Chapter 51 051 I have the power.
Xie Lanzhao's expression was not as gentle as Zhao Jialing's, and her tone was stern. Meng Yize would listen to his colleagues' reflections in his spare time, and at this moment he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart and some unease.
She herself did not look down on medicine, otherwise she would not have practiced medicine in the mortal world. It was just that public opinion was a powerful force, and people regarded medicine as a lowly skill, not something that scholars should learn. The position of Assistant Musician was a prestigious official post, and if she were to transfer to the Imperial Medical Bureau, she would be even more despised, and it would also be difficult to explain to her family.
Her family had a long tradition of medicine, and some of her physicians had entered the Imperial Medical Academy or the Imperial Pharmacy. Serving the emperor was actually a very difficult job; the slightest mistake could cost one's head. The emperor treated physicians with the same respect as close advisors, not with the same solemnity he showed to court officials. Moreover, the Imperial Medical Academy was the main path for medical students to advance their careers; no one who passed the imperial examinations became a physician.
But for her—once she passed the imperial examination, there was no turning back.
She can practice medicine in the streets, but she cannot become a court physician.
Meng Yize's inner emotions were quite complex, but she would not voice her concerns to His Majesty. After a moment's hesitation, she said, "I have no intention of belittling medicine. The physicians of the Imperial Medical Bureau serve medicine to soldiers, laborers, slaves, and foreign chieftains. If I were to enter the bureau, I fear I would have no time to travel among the common people."
The Imperial Pharmacy served the royal family, and even high-ranking officials were not allowed to freely invite its physicians without special permission. As for the Imperial Medical Bureau, princes and ministers could certainly request their services. However, this was less of a concern for commoners; physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau were not obligated to diagnose commoners unless there was a major epidemic such as typhoid fever or malaria.
Meng Yize believed that his reasons were sufficient, and that he would at least not be punished for his words.
Zhao Jialing frowned slightly upon hearing this. She looked at Xie Lanzhao, waiting for her to make a decision.
"Third Prince, I haven't paid enough attention to matters of medicine," Zhao Jialing sighed. Mingde Academy offered medicine, but it was just one of many subjects. Zhao Jialing knew it needed attention, but he hadn't gone so far as to list out its outline.
Medicine and divination are considered lowly arts, with few practitioners and even fewer skilled individuals. The Imperial Medical Academy has problems training medical students; most physicians are recruited from the general population. However, with curriculum reforms, there's no need to worry about a lack of classic texts like those on meridians and herbs.
Xie Lanzhao was also thinking about the subjects offered by Mingde Academy and had no intention of sending Meng Yize to the Imperial Medical Academy. If the medical education provided by the Imperial Medical Academy was useful, why would the system want to make it easier? She pondered for a moment and asked, "Does Meng Xielu know anything about Mingde Academy?"
Meng Yize nodded and said respectfully, "I understand."
“In ancient times, medical books were usually compiled by scholars. However, scholars treated medical books very differently from their attitude towards classics and history. Even when they compiled medical books, they never conducted thorough research. Someone copied ‘Guiyi Fanglun’ and wrote ‘Guilun’, omitting the middle two characters. This is one problem. As for the meridians and herbs, only doctors can understand the diagrams. If the predecessors made mistakes and later generations have no reference, then mistakes are compounded, and the medical profession cannot be passed down for long. This is another problem…” Xie Lanzhao looked at Meng Yize and slowly began to speak. After finishing speaking about the current predicament of the medical profession, she suddenly changed the subject.
"Your Majesty is wise and virtuous, and with the protection of the gods and ancestors, you have established the Mingde Academy, built a medical school, and collected all the medical books in the land into the library. You have learned the principles of Heaven, harmonized Yin and Yang, and regulated the six qi. This is a great undertaking, and it depends on the joint efforts of wise people. Xie Lü is skilled in medicine and cares deeply for the people. But how many people can one person save?"
