Green Mountain-Chapter 743 - 594: Studying Medicine

The Imperial Hospital was in complete chaos.

Chen Ji stood quietly outside the threshold, listening to the sound of chairs falling, cries of alarm, and the mingling of footsteps inside, as if the Jing Dynasty had already marched into the Imperial Capital.

From the backyard came a faint sound of exasperation: "Why do you provoke him!"

Chen Ji pretended not to hear.

After some time, the Hospital Director did not appear, only the Dean, clutching the hem of his official robe, cautiously walked out. As he walked, he scrutinized Chen Ji's expression, finally stopping at the threshold.

Chen Ji smiled warmly, like a gentle spring breeze.

The Dean looked at Chen Ji's harmless demeanor with suspicion and said, "May I ask, Marquis Wu Xiang, what brings you to our Imperial Hospital? With your noble status, if you require medical treatment, you merely need to send a servant to notify the Imperial Hospital, and we will come to you."

Chen Ji pointed to the clerk at the door: "I already told the clerk that I came to borrow some medical books."

The Dean was even more puzzled: "What do you need medical books for?"

Chen Ji replied sincerely, "Naturally, to study medicine. While I was in Luocheng City, I apprenticed under Doctor Yao for two years."

The Dean was skeptical: "Doctor Yao?"

The clerk behind him whispered, "There seems to be such a thing. I heard about it in a teahouse. Back then, Doctor Yao happened to be transferred to Luocheng City, so it must really be under Doctor Yao."

Chen Ji smiled and said, "At that time, I followed my mentor and set a goal of helping the world and saving lives. Unfortunately, this year, I have been tangled in mundane affairs, and I've forgotten much of what I learned then. I wish to borrow some medical books to refresh my skills."

The Dean's gaze lingered on Chen Ji, feeling two discrepancies in his statement: "You…helping the world and saving lives? Doctor Yao…helping the world and saving lives?"

The clerk muttered to himself, "Helping the world and saving lives…if you just killed fewer people, wouldn't it be better? The number of people the Imperial Hospital saves in a year isn't as many as you kill."

At this moment, the Dean pondered for a long time before finally stepping aside to make way: "Borrowing books is not a big deal, Marquis Wu Xiang, please."

Chen Ji stepped over the high threshold, the Dean cautiously following behind, afraid of leaving anything to implicate him.

The layout of the Imperial Hospital was square, with blue bricks paving the ground.

Directly facing the main entrance was a three-bay main hall, with flying eaves and gray tiles. Below the eaves hung a plaque with gold characters on a black background, stating "Less Words Hall".

The characters were in running script, with distinct bone and muscles.

Under the corridor of the main hall stood several vermillion painted pillars, with a wooden couplet hanging on them, also with gold characters on a black background. The upper line stated, "Able to cure illness but not fate," the lower line stated, "Can't be easily muddled, rare to be muddled."

Standing in front of the couplet, Chen Ji's expression became unusual.

He glanced at it twice, feeling the handwriting was somewhat familiar: "Did my mentor write this?"

The Dean replied behind him, "These are indeed written by Doctor Yao."

Chen Ji was puzzled: "My mentor is just a seventh-rank Imperial Doctor; why did he write this couplet and plaque?"

The Dean answered cautiously, "Doctor Yao holds an extraordinary status at the Imperial Hospital. Usually, when dignitaries have incurable diseases, they call him. Even Emperor Xianzong and Emperor Xiao Zong summoned him during their final moments."

Chen Ji thought to himself that indeed, his mentor has sent off two Emperors of the Ning Dynasty…

Now, he is stuck at the peak of Innate, just one step away from Seeking Dao Realm, unable to find a way to advance, could it be that the Mountain Lord Sect's scripture truly requires imperial lives to reach Seeking Dao Realm?

He was uncertain.

Old Yao holding the fort at the Imperial Hospital, sending off so many officials and nobility, what kind of Executive Officer realm is he at?

