Chapter 597: How the Eunuch Faction Does Things |
The main hall of the Imperial Academy of Medicine was completely quiet.
Chen Ji sat alone in the Director's seat, minding his own business as he flipped open to the page he was reading yesterday. With his thumb pressing on the book spine, his gaze slowly moved over the lines of characters.
Outside the building there was the sound of footsteps coming and going. From the pharmacy came the muffled thud of medicines being pounded, and someone was loudly debating the Sovereign-Minister-Assistant-Courier Principle of some prescription. When those sounds reached the doorway of the main hall, they would automatically drop down by three parts, as if being suppressed by something.
At this moment inside the pharmacy, the bittersweet smell of Astragalus mixed with Angelica Sinensis permeated the air. The medicine boiling on the stove bubbled and frothed, the hot steam smoking the window paper until it was damp and soft.
While pretending to do bookkeeping, the Director quietly poked his head out to observe the main hall.
That flash of red was sitting upright right behind the desk. From the hour of Mao (5-7 AM) to the hour of Si (9-11 AM), he actually hadn't even changed his posture once.
The Director had a disdainful expression: "That Eunuch Faction member actually sat in this old man's seat, the utmost of shamelessness."
Standing to the side holding a small Copper Scale, Zhou Fangping muttered in a low voice: "This lowly one actually feels that Viscount Wuxiang taking charge in our Imperial Academy of Medicine might be a good thing... Did you hear, the Tang family's venerable old master passed away last night, but Tang Shun didn't dare to come cause trouble at our Imperial Academy of Medicine again today. If it had been the past, he definitely would have caused a huge scene."
The Director flew into a great rage: "Why are you even speaking up for the Eunuch Faction?"
The Director's face face flushed red: "Wasn't I also doing it so the Ministry of Revenue would allocate silver to us? Without silver, what would you all eat and drink?"
Knowing he had spoken too heavily, Zhou Fangping immediately changed the subject: "Director, the Rejuvenating Medicine packets the fourth branch of the Xu Family asked for are wrapped. Who do you think should be sent to deliver them?"
With glaring eyes and trembling beard, the Director said: "You still have to ask me about this kind of minor matter? Just go deliver them yourself and be done with it."
Zhou Fangping muttered in a low voice: "Aren't you the Registrar now? Usually, these matters are arranged by the Registrar..."
"Registrar your mother..." The Director turned around to look for the large Scale Beam in the pharmacy, wanting to thrash Zhou Fangping with it, but before he could find it, Zhou Fangping had already grabbed the Rejuvenating Medicine and fled in a puff of smoke.
The pharmacy quieted down again.
The Director picked up his brush again, but facing the Account Book he couldn't write down a single word. Unconsciously, his gaze drifted toward the direction of the main hall. It drifted there, retreated back, then drifted there again, and retreated back again.
He entered the Imperial Academy of Medicine as an apprentice at seventeen, tested to become a Medical Practitioner at twenty-three, was promoted to Clerk at thirty-one, became Vice Director at forty-two, and at fifty-two finally sat in the Director's seat.
It took him thirty-five years to reach that seat.
While Chen Ji, only used one day...
The Director couldn't resist looking toward the main hall again, just in time to see the Vice Director passing the doorway holding a tea bowl.
He waved his hand: "Bring it over, bring it over, I happen to be thirsty."
The Vice Director hesitated for a moment: "Lord, this was fetched for Viscount Wuxiang."
The Director's face stifled as he said in bitter distress: "Why be so good to the Eunuch Faction, let him be thirsty!"
The Vice Director still hesitated: "But..."
The Director rebuked angrily: "Is he the Director or am I the Director?"
The Vice Director hurriedly reminded: "Lower your voice, don't let him hear. If he kills you, what then?"
The Director fell silent for a long time. In the pharmacy, only the medicine in the stove bubbling and frothing remained.
Yet he still couldn't swallow this breath of anger, lowering his voice into a low shout: "What kind of place is our Imperial Academy of Medicine? It's the place that treats illnesses for the Emperor, the place that treats illnesses for the Empress Dowager and Imperial Princes, a primary rank three government office! Now letting a Eunuch Faction member sit in the main hall, what does it look like?"
Holding the tea cup, The Vice Director couldn't go, but also couldn't stay: "Lord, those words are right, but..."
