Tang Dynasty: Saving Lives and Helping Others, Li Lizhi Falls for Him

During their conversation, the two walked together toward the free clinic booth.

Li Chengqian asked Guo Hu to send the medicine back to the East Palace first, but he stayed behind, saying he wanted to see Shen Chang'an's free medical consultation.

Shen Chang'an did not refuse, sat down behind the wooden table, and began today's free clinic.

Li Chengqian stood aside, watching Shen Chang'an diagnose the people's pulses, prescribe medicine, and administer acupuncture.

He watched very carefully, occasionally exchanging a few words with the people in line.

"Old man, what illness do you have?" Li Chengqian asked an elderly man with white hair.

"In reply to your question, young master, I suffer from chronic leg pain. Doctor Shen gave me some acupuncture and prescribed some medicine, and I feel much better now," the old man said with a smile. "Doctor Shen is a living bodhisattva; he doesn't charge a penny and even gives medicine to the poor."

Li Chengqian nodded and then asked a few more people.

Some said that Dr. Shen saved their child's life, while others said that Dr. Shen cured their long-standing illness; their words were full of gratitude.

Li Chengqian's admiration for Shen Chang'an deepened even further.

While receiving treatment, Shen Chang'an was thinking about something else.

The Tang Dynasty's army certainly needed better medical care.

Hemostatic powder and wound medicine can solve some problems, but they are far from enough.

On the battlefield, in addition to knife and arrow wounds, there is an even more deadly problem: wound infection.

He recalled that in later films and television shows, ancient soldiers often used strong liquor to clean and disinfect their wounds after being injured.

But wine in the Tang Dynasty...

Shen Chang'an recalled the wine he had drunk in the Tang Dynasty.

There were two main types of wine popular in Chang'an: one was "turbid wine," which was brewed from grains, undistilled, and had a very low alcohol content. It tasted sweet and sour, more like rice wine.

Another type is "sake," which is filtered and slightly stronger than cloudy sake, but still only around ten degrees.

Such wine, when used to clean wounds, is barely effective.

Distilled spirits, also known as baijiu in later times, can have an alcohol content of 40 to 50 degrees or even higher. They are far more effective than cloudy wine in disinfecting wounds.

"If we could make distilled spirits..." Shen Chang'an thought to himself.

The benefits of distilled spirits don't stop there.

High-proof spirits can be used as military supplies, as they can disinfect wounds and relieve soldiers' fatigue and pain.

In addition, spirits could be traded for military supplies.

However, distilled spirits have one problem: they consume too much grain.

Although the Tang Dynasty was growing stronger, it was not rich in grain. If a large amount of grain were used to brew wine, it would likely cause grain prices to rise, or even lead to famine.

However, Shen Chang'an had a solution.

He opened the system panel and glanced at the redeemable items.

【Redeemable Items】

[Sweet potato seeds]: 10 seeds/per portion, yield can reach over 2,000 jin per mu, drought-resistant and tolerant of poor soil.

Potato seeds: 15 grams per portion, yield can reach over 1,500 catties per mu, highly adaptable.

[Corn Seeds]: 20 seeds/portion, yield can reach over 1,000 kg/mu, stalks can be used as feed.

-

Seeing these exchange items, Shen Chang'an felt a slight surge of joy.

These high-yield crops of later generations were not expensive.

A few dozen merit points can be exchanged for a seed, which can be planted and continuously propagated.

Within a few years, the Tang Dynasty's grain production could be increased several times over.

By then, using some of the grain to brew wine will not affect the people's food supply.

"I need to bring this up at the right time," Shen Chang'an thought to himself.

He snapped out of his thoughts and continued taking the patient's pulse.

……

At 3:45 AM, the free clinic was nearing its end.

Shen Chang'an was writing a prescription for his last patient when his consciousness suddenly stirred.

On the distant official road, a blue-curtained carriage slowly approached, with several plainclothes guards at the front and back.

The carriage stopped not far from the free clinic stall. A corner of the curtain was lifted, revealing a dignified face.

It was Li Shimin.

Shen Chang'an felt a slight stirring in his heart, but remained outwardly calm. He continued writing the prescription, giving the patient instructions, before standing up to pack his medicine box.

Li Chengqian also noticed the carriage and quickly went to greet it.

"Dr. Shen," he returned quickly, cupping his hands in greeting, "My father has arrived and wishes to invite Dr. Shen for a chat. I wonder if Dr. Shen would do me the honor?"

Shen Chang'an glanced at him and nodded: "Please wait a moment, young master, while I tidy up."

He packed up his medicine box, slung it over his shoulder, and followed Li Chengqian toward the carriage.

Li Shimin had already alighted from the carriage, with Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang standing behind him.

All three were dressed casually, but their imposing presence was undeniable.

"Master Li," Shen Chang'an bowed respectfully.

"Dr. Shen, I'm sorry to bother you."

Li Shimin returned the greeting with a smile, "I have prepared some simple wine today and would like to invite Doctor Shen to move to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion for a chat. Is that alright?"

Shen Chang'an understood immediately—this was about discussing the hemostatic powder.

