Chapter 260: Fang La

…

The reason Chen Miao Zhen came to Zhao Yu was because the Zhao-Song dynasty had established widespread civilian welfare institutions across the empire: Juyangyuan, Anjifang, and Luezeyuan.

Juyangyuan originated in the first year of Yuanfu under Emperor Zhezong, when officials in Huadong Road set up government housing to shelter widows, orphans, the elderly without family, and the destitute unable to support themselves, providing monthly grain rations and medical care for the sick.

Later, Zhao Yu named it "Juyangyuan" and promoted it nationwide.

This Juyangyuan was primarily funded by direct imperial subsidies; after Zhao Yu ascended the throne, he decreed that abandoned property and interest from the Ever-Normal Granary could supplement its budget.

Anjifang originated in the fourth year of Yuanyou under Emperor Zhezong, when Su Shi served as governor of Hangzhou and, amid frequent floods, droughts, and epidemics, raised funds independently and acquired land to establish "Anlefang," offering free medical treatment and meals.

After Zhao Yu ascended the throne, the court took over such medical wards, renamed them "Anjifang," and extended them to all prefectures and counties.

Today, Anjifang had been universally established across all prefectures and counties—it could be said to be the prototype of hospitals.

Luezeyuan was first created during the Yuanfeng era under Emperor Shenzong, when frequent wars left many corpses of strangers unclaimed and the poor unable to afford burials, so the court established Luezeyuan to collect and bury them.

After Zhao Yu ascended the throne, he reestablished Luezeyuan and vigorously promoted it.

In short, this was not charity—it was a pioneering civilian welfare project of the Zhao-Song dynasty, unprecedented in Chinese history.

To be honest, this achievement was not entirely Zhao Yu's; multiple emperors of the Northern and Southern Song dynasties had consistently upheld this welfare initiative—in history, even into the Southern Song, these three policies remained in force.

Of course, Zhao Yu, who inherited the legacy of his father and brother, had certainly done the most and done it best.

As a result, these three welfare policies became one of Zhao Yu's signature initiatives.

What Chen Miao Zhen came to Zhao Yu about was one of these three welfare policies: Anjifang.

According to Chen Miao Zhen's observations, Anjifang had good intentions but still suffered serious shortcomings.

Chen Miao Zhen handed Zhao Yu a thick stack of documents she had prepared for years, densely filled with records of Anjifang conditions across Jiangnan.

"Your Majesty, this humble servant has visited Anjifang in several prefectures; what I have seen and heard is deeply troubling. First, the physicians there often lack understanding of medical texts; unable to handle complex cases, they frequently misdiagnose even common illnesses, causing unnecessary deaths. Second, Anjifang medicines rely heavily on official allocation, and remote prefectures often face supply shortages, leaving patients without medicine—this is a grave matter. Third, management is lax: physicians face no evaluations, rewards, or punishments; many are idle, and medicinal efficacy remains poor."

"This humble servant dares to propose: First, establish a specialized division within the Imperial Medical Bureau to compile concise medical manuals and dispatch imperial physicians to tour regularly, instructing and clarifying doubts for grassroots barefoot doctors. Second, integrate the imperial-promoted barefoot doctors with Anjifang: the former primarily treat simple illnesses, the latter handle complex cases. Third, open wide medicinal supply routes and establish Huimin Drug Bureaus in every prefecture, procuring herbs in good years and distributing them at fair prices during disasters. Fourth, enact the 'Anjifang Medical Official Evaluation Law,' using recovery rates and public reputation as criteria: promote and reward the competent, dismiss and punish the incompetent. Thus, Anjifang may become a vital instrument of benevolent governance, and Your Majesty's mercy may reach every subject..."

Zhao Yu could see that Chen Miao Zhen truly possessed a heart devoted to healing and saving lives.

Chen Miao Zhen had long been persistently treating and rescuing the sick.

Yet she realized there were too, too, too many patients in the world; even if she never slept, she could not save even a fraction of them.

To truly rescue the people from suffering, one must work on systems, fundamentally improving medical conditions so more could benefit.

And the only person capable of doing this was one person: the emperor of the Zhao-Song dynasty, Zhao Yu.

And Zhao Yu had been consistently doing similar things.

Thus, when captured by Liu Guangshi, who claimed he would present her to Zhao Yu, Chen Miao Zhen gladly accepted the opportunity to come to Zhao Yu's side and help him reform medicine.

After hearing Chen Miao Zhen's petition, Zhao Yu directly assigned her to Ye Shi Yun, telling her: "Juyangyuan, Anjifang, and Luezeyuan are all overseen by Consort Ye. She is brilliant beyond measure, yet lazy—perfect. You will serve as her deputy and see these beneficial civilian policies implemented."

