I practiced medicine in ancient times

Chapter 224 Accepting a Disciple

Inside the palace, in the Imperial Hospital.

"Doctor Xu, Doctor Bai, how are you getting familiar with the Imperial Hospital? Are you used to it?" That day, Wu Chen summoned Xu Qingyi and Bai Yan, asked them to sit down, poured them tea, and then Wu Chen spoke to them kindly.

"I'm quite used to it. I just changed the place where I treat patients. I'm also familiar with the rules of the palace. In recent days, I've also followed the arrangements and treated some palace maids and eunuchs." Xu Qingyi and Bai Yan looked at each other. They had been in the palace for many days, and except for seeing Wu Chen on the first day, they hadn't seen him since. He summoned them this time, so there must be something going on.

"You'll get used to it. Originally on duty at the Imperial Hospital, after being promoted to the position of a sixth-rank medical officer, he became the backbone of the Imperial Hospital, and his medical skills also needed to be passed down from generation to generation.

Therefore, the Imperial Hospital established a rule that medical officers above the sixth rank must accept and train apprentices from the Imperial Hospital and pass on their medical skills.

Originally, if one wanted to be promoted to the sixth rank official position in the Imperial Hospital, it would normally take at least several years, and at most more than ten years.

But it just so happened that you two..., as soon as you entered the palace, you were promoted to sixth-rank medical officers by the emperor, which shocked everyone in the Imperial Hospital.

Since the Imperial Hospital has set a rule that imperial doctors above the sixth rank need to take in apprentices to teach them medical skills, the two of you are also among those who are accepted as apprentices, so we are inviting you two to come here today to discuss the matter of taking in apprentices." Wu Chen told Xu Qingyi and Bai Yan.

"Accepting disciples? Who should be accepted as disciples? How many disciples do you want to accept?" Bai Yan asked with a slightly frowned brow.

"One person only needs to take in two apprentices. In addition to the doctors with high grades in the Imperial Hospital, there are also many imperial doctors who have found connections and brought their own talented young people in the family to study medicine and make medicine in the Imperial Hospital.

We call these people without official rank "apprentices". Most of these apprentices were able to enter the Imperial Hospital because their elders had some connections in the Imperial Hospital, and became assistants to doctors, learning medical skills and pharmacology.

Don't underestimate the apprentices in the Imperial Hospital. After seven years, apprentices in our Imperial Hospital can be promoted to ninth-rank female doctors or ninth-rank medical officers.

This is much better than studying medicine and making pharmacy in a clinic outside. After studying for seven years, you can be directly promoted to a ninth-rank official.

Of course, not everyone has the connections to get their children, nephews, and grandchildren into the Imperial Hospital to study medicine and make pharmacy. Even so, we have quite a few apprentices in our Imperial Hospital.

After all, there are many things that require apprentices to do and run errands, and we don’t do everything ourselves.

The people you will accept as your apprentices are among this group of apprentices." Wu Chen explained.

"After I accept you as my disciple, if he makes a mistake, do I, as his master, have to take responsibility for it?" Xu Qingyi also understood and asked.

“It’s natural.

But you can rest assured, we will release these apprentices only after they have served in the Imperial Hospital for a full year, and let the sixth-rank medical clinics and above select their apprentices.

After working in the Imperial Hospital for a year, this group of apprentices had become familiar with the palace rules and the situations of the concubines in the harem, and basically would not make mistakes.

You just need to focus on teaching them medical skills, and we will take care of the rest." Seeing Xu Qingyi and Bai Yan being so cautious, Wu Chen nodded with satisfaction.

When on duty in the palace, it is always a good idea to be cautious and careful.

“Since Lord Wu has told us about accepting disciples, I guess someone has recommended a candidate to us.

Please, Sir Wu, please recommend one or two for us." Seeing that the matter could not be violated, Xu Qingyi turned the topic to the selection of candidates. Although the Imperial Hospital was large in scale, there were not many medical clinics above the sixth rank, but there were still quite a few.

If only two apprentices were needed, the older sixth-rank medical officers would have already done so, and the number of apprentices that medical officers could recruit each year was also limited.

There should be quite a few apprentices who want to become disciples of Xu Qingyi and Bai Yan.

Wu Chen smiled slightly upon hearing this and said, "Don't worry, Doctor Xu and Doctor Bai, I have already made arrangements for the candidates. These apprentices have gone through a rigorous selection process before entering the palace, and have served in the Imperial Hospital for a year. They are outstanding in both talent and character. Under the guidance of Doctor Xu and Doctor Bai, they will surely become outstanding doctors."

"After we sisters accept disciples, we will naturally do our best to teach them and help them become pillars of the Imperial Hospital." Xu Qingyi waved at Wu Chen.

"I recommend five people to you, and the specific person you choose is up to you to decide.

The first person was Lin Yuan. He was only thirteen years old, but he was thoughtful and had a high understanding of medical skills, especially acupuncture. He had an extraordinary talent. During his one year at the Imperial Hospital, he was praised by several imperial doctors and had a very good relationship with people.

Moreover, Lin Yuan is the grandson of Lin Youpan, the fourth rank judge." Wu Chen spoke slowly, with a tone of admiration for Lin Yuan.

"Lin Yuan is the grandson of Lin Youpan, why doesn't he just worship his grandfather as his master? Why does he have to worship us as his masters?

What's more, if he wants to become a disciple, he can become a disciple of a higher-ranking imperial physician?" Bai Yan asked puzzledly.

“First, those who hold a sixth-rank official position or above in the Imperial Hospital can only accept two apprentices in the Imperial Hospital. Lin Youpan has already accepted an apprentice, so there are no more vacancies.

Second, medical skills are passed down from generation to generation. You have seen the master and apprentice, they are close relatives.

Third, Lin Youpan wants to let his grandson worship you as his master because of your potential. "Wu Chen explained.

"The second candidate is Chen Xiu. This woman is smart, observant, and has a deep understanding of pharmacology. She is responsible for the sorting and classification of medicinal materials in the Imperial Hospital, and knows the properties and flavors of various medicinal materials very well.

Chen Xiu is about the same age as you, and my father is the fifth-rank imperial physician Chen."

"The third candidate is Xu Ming. He is good at surgery. His grandfather is Xu Yinan. He is a cousin of Xu Junpeng and is sixteen years old this year."

“The fourth candidate is Li Jin, who has extensive experience in pediatrics and treats patients with care and consideration.

I am seventeen years old this year and I am married.”

"The last candidate is Wang Jie, who has a calm personality, is good at thinking, and likes to delve into difficult and complicated cases.

However, this man's family fell into poverty. His grandfather was originally an imperial physician in the Imperial Hospital. He went to the border to provide support and unfortunately died.

Wang Jie is seventeen years old and has not yet married. "When Wu Chen mentioned the last person, a look of regret appeared on his face.

After listening to Wu Chen's introduction, Xu Qingyi and Bai Yan both showed great interest in these five people. They each had different strengths and specialties. If they could accept them as apprentices, they would be able to relax a little more in the future.