Chapter 10 New Policies
After Ji Yun finished speaking about the matter of including medical clinics in the official register, Madam Liu waved her fan even more urgently and asked, "I wonder what the procedures for this inclusion are? Of the more than one hundred medical clinics in Lin'an City, how many will be able to catch the official's eye?"
She wasn't truly unaware of the details; she was merely using Ji Yun's words to declare to everyone that Jishetang was determined to succeed, and incidentally to probe whether there were any loopholes in the new policy.
Ji Yun tapped his fingertips lightly on the table and slowly said, "Starting this May, for a year. Next May, the Medical Academy will conduct a comprehensive evaluation based on the number of people treated, the amount of medicine provided, and public reputation, and the top ten will be incorporated into the medical staff."
Before he finished speaking, Madam Liu's face lit up with joy. There was room for maneuver in terms of the number of people to be treated and the distribution of medicines, so it didn't seem like a difficult task.
Before the smile on her face could fade, Ji Yun changed the subject, his tone becoming even more indifferent: "Each evaluation will be checked by medical officers on a case-by-case basis. If anyone is found to have inflated the number of patients or fabricated a reputation, their clinic will be shut down immediately and they will be barred from further selection."
Madam Liu's little scheme was seen through, and she felt extremely guilty, her body suddenly slumping down half an inch.
She forced herself to remain calm, waved her fan, and echoed, "Of course, of course."
Meng Yutong's expression changed slightly upon hearing this.
Ji Yun's indifferent words had already stirred up waves in her heart.
In one year, ten clinics... If she could truly be included in the official register, it would not only fulfill her desire to practice medicine, but also allow her to separate herself from the Meng family...
Meng Yutong shifted her gaze slightly, looking at Princess Jingfu beside Madam Ji.
She naturally had no interest in the medical clinic's discussions and was currently idly fiddling with the crimson jade bracelet on her wrist. The bracelet was as red as the sunset, which made her fingertips appear even whiter.
This fiery-tempered princess is probably still brooding over being humiliated earlier, and is probably plotting how to speak to the Emperor to ruin the marriage and save her nephew a big trouble.
If she could really break off the engagement, it would save her a lot of trouble.
But then Meng Yutong thought back to her previous life. Given Princess Jingfu's personality, she probably had already raised objections to the Emperor, but in the end, she still married into the Ji family.
It is clear that the key to whether this marriage will succeed ultimately lies with the grandmother.
After listening to what Ji Yun said today, she already had a perfect excuse to persuade her grandmother.
Thinking of her grandmother... Meng Yutong felt a pang of sadness, vaguely recalling that desolate afternoon when Bai Zhi told her that her grandmother had not objected to Aunt Qin's suggestion to let Meng Yurou marry into the family.
She harbored resentment at that time.
Now, however, she is too lazy to bother with the mess of debts from her past life.
What she cared more about was how to find leverage in this marriage that would benefit the Meng family's business to get her grandmother to agree to annul the engagement.
As her thoughts raced, darkness fell. Madam Ji rose to see Princess Jingfu off.
The guests all stood up, and Meng Yutong followed suit, standing respectfully to one side with her head bowed.
Princess Gyeongbok was dressed in a flamboyant and bright style, with red decorations on her head and body, so one would immediately be drawn to her upper body when looking at her.
At this moment, Meng Yutong, with her head down, noticed something unusual.
She noticed that when Princess Gyeongbokgung passed by her, her steps were slow and uneven, seemingly different from the way ordinary people walk.
A strange feeling crossed her mind.
Before they could investigate further, Princess Jingfu and Madam Ji had already left the flower hall. The others also began to leave one after another. Meng Yutong followed the crowd out, but after taking only two steps, she was stopped by Ji Ming.
"Sister Meng, this is what my mother asked me to give you." He held up a brocade box, inside which was the congratulatory gift that Meng Yurou had just given to Madam Ji.
It belonged to her mother.
Meng Yutong's fingertips trembled slightly as she carefully took the brocade box, opened it halfway, and looked at the jade gourd lying quietly inside. A pang of sadness welled up in her heart. "Please thank Madam for me. And this garment I'm wearing, I'll have someone wash it and send it over later."
Ji Ming looked around, then quietly leaned closer and pulled her aside to ask, "Sister Meng, do you not like my brother very much?"
