kingnovel Chapter 514: Tan's surname is seen in the Golden Palace
Chapter 514: Tan's surname is seen in the Golden Palace
"Announce - the Imperial Hospital adviser, Mr. Lu, please go into the palace to discuss matters -" Eunuch Hong's voice was as sharp as ever.
All the officials were confused and whispered to each other.
"Why are you summoning Imperial Physician Lu? Although Imperial Physician Lu is a fifth-rank official, imperial physicians have not been required to attend court meetings since ancient times. What's going on today?"
The Imperial Hospital recommended this fifth-rank official, which seems not low and sounds a bit intimidating.
But actually?
The scope of activities of imperial physicians was mostly limited to the imperial palace and aristocratic families. In terms of real power, apart from having some say in the dispatch of medicinal materials, they had almost no other rights.
Is the Empress feeling unwell today? Summon the Imperial Physician.
Is the official's family member feeling unwell tomorrow? Ask the imperial physician.
But without power, how could the imperial doctors do their jobs? Why did the common doctors try so hard to get into the imperial hospitals?
Because the imperial physician has no power, but has "favors".
Treating the royal family is a matter of course and duty. But is treating the officials' families also a matter of course?
It just so happens that the debt of favor is the hardest to repay in this world.
So is he qualified to be an imperial physician? He is a man of many talents, so he is qualified. But sometimes he is a bit cowardly and forgets his original intention and ambition to be admitted to the Imperial Hospital.
It took some time to announce the arrival of the eunuch. In the hall, he only heard Eunuch Hong's voice, but there were actually several more voices outside the hall. The heels of the young eunuch's shoes were almost worn out.
The officials were still chatting, and from time to time they looked up and secretly glanced at the emperor's expression.
"Just as Lord Ji said just now... Your Majesty looks rosy today and does not seem to be feeling unwell. Why... do you need to summon Imperial Physician Lu?"
The emperor rarely summoned the imperial physician in front of all the officials. The emperor's poor health was not a good thing, so it should not be publicized in case someone with ulterior motives heard about it.
In the past, the emperor had once selected an imperial physician in the palace - it was a deliberate act, performed for all the officials to see.
"I think it's still related to Lord Shen..." Someone whispered with his head down, and others couldn't see him talking at all: "Lord Bi didn't see it, His Majesty is still holding the letter..."
It really is.
"I don't know what new ideas Lord Shen has come up with. Today... I'm afraid we won't be able to return home until noon again."
There were hurried footsteps outside the hall. All the officials knew someone was coming, and they all looked up curiously, trying to find some clues from Doctor Lu's face.
But they were disappointed. It was obvious that Doctor Lu was even more confused than they were.
He first looked at the emperor anxiously, and after seeing that the emperor was fine, he knelt down and saluted: "Old minister, I pay my respects to Your Majesty--"
"Lord Lu, please stand up." The emperor called him up and asked, "Is the Imperial Hospital busy lately?"
Imperial Physician Lu stood up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and answered truthfully: "Your Majesty, the annual collection and storage of medicinal materials for the Imperial Hospital is almost over, and now... we are not busy."
He couldn't guess the emperor's thoughts, so he guessed all the possible things that might happen.
Are you going to the border to provide support? But there is no fighting at the border, could it be that Your Majesty wants to...
fight?!
Doctor Lu shuddered. It was not impossible. As the year was coming to an end, the living environment of foreign tribes was harsh and food was scarce. It was common for them to enter the country and plunder.
The emperor sat on the dragon throne and suddenly said, "Lord Lu, a medical clinic has been opened in Tongan County."
"Clinic?" The topic changed so suddenly that Doctor Lu was a little confused. "Tong'an County?"
Oh, it’s Tongan County, Liuyang Prefecture.
"I am ignorant and hope Your Majesty can give me some advice."
The emperor put down the letter and spoke in a deep voice: "I want to ask, apart from the Imperial Hospital and the doctors passed down from generation to generation in the Great Zhou Dynasty, how many doctors with real skills are there in the world?"
Everyone felt that they understood a little bit.
Isn't it just a clinic opened in Tongan County? What does it have to do with the Imperial Hospital and all the doctors?
Doctor Lu was also a little confused. "This... Your Majesty, please forgive me. I have not counted the statistics for this matter. I will go down and do it."
That's what being an official is like.
When you can't guess what your superior is thinking, just go along with it.
"It has not been counted." The emperor laughed, "Okay, then I'll ask you another way. If you have a headache or a fever, or feel unwell, can you seek medical treatment?"
After these words were spoken, someone finally understood the emperor's thoughts.
Who would endure being sick if they could stand in this palace? Not to mention headaches and fevers, even when you are still healthy, you have to ask a doctor to check your pulse every month.
If you don't pay attention to it all the time, how can you detect any abnormalities in your body in time?
But as for the common people...it's different.
"Your Majesty, if we feel unwell, we will seek medical treatment." The officials replied.
Some people guessed correctly, and the emperor's next sentence was: "Then do you know what ordinary people in my Great Zhou do when they are sick?"
Some people know this question, while others do not.
“If you are sick, you should see a doctor and receive timely treatment.” This is a typical example of “Why not eat meat porridge?” However, a person who can stand in the Golden Palace should not be so ignorant.
"Your Majesty." Doctor Lu, who had the most say at this time, took a step forward and said, "Some medicinal materials are expensive, but they are necessary for the prescription, so... there are situations where ordinary people cannot afford to see a doctor."
The emperor said "Oh" with a hint of doubt in his voice, "Some medicinal herbs are expensive, while others are priceless. This is well known to everyone. But Lord Lu, tell me, is it just because the herbs are expensive that the people cannot afford to see a doctor?"
Doctor Lu's eyes narrowed and he knelt down.
"Your Majesty, the quality of private clinics varies greatly, and the consultation fees and medicine costs also vary. Your old minister, your old minister..."
There is nothing I can do!
What could he do? Pull out all those quack doctors and kill them all?
"My dear ministers, please stand up and speak." The emperor was unable to calm down his anger. "I am not punishing you. I just got some inspiration from Tongan Clinic. Do you know how much the consultation fee is at Tongan Clinic?"
All the officials looked at each other.
How could they know this at a clinic far away in Tongan County?
"I don't know, I hope Your Majesty can give me some advice."
The emperor did not say anything, but just asked them to guess: "Then guess, you ministers. I believe you have also invited doctors from the people."
Of course, Ji Benchang had long felt that the consultation fee was a bit too expensive, so he immediately stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, when I consulted with the common people in the past, the doctor's consultation fee ranged from a hundred coins to two taels of silver."
In fact, two taels of silver is not the most.
Some who pretend to be wealthy or who want the doctor to keep it a secret will give more.
The lowest fee of one hundred coins is just the consultation fee for going to the clinic. The cost of medicine is calculated separately. If you want a doctor to come to your home, it will cost more than one hundred coins.
The emperor nodded, held out his hand and said, "For the lowest consultation fee of 100 coins, you can see a doctor 20 times at Tong'an Medical Clinic."
Doctor Lu looked up when he heard this, somewhat incredulously, "Your Majesty, a visit from the doctor at Tong'an Clinic only costs five cents per visit?"
How is this different from free clinics?