Chapter 147: Automatic Loom

Regarding this, Qian Ruofang was somewhat surprised.

Why would Yan Ning suddenly want to establish a Medical Academy? Was there an epidemic or had some major event occurred?

Yan Ning was filled with worry, "That's not it. It's just that when I went to the teahouse a few days ago, I heard people say that it is inconvenient for women to see a doctor, and for many matters, they can only seek out a female doctor. But female doctors are truly scarce, and some people are just dragged to their deaths by a minor illness."

"If there were a Medical Academy that could train female doctors, it would be much more convenient for women to seek medical treatment in the future. Once the female students complete their studies, I will pay them handsomely to go to various regions to open Medical Academies, so that all women can see a doctor."

Qian Ruofang was lost in thought and said to her, "His Highness is benevolent; this is indeed a method that benefits the country and the people. I am willing to teach. As long as they are willing to learn, I am willing to impart all the medical knowledge of my Qian family without reservation."

Yan Ning immediately took out several Silver Notes and handed them to her, "You will have to work hard from now on, but I will discuss it with my father to arrange an official position for you at Court."

Qian Ruofang was surprised, "This can even be arranged as an official position? Can women also enter the Court to serve as officials?"

Yan Ning said with a smile, "I am able to become the Crown Princess, so of course women can enter the Court to serve as officials. Not long ago, my father even issued an order that women can also take the Imperial Examination in the future. If too few women participate in the examination in a certain area, we will even send people to investigate the local situation."

Qian Ruofang said with a smile, "My Zhizhi has been clamoring every day to take the Imperial Examination ever since she started attending the County School. I thought she was just a child being unreasonable; it turns out it really is possible to take the Imperial Examination."

Yan Ning thought of another problem.

Qian Ruofang was only one person; if too many people came to learn from her, she would likely be exhausted to death.

Yan Ning thought it over and decided she still needed to find a few helpers.

Yan Ning asked, "I feel that since there are many people, you might not be able to handle it all. How about finding a few imperial physicians from the palace to come and help?"

After reaching an agreement with Qian Ruofang, Yan Ning began to scout for a suitable place to build the Medical Academy.

She only planned to recruit one hundred female medical students because the dormitory building she planned could only accommodate one hundred people.

The Medical Academy in the Capital was considered a pilot project, and one hundred people were more than enough.

Any more than that, and she estimated that Qian Ruofang and the imperial physicians would not be able to cope.

Moreover, medicine takes a long time to study; modern medical students have to study for many years before they can go to a hospital.

Yan Ning thought that promoting medical skills would consume a lot of time and require a great deal of energy.

But this had to be done.

She found an open space and said to Wei Wu, who was following behind her, "I am going to draw a rough sketch; you all help go recruit people to build the medical academy."

Wei Wu was somewhat hesitant and said, "This... with the end of the year approaching, I'm afraid it won't be easy to find people. Everyone has gone back home for the New Year."

Yan Ning said to them, "I will pay extra; you must build the Medical Academy quickly."

The sooner it is built, the sooner these female doctors can go and treat women.

Yan Ning quickly drew a simple sketch. Upon entering the main gate of the Medical Academy, directly opposite was a three-story building; each floor had eight rooms, all of which were four-person dormitories.

The left and right sides were classrooms, and there was also a canteen on the side that could provide meals for them to eat together.

After the blueprint was drawn, Yan Ning handed it to Wei Wu and asked him to hire people to help build the house. Usually, when hiring people to build a house, two meals are provided and the pay is twenty wen per day. Yan Ning offered thirty wen per day, and for the days from New Year's Eve to the seventh day of the first lunar month, the pay was one hundred wen per day.

She didn't believe no one would come to do it.

Besides, she was also providing two meals here.

Yan Ning remembered something, turned back, and went to find Qian Ruofang again.

She asked, "By the way, do you have any basic books? You need textbooks to teach them. Which books need to be carved for printing?"

Qian Ruofang took out a somewhat worn-out book, "This is a book written by the elders of my Qian family. We all started learning from this book."

However, as soon as Yan Ning looked at it, she quickly fell silent.

This was a book for identifying medicinal herbs; if this were to be carved for printing, it would take a lot of effort.

But these were all minor problems; she would just have the craftsmen carve it first and go from there.

Soon, the end of the year was approaching.

Yan Ze gave the officials a holiday early and wanted to rest himself; during the New Year, one is meant to rest.

At this time, Yan Ning and Yan Ze were reviewing memorials. With the New Year approaching, both of them had become slack.

So, they had to finish them quickly to avoid having to review memorials on New Year's Eve.

Yan Ze saw a memorial and said happily, "Someone is praising my benevolence again."

Yan Ning leaned over to look, "Is there any praise for me?"

Yan Ze shuffled through the memorials that had already been reviewed, "Here, it says that your establishing of the School and promoting high-yield Seeds is very good, benefiting the country and the people."

Although she had seen several memorials earlier that were remonstrating with Yan Ning, telling her not to get involved in so many things because the national treasury could not support it.

At this time, Yan Ning picked up the memorial written by the Minister of Revenue. It contained quite a bit of praise at the beginning, but the main point was at the end.

"I hope the Crown Princess can slow down the progress of those messy things and consider the national treasury."

Yan Ning complained, "How are those messy things? Aren't they all things that benefit the country and the people?"

Yan Ze nodded, "Indeed. In the future, if you have anything, tell your father. When the time comes to go to the Court, we will issue a decree directly and make those opposing voices shut up immediately."

Yan Ning smiled, her eyes curving into crescents.

Her father was still the most reliable.

At this moment, Eunuch Wu came to report, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, Yun Shu requests an audience."

Yan Ning recalled the things Yun Shu had been tinkering with during this period; could it be that the Automatic Loom was already finished?

Yan Ning hurriedly said, "Quick, bring him in."

When Yun Shu arrived, he was carrying a large box, entering steadily.

Yun Shu placed the box down and said to the two of them, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, my Automatic Loom is finished."

As he spoke, he took out two models and said to Yan Ning, "The Textile Machine is done."

One could see a textile machine the size of a watermelon being taken out. After connecting the textile machine, it was indeed able to weave cloth automatically.

However, Yun Shu said, "I tried many methods, but the original textile machine is very difficult to convert into an Automatic Loom."

Yan Ning pondered for a moment and said, "Then do not promote the Automatic Loom for the time being."

Yun Shu was puzzled, "Why? With the textile machine, weaving cloth would be much more convenient."

Yan Ning sighed, "The common people at the bottom already have few ways to make money. If the automatic weaving machine is promoted and all the merchants buy them to weave cloth automatically, it will cut off the livelihood of many people."

Yun Shu understood, nodded, and said, "So that's how it is, then there is no need. His Highness, I heard you want to send a fleet to explore the other continents; how about I make a Steamship?"

Yan Ning's eyes lit up, "You may."

She had no intention of sending people on a voyage to the West right now, but she could make a model first.

Sending people to assemble a fleet now is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

In ancient times, without high-yield crops like Sweet Potato and Potato, sending people to search everywhere was worthwhile.

Now that there are Sweet Potato and Potato, there is no such necessity for the time being.

Moreover, long-distance voyages are indeed expensive, and building a fleet is actually very suitable for use in the "Broken Window Effect."

Before she wants to do anything, she will first bring up building a fleet, and the Minister of Revenue will likely not cry poor about the problems she brings up later.