Chapter 169: Is There Really Such a Good Thing?

Seeing that Yan Ning had arrived, Qian Ruofang finished her final bit of teaching and immediately came out to find her.

Yan Ning watched for a few minutes and saw that the thirty students in the class were all studying very earnestly, which allowed her to set her mind at ease.

Come to think of it, the medical system is just as important as the Kexueyuan.

To a certain extent, a perfected medical system is even more important.

Yan Ning asked Qian Ruofang, "How have you felt these past few months?"

Qian Ruofang smiled and said, "The students are very good; many of them can draw inferences about other cases from one instance and can even raise many interesting questions."

Yan Ning walked with her toward her office.

Inside the office were three desks and an entire wall of medicinal herbs.

At this moment, only Qian Ruofang was there.

Yan Ning asked with a smile, "To what extent have these students learned? How much longer until we can open branch schools in other places?"

At the mention of this, Qian Ruofang sighed.

Yan Ning's expression also became grave, "Is something the matter?"

Qian Ruofang nodded.

She said, "Actually, I feel that the students are all studying very earnestly, and they have no problem treating simple illnesses now, it's just that..."

Qian Ruofang carefully weighed her words and said, "I feel that it is still somewhat difficult to keep the Medical Academy running; I have privately heard several young girls say they want to go back and open a medical clinic, or that they want to go serve as household physicians for wealthy families."

"There aren't many who are wholeheartedly devoted to the medical arts and wish to save the world."

Yan Ning didn't have much of a reaction; after all, everyone has their own self-interests.

Yan Ning said, "It is normal to have these thoughts; not everyone can be selfless and devoted. This is my failure to consider things thoroughly—without rewards, why would anyone be willing to stay at the Medical Academy as a teacher?"

Qian Ruofang could not quite understand her meaning, so she asked, "How should this matter be resolved?"

Yan Ning thought for a moment: "It's not difficult; just make the Medical Academy similar to the Kexueyuan—the Dean is a Second Rank Official, teachers are Fourth Rank Officials, and branch deans are Fourth Rank Officials, with branch teachers being Sixth Rank Officials. This will absolutely solve the problem."

Qian Ruofang was somewhat hesitant.

After a good while, she asked, "Your Highness, we are all women here; can we truly become officials?"

Yan Ning revealed a smile, "I have already become the Crown Princess; it certainly won't be difficult for you all to become officials."

Yan Ning looked outside the door and whispered, "I am thinking that it is inappropriate to make you the Dean directly. There is an old man in the Imperial Hospital with superb medical skills who is the Director of the Imperial Hospital. If he is willing to teach students, we will give him the position of Dean, and in two years when his health fails, you will take over."

Yan Ning felt that with Qian Ruofang's selfless dedication, she was worthy of being the Dean.

It was just that she was too young and a woman; if she brought it up at Court, there would certainly be ministers who opposed it.

They had worked hard to pass the Imperial Examination, toiling for ten years after ten years, only to finally become First or Second Rank Officials, and yet here was someone young and inexperienced becoming a proper Second Rank Official directly.

How could this be allowed?

Yan Ning letting the Director of the Imperial Hospital come to serve as Dean for a period of time should not provoke too much opposition.

She didn't believe that with an official position dangled in front of them, they could resist coming to work.

The benefits for officials in the Daxia dynasty were quite good, and besides, that was becoming an official!

At the morning court the next day, Yan Ning brought up this matter.

Yan Ning looked at the assembled officials and said, "I believe that in order to ensure that the common people can find a doctor when they fall ill, the Medical Academy should also be incorporated into the establishment."

"The Medical Academy will be similar to the Research Institute: the Dean of the Capital Medical Academy will be a Second Rank Official, the teachers of medicine will be Fourth Rank Officials, and assistants will be Sixth Rank Officials. For branch schools in other cities, the Dean will be a Fourth Rank Official, teachers will be Sixth Rank Officials, and assistants will be Seventh Rank."

"What do you all think?"

To Yan Ning's surprise, no one opposed it this time, though several people came over to ask questions.

The Minister of Personnel asked, "Why must the Medical Academy be changed to be similar to the Research Institute?"

Yan Ning pondered for a moment and replied, "Our Daxia dynasty does not have a perfected medical system. Even if they have money, if the women in their households fall ill, they cannot find a doctor. Those who are luckier can find a female doctor in the Capital, but as far as I know, there is only one female doctor, and that is Qian Ruofang, who is currently teaching medicine at the Medical Academy."

The Minister of Personnel understood: "Your Highness wishes to cultivate more female doctors so that women may find it easier to seek medical treatment."

Yan Ning nodded: "That is indeed the case. But now we have encountered other difficulties."

The Minister of Personnel was somewhat puzzled: "What problems have you encountered?"

Yan Ning said, "Most of the female doctors cultivated by the Medical Academy are thinking of opening small medical clinics or entering households to serve as household physicians; they have no intention of going to branch schools to teach. I am thinking of giving the teachers at the Medical Academy a good official position."

The Minister of Revenue was the first to be dissatisfied.

He stood out and said unhappily, "A lot of silver was spent cultivating those female doctors; we aren't running a charity. If everyone thinks this way, wouldn't it be a waste of time?"

Other officials also chimed in one after another.

Yan Ning knew that the thoughts of these people were indeed unkind.

But if she truly forced them to go to the Medical Academy branch schools to be teachers, their hearts wouldn't be in educating others; after all, a twisted melon is not sweet.

Yan Ning said, "I think making them officials is the simplest and most direct method."

The Minister of Personnel pondered for a moment and asked again, "Would the official rank be set too high?"

"The Dean of the Research Institute is set as a Second Rank Official, but they are capable of producing good things. The Medical Academy only teaches medicine; there is no need to set it so high."

The Minister of Revenue also came out and said, "The official positions in our Daxia dynasty are already quite redundant; if we add more officials, I fear the national treasury will not be able to bear the burden."

Yan Ning's attitude was firm: "Medicine and technology are both very important."

Moreover, her purpose in running the Medical Academy was not just to teach women to study medicine.

Perhaps in the future, the Medical Academy could be like the Research Institute and conduct research to further develop the medical arts.

If her father were to browse the Modern Plane again in the future, he must have them trade over all the medical textbooks and academic papers.

Yan Ning did not mention this in Court, as it would be difficult to realize in the short term.

Quite a few officials felt that Yan Ning's method was not bad.

Every family had female relatives, and it would be good to have more female doctors.

As for the rank, most officials felt it was not a problem.

At this time, an official came out to speak in support of Yan Ning: "This humble official believes that the Crown Princess's method is excellent. Since they have brought out their family's secret arts to teach others, how could they not be worthy of a Fourth Rank official position?"

In the end, everyone felt it was feasible.

On the other side, the Medical Academy.

Qian Ruofang came over to teach the class, and she said with a smile, "I have good news to tell you all today."

Everyone pricked up their ears, afraid they might miss any good news.

The smile on Qian Ruofang's face deepened.

"The Crown Princess says that the Deans of the Medical Academy and the future branch academies, as well as the female physicians who teach medicine, can all enter the imperial court as officials, and teachers like me who instruct you can be conferred the title of Fourth Rank Official."

"In the future, if you return to the medical academies in your hometowns to teach medicine, you can also enter the imperial court as officials."

Everyone gasped.

Could there really be such a good thing?