The Lucky Farmgirl

Chapter 1713 - 1688: Annoyed

The Taiyi Bureau is about to start classes, so in the future, at least for a short period, Zheng Gu and the others will no longer be able to come to the palace for acupuncture.

News spreads fast within the palace, perhaps because of this, in the past two days, the number of palace servants requesting acupuncture has increased.

As one of the organizers, Eunuch Wu inevitably receives more news, such as, "I heard that Prince Gong secretly sneaks into the small kitchen at night to find food. A palace servant saw him but didn’t dare make a sound and had to find a way to keep it from Aunt Shang."

And, "Several officials think the Taiyi Bureau’s tuition fees are too high and are having Lord Wang from the Censorate impeach the Crown Prince and Director Xiao of the Imperial Hospital for using the opportunity to earn money."

Manbao was initially enjoying the gossip but was surprised when it concerned people around her. She immediately asked, "Which Lord Wang? Wang Ji?"

Lying on the bed receiving acupuncture, Eunuch Wu replied with a smile, "Yes." He had been coming for acupuncture for three consecutive days, and tomorrow Zhou Man would take a day off to leave the palace, which was truly regrettable.

He said indifferently while lying on the bed, "Lord Zhou Junior need not worry, His Highness often gets impeached, it won’t be an issue."

Who is worried about the Crown Prince? She is worried about Director Xiao, knowing that just behind Director Xiao stands her, and also a group of imperial doctors from the Imperial Hospital.

Manbao applied the last needle and didn’t bother with her three disciples; she rested her chin on her hand and asked, "Eunuch Wu, do you know who those officials are?"

Eunuch Wu felt a bit sleepy and asked, "Why are you asking? Leave these matters to the Office of Palace Affairs, there are naturally people speaking on behalf of the Crown Prince in the court."

Is there anyone speaking for their Imperial Hospital?

Manbao frowned and still asked; she decided to note down their names and tell Director Xiao later, directly rejecting their family.

Hmph, if they think it’s expensive, then they shouldn’t come. She hasn’t even criticized them for trying to undermine the imperial family’s interests yet.

Thinking of this, Manbao’s eyes lit up. Yes, imperial doctors cannot submit memorials, but compilers can.

Manbao looked brightly at the lying Eunuch Wu. If it weren’t for the needles stuck in him, she would have slapped his shoulder hard to express her joy.

Returning to the Chongwen Pavilion, she found Director Xiao was not there, so she turned and ran to the Imperial Hospital to find him.

Director Xiao was buried in writing when he noticed someone in front of him; he looked up and seeing Zhou Man, he asked, "What is it?"

"Director Xiao, are there people requesting those twenty spots?"

"Of course, the Empress gave them three days to report, and behold, thirty-six have reported, I’m just troubled by how to choose these people."

Manbao took the list, saw many repeated surnames on it, and asked, "Aren’t these from the same family?"

"From the same clan, but not the same family."

Manbao found a name, and the owner marked behind it was Wang Ji; she also found the names of those officials.

She chuckled under Director Xiao’s gaze, picked up a brush and circled them on the page, "Director Xiao, if it’s difficult, then just remove these five people."

Director Xiao glanced and asked, "Did they offend you?"

He spoke earnestly, "Imperial Doctor Zhou, as officials, we must not publicize private grievances. I have already discussed with the other imperial doctors of the Imperial Hospital to first ensure that each reported clan has one person, the rest to be allocated carefully; in fact, most of the spots have been approximately allocated."

Manbao said, "They have impeached you to the Emperor, didn’t you know?"

Director Xiao, who was only incidentally impeached, paused slightly, then widened his eyes, "Who did you hear this from?"

Eunuch Wu’s name almost slipped out, but Manbao quickly diverted, "I just heard it, if you don’t believe me, go ask the Censorate."

Of course, Director Xiao couldn’t personally go to ask; that would be a loss of face and too much of a heads-up.

So, he called a subordinate and sent him to inquire.

The Censorate was also in the Imperial City, not far, just a farther walk.

Manbao sat nearby, helping organize various lists and documents while talking with Director Xiao, "With someone impeaching, you have to present a defense, right?"

Director Xiao said wearily, "What’s there to defend? Debating orally with a censor? Am I out of my mind?"

Manbao felt they shouldn’t back down, "... Otherwise, the Imperial Hospital would keep thinking we’re easy to bully, they’d bully us in anything that comes up."

Director Xiao looked at her and said, "Did you not present a defense last time? You also submitted a plea of guilt yourself?"

He was referring to the time Zhou Man was late.

Manbao didn’t raise her head and responded, "That’s different, that time I was late indeed, it was a mistake, but this time we are not wrong."

She said, "A hundred taels per person, twenty people a year is only two thousand taels, how is that profiteering?"

Manbao, who often made money from the nobility in the capital, knew these influential families were not short of money, how was an institution costing two thousand taels a year considered excessive?

But this is obviously not how accounts are calculated. The junior imperial doctor who returned with news lowered his head and stood before Director Xiao, saying, "... A fourth-rank official’s annual salary is fifty taels, so a hundred taels a year is equivalent to two years of salary for a fourth-rank official. A fourth-rank official would need not eat or drink for ten years to train one doctor, isn’t that profiteering?"

The junior imperial doctor secretly glanced at Director Xiao’s face, which was iron-gray, his voice quieted a bit. He continued with forced courage, "Those censors also said, outside, a good academy charges around twenty taels a year for tuition fees, let alone an ordinary small academy, which could cost just five taels or eight taels a year. Learning medicine would be ten times more expensive than studying statecraft, does this mean medical practitioners rise above scholars?"

Director Xiao’s face was unbearable to look at; even the other busy imperial doctors in the Imperial Hospital put down their activities and listened with interest.

Manbao listened wide-eyed and open-mouthed. She knew censors weren’t tactful speakers, but she didn’t expect them to be this harsh. She slapped the table in anger and turned to Director Xiao, "Director, can we endure this insult? A defense must be presented!"

Other imperial doctors too suppressed their anger and implicitly nodded.

Director Xiao nearly lost his reason in anger but calmed down seeing Zhou Man’s provocative demeanor.

He glared at her and turned to ask the junior doctor, "Is there more?"

The junior doctor sweating profusely said, "There was further criticism of His Highness the Crown Prince, and in the end, they mentioned the Imperial Hospital has been close to the Eastern Palace recently, perhaps under the guise of teaching to help the Eastern Palace earn money?"

The Imperial Hospital fell silent, Director Xiao pondered, while Manbao rolled her eyes, "Are they stupid? The Emperor entrusted the Taiyi Bureau matter entirely to the Crown Prince, we from the Imperial Hospital write letters and discuss the building of the Taiyi Bureau in the Chongwen Pavilion, inevitably dealing with the Office of Palace Affairs. If we do not go frequently to the Eastern Palace, should we then visit the Censorate?"

All imperial doctors: ...

Director Xiao, fed up, turned and said to her, "Can you please shut up? Such frank talk cannot be spoken in the palace!"