Chapter 595: Studying Medicine |
Inside the Imperial Academy of Medicine, it was a scene of Turmoil of War.
Chen Ji stood quietly outside the threshold, listening to the interlocking sounds of chairs overturning, startled cries, and footsteps in the courtyard, as if the Jing Dynasty had already fought their way into the capital city.
From the backyard came a faint, Flustered and Exasperated voice: "Why did you provoke him!"
Chen Ji simply acted as if he hadn't heard.
An unknown amount of time passed. The Director didn't show his face; only the Vice Director came out gingerly, holding up the hem of his Official Robe. He sized up Chen Ji's expression as he walked, finally coming to a stop inside the threshold.
Chen Ji had a smile on his face, as gentle as the spring breeze.
The Vice Director looked at Chen Ji's harmless expression, feeling both alarmed and uncertain: "Dare I ask what honorable business the Viscount Wuxiang has in coming to my Imperial Academy of Medicine? With your noble status, if you seek medical treatment, simply dispatching a subordinate to the Imperial Academy of Medicine to notify us would suffice; we would naturally visit your residence."
Chen Ji pointed at the Gate Clerk: "I already told the gatekeeper just now, this lowly one has come to borrow and read Medical Books."
The Vice Director was even more puzzled: "Borrow Medical Books for what?"
The Vice Director was half-believing, half-doubting: "Physician Yao?"
The Gate Clerk behind him whispered: "There seems to be such a thing. This lowly one heard about him being an apprentice at a teahouse. At that time, Physician Yao was exactly transferred to Luo City, so presumably he truly is a disciple under Physician Yao."
Chen Ji said with a smile: "At that time, this lowly one established an aspiration to Save the World and Help the People alongside my Master. Unfortunately, I have been entangled in worldly affairs this past year, and have forgotten almost everything I learned back then. Therefore, I want to borrow Medical Books to pick up my medical skills again."
The Vice Director's gaze patrolled back and forth over Chen Ji, only feeling there were two flaws in this sentence: "You... Save the World and Help the People? Physician Yao... Save the World and Help the People?"
To the side, the Gate Clerk muttered in a voice only he could hear: "Save the World and Help the People... Wouldn't it be fine if you just killed fewer people? The number of people the Imperial Academy of Medicine saves in an entire year isn't even as many as you have killed."
At this moment, the Vice Director stood inside the threshold, pondering repeatedly, before finally stepping aside to make way: "Borrowing books to read is no big matter, Viscount Wuxiang, please."
Chen Ji stepped over that high threshold. The Vice Director followed behind him cautiously and vigilantly, deeply afraid of letting him catch any vulnerabilities.
The Imperial Academy of Medicine had a square layout, paved with blue bricks.
Facing the main gate was a three-bay main hall with flying eaves and upturned corners, roofed with grey tiles. Under the eaves hung a plaque with a black background and gold characters, inscribed with the three characters "Scant Words Hall."
The calligraphy was in semi-cursive script, the bones and sinews distinct.
Several vermilion-lacquered pillars stood in the corridor of the main hall. A wooden couplet was hung on the pillars, also with a black background and gold characters. The upper couplet read "Can Cure Disease but Not Fate," and the lower couplet read "Cannot Be Confused, but Ignorance is Bliss."
Chen Ji stopped in front of that couplet, his expression becoming weird.
He took a few more looks, only feeling the handwriting was somewhat familiar: "My Master wrote this?"
The Vice Director responded from behind him: "Indeed, written personally by Physician Yao."
Chen Ji asked strangely: "My Master is only a primary rank seven Imperial Physician, why were this couplet and plaque written by him?"
The Vice Director carefully explained with an apologetic smile: "Physician Yao has a transcendent status in the Imperial Academy of Medicine. Usually, whenever high officials and nobles have difficult and incurable diseases that cannot be treated, they call for him. Even before Xianzong and Xiaozong passed away, he was the one summoned to keep watch."
Chen Ji thought to himself: sure enough, Master has already sent off two Emperors of the Ning Dynasty...
Currently, he was stuck at the Peak Xiantian Realm, lacking only the final step, and had long been unable to find a method to ascend to the Path-Seeking Realm. Could it be that for the Mountain Lord Pathway to ascend to the Path-Seeking Realm, one really had to use the lives of Emperors?
He wasn't sure.
Old Yao sat and guarded the Imperial Academy of Medicine, having sent off so many officials, nobles, and imperial relatives; what level of Practitioner realm should he be?
Chen Ji also wasn't sure.
