Guide to Traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty.

Chapter 1069

In the second year of Shenfu, the weather was good and only local areas in the country suffered from floods and droughts.

Officials and civilians alike said that this change in the reign title was a good one.

Qian Chen eventually retired due to illness, and the new cabinet team was: Li Hanzhang, Zhang Tong, Chen Dong, Liang Yi, Ling Guxu, Hu Anguo, and Wei Liangchen.

Li Gang died of illness while serving as the Minister of Punishments, living six years longer than in history.

Zhao Ding, who had been the governor of Ningxia for several years, was transferred back to replace Li Gang. However, he fell ill soon after returning to Beijing. Zhu Ming sent someone to comfort him and found out that he had already contracted the disease in Ningxia.

After three resignations, Zhao Ding retired to recuperate.

Zhao Ding is still young, less than sixty years old, and perhaps he can resume his official duties after he recovers.

Yu Yunwen's father, Yu Qi, took over as Minister of Justice.

Li Guang, an upright old minister who was almost 70 years old, was promoted to the position of Left Censor-in-Chief. This appointment was beyond everyone's expectations, but everyone soon realized that since two officials from the Inspectorate were in the cabinet, Emperor Zhu was trying to prevent the "Censor Clan" from becoming too powerful.

Also dying in the same year was the imperial physician Yang Jie.

Yang Jie joined the rebel army when they left Sichuan, and even presented human anatomy diagrams. Many of his disciples became military doctors, and even his grandchildren were spread throughout the Ming army. When he passed away, dozens of generals from Luoyang and surrounding areas spontaneously came to the mourning hall to pay tribute and pay their respects.

"You are Mr. Yang's chief disciple. Tell me how to reform medicine." Zhu Ming personally summoned Sun Shuxian.

Sun Shuxian is fifty-two years old this year. He is particularly good at surgery and has participated in many military campaigns.

Sun Shuxian said: "Many ordinary people in the market have become poor due to illness. Since Wang Linchuan (Wang Anshi) founded the pharmacy, although the price of medicine has dropped, the consultation fee is still too expensive. I request to set up more official hospitals and reduce the consultation fee of doctors."

The pharmacy founded by Wang Anshi not only sold Chinese patent medicines at affordable prices, but also provided medical services.

He started the public hospital model in China, which was used until the Ming and Qing dynasties. However, the number was too small, and it could only benefit a small number of people in the city, and the so-called affordable drugs were often not affordable.

Zhu Guoxiang and his son Zhu Ming are naturally also promoting public hospitals, but currently they are only being promoted in state capitals, and many remote state capitals have not yet implemented it.

Zhu Ming said:

"I intend to separate the Imperial Hospital and set it up as a separate institution, two levels lower than the Inspectorate, to be in charge of epidemics throughout the country."

"The medical system under the Imperial Hospital is divided into three categories: the first is imperial doctors, the second is military doctors, and the third is civilian doctors."

"As the names of imperial doctors and military doctors suggest, civilian doctors are formed by integrating Huimin Hospital and Anjifang."

Wang Anshi's pharmacy was renamed Taiping Huimin Pharmacy in the Southern Song Dynasty, and was renamed Huimin Pharmacy in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Before Zhu Guoxiang stepped down, he personally changed the name to Huimin Hospital.

As for Anjifang, it was a charity hospital founded during the reign of Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty, and was usually run by monks and temples. It also played a role, but not much, and often mixed it with chanting sutras to comfort the sick.

Zhu Ming continued:

"Following the ancient system of the pre-Qin period, doctors in hospitals are divided into three levels: physicians, medical assistants, and medical apprentices."

"Students who graduate from medical schools are assigned to hospitals as medical apprentices. They continue to follow their teachers in clinical consultations for a few years before they can be promoted to medical assistants. Medical apprentices are first-class officials in the sequence of art officials. When they are promoted to medical assistants, they are promoted to ninth-rank officials."

"Medical officers were also divided into senior officers and junior officers according to the ancient system of the pre-Qin period."

"As for doctors, they are divided into five grades and can wear official uniforms of red, purple, scarlet, green, and blue. No matter what color uniform they wear, they are only allowed to wear plain clothes when practicing medicine and consulting patients."

"The People's Hospital should be gradually implemented in all counties. Every lower-class county should have at least one doctor in a green robe. Every lower-class state should have at least one doctor in a green robe..."

