Chapter 13: A Snake Always Sheds Its Skin

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Two weeks after the imperial visit, news arrives that Meiling has been chosen to serve in the Lodge of Ritual and Ceremony in the Forbidden City. Maoren reacts with anger, accusing Yunxian of promoting the midwife instead of the family. Yunxian visits Meiling to help pack and admits private jealousy but later reassures her friend. Three months later, Maoren receives a scroll summoning Yunxian to treat a palace woman with an eye infection. Yunxian reveals she is pregnant, but Maoren insists she must obey. Miss Zhao—Yunxian’s father’s concubine—is appointed as chaperone. During the five-week journey north, Yunxian treats a tiller woman for Wind-Damp ailments. Upon arrival in Beijing, she meets the eunuch Lin Ta and is escorted into the Forbidden City. In the Eastern Palace, she discovers her patient is Empress Zhang, and Meiling—now dressed as a court lady—introduces her. Meiling has shed her old skin, transformed by her new role.

Key Events

Maoren confronts Yunxian, furious that Meiling—not the Yang family—has been rewarded.
Yunxian visits Meiling at Grace Tranquility Teas, where she helps pack and offers encouragement.
Meiling admits she fears treating imperial women and reveals tension with Kailoo over childlessness.
Three months later, Maoren announces an imperial order for Yunxian to travel to Beijing.
Yunxian reveals her pregnancy; Maoren insists she must go, believing it will bring honor.
Miss Zhao is assigned as companion to monitor Yunxian’s behavior.
During the journey, Yunxian treats a female tiller woman for chronic hand numbness using moxibustion.
Miss Zhao rebukes Yunxian for jealousy, reminding her of true friendship.
The party arrives in Beijing; Yunxian meets eunuch Lin Ta, who warns of severe punishments.
In the Forbidden City, Yunxian discovers Meiling has been elevated and now attends Empress Zhang.

Character Development

Yunxian wrestles with envy when Meiling receives the imperial appointment, but Miss Zhao’s correction teaches her to value friendship. She grows more assertive in her medical skills, treating a boatwoman despite social risk. Her forced departure while pregnant tests her devotion to family and duty.
Meiling undergoes a dramatic transformation from a humble, anxious midwife to a confident palace attendant, shedding her old identity like a snake sheds its skin. She learns to navigate court life and uses her position to summon Yunxian.
Maoren shows his ambition and prioritization of family reputation over his wife’s wellbeing, yet his love for Yunxian is evident in his care when he learns of the pregnancy. He remains caught between duty and affection.
Miss Zhao emerges as a wise mentor, reminding Yunxian of loyalty and the importance of looking beyond social status. Her calm presence guides Yunxian through the journey.
Lin Ta, the eunuch, embodies the rigid, threatening hierarchy of the palace, emphasizing the dangers of missteps.

Themes, Symbols, and Motifs

Snake Symbolism: The chapter title and Meiling’s transformation evoke the snake’s ability to shed its skin, representing personal reinvention and survival. The snake is also associated with envy—a trait Yunxian confronts—and with intelligence and fortitude (the snake’s descent from the dragon).
Friendship vs. Jealousy: Miss Zhao’s aphorism “A friend without faults will never be found” and her reminder that “distance tests a horse’s strength; time reveals a person’s heart” reframe envy as a failing. Loyal friendship is tested by separation.
Duty and Sacrifice: Both women are torn between family obligations and imperial commands. Yunxian must leave her pregnant body and daughters; Meiling must leave her husband. The state’s needs override personal desires.
Power and Social Hierarchy: The journey north reveals stark contrasts between wealthy passenger spaces and the tiller woman’s labor. In the palace, eunuchs control access, and women are isolated in the Great Within. The empress holds ultimate power over life and death.
Female Medical Networks: Yunxian’s treatment of the tiller woman exemplifies women helping women across class lines. Meiling’s recommendation of Yunxian to the palace creates a chain of female support.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter marks a major turning point in Yunxian’s journey from a secluded wife to a physician summoned by the imperial court. It deepens the friendship between Yunxian and Meiling while testing it with jealousy and distance. The physical journey north expands the story’s scope beyond Wuxi, introducing the harsh realities of Beijing and the Forbidden City. The chapter also reinforces the theme of transformation—both personal and social—and sets up the climax of Yunxian’s medical mission in the palace.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Maoren react with anger when Meiling is chosen for the palace? Maoren is furious because he and his father spent time and money hosting the imperial official and his family, hoping to secure benefits for the Yang family. Instead, the midwife received the reward. He feels Yunxian failed to promote the family, and he cannot see that the visitors were seeking a midwife, not silk contracts.

2. What lesson does Miss Zhao teach Yunxian about jealousy? Miss Zhao tells Yunxian that “a hair off your arm is thicker than a man’s waist” compared to someone from a poor background like Meiling. She scolds Yunxian for being fickle and petty, reminding her that true friendship endures. She also points out that when Meiling was sent far away, she thought first of sharing her good fortune with Yunxian.

3. How does the symbol of the snake appear both in Meiling’s transformation and in the chapter’s title? The title “A Snake Always Sheds Its Skin” foreshadows Meiling shedding her old identity as a humble midwife to become a court lady serving the empress. Earlier, Yunxian tells Meiling that a snake is descended from a dragon, giving her strength and fortitude. The snake also represents envy, as Yunxian must overcome her own jealousy to support her friend.