Chen Ji was also uncertain.

Yet he heard the Dean continue, "In Jianing 26th Year, the Imperial Hospital underwent renovation, and the Hospital Director invited Doctor Yao to inscribe. He wrote the plaque for Less Words Hall and this couplet. Doctor Yao said, Imperial Doctors wishing for a long life should frequently observe this plaque and couplet. If you don't understand them, better not enter the palace to treat nobility, instead, treat your own brain first…"

Chen Ji's lips curled subtly.

He continued walking further inside, the Imperial Physicians peeking in from the backyard hastily retreated into their rooms.

On both sides of the backyard were two rows of annexes, containing rows of medicine cabinets. Labels on the drawers densely covered with names of medicinal herbs: Female Ginseng, Astragalus, Licorice, Sichuan Lovage, Rehmannia, White Atractylodes…

Chen Ji's gaze swept across those cabinets, as well as the herbs drying under the corridor.

Finally, he landed on a half-opened door, with a plaque "Read Silently" above the lintel, also in Old Yao's handwriting.

The Dean beside him, attempting to awaken Chen Ji's conscience with Doctor Yao's words: "This is the library where the Imperial Hospital stores medical books. When Doctor Yao inscribed it, he said books are more effective than Bodhisattva. Praying and meditating to Bodhisattva, without a sincere heart it won't work, even with sincerity it won't. Books are different, they're right there, open them and you can learn, understand them and you can save lives… We always respect Doctor Yao greatly, and he also cares deeply for us."

Old Yao caring deeply for the Imperial Physicians?

Chen Ji ignored the Dean's words, but before coming to the Imperial Hospital, he hadn't expected to find traces of Old Yao everywhere.

Suddenly, even towards this Dean, he felt a bit more affinity.

…

...

Chen Ji pushed open the half-closed door and stepped inside. Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, falling into the gaps between the bookshelves, illuminating strands of floating dust.

His fingers lightly brushed across the spines of the books, pulling out a copy of "Decoction Head Rhymes," which he opened, read two pages, then closed and returned to its place.

He then pulled out a copy of "Essentials of Materia Medica," flipped through a few pages, and also put it back.

The Dean stood at the door and couldn't help but ask, "What book is Marquis Wu Xiang looking for?"

Without turning his head, Chen Ji replied, "The Medical Skills Summary. It's embarrassing to say, but when I was at the Taiping Medical Hall in Luocheng City, I didn't even have the chance to finish a single Medical Skills Summary."

The Dean walked inside, drew a thick blue book from the shelf, and said, "Here it is."

Chen Ji received it with a smile, lowered his head to flip through it, and said, "Thank you, I'll read it here. You can carry on with your work... Oh, could someone bring me a chair?"

Seeing that he intended to stay for long, the Dean couldn't resist asking, "May I ask, Marquis Wu Xiang, even if you're looking to read medical books, there's no need to come to our Imperial Hospital, right? There are plenty of medical books at the Glass Factory."

Chen Ji lifted his head and frankly said, "I went to the Glass Factory yesterday to look for books, but a single medical book costs more than ten taels of silver, which is beyond my means."

The Dean was stunned for a while, never imagining that Chen Ji would come to the Imperial Hospital just to save money.

In no time, the Imperial Physicians not only brought in a chair but also kindly brewed tea for Chen Ji, offering him melons and fruits, catered to his every need.

Chen Ji didn't refuse, thanked them, and sat down to open the pages of the book.

The library became quiet.

In the main hall, the Hospital Director and Dean hid there, secretly observing the library through the gap in the door.

The library window was open, and the two of them saw Chen Ji's bright red Qilin embroidery shimmering faintly gold in the light, the Qilin pattern on his chest gently rising and falling with his breath.

Chen Ji simply sat there, reading intently, as if no one else was around.

The Hospital Director lowered his voice and asked, "Have you found out what intentions this person has in coming to our Imperial Hospital?"

