novelraw Chapter 257
Chapter 257
Chapter 257 Construction of the Medical Academy
Wei Yu hadn’t really paid much attention to the war in Donghai Commandery over the past two months.
It’s not that he didn’t want to, but he truly didn’t have the time.
Though Huzhou had recently been hit by floods, and Donghai Commandery was included in the disaster relief area, due to the ongoing war, the Third Prince had already reported to Emperor Wei in advance that disaster relief in Donghai Commandery would be handled by the Eldest Prince. Wei Yu and Ninth Brother only needed to settle displaced people in other areas.
Wei Yu had been in Huzhou for half a year. Putting aside the first few months, the last two months were basically the countdown to the end of the relief efforts.
For convenience, he and Third Brother had been staying in Qian Commandery.
With the Third Prince present, the disaster relief had been conducted in an orderly manner from start to finish. Wei Yu only needed to assist occasionally during busy times.
But the final phase of disaster relief was always the busiest, with all kinds of finishing work waiting, especially since this time there was also a Merit Stele involved.
This was the Imperial Court’s first time issuing a Merit Stele, and they made a big deal out of it. Many wealthy idlers seeking “fame” contributed a lot of money. If the Merit Stele wasn’t done properly—such as problems with the site selection, inscriptions, style of the stele, etc.—it would be hard for the Imperial Court to use it again as a way to collect money later on…
The Imperial Court’s way of making money was all about sustainability. Since he himself proposed the idea, Wei Yu pondered over the Merit Stele issue for several days and finally settled on the most suitable plan, which he then handed over to his Third Brother.
He gave the plan, but leaving him to personally handle the Merit Stele was out of the question.
Keep in mind, he still had a Medical Academy waiting for him!
For the past two months, since the start of construction at Medical Valley’s Medical Academy, people had been working day and night on the building.
Wei Yu was not short of money. The Merchants’ Alliance was far away, and although dividends were unclear, in the capital there was his Fourth Brother, who brought in huge sums daily!
Before sending someone back for the funds needed for building the Medical Academy, Wei Yu hadn’t realized that after just half a year, his Fourth Brother’s earning speed had become even more intense.
Several factories had been built, not to mention the shops opened!
Only when his subordinates told him did Wei Yu learn that his Fourth Brother had established businesses on every street in the capital, as well as in other county cities of Danzhou!
If it weren’t for the fact that he knew all the earnings from these shops and factories would give Wei Yu a 20% cut, with the majority going to their father, Wei Yu might have started to suspect his Fourth Brother’s rapid expansion had ulterior motives.
Of course, all this could be easily checked, but deeper insider details were harder to verify, so Wei Yu suspected the old man might have helped push things along behind the scenes…
Putting his Fourth Brother aside—he was just a money-making tool—Wei Yu only needed to ensure he would get his share of funds.
When it came to building the Medical Academy, although Wei Yu initially advanced some money, he didn’t intend to cover the entire cost.
After all, the Medical Academy was going to be confiscated!
His initial investment was just a token of goodwill; if he had paid all of it, he would have been the big loser.
This Medical Academy, in the future like the Imperial Academy, would be an official government-run academy under the Imperial Court’s name.
What differed from the Imperial Academy was that graduates from the Medical Academy would become the pillar of the medical field. Only those who passed rigorous exams could graduate, and the Imperial Court would assign graduates to various locations to diagnose and treat patients…
Having spent so much money, there was no way for this project to end half-baked.
What Wei Yu hoped to see was that, one day, all Great Wei citizens would no longer suffer from lack of doctors.
As for claims of no longer being troubled by disease, such grand ambitions were probably beyond even modern’s top doctors, so Wei Yu refrained from making such bold statements.
Although two months was not enough to complete the Medical Academy, the teaching facilities and dormitories were already constructed.
The two most basic facilities of an academy were done; eating outside wasn’t impossible.
So after learning that the academy was ready, the Left Court Judge, who had been diagnosing patients outside the city gate for months, was eager to leave.
It wasn’t that he was tired or wanted to slack off, but because the Judge had a greatness of heart for teaching and nurturing!
After seeing patients outside the city for a few months, it was about enough. Though he could continue as he had grown used to the work, the key was that some promising children he had noticed needed to be taught as soon as possible!
These students were discovered during diagnosis: some steady in temperament, some grateful, and one who had even proactively asked at Yiqi Hall if he could work.
In medicine, those truly gifted were few; most were ordinary people with stubborn persistence. This was true for any profession.
The Left Court Judge had studied medicine his entire life, encountered all kinds of people, and mentored several medicine boys. He knew very well which students were suitable and would stay committed to medicine. So after accepting Wei Yu’s invitation to become Dean, he was already selecting qualified disciples.
Whether the chosen disciples were willing, where they lived, or if they had concerns—he didn’t care!
Ninth Highness himself said the Medical Academy provided seven years of compulsory education!
Compulsory education meant no tuition fees!
No fees for entrance gift, meals, or accommodation!
Just coming here to study was completely free!
Of course, there would be no charge during the academy years, but after graduation, graduates had to sign a 15-year work contract with the Imperial Court.
It wasn’t a contract of servitude; it was like signing an employment contract, with wages paid, but the worker needed to commit fully to serving the Imperial Court.
With terms this good, to be honest, if the Judge’s own family had suitable descendants, he himself would want to send them to the Medical Academy.
He valued not just the seven years of compulsory education—money was no concern to him—but the future prospects behind the Medical Academy!
Just the fact that it was an officially government-run institution already made it invincible.
Take the Imperial Academy, for example; everyone said that once admitted, it was like having one foot into the imperial court. Why?
Because those admitted were either descendants of high officials or extremely talented individuals who would likely be appointed officials through imperial examinations or inheritance.
The Imperial Academy taught the way of the sages, serving as the cradle for officials. What then was the Medical Academy?
It would be the best pathway for medics to enter the Imperial Medical Institute!
As for the 15-year work contract after graduation, though it sounded long at first, the Left Court Judge saw it as a test by the Imperial Court for its medics.
Those who signed the contract were no different from officials.
If they performed excellently during their service, they might even catch the eye of superiors and have better chances of promotion and pay raise!
Wasn’t this similar to officials being rotated to different posts and their performance reviewed every three years?