People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 358, A Brief Discussion Before the Palace

Having practiced his skills all night, Xu Qing changed into his official robes early the next day and went to Zhangtai Palace to attend the court meeting.

Besides being the Imperial Physician, he was also a Palace Attendant, which meant he was qualified to participate in court discussions.

Zhangtai Palace, outside the Chaoyi Hall.

When Xu Qing arrived, dozens of civil and military officials had already gathered in front of the hall. Compared to the hostility they displayed when they first entered the hall, their gazes were much more peaceful now.

The civil officials looked at Xu Qing with a hint of inquiry. They had all heard that Xu Qing had gone to the Marquis of Wenxin's residence to treat Lü Buwei. According to some busybodies, Xu Qing stayed at the Marquis of Wenxin's residence for two hours.

If Xu Qing and Lü Buwei had been in office for such a long time, most people wouldn't believe it was simply for medical treatment; there must be something else going on.

Otherwise, it must be that Lü Buwei's back ailment had become so severe that it required the renowned physician Xu Qing to spend such a long time treating him.

But whether it's the former or the latter, it's an extremely important matter for them, since both of these things could stir up huge waves in the already turbulent court.

Compared to the civil officials' probing, the military officers looked at Xu Qing with more fervor, and more than a dozen officers surrounded him.

"The Grand Chancellor has arrived! You look even more handsome than I have in the last two days."

"What are you saying? The Grand Master of Ceremonies is as handsome as Song Yu, and his talent far surpasses that of Song Yu, who can only sing the Chu Ci."

"Comparing Song Yu to the Grand Chancellor is an insult to him! You people..."

Before Xu Qing could even greet the generals, they began to praise him, some even subtly trying to undermine him.

"My colleagues are too kind. Song Yu was a great literary master. My field of study is different from his. We each have our own strengths and there is no difference between us."

Xu Qing humbly cupped his hands in greeting, but inwardly he became more vigilant.

These military officers practically had "I need something" written all over their faces, and they were even undermining and competing with each other in their words. Xu Qing quickly figured out what their purpose was after a little thought.

They simply wanted to pre-book military doctors trained by him, thereby increasing the chances of soldiers surviving the battlefield.

If military doctors improve their skill in saving lives and save a large number of soldiers, it can, to some extent, boost the morale of the soldiers and reduce their worries.

These generals had good ideas, but the Qin army had a limited number of military doctors, so how to allocate them was a troublesome matter. No matter how they were distributed, there would definitely be objections.

Therefore, Xu Qing had already made up his mind to only be responsible for training, while the assignment was left to the Grand Commandant.

"Look how humble the Grand Master is, we should learn from him."

"yes."

Seeing that the military officers seemed poised to continue their flattery, Xu Qing quickly interrupted them.
"Please speak frankly, everyone. Although I am not very knowledgeable, I will certainly not refuse to do my part for the army if it is possible."

Seeing that Xu Qing had made his point so clear, the military officers looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

If it were in private, they would definitely dare to speak directly to Xu Qing, but with so many competitors around, they were too embarrassed to say it.

Just as the generals hesitated, a strong voice rang out from behind.

"The Grand Chancellor is here quite early. What are you all doing surrounding him?!" Xu Qing and the group of generals turned their heads and saw Meng Ao, dressed in a black and red robe and holding a tablet, striding over. His tiger-like eyes were fixed on Xu Qing, and he walked with a swagger, followed by several generals in armor.

Upon seeing Meng Ao arrive, the military officers surrounding Xu Qing could only disperse, feeling somewhat regretful. They should have directly asked for a military doctor earlier.

"Greetings, General, and fellow colleagues," Xu Qing said, bowing to Meng Ao and the others.

"You're too kind, Grand Marshal. Most of us military officers are rough men and don't care about such formalities," Meng Ao said with a smile.

The other generals returned the greeting to Xu Qing. Since they had already clearly expressed their support for Ying Zheng, they weren't worried that getting a little closer to Xu Qing would attract unwanted attention.

"Has there been any progress on the matter of the military doctor? When does Your Majesty plan to have you begin training him?" Meng Ao asked Xu Qing.

Upon hearing this, the surrounding military officers all looked at Xu Qing, their faces filled with anticipation as they awaited his reply.

"The matter of the military doctors has been resolved. The king plans to first gather the doctors in the army near Xianyang for training, and at the same time issue a decree to seek talented and skilled doctors from all over the country and the six states of Shandong to come to Qin and select suitable candidates to join the army as military doctors."

"I don't know how long it will take to train the first batch of military doctors. If they are experienced, it will take about a few months, while it will take a little longer for new recruits."

Xu Qing glanced at the expectant generals out of the corner of his eye, and then told them the result of his discussion with Ying Zheng.

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement, their gazes towards their comrades filled with a hint of wariness. Normally, they were all good brothers and comrades, but when it came to their own troops, they were not to be blamed for disregarding martial ethics.

Meng Ao paid no attention to the reactions of the surrounding generals. After all, he had been their age and naturally understood what they were thinking.

They would argue endlessly over food and equipment on ordinary days, so it was already a great show of respect that they didn't start arguing on the spot when faced with the even scarcer issue of military doctors.

"Does Your Majesty have any plans on how to distribute them?" Meng Ao asked in a low voice.

The allocation of military doctors not only concerns the army, but also represents which army Ying Zheng favors and which general he regards as a confidant.

When the issue of allocation was raised, the military officers were on edge, staring nervously at Xu Qing and silently praying for themselves.

"His Majesty intends to entrust this matter to the State Military Command, so that the State Military Command and the generals can discuss it and distribute it fairly. There's no need to rush, this is just the first batch, there will be many more excellent military doctors later, and the army will no longer lack military doctors."

Xu Qing smiled at everyone and said that he had finally gotten rid of this troublesome person, leaving it to Biao Gong and Meng Ao to worry about.

Upon hearing this result, the military officers could only abandon their ulterior motives and wait for the State Commandant's Office to reach a conclusion.

Meng Ao nodded slightly. He knew that Ying Zheng's move was to appease the generals. As for fair distribution, it was impossible to be truly fair. As his confidants, they would naturally receive better treatment, while the rest would be treated roughly the same.

Fairness on the surface is sufficient; absolute fairness does not exist.

However, he was not too worried about the allocation of military doctors, as his son Meng Wu and grandson Meng Tian would certainly have enough in the army no matter how they were allocated.

Just then, the chime bells inside the hall rang out, and the officials outside the hall stopped talking and began to line up to prepare for court.

After Meng Ao and the military officers nodded slightly to Xu Qing, they stood on the other side, while Xu Qing returned to the ranks of the civil officials.

(End of this chapter)