"But what?" The Director snatched the tea bowl from his hand and drank it down in one gulp: "If outsiders were to say our Imperial Academy of Medicine has sought refuge with the Eunuch Faction, would I still want this old face of mine?"
Right at this moment, Lord Registrar Liu, who had just returned from Changping, hurried into the Imperial Academy of Medicine, walking straight toward the main hall.
Registrar Liu had an extremely loud voice. Before even entering the main hall he was loudly curing and swearing: "Director, that bunch of thousands-knife-cuts slitting rascals are adulterating the Fritillaria with Small Fritillaria again. And the Astragalus, the roots aren't even cleaned off properly, and the weight is a full thirty percent short. His mother's, this bunch of grandsons really think that by Recognizing a Thief as a Father, they can ride on our heads to shit and piss? Are you going to manage this matter or not? If you don't, I'm going to the Meridian Gate to beat the Drum of Appealing Injustices!"
Just as Registrar Liu stepped one foot over the main hall's threshold, his entire person suddenly froze.
He saw Chen Ji sitting behind the desk, as well as the other party's bright red Qilin Rank Robe and the dignified Extended-Horn Hat, an involuntary fear rising in his heart.
Registrar Liu took half a step back, looked up at the lintel. He then looked at the seat the person was sitting in; it was indeed the Director's seat.
Chen Ji looked up at him: "Adulterated Fritillaria? Short-weighted Astragalus?"
A gulping sound came from Registrar Liu's throat.
Chen Ji waited for two breaths, seeing him not answer, he asked again: "Where are the Account Books? Bring them for me to look."
Registrar Liu subconsciously looked behind him, his gaze searching the courtyard for the figures of the Director and the Vice Director, finally finding those two through the pharmacy window.
Following his gaze, Chen Ji gave a glance toward the pharmacy. Inside the pharmacy, both the Director and the Vice Director shrank their necks simultaneously.
He withdrew his gaze and said methodically: "I'm asking you a question, what are you looking at the Vice Director and Registrar for?"
Registrar Liu was confused for a split second...
Vice Director and Registrar?
If that one in the pharmacy is the Registrar, who am I?
Seeing him blanking out and not speaking, Chen Ji lowered his head to read the book again, saying unquestioningly: "Bring the Account Books."
Registrar Liu hesitated for a moment, turned around, and ran toward the pharmacy.
As soon as he entered the pharmacy, he pounced in front of the Director: "Lord, why did that slaughtering talent come to our Imperial Academy of Medicine? Why is he sitting there? Why are you hiding in here? How did you become the Registrar?"
The Director gave a low shout: "What's the panic? Asking so many questions in one breath, which one should this old man answer first?"
Registrar Liu held it in for a long time: "What exactly is going on here?"
The Director sighed: "It's a long story, it's all persecution by the Eunuch Faction... What did that Eunuch Faction member say to you just now?"
Registrar Liu looked back, confirming that Chen Ji still had his head lowered, before saying: "He asked me to bring the Account Books of our Imperial Academy of Medicine for him to look at. Do I give them to him?"
The Director's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, squeezing out a few words from between his teeth: "What does he have to do with my Imperial Academy of Medicine, on what basis should we bring them to him?"
Registrar Liu was startled: "How about you go tell him?"
The Director's face was expressionless: "This old man is not going."
The Vice Director let out a sigh: "It's better to just give them to him. Anyway, our Imperial Academy of Medicine is just a clean government office, we're not afraid of him investigating the Account Books... Do you think he intends to investigate the matter of the medicinal herbs? If he is willing to stand up for our Imperial Academy of Medicine, that would also be a good thing."
The Director sneered: "The Eunuch Faction Breathes Through the Same Nostrils, A Nest of Snakes and Rats. This is originally a shady business cooked up by their Eunuch Faction, would he stand up for my Imperial Academy of Medicine? Go, bring the Account Books to him, let's hear what he has to say!"
...
...
Registrar Liu fetched the Account Books and returned to the main hall, politely holding the books with both hands and presenting them onto the desk: "Viscount Wuxiang, these are the incoming and outgoing account records for medicinal herbs this year, please look over."
Chen Ji didn't flip open the books immediately, merely tapping his finger lightly on the cover: "How long has the adulteration been going on?"
