The stupid son of Chongba

Chapter 194 Zhu Ju enters the highest decision-making level of the Ming Dynasty! The Emperor, the Crown Prince and the Regent determine national policy!

Xu Da was shocked.

"You are a bunch of stray dogs, how dare you invade the towns of our Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said coldly,

"If we don't wipe them out, we'll just let them go! Now they're taking advantage of us!"

"Do you really think we won't send out more troops to strangle them completely?!"

"Third brother, how are you feeling lately?"

Xu Da: "!!!"

"Your Majesty! My body has recovered 70% to 80%!"

He knew the opportunity had come, and said with full energy,

"The back abscess is no longer a problem!"

"If your majesty gives any instructions, I will bravely take the lead and clear all obstacles for your majesty!"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly.

"Just be patient and take good care of yourself. We need you to be in peak condition. We have a battle to fight!"

He said,

"We must remove this thorn in the side of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, or we won't be able to sleep peacefully! Especially since they keep coming to harass and plunder like flies, this is a provocation and insult!"

"Just like when we were kids, those bad kids would push and stab us from time to time. Although they didn't cause any fatal injuries, it was extremely disgusting! I won't tolerate them. I can knock these bastards to the ground with a slap!"

"We have the same attitude towards Bei Yuan!"

Xu Da was excited, but he forced himself to calm down.

really!

My son-in-law is so far-sighted! My previous plan of self-torture and escape has only brought benefits, without any harm at all!
If there is a war, he will still be used by His Majesty!

"Sir, obey the order!"

Xu Da knelt on one knee and spoke in a sonorous and powerful voice.

……

a few days later.

For Zhu Ju, there was nothing worth celebrating about the New Year, because he was already living a god-like life, with every day being almost like Chinese New Year.

Especially after getting married, the constraints and rules on the "prince" in the palace no longer affected him. He didn't even have to go to the main hall to study, and could just stay at home and walk the bird cage every day!
He slowly opened his eyes and felt around him, but he didn't feel his wife.

"Ok?"

He was a little confused and opened his eyes slightly, only to see Xu Miaoyun walking in with a worried look on her face.

"Did you get up so early today?"

"What have you been doing?"

Zhu Ju propped himself up slightly and asked casually.

Upon hearing this, Xu Miaoyun shook her head.

"Oh, this month's period has come again."

"We still haven't gotten pregnant... What went wrong? Is there something wrong with me?"

Zhu Ju: “???”

Hearing this, he couldn't help but feel both amused and confused.

"Sister, why are you so worried? How long have we been married? How can it be so fast?"

Zhu Ju smiled and said,

"Besides, Sister Chang isn't pregnant yet! Why are you in such a hurry?"

However, after hearing this, Xu Miaoyun looked serious.

"You are not a woman, of course you are not in a hurry!"

She pouted and said,

"Sister Chang is right. Children are the foundation of our lives. Without children, we would be uneasy in this deep palace."

"It's already a new year. If I'm still not pregnant by the middle of the year... everyone will have something to say! Especially my father and my mother!"

"When that time comes, I will be so anxious that I will die..."

Zhu Ju heard this, but didn't take it seriously.

"Whoa!"

"Then I'm not serious yet! If I were serious, I would definitely hit the target!"

To be honest, he didn't want children yet, so he didn't take it too seriously!

I haven't had enough fun yet! How tiring would it be if I suddenly created a burden?

But seeing Miaoyun so worried, Zhu Ju felt... he needed to be serious!

"Really?"

"Why would I lie to you? How about trying it now?!"

"Oh no... I can't do that now!"

The young couple started quarreling beside the bed, but they heard footsteps outside the room.

"Your Highness."

"Your Majesty, please go to the Huagai Palace."

Zhu Ju frowned and stopped playing.

"Why are you calling me again?"

"I finally had a few days of peace and quiet during the Chinese New Year... and you said I was not feeling well and couldn't go!"

He really enjoyed the quiet days during the New Year holidays.

Just eat and drink for free and wait for death. Oh no, it should be "eat and drink for free and cultivate immortality" to fit his personality!

"do not do that."

Xu Miaoyun tidied up Zhu Ju's clothes and said softly,
"You are the regent of the Ming Dynasty after all, you should share your father's worries."

"Go ahead. I haven't talked to my mother for several days. I'm going to Kunning Palace."

