Di Ming

Chapter 272 The Money-Worshipping Emperor's Family
Having persuaded Li Shizhen and others, Zhu Yin finalized the grand plan to establish the Qingchen Medical College, and then determined the location of the medical college:

“The Meng Family Courtyard on Mashen Temple Street in the outer city’s west ward.”

The Meng Family Compound is the grand residence of the wealthy Meng family in Beijing, covering an area of ​​over sixty acres and boasting beautiful scenery. Although located in the outer city, it is very close to the inner city.

However, the Meng family was discovered by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot for harboring Japanese pirate spies, and the entire family was imprisoned. The Meng family compound was then sold by a brokerage firm entrusted by the Eastern Depot.

Ning Caiwei then bought the Meng family compound in her name.

As for how the Jinyiwei and Dongchang agents, who are now incompetent in intelligence gathering, discovered that the Meng family was colluding with Japanese spies, that remains unknown.

Perhaps it was just good luck?
……

Having settled things with Li Shizhen and the others, Zhu Yin finally felt relieved and returned to Hanzhangtai with Ning Qingchen.

Ning Qingchen was already impatient and said:
"Little Tiger, I've decided to start recruiting students at the Meng family compound today. My first choice will be disciples of Li Shizhen and others, as well as those recommended by them. If that's not enough, I'll then openly recruit from the public."

"Applicants must be no older than forty, with priority given to physicians. They must be of Ming Dynasty origin, and foreign students will not be accepted."

"All students must have a basic foundation; they must be able to recognize all the characters in the Thousand Character Classic, do arithmetic, and write. By the way, I'd also like to recruit female students. What do you think?"

“We can’t be too restrictive on gender,” Zhu Yin stated. “Although there will certainly be dissenting voices in society, we can’t be too conservative. Of the 500 places available for trainees, 100 should be reserved for women.”

Ning Qingchen popped a grape into her mouth. "Only a hundred girls? Isn't that too few?"

"Short?" Zhu Yin shook his head. "This is ancient times. A hundred female students are not enough? Even if you only recruit a hundred, you might not be able to fill all the spots. How many women are willing to expose themselves and come to medical school to study medicine?"

"So I'll leave this matter here and not get involved anymore. Otherwise, there will definitely be many die-hards criticizing me and treating me like a second Li Zhi."

"Okay." Ning Qingchen nodded her little head, swung her little legs, spat out the grape skin with a "plop," and said:
"These 100 female students, specializing in gynecology and obstetrics, will become the first female doctors in Chinese history to receive systematic medical education and the first to use forceps."

She pulled a stack of organized documents from the table and handed them to Zhu Yin.

"Little Tiger, look, this is what I've been working on for the past six months. It's almost finished. Take a look."

Zhu Yin took it and saw that the little girl's handwriting was very childish, but it was written very neatly and the meaning was clear.

Her medical school program, like the Imperial Colleges in both capitals, lasted four years and adopted a point-based system, similar to the Imperial Colleges. It was divided into four grades: beginner, intermediate, advanced, and graduating.

During the four years, I focused solely on studying medicine, ignoring all other subjects like literature, history, and mathematics.

As for the teaching materials, Ning Qingchen had already prepared them quite well. In fact, they were a combination of traditional Chinese medicine and modern natural biology, drawing on many modern concepts and principles, but the framework was still within the scope of traditional Chinese medicine. It was a developmental narrative of traditional Chinese medicine, which included both inheritance and subversion, as well as innovation.

Ning Qingchen tilted her sweet and adorable little face up proudly and said in a cute and innocent voice:

"Little Tiger, this teaching material is a new TCM duck that I created after months of discussions with renowned doctors like Li Shizhen, based on my deep understanding of TCM and my own medical knowledge. Can you see the brilliance in it? Can you accept my admiration?"

Zhu Yin looked at Ning Qingchen's teaching materials and was truly impressed by her. It was remarkable that she could come up with something like this; it was the best way to integrate different approaches.

"I'm impressed, that's indeed a bold idea." Zhu Yin sincerely praised her, patting Miss Ning's head. "Please accept my deepest respect, Little Divine Doctor Ning."

Zhu Yin was not a doctor, but he knew that although modern medicine in later generations seemed very advanced, it had actually gone astray and was not the best choice in history.

Ning Qingchen picked up a freshly made Double Ninth Festival cake, took a bite, and said:
"Later generations of medicine relied too much on instruments, tests, and drugs, while neglecting the crucial role of the human body's own immune system in treating diseases. They neglected that the human body itself is also a kind of medicine."