Meng Yize's eyelids twitched, vaguely understanding Xie Lanzhao and the others' intentions. While she hesitated, Zhao Jialing said, "With the establishment of the medical department at Mingde Academy, I don't actually need to worry about doctors and students; they can be transferred from the Imperial Medical Bureau. However, I established Mingde Academy hoping to attract more medical professionals from the common people. Your family has a reputation for healing the sick and is a talent I wish to recruit. You previously worried that the Imperial Medical Bureau couldn't benefit the common people, but if you can pass on your knowledge to hundreds or thousands of people, and those people in turn pass it on to their disciples, one day everyone will be able to receive medicine when they are sick."
Meng Yize trembled upon hearing this. She did not dare to look up at His Majesty, but from his light yet firm tone, she could tell that His Majesty was not just acting on a whim, but was truly going to put it into practice.
If this could be achieved, wouldn't it be a world of great harmony?! Even without lofty ideals, a thorough understanding of the classics and a vivid vision of the future would be enough to ignite passion. She bowed to Zhao Jialing and said, "Your subject is willing!"
Zhao Jialing raised an eyebrow and smiled, "I will have someone deliver the medical manual to your home. If you have any favorites, you can send someone to participate in the medical examination."
After Meng Yize left, Zhao Jialing discussed the Mingde Academy with Xie Lanzhao. The *General Knowledge* textbook had already been published and was being sold, and the other books for various subjects were also being printed. These were all teaching materials, and sending a set to the relevant personnel in advance wouldn't be a problem. As for the *New Thousand Golden Prescriptions*, Zhao Jialing mentally instructed the system to place the book in a designated spot in her bedchamber. Once it was placed, she sent Yin'e to retrieve it.
This book was boxed and divided into four volumes. Its title was *New Thousand Gold Prescriptions*, but it contained not only medical prescriptions but also herbal texts and meridian charts. It could even be used as teaching material at Mingde Academy. Zhao Jialing took the book, flipped through it, and then handed it to Xie Lanzhao.
Through her inner thoughts, Xie Lanzhao had already learned some of the wonderful uses of the prescriptions. She browsed through them carefully and asked Zhao Jialing, "Your Majesty, are these books all for medical students?"
Zhao Jialing nodded and said, "The bookstore can also sell them, and the library can also put some in." She stood up and walked towards Xie Lanzhao, gazing intently at her, and asked, "What do you think?"
Xie Lanzhao pondered for a moment and said, "The books are too thick, and since they are related to medicine, ordinary people probably won't understand them. I think we could select the essential prescriptions and publish them as small booklets." While herbal texts can identify plants, meridians are not very useful to the common people. What they need are direct prescriptions and medicinal diets. This is similar to the practice in the past of prefectures and counties erecting steles to inscribe medical prescriptions. Some people want comprehensive and complete information, while others need concise and refined information.
Zhao Jialing said, "I will have the Imperial Medical Academy handle it." He paused, then sighed, "By next year, when Mingde Academy and the library are completed, everything will finally be settled. It seems like everything will be issued soon, but in reality, every single thing has its own intricacies. I hope there won't be any mishaps then."
She spoke her mind freely, but as soon as she finished speaking, she felt uneasy. The officials, both civil and military, had agreed to the policies for various reasons, but if they found even the slightest flaw, they would immediately "invigorate" and launch a relentless attack, striving to restore the old system. Weren't some of the policies of the late emperor's Xuanqi era also subject to repeated revisions? Even now, opponents can still be found.
Xie Lanzhao met Zhao Jialing's gaze, then subtly looked away. She closed her book and said gently, "Whether it's right or wrong, you'll only know after you've done it."
"This is something you strongly advocated," Zhao Jialing hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "If it goes wrong, someone will demand that you resign." The prime minister was also in a dilemma. Could the emperor issue an edict of self-reproach at will for making a mistake? No, that would be a treacherous person misleading the wise and enlightened emperor.
"Why has Your Majesty lost confidence?" Xie Lanzhao smiled gently.
"That's right." The Wise Ruler System chimed in, fearing that its host might suddenly back out.
"Unprecedented in history." Zhao Jialing's voice softened, as if he were muttering to himself, "Not during the time of our ancestors, nor during the time of Emperor Renzong, who was also the late Emperor, what virtue do I possess?"
