Chapter 118: Godly Medicine A-shi Xi Lin

Chongzhen Spacetime.

Jing Shi, Forbidden City.

"My beloved concubine, you're awake?"

The Chongzhen Emperor, who worked diligently year-round, saw Imperial Concubine Tian open her eyes and immediately stepped forward joyfully, taking her hand.

"Your Majesty~~" Lying in bed, Tian Xiuying said in disbelief, "Your servant, am I not dead yet?"

Not only was she not dead, but the chest tightness and coughing that had tormented her for years had actually eased considerably.

Two days ago, Imperial Concubine Tian had fallen into a state of severe illness and coma.

The result given by the Imperial Physician Hospital was that medicine was useless, indicating that preparations for the afterlife could be made.

The Chongzhen Emperor flew into a rage as usual, but it was utterly useless.

The palace and the Tian Mansion had already begun preparing white items.

At this time, a certain junior eunuch took a risk and stepped forward to advise the Chongzhen Emperor.

He stated that Jinling Guard Commander Han Zanzhou had presented a batch of rare treasures.

Among them was the Godly Medicine, claimed to cure all diseases.

Wang Chengen and the others were first surprised, then immediately quieted down.

Compared to the flashing blades and swords at court, the struggles within the Imperial Palace were equally cruel.

There were tens of thousands of eunuchs in the palace, but positions that truly counted as rising above others were few.

To rise, one needed the Emperor's exceptional promotion.

But to gain the favor of this stingy and ungrateful Emperor, how could it be so easy?

So, when an opportunity appeared, there were plenty of people willing to step out and take a gamble.

Regarding this, they expressed complete understanding.

In the eyes of the senior eunuchs, the Imperial Physician Hospital had said she was as good as dead, so what was the use of stepping out?

Once things failed, the Emperor's anger would naturally devour those who acted on their own initiative.

But the result was that Imperial Concubine Tian, while in a coma, actually gradually improved after being forcibly fed the medicine.

Two days passed, and now she had actually woken up~~~

Without a doubt, that opportunistic junior eunuch had won the bet.

He had already gained a place in the Emperor's heart; at this moment he stood not far from the Emperor's side, together with a group of senior eunuchs.

"Zhongyi."

The Chongzhen Emperor, rarely in a pleasant mood, called the newly favored eunuch, "What is the name of this Godly Medicine?"

"Replying to Your Majesty." The junior eunuch hurriedly stepped forward to salute, "It is called A-shi Xi Lin~"

The Chongzhen Emperor nodded again.

Presumably it was made by a godly doctor surnamed A, and this surname was indeed not common.

"I want to reward him heavily!"

"Han Zanzhou has merit in presenting it, reward~~~"

"You, He Zhongyi, have merit in advising, reward~~~"

"A-shi, who produced the Godly Medicine, has merit, reward~~~"

"Issue the decree, summon the godly doctor A-shi to the Imperial Physician Hospital."

The Jinling Guard Commander himself bore the responsibility of presenting Jiangnan tribute to the Emperor.

Han Zanzhou delivered the Godly Medicine and cured Imperial Concubine Tian, thus receiving a reward, which was beyond doubt.

But on He Zhongyi's side, several senior eunuchs exchanged glances, and Wang Chengen stepped forward to advise.

"Your Majesty, Han Zanzhou has another memorial."

"He says that the taxes and tributes from the Jiangnan Region that cannot be transported for the time being can be used to organize the Yongwei Camp locally."

"Once the army is formed, it can escort grain, salary, and tax silver to the Capital."

The Chongzhen Emperor was stubborn and self-willed, and his abilities were indeed not strong.

When he first ascended the throne, he was even toyed with by the civil officials until he was dizzy.

But after more than ten years as Emperor, at least experience had gradually accumulated.

He knew very well what sort of people those in Jiangnan were.

So even if taxes were collected less, could not be collected, or even could not be transported.

He would rather not have them than loosen the reins on Jiangnan.

Things like allowing local gentry to organize militia and arm themselves, he firmly would not permit.

He knew very well that once the landlords' militias came out, it would be the beginning of the nation's downfall.

