Daming: Internship also counts as work experience

Chapter 146 Herb Storehouse

Jia Chuan was a little depressed. He could be happy if people said he was the reincarnation of Zhao Zilong, but he felt uneasy about being labeled as the reincarnation of a cricket. He knew very little about Emperor Zhu Zhanji, but he did know that the emperor liked crickets and treated them as pets... Some people might like them, but not Jia Chuan.

This emotional fluctuation caused him to not fully heed Zhu Zhanji's subsequent arrangements.

But he probably knew that this time his identity was the deputy envoy of the raw medicine storehouse under the Imperial Medical Academy. His rank was no longer important. Hearing that he was a cadre of a subsidiary, he knew that his rank couldn't be high. Fortunately, this trip was ostensibly led by Chen Mo of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. In addition to protecting his safety, it would also make it convenient for him to bring his people with him.

Why bring them all? Jia Chuan didn't understand at first, but after being exposed to the cold wind outside the palace, he finally figured it out.

Zhu Zhanji may have done this to reassure him to focus on his duties, but more importantly, Zhu Zhanji may not have been sure who would bring him more good fortune. Bringing them all along would ensure no one was left out, guaranteeing a successful trip. In other words, it was still uncertain who the "cricket" would be.

……

When Gao Yuntian and Chen Mo saw Jia Chuan looking dejected, they both assumed that Jia Chuan had been reprimanded by the Emperor. The two looked at each other nervously, unable to think of anything that could have angered the Emperor. He was overjoyed to have found so much gold and silver. Could it be that the Emperor had found out something?
After Jia Chuan got into the carriage, he remained silent. Gao Yuntian asked anxiously, "What went wrong?"

Jia Chuan sighed and said, "I'm going to have to make you all come to Kaifeng with me."

No sooner had Jia Chuan finished speaking than the carriage had just begun to move slowly when someone patted the carriage.

The carriage stopped, and Jia Chuan quickly lifted the curtain to see Qian Guan, who was breathing heavily in the cold air.

Jia Chuan quickly got off the carriage.

"You walk really fast," Qian Guan complained.

"Why did you follow me here? Is there something else the Emperor needs to do?"

"His Majesty said he just forgot. Didn't you want to go to Zhangde? His Majesty said that once you finish this errand, you can go."

Jia Chuan immediately felt much better.

……

Jia Chuan's new identity is the deputy director of the Imperial Medical Academy's pharmacy. He needs to familiarize himself with it before leaving. Fortunately, even when other government offices are closed for holidays, there are people on duty in all departments of the Imperial Medical Academy.

Although Jia Chuan was unwilling, he still went to the Imperial Medical Academy's herbal medicine warehouse early the next morning, accompanied by Gao Yuntian and Chen Mo, to prepare for his internship in the new department.

Since it was an internship, he naturally adopted a humble attitude. However, it had snowed again last night, and the sky was still overcast in the early morning. This damp cold forced Jia Chuan to put on the imperial fur coat.

The Raw Herbs Storehouse is located in the southwest corner of the Imperial Medical Academy. It is an independent building made of blue bricks. To Jia Chuan's surprise, Zhou Wentai, the head of the Raw Herbs Storehouse, was waiting in front of it.

Zhou Wentai, who was about fifty years old and had a thin face, seemed to recognize Jia Chuan and came forward to introduce himself. Then he pointed to the building behind him and said, "The herbal medicine storehouse was rebuilt in the eighteenth year of Yongle, imitating the old Nanjing style. It has five bays and three courtyards, and is a brick and wood structure."

Jia Chuan bowed respectfully, seemingly indicating that no self-introduction was needed, and then looked over in the direction Zhou Wentai was pointing.

Under the eaves, a plaque was inscribed with the words "Changes in Yin and Yang" in gold on a black background. Jia Chuan didn't recognize the first character, so he simply ignored it and looked around.