“I started reading medical books when I was eight years old and have been reading them for twelve years. Although I only have an undergraduate degree, my theoretical knowledge is not much different from that of a doctor. But the more I read, the more I felt something was wrong. Modern medicine focuses too much on the microscopic realm and lacks a holistic macroscopic understanding, which leads to two negative consequences.”

"First, only 20% of diseases can be completely cured, while the remaining 80% are difficult to cure or incurable. In fact, the naming and etiology of many diseases are problematic from the start."

This was the first time Zhu Yin had heard such a statement. "With such advanced technology in later generations, only one-fifth of diseases can be completely cured?"

"You don't even know this?" Ning Qingchen was a little surprised, looking at him with an expression of utter ignorance. "To be precise, it's less than 20%, which shows that the cure rate is actually very low. Compared to other fields of technology, the medical field is lagging behind."

"Secondly, the sequelae and side effects of treating diseases have a great impact on the balance of the human immune system and often trigger new diseases."

"Later generations may be able to develop all sorts of advanced high technologies, travel in space, discover quantum mechanics, and create robots... but they will not be able to cure diabetes... let alone terminal diseases such as cancer."

"Why? Because we've gone astray. We've focused solely on the microscopic materiality while neglecting the macroscopic energy."

Zhu Yin nodded. "This isn't a new idea. I've heard medical authorities say that modern medicine has some problems, perhaps it's gone astray. What about traditional Chinese medicine?"

Ning Qingchen answered without hesitation: "Traditional Chinese medicine only focuses on holistic macroscopic cognition and lacks microscopic material research. In essence, it mainly focuses on the plan to restore immunity. It has the principles but not the methods, and it has also gone astray."

Zhu Yin said, "So, the so-called integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine is complementary, the theory is sound, and the direction is correct. But why have the results been unsatisfactory in later generations?"

Ning Qingchen shook his head: "Because there has been no real integration, let alone fusion. Those who advocate the integration of Chinese and Western medicine do not understand Chinese medicine themselves, and at the same time they belittle Chinese medicine. Their way of thinking is still the Western medicine model. Isn't that like trying to find a horse in Tang Si? Of course, this approach will not work."

“My approach is different. I have been studying traditional Chinese medicine and have a deep understanding of it, which is incomparable to those pseudo-traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. In addition, with the favorable environment for traditional Chinese medicine in ancient times and the help of great doctors like Li Shizhen, I am more confident.”

As Ning Qingchen spoke, her face shone with confidence, her spirits soaring and her eyes sparkling.

"My approach is to take Chinese medicine as the foundation and Western medicine as the application; Chinese medicine as the principle and Western medicine as the technique. I don't use Western medicine to explain Chinese medicine, but rather use Chinese medicine to explain Western medicine!"

"Little Tiger, do you know what this feels like? A sudden enlightenment! Li Shizhen and the others were inspired by me, but I was also inspired by them. I've finally understood."

"Later generations tried to explain traditional Chinese medicine using Western medicine, but they couldn't explain it at all and couldn't draw any conclusions. It's like trying to explain a person using a single organ—how can that be explained? The reverse is completely different. If you change your perspective, you'll find that a new door is already half-open."

Zhu Yin looked at Ning Qingchen, who seemed rather smug, and opened his mouth but didn't say anything.

Ning Qingchen wants to use traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine to verify each other, and through the test of time, find a middle path and create a new medical system!
Her ambitions are simply too great.

But can she really succeed? If she does, what will it be like?

“Dr. Ning…” Zhu Yin felt the documents in his hands were incredibly heavy. He handed them back to the young girl. “I can’t do much in terms of professional skills, but I can only support you. Do your best, Dr. Ning, and I wish you success.”

Ning Qingchen continued, "Ultimately, medicine is still based on experience. Any ancient medical system has value for modern medicine. Therefore, I also need to learn about the ancient medical systems of other civilizations and learn from them, such as Ayurveda from India."

"But India is not in our hands. I hope that one day you can take over India, and then we can capture India's famous doctors and put them to our use."

Zhu Yin couldn't help but give a wry smile. "Qingchen, your ideas are quite unconventional and even a bit crazy. I don't know what to say. No wonder your sister calls you a little demon doctor."

"Alright. If I really manage to conquer India, I'll capture their renowned doctors and bring them back. In short, I support your great cause unconditionally."

