING has agreed to marry him……

The Duke of KING is furious that YUNG insists in marrying CHUN. When CHING has come back from Wuchang, she is shocked to learn that CHUN has married someone else. As for KWO, he is willing to cancel his engagement with CHING as he realizes now that she has never loved him. YAT blames KWO for leading CHING’s losing a good man. The two bicker with each other all the time and make an argumentative couple. MAN agrees to let CHUN practice medicine and even teaches him all his skills. YUNG leads a simple life after marrying CHUN. MAN’s wife, CHEUNG KIU, regards YUNG as her successor. She teaches her everything about what makes a good housewife, thus putting tremendous pressures on YUNG. YUNG and her former maid, KIN HEI, are on very good terms. And HEI comes to visit her very often. Magistrate LAM has been poisoned after taking CHUN’s herbal medicine. He believes CHUN has made a wrong prescription……

KIU passes most of the household chores to YUNG. YUNG, who is not used to doing housework, finds this a burden. She is so nervous that black spots appear on her face. CHUN studies overnight to try to work out a formula to cure her. She, nevertheless, feels abandoned and believes that he dislikes her appearances. CHUN asks LITTLE BUDDHA to cure YUNG. LITTLE BUDDHA, who is a bit of an eccentric, gives him the cold shoulder instead. HIN goes to Binhu to see YUNG. As she hides her identity deliberately, he thinks that he has mistaken somebody else for her. CHUN pays a visit to LITTLE BUDDHA again. Meanwhile, CHING shows up. Only then does CHUN know her relationship with LITTLE BUDDHA. LITTLE BUDDHA would like to treat YUNG at first, yet for fear that this will hurt CHUN he changes his mind. He writes down a prescription and hands it to CHING. He lets CHING decide if she should give it to CHUN……

CHING is touched by CHUN’s love for YUNG and decide to hand him the prescription. What is more, she asks LITTLE BUDDHA to take CHUN as apprentice. CHING and CHUN have therefore become fellow students. YUNG has recovered. KIU does not ask her to do housework anymore. Having got nothing to do now, YUNG asks HEI to teach her how to cook. An epidemic breaks out in the village. A panic buying of medicine goes on among the villagers. CHUN requests the Duke of KING and magistrate LAM to keep the villager informed of the epidemic situation and give out free treatments as well as medicine. Magistrate LAM, for fear that so doing will let the imperial government know about the epidemic, refuses to do so. As a result, the epidemic has gone out of control; many have died. HIN, who is an intern in Binhu, volunteers to help out at Wai Man Drug Store. The situation is getting worse. CHUN sets up a temporary quarantine station at the town gate……

Villagers who have caught the disease are gathered up on the mountain for treatment. CHING, MAN and other also stay there to assist CHUN. CHING and CHUN work closely together in finding out a prescription for the epidemic. Seeing that CHUN is as keen as her on practicing medicine, CHUNG cannot help but fall for him again. YUNG has cooked some delicious dishes to thank CHUN and others who have been fighting hard against the disease. KIU knows only then that YUNG has been learning cooking secretly. HIN raises funds from the official so that he can buy expensive herbs for the patients. CHUN is very grateful to him. Inspired by LITTLE BUDDHA, CHUN has come up with a sterilization method in which vinegar is used. Some unscrupulous merchants are selling fake medicine to the villagers. CHUN drives them all away. With CHUN and CHING taking good care of them, the patients are recuperating. CHUN, who is burnt out, has caught the epidemic himself……

CHUN has worked out a medical soup with field mice. He even tries out the soup himself so that other patients will drink it. His condition has turned bad. Bedridden, he expresses his love for CHING. Though she is touched, she dares not accept him. Not long after, the soup starts to show its effect and CHUN is much better. The situation is finally under control. Magistrate LAM takes all the credits and is reprimanded by the villagers. In order to regain the support of the villagers, HIN suggests LAM applying for funding from the government, which he means to give to the victims’ families. Seeing that drugs store made mistake in prescribing and that merchants selling fake medicine during the break out of the epidemic, CHUN decides to edit the old medical books and write a comprehensive one, which he names the Compendium of Materia Medica, so that people can know real medicine from fake ones……

