"Your Majesty wants to ask about what happened at the gate, right? Actually, it's not Father's fault. Ever since he became the Marquis of Sheng'en, he resigned from his position in the Imperial Medical Academy. Father had nothing to do, so he would occasionally treat people in the neighborhood. Father was afraid of being talked about, so he refused to accept money. The patients' families would then bring them gifts. We wouldn't accept them, so they would wait outside every day."
Speaking of this, Song Xinian also had a big headache.
Song Xibai was surprised.
I never expected it to be like this.
She looked at Song Siyuan: "I misunderstood Dad... I'm sorry."
Song Siyuan waved his hand dismissively.
"We're family, why are you apologizing! If I had known it would cause so much trouble, I should have held back... sigh..."
Song Siyuan looked melancholy and kept stroking his beard.
"Father, you haven't done anything wrong. Are you just going to stand by and watch me die?"
Song Xiping, who had been keeping quiet all along, couldn't help but speak up.
The flower hall fell silent for a moment.
Song Xibai had previously thought that her father wouldn't be able to integrate into the elite circle, but now it seems that the situation is even worse than she imagined.
Whether they were military generals or civil officials, they all had their own circles. In their eyes, the Song family had only climbed up through nepotism and were not even considered relatives of the emperor.
Not to mention, the Song family were previously criminals who had been exiled.
After a long while, Song Xinian sighed and spoke again.
“Our family is poor. Although outsiders give us some face out of respect for His Majesty and the Empress, it’s only superficial. There are quite a few people who make things difficult for us and ridicule us behind our backs.”
“I hired many tutors for Qianqian and forced her to study. It was because once when I took her to a banquet, she was ridiculed and teased.”
By the end, Song Xinian's voice was tinged with suppressed anger.
Song Xibai was so startled that she stood up.
"Why didn't you tell me about these things?!"
"Why am I telling you all this? It's not easy for you in the palace either. Besides, if you were to get involved, wouldn't that just confirm that our family climbed up the ladder through nepotism?"
Song Xinian twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a helpless expression.
Song Xibai bit her lip.
She had always stayed in the inner palace and knew very little about the outside world!
"If I can't even protect my own family, what's the point of being a concubine?"
Song Xibai sullenly sat back down in her chair.
Yuan Shen, who was standing to the side, coughed and reached out to take her hand.
"It was my oversight that my father-in-law's temperament is indeed not well-suited for entering the court. However, the matter he raised in the memorial he submitted earlier is quite feasible."
These words caused all the people with the surname Song present to turn their heads and look at him.
Previously, Song Siyuan had racked his brains to write a memorial, the gist of which was to suggest that the court establish a medical school similar to the Imperial Academy, to impart medical knowledge and train more doctors.
However, the memorial was too general and not very useful to the current court, so it was rejected by the cabinet.
But upon closer examination, if it were actually implemented, it would be beneficial to both the imperial court and the people.
"However, I am currently unable to handle this matter due to insufficient national treasury funds and chaotic tax policies across the country..."
Before Yuan Shen could finish speaking, Song Xibai took over the conversation.
"Money can't be rushed. How about this, Father, you could take on a few apprentices first, or join forces with doctors from other clinics to provide free medical services. What do you two think?"
Song Xinian didn't really care, but Song Xiping nodded excitedly.
“I’ll go with Dad! I’ll help out and stuff.”
Song Siyuan smiled.
He just wanted to find something to do.
He was a doctor who never stopped treating and saving lives, even in exile. Now that he had suddenly become a marquis, his previous ideas and beliefs were shattered, and he found it difficult to adapt.
Song Xibai felt that her father was essentially a simple and pure person, not too scheming, which was similar to Dingxiang's grandfather.
Thinking of this, Song Xibai took the initiative to recommend Doctor Ding.
She was also thinking that once the medical school was established, she could occasionally go there to teach students.
Thinking about it this way, I suddenly felt very motivated.
Her eyes brightened considerably.
Yuan Shen's gaze remained fixed on her, and he immediately noticed the change in her expression, making a decision in his heart.
After finishing their business, everyone felt much better. Song Siyuan pulled Song Xibai to go study the new prescription, and Song Xiping followed. As the elder brother-in-law, Song Xinian had no choice but to stay and entertain Yuan Shen.
Song Siyuan has recently been dealing with mostly ordinary people, so he can't prescribe medicine like he did in the Imperial Hospital. It's too expensive, and ordinary people can't afford it.
Song Xibai stayed at the Ding family's medical clinic for more than a year. Through observation and learning, she learned a lot of inexpensive prescriptions. The two of them began to discuss prescriptions for this common ailment.
When it came to professional knowledge, the father-daughter relationship vanished. The two argued back and forth, neither willing to concede. In the end, poor Song Xiping was dragged into the role of judge. Everyone thought one side was good and the other was good, but in the end, she was disliked by both sides and got scolded twice.
He was very depressed, holding his head and squatting down to the side.
While drinking tea, Song Xibai thought of his second sister-in-law, Tian, and couldn't help but ask her.
"Second brother, have you brought your wife back?"
Song Xiping gave a simple, honest smile.
"Your second sister-in-law and the others won't be able to return to Beijing until after the New Year. There are still many things to take care of back in their hometown. I'll go pick them up after the fifteenth of the lunar month."
Song Xibai only knew that her second sister-in-law, Tian, had returned to her hometown, but she didn't know much about the specifics. Now that she had finally managed to leave the palace, she seized the opportunity to listen to her second brother.
The son of the Tian family is now recorded in the Tian family genealogy and is being treated as a child of the Tian family. It will be somewhat troublesome for him to return to the Song family.
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