Liuli said, "Your Majesty, are you saying that His Majesty doesn't believe that Bai Shuang is poisonous? But this servant thinks that His Majesty is clearly very concerned!"

Sun Miaoqing applied a fragrant balm to her face to prevent her skin from becoming dry and flaky when she woke up the next morning.

He said slowly, "Of course His Majesty believes it, but to silence the gossip, we need solid evidence."

"The Emperor's rhetoric is all bark and no bite, not because of benevolence, but because the court is in turmoil, power has not yet been consolidated, and he wants to proceed slowly."

"Otherwise, if the Imperial Hospital were suddenly left without anyone, not only would the court and the harem be in chaos, but it would also be easy for someone with ulterior motives to take advantage of it."

The window paper was suddenly pierced, and Qiangwei suddenly understood. "So, based on the Emperor's words, Your Highness proposed that future imperial physicians and doctors go to the countryside to provide free medical services to the people and train local doctors."

"This would benefit the people, show that the emperor loves his people like his own children, and also get rid of those quack doctors."

"Others can return to the capital after three years, but those quack doctors can stay for thirty years. I wonder if that will appease the Emperor."

Linglan said, "But the Emperor didn't say he agreed?"

"Instead, I was so angry that I fainted. Thinking back on it now, my legs are trembling with fear."

"Your Majesty, are you truly not afraid at all?"

Sun Miaoqing paused, wiping her hands. No wonder she was afraid!

She truly hadn't expected the chubby orange cat to give her such a big surprise. He's an emperor, yet he's still so impetuous.

On the day Zhen Huan conducted the blood test to determine her kinship, when she thought the Sixth Prince was Wen Shichu's son, he wasn't this angry.

Fortunately, the big fat orange was alright, and Sun Miaoqing felt that she could stand up straight again.

Fear? That's impossible!

Sun Miaoqing said, "What do I have to be afraid of? The Emperor is alright, isn't he?"

"His disagreement isn't because he doesn't want to agree, it's because he doesn't have the money!"

"We need to get those doctors to willingly stay in impoverished areas for three years. It's not enough to just provide free medical consultations; we also need to bring back a group of doctors with decent medical skills."

"To get things done properly, it won't be a small amount of money."

“A generous reward will surely attract brave men. These doctors will be subsidized in every aspect, including settling-in allowances, kickbacks, and living expenses.”

"Besides doctors, we also need medicinal herbs. Cheap and pharmacy herbs are hard to find, and the local pharmacies and herb merchants are also subjects of the Qing Dynasty. We can't let them go bankrupt just because the court wants to implement benevolent policies."

"Destroying someone's livelihood is like killing their parents; a fierce power struggle is inevitable. At best, the court's benevolent policies and the emperor's kindness will be attributed to the local prominent families."

"The inferior ones are merely superficially impressive, which only fuels public resentment."

Sun Miaoqing recalled what she had learned before: in feudal dynasties, imperial power did not extend to the county level; below the county level, there were only clans, and clans were self-governing, which relied on ethics, and ethics relied on the local gentry.

This means that since Qin Shi Huang unified the six kingdoms and implemented the prefecture-county system, the emperor's power extended to the county level, and it became very difficult to extend it further down.

In areas below the county level, many matters were often handled by local gentry and clan elders to maintain social self-governance.

Many people go from birth to death without ever even setting foot in their own county.

An Lingrong's father was the magistrate of Songyang County. Even the slightest bit of favor among the concubines' servants dared to look down on her background.

But in the eyes of ordinary people, the county magistrate was already a remarkable figure.

The common people were illiterate, and even if the imperial edict were placed in front of them, they would not understand it. This was compounded by factors such as clan lineage, local customs, and many other reasons.

Most of the regulations issued by the imperial court were conveyed to the local people by these gentry.

This leaves plenty of room for maneuver. Although the chubby orange-haired prince disdains the harem, he is quite steady and methodical when it comes to matters of state.

They see the benefits, but they won't ignore the risks. Big Fat Orange is probably already impatient and eager to consolidate its imperial power.

After he had firmly secured his throne and successfully implemented the land tax reform, thus resolving the financial issues,

Only a fat orange cat would think about large-scale medical reform, hoping to secure a lasting legacy for himself...

*

Back at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the chubby orange cat felt utterly weak and exhausted. A burning desire simmered in his chest, a frustration he couldn't shake.

"Su Peisheng."

"Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

"Go and get me some menthol oil, my head is throbbing."

Su Peisheng said, "His Majesty is not feeling well, this servant will send someone to summon the imperial physician immediately."

"It's getting late. If His Majesty takes this, I'm afraid he won't be able to sleep for quite some time."

The chubby orange said, "There's no need to call the imperial physician. I'm not in a hurry to sleep right now. Just bring it over."

Su Peisheng had no choice but to reply, "Yes, Your Majesty."