But if it was the Yongwei Camp.

Several senior eunuchs advised in turn, speaking good words for Han Zanzhou.

They even cited the excellent performance of the Jing Shi Yongwei Camp as an example.

Taking advantage of the Emperor's good mood, they settled the matter in one go, and also glossed over He Zhongyi's specific reward.

With the Chongzhen Emperor's stingy and ungrateful nature, he would gradually forget this merit after a few days.

The senior eunuchs could then take the opportunity to drive He Zhongyi away from the Emperor's side.

The Chongzhen Emperor ignored He Zhongyi, but did not forget the Godly Medicine.

"Remember to summon Godly Doctor A to the Imperial Physician Hospital."

Outside Jinling City, Imperial Villa.

Lin Daozheng was distributing A-shi Xi Lin, which the Chongzhen Emperor regarded as Godly Medicine, to sick refugees.

"Swallow it with water, don't chew!"

Walking out of the crude sick ward area, outside the numerous refugees and family members whose conditions had improved, one after another they kowtowed to him in grateful thanks.

"Sure enough, practicing medicine in chaotic times is an excellent method to accumulate prestige and win hearts."

"The yellow talisman water should serve as a model and pioneer for our generation."

Signaling everyone to rise.

Lin Dao instructed, "If you truly wish to thank me, then properly recuperate from your illness, properly eat and nourish your bodies."

"When you become strong and healthy, serve me with your lives!"

It is called an Imperial Villa, but in reality it is just a large tract of wasteland.

Two hundred years have passed, the good fields near Jinling City were long ago divided up completely by the meritorious nobles.

The Imperial Villa's fields are the same, only a nominal existence remains.

This wasteland here should have some mineral resources underground, causing the planting input-output efficiency to be too low, so they simply transferred the Imperial Villa here.

Lin Dao inspected the camp, and along the way arrived at the porridge factory.

The experience of Yonghe Spacetime told him that those in a long-term starved state cannot be fed full directly.

Otherwise desperately running to the dry latrine counts as good luck; the unlucky ones eat themselves to death while eating.

So in the porridge factory this side, a long row of fully several dozen large pots, what was boiled was all somewhat thick rice porridge, not even any wild vegetables, just extra salt sprinkled in.

The refugees' bodies are weak, not merely because of hunger.

Lack of salt intake is likewise an important reason.

Lin Dao asked a group of people holding paper and brushes, standing behind the large pots, "How is it today?"

These temporary clerks selected from among the refugees, who roughly understood writing and could calculate, first subconsciously glanced at the many heads hanging on those wooden poles as high as several zhang near the main gate.

Withdrawing their gazes, they then saluted, "Replying to the Instructor."

"Today no one embezzled, no one rushed or collided."

At the beginning, those boiling porridge were busy eating their fill first.

When distributing porridge, scrambling and rushing was chaotic beyond description, even trampling and beating people to death.

Lin Dao brought the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the other Thirteen Guards' troops into the venue, arrested all offenders and hung them on the wooden poles.

Caught for three consecutive days, hung for three days, and from the fourth day on, no one dared offend again.

Order was established at once.

Jinling City has soldiers.

They are still the Emperor's directly subordinate troops.

Including the Embroidered Uniform Guard responsible for intelligence, the Xiao Ling Guard guarding the imperial mausoleum.

Also the Jianghuai Guard and Jichuan Guard, two naval forces.

Besides these there are the Thirteen Guards, totaling over ten thousand.

These troops, nominally managed by Jinling City's Zhongjun Dushu Fu, are those meritorious nobles.

But actual control is in the hands of the Garrison Eunuch.

It is precisely because of this that successive Garrison Eunuchs have been able to rely on military power to sit firmly in the top position in Jinling City.

Lin Dao watched the refugees receive porridge in an orderly manner.

Each person one bowl of porridge, after receiving it they slurped it down and licked it clean right there nearby.

Those clans, groups, sworn brotherhoods, fellow townspeople and so on from before, had long since been completely broken up.

Each arranged in different areas.

When the remaining few Imperial Villas are taken, they will be broken up even further.