Ning Qingchen smiled sweetly, "Little Tiger, you're actually a really good person. Unlike my sister. If she heard what I said, she would definitely scoff and think I'm childish."

The little girl handed out a "good person" card, then picked up a piece of Chongyang cake, stretched out her little hand, and said kindly, "Here you go."

Zhu Yin could only accept the Chongyang cake and said with a smile, "I also think I'm pretty good."

After saying that, he swallowed the Chongyang cake in one gulp.

Ning Qingchen's eyes lit up. "Little Tiger, didn't you say that tomorrow is the grand banquet at Linde Hall to celebrate the meritorious officials who quelled the rebellion in the Northwest? I want to go too."

"You?" Zhu Yin shook his head. "The grand banquet at Linde Hall is held in the Zhongji Hall of the palace. Those who attend are all meritorious officials, court officials, and envoys. You can't get in at all."

The "Linde Hall Grand Banquet" is actually a term used in the Tang Dynasty; there was no Linde Hall in the Ming Dynasty. The so-called Linde Hall Banquet was simply an elegant way of referring to a victory celebration banquet.

Therefore, the location of the celebration banquet in Linde Hall could not be the non-existent Linde Hall, but rather in Zhongji Hall or Wuying Hall.

Ning Qingchen's big eyes curved into a smile. "Really? Okay, since I can't get in, then forget it. But you have to make it up to me."

"The Double Ninth Festival is coming soon. On the ninth day, you must take me to the Western Hills to climb high and enjoy the view, drink chrysanthemum wine, eat crabs, and wear dogwood."

So that was her real purpose.

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "Alright. I promise you, it's just spending the Double Ninth Festival with you."

Just as the two were talking, Emperor Kangxi suddenly came forward with a large red invitation card in his hand to report:

"My lord, a junior official from the Ministry of Rites just delivered an invitation, inviting you to the victory celebration banquet at Linde Hall tomorrow afternoon."

Ning Qingchen laughed and said, "We were just talking about the victory celebration banquet when the invitation from the Ministry of Rites arrived."

Zhu Yin took it and opened it, only to find that the address was Wuying Hall, not Zhongji Hall.

Zhu Yin frowned, feeling immediately displeased.

According to etiquette, the Northwest War was such a great achievement, and the Hetao region was recovered. It should have been a first-class victory celebration banquet, held in the Zhongji Hall, one of the three main halls.

However, the Ministry of Rites chose the Wuying Hall as the venue for the banquet. While the Wuying Hall had hosted victory banquets before, they were all for general celebrations of achievements and did not match the great victory in the Northwest.

This was clearly not the Grand Minister's intention, but the Emperor's.

They were truly trying to downplay the great victory in the Northwest and diminish their own and Qi Jiguang's contributions.

Zhu Yin's expression was amused. All the officials could see through Emperor Bai Jin's intentions. Wasn't he afraid of criticism from his ministers?
Such self-righteousness is just plain stupid.

Kangxi said, "The Ministry of Rites will send invitations to General Qi, Lady Qin, and others. The Ministry of Rites has also issued a notice. However, the Emperor will not attend."

"Is it strange that the emperor isn't attending?" Zhu Yin sneered. "What I care about is who he sent in his place."

"Go and inform the family members in the palace to find a way to allow the eldest prince to attend. Also, have a few of the censors who are close to us submit memorials requesting that the eldest prince attend the victory banquet." "Yes, sir!" Kangxi accepted the order.

He knew very well that the lord not only wanted to see his princes and students, but also wanted to take this opportunity to have the eldest prince come out and meet the ministers, thus increasing the eldest prince's presence.

A teacher's heart is like a father's.

.........

As dusk settles, the Forbidden City shines like a galaxy, resembling a celestial palace reflecting the heavens.

Especially in the Qianqing Palace, where the emperor resided, the palace lanterns shone brightly.

At this moment, melodious music suddenly came from the direction of the Western Six Palaces, and a group of palace servants carrying palace lanterns escorted a jade carriage toward the Qianqing Palace.

The palace servants and eunuchs by the roadside all knelt down upon seeing this magnificent and noble carriage.

According to the etiquette system of the Ming Dynasty, only the Empress and the Empress Dowager were qualified to ride in the imperial carriage.

However, everyone knew that the visitor was not the Empress, but the Imperial Noble Consort Zheng.

Every morning and evening, the Imperial Concubine would bring the third prince to the Qianqing Palace to pay her respects to her father, the Emperor.