From a young age, she never considered that position. She had many older brothers and sisters; her only wish was to grow up safely and be a happy princess. But later, her eldest brother and second sister were both disabled, her third brother was seriously injured, and as for her fourth sister… the late emperor probably thought she was mentally unstable. In short, the fate of the nation fell on her shoulders. The political situation in the early years of the Tianfu era was turbulent, only stabilizing after Xie Lanzhao took control of the government.
Recently, Zhao Jialing has grown rapidly, displaying the majesty and demeanor of a monarch, but deep down he still harbors doubts and anxieties, a timidity caused by years of pent-up emotions.
“If this policy fails, it will not be a fault of the policy itself, but rather a mismatch of timing.” Xie Lanzhao’s expression was solemn. She bowed to Zhao Jialing and said loudly, “If it really comes to that, I am willing to bear all the blame! If Heaven has any punishment, let it fall upon me. Your Majesty need not pity me!”
"How can this be?!" Zhao Jialing blurted out, reaching out to support Xie Lanzhao's arm, but not letting go. She gritted her teeth and muttered, "This is the will of our ancestors, and the ministers have all witnessed it. Even if the policies are flawed, it is the late emperor's fault."
[The system erupted in laughter at Zhao Jialing's filial piety.] No matter how many times it happened, the system would be amazed by Zhao Jialing's filial piety.
"If you won't follow me, then follow the late emperor!"
Xie Lanzhao lowered her eyelashes and whispered, "Your Majesty, be careful with your words."
Zhao Jialing released Xie Lanzhao and continued to move closer, whispering, "It's alright, the court official can't hear you."
[The Imperial Diarist couldn't hear me slandering the late Emperor; she only saw it with her eyes. At most, what was written in the "Veritable Records of the Current Emperor" was my intimate moments with you in the Zichen Palace.]
Xie Lanzhao: "..."
The sentence immediately popped into her mind: Xie Lanzhao flattered the emperor with wickedness and caused chaos in the imperial palace.
She believed she was not afraid of slander, but the thought of leaving a name for currying favor in the annals of history still sent shivers down her spine.
It would be better to just confirm some of the rumors.
The culprit asked with feigned concern, "What's wrong?"
With nowhere left to retreat, Xie Lanzhao raised her eyes and sighed, "It's nothing."
"It's cold and snowy, don't catch a cold," Zhao Jialing earnestly instructed. She then turned to Yin'e and ordered, "Bring me my fox fur coat."
Xie Lanzhao calmed herself down and first expressed her gratitude. After a while, she couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty seems to have a lot on your mind."
Zhao Jialing was taken aback: "Really?"
Xie Lanzhao said, "Worries are written all over your face; I'm afraid it will harm your health."
Zhao Jialing's eyes brightened slightly.
Xie Lanzhao is showing concern for me!
She raised her hand and bowed, fully displaying her strength, and laughed, "My mind is as clear as a mirror, without any distractions. Don't worry, I'm in good health! For months, I've practiced swordsmanship without fail, rain or shine, and I've made progress. Look at my strong arms, the smooth muscle lines—can't I easily—"
Before Zhao Jialing could finish her sentence, Xie Lanzhao interrupted her, saying, "The winter clothes are too thick; I can't tell."
[I'll pick you up in my arms.] Zhao Jialing added this sentence in his heart.
Xie Lanzhao: "..." Her interruption was indeed futile. Looking up and meeting Zhao Jialing's bright gaze, Xie Lanzhao's heart stirred slightly, and her attitude softened. However, before she could even praise Zhao Jialing, a sentence reached her ears.
"Can't you tell?" Zhao Jialing pursed her lips and grabbed Xie Lanzhao's hand. "Then come with me to the side hall, and I'll pull up my sleeves so you can see."
Xie Lanzhao: "?"
His frank tone and calm expression seemed to transport him back more than a decade ago.
At that time, the little princess proudly showed her the tiger-head hat that the Empress Dowager had sewn for her.
Therefore, what Your Majesty said is actually correct.
Is she the one with a guilty conscience?
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