Lin Dao has experience, he is very clear that the existence of these relationships is a huge hidden danger.

"Instructor."

A refugee on gate duty ran over to report, "Eunuch Zhang has come."

"Mm." Lin Dao nodded and turned, heading toward the main gate.

"Zhang Gong."

Seeing Eunuch Zhang standing away from the main gate, Lin Dao smiled and went forward, "Why not go in?"

This Eunuch Zhang is the one who bought the standing mirror on the Meixiang Fang before.

His Old Ancestor is naturally Han Zanzhou.

The Supervising Eunuch in charge of military affairs of the Jinling Yongwei Camp is the Directorate of Ceremonial Eunuch Han Zanzhou.

And the Printing Eunuch of the Imperial Horse Supervisor responsible for actual work is this Eunuch Zhang.

He also obtained this position because he used the standing mirror as a congratulatory gift.

Jinling City has a complete backup system.

Apart from lacking the Emperor's concubines, the Imperial Palace's Twenty-Four Directorates and so on are also all complete just like in the Capital.

So there is also the Directorate of Ceremonial, the Imperial Horse Supervisor, etc.

The burly Eunuch Zhang, however, had a face full of disdain as he reached out and pointed at those heads on the wooden poles.

"Too inauspicious, our family won't go in."

These words made Lin Dao unable to hold back a laugh.

You, this one sent to supervise me, don't even enter the gate.

Then if anything happens inside later, you can't blame me.

So the world is just a huge grassroots troupe, incompetent pretenders beyond count.

Relying on gift-giving to rise, Eunuch Zhang holds a key post yet is indifferent.

This was clearly meant to give Lin Dao a bargain.

"Our family has come here to demand an explanation."

Eunuch Zhang seized the initiative: "Our family spent eight hundred taels, eight hundred taels of gold."

"Bought a Green Jade Moonlight Glazed Wall (Standing Mirror) from your place."

His voice turned somewhat sharp: "But you — how much do the Green Jade Moonlight Glazed Walls in your shop sell for? You tell our family how much they sell for!"

Lin Dao very much wanted every Standing Mirror to be able to sell for the high price of eight hundred taels of gold.

Unfortunately, those like Eunuch Zhang who are in a rush to give the Old Ancestor a grand gift, sparing no expense, are too few.

The selling price in Ju Bao Lou is naturally much cheaper than what was sold to Eunuch Wang.

"Hahaha~~~"

Lin Dao laughed it off and said soothingly, "Master Zhang, don't be angry."

He reached out, took out a bottle of perfume, and handed it over: "This is for you, as compensation."

He didn't say it was you who willingly paid a high price, what does it have to do with me, and so on.

After all, reasoning with a eunuch is the same as reasoning with a woman — utterly meaningless.

Because they usually don't listen to reason, especially when they're looking for trouble.

So Lin Dao directly used his trump card: giving a gift.

"This is Purple Jade Rose Dew (Perfume)?"

"Precisely." Lin Dao explained with a smile, "This one is different from the rest; right now there is only this one bottle."

"This is sunflower scent, a whole bottle full of a man's sunlight Qi!"

Eunuchs' demand for perfume is actually very high.

Because they lack certain parts, when they go to the toilet it's usually dribbling, unable to finish cleanly.

The result is they get the smell all over their bodies.

The nobles in the palace disdain them, so naturally they have no chance for advancement.

In the past they all used sachets.

After Lin Dao's Ju Bao Lou launched perfume, the quantity of perfume purchased by eunuchs was second only to the ladies of powerful noble households.

"Oh?"

For Eunuch Zhang, perfume is nothing rare; Ju Bao Lou can sell however much it wants.

What truly intrigued him was Lin Dao's line: "A whole bottle full of a man's sunlight Qi."

They are the group most longing to be acknowledged as men.

"Really only this one bottle?"

"I swear on the Da Jiang — I swear pointing at the Great River!"

"Good, good, good~~~" Eunuch Zhang accepted it with satisfaction: "The Old Ancestor will certainly like it."

"Tonight at Meixiang Fang, I'm treating!"

(End of Chapter)