"Consultation fees and medicine prices must be close to the people and benefit the people. I don't understand these things, so you can come up with a set of strategies and then call the doctors in the two capitals for discussion. The central government and local governments will each allocate a portion of the hospital's expenses, and the specific amount of funding must also be discussed. In fact, most of the time, Huimin Hospital can make money on its own and does not need government funding at all. Don't ask for too much."

"According to the way of treating the king, the medical records must be clearly written when consulting, even if it is a minor illness for the poor."

"Within three years, five more medical schools will be added. Graduates will be assigned to military hospitals and public hospitals. In the future, imperial doctors will also be selected from military hospitals and public hospitals. If there are famous doctors in the community, even if they did not graduate from a medical school, they can go to the capital for assessment and then be awarded the corresponding position..."

Zhu Ming said a lot, and Sun Shuxian became happier and happier as he listened.

With such support from the emperor, medicine is bound to flourish.

Zhu Ming continued, "In addition, we can gather famous doctors from all over the world and compile some medical books. We will not record difficult and complicated diseases, but only record the treatment of common diseases, so that scholars in the folks can also learn by themselves, and it will be convenient for rural farmers to treat common minor illnesses. How to prevent cold and treat frostbite in Liaoning, how to prevent pestilence and treat miasma in Lingnan, these can be recorded in detail and passed on to the people."

"The Imperial Hospital is in charge of the country's diseases and epidemics. If there is a plague or something like that, they must cooperate with the civil officials to mobilize doctors to go there. If any doctor is unwilling to enter the epidemic area, he will be dismissed immediately!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Sun Shuxian bowed and accepted the order.

Zhu Ming waved his hand and said, "Go ahead and come up with a set of reform strategies. The more detailed the better. After the Crown Prince has reviewed it, call together the doctors in the two capitals for a collective discussion."

Sun Shuxian bowed and left.

Zhu Ming opened the memorial on the desk again. It was Zhu Kang's request for a title and a report of victory.

Zhu Ming picked up his pen and wrote: "Allow the establishment of the vassal state of Southern Yu. Zhu Kang's title will be demoted to a prince, with the same rank as a prince. Order the cabinet to draft an imperial edict to confer the title, and order the Ministry of Rites to carve a golden seal for the king of Southern Yu."

Zhu Ming is still very satisfied with his son.

He even forcibly recruited a famous doctor from Lingnan and sent him to his son to ensure his health.

He picked up another memorial, which turned out to be from the Military Intelligence Department of the Ministry of War.

"37 barbarian tribes of Dali State rebelled, and Gao's army was defeated and unable to stop them. Luodian chieftain and Jinchi barbarian country took the opportunity to send troops to attack Dali State from the north and south. Dali State was attacked from three sides, and enfeoffed Gao's sons in the western counties, but did not move the troops because of the lack of food and grass. The king Duan Zhengyan (Duan Yu) was disheartened and announced that he would abdicate on New Year's Day and become a monk."

After reading this information, Zhu Ming felt that Duan Yu was not very capable.

As the king of a country, the barbarians in the east, north and south rebelled at the same time, and the Gao family members in the west watched from the sidelines. Only the prime minister Gao Liangcheng was left to hold the situation together. If Zhu Ming sat in that position, he would probably want to become a monk.

Zhu Ming replied to the Ministry of War: "The spies of the Military Intelligence Department will continue to investigate. Order the civil and military officials in Sichuan, Hunan, and Guangxi to prepare for war, store up food and fodder, and wait for the opportunity."

Although the Dali Kingdom was in chaos, it was not chaotic enough.

The king simply abdicated and became a monk.

The Gao family’s internal strife has just begun, and the prime minister must abdicate.

……

North of Dali City.

At the foot of Mount Dian Cang, on the shore of Erhai Lake.

"Dong dong dong dong..."

The huge Jianji bell in the Chongsheng Temple rang, and countless strands of hair fell on the dragon robe. Duan Yu sat cross-legged on the cushion with an expressionless face.

Outside the palace, civil and military officials knelt on the ground.

For something like the abdication ceremony, many officials did not come. The leader was Gao Zhenshou, who was the nephew of Prime Minister Gao Liangcheng.

Gao Zhenshou is the true descendant of the Gao family.

