I open a history tutorial class in Daming

Chapter 188 Ibuprofen, do you want to buy it?

The ninth year of Zhenguan.

It was also evening, but no one in the Ganlu Temple had left.

Everyone sat quietly, each with a piece of paper in front of them, on which was written a recipe.

The recipe is extremely simple and crude, with only seven words in the first row:

One sulfur, two nitrates and three charcoal.

This is the gunpowder ratio that Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao just told them.

After a moment of silence, Li Shimin rubbed his swollen temples and sighed:
"If this formula was made up by Zhu Yuanzhang alone, I would definitely think it was fake, but Zhu Biao also said that this is the formula for gunpowder... I don't mean to dislike anything, but this is a bit too crude."

"Wuji, Xuanling, do you have any idea about making gunpowder?"

The two people who were called looked at each other.

Then, Fang Xuanling stood up, bowed and said:
"Your Majesty, Zhu Yuanzhang also said just now that the so-called one sulfur, two saltpeter and three charcoal actually means one catty of sulfur, two ounces of saltpeter and three ounces of charcoal."

"I can't tell the difference between the Tang and Ming dynasties in terms of weight for now, but since he said that they both weigh 16 taels per pound, then according to this ratio, they should be pretty much the same."

"Sulfur is easy to explain. It has been used as medicine since ancient times. The Shennong Herbal Classic says: "Stone flow is yellow. Flow was originally written as sulfur. The Yulan says it is written as flow. It is sour and warm. It can treat vaginal erosion, carbuncle, hemorrhoids, and bad blood in women. It can strengthen tendons and bones, remove baldness, and can turn gold, silver, copper, and iron into rare objects. The Yulan says: Stone flow is green and white, it can benefit the liver and improve eyesight. Stone flow is red. It grows in the valleys of Qiangdao. It grows in the valleys."

"The Shennong Herbal Classic is a medical book from the Han Dynasty. In addition to medicine, sulfur has also been used in alchemy. It is toxic, but I heard that it can be eliminated after processing. I think that the production of gunpowder can be introduced to Taoist alchemists. They have a lot of experience in refining, and they are definitely much better than us laymen."

Li Shimin pondered and nodded.

In fact... he also looked for alchemists to make elixirs and ask for medicine.

It was not because he believed in gods and Buddhas purely. It was because Emperor Li II suffered from severe pain when his headache attacked, and ordinary doctors had no good way to help him. After seeking medical treatment to no avail, Li Shimin could only pray to gods and Buddhas and take elixirs.

Even if it can't cure it, it can at least give you a little relief when you have a headache!
"Many people in the Sitianjian are from the Taoist school. When I wanted to use elixirs to treat headaches, they also participated."

"The gunpowder issue is of great importance. It is best to ask trustworthy people in the palace or the court to participate, so that the news will not leak out before the gunpowder is made, and the formula will not be leaked."

Li Shimin thought about it and gave the order.

Compared to looking for Taoist alchemists from outside, His Majesty Li II certainly trusts his own people more. If Fang Xuanling and Zhangsun Wuji had not done this privately, Li Shimin would definitely give priority to the people in the palace now.

At this moment, a voice suddenly came to the ears of Li Shimin, Fang Xuanling, Changsun Wuji and Cheng Yaojin.

[It is detected that Li Shimin has shopping needs. The system mall is offering discounts. Please open the mall to view the required products. ]

It's the mechanical sound of the system.

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what was going on for a moment.

Cheng Yaojin couldn't help but ask:
"Your Majesty, why don't you take a look? What if... what if we can buy a better gunpowder formula than the one Zhu Yuanzhang got?"

The formula for gunpowder is the most likely product.

They were talking about this when the system, which had been silent until now, suddenly gave a prompt. If it wasn't this, what else could it be?
Although Cheng Yaojin was careless in doing things, he was actually very meticulous. That was the reason why he was always trusted by Li Shimin even though he was a tough guy in the court and was nicknamed a devil.

Li Shimin nodded in agreement.

Beside them, Empress Changsun and Wu Ruyi, the only two people who could not hear the prompt, both looked puzzled, but the latter did not dare to speak out her doubts, while the former knew everything.

Empress Chang Sun asked curiously:
"Your Majesty, what are you talking about?"

Li Shimin explained in a low voice what he had just heard and talked about the matter of the mall. Now, Empress Changsun, who had been tired for half a day, also became energetic.