The Duke of CHOR appreciates CHUN’s talents and appoints him a governmental position, in charge of sacrifice in his mansion. CHUN waves goodbye to CHING, who is sad to see him leave. CHING knows that people have no confidence in female doctors. So she dresses up as a man and practice medicine in the capital, wishing that she could be somebody one day. The Duke of CHOR’s eldest son has caught a disease which doctors find no cure for. CHING, nevertheless, manages to cure him. She also patches him up with the Duke of CHOR. The Duke of CHOR is very grateful to her and no longer looks down on her female identity. CHUN recommends CHING to a medical house. The Duke of CHOR refuses to hire her though as they only hire male doctors. CHING is depressed for her career setback. CHUN gives her a few words of consolations. She later decides to sell herbal soup, this way she can still cure people. The palace is recruiting imperial physicians……

CHUN does very well in the exam. HUI SUN and SUNG from the imperial medical school offer him a governmental position in the school. CHING has found a shop for her herbal soup business. CHUN writes to tell his family about his appointment and at the same time invites them to be partners of CHING’s soup house. YAT wants to help CHING in the capital but her mother-in-law does not allow her to do so. They have a quarrel and YAT leaves the house with her son, HA, in anger. YUNG feels sorry for YAT and puts her up. CHUN is busy with his new job, but he uses his spare time to help CHING out at her shop. SUNG is bitten by a dog on the street. HIN passes by and looks at his injury. Unfortunately, his condition does not improve. There have been officials at the imperial medical school dying from rabies recently. As there is no effective treatment for it so far, SUN is very cautious in treating SUNG’s injury……

CHUN’s method works. SUNG gives him a reward. CHUN grabs the opportunity and suggests writing a request letter to the emperor for his approval of the compiling the Compendium of Materia Medica. To his disappointment, SUNG turns him down. HIN is jealous of CHUN. He also believes that CHUN would not have been granted a governmental position without the help of the Duke of CHOR. CHUN is too busy for the daily chores. CHING helps him out, as if she was the mistress of the house. LITTLE BUDDHA has come to see CHING. He can see that she still loves CHUN, to which she admits honestly. HIN’s father, PONG PAK CHUEN, who is an imperial guard, pays SUNG a visit with HIN. SUNG appreciates HIN. He invites HIN to work at the imperial pharmaceutical factory. HIN turns him down tactfully. CHUN suggests SUN to include pseudoginseng in the imperial medicine list. SUN refuses, claiming that there are no written records of pseudoginseng. CHUEN is hurt……

Although YUNG and CHUN’s relationship is harmonious, she still feels that there is a gap between them. With the help of CHING, CHUN decides to start the editing work of the Compendium of Materia Medica. YUNG wants to do something too. She offers to draw illustrations for the book. What is more, she learns drawing from the famous painter LAU SUET WU so as to give CHUN a surprise. Since WU does not take married women student, she has to dresses like an unmarried young lady when visiting him. YUNG sees HIN in WU’s place. It turns out that he is also learning from YU, but his only intention is to see YUNG. CHING’s soup house is open. Both her and CHUN’s families have come to the opening. CHUN notices that SIU YUEN CHIT, who is a necromancer, has been behaving oddly in the palace. He looks into the case and finds that CHIT has been studying pills of immortality for the emperor……

YUNG’s drawing skills have improved a great deal since she learned from WU. YUNG asks HIN to teach her all about herbal medicine and the two get along very well with each other. Both KIU and CHING have seen YUNG, who dressed like an unmarried young lady, meeting a young man. They suspect that she is having an external affair. In order to take control of the emperor, SUNG makes him believe in the effectiveness of the pills of immortality by a stratagem. HIN takes YUNG to the countryside to paint, which he believes is a good way to help her know more about herbs. CHUN follows YUNG and is displeased to see that she is going out with HIN. CHUN is shocked when HIN tells him the girl he admires is YUNG. He wants to tell HIN the truth, but on the other hand, he does not want to hurt him either. CHUN tells CHING about YUNG’s affairs and she consoles him……

CHING is envious that CHUN and YUNG are as good as before now. The Duke of CHOR bumps into CHUN in the palace and they have a brief chat. CHUN has bought a necklace for YUNG and is about to give it to her. CHING, however, mistakes that the necklace is for her. CHUN has been caught in a dilemma, as he cannot suppress his love for CHING. YUNG realizes that CHUN and CHING are having an affair when she sees CHING wearing the very necklace she likes. She is heartbroken. CHIT is drawing blood from some imperial maids as usual when CHUN shows up and stops him. SUNG wants to kill CHUN with the excuse the CHUN has entered the forbidden zone. However, after considering CHUN’s relationship with the Duke of CHOR, he gives up the idea. CHUN has received a notice informing him that he has been dismissed from work. He flies into a fit of rage and goes to the Duke of CHOR for justice. The emperor is attacked by an imperial maid……

