The Imperial Hospital was in complete chaos.
Chen Ji stood quietly outside the threshold, listening to the sound of chairs falling, cries of alarm, and the mingling of footsteps inside, as if the Jing Dynasty had already marched into the Imperial Capital.
From the backyard ca a faint sound of exasperation: "Why do you provoke him!"
Chen Ji pretended not to hear.
After so ti, the Hospital Director did not appear, only the Dean, clutching the hem of his official robe, cautiously walked out. As he walked, he scrutinized Chen Ji's expression, finally stopping at the threshold.
Chen Ji smiled warmly, like a gentle spring breeze.
The Dean looked at Chen Ji's harmless deanor with suspicion and said, "May I ask, Marquis Wu Xiang, what brings you to our Imperial Hospital? With your noble status, if you require dical treatnt, you rely need to send a servant to notify the Imperial Hospital, and we will co to you."
Chen Ji pointed to the clerk at the door: "I already told the clerk that I ca to borrow so dical books."
The Dean was even more puzzled: "What do you need dical books for?"
Chen Ji replied sincerely, "Naturally, to study dicine. While I was in Luocheng City, I apprenticed under Doctor Yao for two years."
The Dean was skeptical: "Doctor Yao?"
The clerk behind him whispered, "There seems to be such a thing. I heard about it in a teahouse. Back then, Doctor Yao happened to be transferred to Luocheng City, so it must really be under Doctor Yao."
Chen Ji smiled and said, "At that ti, I followed my ntor and set a goal of helping the world and saving lives. Unfortunately, this year, I have been tangled in mundane affairs, and I've forgotten much of what I learned then. I wish to borrow so dical books to refresh my skills."
The Dean's gaze lingered on Chen Ji, feeling two discrepancies in his statent: "You…helping the world and saving lives? Doctor Yao…helping the world and saving lives?"
The clerk muttered to himself, "Helping the world and saving lives…if you just killed fewer people, wouldn't it be better? The number of people the Imperial Hospital saves in a year isn't as many as you kill."
At this mont, the Dean pondered for a long ti before finally stepping aside to make way: "Borrowing books is not a big deal, Marquis Wu Xiang, please."
Chen Ji stepped over the high threshold, the Dean cautiously following behind, afraid of leaving anything to implicate him.
The layout of the Imperial Hospital was square, with blue bricks paving the ground.
Directly facing the main entrance was a three-bay main hall, with flying eaves and gray tiles. Below the eaves hung a plaque with gold characters on a black background, stating "Less Words Hall".
The characters were in running script, with distinct bone and muscles.
Under the corridor of the main hall stood several vermillion painted pillars, with a wooden couplet hanging on them, also with gold characters on a black background. The upper line stated, "Able to cure illness but not fate," the lower line stated, "Can't be easily muddled, rare to be muddled."
Standing in front of the couplet, Chen Ji's expression beca unusual.
He glanced at it twice, feeling the handwriting was sowhat familiar: "Did my ntor write this?"
The Dean replied behind him, "These are indeed written by Doctor Yao."
Chen Ji was puzzled: "My ntor is just a seventh-rank Imperial Doctor; why did he write this couplet and plaque?"
The Dean answered cautiously, "Doctor Yao holds an extraordinary status at the Imperial Hospital. Usually, when dignitaries have incurable diseases, they call him. Even Emperor Xianzong and Emperor Xiao Zong summoned him during their final monts."
Chen Ji thought to himself that indeed, his ntor has sent off two Emperors of the Ning Dynasty…
Now, he is stuck at the peak of Innate, just one step away from Seeking Dao Realm, unable to find a way to advance, could it be that the Mountain Lord Sect's scripture truly requires imperial lives to reach Seeking Dao Realm?
He was uncertain.
Old Yao holding the fort at the Imperial Hospital, sending off so many officials and nobility, what kind of Executive Officer realm is he at?
Chen Ji was also uncertain.