Zhou Wentai then pointed to the firebreaks dug about ten feet away around the perimeter and said, "The snow was deliberately preserved."

Jia Chuan nodded repeatedly.

Zhou Wentai took out a three-inch-long brass key and, together with the people behind him, opened the giant lock. Jia Chuan stepped forward, and a cool, grassy scent wafted over him.

"The bricks on the ground are Chengni bricks, a specialty of Linqing, Shandong, and the gaps between the bricks are filled with lime mixed with realgar," Zhou Wentai explained. "There is tung oil on this door to repel insects."

Only then did Jia Chuan notice the dense fish-scale pattern on the door.

Jia Chuan looked into the depths of the warehouse, which was as dark as a cave. The layers of medicine cabinets seemed endless, and there appeared to be a threshold every five steps. Just as Jia Chuan was about to ask a question, Zhou Wentai walked inside and introduced the place:
"This is a moisture-proof measure. During the rainy season, the earth's energy rises, and charcoal can be placed inside the enclosure to absorb moisture. The humidity varies in different medicinal areas. For example, aromatic herbs need to be dry, while fritillaria needs to be moist, and this can be adjusted accordingly."

Jia Chuan understood that the threshold served to divide the warehouse into several areas. At this moment, Zhou Wentai introduced, "Medicinal materials are stored according to the categories of 'herbs, trees, fruits, grains, and insects,' and the medicine cabinets are all made of cypress wood."

Jia Chuan stepped forward and examined them carefully. Each medicine cabinet had the name of the medicine and its place of origin engraved on its surface, with the characters filled with cinnabar. Each medicine cabinet had a drawer at the bottom, which, when opened, revealed fresh seasonal medicines packaged in mulberry paper.

Seeing that Jia Chuan had looked at several medicine cabinets very seriously, Zhou Wentai said, "This is the classification method of the 'Compendium of Materia Medica'. Since the revision of the pharmacopoeia in the fourth year of Yongle, all medicinal materials in the world have been stored according to twenty-four categories."

Jia Chuan turned his head and asked, "Can the Imperial Medical Academy withdraw funds at will?"

Zhou Wentai waved his hands repeatedly and said, "That is impossible. All medicines used by the Imperial Hospital must first be prescribed by an imperial physician, signed by the hospital director, and registered by the treasury magistrate before they can be dispensed. Medicines are a matter of life and death, so we dare not be careless."

As soon as Zhou Wentai finished speaking, a creaking sound came from the upper part of the warehouse. Jia Chuan looked up and saw dozens of thin bamboo tubes hanging from the roof beams, swaying gently in the wind.

"This is a test for wind, to prevent the medicinal materials from getting damp. There are three large vats at both ends of the warehouse, containing water, sand and damp cotton respectively. Water and fire are merciless."

Jia Chuan then realized that Zhou Wentai had been trying his best to introduce how well the fire prevention and moisture control work in the raw herb warehouse was done, but this was not what Jia Chuan wanted to hear. He stopped and asked, "Have you heard of the Kaifeng Herb Collection Bureau, Warehouse Keeper Zhou?" Zhou Wentai chuckled and said, "Not only have I heard of it, but some of the medicinal materials in the raw herb warehouse come from the Kaifeng Herb Collection Bureau."

"Oh? Does the Zhou Treasury Envoy know that King Ding of Zhou wrote a book during his lifetime...?"

"I have heard of it, but unfortunately I have never seen it. I heard that this book not only had an artist draw the original appearance of each herb, but also recorded in detail their medicinal and edible uses. Many herbs can not only cure diseases but also relieve famine, so the book is called 'Herbal Relief for Famine'."

Jia Chuan felt a sudden surge of respect for him. He quickly asked, "You mean, what other wild herbs are recorded in King Ding of Zhou's book that are edible and have no side effects... oh, that is, harmless to the body?"

"Yes, yes, that's the idea. I've heard that some even have woodcut illustrations. Oh, I really long to see them, but it's such a pity I can't."