She urged:

"Why don't you take a look? No matter if you can afford it or not, or how much it costs, it won't cost you anything to take a look."

Li Shimin mentioned this in passing when he was explaining just now. The last time they looked at the mall, they were shocked by the prices inside and dared not buy anything. Even though they gained some points by changing history, they saved them all, intending to save more so as to buy high-yield crops.

When new students receive popular science education from their predecessors, the first thing they often learn is how many good things there are in the system mall and how expensive those good things are.

"Okay, let's take a look first."

Li Shimin had no choice but to click on the system mall that had just appeared.

There are a lot of things in the mall, and the variety is still so dazzling. I wish I had 10,000 points in my pocket right now, so I could buy a lot even if I was in debt.

However, among so many products in front of Li Shimin, only the purchase button of one item was lit, and the rest were all gray and could not be clicked. Because he did not have many points, the first item was the only one he could buy.

"Ibu...profen?"

Li Shimin had a strange look on his face. He stared at the thing for a long time but couldn't figure out what it was.

When he decided to open the mall, Changsun Wuji and others also came to the emperor, no longer caring about etiquette, and wanted to stick their faces into the mall.

Everyone except Empress Changsun and Wu Ruyi saw the product called "Ibuprofen", but no one knew what it was used for.

"This thing... looks like some kind of panacea."

Chang Sun Wuji hesitated and said:
"Your Majesty, look at the thing in this picture. Doesn't it look like a pill? It's just not as round."

There are several pictures in the product column of the mall. The first one is a red square box, the second one is a silver sheet with an uneven surface, and the third one is what is wrapped in the sheet, a bunch of red and white oval meatballs.

I have no idea what the material is, I have never seen it before, but the appearance makes me think it is elixir.

Li Shimin was also puzzled:
"Now that you mention it, it does seem a bit like that... But I didn't buy any medicine, why did it suddenly appear? What kind of medicine is this?"

As His Majesty Li II asked the question, the system prompt sounded again.

[Ibuprofen, an anti-inflammatory analgesic drug, is suitable for fever, mild and moderate pain (including post-surgical pain), menstrual pain, headache, and pain caused by kidney stones. It is also suitable for rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, pericarditis and patent ductus arteriosus. ] [Please note: The system detects that you are in great need of purchasing analgesics. Ibuprofen is one of the analgesics with the mildest side effects and the most extensive effects. You can take one pill each time you have pain. Migraine cannot be cured, only analgesic, please purchase as needed. ]

The four people who heard the voice froze in place.

Seeing that they were silent, Empress Chang Sun urged curiously:

"Your Majesty, what are you looking at? Why are you silent? What good stuff is this? Is it really a better gunpowder formula than Zhu Yuanzhang's?"

Li Shimin stared at the merchandise column in a daze without saying anything. In the end, it was Changsun Wuji who went to explain to his sister what had happened.

After hearing this, Empress Chang Sun stood up suddenly, grabbed her husband's arm and said anxiously:
"What are you waiting for? Erlang, when you have a stroke, you usually feel so much pain. It's not just me. Ask everyone else here, who wouldn't know it?"

"In the past, seeking medical advice and medicine was useless, and praying to gods and Buddhas for elixirs was also useless. Now there is medicine, and it came from the immortals. If I don't buy it now, when will I buy it?"

Li Shimin still didn't say anything, and now even Empress Changsun hesitated:

"Is it that... not enough points?"

If she doesn't have enough points to buy it, then she, who can't even see the mall, can only sigh in despair and have no other choice.

At the side, Cheng Yaojin uttered a word faintly.

"It's enough. The points we have now are only enough to buy this one. We won't be allowed to order any other points."

"But I'm afraid your Majesty is not very willing to buy it."

Faced with his wife's shocked and confused gaze, Li Shimin closed his eyes silently.

He has been tormented by headaches for so many years, and now he has a panacea. The things the system gives him are much more credible than those wandering Taoist priests. It would be strange if he didn't feel tempted.

If his migraine can be cured, then he will just buy it. Compared with the quality of life in the second half of his life, accumulating points is not that important. Besides, it is not impossible to earn points again. If he works harder and saves more in the future, he will always be able to accumulate enough points to buy high-yield crops and other good things.

But the problem now is that ibuprofen can't cure him, it can only relieve the symptoms.