Zhu Ju nodded, stood up, took out a few sachets from the cabinet and put them in his pocket.

"Here, this sachet is for me. It contains the Tai Sui talisman that I prayed for."

He casually handed one to Xu Miaoyun.

"okay."

……

Inside the Huagai Palace.

There was a pile of files in front of Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao, and both of them looked unhappy at the moment.

Da da.

"Dad, what did you call me for?"

Zhu Ju picked his teeth while walking into the hall and said,

"The New Year isn't even over yet, and they've already forced me to do hard labor again..."

As he spoke, he handed over two sachets.

"Little Orange, what is this?"

Zhu Biao said with some surprise.

"Tai Sui Fu, in the new year, the Tai Sui God has changed his duty."

Zhu Ju grinned and said,

"The influence of Tai Sui Star God on the luck of the year is very great, especially for those who offend Tai Sui that year, it affects their fortune, mood and so on."

"But, I've checked and you guys are not in conflict with Tai Sui this year. Only I am. I've already performed a ritual for her, so there shouldn't be any problems afterwards."

"Just take this Tai Sui Talisman. Even though it won't offend you, it will help things go more smoothly."

Zhu Biao nodded and took the sachet.

"You have a heart."

He smiled and said,
"By the way, I'll get one for your elder sister later."

"She...I think she needs it too."

"No problem, I have plenty left." Zhu Ju agreed readily.

After Zhu Biao took the sachet, he handed the other one to Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Dad, this is Little Orange's Tai Sui sachet."

He said,

"You should accept it as well. It's a token of his kindness."

Zhu Yuanzhang withdrew his gaze from the file, and when he saw the bright yellow sachet, he snorted softly.

"It seems that we won't need to hire any Taoist priests or monks to chant sutras and pray for blessings in the future. Our Zhu family already has a Taoist prince."

He took the sachet, put it into his sleeve without even looking at it, and then scolded,
"If you have time to do these things, you might as well spend more time on national affairs!"

"You are the regent of the Ming Dynasty after all, but you have no sense of responsibility at all! You are so careless all day long, how can you be so shameless?"

When Zhu Ju heard this scolding, he rolled his eyes.

"No, I gave you the sachet out of kindness, and you scolded me, right?"

"If you don't want it, give it back to me!"

He yelled in displeasure,
"Don't take it out on me when you get into trouble!"

Before he finished speaking, Zhu Ju stepped forward and tried to snatch the sachet from Zhu Yuanzhang's sleeve.

I don’t accept daddy’s preaching!
Even if you really are my father, it won’t work!

"Hey, hey, that's enough!"

Zhu Yuanzhang knocked Zhu Ju's hand away and spat,
"How can you give something back to someone else?"

"I think you're thoughtful, okay?"

As he spoke, he hid the sachet deeper into his sleeve.

No matter what effect this object has, at least it represents Zhu Ju's filial piety.

It's rare for this kid to give something as a present.

"Tai Sui Talisman, Tai Sui Talisman... Humph, now I'm afraid someone is going to make trouble for Tai Sui!"

Zhu Yuanzhang put his hands into his sleeves and snorted coldly,

"Old Six, take a look."

"Take a look. Can you tell what's wrong with these files?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Ju turned and looked over.

With just one glance, he recognized that this was a file from the Ministry of Revenue, because it was filled with information about wheat, rice, and the like, often amounting to hundreds of thousands or even more than a million shi.

There are mainly two numbers on the file.

One is the tax receivable.

One is the actual amount of tax collected.

At a glance, the tax amounts all matched, but Zhu Ju felt a chill in his heart at this moment.

He thought of three words - Empty Seal Case!

Among the four major cases in the early Ming Dynasty, the Empty Seal Case, which broke out first, didn’t it come from here?
But...that's not right!

Even though the Empty Seal Case broke out, it was in the seventh or eighth year of the Hongwu reign. Now it is still several years away from the eighth year of the Hongwu reign!

Timeline changed?

Is Lao Zhu going to launch the empty seal case in advance?

For a moment, his mind was in a mess.

"Can you tell?"

Seeing that he was lost in thought and did not speak for a long time, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately asked.

Zhu Ju nodded.

"I see it."

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao looked at each other and saw the surprise in each other's eyes.

