Chapter 82 The Prince Who Failed to Revolt
He Fei walked into the imperial study in a casual manner, only to see the emperor sitting behind the desk with a serious expression, as if he was thinking about something.
The emperor's eyes instantly turned colder, and his tone became graver: "Jingwen, do you admit your guilt?"
He Fei's expression remained unchanged. He took a step forward and bowed, "I acknowledge my guilt. I beg your Majesty to punish me."
The emperor snorted coldly, and slammed the jade ring in his hand on the desk with a crisp sound: "Tell me!"
He Fei certainly knew where he was wrong! But he couldn't say it directly. He wanted to beat the emperor and let this matter go.
He deliberately said: "Immediately mobilize troops and seal off the city."
The emperor's eyes flashed with complex emotions upon hearing this. He stood up, picked up the bamboo stick on the table, and slowly walked over to He Fei. The bamboo stick drew a sharp arc in the air and hit He Fei hard, making a crisp "snap" sound.
"Whether it's mobilizing troops or sealing off the city, these are all for the purpose of isolating smallpox. You gave the order to seal off the city in a timely manner to control the spread of the epidemic. There's nothing wrong with that." As the emperor spoke, he didn't stop with the bamboo stick in his hand, and hit He Fei again and again with no mercy.
He Fei gritted his teeth and endured it silently. Fine beads of sweat oozed out of his forehead, but he still kept his back straight and did not utter a cry of pain.
The emperor's tone was filled with a hint of disappointment. "Until now, you still don't understand where you went wrong? Your mistake was why you didn't immediately send the memorial to me at an expedited speed of eight hundred miles? I'm not a foolish ruler. I've already handed the military command to you. I listen to policies that benefit the country and the people. But why don't you trust me? Why didn't you report it immediately?"
A trace of guilt flashed in He Fei's eyes, and he whispered, "I know I was wrong. It was my fault for not thinking carefully enough that I betrayed my royal brother's trust."
The emperor paused, "Jingwen, I trust you, so I gave you the military talisman. But if you act this way, do you know what the senior officials in the court will say if this gets out? They'll accuse you of abusing your power and being arbitrary, and they might even suspect you of rebellious intentions!"
He Fei raised his head, his eyes firm. "Your Majesty, I have absolutely no second thoughts. This closure of the city and mobilization of troops is a last resort. The smallpox epidemic is raging. If not brought under control in time, it will spread to the capital, endangering the safety of the people. In my haste, I forgot and failed to report it. This is my fault. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
The emperor sighed, threw the bamboo stick aside, and softened his tone a bit: "You know you're wrong, then forget it. I won't pursue this matter anymore. But remember, this won't happen again. If you do it again, I won't forgive you."
He Fei bowed and said respectfully, "I will remember your teachings, my royal brother, and will never do the same again."
The emperor waved his hand, signaling him to leave.
"Jingwen, go to the imperial physician to apply medicine first, and then go to mother. Don't go to mother to complain like Jiajia did."
He Fei saluted again and turned to leave.
The moment he walked out of the imperial study, his back was still straight and tall.
The emperor looked at his departing figure, a trace of relief flashing in his eyes. He whispered to himself, "Jingwen, Jingwen, when will you understand that I have high hopes for you? Not only because you are my brother, but I also hope that you can understand how important trust is between a monarch, his subjects, and his brothers..."
He Fei felt so much pain all over his body, and was definitely covered with scars. After thinking for a while, he decided not to go to the imperial physician to get the medicine applied, and to go back to the palace to make Jia Jia feel distressed.
After dinner, the hall was brightly lit, and the faint scent of sandalwood filled the magnificent hall.
Zhang Xiaojia held an exquisite rosewood box in her hand. She bowed slightly and presented the box to the emperor, with a glint of pride and anticipation in her eyes.
"Brother, this is the money the prince and I won from gambling, a total of 11 million taels."
Zhang Xiaojia's voice was clear and pleasant, with a hint of playfulness. "I want to use this money to open a women's medical school in the Great Zhou Dynasty, so that more women can learn medicine and contribute to the world. I'll give you the money. If you help me open the women's medical school, I won't care about anything else!"