He only heard the Vice Director continue to say: "In the twenty-sixth year of Jianing, the Imperial Academy of Medicine was renovated, and the Director asked Physician Yao to write the inscriptions. He then wrote that plaque for the Scant Words Hall, as well as this couplet. Physician Yao said, if imperial physicians want to live long lives, they should normally look at this plaque and couplet more. If you can't understand them, don't enter the palace to treat the nobles yet; treat your own brain first..."
The corners of Chen Ji's mouth curled up slightly.
He continued walking inwards. In the backyard, the imperial physicians who were poking their heads out to observe quietly all hid back into their rooms.
On both sides of the backyard were two rows of wing rooms, filled with rows of medicine cabinets. The drawers had labels pasted on them, densely written with the names of medicinal herbs: Angelica Sinensis, Astragalus, Licorice Root, Ligusticum Wallichii, Prepared Rehmannia, Atractylodes Macrocephala...
Chen Ji's gaze swept over those medicine cabinets, then over the medicinal ingredients drying under the corridor.
Finally, his gaze fell upon a half-open door. A plaque hung above the lintel reading "Shut Up and Read Books," which was also Old Yao's handwriting.
The Vice Director stood by the side, attempting to use Physician Yao to awaken Chen Ji's conscience: "This is the library where the Imperial Academy of Medicine stores Medical Books. When Physician Yao inscribed the plaque, he said that books are more efficacious than Bodhisattvas. When chanting scriptures and praying to Bodhisattvas, if your heart is not sincere it won't work, and even if your heart is sincere it might not work either. Books are different. The book is right there; you can read it if you open it, and you can save lives if you understand it... Normally, we all hold deep respect for Physician Yao, and Physician Yao also takes extra good care of us."
Old Yao takes extra good care of the imperial physicians?
Chen Ji ignored the Vice Director's rhetoric, but before he came to the Imperial Academy of Medicine, he also hadn't expected to see traces left by Old Yao everywhere.
For a moment, even his view of this Vice Director felt a bit more affectionate by association.
...
...
Chen Ji pushed open that half-closed door and stepped in. Sunlight filtered in through the lattice windows, falling into the gaps between the bookshelves, illuminating floating dust mote by mote.
His fingers gently stroked across a row of book spines, pulling out a copy of "Songs and Rhymes for Decoctions." He flipped it open, read two pages, and then closed it and put it back in its original place.
He pulled out another copy of "Essentials of Materia Medica," flipped through a few pages, and also put it back.
The Vice Director stood at the doorway and couldn't help asking: "What book is Viscount Wuxiang looking for?"
Chen Ji didn't even turn his head: "General outlines of medical skills. It's a bit shameful to say, but back when I was at the Taiping Medical Clinic in Luo City, I didn't even manage to finish reading a single general outline of medical skills."
The Vice Director walked in and pulled out a thick, blue-covered book from the bookshelf: "Here it is."
Chen Ji took it in hand with a smile, lowering his head to flip through it: "Thanks for the trouble. I'll just read it here, you go busy yourself with your work... Oh right, have someone bring me a chair."
Seeing that he intended to stay for a long time, the Vice Director ultimately couldn't resist asking: "Dare I ask Viscount Wuxiang, even if you want to read Medical Books, there's no need to come to my Imperial Academy of Medicine, right? Liulichang is not short of Medical Books either."
Chen Ji raised his head and said frankly: "This lowly one also went to Liulichang to look for books yesterday, but a single Medical Book easily costs over ten taels of silver. Simply put, my purse is shy (I'm short on cash)."
The Vice Director was stunned for a good while. No matter what, he hadn't expected that Chen Ji came to the Imperial Academy of Medicine actually to save money.
Not long after, the imperial physicians not only brought a chair but also kindly brewed tea for Chen Ji and brought over melons and fruits, providing good food and drink to serve him.
Chen Ji didn't decline either. He expressed his thanks, then sat down and began to turn the pages.
The library quieted down.
In the main hall, the Director and Vice Director hid there, secretly observing the library through the crack in the door.
The library had its windows open. Through the windows, the two saw Chen Ji's bright red Qilin Rank Robe faintly glowing gold in the light, the Kirin pattern embroidered on his chest gently rising and falling with his breathing.
Chen Ji just sat there like that, head lowered reading the book, as if there was no one else around.
The Director lowered his voice and asked: "Have you found out clearly? What is his motive for coming to my Imperial Academy of Medicine?"
The Vice Director hesitated: "He said he couldn't afford to buy Medical Books, so he came to our Imperial Academy of Medicine to borrow them to read and save some silver."