"You're too kind, sir. I humbly accept your offer."

The group boarded the carriage and headed towards Zuixianlou.

……

Zuixianlou, Lingyunge.

It was the same private room as last time, but the dishes today were much more refined than last time.

The fish sashimi was sliced ​​as thin as cicada wings, the roasted mutton was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and there were also several seasonal fresh vegetables, making it a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.

Li Shimin sat in the main seat, Shen Chang'an sat in the guest seat, and Li Chengqian, Li Chunfeng, and Yuan Tiangang took their seats in turn.

"Dr. Shen, we are so grateful to you these past few days." Li Shimin raised his wine cup. "The Empress, the Crown Prince, and my daughter's health have all improved. I... I toast you."

Shen Chang'an raised his glass in return: "You're too kind, sir. It's just a doctor's duty."

After several rounds of drinks, Li Shimin's expression became more serious.

"Dr. Shen," he put down his wine glass, "I invited you here today not only to express my gratitude, but also to discuss something with you."

"Please speak, sir."

"I looked at the two prescriptions you gave Chengqian yesterday. The Imperial Hospital also prepared them accordingly, but the effect was far inferior to the medicine you prepared yourself."

Li Shimin looked directly at Shen Chang'an, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "I want to know, could you... teach your special technique to the people in the Imperial Medical Academy? Even just one or two would be fine. Of course, you can name your price."

Shen Chang'an remained silent for a moment.

He knew Li Shimin would make this request, and he had already thought about how to answer it.

“Master Li,” he said slowly, “it’s not that I’m hiding something, it’s just that…this technique is something no one else can learn.”

"Why?" Li Shimin pressed.

"Because when I'm refining it, I don't use ordinary methods, but rather... the internal energy unique to cultivators." Shen Chang'an carefully chose his words. "Internal energy drives the fire, maximizing the medicinal properties of the herbs. Ordinary people don't have internal energy, so even if they know the method, they can't do it."

Li Shimin turned to Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang.

Li Chunfeng cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, what Doctor Shen said is true. The internal energy of a cultivator does indeed have such an effect. I also know some rudimentary alchemy techniques, but Doctor Shen's internal energy is profound and far beyond my reach."

Yuan Tiangang nodded, "I can testify. What Doctor Shen said is the truth."

Li Shimin remained silent.

He picked up his glass, took a sip, and put it down.

"Dr. Shen," his voice was somewhat low, "then... is it really impossible to mass-produce this medicine?"

Shen Chang'an thought for a moment and said, "Sir, although I cannot produce in large quantities, the Imperial Hospital can. The medicine made according to the prescription, although less effective, is still much better than ordinary wound medicine and hemostatic powder on the market. Making more and supplying the army should be enough."

Li Shimin sighed.

He knew Shen Chang'an was telling the truth, but he still felt somewhat resentful.

"That's enough."

Li Shimin waved his hand, a smile returning to his face. "It's already an immense favor that Doctor Shen was able to prescribe the medicine. Come, have another cup."

Shen Chang'an raised his cup and drank it all.

He put down his wine cup and suddenly spoke: "Sir, there is something I wish to say, but I am not sure if I should."

"Dr. Shen, please speak."

"During my free clinic yesterday, I heard that soldiers often die from infected wounds. I'm reminded of a kind of... wine. If it could be brewed and used to clean wounds, it could greatly reduce the risk of infection."

Li Shimin's interest was immediately piqued: "What kind of wine?"

"Distilled spirits," Shen Chang'an said. "Ordinary liquor has a low alcohol content and is not very effective at cleaning wounds. However, if the liquor is repeatedly distilled, the resulting high-proof spirit is far more effective at disinfecting wounds than ordinary liquor."

"Distillation?" Li Shimin frowned. "What is distillation?"

Shen Chang'an took a bowl from the table, poured in some water, and then took an empty bowl, gesturing as he explained, "Heating the wine causes the vapor to rise, which then condenses into liquid upon contact with the cold air. Collecting this liquid produces distilled spirits. Repeating this process several times results in an extremely strong liquor that won't go out even when ignited."

Li Shimin's eyes lit up.

"Dr. Shen, can you brew this kind of wine?"

Shen Chang'an nodded: "I know the method. However..."

"Just what?"

"However, distilling spirits requires a large amount of grain. Although the Tang Dynasty is prosperous and peaceful, grain is not abundant. If a large amount of grain is used to brew spirits, it may affect the livelihood of the people."

Li Shimin nodded, then frowned again.

Seeing this, Shen Chang'an smiled slightly: "Sir, there's no need to worry. I have a way to solve the food problem."

"What method?"

"I have several kinds of seeds: sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn."

"These crops can yield over 1,000 or even 2,000 jin per mu, are drought-resistant and can thrive in poor soil, and do not occupy fertile land. Once planted, doubling grain production within three to five years will not be a problem."

Li Shimin's pupils suddenly contracted.

Yield of over 1,000 jin per mu?

Even the best farmland in the Tang Dynasty could only yield two or three hundred catties of millet per mu (a Chinese unit of area, approximately 0.165 acres). If there were truly a crop that could yield a thousand catties per mu...

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