Chapter 238 Imperial Physician Visits the Common People
The morning sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating half of the interior room.
Last night, Emperor Zhaoheng stayed at Lihe Palace. The sound of him getting out of bed and putting on his robe woke up Shuixian, who was still dreaming.
"Go back to sleep. I will go to court after I change my clothes."
Looking at Narcissus's still sleepy face, he felt a surge of tenderness in his heart and couldn't help but lean down and touch her soft cheek.
She had been up late last night, and there were still some absurd marks on the side of her neck, half-hidden under the covers, looking quite alluring.
Emperor Zhaoheng did not want to wake her, but Shuixian had a reason to wake up.
She got up from the couch and brushed her disheveled hair onto her shoulder.
In the morning light, her voice still carried a hint of sleepiness, but what she said was remarkably rational.
"Your Majesty... I heard that when Yinzhu returned home last time, she saw many people in the capital infected with the plague... I have a request. If the Imperial Hospital could issue this order to the people, they would surely be grateful to Your Majesty."
Narcissus pursed her lips slightly, and the light seemed to coat her features with a golden glow. At this moment, she was filled with divinity and compassion.
The Emperor pondered for a moment, his dark eyes gradually softening.
"Xian'er, you're right... Those people in the Imperial Hospital have been living comfortably for too long. It's time for them to go out and experience real hardship. How can they achieve anything if they're always confined to the palace?"
"I will issue the decree immediately..."
Emperor Zhaoheng was interrupted by Shui Xianrou before he could finish speaking.
"Your Majesty works tirelessly day and night. Sending imperial physicians is too trivial. Let me persuade them instead."
"It's not too late for Your Majesty to issue the decree after I've finished speaking with them... It's necessary to explain beforehand that they should be sent to the countryside to provide medical care."
Narcissus spoke softly and eloquently; she was very good at talking, and with just a few words, she touched Emperor Zhaoheng's heart.
He has indeed been quite busy with official duties lately.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Xian'er... Go ahead and do it. If you encounter any difficulties, come to the Qianqing Palace to find me."
Narcissus met his gaze and smiled gently, nodding her head.
She whispered:
"Your Majesty, I understand. Thank you."
——
An hour later, in the main hall of Lihe Palace.
Narcissus wore a brocade robe with gold trim, the collar and cuffs of which were trimmed with fluffy white fox fur, the fur as lustrous as snow, making her neck appear as white as jade.
Below, Lu Zhengqing, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, stood with his deputy and several senior imperial physicians at his sides, the atmosphere heavy and subtle.
Lu Zhengqing was about seventy years old, but his eyes held the arrogance of someone who had long held a high position.
He was the cousin of Lu Baohua, the former judge. Lu Baohua was investigated and punished for framing Pei Jichuan. Although he was not directly implicated, he had a grudge against Shui Xian and Pei Jichuan.
Shui Xian's gaze swept calmly over the crowd, seemingly oblivious to the disdain in Lu Zhengqing's eyes.
She got straight to the point: "The reason I have summoned you all here today is because of the epidemic spreading in the capital. I intend to send skilled imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital, along with medicines, to set up free clinics in the epidemic-stricken areas to control the epidemic and save the people from their suffering."
Narcissus raised an eyebrow and scrutinized them.
What are your thoughts?
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhengqing's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
With a reluctant expression, he stepped forward, bowed, and said:
"Your Highness, the Imperial Noble Consort, Your Highness cares deeply for the people, and your benevolence moves Heaven. We are deeply moved. However..."
He then changed the subject, saying, "The Imperial Medical Academy's duty is to serve the noble ladies of the palace and ensure the health of the Emperor, Empress Dowager, and all the princesses. As for the suffering of the common people outside the palace, local medical officials and pharmacies will handle it. Moreover, the epidemic is dangerous. If the imperial physicians were to venture into the epidemic area and bring the foul air back to the palace, disturbing His Majesty and the noble ladies, we... would be guilty beyond redemption!"
Lu Zhengqing's words sounded nice, but in reality, he only said one thing: he didn't want to leave the palace.
Narcissus listened quietly without interrupting.
Meanwhile, several imperial physicians behind him echoed his sentiments:
"Your Excellency is absolutely right; the safety of the palace is of utmost importance."
“The epidemics among the people are complex and difficult to deal with using the usual methods of the Imperial Medical Academy.”
"Yes, the journey is arduous and the risks are considerable..."
Narcissus's lips curved into a very faint smile, but there was no hint of a smile in her phoenix eyes.
She waited until their voices subsided before speaking slowly and deliberately, her voice clear and melodious, yet subtly piercing.
"What Imperial Physician Lu said makes sense at first glance... The primary responsibility of the imperial physicians lies in the inner palace."
She leaned forward slightly, her gaze like a gentle stream, yet carrying the power to see into people's hearts, slowly sweeping across the faces of each imperial physician.
"However, I have heard that the path of medicine is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind."
"You all spend your days confined to the small world of the Imperial Medical Academy. What you see and treat are nothing more than the occasional colds and dampness that the concubines and noble ladies catch, and minor ailments that require some treatment. How is this any different from armchair strategizing and making decisions behind closed doors?"
Her words, though seemingly gentle, were like needles hidden in cotton, precisely striking the hearts of the imperial physicians, especially several young physicians who were proud of their talents:
"Could it be... that you are worried that you won't be able to show your true abilities once you leave the safe and comfortable environment of the palace?"