Steeling himself, Registrar Liu said: "Reporting to Viscount Wuxiang, it's a long story. The medicinal herbs for our Imperial Academy of Medicine are presented as tribute from all over the country every year. Fritillaria comes from western Sichuan, Astragalus comes from Shanxi. By rights, they should all be top-quality goods. But last year, a treacherous merchant surnamed Li recognized the Eunuch... Directorate for Imperial Use Superintendent as his adoptive father. Relying on this relationship, he took over sixty percent of the medicinal herb business."
Registrar Liu caught his breath and continued: "The one surnamed Li had just taken over and he began to Pass Off Inferior Goods as Premium. Not only were the medicinal herbs poor quality, but the weight was also short. In name it's one hundred catties, but when delivered to our hands it's at most seventy catties."
Chen Ji flipped open the Account Books: "Have you submitted Memorials to the Throne to the Imperial Court?"
Mentioning this matter, Registrar Liu became angry and unable to vent, Filled with Righteous Indignation as he said: "We have, but once our memorials are submitted into the palace, there's no news. Giving Short Weight is a minor matter, but if the medicinal herbs are wrong, the medicinal efficacy is wrong. A patient taking the wrong medicine can lose their life."
Chen Ji asked out of curiosity: "Before the one surnamed Li took over, who was supplying the medicinal herbs?"
Registrar Liu responded honestly: "Previously, all the medicinal herbs for the entire capital city were supplied by Hundred Deer Pavilion, genuine goods at a fair price. As a result, last year Hundred Deer Pavilion was confiscated by the Eunuch... Secret Spy Division, and so the medicinal herbs were also cut off."
Chen Ji was thoughtful: "The medicinal herbs are to be used within the palace limits. What if a noble in the palace takes the wrong medicine, does no one control him?"
Registrar Liu was indignant: "He is the godson of the Directorate for Imperial Use Superintendent, who dares to control him? Moreover, this one surnamed Li is exceedingly clever. He knows that only ten percent of the Imperial Academy of Medicine's medicinal herbs are used in the Imperial Pharmacy, while the rest are used for outsiders. Therefore, in every batch of goods, he guarantees the medicinal herbs for the Imperial Pharmacy are not bad."
Chen Ji flipped through the Account Book, reading page by page. Inside the main hall, it was so quiet only the rustling sound of turning paper remained.
An unknown amount of time passed. He looked up, pulled a piece of discarded Medical Prescription from close at hand, wrote his name securely on the back, and handed it to Registrar Liu: "Take this to the Falconry Office for Jiao Tu and Yun Yang."
Registrar Liu was puzzled: "Look for them for what?"
After handing over the Medical Prescription, Chen Ji lowered his head again to read the book, saying lightly: "Take the Account Book over with you. Just say it's my words; confiscate the Li Family."
Registrar Liu's mouth slowly opened wide.
Property Confiscation?
Property Confiscation?!
Just like this, confiscating the Li Family?
Registrar Liu assuming that since Chen Ji was also from the Eunuch Faction, he would either try to smooth things over with a few words of good advice, or promise to report it upwards, and then just like those memorials from the Imperial Academy of Medicine, let it be Like a Stone Sinking into the Sea.
But whatever he imagined, he never expected that the moment Chen Ji made a move, it was Property Confiscation. He was filled with shock and doubt: "Truly Property Confiscation?"
Registrar Liu looked down at the discarded Medical Prescription in his hand.
The front had a very standard "Formulas for Saving Lives" messily written on it, while the back was even simpler, only having the two characters "Chen Ji" written.
He couldn't figure it out. There were neither polite pleasantries nor any official seals on this paper. With just this thin piece of Bamboo Paper, he just needed to take it to the Falconry Office and could confiscate the Li family?
Registrar Liu hesitated for a long time: "Can we really confiscate the home of the one surnamed Li? He recognized the Directorate for Imperial Use Superintendent as his adoptive father."
Chen Ji didn't even raise his head: "The Account Book in your hands is the evidence. If worse comes to worst, they can also go to the warehouse to verify it. With both witnesses and material evidence present, even if he recognizes the Buddha as his adoptive father, it won't do. Go, this is exactly how the Eunuch Faction does things." (End of Chapter)