Therefore, everyone in the palace knew that the grandfather and the empress met at least twice a day. Many times, the empress even spent the entire day in the Qianqing Palace with the third prince, together with the grandfather.

"Her Majesty has arrived! We respectfully welcome her!"

The eunuch on duty at the foot of the jade steps of the Qianqing Palace shouted in a loud voice and was the first to prostrate himself on the ground.

The palace servants outside the hall immediately knelt down.

The jade carriage came to a steady stop outside the Qianqing Palace, and a beautiful woman with a face as fair as a lotus flower and a radiant complexion stepped out. She was dressed in a pheasant-patterned robe, and her hair was adorned with jewels. She was elegant and noble, and her face held an air of authority that made people afraid to look directly at her.

This beautiful woman in palace attire is none other than Consort Zheng, who enjoys exclusive favor in the six palaces and wields immense power within the imperial court.

"Get up, everyone." The beautiful woman in palace attire swept her phoenix eyes over him. "Help the young master down."

"Young Master" is the term used in the palace to address the crown prince, but the Ming Dynasty had not yet established a crown prince.

However, two palace servants immediately stepped forward respectfully, carefully reaching their hands into the jade carriage, and said in a humble tone:
"Young master? We've arrived."

A boy with his head shaved, leaving only a topknot and bangs, resembling a Mongolian child, yawned as he was helped down from the jade carriage, the jade ornaments on his body jingling.

The boy's hairstyle and even his yisa (a traditional Mongolian garment) resemble Mongolian attire.

According to the rules of the Ming Dynasty palace, all princes and princesses under the age of eight had their heads shaved, and could only start growing their hair back after they turned eight. It was said that this would reduce the number of lice and make them easier to raise.

At first glance, someone who didn't know better might mistake him for a young prince of some Mongolian noble family.

This custom actually existed in old Beijing during the period when the city fought against the Khitans. From the Liao to the Yuan dynasties, this foreign influence persisted for several centuries, and the Ming imperial family, who moved north to Yanjing (Beijing), also adopted this custom.

This child is none other than Zhu Changxun, the third prince, whom everyone in the palace adores and who is the current emperor's favorite. Everyone says he is extremely fortunate and will have great blessings in the future.

"Get out of the way." Zhu Changxun waved his hand impatiently, shaking off the two palace maids. "I can walk!"

After saying that, he skipped and hopped straight into the Qianqing Palace, calling out in a clear, childish voice, "Father! Father! Your son has come to pay his respects!"

"Ouch!" The eunuch Gao Huai hurriedly rushed out of the palace gate, bowing low and smiling obsequiously.
"Slow down, young master! Don't fall, you precious sir..."

"You bastard, you're always so noisy!" Zhu Changxun, though young, was used to being arrogant. "Get out of the way, a good dog doesn't block the way!"

"This servant deserves to die! Young master, please!" Gao Huai quickly stepped aside, his round face, as big as a buttock, beaming with a smile.

"Has Grandpa used it?" Consort Zheng asked in a melodious voice, like pearls falling onto a jade plate, while holding the hand of a female official.

Her voice is very pleasant. Although she is from the north, it has the soft and gentle quality of a woman from the south. If you didn't know her, you would think she came from the south.

Gao Huai quickly reported, "Grandpa is using it now. And you know what? Lighting it and inhaling it is much more comfortable than swallowing it before. Grandpa says this new method is good, and it brings even more good fortune than the 'Longevity Ointment.' He even rewarded Zong Qin with one tael of gold for it, saying he was clever..."

Consort Zheng nodded, glanced at Gao Huai, and gave him a meaningful remark:

"Zongqin is indeed a smart and sensible man. I know what you're thinking. Don't hold any prejudice against Zongqin. He's a loyal minister of Grandfather anyway, and he can't get in your way. You're an old man; how could Grandfather and I not side with you?"

"Yes, yes!" Gao Huai nodded and bowed, wiping away tears. "Your Majesty is more insightful than anyone else, truly a living Bodhisattva. How could we servants possibly hide our thoughts from you? Yet Your Majesty cares for us more than anyone else..."

"Get the hell out of here!" Consort Zheng laughed and cursed. "Who are you putting on this show for? You're someone who's about to go out to supervise the army and fight, and you're always crying? What a joke!"

Gao Huai chuckled and teased, "Doesn't Your Majesty know that this servant has no eggs?"

Consort Zheng chuckled, her body trembling as she said, "You dog servant can't produce anything ivory, bah!"

As they spoke, Consort Zheng was escorted into the magnificent Qianqing Palace.