Upon hearing she would serve as deputy to Ye Shi Yun, who authored the "Ye Shi Yun Medical Canon," Chen Miao Zhen naturally agreed.

She had carefully studied the "Ye Shi Yun Medical Canon" and knew just how advanced it was.

In her view, although the "Ye Shi Yun Medical Canon" covered few complex illnesses, it excelled in clarity and accessibility, enabling grassroots physicians unfamiliar with medical texts to quickly learn how to treat common ailments—a superb work for popularizing medical knowledge and elevating primary healthcare.

Barefoot doctors were precisely the best complement to Anjifang.

Since Chen Miao Zhen was willing to assist Ye Shi Yun in overseeing medical reform, and unlike Ye Shi Yun—who actually knew nothing of medicine—Chen Miao Zhen possessed exceptional medical skill, the two complemented each other perfectly.

Later, Zhao Yu appointed Fang Baihua as his personal bodyguard and gave her to Li Lin for training.

As for the unremarkable Shao Shi, she could only become an ordinary palace attendant—a plaything Zhao Yu remembered he could amuse himself with.

…

Now, back to Fang La.

Since fleeing Hangzhou, Fang La had been filled with regret, especially after learning that Shao Shi had been captured by Song troops and sent to the capital to be presented to Zhao Yu.

Fang La was not deaf—he could not help but hear the whispers among his followers: that Zhao Yu especially loved seizing the wives, daughters, and relatives of enemies as playthings? They speculated that whether Fang Baihua or Shao Shi, both had surely met Zhao Yu's cruel fate.

Hearing such words, Fang La's heart felt as if pierced by knives.

To be honest, Fang La deeply regretted not heeding Lü Jiang's advice to evacuate Hangzhou earlier; had he left sooner, he might at least have spared Shao Shi.

Fang La sat alone beside a crude campfire in a secluded forest of Muzhou's Bangyuan Cave, the flickering flames casting light on his furrowed brow and desolate gaze.

Around him, his rebel soldiers sat or lay sprawled; occasional low murmurs broke the silence, but mostly there was only the sound of exhausted breathing, deepening Fang La's burdened heart.

Recalling the past, Fang La had once rallied under the banner of the Moni Sect, raised his arm, and drawn crowds like clouds—within a short time, he gathered hundreds of thousands, capturing prefectures and counties, his momentum immense, as if all of Jiangnan trembled beneath his feet. At that time, how proud and spirited he had been, believing his passion and unwavering conviction alone could overthrow the Zhao-Song dynasty and make him the emperor he had long dreamed of becoming.

Yet reality was always far more skeletal than idealism.

Because Fang La ignored Lü Jiang and Chen Gutong's advice to seize Jin Ling, the strategic stronghold controlling the Yangtze River's natural barrier, he found himself on the defensive as Song forces closed in, rendering his initial plan to hold the river unfeasible.

Crucially, Song troops first defeated Fang Qifu in Xiuzhou, then defeated Fang La in Hangzhou, delivering a heavy blow to the Fang La rebels and severely damaging their momentum.

More critically, Song Jiang's rebels were nearly upon them from the east, and Song troops were nearly approaching from the north; Fang La's rebels, especially those under Fang La's personal command, were about to be encircled by Song forces and Song Jiang's rebels.

At this moment, Fang La's heart was a tangle of emotions: nostalgia for past glory, helplessness and despair at the present. He knew well that his rebellion, though once blazing like oil on fire, brilliant for a moment, could not escape its destined annihilation.

Night deepened; the chirping of insects in the forest mingled with distant, occasional neighs of warhorses, as if whispering of the coming storm. Fang La's gaze pierced the flickering firelight, fixed on the unknown horizon, his heart swelling with an indescribable sorrow.

"If time could reverse, I would act with caution, never again underestimate or rush headlong." Fang La murmured softly, his voice heavy with regret and resentment. Yet no remedy for regret existed in this world; all was settled. All he could do was face it.

At this moment, Fang Fei, Bao Kang, Wang Gonglao, Chen Gutong, Lü Jiang, and others came to meet Fang La for counsel.

Fang La quickly suppressed his despair, feigning vigor and confidence, as if all were under his control.

Fang Fei and the others entered the camp, their faces all bearing solemn and anxious expressions. Their footsteps echoed sharply in the silent night, each step like a strike on Fang La's taut nerves.

"Holy Lord, the situation grows ever more dire—we must decide quickly," Fang Fei spoke first, his voice low and urgent. Clearly, he felt profound anxiety over the current predicament.

Fang La nodded slightly, signaling them to sit. In the firelight, his face appeared even more resolute; though his heart churned with turmoil, he knew that as leader, he must show not the slightest weakness.