Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 263 Peeking into the Secrets of Cining Palace? A Discussion of Science at Cuixian Residence!
“What a bunch of quacks!”

Zhu Yaoying clenched her small fists, wishing she could rush to the Imperial Hospital right now and drag out all the remaining imperial physicians to be beaten to death.

She began to understand why, despite having the most outstanding doctors and the most precious medicinal herbs in the land, the imperial palace still had an unusually high mortality rate among its princes and princesses.

I thought everyone was like this, but when the survey data on newborn children from Renmin Medical Hall came out, the high infant mortality rate in the palace became unusually striking.

However, Zhu Yaoying remained relatively clear-headed.

This matter is inherently a murky affair. If it were to be truly investigated, it could trace back to nearly a century of court history, involving the entanglements of interests among various parties.

It might even involve a change of imperial power.

Bringing up this issue now will only make things more complicated.

Therefore, when Zhu Yaoying returned to the pharmacy, she used the name of Renmin Medical Hall to ban the use of "An Shen Ding Zhi Wan" in Jingyang Palace and even the entire emperor.

Recently, Empress Dowager Li has been too busy to attend to the inner palace. Even if the matter were reported to Emperor Wanli, Zhu Yaoying was confident that she could persuade him.

Now, when Zhu Yaoying sees the bright red "An Shen Ding Zhi Wan" (a traditional Chinese medicine for calming the mind and stabilizing the will), she is particularly reminded of the similar medication she may have taken when she was a child, and she can't help but feel lingering fear.

If emperors throughout history had known about this, they would have thought that the princes and princesses who died young were likely "poisoned" or "made stupid" by this drug, and they would have reacted very differently.

However, Zhu Yaoying's ban on the use of this medicine caused concern among one person.

Outside the study in Jingyang Palace.

Consort Gong, Wang Xijie, arrived here with the help of palace maids.

She was of average appearance, and with some freckles on her face, Emperor Wanli found her extremely distasteful after he had slept with her.

But now, her belly is slightly protruding, and she is carrying the royal child. Even if Emperor Wanli doesn't want to admit it, he has no choice but to accept it.

Wang Xijie was timid and mild-mannered, and the fact that she was disliked and ostracized in the palace made her even more afraid of trouble.

Having heard that the palace no longer provides those "calming and tranquilizing pills," I was afraid of upsetting the princess, so I hurried to the study to inquire.

Zhu Yaoying understood the other party's concerns and couldn't help but hold Wang Xijie's hand and smile.

"This medicine may cause some discomfort and could affect the safety of the imperial heir, so it was canceled. Sister-in-law, please don't worry about it."

Feeling the warmth of the other person's hand, Sister Wang Xi felt much more at ease and smiled slightly.

"I am so grateful for your help, sister. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know what to do."

"Don't worry, sister-in-law. We're family. Why should we talk like that?"

These words deeply moved Wang Xijie, who held Zhu Yaoying's hand tightly, as if afraid she would run away, and her eyes reddened.

Over the past few days, she and Zhu Yaoying have become increasingly familiar with each other, and it can be said that they have found someone they can trust in the deep palace.

After chatting for a while, Sister Wang Xi finally spoke, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

"I'm not afraid of making the princess laugh, but since I became pregnant, I haven't been to Cining Palace. The Empress Dowager has always treated me well, but unfortunately, I'm physically weak, and I get dizzy after just a few steps. So I thought that when you have your next audience with the Empress Dowager, please give her my regards, as it would be a way of showing my filial piety."

She still felt something was amiss and continued to add.

"Once my pregnancy has stabilized and I feel better, I will go to pay my respects in person."

Wang Xijie wanted to give the Empress Dowager something, but unfortunately, her influence in the palace was still shallow, and she couldn't offer anything.

"So that's what my sister-in-law was thinking about."

Zhu Yaoying understood.

The first few months of a woman's pregnancy are the most painful time, and given that Wang Xijie was already in poor health, it would be somewhat impolite for her to visit the Empress Dowager.

Wang Xijie is now terrified in the palace, naturally being extremely cautious and respectful.

Zhu Yaoying nodded and said.

"Sister-in-law, please rest assured, nothing is more important than your health. I will speak to Mother."

Outside the Cining Palace, Li Dequan, the Empress Dowager's personal eunuch, bowed and spoke softly to Zhu Yaoying.

"Your Highness, the Empress Dowager is currently speaking with the Marquis. You will have to wait a moment."

Zhu Yaoying didn't see anything wrong with it and nodded.

"Then take me to the side hall to wait."

"Your Highness, please come with me."

Following behind Li Dequan, Zhu Yaoying couldn't help but ask.

"But has your maternal grandfather arrived?"

Li Dequan respectfully replied, "It is indeed Marquis Wuqing."

"Ah."

Zhu Yaoying nodded slightly, her face showing neither joy nor sorrow.

This Marquis of Wuqing, Li Wei, was Empress Dowager Li's biological father and maternal grandfather.

However, Zhu Yaoying rarely saw her maternal grandfather since childhood, and when she did see him, she felt distant and even somewhat afraid. Following the eunuch Li Dequan to the side hall, Zhu Yaoying dismissed the eunuchs and maids and locked the door.

Alone, she walked with practiced ease to the wooden cabinet inlaid with mother-of-pearl in the corner, carefully moved the Song Dynasty Ru kiln celadon vase aside, revealing a finger-width gap in the back wall, directly facing the throne in the main hall.

This is a hidden place that Zhu Yaoying discovered when she was a child in the Cining Palace.

When she was a child, she would hide here and eavesdrop on anything the Empress Dowager was unwilling to tell her.