Yet he heard the Dean continue, "In Jianing 26th Year, the Imperial Hospital underwent renovation, and the Hospital Director invited Doctor Yao to inscribe. He wrote the plaque for Less Words Hall and this couplet. Doctor Yao said, Imperial Doctors wishing for a long life should frequently observe this plaque and couplet. If you don't understand them, better not enter the palace to treat nobility, instead, treat your own brain first…"
Chen Ji's lips curled subtly.
He continued walking further inside, the Imperial Physicians peeking in from the backyard hastily retreated into their rooms.
On both sides of the backyard were two rows of annexes, containing rows of dicine cabinets. Labels on the drawers densely covered with nas of dicinal herbs: Female Ginseng, Astragalus, Licorice, Sichuan Lovage, Rehmannia, White Atractylodes…
Chen Ji's gaze swept across those cabinets, as well as the herbs drying under the corridor.
Finally, he landed on a half-opened door, with a plaque "Read Silently" above the lintel, also in Old Yao's handwriting.
The Dean beside him, attempting to awaken Chen Ji's conscience with Doctor Yao's words: "This is the library where the Imperial Hospital stores dical books. When Doctor Yao inscribed it, he said books are more effective than Bodhisattva. Praying and ditating to Bodhisattva, without a sincere heart it won't work, even with sincerity it won't. Books are different, they're right there, open them and you can learn, understand them and you can save lives… We always respect Doctor Yao greatly, and he also cares deeply for us."
Old Yao caring deeply for the Imperial Physicians?
Chen Ji ignored the Dean's words, but before coming to the Imperial Hospital, he hadn't expected to find traces of Old Yao everywhere.
Suddenly, even towards this Dean, he felt a bit more affinity.
…
...
Chen Ji pushed open the half-closed door and stepped inside. Sunlight stread through the window lattice, falling into the gaps between the bookshelves, illuminating strands of floating dust.
His fingers lightly brushed across the spines of the books, pulling out a copy of "Decoction Head Rhys," which he opened, read two pages, then closed and returned to its place.
He then pulled out a copy of "Essentials of Materia dica," flipped through a few pages, and also put it back.
The Dean stood at the door and couldn't help but ask, "What book is Marquis Wu Xiang looking for?"
Without turning his head, Chen Ji replied, "The dical Skills Summary. It's embarrassing to say, but when I was at the Taiping dical Hall in Luocheng City, I didn't even have the chance to finish a single dical Skills Summary."
The Dean walked inside, drew a thick blue book from the shelf, and said, "Here it is."
Chen Ji received it with a smile, lowered his head to flip through it, and said, "Thank you, I'll read it here. You can carry on with your work... Oh, could soone bring a chair?"
Seeing that he intended to stay for long, the Dean couldn't resist asking, "May I ask, Marquis Wu Xiang, even if you're looking to read dical books, there's no need to co to our Imperial Hospital, right? There are plenty of dical books at the Glass Factory."
Chen Ji lifted his head and frankly said, "I went to the Glass Factory yesterday to look for books, but a single dical book costs more than ten taels of silver, which is beyond my ans."
The Dean was stunned for a while, never imagining that Chen Ji would co to the Imperial Hospital just to save money.
In no ti, the Imperial Physicians not only brought in a chair but also kindly brewed tea for Chen Ji, offering him lons and fruits, catered to his every need.
Chen Ji didn't refuse, thanked them, and sat down to open the pages of the book.
The library beca quiet.
In the main hall, the Hospital Director and Dean hid there, secretly observing the library through the gap in the door.
The library window was open, and the two of them saw Chen Ji's bright red Qilin embroidery shimring faintly gold in the light, the Qilin pattern on his chest gently rising and falling with his breath.
Chen Ji simply sat there, reading intently, as if no one else was around.
The Hospital Director lowered his voice and asked, "Have you found out what intentions this person has in coming to our Imperial Hospital?"