“Then…” Jia Chuan pondered his words, “Since there are such records in the book, are there also any herbs that are too poisonous to be fatal if consumed?”

Zhou Wentai paused for a moment before saying, "This, this is certainly true, and it can be found in other medical books as well. But medicinal materials are like this; their medicinal properties will differ before and after processing. Even the same thing can have very different medicinal properties. For example, angelica root is divided into three parts: head, body, and tail. The head stops bleeding, the body nourishes blood, and the tail breaks up blood stasis..."

Jia Chuan realized that Zhou Wentai had misunderstood him, so he quickly asked, "What I mean is, are there any plants or trees in the books written by King Ding of Zhou that are not in other books?"

"There certainly are, I've heard quite a few, but I haven't read about them myself, so I dare not speak presumptuously. I heard that when Prince Zhou Ding was in Yunnan, he met a descendant of a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners named Duan Quan'an. I heard that Prince Zhou Ding twisted his ankle while collecting herbs in the mountains, and Duan Quan'an rescued him. After that, he recovered completely with just some medicinal powder. The two of them often kept in touch, and through Duan Quan'an's introduction, Prince Zhou Ding met many local Dai doctors. There are many precious medicinal herbs in Yunnan, but our local doctors don't recognize them all, and many don't even recognize them at all..."

Zhou Wentai paused for a moment and then said:
"I heard that during a drought in Yunnan one year, it was Prince Zhou who taught the people how to remove the bitterness and medicinal properties from some wild herbs so that they could eat them, thus helping them survive the disaster. I heard that Prince Zhou had his own medicinal herb garden, which he later handed over to Duan Quan'an to manage after returning to Kaifeng. I heard that they continued to have contact afterward, with Duan Quan'an sending precious medicinal herbs from Yunnan from time to time. Because the Imperial Medical Academy could not purchase medicinal herbs at will, I never had the chance to see him. I also heard that after Prince Zhou returned to Kaifeng, he also built a medicinal herb garden..."

Jia Chuan raised an eyebrow. This guy in front of him must have had quite a few ears; he must have heard a lot.

"Um, His Majesty has ordered me to make a trip to the Kaifeng Herbal Medicine Bureau. Could you tell me, Zhou the Treasury Manager, what I need to buy?"

……

Zhou Wentai couldn't make the decision on this matter. He thought the sudden appointment of the deputy envoy was sent by the emperor to oversee the safety of the medicinal herb warehouse. He hurriedly made preparations in the early morning, but in the end, Jia Chuan's problem turned out to be procurement.

The Kaifeng medicinal herb collection bureau is not affiliated with the Imperial Hospital; it only has a supply relationship with the Imperial Hospital's raw medicinal herb warehouse. In other words, Jia Chuan is the client this time. However, institutions like the Imperial Hospital usually handle their annual procurement contracts according to established practices. Before the year was even over, Jia Chuan suddenly said he wanted to buy something else. Could Zhou Wentai make the decision on this?
On his first day of internship, Jia Chuan arrived early and returned early. Before he could even sit down properly, Liu Mian arrived.

The two parted ways hastily in Le'an. At that time, Jia Chuan had no time to think about anything else, but Liu Mian and Hou Tai found it hard to bear every second in the house. It wasn't until late at night that a member of the Imperial Guard returned and reported the situation, which put Liu Mian's mind at ease. However, Hou Tai said, "The real trouble is yet to come."

Liu Mian understood Hou Tai's meaning. The Prince of Han had suffered such a great loss, he would definitely come to the residence. He had nowhere to vent his anger, and even if he didn't take action against them this time, he would definitely not let them get away with it.

At that time, Liu Mian couldn't help but feel some resentment towards Jia Chuan. Fortunately, he had made arrangements in advance. As soon as Jia Chuan left, he ordered more than fifty Imperial Guards to arrive before dark. Yes, he had people, and many more, but he couldn't give them to Jia Chuan.

