"Take down the three characters 'Jingxinyuan' and replace them with 'Jiangchun Fuying'." Zhao Shu looked at the dragon-like characters on the plaque, her eyes deep and unsettling.
These four characters don't evoke any particular imagery, don't fit the courtyard at all, and most importantly, don't sound like the name of a garden at all.
However, Chu Chun and the others remembered her words and would inform Fei Peng to do so when they saw him later.
The couplet has been changed to: "With lofty aspirations and sacrifices, we dare to change the world."
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone was stunned. If the Emperor knew, would he think too much? It would be bad if he thought the princess was being rebellious. Chu Chun and the others were also skilled in calligraphy, and these were clearly two lines from a poem.
Zhao Shu did not offer any explanation.
"Princess, should we change into a different pair?" Chu Chun tried to persuade her.
Zhao Shu sneered, "No need, go in."
Stepping into Jingxin Garden again—no, Jiangying Garden—she was overwhelmed with emotions. Only a few days had passed, yet it felt like an eternity.
"Remove all these flowers; there's no need for flowers here." This place will no longer be used for ornamental purposes; part of it will be used for scientific research, and the rest will be converted into the Sanguzhai and Chunyuan gardens.
Chu Chun and the others exchanged glances, finding the fragrant flowers along the roadside quite pleasant. Moreover, the plants planted here were all extremely precious, and they felt heartbroken about the ones that were about to be moved.
After thinking for a moment, Zhao Shu said, "Gather all the flowers in one place and turn it into a flower market. In a few days, disaster victims will come to the city. Hire them to sell flowers, and use the money they earn to provide disaster relief. If anyone dares not to buy, post their name on the city gate."
Just then, Physician Peng came over from the left path with a young apprentice. Upon hearing Zhao Shu's words, he felt a pang of anxiety. The princess was truly not one to let a single tael of silver slip through her fingers. In this way, without the need for the imperial court to raise funds, a large sum of disaster relief funds could be collected.
"Old Master Peng, are you going back?" Zhao Shu quickly turned around and bowed when she saw the old physician, Old Master Peng, out of the corner of her eye.
The old physician, Peng, stroked his goatee and smiled mysteriously. "I was originally planning to go back, but the princess has arrived. I'll show you something."
"Oh, did you figure it out?" Zhao Shu asked, referring to the alcohol formula given to him by Emperor Mingde on his birthday.
Alcohol is the common name for ethanol. Before the 1930s, fermentation was the only industrial method for producing ethanol. When Zhao Shu was in school, her classmates thought that as long as you knew how to use something, you didn't have to memorize the formulas. But she did. She would memorize them because she came from a backward ancient era and felt that only by thoroughly understanding modern people's things could she integrate into their society, or rather, survive in that era.
So she remembered what the only fermentation method was, though of course, as time went by, she forgot many things as well.
"Really?" The gloom on her face vanished, replaced by a bright smile. This was the only good news she had received recently. "If you can really do it, Elder Peng, you will be remembered in history."
"No, no, no, it wasn't just my achievement; my colleagues also contributed a lot." He couldn't hide his pride; his mouth stretched to his ears.
Passing through flower bushes and rockeries, they arrived at a quiet courtyard. Zhao Shu was stunned. "You're moving too fast! Did you bring the entire Imperial Medical Academy here?"
Rows of shelving units filled the yard, and the tables and chairs inside the house were moved out to accommodate medical books, medical records, and shelving units.
Zhao Shu glanced around and saw that there were more than twenty rooms just for storing shelves, not to mention the courtyard where medicinal herbs were dried. The ornamental garden, filled with the fragrance of flowers, was also filled with the strong aroma of herbs, which was unique in the capital.
"How could that be? This year, the Imperial Medical Academy has recruited a new batch of young physicians. His Majesty said that they should first assist this old man." While others become more and more decrepit with age, he becomes more and more energetic. Zhao Shu used to think that white hair and youthful appearance were an exaggeration, but now, looking at Physician Peng, she suddenly realized that his old man had a rosy complexion and a radiant face, which was indeed the case with white hair and youthful appearance.
As they spoke, they arrived at his office. Having been ostracized in the Imperial Medical Academy his entire life, he had low emotional intelligence and was extremely unsure how to get along with his colleagues. Now that he had the means, he simply decided not to share an office with others and set up his own.
This is much better than working in the Imperial Medical Academy.
His office remained unchanged, so simple: a simple table and chairs, drawers for storing medicinal herbs, a bookshelf, nothing more. No, there was also a portrait of Bian Que hanging on the wall.
"Princess, smell this, is it this?" He handed a small porcelain bottle to Zhao Shu, the lid already open.
Zhao Shu smelled it and found it had the smell of alcohol and a pungent, spicy aroma. The alcohol content was extremely high. She poured some out and applied it to her hand, only to find that it evaporated very quickly.
"Yes, very good." The concentration may not be that high, but it is no longer suitable for drinking as an alcoholic beverage. It contains more ethers and aldehydes than alcohol.
"Old Peng, can it be mass-produced? With the floods raging now, all the pharmacies must need it." Then it can be distributed in the name of the imperial court, so no one will say that Heaven is displeased with Emperor Mingde.
In the face of natural disasters and man-made calamities, she hated it most when someone used the water of ghosts and gods to stir up trouble. However, she smiled slightly and thought this was a good opportunity.
Physician Peng nodded without hesitation, "Yes, it's similar to brewing wine, but it requires a few more steps. It'll be a good opportunity for those newbies to practice."
Zhao Shu: ...A newcomer? The Imperial Medical Academy is a department that only needs doctors with excellent skills and rich experience. They don't accept very young doctors. If you don't practice medicine in the folk for a few years, you can't get into the Imperial Medical Academy at all. Even those scions of medical families have to practice until they reach a certain age, have rich experience, and have no dark history before they can qualify to come to the Imperial Medical Academy for reference.
"Which imperial physician did my uncle send to Jiangnan and Shu?" Time was too tight, and she hadn't had time to properly prepare luggage for the Crown Prince and Luo Hu. Thinking of the possibility of a plague following the flood, she was filled with worry.
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