YUNG has been absent-minded because of what is going on between CHUN and CHING. The misunderstanding deepens when she discovers that CHUN celebrates his promotion with CHING at a wine house. CHUN explains to YUNG about the necklace; YUNG is relieved. The empress wrongly accuses Concubine TUN of involving in the assassin of the emperor and sentences her to death. Furious, the emperor gives the empress a good telling-off. The empress is very unhappy about this. Her unhappiness later turns into depression. CHIT points out that the empress is possessed. He gives her some water, mixed with charm ashes, a formula which the Taoist believes can drive out evil spirits, to drink. CHUN sees this and decides to treat the empress in secret. The empress has been cured. HIN tells YUNG he loves her. In order not to give him a false hope, YUNG decides not to learn drawing from WU anymore……

CHUN agrees to take HIN in. HIN does not know until then that YUNG is CHUN’s wife. Feeling depressed, he takes to drinking to forget his sorrows. He finds it embarrassing to see CHUN now. CHING gives him a few words of consolation. HA is sick. KWO takes good care of him. HIN learns, much to his astonishment, that CHING loves CHUN. CHUN knows that the pills of immortality are harmful to one’s health. He is determined to collect evidence to prove this so as to stop SUNG from continuing his evil deeds. HIN can understand how it feels to fall in love with someone who does not love you and sympathies with CHING. KWO likes YAT and treats HA as his own son. The emperor feels great after taking the pills of immortality and supports SUNG in his work. SUNG knows very well himself that the pills may cause poisoning, but with a view to gaining control over the emperor as well as the country he will not give it up……

SUNG accuses CHUN of treating the empress in private. Fortunately, the empress arrives in time to save him. YUNG can see that CHING and HIN get along very well with each other. She therefore encourages CHING to go out with HIN but CHING rejects her suggestion. CHUN feels uneasy when he learns that YUNG wants to pair up CHING and HIN. YAT wants to buy a new house so that her mother-in-law could come to the capital and live with her but she cannot afford one. KWO offers to give her some help. A local grocery is purchasing a vast amount of mineral from the villagers. In order to earn more money, KWO works as mineworker. SUNG is in fact the boss behind the scene. He set up the grocery to look for a subject to try out his pills. CHUN finds out that CHIT uses mineral in the production of the pills. He tries very hard to find a way to stop CHIT, fearing that the emperor will be poisoned. YUNG is busy pairing up CHING and HIN……

HIN offers to help CHUN preparing materials for his book so that YUNG will not misunderstand CHING. KWO reveals his love to YAT, who is both surprised and shocked. YAT can foresee that people will gossip about her, who is a widow, if she accepts KWO and so turns him down. The empress stops the emperor when he is about to take the pills. She asks SUNG to take the pills himself to ensure that they are safe to take. Though reluctant, he has to do as told. Seeing that CHING has found her new love, CHUN decides to keep a distance from her. CHING is very down. As for CHUN, he is unhappy, either. CHING hides her feelings so as to protect YUNG. CHING tells YUNG that it is just wishful thinking that CHUN would love her. YUNG is a bit shocked, but she is no longer dubious about CHUN. HIN understands CHING’s feelings completely. They help each other to heal and become very good friends. FAN is very close to the owner of the grocery……

Now that he has earned enough money for the house, KWO does not have to work as a subject anymore. KWO faints. YAT worries to death. According to LITTLE BUDDHA, KWO has suffered from lead poisoning. He writes a prescription to KWO, who feels much better not long after taking the medicine suggested. CHUN brings CHUEN to the grocery for an arrest, only to find that everybody there has left already. CHUN is certain that KWO’s poisoning has to do with SUNG. To prevent CHUN from ruining their plan, SUNG and FAN send a killer to kill CHUN. Luckily, HIN arrives in time to his rescue. CHUEN reports the poisoning and the attack to the emperor, pointing out that the two cases are related to the making of the pills. To his disappointment, the emperor pays no attention to him due to lack of evidence. CHING cannot suppress her feelings for CHUN anymore. YUNG overhears their conversation and is shocked to know that they used to be lovers……