Zhu Yaoying climbed into the cabinet and peered through one eye.

Suddenly a bright light appeared before them, and there stood their maternal grandfather, Li Wei, respectfully talking to Empress Dowager Li.

Li Wei came from a military family. He was tall and short, with narrowed eyes that made him look very fierce, which was why Zhu Yaoying disliked him since childhood.

Li Wei: "Your Majesty, I have been ordered to contact the Shanxi merchant Fan Yongdou. We certainly need his assistance in dealing with the current turmoil in and around the capital, especially..."

Empress Dowager Li said, "The Emperor's father-in-law should not go too far in his actions; I am acting on behalf of all the people of the land."

As is customary, even Li Wei had to address Empress Dowager Li as a subject in the court and during palace etiquette.

However, inside this hall, only Li Wei and Empress Dowager Li were present at the moment, yet their conversation sounded so distant.

This caused Zhu Yaoying to frown deeply.

But as she listened, her eyes widened, because she clearly understood that the core of their discussion was the recent resistance of the Jiangnan gentry against the imperial court!
Zhu Yaoying trembled and almost made a sound.

After autumn.

The capital city and its surroundings are always shrouded in a layer of damp, cold fog.

The leaves of the weeping willows along the outer city moat have mostly turned yellow, and they are being swept by the wind and swaying against the carved wooden windows of Cui Xian Ju.

This restaurant is luxuriously decorated, with a sign on the door that reads "Thirty taels of silver per table," making it seem like it's determined not to cater to ordinary people, yet it's located in the bustling outer city.

Therefore, it's not surprising that there are only a few diners on the second floor.

Wang Heng sat by the window. His blue robe was stained with mud, and his cuffs were somewhat blackened, but his face was neatly combed.

I thought that with my shabby clothes, I wouldn't be able to get into this restaurant, but to my surprise, the waiter wasn't snobbish at all. He said that such a scholarly young master was exactly the kind of person the restaurant needed.

Wang Heng simply laughed off the shopkeeper's seemingly pretentious remark.

When the waiter brought out a plate of braised fish slices and Zhuangyuanhong (a type of Chinese liquor), he opened his newly bought copy of the Wanli Xinbao newspaper and began to read it carefully, pointing to the pages with his finger.

Recently, there have been fewer articles discussing the economy in newspapers, but more discussions on "new learning" have appeared, and the newspapers have become more inflammatory.

In fact, the Wanli Xinbao was not entirely closed off from free speech. Even articles refuting "Zhang Xue" and "New Learning" were published as long as they contained substance.

These days, Wang Heng has not gone home and has lost his income, but he can still make a living by submitting articles to the Wanli Xinbao newspaper.

His hair was a little messy, so he casually tied it up with chopsticks, and then looked at the contents of the newspaper with great eagerness.

In his previous article published in the Wanli Xinbao, titled "On Science and Technology and the Rise and Fall of Dynasties," he analyzed and discussed various theories of the new learning, combined with the rise and fall of the Han and Tang dynasties, and why the ancients prohibited strange skills and crafts. He also raised some questions, which aroused considerable repercussions.

Logically speaking, the "Mr. Donglin" who often clashed with him should have also "refuted" him in an article.

After a quick search, Wang Heng's eyes lit up when he saw a striking headline on the newspaper page.

The rise and fall of dynasties cannot be controlled by science.

In the article, Wang Heng's questions were refuted one by one.

"Zhang Heng invented the seismograph, not out of mere clever tricks; Bi Sheng created movable type printing, not out of a desire for trivial pursuits. The oppressive rule of past dynasties, more ferocious than a tiger, is certainly not due to a lack of 'technology'. Famine leads to rebellion, not because waterwheels are inferior to oxen for plowing; a weak nation perishes, not because gunpowder is inferior to bows and arrows."

"The so-called practical application of knowledge means that we should abandon the pitfalls of empty talk, observe world affairs with an objective eye, and put principles into practice with a pragmatic mind. We should neither cling to the old sayings in the dusty archives nor indulge in abstract and ethereal debates. We must put our knowledge into practice in order to live up to the teachings of the sages."

"When discussing the rise and fall of dynasties throughout history, the landscape and the people's conditions at that time are vastly different from today. Simply copying the past is like trying to find a sword by marking the boat. Only by using dialectical methods to analyze cause and effect can we not only examine the reasons for past order and chaos, but also examine the changes in the current situation. Only in this way can we find the true path to national prosperity."

"well said!"

Wang Heng slammed his hand on the table, nearly spilling wine on his clothes, but he didn't even notice.

He also saw an article in the newspaper that stated, "The so-called 'Zhang Xue' (Zhang's School of Thought), 'New Learning' (New Learning), and 'Science' should be based on observing the times, understanding the advantages of the place, and conforming to the people's hearts, rather than clinging to outdated ideas and prejudices."

Upon seeing this, Wang Heng downed the cup of yellow wine in one gulp and let out a hearty laugh.

"Wonderful! Wonderful! This is precisely the profound truth of our new learning!"

His erratic behavior drew stares from the surrounding diners.

Immediately, Wang Heng took out a brush and ink from his backpack and spread the paper on the table.

He muttered to himself, "This Mr. Donglin is a leading figure in modern learning. He understands this principle so thoroughly in his writing. I, Wang Heng, cannot fall behind him!"

But as he was about to pick up his brush and express his feelings while drinking rice wine, he heard a voice behind him.

"What kind of skill is it to just be good at writing and dabbling in literature with such a bookish air?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Heng's hand froze. He was quite annoyed and wanted to see who was mocking him for no reason.

But when he turned his head, he saw that it was a group of scholars arguing incessantly.

(End of this chapter)