Chapter Thirty-Six
The Emperor granted Gu Leyao's request. He was not only grateful to Gu Leyao for saving the Empress, but deep down he also recognized Gu Leyao's abilities.
He felt that even the old imperial physicians in the palace were helpless with the Empress's condition, yet Gu Leyao, who had studied medicine for less than a year, was able to save the Empress from the brink of death. Perhaps Gu Leyao could really achieve great things.
*
With the Emperor's special permission, Gu Leyao felt much more confident. She first returned to her residence and entrusted her family to build a temporary medical clinic in the capital, recruiting skilled medical practitioners from the common people.
The requirements of Gu Leyao were written in front of the gate of the medical office: applicants must have certain medical experience, regardless of gender, and those with the ability will be employed. The basic monthly salary is one tael of silver, and those with outstanding abilities will receive more.
Half a month after Gu Leyao posted this message, the entrance to the medical clinic remained deserted. The people who came were either swindlers trying to make a living by cheating and swindling, or shamans and witch doctors who performed rituals, and no real folk experts.
At first, Gu Leyao would excitedly run to the medical office every day with Chuntao, but later she couldn't find any skilled doctors for a long time, and she became a little discouraged.
Should she change her strategy? Or did she do something wrong? Gu Leyao still didn't have an answer in her mind.
She was so anxious that she developed two blisters in her mouth, which made it painful to eat. Chun Tao had cultivated several bitter melons in the warm cellar, and Li Heng had the cook make stir-fried bitter melons for Gu Leyao every day.
Gu Leyao ate with a bitter taste in her mouth, feeling that even the air was filled with the bitter smell of bitter melon. Seeing that she was tired, Li Heng advised her not to run the medical clinic anymore. The Wangfu had money and power, so why go out and suffer?
Gu Leyao is usually an easy-going person, not stubborn, and not one to stubbornly stick to her ways.
This time, however, her attitude was very firm; she was determined to keep the medical center running.
Gu Leyao's thoughts were simple: she had already saved the Empress, so could she also save Li Heng's injured leg? Could she also save the other common people?
Just like the woman I met on the roadside last time who was having a difficult childbirth, didn't she save her and her child?
Moreover, Gu Leyao has learned a lot about the affairs of the imperial court and the common people these days. She has not been able to recruit any good doctors, but good doctors do exist.
Gu Leyao already has a further plan. She wants to set up a medical clinic. Where can she find so many experts to recruit?
She thought that perhaps she could find some orphaned children, select some bright and clever ones from among them, and let them learn medicine and work part-time while studying.
When they grow up, they will have a skill that can support them, and the Great Zhou will have a group of more doctors, and many more people will be saved.
However, realizing this idea will take time; you can't get fat overnight. Gu Leyao is prepared for a long-term battle.
*
Time flies, and it's early spring.
Gu Leyao managed to find a few bright children at Jici Hospital. When selecting children, she not only looked at their intelligence but also their character. Studying medicine is very tedious, and those who study medicine must be able to endure loneliness and have good character so that they can be kinder to the people in the future.
There were more girls than boys at Jici Hospital, so Gu Leyao selected five little girls and one little boy.
She intended to train a group of doctors who would specialize in treating women. Although the gender distinction was not very strong in the Great Zhou Dynasty, male doctors rarely treated gynecological diseases.
This group of female doctors may be able to save many women suffering from diseases.
With a vision in mind, Gu Leyao has been walking with a brisk pace lately. On the way back to Dingbei Prince's Mansion from Jici Temple, she kept telling Chun Tao about her ideas.
"I want to build a big hospital in the future, with different departments, including internal medicine and surgery, and internal medicine is divided into ENT... In short, I want to build a hospital, and in the future, I want to build hospitals throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty so that all people can afford to see a doctor!"
Chun Tao clapped her hands enthusiastically, "Girl, you're amazing!!!" As she spoke, she fawned over Gu Leyao and poured her a cup of tea.
Gu Leyao gulped down the glass of water and was about to speak again when she was interrupted by the accompanying guards.
"Your Highness, a boy is kneeling in front of the carriage, blocking our way."
A teenager?
"Ask him what he wants to do?"
Gu Leyao felt strange; she didn't seem to recognize any young people.
"Your Highness is renowned for your kindness and righteousness. This humble subject, Tang Fu, has come here specifically to beg Your Highness to uphold justice for my mother!"
The boy's voice was plaintive and sorrowful, every word filled with blood and tears.
Could there really be a grievance?
Gu Leyao's heart stirred slightly. She raised her delicate hand and lifted the curtain of the sedan chair in front of her. She saw a ragged and disheveled young man. It was late winter and early spring, a time of lingering cold. The weather was very cold, but the young man was only wearing a thin layer of clothing. His face was covered in mud, and his red nose trembled. He looked extremely pitiful.
She didn't want to get involved, but what if the young man in front of her really had a grievance?
Once Gu Leyao made up her mind, she immediately put on a stern face and asked in a solemn voice, "What grievance do you have?"