"You figured it out so quickly?!"

Old Zhu said,
"I just noticed something was wrong, but I haven't figured out what it is yet..."

"Tell me, tell me, what did you see?"

Zhu Biao was also staring at Zhu Ju with a somewhat curious look on his face.

"I see! The power of our Ming Dynasty is growing day by day!"

Zhu Ju looked amazed and said with a smile,
"With so much grain harvested, we can do a lot this year! Whether it's conscription or war, we won't be short of money."

"To sum it up in one sentence - our family is rich!"

Zhu Yuanzhang: "..."

Zhu Biao: "..."

"That's not what we're talking about!"

Old Zhu held his forehead and scolded,

"I asked you to come here to look at the problem, not to sing praises!"

"Don't you realize that all these tax figures match up?"

"There is not a single mistake or omission!"

Zhu Ju scratched his head.

"Isn't this as it should be?"

"If there are any mistakes or omissions, it will not be delivered to you. The Ministry of Revenue will have to send local officials back to re-audit."

"right?"

Zhu Biao nodded.

"That's right."

He said in a deep voice,

"If there are any errors or omissions, we have to send it back and recalculate the tax amount."

"But the problem is that all taxes in the country were collected, and not a single county made a mistake... The Ministry of Revenue's work was completed exceptionally smoothly."

"This is going so smoothly, it's a little bit abnormal."

Zhu Ju let out an "oh".

"It goes well, isn't it good?"

"I think we should not focus on these minor details. If there is corruption in the tax revenue, I think it can be investigated strictly. As for other things, we don't need to worry too much."

"Otherwise it would be too tiring. It feels like the two of you are just bored and looking for trouble!"

Zhu Ju knew the ins and outs of this matter.

But he didn't want to point it out actively, because among the four major cases of Hongwu, the officials killed in the empty seal case were relatively innocent, and they were all the top and second-in-command at the local level, which had a great impact on the grassroots rule of the entire Ming Dynasty.

I remember there was a man named Fang Keqin, who was the father of Fang Xiaoru, who was later executed by Zhu Yuanzhang. He had a good reputation as an honest official, but he lost his life because of this empty seal case.

There are many people like him!
Therefore, Zhu Ju didn't really want to make this matter public. It would be best if he could just get away with it.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face turned dark.

"What do you mean by looking for trouble?" Old Zhu said unhappily.
"We just have to make sure everything is clear! We have to make sure everything is happening right under our noses!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao advised:
"Dad, I think what Xiaojuzi said makes some sense."

"As long as there is no corruption here, we shouldn't waste too much energy on it."

"At the beginning of the new year, I think we should focus on governing the country! With such a relatively generous tax revenue, where should it be used? This is our main consideration."

"If you focus on these irrelevant details, you won't be able to accomplish the big things."

After hearing these words, Zhu Yuanzhang's expression eased slightly.

Although both were persuasion, Zhu Biao's words were more pleasant to the ear, while Zhu Ju's words always made his blood pressure rise!
"...Okay! Let's ignore this matter for now!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said in a deep voice,

"Biao'er is right, we have to do something big this year!"

"Do you have any direction? If we have money, we have to spend it wisely! We can't waste it!"

"We are currently planning to save some money to prepare for future wars. We have received a lot of war reports from the north these days. The Northern Yuan barbarians are very arrogant! They have harassed our border time and again! The soldiers and civilians on the border are fed up with it!"

"If the national situation is still good by the middle of this year, then we will prepare for the second Northern Expedition! This time, we must kill those barbarians completely and make those grasslands and deserts the borders of our Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Ju raised his eyebrows.

"Don't think too well."

He poured cold water on her.
"A proud army will be defeated. The first Northern Expedition went too smoothly. The Ming Dynasty, from top to bottom, looked down on the Northern Yuan Dynasty, thinking that the other side was just a soft persimmon. The generals in the army were even more eager to go to the north to gain military merit."

"But I think Kuyuk Timur is not a pushover! Now that he has control over the military and political power and occupies an advantageous position, it will be very difficult to defeat him!"

"The second Northern Expedition still requires long-term planning."

Even Zhu Yuanzhang was so arrogant that he thought the Second Northern Expedition would be an annihilation war that would crush every enemy.

No wonder they failed so miserably in history!
It is always a taboo to underestimate the enemy! Everyone knows this truth, but they still make the same mistake when necessary.