The Qianqing Palace was brightly lit, with twenty-four enamel palace lanterns illuminating the treasures throughout the hall, and the fragrance of ambergris mixed with osmanthus wafting through the air.

The polished gold brick floor is like a mirror, reflecting the palace lanterns and making them shine brilliantly.

Between the pillars, dozens of palace maids and eunuchs stood silently with their hands clasped, not uttering a single cough.

However, this magnificent jade palace was not quiet; instead, there was light singing and dancing, melodious music, tinkling bells, swirling smoke, and fragrant aromas, making it hard to tell whether it was in the mortal world or a celestial palace.

Deep within the palace, draped with layers of curtains and painted screens, in the central warm pavilion, a thick Lingzhou carpet was laid out. Several barefoot women, draped in light gauze and adorned with silver bells, were dancing the Heavenly Demon Dance of the Western Regions.

These women had high noses and deep-set eyes, and all of them had unbound feet. They were not Han Chinese women, but rather Hu women from the Western Regions.

The graceful dance moves, accompanied by the melodious tinkling of anklets and armlets, are enchanting and captivating, stirring the heart.

Beautiful Hu women are rare in the Central Plains today, but they are not uncommon in the imperial palace.

A plump, fair-skinned man of about thirty years old, wearing a Dongpo scarf and a Taoist robe with a cloud and dragon pattern, dressed in a casual manner, leaned lazily against a rosewood dragon couch.

He held a white jade staff, puffing out smoke as he watched the song and dance with great interest. Two palace maids knelt before the couch, each holding one of his feet, massaging them gently with their small hands.

The man had a very auspicious square face, earlobes like pearls, clear and bright eyes, an extraordinary demeanor, and noble character.

But upon closer inspection, his fair complexion, clean-shaven face, and small, slightly sunken mouth gave him a somewhat matronly appearance.

This noble person enjoying a life of leisure in the Qianqing Palace is none other than the current emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Wanli, Zhu Yijun.

The most honored man of the Ming Dynasty suddenly put down the white jade staff, picked up a cup of wine from the imperial table, took a sip, sat cross-legged on the dragon couch, and said to himself:

"I see that this Hu woman's big feet, though they are not bound, are quite charming, and she is very clever when she dances."

A young eunuch standing nearby immediately said with a smile:
"Grandpa's words couldn't be more true. These Hu women don't bind their feet. Although their large feet are quite unsightly, their dancing is truly beautiful and has many wonderful aspects..."

Emperor Wanli laughed and said, "Gao Cai, you dog of a servant, how come you care more than I do?"

Suddenly a beautiful voice rang out: "Old nanny, you still like Hu Ji's feet? What's so good about such big feet? I really don't understand."

No sooner had she spoken than Consort Zheng appeared before the Emperor with a beaming smile, pulling along the handsome Third Prince.

"You may leave," Consort Zheng waved to the Hu women.

The women bowed together and walked backwards out of the hall.

"My lady has finally arrived. Please, have a seat." Emperor Wanli patted the imperial couch, then looked at his third son and said with a smile:
"My son, did you upset your mother again today?"

"No!" Zhu Changxun replied, "Your son greets Your Majesty!"

After saying that, he knelt down as nimbly as a little monkey and kowtowed repeatedly.

Consort Zheng sat down next to the Emperor and pointed to her son, saying:

"Old nanny, your son is quite something. I don't know whether to be angry or amused."

Wanli laughed and said, "What's so terrible? What has he done this time? Surely he hasn't extorted money from the palace servants again? Haha, Xiao Zhen!"

"What are you saying!" Consort Zheng playfully patted the Emperor. "He actually said today that he wants to play with his elder brother and even wants to go to Jingyang Palace to find him. He said that he sees Father Emperor more than once a day, but his elder brother can't see Father Emperor for a whole year. How pitiful."

"Hehe, old nanny, your son is so kind and gentle, truly a kind-hearted man. I am so happy for him."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Wanli immediately understood what Consort Zheng meant.

His smile immediately faded. "My lady, please calm down. Let me ask him properly."

Then, taking the third prince's hand, she asked with a serious expression:
"Chang Xun, tell your father, who told you to go play with your elder brother? Who mentioned your elder brother to you? Hmm?"

PS: This is the first time this book directly depicts Emperor Baijin and Consort Zheng. Also, the term "servant" did exist in the Ming Dynasty and was quite common. Secondly, Consort Zheng's nickname for Emperor Wanli is probably not incorrect.

(End of this chapter)