Chapter 1697 Savings
Manbao sighed and said, "Madam, we only have 36 people in the Imperial Hospital right now. Even Dean Xiao has to teach, and there are so many courses to teach. Moreover, this is only the first year, and we will recruit new students next year. Don't look at it as it's just one class, but we need at least four teachers to teach them. Not to mention the energy spent by the imperial physicians, the court and His Majesty have also spent a lot to run the Imperial Medical Bureau. After they graduate, they will become private doctors, which is different from the disciples who will join the Medical Bureau and go to various places."
Manbao didn't say it clearly, but his meaning was very clear.
You want to employ a private doctor. Do you have the nerve to undermine the imperial court and His Majesty?
The Queen sighed, "Your Majesty has used up all the money in his private treasury to build the Imperial Medical Bureau. That's why Changyu's marriage was postponed for two years."
Ladies: ...Didn’t Zhou Man say that it’s not good for girls to get married too early, and then the emperor felt sorry for his daughter and postponed the marriage on purpose?
Did you change your words today after you said them at the first two palace banquets?
But no one would be so tactless as to point this out. The Queen had spoken herself, so even if they thought it was expensive, they wouldn't argue over a few dozen taels of silver.
So they looked at each other and agreed, "One hundred taels is fine, but you have to leave some more for us."
Manbao said, "Then let's double it. Ten places will become twenty." Seeing that they seemed reluctant, Manbao immediately explained, "This small class can always take care of more students. If there are more, the teacher's energy is limited, and there will always be some that he can't take care of."
When everyone heard this, they had no choice but to agree.
After finishing the serious matters, Lady Suguo took Manbao's hand and said with a smile: "Miss Zhou, please come to my house when you have time. My second daughter has been feeling unwell recently. I asked a doctor to see her and found out that she is pregnant. I would like you to go and take a look at her."
Since she has already consulted a doctor, there is no need for her to see him again, right?
But Manbao thought about it and nodded in agreement.
After seeing off the wife of Duke Su and others, Manbao glanced at the wife of Duke Zhao who was left behind, and also bowed and retreated.
Xiao Yuanzheng, who had been waiting for news in the side hall, saw this and immediately came out. He leaned over and asked quietly, "What happened?"
Manbao nodded at him and whispered, "One hundred taels a year, twenty places, they accepted it."
Xiao Yuanzheng was stunned and asked, "What did you tell them, and why did they agree?"
Man Bao said, "They didn't say much. They just talked about the difficulties of the Imperial Medical Bureau. Besides, the Empress is here. They won't want to undermine your Majesty, right?"
Xiao Yuanzheng: ...Then why do you feel comfortable doing that to him?
He looked up at Zhou Man, cleared his throat, and said, "This is also good luck for you. If the adults in the court were to come and negotiate, they would have calculated every penny and every ounce, and they would definitely not be so straightforward."
Manbao nodded in agreement, "Men are all stingy and not straightforward at all."
Xiao Yuanzheng: ...
I always feel that there is something wrong with this statement.
"Director Xiao, the people they sent here need to be taught individually. I'll come up with a curriculum later. Can you discuss it with the other imperial physicians?"
Dean Xiao's attention was immediately diverted. He nodded and said, "Okay, list the courses first. Give me the list tomorrow and I'll go discuss it with Doctor Liu and the others."
This matter is settled.
Manbao returned to Chongwenguan and started to take out paper and pen to list the courses they were going to learn.
The initial courses were already set, and she needed to list the ones later, but knowing what kind of doctor they wanted, it was not difficult to list the courses.
After all, the Imperial Medical Bureau had already spent four months finalizing the curriculum for the entire Imperial Medical Bureau. Basically, they just had to pick out the courses they had to learn, as well as some courses that were more closely related.
After school, Bai Shan came over and saw that she was still working hard on her homework. He leaned over to take a look and asked, "Why are you still writing the course? Hasn't this been decided a long time ago?"
Manbao explained to him as he wrote, "I think this is a mutually beneficial thing. Two thousand taels is not a small amount of money."
Bai Shan then asked with a smile, "Your Majesty, are you still short of this little money?"
"Do you know what it means to accumulate little by little?" Man Bao said, "This place doesn't know how to save, that place doesn't know how to increase spending, and if everyone doesn't know how to be frugal, then even if Your Majesty has mountains of gold and silver, it won't be enough."
"Not to mention the Ministry of Revenue. Ever since I learned about the Ministry of Revenue and the National Treasury, I've never heard any official say the National Treasury is well-off. Every year, there's never enough money. Last time, our Imperial Medical Bureau wanted to buy an extra medicine cabinet, so we listed twenty taels of silver on the order, but the Ministry of Revenue deducted the money, saying one cabinet was enough, so why would we need two?"
Manbao shook his head and said, "How stingy! If our Imperial Medical Bureau had its own money, would we need to apply to the Ministry of Revenue when buying medicine cabinets? We could just buy them directly and even buy ten at a time."
Bai Shanle, "Use five pairs and throw five pairs?"
Manbao was also happy and nodded, "That's right."
After everyone left, Lady Zhao approached the Queen and asked gently, "Your Majesty, is His Majesty's private vault truly empty?"
The Queen smiled and said, "Your Majesty is also concerned about the people's livelihood."
The Duke of Zhao's wife said, "You can't spend all the money outside. After all, it's your private money. You should leave some for yourself and your children."
She said, "Princess Changyu is not young anymore. Even if we delay any longer, she should be married in the next year or two. Not to mention that the Fifth Prince will soon be leaving the palace to set up his own residence and to be established as a fiefdom. How can all these things cost money?"
Of course, the prince’s palace had to be funded by the Ministry of Revenue and built by the Ministry of Works, but what could be in the newly built house?
In the end, won’t the emperor and empress still have to provide subsidies?
Even though Yang Guifei would prepare it for her son, the emperor would also give it. Even the empress would give some money even if it was just for face. Moreover, the empress was quite good to the fifth prince, so she would give even more.
Lady Zhao couldn't help but worry about the Queen and whispered, "Do you want me and the Duke to send some money in?"
"Don't do that," the Queen stopped her and said with a smile, "It's not easy for my sister-in-law to have a family to support. Even if life in the palace is difficult, it's not like this. Don't worry."
The wife of Duke Zhao sighed, "I heard that Her Majesty has already laid off a number of palace maids, and the other day another group was sent to the Imperial Medical Bureau. People outside say that life is difficult in the palace."
The Queen had not expected such rumors to come out, and could not help but say, "It's just that the Imperial Medical Bureau couldn't find a suitable girl outside, so I chose someone from the palace to fill the position."
Seeing the disbelief on Lady Zhao's face, the Queen paused and changed the subject, "Why is my sister-in-law also thinking of asking the Imperial Physician's Office for help like them?"
See you at 9pm
(End of this chapter)
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