newbobooks Chapter 1021 Before the Storm
Chapter 1021 Before the Storm
Who in the entire court didn't know him?
"Your Highness, our spies at the Ning Prince's residence reported that the glassmaking method is most likely just a pretext by Su Qingya."
In other words, there may be such a thing as glass, but Su Qingya may not be able to make it.
"Recently, Su Qingya and the Third Prince have been in increasingly close contact, and it seems that she has the idea of faking her death."
Su Qingya is currently at the Prince Ning's residence.
Because she would occasionally give things away, she was somewhat sensitive to the political climate within the Prince's residence.
She sensed that the Prince's mansion was already at its breaking point.
In the past, she would have definitely done everything she could to help.
But now, she doesn't want the Prince's Mansion to succeed.
She was already conspiring with the Third Prince to help him gain a great merit so that he could line his own pockets.
She took back everything that she had given to the Prince Ning's mansion.
The Third Prince was naturally happy to accept this "kind offer".
In fact, with the Crown Prince's position becoming increasingly secure, other princes would need genuine achievements to make any progress.
The third prince, however, was somewhat intelligent and unwilling to be controlled by a woman.
He's been acting like a clown lately, stirring up trouble everywhere, just to test the waters.
Let's investigate the Prince Ning's residence to see if they really dare to do something so audacious.
Now, he is 80% confident and trusts Su Qingya.
Having done so much, Su Qingya certainly couldn't forget to clear herself of any wrongdoing.
She disembarked on the large ship of the Prince of Ning's mansion.
Getting off this ship and boarding the Third Prince's ship openly and legitimately won't be so easy.
The main reason is that everyone in the capital knows her identity as the Princess Consort of Prince Ning. If she were to enter the Third Prince's harem again, the imperial clan would never allow it.
People all over the world will spit on you.
I want that day to come, but unless the Third Prince has overwhelming power, no one will dare to provoke him.
When the time comes, we can just give her a new identity and bring her to the inner quarters. Even if others know something, they won't dare to expose it.
This is similar to the old saying "calling a deer a horse."
Absolute power is the ability to distort the truth.
In other words, before the Third Prince takes that step, Su Qingya needs to fake her death, leave the palace, and live a low-key life for a while.
What the outcome of her choice will be remains to be seen.
But right now, she has no better options.
The Crown Prince pondered, "Then let's wrap things up after she's done."
The Crown Prince meant that he would let Su Qingya disembark and then deal with the Ning Prince's mansion.
In his view, Su Qingya didn't have much left to offer, but he could still squeeze some out of her.
For example, her newly opened shop, though insignificant compared to weapons.
However, there are ways to make money.
The national treasury is always in short supply, so it would be very beneficial to learn some ways to make money.
In Qingmin's view, the Crown Prince treated Su Qingya as if she were a leek being cultivated.
The first batch of leeks grown was from the Ning Prince's Mansion.
Now that it's harvest season, it's time to get started.
But we must leave a root—Su Qingya, waiting for the next harvest.
The new leeks are the Third Prince...
There's another advantage to doing this: the prince doesn't have to pay for the manpower and resources required during the leek growth period.
Just think about the Ning Prince's Mansion, how much money and effort they spent figuring out Su Qingya's ideas.
Qingmin felt a bit sorry for them.
Then came schadenfreude.
"Yes, Your Highness."
On this day, in the Imperial Study, Fang Nanzhi's memorial finally saw the light of day.
It circulated among several court officials.
Hmm, it took a while to circulate, what can you do when the document is so thick?
Fang Nanzhi's memorial was far more daring than that of Physician Xing.
Physician Xing only wrote about his experiences providing free medical services in the army. Fang Nanzhi was a writer who wrote about doctors all over the world.
On the first three pages of the memorial, she wrote about the importance of physicians.
The main discussion revolves around the relationship between physicians and the lifespan and health of individuals.
It not only uses flowery language, but also includes concrete data and historical allusions.
How many people can a doctor save in a year? How many in a lifetime?
The increase in human lifespan, from twenty or thirty years when people ate raw meat and drank blood, to fifty or sixty years today, is largely due to the role played by physicians.
It was also mentioned that the longest-lived person in history was well-versed in the methods of health preservation and studied the "Huangdi Neijing" (Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic)...
There is also the relationship between doctors and population growth.
From how to prepare the body for pregnancy, how to give birth, how to recover quickly after childbirth, how to raise children, and how to deal with childhood diseases, all aspects require medical expertise.
This confirms the status of physicians.
These three pages alone captivated the attention of Yue Xiang and his companions.
They hadn't thought about it from this perspective before, but it cannot be denied that Fang Nanzhi's writing was very objective and all the facts.
While increasing human lifespan and population size requires more than just medical expertise, it also necessitates high land productivity, government intervention to allow the people to recuperate and maintain social order...
