Jinyi Spring

Chapter 223 Expansion

Shui Chuchen bowed, but this time she didn't start massaging him directly; instead, she took his pulse first.

She paused for a moment, then said softly, “Father’s pulse is wiry and rapid, which is a sign of liver yang rising and wind yang disturbing the upper body. Does your headache feel like there’s a vein throbbing in your temples? Do you toss and turn at night, feeling extremely tired but unable to fall asleep, and even when you do, you have many dreams and wake up easily?”

Emperor Jianzhang slightly opened his eyes. "You've got a good grasp of things."

Shui Chuchen smiled and said, "I will first administer acupuncture and then massage you, so that Father may get a good night's sleep."

She took the silver needle from Shaoyao's hand, heated it over the candle flame, found the acupoint, and gently inserted it.

Emperor Jianzhang felt almost no pain, only a slight soreness followed by a feeling that the tension of the past few days had been slowly released.

He chuckled and said, "He really is a divine physician; I didn't even feel any pain."

Shui Chuchen seemed to be pouting, "Father, don't you even know whose daughter I am?"

Emperor Jianzhang's smile widened. Of all his children, this daughter he had just found seemed to be the closest to him and the least afraid of him.

He didn't open his eyes, his tone tinged with curiosity, "I heard you're going to have surgery on Wang Tu's face?"

"Yes. However, Uncle Wang's face cannot be completely repaired; only the scars on his face can be smoothed out."

"That's already very good. Tomorrow, Yong'an is going to leave the palace to go to the clinic?"

Shui Chuchen hummed in agreement and then said, "Your subject has two more matters to report to Your Majesty."

"What's the matter?"

"Tomorrow, I not only want to visit the clinic, but also go to the countryside to offer three sticks of incense to my aunt, and to thank the villagers of Baima Village for their care of me. In addition, I would like to stay there for one night."

Emperor Jianzhang was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Go. The people and the landscape there nurtured you; you should remember this kindness."

He paused, then said, “Bring more people. Also, in my name, bestow two hundred taels of silver each upon the medical clinic and Baima Village.”

Shui Chuchen respectfully curtsied, "Thank you, Father Emperor."

"I heard that your clinic has been renamed 'Golden Branch Clinic' by the locals? And the house you lived in in the countryside is also called 'Jade Leaf Slope'?"

Emperor Jianzhang's voice carried a hint of amusement.

Shui Chuchen gave a soft "hmm," and said, "Yes, that's right. Aunt Wang said that the clinic is full of people now, and there are several hundred pregnant women waiting in line. Several young mistresses from wealthy families have moved in."

“Very good.” Emperor Jianzhang’s tone became serious. “In the late period of the previous dynasty and the early years of this dynasty, there was constant internal strife. In the past twenty years, there have been frequent clashes with the Tatars in the northwest, and the vital forces have been weakening. Now that the Great Yan needs to recuperate, it needs a continuous stream of new forces. The issue of offspring is the foundation of the court’s future and is a matter of national importance. Your establishment of such a medical clinic is very meaningful.”

Shui Chuchen hadn't expected Emperor Jianzhang to give the medical clinic such high praise. It wasn't just a casual "not bad," but rather a connection to the foundation of the nation and the need for recuperation and well-being.

This scumbag father is indeed a scumbag in some ways, and he's also very suspicious. But when it comes to matters of national importance, he's not completely muddle-headed. At least, he can see the suffering of the people and is willing to let a princess handle those "bloody" matters.

She pressed on, saying, "It's just that the clinic is a bit too small, it can only accommodate less than a hundred pregnant women at a time. I've always had a wish..." She trailed off, seemingly hesitant to speak.

Emperor Jianzhang pressed further, "What?"

"Your subject wishes to expand the clinic. Ideally, we could buy the other households in that alley and, while expanding the maternal and child health clinic, open a separate clinic called 'Yisheng Clinic' to treat ailments other than gynecology and pediatrics. The entire clinic would be called Tongji Hall, the one treating gynecology and pediatrics would be called the Maternal and Child Health Clinic, and the one treating other ailments would be called Yisheng Clinic."

"Granted." Emperor Jianzhang replied almost without hesitation. "He Quan, remember this. If I forget after the New Year when the seals are opened, remind me. This matter will be handled by the Ministry of Works and the Capital Prefecture."

He Quan hurriedly bowed, "This servant has remembered."

Shui Chuchen continued, “We have the space, but we don’t have enough doctors. I have a request – if there are any surplus imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital, or those who are not highly regarded, could you allocate some to my clinic? Rest assured, Father, the monthly salary I will give them will not be less than that of the Imperial Hospital.”

As for subsidizing the imperial physicians' monthly salaries, she had plenty of gold, so a temporary supplement was nothing. Besides, the maternal and child health clinic was currently a money-making machine. As for the Yisheng Clinic, it would be profitable sooner or later.

She paused, her tone calculating, "It would be best to invite one of the top imperial physicians from a certain department of the Imperial Medical Academy every ten days to hold a half-day consultation at the clinic. The consultation fee would be fifty taels of silver per patient."

In my previous life, this was a matter of national academic leaders going to the grassroots level. Wealthy merchants would travel thousands of miles to have the best imperial physicians examine them; what was forty taels of silver?

This is not only advertising for the clinic, but also beneficial to the people.

Emperor Jianzhang gave a comfortable "hmm," his tone tinged with indulgence. "Yong'an is doing this for the people's sake. He Quan, remember this for me: this matter should be handled by the Imperial Medical Academy. However, forty taels of silver per person is too high. They already receive salaries from the court, and we need to make sure more people can afford medical care. Let's reduce it to twenty taels. Your clinic will get ten taels, and he will get ten taels. My princess cannot be taken advantage of."

Shui Chuchen sighed again, realizing that this scumbag father was actually quite enlightened once he determined something was beneficial to the people's livelihood and the national economy. And, he would never suffer a loss.

Unable to hide her smile, she stopped inserting the needle and curtsied, saying, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty."

For the first time in several days, Emperor Jianzhang had seen his daughter smile. Suddenly, another face appeared before his eyes—it was Xiao Wan, who had not yet entered the palace, and whose smile was just as radiant.

He sighed softly and closed his eyes. "You look a lot like your mother."

Mentioning the Xiao family, both of their expressions turned serious for a moment. Shui Chuchen didn't reply, but simply walked back to his side and continued applying the acupuncture needles.

After administering the acupuncture, Shui Chuchen walked behind him and gently placed her hands on his forehead. Her technique was extremely precise, with just the right amount of pressure. After only a quarter of an hour, Emperor Jianzhang's brow relaxed, and he let out a soft "hmm" in comfort, the weariness on his face fading slightly.

This time, she massaged for more than a quarter of an hour, until Emperor Jianzhang's snoring began to fall softly, before she stopped.

She gave a slight bow and withdrew from the hall.

He Quan gently covered the emperor with a quilt, blew out the bright palace lanterns, leaving only a gauze lamp in the corner of the room, casting a dim yellow light.

Outside the palace, light snow was still falling.

The carriage crunched and creaked as it rolled over the thin layer of snow. Shui Chuchen pulled her cloak tighter around herself, exhaled a long, contented breath, and the white mist dissipated into the night.

In just a few days, she seemed to have managed to pry open a crack in the difficult situation. Though not wide, light had already begun to shine through.

Tomorrow, she will be able to leave the palace again, see her younger brother, and reunite with her mother. (End of Chapter)