This is human nature!

"Oh?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was surprised and said,

"You are quite cautious. I thought that with your personality, you would be a reckless person on the battlefield."

Zhu Ju shrugged.

"I am courageous, but courage does not mean stupidity. What follows courage is carefulness!"

He raised his head and said,

'All victorious generals possess this quality!'

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed.

"That!"

"Then next time we go north, let's ask Xu Da to take you with us! With you, a victorious general who has never fought a war, we will surely be able to eliminate the hidden dangers and win in one fell swoop!"

Zhu Ju: “…”

"Well... I don't think this is necessary."

It's fine to talk about it on paper.

He was still a little scared when a real war came.

It is important for people to know themselves! The harsh environment on the battlefield is not something that a little Karami like me can withstand!
"Ha ha ha ha……"

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao both laughed.

"Okay, Dad, stop teasing Xiaojuzi. If you really let him go to the battlefield, Mom will kill you even if no one else tells her."

Zhu Biao laughed and said,

"As for the Northern Expedition, let Uncle Xu and his men worry about it when the time comes. However, I agree with leaving a budget for the war."

"As long as the Northern Yuan Dynasty is not destroyed, the Ming Dynasty will never be at peace. Moreover, Kuyuk Timur and Yuan Sijun are also ambitious. They harassed many important cities in the north to plunder supplies, but also to spy on the strength of the Ming Dynasty. I guess they are still dreaming of counterattacking the Central Plains!"

"Therefore, there will be a decisive battle between the two countries! We should prepare in advance and fight steadily!"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded.

"Sixth Brother, what's your opinion?"

He took out paper and pen and looked up at Zhu Ju.

Zhu Ju: “?”

My opinion?

Zhu Ju just realized at this moment that the purpose of coming here today was to decide the country’s development plan for the next year!

The emperor, the crown prince, and the regent determine the focus of the Ming Dynasty's future development!

Unknowingly and unwillingly, I have actually reached the highest decision-making level in the Ming Dynasty!
Come to think of it...it's really emotional!
I wonder what virtue I have and what abilities I possess. I am just an ordinary loser in later generations, with no knowledge and no ability.

But now, things have changed so much that even the emperor and the prince have to respect his opinions!

Of course, it was mainly because of his bad luck that his soul was transported into the body of a prince. Otherwise, this pitiful talent would probably not be able to be displayed.

Just because he is a legitimate prince, even his farts smell good and any opinion he throws out can be shocking.

After all, it was still because of his status... Zhu Ju understood this. At the same time, he also had a stronger sense of responsibility.

Now that we have reached this point, we can no longer act crazy as we please like before!

"I agree."

Zhu Ju took a deep breath and said,

"Not only in the north, but also in Bashu Ming Yuzhen and the hundreds of chieftains in Yunnan. I need to take care of them all if I have time."

"Although fighting is costly and laborious, we must first have a stable environment before we can talk about living and working in peace. Therefore, before we pacify the four directions, this money cannot be saved. It is a necessary expense!"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded with satisfaction.

"That's a good point!"

"Okay! There is no objection to the military expenditure. The next project..."

He made a note in the booklet, and then continued to discuss national policy with his two sons, covering everything from military affairs to economy, water conservancy, people's livelihood, and laws.

Zhu Ju could still make a few remarks at the beginning, but he basically just did nothing at the end.

At this point, he felt a little regretful that he was ignorant and unskilled in his previous life...

As long as you are a top student, whether in science or liberal arts, it will definitely be of great help!

It's not like now, where we can only occasionally come up with a few good ideas that sound good...

But even so, his insights still impressed Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao.

This is a strategic vision that transcends thousands of years!

Swish, swish, swish.

Zhu Yuanzhang's booklet was already filled with content, all of which were the results of today's discussion.

"In terms of military, the main focus is on preparing for the war against the Northern Yuan Dynasty, supplemented by the conquest of Ming Yuzhen. As for the chieftains of Yunnan, let's put them aside for now."

Old Zhu said in a deep voice,
"In terms of people's livelihood, we will still focus on encouraging agriculture and reclamation of wasteland. Taxes will remain at the current level and cannot be increased. Some poor counties can be given appropriate exemptions, depending on the situation at that time."

