You can't only love the Qing Dynasty when you're eating the fruits of others' labor.

Chapter 24 I am a quack doctor~
In the sweltering summer of 1649, a massive heatwave enveloped the land. The sudden heat brought the entire empire to a standstill.

The fighting in the south has been suspended, and Shanxi remains inactive.

Smallpox is making a comeback, and high temperatures are its natural ally.

Screams erupted from a luxurious mansion in the western part of the city.

"The princess has contracted smallpox! Quickly, fetch the imperial physician!"

The Empress Dowager Dorgon's primary wife contracted the disease, suffering from a persistent high fever and smallpox all over her body.

The imperial physicians who rushed from the palace were at a loss and suggested conservative treatment.

……

Forbidden City, inside the Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Shunzhi paced back and forth restlessly, and even adding 10 more blocks of ice couldn't calm him down.

His Highness was kneeling with a middle-aged Manchu man, who was Sony, a nobleman from the Plain Yellow Banner with a distinguished family background.

"Your Majesty! This servant has something to say."

"speak!"

"Your humble servant, acting on imperial orders, traveled from Shengjing (Mukden) to the capital, Zhaoling. Along the way, I witnessed a devastating outbreak of smallpox, with many of my Eight Banner soldiers falling ill—a truly horrifying sight. If this continues, it will shake the very foundations of the nation!"

"Of course I know, but what can I do?"

Sony kowtowed again, his gaze resolute: "At all costs, we must eradicate smallpox. Otherwise, the Ming Dynasty will fall to the Qing, and the Qing will fall to smallpox."

"Be bold!"

"He's right."

A voice rang out from behind: "Empress Xiaozhuang has arrived."

……

Emperor Shunzhi quickly got up, and Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang also sat down on the dragon throne without any ceremony.

Sony looked up excitedly, and their eyes met.

"The late Regent Prince's first wife, who was also my cousin, Borjigit, she just died." Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's face was filled with grief. "Just two hours ago."

The hall was dead silent.

Sony.

"The slave is here."

"You have done a good job guarding the tomb of your ancestors at Zhaoling."

"It is the servant's blessing and duty to keep vigil for the ancestors of our Great Qing Dynasty."

Sony was a smooth talker and never mentioned that Dorgon had deliberately demoted him to Shengjing two years earlier.

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang nodded in satisfaction.

"Tomorrow at court, let's come up with a plan. For the sake of the Qing Dynasty, for the sake of the nation, smallpox must be eradicated!"

"Whoo."

That evening, Sony was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Plain Yellow Banner and concurrently served as the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture.

……

Imperial power is supreme; even if it involves moving mountains and filling seas, the subjects must carry it out.

Too hospital.

The chief physician, the judge, the imperial physicians, and the doctors gathered in a dark room, the candles burning and their discussions going on and on.

First, we must state our position.

If he refused outright, the same misfortune that befell the Imperial Astronomical Bureau next to the Imperial Medical Academy might befall him as well.

Dawn.

Everyone washed their faces, straightened their appearance, and walked towards the Meridian Gate.

Along the way, more and more colleagues joined, gradually forming a "blue tide".

The civil and military officials strode through the side gate of the Meridian Gate, entered the Forbidden City, and headed towards the majestic Hall of Supreme Harmony.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress Dowager! Long live the Empress Dowager!"

The mountains roared and the tsunami roared.

Today is different from the past; Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang is on top, and Emperor Shunzhi is on the left.

……

"My lords, I have some unfortunate news to tell you. Just yesterday, the Empress Dowager's first wife, my cousin, passed away from smallpox."

Wow~
An uproar erupted in the hall. Immediately afterwards, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's resounding voice echoed throughout the hall.

"From the moment we entered the pass, smallpox has been a persistent ghost. How many famous generals and nobles of our Great Qing died from smallpox? How many bannermen died because of it? Prince Yu's body is barely cold, and another one has died. How can the Regent Prince, the Emperor's father, rest easy on the front lines?"

"Gentlemen, I demand that you come up with a plan."

Let's all express our opinions?

Fan Wencheng, Grand Secretary of the Secretariat and Minister of Rites, stepped forward: "Your Majesty is wise. I believe we should first hear the thoughts of the Imperial Medical Academy?"

Following the Ming dynasty system, the Imperial Medical Academy was subordinate to the Ministry of Rites. Therefore, Fan Wencheng's statement was consistent with his position.