The Dean hesitated and replied, "He said he couldn't afford to buy dical books, so he ca to our Imperial Hospital to read and save so silver."
The Hospital Director scoffed, "I don't believe him. Soone who spent more than half a million taels of silver at the Imperial Music Bureau would co to our Imperial Hospital just to save money? Did any of you say you wanted to go to the Imperial Music Bureau earlier?"
The Dean's face changed color, "Hospital Director, please do not speak carelessly. We are rely a clean governnt office, if we can keep ourselves safe, that's already good enough, we dare not make such a public display at the Imperial Music Bureau. Such a thing has never happened."
The Hospital Director pondered for a mont, "Could it be the Eunuch Party has their eyes on our Imperial Hospital? Have any of you overstepped your bounds while entering the palace to treat ailnts?"
The Dean's face turned bitter once more, "Who dares to overstep? After the Empress passed away this ti, we are already lucky enough that no Imperial Physician was buried with her."
The Hospital Director watched quietly for a mont, "Could it really be just to read dical books?"
The Dean was filled with uncertainty, "How could that be? As a noble viscount and a mber of the Eunuch Party, why would he have the leisure to co to our Imperial Hospital to read? Why read dical books, does he plan to beco an Imperial Physician? What future is there in becoming an Imperial Physician!"
The Hospital Director stroked his beard, "You stay here and keep an eye on him. If he asks, tell him I went to Changping to procure dicinal materials... Find a way to see him off, even if you have to let him take the book ho to read. Don't let him stay in our Imperial Hospital, as his presence makes anxious."
...
...
Chen Ji sat in the Imperial Hospital for an entire day, not moving even when the evening drum sounded. The dical Skills Summary that felt tedious and dull at the Taiping dical Hall now sohow seed absorbing.
He hadn't felt relaxed in a long ti.
Or perhaps, without the scheming of the Spy Departnt or the Military Intelligence Departnt, and without the deceit and intrigue of the court, he finally had the option to do nothing.
Since traversing to the Ning Dynasty, Chen Ji's mind had never felt this at ease.
Yet, since he didn't make a move, the Imperial Physicians also didn't dare to disperse, standing guard like that.
As the sky gradually darkened, the Dean couldn't wait any longer and finally mustered up the courage to walk into the library with joined hands and said, "Marquis Wu Xiang, actually our Imperial Hospital's books can be taken ho as long as you return them intact... We can even pick them up personally if necessary, returning is not required either."
Chen Ji looked up at him, eyes bright, "Just in ti, Dean, the book ntions that ephedra induces sweating, while its root stops sweating. How can the stem and root of the sa plant have such differing dicinal properties?"
The Dean pondered and replied, "Ephedra is hollow inside, with light and rising qi, effective at releasing the exterior by inducing sweat; its root, however, delves deep into the soil, has a nature of astringency and therefore can stop sweating. The nature of plants relates to drawing analogies, roots descend and sink, stems and leaves often ascend and float, this is common knowledge."
Chen Ji nodded in acknowledgnt and asked, "And what about this pinellia? It is toxic when raw, but not when processed with ginger, what is this toxicity?"
The Dean responded, "The toxicity of pinellia lies in its mucus, which can cause throat swelling and loss of voice. Ginger's warming nature can counteract this toxicity, and temper its harsh character. In folk terms, 'Preparation of pinellia with ginger is like the cooperation of sovereign and subject,' that's the idea."
Chen Ji smiled appreciatively, "Thank you, Dean, for dispelling my doubts. This Imperial Hospital is truly a wonderful place for studying dicine; no other place offers assistance with queries. Additionally, these books are incredibly valuable, should they get lost or damaged, I cannot afford compensation at the mont, so it's better to read them at the Imperial Hospital."
The Dean thought to himself, oh no.
Before he could speak, Chen Ji waved his hand, "You can go ahead, Dean, if I have more questions, I'll call for you."
The Dean's expression changed several tis, and reluctantly exited the library.
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