Like Xu Gong, Liu Mian was able to reach this position not because of his ability, but because he knew how to read the leader's mind. If the leader liked to be bold, they would be bolder; if the leader liked to be steady, they would be more cautious. It was important to grasp this balance. The success or failure of the mission was important, but the protagonist was not a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. If he helped without knowing the leader's heartbeat, it would seem like he didn't help much. Helping would be the most ideal.

At that time, Liu Mian felt that Jia Chuan's chances of success were less than 30%, but in the end...

When the Prince of Han arrived at the residence, it was already slightly dawn. Upon seeing the courtyard full of Imperial Guards, Zhu Gaoxu said nothing and turned to leave. This gave Hou Tai the feeling that the Prince of Han had grown up and become sensible.

……

Liu Mian came here not only to discuss the trip to Kaifeng with Jia Chuan, but also to sound out Jia Chuan's intentions. This mission to Kaifeng could have been entrusted to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but the Emperor recalled Jia Chuan. Did this indicate a lack of trust in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, or did it foreshadow that Jia Chuan would join the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

Jia Chuan was surprised by Liu Mian's timely arrival and warmly welcomed him into the hall. Before the two were even seated, Jia Chuan said, "I was thinking of coming to see you after lunch. During the trip to Kaifeng, you two were in the open while I was in the shadows. This was the Emperor's intention, but how to be open and how to be in the shadows? Should we not live together? What if I die in Kaifeng? If we live together, how can we maintain the secrecy? This is also my fault. When I met the Emperor yesterday, I didn't realize it and only remembered this today."

Liu Mian took a deep breath, settled himself down, and pondered for a moment before saying, "I only found out last night, which is why I rushed here. I wanted to discuss a plan with you. Usually, the Embroidered Uniform Guard investigates covertly without disturbing the local government. This time, the Emperor's intention is for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to conduct an open investigation. As for you, I can't think of a way to help you cover it up. If no one notices, it's easy, but your movements... I'm afraid the Prince of Han..."

"Then let's make it all out in the open. I'll go to the palace and tell the Emperor that Gao Yuntian and Chen Mo have to be by my side. It's not right to have Duoduo and Yuanyuan guarding me while I'm coming and going! I don't trust anyone else either. Besides, once I get to Kaifeng, it won't just be the Prince of Han who wants to kill me. Even a county magistrate of Xian County has the ability to find out who I am, let alone the Prince of Zhou's mansion and the Kaifeng Prefecture."

"It's possible to keep it a secret for a few days."

Jia Chuan waved his hand and said, "No way! The medicinal materials that the Imperial Hospital brings in from all over the country every year are all based on established practices. If they suddenly say they need something on such an inappropriate day, the news will spread the moment I leave the city gate... I reckon the news has probably already spread by now."

At that moment, Chen Mo asked from outside, "Would you like some tea?"

Jia Chuan looked at Liu Mian, who said in a deep voice, "Come in."

Chen Mo led Gao Yuntian, who was carrying a tray, into the hall.

Liu Mian then said, "You two should sit down and listen, so I don't have to relay the message again."

Gao Yuntian set the teacup down, and he and Gao Yuntian sat down at the lower end of the table, listening with serious expressions.

“The reason I’m keeping you hidden is so you can hear the truth. If you go to the herb-gathering bureau and they’ve made preparations beforehand, you won’t hear a single truth,” Liu Mian said.

Jia Chuan said, "If it were anything else, I really wouldn't be able to do anything if they didn't say anything, but this mission is different. Unless they destroy all of Zhou Dingwang's manuscripts and some of the medicinal herbs in the herb collection bureau, I can tell what's going on even if they don't say anything."

Gao Yuntian stared at Jia Chuan with wide eyes, his gaze full of warning, as if to say: Watch your bragging!
(End of this chapter)