But as Fang Nanzhi wrote in his memorial, the achievements we have made today are thanks to the contributions of physicians and the various schools of thought.
This is something that no one can erase.
The next three pages are like a rough report, and Fang Nanzhi also noted that the data used was not entirely accurate.
She briefly wrote down how many pharmacies and doctors their great dynasty had, and how many of them were distributed in the prefectural city, county town, and villages.
By comparing their total populations, the problem becomes clear.
This data was obtained with the help of Fang Tong. He's familiar with several officials in the Ministry of Revenue, right? He checked the records for them.
However, these records were made many years ago and are not accurate.
It also describes the source of the herbs they use today.
How many registered medicine merchants and farmers are there in the country?
Herb farmers make a living by collecting herbs, while herb merchants, in addition to collecting herbs, also cultivate them on a large scale.
However, compared to the consumption, the quantity and variety of medicinal herbs planted are far from sufficient.
Fang Nanzhi listed which medicinal herbs are currently confirmed to be able to be cultivated.
Furthermore, taking Huichuntang in Beijing as an example, the text describes their approximate annual consumption of medicinal herbs, which is basically in short supply.
In summary, based on these two points, our current dynasty is in a state of medical and pharmaceutical shortage.
Finally, she suggested that, from a long-term perspective, both training medical professionals and deeply exploring cultivable medicinal herbs are imperative.
Starting from page seven and continuing to the last, spanning ten pages, she wrote about the most pressing problems that need to be solved in the medical field.
It is difficult to ensure that everyone in the world has access to medicine.
It will take decades or even centuries to develop.
A thousand miles begins with a single step.
Fang Nanzhi believes that we should start from now and explore little by little.
Therefore, she highlighted several key points.
First, it is aimed at ordinary people.
Most people try to tough it out when they're sick, and only seek medical help when they can't bear it anymore.
Currently, there are no resources to provide free medical consultations for the poor, so we can only start with the smallest details.
For example, not drinking unboiled water, teaching people about common herbs, washing hands before meals, and ensuring that everything they put in their mouths is clean...
Simply put, it means changing your lifestyle.
Secondly, it is aimed at the soldiers.
She not only wrote about training military doctors, but also raised the issue of their compensation.
Military doctors work hard and take even greater risks, so they should be given preferential treatment, such as a monthly allowance and the respect shown to their families by the villagers.
She also suggested that soldiers should go to the battlefield during wartime and cultivate medicinal herbs and grains in their spare time.
Even if self-sufficiency cannot be achieved, subsidies can still be provided.
Perhaps because she received a hint from the Crown Prince, Fang Nanzhi wrote about these details in great detail.
Thirdly, it applies to women all over the world.
She wrote first about the difficulties women face in seeking medical treatment.
The hardships of childbirth for women highlight the pain that cannot be ignored. Isn't the key to population growth the birth rate and the survival rate of children already born?
Four……
An hour had passed by the time Prime Minister Yue and the others finished reading the memorial.
After reading it, my first thought was that Physician Xing is still the most composed and reliable.
Many of the young girl's suggestions were too far-fetched and costly. Compared to her, Physician Xing was quite pragmatic.
This is the effect of comparison.
But no one blamed Fang Nanzhi too much. A thirteen-year-old girl couldn't possibly think of everything so thoroughly; it was normal for her to be a little reckless.
This is what youthful spirit is all about.
Then, the officials all glanced at Fang Yin simultaneously.
Fang Nanzhi is his niece.
Fang Yin remained expressionless, seemingly unaware of their gazes.
"My beloved ministers, what do you think of this memorial?"
What can be done? Although they all seem like good things, at least in terms of their purpose, they are beneficial to the people and the imperial court.
But it's impossible.
It's like officials in the Ministry of Revenue wishing for a full treasury that is inexhaustible—it's all just a dream.
But the ministers weren't stupid; the emperor must have had something in mind when he summoned them.
The Minister of War thought for a moment and spoke first: "I believe that training military doctors is a feasible plan."
"There was also a shortage of medicine in the army. During the war, some soldiers did treat their wounds carelessly because there was no medicine available, which led to the injury worsening, resulting in disability or death."
"Fang Nanzhi's memorial detailed the method of making alcohol. If it is indeed effective, it would be suitable for the army."
Ultimately, if the Imperial Medical Academy really wanted to manage military medical affairs, the Ministry of War would be the first to benefit.
How could the Minister of War not help to fight for it?
Meanwhile, the emperor and the crown prince were also planning how to deal with a possible rebellion, and they needed the help of military doctors.
Having chosen the right breakthrough point, there was room for negotiation between Physician Xing and Fang Nanzhi's memorial.
Otherwise... if no one supports it, it will have to be shelved.
