Chapter 229 The End of Fate
Meng Yan stared at the person coming in the rain, as if she saw clearly who it was. She frowned slightly and pursed her lips slightly, but she didn't say anything in the end.
The man walked to the front of the pavilion, bowed, and clasped his fists. "Your humble servant greets the Empress. May Her Majesty live a thousand years!"
Meng Yan glanced at him for a moment before saying calmly, "The wind is strong and the rain is heavy. Why did the imperial physician Xiahou come here in the rain?"
The person who came was Xiahou Yu.
He was wearing a pale blue summer cloth gown embroidered with bamboo leaves, which was completely soaked by the sudden downpour. Summer clothes were thin, and when soaked by the rain, they clung to his body, revealing his muscular chest.
Xiahou Yu seemed to have lost some weight, standing there like a slender bamboo, with raindrops dripping down his shiny black hair, looking all alone.
He bowed his head, his gaunt face was as gentle as water, his eyes slightly lowered, as if he was humble and respectful, adhering to the duty of a subject. However, the look he gave her seemingly unintentionally carried a hint of lingering obsession.
Meng Yan only looked at him for a few seconds, then looked at the vermilion lacquered railing on the side and didn't look at him again.
"Please stand up, Imperial Physician."
Xiahou Yu straightened up and his eyes fell directly on the queen's waist.
Her originally slender waist became fuller due to her pregnancy which lasted more than four months, adding a touch of mature charm to her.
Sister Yan...finally got pregnant with another man's child.
As soon as this thought emerged from the depths of my heart, it was like a sharp knife cutting back and forth in my chest, piercing my heart and lungs, causing me excruciating pain, yet it refused to give me a sense of relief.
It felt like a piece of flesh in my heart was being pulled down.
This was not the first time Xiahou Yu knew that Meng Yan was pregnant.
The queen was pregnant. This great joyous event had already been known to everyone in the palace. Even if Xiahou Yu didn't want to hear it, he had already been told it all.
However, the news he heard from others was never as shocking as what he saw with his own eyes...it made him feel completely disheartened.
No matter if she was taken away overnight by the people from Yiyang Marquis' Mansion, or he heard that she was selected to be the prince's concubine in the Eastern Palace, or she was crowned as the queen, none of them could break his heart as much as witnessing her being pregnant with another man's child.
The scene before him shattered all his fantasies.
Xiahou Yu swallowed hard, suppressing the bitterness boiling in his chest. He spoke in a hoarse voice, "In reply to your Majesty, the four medical clinics in the capital have been built. The Imperial Hospital has selected four imperial physicians to teach there. In addition, a total of fifty students who have passed the first entrance examination have been entered into the roster. Please review it, Your Majesty."
Meng Yan had previously suggested to Lu Haozhi that a clinic be established in the capital, under the management of the Imperial Hospital, with imperial physicians regularly dispatched to treat patients and take on apprentices. This move would, firstly, alleviate the capital's suffering from chronic illnesses and difficult-to-treat conditions; secondly, it would cultivate skilled physicians among the people, in case of future epidemics; and thirdly, Meng Yan realized that although the imperial physicians in the palace came from prestigious medical families, they lacked experience due to their long-term confinement in the palace and the lack of patients they encountered. Therefore, sending them to the public would provide them with training.
Besides, there is another benefit.
Since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, after the first emperor's period of recuperation, a number of wealthy merchant families have emerged among the people. These families have extensive wealth but no distinguished status. They often covet items used by the royal family to decorate their homes. They are also keen on pursuing the various tonic pills in the palace, viewing them as rare treasures that can prolong life. If one of them leaks out, it will often attract a large number of people. Meng Yan still remembers a case in her previous life. Two apprentices from the Imperial Hospital stole more than ten bottles of health pills and sold them to the public, making a considerable profit.
This case was neither big nor small, a common occurrence in the palace. Meng Yan barely remembered how it ended. But the fact that a single bottle of health-promoting pills, common in the palace, could fetch a hundred taels of silver among the common people still astonished Meng Yan. She could write four or five such simple prescriptions a day when she was bored—they were just tonics, so it wouldn't be a big deal. For a doctor, such a panacea was considered the worst kind. However, Meng Yan believed that if she could profit from this, she could expand her financial resources without hurting the people or causing excessive cuts in the palace, which would lead to complaints from everyone.
This move, which achieved four goals at once, naturally won the approval of both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Meng Yan then issued the Empress's decree, placing the matter under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Hospital. As the Chief Judge of the Imperial Hospital, Xia Houyu naturally took on the responsibility.
During this period of time, Xiahou Yu was busy running around for this matter and rarely appeared in the palace.
After hearing his words, Meng Yan withdrew her gaze, but only turned it slightly on him and then looked away.
She didn't comment, but instructed the maid, "Bring me a handkerchief and wipe the rain off the imperial physician's face."
As soon as the words fell, the attendants on both sides hurriedly brought up dry towels and helped Xiahou Yu wipe his face.
Xiahou Yu came and went in the palace and was well versed in the palace rules. He naturally knew that the status of the queen's maids was different from that of ordinary palace maids. How could he dare to trouble them to serve him personally? He hurriedly took the towel and handed it over.
Looking closely, it was just a plain moon-white handkerchief, commonly used by palace servants and guards. His heart sank slightly, but then he laughed at himself. What was he still expecting at this point?
After wiping his face clean, Meng Yan had already looked over the roster and said calmly, "The qualifications of these four imperial physicians are acceptable, and they should be able to take on the responsibility of consulting and teaching. However, there is one thing: their character must be reliable. This is a private clinic established by the palace, and it is considered the face of the palace. However, if something goes wrong, it will damage the reputation of the royal family."
Xiahou Yu hurriedly replied, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I know the importance of this matter. These four imperial physicians are all experienced and prudent, and they are well-regarded by their colleagues."
Meng Yan nodded slightly and continued, "All these admitted students were admitted based on their exams. There's no corruption or fraud, right?"
"Absolutely not."
Hearing this, Meng Yan smiled slightly, and a small dimple appeared on her cheek.
"Please don't blame me for being so talkative, Imperial Physician. As the saying goes, everything is difficult at the beginning. This concerns the reputation of the Imperial Family and the dignity of the Imperial Court. And since it was my suggestion and the one who took charge of this matter, if there were any mistakes, I would be hard pressed to explain to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Therefore, I can't help but ask a few more questions."
As she spoke, she took the teacup from Yunxiang's hand, took a sip, and placed it on the small round table beside her. A light cherry pink lip print was left on the edge of the sweet white porcelain teacup.
Just as Xiahou Yu was gazing at the faint pink in a trance, he heard a clear voice again, "Xiahou Imperial Physician, you have done a great job on this mission. From now on, I will hand over all matters of the clinic to you. You will be stationed at the clinic outside the palace and no longer have to work in the palace every day. Is that okay?"
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