"The law will still be based on the Zhenguan Code. We need to add more staff to improve it as soon as possible. We can directly transfer staff from the newly-appointed scholars! Those who do well can be promoted to the three judicial departments."

"The focus of this year's construction is on water conservancy, especially the Yellow River tributaries and the Xin'an River in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. We need to dig what needs to be dug and block what needs to be blocked. This is something that must be done and we cannot escape it. It is better to complete the construction as soon as possible. The construction of other palaces and temples will not be approved. In addition, the scale of conscription of corvée labor at one time cannot exceed 200,000 people."

"As for trade, we will stick to the old rules. Only land trade is allowed, no sea trade is allowed. Not a single piece of wood can go to sea!"

Zhu Ju listened and frowned.

"I think that maritime trade has its merits."

He said,

"There are countless wealth to explore and seize overseas. As far as I know, there are countless spices and treasures in the southeastern sea. If we can get them back, it will definitely be enough to cover half of the tax revenue of the Ming Dynasty!"

"So I think that ocean trade can be carried out!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was resolute when he heard this.

"Maritime trade must not be allowed to take place! It must be banned!"

He said,

"Many of Zhang Shicheng's former subordinates have fled overseas, and some of them have colluded with the Japanese pirates, posing a threat to various islands in the ocean."

"If we allow the people to go to sea, some of them will definitely defect, and there will be rebels and pirates sneaking in, causing damage to our coastal areas of the Ming Dynasty! Or even a counterattack!"

"Besides, if the people are free, there will inevitably be chaos! Under our plan, everyone has his or her own mission. Where they should be and what they should do are all already determined. They are not allowed to move around, let alone go to foreign countries! Especially businessmen!"

Old Zhu has no good feelings towards businessmen who take advantage of opportunities.

In his eyes, the common people should have their father inherit the blacksmith's business, if the father is a blacksmith, the son should also be a blacksmith, everyone should stay in his own area and do his own job well, then the world will be peaceful and there will never be any trouble, how wonderful is that?

Merchants moving around, stirring up people's minds, buying low and selling high were factors of social instability, which he did not like in the first place, so he pushed the status of merchants to the lowest level and imposed various restrictions.

This is the case for land merchants, not to mention maritime merchants. Those kinds of people are simply impossible to control, and it's even difficult to collect taxes from them!

"Well, the Japanese pirates are indeed a hidden danger."

Zhu Ju pondered and said,
"I must find an opportunity to kill the Japanese pirates later! If I can defeat the Japanese pirates, I will go to the battlefield myself!"

I was hesitant to go to the northern border.

I will strike hard in Japan!

If I could kill a few devils with my own hands, it would definitely be one of the greatest pleasures in my life!
Zhu Yuanzhang was slightly surprised when he heard this.

"Why do you hate the Japanese pirates so much?"

He hasn't had any direct contact with the Japanese pirates, right?

"I hate it to my core. This is my factory setting."

Zhu Ju responded, but didn't say much. He then said,
"I can understand why the public is not allowed to go to sea for the purpose of protection or maintaining stability, but our court officials are fully allowed to go out to sea to explore!"

"With the government in charge and a fleet escorting us, we can trade with various countries overseas and make a lot of silver to fill the national treasury. Why not do such a good thing?"

"If you find it troublesome, give me permission and I'll do it! How about that?"

Zhu Yuanzhang: "..."

Lao Zhu is not really willing to give this authority.

"Dad, how about letting Little Orange try?"

Seeing Zhu Ju eager to try, Zhu Biao turned to assist and said,

"Speaking of which, our Ming Dynasty ships are so well built, it would be a pity not to go to sea."

"How about this! Let's not think about doing business first, but explore the sea and promote the prestige of our Ming Dynasty! How do you think?"

"If those small countries overseas knew the might of our Ming Dynasty, they would probably come to pay homage to the Ming Emperor and pay tribute to the Celestial Empire every year!"

"The increase in vassal states is probably what you, Father, want to see, right?"

It has to be said that Zhu Biao grasped Zhu Yuanzhang's character quite well.

Overseas trade, no!
Looking for a vassal state to establish a tributary system? OK!
"……All right!"

Zhu Yuanzhang finally nodded and said,
"You can have some fun for a while, and then ask your elder brother to arrange a sailing fleet for you to go overseas and have a look!"