The emperor raised his eyebrows slightly, his eyes falling on the exquisite wooden box, his slender fingers tapping lightly on the table. "11 million taels? I remember that the amount you won in the bet should be 18 million taels. How come it's so much less?"
Zhang Xiaojia blinked, a sly smile on his face: "Brother, please listen to me and I will report the account slowly."
She cleared her throat, took out a beautifully bound account book from her sleeve, and opened to the first page.
"The stake is three million taels of my own," she pointed to the figure on the account book. "This is my private savings from my dowry. Look, there's the prince's signature and seal on it."
The emperor glanced at the account book and saw He Fei's flamboyant signature, and couldn't help but smile.
"We spent one million taels on grain," Zhang Xiaojia continued. "It was last year's old rice, but it was absolutely excellent, enough to feed the people of Yongzhou for six months, even if the granaries weren't full. We spent another million taels on medicinal herbs, mainly honeysuckle and forsythia, essential herbs for fighting the epidemic."
She turned to the next page: "A reward of 900,000 taels was given to the brothers of the Wude Division. They performed a great service this time. Jiang Hao and his three hundred secret agents disguised themselves as beggars to maintain order. Deputy Envoy Chen's face was covered with so much soot that it could be used to make pancakes."
When the emperor heard this, he couldn't help but laugh out loud: "This Jiang Hao, he really knows how to handle things."
Zhang Xiaojia paused, then lowered his voice slightly. "And the medical fee to pay the miracle doctor, which is also paid to myself, is 1.1 million taels."
The emperor raised his eyebrows and said, "Jia'er, 1.1 million taels for medical treatment is really not cheap!"
Zhang Xiaojia chuckled, "Brother, you can't say that. This 1.1 million taels includes a complete plan for treating smallpox. I've compiled it into a booklet and am planning to send it to the Imperial Hospital, the Huimin Bureau, the Prescription Bureau, and the Pharmacy."
She took out a beautifully bound medical book from the wooden box, with "Complete Record of Smallpox Prevention and Treatment" written on the cover.
"Look," she flipped open the medical book. "Here are detailed records of the methods for smallpox vaccination, the production process for epidemic prevention supplies, the tiered diagnosis and treatment system, and various prescriptions." She pointed to a page. "Here are the contraindications for bloodletting. I've listed them all."
The emperor took the medical book and read it carefully, his eyes flashing with admiration: "It is indeed very detailed."
Zhang Xiaojia continued, "Brother, today is a family dinner. I was in Xiangyang City treating smallpox, and I was forced to do so as a princess. I only participated in the smallpox treatment and did not interfere in other matters. Therefore, I absolutely did not participate in politics. I am a miracle doctor, so I must collect consultation fees, and the court will pay me."
She pointed to a line on the account book: "This 1.1 million taels also includes plans to improve the medical system. Look, this is the 'three-tier diagnosis and treatment system' I designed, with separate treatment zones for mild, moderate, and severe cases, as well as the construction drawings for the 'field hospital'."
The emperor was more and more surprised as he looked at it: "Did you come up with all this?"
Zhang Xiaojia winked playfully: "Of course! I'm the number one doctor in the Great Zhou Dynasty!"
She suddenly lowered her voice and said, "The knowledge here is just a dream."
The emperor laughed heartily, his eyes full of fondness. "But Jia'er, you are really smart in your calculations."
Zhang Xiaojia stuck out her tongue: "Of course, I learned it from you."
She suddenly remembered something and pulled out another booklet from her sleeve. "Oh, brother, this is the blueprint I designed for the Women's Medical College. Look, we'll build a library here, a laboratory here, and we'll invite the best female doctors to teach..."
The emperor took the booklet and looked at his sister's beaming face, feeling both relieved and moved. This mischievous sister from childhood had now grown into a doctor with a heart for the world.
[Old Swan! This article seems to have expanded the worldview so much, it's driving me crazy~~ Looking at my outline, I'm only about a third of the way through.]
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