Meng Yutong leaned forward slightly, her movements faltering at his question. Her gaze passed over the layers of carved screens, and she subconsciously looked up to see a slender figure standing beside the door.
Ji Yun stood with his hands behind his back in front of the door, his black hair tied up high, his brocade robe outlining his lean and strong figure in the evening breeze. He was holding a green jade pendant between his fingers, his eyes indifferent yet probing, looking straight at him.
In an instant, Meng Yutong felt as if she had returned to the time she spent in the Ji family mansion in her previous life.
No matter how well she performed as the mistress of the Ji family, he always treated her indifferently, and the way he looked at her was just like today.
At the time, she thought he was just naturally aloof and that things would get better with time. Later, she realized that Ji Yun was actually just indifferent to her.
If I had seen it clearly sooner, I wouldn't have wasted my life in the past.
She lowered her eyes, staring at the brocade box in her hand, and said in a calm voice, "Young master is joking. I have only met Young Master Ji a few times, so how could I have any feelings of liking or disliking him?"
Ji Ming touched his chin and frowned. His sister said she didn't dislike him, so why did her attitude turn cold when her brother was mentioned?
Oh well, whatever, as long as I don't hate him.
Ji Ming spread his hands and shook her with a grin: "Sister Meng, I really liked the taste of the medicine you prescribed for me last time. Could you improve the prescription so I can secretly have it made into sugar pills? My brother has been watching me very closely lately and won't let me eat anything. Now I want to go up and nibble on the grass in the yard."
"Add some licorice and acacia honey, and simmer over low heat for two hours." Meng Yutong was amused by his words and lightly tapped his forehead with her fingertip. "Just take no more than three pills a day, and don't overdo it."
"I know!" Ji Ming wanted to say something more to her, but when he saw that his brother seemed to be getting impatient, he had no choice but to shut up and reluctantly bid farewell to Meng Yutong.
When Meng Yutong returned from the Ji residence, it was already dark in Xingtao Courtyard.
A gentle evening breeze caressed the path, and scattered peach and apricot petals laid a light layer of pale pink and pure white on the cobblestone path, with a faint, sweet fragrance floating in the air.
She went straight back to the inner room and took off the moon-white embroidered plum blossom dress that Madam Ji had lent her.
"Bai Zhi," she said, handing over the clothes in a clear, cool voice, "have someone wash them carefully with warm water, scent them with incense, pack them neatly, and send them back to the Ji residence."
Madam Ji's attitude towards her today was very different from before.
In her previous life, Madam Ji was more indifferent to her marriage with Ji Yun, but today she seems quite satisfied with herself.
Meng Yutong was filled with doubt, and some vague guesses gradually formed in her mind, but she dared not think about them too deeply.
Anyway… she glanced at the clothes in her hand, then looked away. In any case, as long as she could successfully annul the engagement, then Madam Ji would be nothing more than an insignificant stranger to her.
Bai Zhi took the clothes and couldn't help but ask about what she had seen at the Ji residence that day.
Meng Yutong briefly mentioned the most important points.
Upon hearing this, Bai Zhi's eyes widened, and she immediately covered her mouth and sneered, "No wonder the Second Miss slunk back to the manor at noon; it turns out she took Madam's old things as a new gift. How shameless! Madam Ji is kind and insightful, actually returning the item to the Miss intact!"
She became more and more pleased as she spoke, and her pace quickened: "That second young lady is always competitive and ambitious. Whenever she gets something new, she has to come to our Apricot Courtyard to show off. She has to be the best in everything she does before she'll stop!"
"This mother and daughter are just like flies buzzing around rotting matter, utterly repulsive! Someone should have given them a good dressing down long ago!"
Bai Zhi spoke with great pleasure, but Granny Gui, who was sitting by the low table by the window, frowned deeply upon hearing this: "Why does Miss have to be so confrontational with them? Aunt Qin relies on the Master's favor, and the Second Miss is used to throwing tantrums, acting foolishly, and turning black into white. If you tear off the mask of civility too soon, I'm afraid that the days ahead will only be more difficult."
Unlike the bold and clever Bai Zhi, Granny Gui was gentle and worried, and she was most afraid of causing trouble.
Meng Yutong would likely have to do many things that would worry her in the future, so she thought she would take this opportunity to explain things to her properly today, so that she could be prepared.
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