That means that he has to take one pill every time he has an unbearable headache. This thing is an absolute consumable. Judging from the frequency of his headaches, once he encounters something annoying, his head will start to hurt. When the pain is severe, it is too much. He has no appetite, and will vomit whether he eats or not. When his stomach is empty, he will vomit acid and even have trouble sleeping and eating.

The most uncomfortable thing was not this. Sometimes the headache started, and the pain was connected to the eyeballs, as if there were needles piercing the eye sockets. He could not handle government affairs, could not read memorials, and even wanted to throw things when he moved. Li Shimin was not always so irritable, but in recent years, the pain of headaches has become more and more severe. When the disease occurs, he can't control his emotions at all, and he has no time to control it.

The current way to deal with headaches is to tie a cloth band tightly on the head. This may help a little, but only a little.

Of course, Li Shimin was extremely eager for ibuprofen, but he also knew very well in his heart that this medicine might be a good thing for ordinary people, but to him, it was no different from poison.

For a disease like his, once he starts taking medicine, he will definitely become dependent on it, just like a blind person who will not be afraid of darkness if he has never seen the light.

If he cannot do without this painkiller, when he gets points and runs out of medicine, will he save them to buy high-yield crops, or will he prioritize buying medicine when he can't bear the headache?
You can figure out what's going to happen just by thinking with your butt.

"This thing is just drinking poison to quench thirst."

Li Shimin opened his eyes, turned to Empress Changsun and said:

"Guanyin, I know you are worried and I also know you hope I can live more comfortably, but these ailments are all from old injuries I suffered in the past when I fought on the battlefield and slept in the snow. I have too many old ailments, and it's not just the headache that I have. I also suffer from leg and knee pains from time to time. You should know these things best."

"If I bought it for the first time, and at first I took one pill because it was too painful to bear, what about later?"

"Will you gradually start taking one pill when you feel discomfort in your head to prevent unbearable pain? And then, will you take this pill when you have pain in your legs, feet, or anywhere else?"

"Points are not easy to come by. We have worked so hard to consider the national policy papers for so long, but we have not received any points yet. What we have now is just a small reward for changing history. I cannot be so selfish."

There were already tears in Empress Changsun's eyes.

Her eyes were red and her voice was choked:

"But you are the Son of Heaven of the Tang Dynasty. If you, as the ruler of a country, cannot take good care of yourself and suffer from headaches all day long, how can you guarantee that you can properly handle government affairs in the future?"

"Now that I am still here, you are just trying to save this little bit... If I really die next year, will you really care about your own body once I am gone?"

"Gao Ming is still so young. If we all leave early, would you be confident in handing over the country to him?"

Li Shimin held her hand tightly and spoke each word clearly, his tone much more resolute than before.

He said in a deep voice:

"Don't talk nonsense!"

"Since there are medicines in the mall that can relieve my illness, there must be medicines that can save you."

"It would be better if you didn't say anything. Now that I have said this, I can't waste my points. According to Zhu Yuanzhang and others, I can live until at least the 23rd year of Zhenguan, which means I'm still a long way from death. But it's different for you!"

"Headache is painful, but it won't kill me. I'm a man, so a little pain doesn't matter. I could endure it before, so why can't I endure it a little longer now?"

"You have to spend your points wisely, whether it's buying high-yield crops, buying technology, or buying medicine that can save your life. It's better than buying some useless painkiller. Guanyin, if you die, the Tang Dynasty will not be in chaos, but our family will be in bleak. You have to live well and live until you die with me."

"Otherwise, even if I become a ghost, I will still chant in your ear for a hundred years!"

Empress Changsun was amused by him, but she couldn't stop the tears in her eyes, so she cried and laughed at the same time, and the scene looked very funny for a while.

But no one laughed in Ganlu Temple.

This topic is actually very heavy. As the mother of a country, Empress Changsun was impeccable. Moreover, after knowing the history and looking back, we can realize how much her presence by Li Shimin's side played a role in easing family conflicts, the relationship between the monarch and his subjects, and taking care of Li Shimin's health.

No one can live forever, but once the queen dies, the country will be in turmoil.

Apart from anything else, as soon as she left, the now excellent Crown Prince Li Chengqian immediately became crooked. The crown prince of the country became crooked, this is much more serious than the turmoil in the court!
"I won't buy it, just close the mall!"

Li Shimin spoke loudly, and the hall fell silent.

(End of this chapter)