Narcissus scoffed lightly, her doubts written all over her face.
"Or is it that you all, who usually boast of your superb medical skills, that you are Hua Tuo reincarnated, actually lack even the confidence to deal with common epidemics among the people?"
"you!"
A young and impetuous deputy envoy blushed and couldn't help but want to retort, but was stopped by a look from Lu Zhengqing.
Lu Zhengqing's face was ashen, but he still forced himself to remain composed.
His chest heaved as he suppressed his anger and said, "Your Highness, the Imperial Noble Consort's words are far too dismissive of us! The Imperial Medical Academy has been passed down for generations, with a vast collection of classic texts, and all of you colleagues have undergone rigorous examinations..."
Shui Xian didn't give him a chance to continue arguing. Her voice suddenly became clearer, interrupting him directly. She turned her gaze to the back of the crowd and said, "Pei Jichuan, Ana."
"Your humble servant is here."
Pei Jichuan stepped forward from the crowd. His injuries had not yet healed, his face was still somewhat pale, and his figure was extremely thin, but his eyes were clear and firm.
"Your humble servant is here."
Ana also stepped forward, her purple eyes calm and undisturbed.
Narcissus looked at them, her tone filled with clear expectation and trust.
"Are you two willing to go?"
Pei Jichuan cupped his hands and said loudly, "Your Majesty, a doctor's heart is like that of a parent. Patients are not distinguished by social status or palace walls. If I can use my humble skills to relieve the suffering of the people and save them from the plague, then I will not have failed in my life's learning, nor will I have failed the trust of Your Majesty the Imperial Noble Consort!"
"Your humble servant would gladly die a thousand deaths!"
His words made Lu Zhengqing appear even more dignified and respectable.
Ana nodded. As a woman, she had been looked down upon by her colleagues since joining the Imperial Hospital, but at this moment, her foreign accent spoke with more conviction than those arrogant imperial physicians.
"The mountains and forests of southern Xinjiang are also prone to disease and miasma. Our ancestors have passed down many methods to deal with them. Perhaps we can give them a try. Your humble servant is willing to go."
After the two finished speaking, the hall fell silent.
Many of the young imperial physicians looked ashamed, their gazes shifting between Pei Jichuan, Ana, and Lu Zhengqing, clearly indicating that they had been greatly shocked.
Lu Zhengqing's beard trembled with anger, but he saw that Shui Xian had already stood up, her phoenix eyes displaying her majesty.
"Alright! In that case, it's settled."
"With Pei Jichuan and Ana as the leaders, all those from the Imperial Medical Academy who are willing to go can sign up. All the necessary medicines and supplies will be allocated by the palace. Those who do not wish to go will not be forced by me, but their future evaluation and promotion in the Imperial Medical Academy will need to be discussed separately."
She gently waved her sleeve: "You may all leave."
"Pei Jichuan, Ana, stay behind for further discussion."
The imperial physicians left with varying expressions. Lu Zhengqing was the last to leave, glancing back at Shui Xian, who was whispering with Pei Jichuan and Ana inside the hall, his eyes dark.
While Pei Jichuan and Ana were preparing to leave the palace.
The next day.
The imperial concubines came to Lihe Palace to pay their respects.
Consort Wan, well-informed, covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her voice carrying her usual gentleness and a hint of sourness:
"Her Imperial Noble Consort is truly concerned for the well-being of the people and compassionate in her heart. Even the lives of those... well, those commoners outside the palace, are of concern to you personally, and you have mobilized the manpower and resources of the Imperial Hospital."
"But I am worried that with such a large mobilization, what if one of the imperial physicians were to accidentally die outside, or... if he were to inadvertently bring that foul disease back to the palace, disturbing Your Majesty and the two young princes? What would we do then?"
She frowned, feigning concern: "Sister, you are now in charge of the six palaces and have just recovered from the epidemic. Your health is of utmost importance. Don't overwork yourself for the sake of some unrelated people and ruin your health, which would only cause the Emperor unnecessary worry."
Consort Wan couldn't stand Shui Xian's smugness. Yesterday, she heard that Shui Xian had ordered the imperial physicians to go to the countryside to treat patients, and she mocked Shui Xian for really disregarding everything for fame.
Today, she couldn't help but make sarcastic remarks.
The hall fell silent instantly, and all eyes were focused on the narcissus.
Without even lifting her eyelids, Shui Xian slowly used the cup lid to stir the tender leaves floating in the teacup.
Her voice was very soft:
"His Majesty often taught that a ruler should know that 'the people are the most important, the state is next, and the ruler is the least important.'"
Faced with Consort Wan's questioning, Narcissus directly invoked Emperor Zhaoheng's name.
Narcissus: "The common people are also the Emperor's subjects. They are suffering from the plague. As I hold the Phoenix Seal and act as Empress, how can I sit idly by? To watch them die without helping is not the way of benevolence."
Her clear gaze fell on Consort Wan, and the corners of her lips curved slightly: "If you find the journey outside the palace tiring, or are worried about catching a cold, you can rest assured and recuperate in your own palace. The affairs of the six palaces and the hardships of the people are things that the Emperor and I have already considered, so there is no need for you to worry about them."
These words directly positioned Consort Wan as a narrow-minded person who disregarded the people's livelihood.
Consort Wan was so choked up that her face turned red and white in turns, but she dared not say another word.
In her heart, however, she was even more convinced that the matter of leaving the palace to seek medical treatment would definitely not go as smoothly as Narcissus had expected.
absolute!
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