The harem is too complicated; the empress, a lazy bum, wins by doing nothing.

Chapter 50 Reed Grass

Emperor Yuanwu pondered for a while and also felt that this method was feasible. After all, if the Imperial Hospital could cure it, they would have done so long ago. Now, after so long of treatment, there has been no improvement. Yesterday, he heard from a palace maid in Chuxiu Palace that Consort Li's body had been scratched so badly that there was not a single piece of good flesh left.

"That is indeed a solution," Emperor Yuanwu sighed inwardly.

Emperors throughout history must have been terrified of the outbreak of epidemics. It is still manageable in the palace, but if it spreads to the common people, the epidemic may be out of control.

In the past, every pandemic has resulted in countless deaths and incalculable losses.

"However, when the Emperor issues the order, he also adds a clause that anyone who finds a folk remedy will be richly rewarded, and no one will be punished if the remedy is ineffective. Otherwise, everyone will know that the folk remedy they present is for the concubines in the palace. Even if they have it, they may not dare to present it, for fear that if the concubines use it and it is ineffective or their condition worsens, they will be held responsible."

"Of course, once those prescriptions are brought over, the Imperial Medical Academy will have to verify their effectiveness. Otherwise, some people might try to pass off inferior medicines as valuables, perhaps by catching rats and infecting them with smallpox before using them as test subjects. However, this would take a very long time. Consort Rong has just been infected, so she should be fine. But I'm afraid Consort Li's infection has been prolonged, and she's pregnant, so not just any medicine can be used. We really need to consider this," Shen Qingwan said calmly.

While some folk remedies may be more effective than traditional prescriptions, their rapid effectiveness is sometimes due to the use of potent drugs or increased dosages that are not typically used in conventional prescriptions.

At this point, saving your life is naturally the most important thing.

Emperor Yuanwu couldn't help but raise his eyes and glance at Shen Qingwan, his gaze filled with an indescribable depth.

Shen Qingwan is no longer the empress who had just married him and only knew how to throw tantrums.

She is now thoughtful and resourceful in her actions, and she can even anticipate his needs in many things.

"I think the Empress's words make sense. Wu Jixiang, pass down the order, let's do it this way," said Emperor Yuanwu.

Within half a day of the imperial edict ordering the search for folk remedies, numerous prescriptions had been sent from all over the country.

With so many remedies available, it's difficult to discern which ones are effective and which are not, especially since it's impractical to test them on both empresses one by one.

After discussing the matter overnight, the Imperial Medical Academy eliminated some prescriptions that looked useless at first glance, leaving only three.

“Your Majesty, although these three prescriptions differ somewhat from the medicines the Imperial Hospital usually uses to treat smallpox, they are simply a matter of using poison to fight poison, with the addition of some more potent toxic drugs. I think it’s worth a try,” said Physician Zhang.

Three prescriptions.

This put Emperor Yuanwu in a dilemma. Which one should he try first? Which one would work? Or would none of the three work? No one would know until they tried. But if they did, it would be fine if they didn't work, but if...

That's a human life.

All the efforts of these past few days seem to have vanished in an instant.

Just as Emperor Yuanwu was struggling with this dilemma, Wu Jixiang walked in: "Your Majesty, Rong Yuze, son of General Rong, requests an audience."

Rong Yuze?
Isn't he Rong Ying's brother?

"What is he doing here at this time? Could it be that he has come to inquire about Consort Rong's condition?" Emperor Yuanwu frowned.

"Your Majesty, Rong Yuze is carrying a basket with a pile of grass inside. He's probably here to help you with your worries," Wu Jixiang said.

"Bring him in," Emperor Yuanwu said. As expected, when Rong Yuze entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he was carrying a basket, just as Wu Jixiang had said.

"This humble subject, Rong Yuze, greets Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!" Rong Yuze knelt on the ground and bowed.

"What's in your basket?" Emperor Yuanwu asked curiously.

“Your Majesty, this is *Aconitum carmichaelii*, which can cure smallpox,” Rong Yuze said.

"This herb can cure smallpox?" Emperor Yuanwu stood up from the stool in disbelief, walked to Rong Yuze's side, and took out a sprig of reed from the basket to examine it closely.

Thinking of the prescriptions from the Imperial Medical Academy and the three prescriptions sent by the ministers, each one was a full three pages, densely filled with various medicinal herbs.

If a single herb can cure smallpox, then smallpox won't be an incurable disease anymore!

"This..." Emperor Yuanwu was speechless, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"Your Majesty, please believe me. Although the herb *Aconitum carmichaelii* is not a precious medicinal herb, it does have some effect in treating smallpox."

I remember when I was a child, when my father was stationed at the border and we set up camp, some people in the neighboring village were infected with smallpox. The people in the border village were very poor, they didn't have any precious medicinal herbs, and there were even very few doctors. The villagers used this herb to cure many people's lives, but some people didn't see any effect after taking it.

Since the harem has no better solution, Your Majesty, why not try the reeds I brought? I've heard that Consort Rong has also contracted smallpox in the harem; perhaps my sister could be used as a test subject.”

Rong Yuze spoke sincerely and was willing to let Rong agree to try the medicine. It seems that the herb *Gnaphalium affine* does have a certain curative effect on smallpox. Otherwise, no one would let their own sister risk her life.

Physician Zhang took the reeds down and, following Rong Yuze's instructions, boiled them and gave them to Consort Rong. That very night, the effect was remarkable; her high fever subsided, though she remained very weak.

The Imperial Medical Academy then prescribed some medicine based on the herb *Gynostemma pentaphyllum*, and the infected people gradually recovered.

Apart from the few palace maids and eunuchs who were initially very careful in serving Chuxiu Palace and died from severe illness, the remaining palace maids and eunuchs who were infected later had their symptoms alleviated after taking medicine.

Consort Li's condition was extremely serious. She barely survived, but she was left with many scratches and scars on her body and face that she fears will never be able to get rid of.

These scars disgusted and terrified her, let alone the Emperor. Her favor with him must be coming to an end. Consort Li gently touched her belly. After all, she still had a child. She still had a child.

Rong Yuze made a great contribution to the smallpox case. He not only cured the two empresses and the palace maids and eunuchs, but also made a significant improvement to the Imperial Hospital's future smallpox treatment prescriptions. By adding the herb Achyranthes bidentata to the prescriptions, he was better prepared for future outbreaks.

Emperor Yuanwu bestowed upon Rong Yuze a great deal of gold and silver, and even promoted Rong, a concubine, to the rank of Noble Lady, an exceptional honor.

The Empress Dowager was so angry about this that she couldn't eat for several days.

Although it was Consort An who made the mistake, as the Empress, she also bore the responsibility for failing to manage the harem properly.

Shen Qingwan sighed inwardly. Being a housekeeper was really not an easy job!
The Empress Dowager was more angry because the matter involved two pregnant concubines; fortunately, Consort Rou was not infected.

Otherwise, Shen Qingwan herself would feel guilty and unable to eat or sleep.

(End of this chapter)