Although Tang Fu looked disheveled, he still acted with considerable composure. He had heard of Gu Leyao's reputation, otherwise he would not have dared to rashly stop the carriage.
He had heard that this princess had saved many ordinary people, and that she had once said, "Human life is of utmost importance, more precious than a thousand pieces of gold."
When Tang heard this, he was shocked. This princess was of noble status, yet she cared about the lives of ordinary people?
He thought that the nobles regarded the lives of ordinary people like ants! It's unbelievable that there are nobles who think their lives are so important!
Vice Tang remembered the princess's name. The princess's surname was Gu and her given name was Leyao. She was the daughter of the Marquis of Zhongqin, but she was maliciously switched and suffered in the countryside for more than ten years.
Perhaps because she had suffered hardships, this princess respected the lives of ordinary people.
Therefore, when Tang Fu's mother was arrested by the officials, Tang Fu traveled hundreds of miles to the capital to ask the Princess Consort for help.
His mother was truly innocent; she had not broken any laws!
When Tang Fu saw that the Princess Consort had actually lifted the curtain and was speaking to him, he was overjoyed. He knelt on one knee and said loudly, "Your Highness, please allow me to report. My name is Tang Fu, and I am from Su County, two hundred li outside the capital. My father, Tang Ci, and my mother, Zhang Xiugu, are renowned doctors in the county. A little over a month ago, my father, Tang Ci, went to the Zhu family for drinks. Upon returning home, he felt unwell and stayed in bed for several days, vomiting more than ten worms. Many people in Su County also contracted the same disease, mostly with symptoms similar to my father's. My father passed away within a few days. Before he died, he felt that this was an epidemic, and since our Tang family is full of doctors, we had a duty to find the source of the epidemic, which might save other lives. Therefore, my father instructed my mother to cut open his abdomen after his death to find out the cause of the disease..."
Tang Fu choked up as he spoke. His father had only gone out to eat at someone else's house once, but when he returned, he fell ill and died in less than a month.
Gu Leyao frowned slightly upon hearing this. She had been in the Great Zhou for almost a year and knew that in ancient society, desecrating a corpse was a serious crime.
Ancient people believed that the dead had spirits, and that harming a corpse was punishable by law.
"And then what? Your mother really..."
Upon hearing Gu Leyao's question, Tang Fu quickly wiped away his tears. "My mother opened up my father's abdomen and discovered the cause of his illness. She memorized the location of the worms and the distribution of his internal organs, saving the lives of patients in the county. However, the county magistrate believes that my mother violated the law by dissecting her husband's body and ordered her to be arrested, saying that she would be executed soon! But Your Highness, my mother dissected my father's body for his last wish and for the sake of all the people in Su County. My mother did not break the law on purpose!"
Gu Leyao also felt that Vice Tang's mother was innocent, but she still had to go back and ask Aheng about this situation.
Moreover, she couldn't just listen to Vice President Tang's side of the story; she needed to investigate further and find out the truth.
Gu Leyao instructed the accompanying guards, "Take him to a nearby inn, give him a wash, and I'll go back and think of something."
After saying this, he closed the carriage curtain, the coachman cracked his whip, and the horses reared up, the carriage chugging along and leaving a trail of tracks.
Tang wanted to chase after them again. He couldn't help but be anxious because his mother was still suffering in Suxian prison.
The remaining guard grabbed Tang Fu, the young boy, by the collar and pulled him back.
"Young man, stop chasing her. Her Highness the Princess said she would find a way, and she really will. As long as what you're saying is true, your mother will most likely be alright."
Tang Fu's eyes were red like a rabbit's, and upon hearing this, he wished he could swear to the heavens, "Brother, what I said is absolutely true, I swear, if I break this oath, may I be struck by lightning!"
The guards stopped him, took the boy to the nearest inn, paid for his lodging and hot water, and let him take a bath and change into clean clothes.
*
Gu Leyao returned to the Prince's Mansion and told Li Heng about it.
Li Heng had entered the court long ago and was more experienced in such matters than she was. Upon hearing this, he nodded and said, "I'll have my men investigate. If Vice Minister Tang's mother is truly innocent, we'll help her."
Gu Leyao felt much more at ease knowing that Li Heng had promised to take care of the matter.
She couldn't help but sigh, "Tang Ci, the father of Vice Tang, was also very capable. He wasn't afraid of being disemboweled to save people! Tang Ci's mother was also very brave. She followed her husband's last words and dared to perform autopsies to diagnose illnesses. She saved the lives of people in an entire county. If such capable people could work at the medical department, I wonder how many people they could save!"
If they all took positions at the Medical Department, the entire Tang family would surely achieve great things!
Gu Leyao recalled that in her previous life, some people of high moral character would sign organ donation agreements before their death for medical research. She thought that Tang Ci was also such a person of high moral character.
Unfortunately, this good man died young, and his family also suffered as a result, with some even going to jail.
If it's possible, Gu Leyao must save Vice Tang's mother!
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