The Minister of Revenue scoffed, "Although the method for producing alcohol is detailed, it will consume a lot of alcohol. Where will the money for the alcohol come from?"
Wine is very expensive.
If we really wanted to make some kind of alcohol, how much would it cost?
The national treasury's money shouldn't just go to the Ministry of War.
"Could it be that in your heart, the lives of soldiers are less important than money?" The Minister of War was displeased.
The Minister of Revenue sneered: "Stop trying to confuse the issue. The memorial itself says that we should act within our means."
The two argued for a few words and then stopped.
Whether things will work or not is not up to the two of them to decide.
Prime Minister Yue pondered for a long time, looking at the issue from a broader perspective.
"I believe that the suggestion in the memorial to educate the people about hygiene is worth a try."
“The county magistrate has the duty of educating and guiding people, and he is capable of doing this.”
The main thing is that this matter costs the least amount of money; it just requires the county magistrate to do some hard work and promote it.
It is highly feasible.
"Since this matter involves physicians and the Imperial Medical Academy, I believe it would be better to invite the head of the academy to come and discuss it together."
Fang Yin silently took two steps forward.
No matter how medical professions develop, people must first have a voice.
The emperor lifted his eyelids and glanced at him: "Go and invite Physician Xing."
Actually, the memorial was submitted by Fang Nanzhi, so she could be summoned to the palace.
But she was too young and held no official position, so even if she came, her influence would not be as great as that of Physician Xing.
Moreover, Fang Yin felt that Zhizhi had already shown her face enough.
Let Physician Xing make the decision. Zhizhi can participate later when it comes to the specific implementation.
So, Physician Xing got involved.
The imperial court can be inefficient at times, but it can also be quite efficient at others, especially when the emperor has the support.
The Imperial Study established the tone for county magistrates to educate the people and for imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy to be dispatched on official business to assist in spreading the methods of health preservation and longevity.
The remaining tasks, such as compiling the content of the presentations, the list of major cities, and the list of those going on business trips, will need to be further integrated within the Imperial Medical Academy.
The training of military doctors seems to have been put on hold.
It was never mentioned in court again, but the military medical services resumed.
The announcement of the roster for the second round of free medical consultations did not elicit much opposition in the imperial court, since there had already been one such consultation.
This time, the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue are willing to each contribute half of the funds, so the Imperial Hospital won't have to pay any more money.
Things seemed to be progressing smoothly all of a sudden.
Prince Ning was paying attention to this matter, but he wasn't very interested in the antics of the Imperial Medical Academy.
What's the point of making such a fuss over a few imperial physicians? He was more interested in the music and poetry.
In the past few days, Le Qi has passed the critical period and seems to have survived, but his leg should be completely ruined.
The emperor was also filled with regret. To show his favor to the Yue family and to protect the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled members of the Yue family, he bestowed gifts upon them one after another, each time with great fanfare, so that the powerful and noble people in the capital would know that even if the Yue family's descendants had no future, they would still receive continuous favor.
Therefore, the Music Bureau settled down, and everything seemed calm and peaceful. Those who had plotted to harm Yue Qi also went into hiding.
It wasn't about giving the emperor face; it was about achieving the goal.
In the imperial court, the ministers seemed to suddenly realize that General Yang, who was in charge of the area where the Le family army was stationed, was only a sixth-rank military officer and was not qualified to command such a large area.
Therefore, the generals frantically recommended talented people, wanting to "help" General Yang or assist him in raising troops on the border, and preferably achieve extraordinary feats.
That sounds nice, but... who doesn't know what dirty tricks they're up to?
The Ning Prince's Mansion was also very active, plotting to have the Ning Prince's heir "take over" the Le Family Army.
The Empress Dowager, who had been well-behaved for a long time, also had a change of heart. She went to the Emperor and earnestly persuaded him that Prince Ning should also be enfeoffed.
Staying in the capital all the time can lead to some rumors and gossip, which isn't good.
"Your Majesty is overthinking it. With me here, who dares to say anything?" The Emperor acted like an elder brother wholeheartedly protecting his younger brother.
The Empress Dowager sighed: "I know that you brothers are close, but Prince Ning has not recovered since his injury and has been depressed ever since."
"In my opinion, it would be better for him to get away from the capital and relax."
"And then there's the Crown Prince. That child has suffered one setback after another, and he's even lost his child. I don't know if it's just bad luck, but I'm afraid he won't be as good as Prince Ning in the future, and he won't be able to assist the Crown Prince."
The Empress Dowager looked regretful, feeling disappointed that the Prince of Ning's heir was not up to par.
The Emperor frowned: "Mother, you are exaggerating. Qingyao is just young and impetuous, and he has made a few mistakes. As long as he corrects them, he will definitely be fine in the future."