CHUN’s family members blame him for betraying YUNG. Cannot bear to see CHUN being misunderstood, KWO tells them the truth. LITTLE BUDDHA does not let CHUN see CHING. He hopes that CHING can get over CHUN. CHUN has told the emperor more than once that the pills of immortality are hazardous to health but the emperor trusts that SUNG will not harm him. In order to win the trust of the emperor, SUNG takes the pills himself every time before the emperor does. As a result, he is poisoned. He practices Kung Fu to alleviate his condition, but he goes too far that he ends up seriously hurt. It is lucky that LITTLE BUDDHA comes to save him before it is too late. SUNG appoints him as his personal doctor. LITTLE BUDDHA pretends that he has fallen out with CHUN so that he could win SUNG’s trust and collect evidence. YAT tells YUNG CHUN and CHING’s love story. YUNG realizes only then that CHING has also been hurt in their complicated relationship……

YUNG visits KIU. KIU asks her to come back but YUNG does not listen. YUNG decides to withdraw from the love triangle. She hands CHUN a divorce letter but he refuses to take it. CHUN tries every means to patch up with YUNG but she just neglects him. After the failure in her marriage, YUNG has become a tougher and more independent person. FAN meets CHING and falls for her immediately. FAN makes up an excuse and visits CHING. CHING learns from him that LITTLE BUDDHA is working for SUNG. LITTLE BUDDHA finds in SUNG’s discarded pills mercury. SUNG learns that CHUN has found out the ingredients of the pills. He suspects that LITTLE BUDDHA is the informer and finds out later that LITTLE BUDDHA’s real intention of getting close to him. He swears to get rid of both LITTLE BUDDHA and CHUN. CHING refuses to treat her eyes, believing that so doing will alleviate the pricks of conscience. YUNG turns to CHUN for help……

CHING finally agrees to be treated by HIN. A necromancer has been poisoned and gone into a coma after taking the pills. SUNG asks LITTLE BUDDHA to look into the man. LITTLE BUDDHA asks SUNG to provide the detailed ingredients of the pills so that he can prescribe. SUNG agrees to do so, but only to get CHUN into hot water. YUNG overhears CHING’s conversation with HIN and learns that CHING plans to leave the capital and starts a new life. YUNG makes up her mind, too. SUNG wants to take over the emperor and arrogate all powers to himself. He increases the amount of the poisonous substances in the pills. The emperor suffers food poisoning. CHUN makes a wrong diagnosis and treats him as if he was poisoned by the pills. As a result, the emperor’s condition is even worse. SUNG accuses CHUN of poisoning the emperor. CHUN is imprisoned by the emperor. SUNG orders CHUEN to arrest CHUN’s family members……

HIN is angry with CHUEN for arresting CHUN’s family members. CHUEN explains that he is only carrying out his duty. With the help of the Duke of CHOR and CHUEN, CHUN’s family members are released, though CHUN is still imprisoned. SUNG announces CHUN guilty and sentences him to death. The sentence is to be carried out the next day. CHING lies to FAN and sneaks into the prison. With the help of the Duke of CHOR and his son, CHUN escapes with YUNG. CHING and HIN draw away the guards’ attention so that CHUN can flee the capital. CHUN continues to treat people on the way, thus leaving tracks behind him. CHING’s eye problem recurs due to stress. HIN takes care of her. CHUN is bitten by a snake when he is protecting YUNG from getting hurt. YUNG looks everywhere to find CHUN an antidote. Unwilling to become YUNG’s burden, CHUN gives YUNG a divorce letter. YUNG is shocked.

CHING has recovered from her eye problem with HIN’s attentive, loving care. They meet up with CHUN and continue their lives on the run. CHUN is touched that YUNG has decided to stay with him. The imperial guards have found them at last. YUNG is seriously hurt when she is saving CHUN. CHUN tries some poisonous herbs so as to find the right prescription for YUNG. CHING can see from this that CHUN loves YUNG whole-heartedly. She decides to retreat from this eternal triangle. CHUN is arrested while he is picking herbs for YUNG. He is on the execution ground waiting for his time. YUNG, despite her injury, comes to see him for the last time. Just then, the prince has come with an imperial edict. Everybody is anxious to hear his announcement…