The Prime Minister Gao Liangcheng was just a wild brat from Weichui (Chuxiong).

As the internal struggle of the Gao family became increasingly fierce, more and more of the Gao family princes chose to stand on the side of Gao Zhenshou. They ignored the fact that Dali was attacked from three sides and refused to send troops to conquer the barbarians because of the lack of food and grass.

Some people even speculated that those barbarians were most likely invited by Gao Zhenshou!
Otherwise, how could three sides come together?

Now that the king has abdicated and become a monk, the Gao clan princes have all disappeared and are all hiding in their respective fiefdoms, ready to make some moves.

"when!"

With the sound of a bell, Duan Yu took off his dragon robe and was served to change into monk's clothes.

He stood up and walked towards the main hall entrance, clasped his hands together and said to the officials outside: "I am already an outsider, you can go on your own."

"His Majesty!"

The new emperor Duan Zhengxing and the prime minister Gao Liangcheng led the crowd in crying.

Duan Zhengxing's brothers were also crying, but their faces, covered as they lay on the ground, were filled with resentment.

Behind every one of them, there are descendants of the Gao family supporting them.

There were too many factions, and they were wary of each other, so no one dared to move and they could only watch the prime minister support the new king.

Although the internal strife within the Gao family had just begun, the fight for the throne among the princes had already ended.

Even if any of the Gao clan princes overthrows the prime minister in the future, he will not appoint another monarch.

Anyway, this new emperor is just a puppet, a figure like a public toilet. Any powerful official can manipulate him at will. Why bother with the hassle of deposing and enthroning him?
As Duan Yu turned and headed for the monks' quarters, the people outside the hall gradually dispersed.

Enter the room and sit cross-legged.

Duan Yu held the rosary in his hand and looked at the empty and elegant monk's house, but he couldn't recite a single word of scripture.

Not only was he tired, he was also scared.

A bunch of Gao clan princes who controlled the army were so frightening that they were on the verge of a war. They even dared to secretly invite barbarians to cause chaos.

If he doesn't abdicate, he probably won't even be able to be a monk.

Outside the temple.

Gao Liangcheng got into the carriage silently.

His son Gao Jiaoyuan said angrily: "Those bastards are really abominable. They didn't even come when Your Majesty abdicated and became a monk. What's the difference between this and rebellion?"

Gao Liangcheng suddenly said: "The Dali Kingdom is finished."

"Why do you say that, father?" Gao Jiaoyuan asked.

Gao Liangcheng said: "There is a powerful ruler in the Central Plains. As soon as the ruler of Western Xia died, the Ming Dynasty immediately sent troops to destroy it. The ruler of Goryeo was imprisoned, and the Ming Dynasty sent troops to destroy it again. According to the news brought by merchants, Yelu Dashi of Western Liao has also died. The Ming Dynasty is currently on an expedition to the Western Regions, and we don't know how it is going. We don't know the situation of Western Liao, but Annan has been annexed, and Champa has also been captured by the prince of the Ming Dynasty."

Lifting the carriage curtain, Gao Liangcheng sighed, "With all this expansion, will the Ming Emperor let us Dali go? My uncles and nephews don't understand the principle of hair without skin, and they are fighting for power and causing internal strife at this time. I don't know about the Jinchi barbarians and Luodian barbarians, but they must have recruited the Thirty-Seven Barbarian Tribes! In order to force me to resign as prime minister, they actually colluded with the barbarians!"

"Will the Ming Dynasty really send troops to kill us?" Gao Jiaoyuan said in horror.

Gao Liangcheng said: "I am definitely not going to be able to hold on to my position as prime minister, but I can't just sit there and wait for death. Once the Central Plains army arrives, who else but me can stop them? But they don't listen to me, and they want to take away my prime ministership and title. Since they are forcing me like this, don't blame me for not recognizing my relatives!"

Gao Jiaoyuan asked, "What does father plan to do?"

Gao Liangcheng said: "The new emperor should send an envoy to Luoyang to ask for a title. You go to Luoyang on my behalf and tell him that if the Ming army comes, my father and I are willing to help, and we only hope to become rich after the event."

"This...how can this be possible?" Gao Jiaoyuan was shocked by his father's decision.

Gao Liangcheng sneered: "The Gao family's incense and wealth will have to be continued by us father and son in the future."

(End of this chapter)