The Dean hesitated and replied, "He said he couldn't afford to buy medical books, so he came to our Imperial Hospital to read and save some silver."

The Hospital Director scoffed, "I don't believe him. Someone who spent more than half a million taels of silver at the Imperial Music Bureau would come to our Imperial Hospital just to save money? Did any of you say you wanted to go to the Imperial Music Bureau earlier?"

The Dean's face changed color, "Hospital Director, please do not speak carelessly. We are merely a clean government office, if we can keep ourselves safe, that's already good enough, we dare not make such a public display at the Imperial Music Bureau. Such a thing has never happened."

The Hospital Director pondered for a moment, "Could it be the Eunuch Party has their eyes on our Imperial Hospital? Have any of you overstepped your bounds while entering the palace to treat ailments?"

The Dean's face turned bitter once more, "Who dares to overstep? After the Empress passed away this time, we are already lucky enough that no Imperial Physician was buried with her."

The Hospital Director watched quietly for a moment, "Could it really be just to read medical books?"

The Dean was filled with uncertainty, "How could that be? As a noble viscount and a member of the Eunuch Party, why would he have the leisure to come to our Imperial Hospital to read? Why read medical books, does he plan to become an Imperial Physician? What future is there in becoming an Imperial Physician!"

The Hospital Director stroked his beard, "You stay here and keep an eye on him. If he asks, tell him I went to Changping to procure medicinal materials... Find a way to see him off, even if you have to let him take the book home to read. Don't let him stay in our Imperial Hospital, as his presence makes me anxious."

...

...

Chen Ji sat in the Imperial Hospital for an entire day, not moving even when the evening drum sounded. The Medical Skills Summary that felt tedious and dull at the Taiping Medical Hall now somehow seemed absorbing.

He hadn't felt relaxed in a long time.

Or perhaps, without the scheming of the Spy Department or the Military Intelligence Department, and without the deceit and intrigue of the court, he finally had the option to do nothing.

Since traversing to the Ning Dynasty, Chen Ji's mind had never felt this at ease.

Yet, since he didn't make a move, the Imperial Physicians also didn't dare to disperse, standing guard like that.

As the sky gradually darkened, the Dean couldn't wait any longer and finally mustered up the courage to walk into the library with joined hands and said, "Marquis Wu Xiang, actually our Imperial Hospital's books can be taken home as long as you return them intact... We can even pick them up personally if necessary, returning is not required either."

Chen Ji looked up at him, eyes bright, "Just in time, Dean, the book mentions that ephedra induces sweating, while its root stops sweating. How can the stem and root of the same plant have such differing medicinal properties?"

The Dean pondered and replied, "Ephedra is hollow inside, with light and rising qi, effective at releasing the exterior by inducing sweat; its root, however, delves deep into the soil, has a nature of astringency and therefore can stop sweating. The nature of plants relates to drawing analogies, roots descend and sink, stems and leaves often ascend and float, this is common knowledge."

Chen Ji nodded in acknowledgment and asked, "And what about this pinellia? It is toxic when raw, but not when processed with ginger, what is this toxicity?"

The Dean responded, "The toxicity of pinellia lies in its mucus, which can cause throat swelling and loss of voice. Ginger's warming nature can counteract this toxicity, and temper its harsh character. In folk terms, 'Preparation of pinellia with ginger is like the cooperation of sovereign and subject,' that's the idea."

Chen Ji smiled appreciatively, "Thank you, Dean, for dispelling my doubts. This Imperial Hospital is truly a wonderful place for studying medicine; no other place offers assistance with queries. Additionally, these books are incredibly valuable, should they get lost or damaged, I cannot afford compensation at the moment, so it's better to read them at the Imperial Hospital."

The Dean thought to himself, oh no.

Before he could speak, Chen Ji waved his hand, "You can go ahead, Dean, if I have more questions, I'll call for you."

The Dean's expression changed several times, and reluctantly exited the library.