All eyes turned to Wu Yong, the Imperial Medical Academy Director.

……

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Excellencies, after three months of dedicated research by all colleagues in the Imperial Medical Academy, we have gained the following understanding of smallpox. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, General Ma Yuan led an expedition against the Southern Barbarians, bringing back a group of prisoners, some of whom contracted smallpox. Later, some Han soldiers also fell ill from this infection..."

Half an incense stick had passed, and Wu Yong was still reciting his lessons.

Blah blah blah~
Fan Wencheng remained motionless, Hong Chengchou frowned, and Sony gave a silent, cold laugh.

"Stop, Imperial Physician Wu, say something useful! Even if all the blame lies with Ma Yuan, so what? He's been dead for over a thousand years. What I want to hear is how to cure him? How to cure him?"

Emperor Shunzhi lost his patience.

"Yes Yes."

Wu Yong remained calm and continued his analysis.

Ma Yuan is someone we must talk about.

Because the responsibility for smallpox should be shared equally, the primary responsibility should go to Ma Yuan, the secondary responsibility to Heaven, part of the responsibility to the Imperial Observatory, part of the responsibility to Emperor Chongzhen, and part of the responsibility to Nancheng.

Of course, the Imperial Medical Academy also bears some responsibility.

……

Another incense stick's time passed, and even the usually composed Fan Wencheng couldn't hold back any longer.

He unusually stepped forward on his own initiative.

"Dean Wu, stop talking and get to the point: how to treat it? How to prevent it?"

"I understand, but without a thorough analysis of the origins and development of smallpox, I worry that my colleagues won't be able to understand the pharmacology and prescription."

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's expression gradually turned cold. She could tell at a glance that this man surnamed Wu was a shrewd and cunning old official.

However, no emperor could arbitrarily execute imperial physicians and cooks. Unless they committed heinous crimes, these two professions would at most result in dismissal from office.

The reason is subtle~
In short, you can't kill them.

"Minister Wu, I have a question for you, and you shall answer it."

"The minister obeys the order."

……

"After contracting smallpox, how should one be treated? What kind of environment should one be in for recuperation? What kind of medication should be prescribed? What kind of diet should one follow? How should one's family cope? Please answer each of these questions one by one."

The people looked at Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang with admiration; the court still needed her to steer it.

Wu Yong remained calm and composed:

"Based on the experience of our predecessors and after extensive research, I and all my colleagues in the Imperial Medical Academy have concluded that the patient should be isolated, away from the city, and placed in a well-ventilated environment. He should receive the 'Xi Hua Qing Re Tang' (a traditional Chinese medicine formula developed by all colleagues in the Imperial Medical Academy), remain in bed, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of water, avoid strenuous activity, and avoid drafts. During his recovery, he should not have contact with anyone except his physicians, and should use a separate toilet for urination and defecation."

After hearing this, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's anger intensified.

This shows that the Imperial Medical Academy was not mediocre; on the contrary, it was a gathering place for renowned doctors with considerable expertise. However, they never exerted their full strength when treating members of the royal family, not even five parts of their effort. They would normally use two parts, and at most three parts.

……

Thinking of this, she softened again.

"Academician Wu truly deserves to be called a master of medicine. I believe that a hundred years from now, future generations will surely praise Academician Wu as the Li Shizhen and Zhang Zhongjing of our Great Qing Dynasty."

"Your Majesty flatters me; I am utterly unworthy of such praise."

Wu Yong knelt down abruptly and hurriedly tried to smear himself with filth. He not only smeared himself, but also his deceased father and grandfather.

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was so angry that her liver ached, but she suppressed the urge to kill.

Continue to offer comfort:

"The Wu family is a renowned family of physicians. Since the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, they have served the court with their medical skills. I still remember that when we first entered the pass, my father, the regent, suffered from a headache that was unbearable. He only used one dose, and the effect was immediate. Even Hua Tuo reborn could not have done it better."

Wu Yong was slightly moved, but remained incorrigible.

"Your Majesty flatters me. I am humbled. I remember my father saying after he returned home that it was just a coincidence. Heaven has blessed the Regent. He took credit for Heaven's work and only got a small reward."

Emperor Shunzhi was dumbfounded. You're a master of medicine, like Hua Tuo, Li Shizhen, and Zhang Zhongjing, and you're still so cowardly?
(End of this chapter)