"However, it's up to you to decide what kind of personnel to send! We won't send you any officials, and you are not allowed to go on a sea tour in the name of the Ming Dynasty court. Just go on a tour in the name of your own King Wu!"

Zhu Ju laughed.

"Row!"

He agreed wholeheartedly.

My status is very similar to those nobles in Portugal and Spain who funded adventurers and navigators in the Middle Ages!

It can be seen that those guys who are bored and rich are the source of progress in this world!
Now, all I have to do is find my own Zheng He!
By the way, is the Zheng He in history born now?

"By the way, Dad, I have another suggestion."

Zhu Ju said,
"I want to set up a technical department to collect all kinds of craft skills from all over the world as a technical reserve for the Ming Dynasty."

"What do you think about giving official positions and salaries to people who contribute advanced technology?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was slightly startled.

"Skills? Tricks?"

Old Zhu frowned and said,
"Why do you want to collect these things? They are all low-class things. Do you think they are for fun?"

He didn't like those weird things, and in his opinion, people who made these things were not doing their job properly.

In his eyes, the only proper occupations are farming and studying!

"How can it be fun? There is a treasure in here!"

Zhu Ju said,
"Industrial technology is the most direct way to improve national strength. Take agricultural tools for example! How much convenience has the invention of agricultural tools provided for farming?"

"There is also Huang Dao Po's loom. After the invention of this thing, the efficiency of weaving has been greatly improved! The existence of these tools can directly enhance the national strength of the Ming Dynasty! How can it be called a strange skill?"

"The kind of reading you all worship often cultivates a bunch of scholars who only know how to talk on paper and only think about getting into the officialdom. How many of them are real doers? On the contrary, it is the invention of this kind of technology that can make the lives of ordinary people better!"

"Do you understand?"

"Technological progress is more useful than honest officials!"

These words made Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao both fall into deep thought.

“…There is some truth to that.”

After a moment, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said,

"We can let you try and open a so-called technical department, but it will also be temporary."

"As for being an official, you cannot become one without studying and taking the imperial examination! This is an iron rule. We do not allow people in the world to find other ways to take shortcuts like you, so forget about being an official! You can be a clerk, and the salary can be comparable to that of officials of the ninth to seventh ranks. You decide this yourself."

"that's it."

Old Zhu gave in and Zhu Ju naturally accepted it with pleasure.

"Okay, I'll start setting it up right away!"

Zhu Ju smiled and said,

"Why don't you just join my Wu Wang Mansion? This way it will be easier for me to manage it, and I won't be constrained by those guys in the court."

Even in the court, he still did what he wanted.

But in the Wu Wang Mansion, he is the master who has the final say! And no one dares to interfere!

"what ever."

Zhu Yuanzhang said casually.

"You've said a lot just now, and I can't get a word in on some of it. Now let me tell you what I think."

Zhu Ju said again,

"I think there are two other priorities that you haven't mentioned. One is healthcare and the other is education."

"Regarding medical care, I would like to divide it into two parts: one is high-end medical care, and the other is basic medical care. As you know, these two are very lacking in our Ming Dynasty."

"Even the doctors in the palace are a bunch of quacks, not to mention those outside. Think about it, Dad. Every time there is an emergency, my master, a Taoist priest, is needed to come out and treat it. How can the great Ming Dynasty not have a famous doctor? Is this reasonable? Isn't this ridiculous?"

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent.

Zhu Biao also sighed and nodded.

"Yes, we have neglected medical care, which is actually an urgent matter."

He said,

"Take me for example. If it weren't for Taoist Master Peng Xuan, I would have almost died!"

"The imperial physician in the palace is useless, but we can't always rely on Taoist Master Peng. We need to have our own team!"

"But I do know one thing. Taoist Master Peng has given lessons to the imperial doctors. Now their level has improved a little. This can be considered a good thing."

Zhu Ju sneered.

"What's the point of improving so little? When faced with a truly difficult and complicated disease, aren't we still helpless? And we don't even have the slightest sense of responsibility!"

He said bluntly,
"The medical level of the Ming Dynasty is rotten to the core!"

"In other words, the overall level of medical skills has plummeted since the Song Dynasty! It has been completely rotten since then! The reason is that it was caused by those stupid and corrupt scholars!"

(End of this chapter)