The Director gave a sneer: "This old man believes his nonsense! A person who spends over five hundred thousand taels of silver in the Imperial Music Bureau would come to my Imperial Academy of Medicine to save silver? Did any of you say you wanted to go to the Imperial Music Bureau recently?"
The Vice Director's expression changed: "Lord Director, please do not speak nonsense. Our clean government office is lucky enough to just protect ourselves normally. How would we dare go swaggering to the Imperial Music Bureau? There is absolutely no such thing."
The Director pondered for another moment: "Then is it that the Eunuch Faction has their eyes on my Imperial Academy of Medicine? When you guys enter the palace to diagnose illnesses, have you overstepped the bounds?"
The Vice Director's expression turned even more bitter: "Who dares to overstep the bounds? When the Empress passed away this time, it was already a great blessing that no imperial physician had to be buried with her."
The Director observed silently for a moment: "Could it be that he really came to borrow and read Medical Books?"
The Vice Director was indecisive: "It can't be, right? He holds the noble rank of Viscount, and is a claw and tooth of the Eunuch Faction. Where would he get the idle minds to come to my Imperial Academy of Medicine to read books? What does he intend to do reading Medical Books? Planning to become an imperial physician? What prospects could there be in being an imperial physician!"
The Director stroked his beard: "You keep an eye on things here. If he asks, just say I went to Changping to purchase medicinal materials... Think of a way to send him away. Telling him to take the book home to read is also fine, just don't let him stay in my Imperial Academy of Medicine. With him sitting here, my heart is in a panic."
...
...
Once Chen Ji sat down at the Imperial Academy of Medicine, he stayed for a whole day. He didn't move an inch until the cloud board sounded at the hour of Shen (3-5 PM). The general outline of medical skills that he once found dry and dull at the Taiping Medical Clinic, he could actually read into it now.
He hadn't had a peaceful and leisurely time in a long time.
Or rather, speaking differently, without the intrigue and maneuvering of the Secret Spy Division and Military Intelligence Division, and without the deception and scheming of the Imperial Court, he could finally choose to do nothing.
Ever since transmigrating to the Ning Dynasty, Chen Ji's mood had never been this relaxed and agreeable.
However, since he didn't move, the imperial physicians didn't dare to Finish Work either, so they just stayed and guarded like this.
Seeing the sky gradually darkening, the Vice Director truly couldn't wait any longer. Finally mustering his courage, he walked into the library and cupped his fists, saying: "Viscount Wuxiang, actually, the books in my Imperial Academy of Medicine can be taken back home to read. You only need to return them intact... It's also fine if we come to your door to retrieve them, or even if you don't return them."
Chen Ji looked up at him, his eyes lighting up: "Vice Director, you came at the right time. The book says that Ephedra stems can induce sweating, while the root joints can stop sweating. It's the same plant and tree, why are the medicinal properties of using the stem and the root completely opposite?"
The Vice Director pondered and said: "Ephedra has a hollow center and its qi is light and soaring, good at moving through the exterior to induce sweating. Its roots, however, go deep into the soil; their nature governs astringency and collecting, hence they can stop sweating. The nature of plants and trees is Drawing Analogies by Category. Roots govern settling and descending, while stems and leaves mostly ascend and float; this is common logic."
Chen Ji nodded, and then asked: "Then what about this Pinellia Ternata? It's poisonous when used raw, but non-poisonous when Ginger-Processed. What is this poison?"
The Vice Director answered fluently: "The poison of Pinellia Ternata lies in its mucus. If it enters the throat, it swells and can cause a person to lose their voice. Ginger has a warm and dispersing nature; it can neutralize this poison and also curb its dry and fierce nature. The folk saying 'Ginger-processed Pinellia Ternata is like a ruler and minister assisting each other' carries exactly this meaning."
Chen Ji beamingly smiled and said: "Many thanks to Lord Vice Director for resolving my confusion. This Imperial Academy of Medicine really is a good place suitable for studying medicine. Where else would there be someone to answer questions and resolve confusion? Moreover, these books are incomparably precious. In the event that they get lost or damaged, this lowly one cannot afford to compensate for them now, so it is better to just read them right here in the Imperial Academy of Medicine."
The Vice Director cursed inwardly, 'Oh no.'
Without waiting for him to speak, Chen Ji waved his hand: "Vice Director, go busy yourself. I will call for you if I have more confusions."
The Vice Director's expression changed several times, and he unwillingly retreated out of the library. (End of Chapter)