Judge Qin had seen far more sophisticated methods of framing people, so he wasn't bothered by it: "Your Highness need not worry. Prefect Qi has already placed the people from Li's Medical Clinic under strict surveillance." He chuckled as he spoke, "The people from Li's Medical Clinic have suffered a double loss this time."
Seeing that Gu Yuzhi was puzzled, he continued, "Some yamen runners discovered that Li's Medical Clinic was taking this opportunity to drastically increase the price of its medicines. However, our Wen Prefecture set a precedent by offering free medicines, so the people at Li's Medical Clinic could only give away medicines for typhoid fever for free. But the prices of medicines for external injuries rose even more sharply. Prefect Qi promptly sent people to buy medicines from some small pharmacies to stop this trend. But the people outside the city all know about this."
Manager Wen laughed heartily: "This is great news! Li Ji Trading Company is courting death! Your Highness, you should quickly discuss opening a clinic with Imperial Physician Qin! Once Chief Secretary Xie returns, have him contact Consort De as soon as possible and get the clinic open before the New Year."
Shu Xiaohan nodded repeatedly: "Young Prince, this time I'm on Manager Wen's side. The people from Li's Trading Company not only control the grain prices in the Northern Desert, but they're also profiting from the disaster! To deal with such heartless people, we should strike while the iron is hot!"
Manager Wen fanned himself, his small eyes looking at Shu Xiaohan: "Strike while the iron is hot, that's a good saying! Your Highness, try to get everyone in the manor to spread the word about the Wen family's recent free medical treatment and medicine preparation. Be sure to mention the rescue of that seriously injured man! At least let the people of Changzhou know that the Wen family's physician is a miracle doctor."
Gu Yuzhi's eyes darted around for a while before he said, "Judge Qin, that woman doesn't believe you, and the people from Li's Trading Company are trying to frame you like this. Aren't you angry?" He pouted, "If it were me, I'd be furious!"
Qin Yuanpan remained silent, so Gu Yuzhi continued, "My fifth brother broke my jade pendant before and said that I didn't cherish it, which caused me to be punished. I was so angry." He glanced at Qin Yuanpan several times, and seeing that he still didn't speak, he could only whisper, "I'll tell you a secret. Later at the palace banquet, I told my fifth brother that my third brother's jade pendant was even more beautiful than mine, so my fifth brother went to ask my third brother for it."
At this point, Gu Yuzhi covered his mouth and chuckled secretly, and Judge Qin's expression softened considerably.
Qin, the court judge, had also heard about that incident. The Prince of Qi smashed the Prince of Chu's jade pendant and was subsequently confined to his quarters. At that time, the Prince of Chu's maternal family put all their efforts into suppressing the Prince of Qi's power, and the inner palace also got involved. The Consort Shu and Consort Liang were fighting fiercely...
He never expected that the reason for the dispute between the two sides would be because of a single sentence from Prince Wen.
Judge Qin glanced at Gu Yuzhi discreetly and cautiously probed, "How did Your Highness determine that the Prince of Chu would attack the Prince of Qi over a piece of jade?"
Gu Yuzhi gave a haughty snort: "I heard from my mother that the jade pendant that my third brother had was a blood jade given to him by the emperor when he came of age and was made a prince. It was very precious, and he would always wear it to palace banquets, taking it very seriously." Thinking of this, Gu Yuzhi felt a little guilty, and her bright and cheerful face lost its previous radiance. "I originally thought that since my third brother was favored, my fifth brother would at most pester me for a while and then get a scolding from my third brother. Who knew he would be so bold as to smash the jade pendant."
Qin Yuanpan knew why. This Prince Qi had been arrogant since childhood, and Consort Liang had spoiled him terribly. Relying on his status as a prince, he had done many heinous things. He had to get his hands on the things he liked, and he even dared to bully the prince who was more than ten years younger than him.
However, after the late emperor's death, Prince Qi suddenly became more sensible and took Consort Liang to her fiefdom early on...
Wen Xiuzhu paused in his fan-waving: "Your Highness, now is not the time to discuss Prince Qi, but to quickly persuade Chief Secretary Xie to open a medical clinic!"
Gu Yuzhi gently patted his head. Oh dear, he almost forgot the important matter. He blinked his big eyes, looking hopeful, and said, "President Qin, I called you here today to ask you if you want to open a clinic!"
Before Judge Qin could speak, he said excitedly, "There are so many benefits to opening a clinic, you..."
"Your Highness!" Imperial Physician Qin said with a grim face, "Your Highness has already broken a taboo by sending Guard Qi to the escort agency. Now you want to target me as well? I am a physician, not a street doctor. Furthermore, in the social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, merchants are of low social status. Does Your Highness intend for me to be expelled from the clan by allowing me to run a clinic?"
Gu Yuzhi's face turned deathly pale. He had expected that Judge Qin would refuse, but he did not expect Judge Qin to say such harsh words!
Without his permission, Judge Qin dared not leave, but he was also annoyed that he had said such things without thinking. He stood there with his eyes downcast and his mind at ease, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly turned cold.
Gu Yuzhi glanced at Manager Wen and saw that he looked unpleasant, fiddling with his fan and seemingly lost in thought.
He pursed his lips and said in a low voice, "I'm not asking you to run a clinic, nor am I asking you to become a merchant. Instead, I'm asking you to be like Guard Qi, to practice medicine at the clinic as a physician of the prefecture."
With a dark expression, Judge Qin said, "So that's how you persuaded Guard Qi? I am not Guard Qi; I would never do such an absurd thing."
Gu Yuzhi was well aware of the low social status of merchants, but after spending so much time with Manager Wen and learning a great deal from him, he didn't really feel that merchants were inferior to others.
Of course, the most important thing is that the businessmen have money.
In Teacher Shu's words, when he came to the Northern Desert, he was a lone commander with nothing. He could only rely on his young age or merits to ask his elder brother for money, but in the future, he would have to rely on himself.
Teacher Shu said that this was precisely why the main system assigned him the agricultural and commercial system as an auxiliary system.
When Judge Qin said this, Gu Yuzhi truly understood what it meant for merchants to have a low social status.
Gu Yuzhi rested his chin on his hands, looking unhappy, but since Judge Qin was unwilling, he couldn't force him.
Granny Xu was somewhat displeased: "Physician Qin, aren't you being a bit too harsh? His Highness wants to open a clinic for you to practice medicine only because he heard that you've been wronged and wants you to become a famous doctor so that the people at Li's Clinic won't look down on you."
Gu Yuzhi turned to look at Granny Xu, her eyes sparkling, and a smile unconsciously appeared on her face: "Granny Xu, how did you know that's what I was thinking?"
Judge Qin snorted, his expression no longer so unpleasant. His harsh words stemmed from the recent conversation between Prince Wen and Chief Secretary Xie about making money, leading him to believe that His Highness intended to exploit him for personal gain.
He was always blunt, and even though he wanted to soften the tone, he only said, "Your Highness could consider opening a pharmacy. The head of the Zou family is Consort De's cousin. Once this path is cleared, the matter of medicinal herbs will not be controlled by Li's Medical Hall."
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