prosperous age

"Congratulations to welcome the master back home."

The sedan stopped and Wei Guangde got out. The servants at the door all saluted him.

Wei Guangde just nodded slightly and walked straight into the mansion.

After entering the mansion, Wei Guangde slowed down his pace and waited for Zhang Ji to catch up.

When he got out of the sedan chair, he saw Zhang Ji holding a large stack of manuscripts in his hands. Although he didn't know what they were, he believed that Zhang Ji would give him an answer soon.

Sure enough, a moment later, Zhang Ji had already followed him nearby and whispered to him, "Master, I have obtained the manuscript of Doctor Li from the bookstore. Do you want to take a look at it first?"

"Compendium of Materia Medica?"

Wei Guangde stopped and turned back to ask.

"Yes, it's the Compendium of Materia Medica. It contains the medicinal properties of the herbs, pictures of the herbs, and some prescriptions. I took a quick look at it."

Zhang Ji said immediately.

“They are all medical contents, so just let the bookstore print them without any worries.

By the way, we should prepare the materials first. We can prepare what needs to be prepared first, and start printing when Doctor Li arrives in the capital."

Wei Guangde said.

"Yes."

Just as Zhang Ji agreed and was about to leave, Wei Guangde suddenly said, "After the manuscript of Imperial Doctor Zhang in your hand is printed, send it back to the palace for me, put it in the treasury, and keep it carefully in a box."

Wei Guangde remembered that the Ming Dynasty edition of "Compendium of Materia Medica" seemed to have a high auction price, but most of the versions left in the world are from the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China.

If one could collect Li Shizhen's handwriting, or the original manuscript, its value would be immeasurable hundreds of years later.

Therefore, the manuscript of Li Shizhen's book was decided by Wei Guangde, the Lord Wei.

In fact, in this era, there are many collectors of authentic works of famous artists, but the manuscripts of famous doctors like Li Shizhen are not valuable.

Apart from anything else, the prescriptions written by Li Shizhen are Li Shizhen's authentic works, so who would take them seriously?

Only Wei Guangde knew the value of these things in the future, but that would have to wait until his Wei family could still keep the family business hundreds of years later.

"By the way, sir, I heard that Mr. Tan seemed to be in poor health today and did not go to the Ministry of War to report for duty."

Before Zhang Ji left, he seemed to remember something and immediately spoke to Wei Guangde.

"Oh, is it because of yesterday?"

Wei Guangde asked with a frown.

"Maybe. Not long after they left yesterday, it started to rain and blow. I wonder if that's the reason."

Zhang Ji whispered.

"I understand. Prepare a sedan chair for me after dinner. I'll go over and take a look."

Wei Guangde ordered, "If I don't remember it later, remember to remind me."

"Yes, sir."

Zhang Ji quickly agreed.

Back in the backyard, Wei Guangde changed out of his official uniform with the help of his wife. After chatting for a while, Xu Jianglan asked when the court would issue an order to allow Songjiang Prefecture to open the sea.

"Haha, I'm so anxious."

Wei Guangde smiled and said, someone asked about this yesterday. It seems that everyone is eager to go out to sea to do business and make money.

"Next time you go, if they ask about it, just tell them that it will most likely be after the New Year, but definitely not before the New Year.

Now all the major government offices are sorting out the outstanding affairs, and they can seal it only after they have finished the work."

Wei Guangde replied with a smile.

"Has the Prime Minister already made the decision?"

Xu Jianglan sat next to Wei Guangde and asked gently.

"It's almost done. The allocation has been basically finalized. After the new year, the cabinet will submit a report.

In fact, the palace also knew about it and was supportive, and the two empresses dowagers’ families also had a share.

As long as the sea is opened, each family will receive varying amounts of income, and if everyone benefits, who would oppose it?"

Wei Guangde smiled.

With the family spending a large sum of money, Xu Jianglan must be a little worried.

So, Wei Guangde gave her a reassurance at this moment.

"When we talked about it two days ago, Zhang Jiangling also said that he had received a letter from Lord Xu.

I think this matter is irreversible.”

Wei Guangde said with full confidence.

In the evening, after dinner and a short rest, Wei Guangde left the backyard and went to the front, where he got on a sedan chair and rushed to Tan Mansion.

When Wei Guangde came to Tan Mansion, he was naturally invited in directly.

At the back, in Tan Lun's bedroom, Tan Lun leaned on the bed and greeted Wei Guangde with a smile.

"Shandai, I'm sorry."

"Brother Zili, you're welcome. I just heard about this after returning home today, otherwise I would have come here a long time ago."

Wei Guangde smiled hurriedly and walked forward quickly. Wei Guangde sat on the armchair placed beside the bed and said to the Tan family member who was accompanying him: "Luo Shu, have you consulted the imperial physician? What did the imperial physician say?"

Tan Luoshu, the second son of Tan Lun, is currently the director of the Imperial College. He married the daughter of Liu Sen, the deputy director of the Guanglu Temple, and has been staying in the capital to take care of Tan Lun.

"I've asked Doctor Zhang to take a look. He said that I caught a cold and it has affected my old injuries. I can only take care of it."

Tan Luoshu replied.

Wei Guangde nodded and said with a smile: "Then we can come here to discuss anything in the future. Luo Shu, you must prepare food and drinks to entertain us when the time comes."

Wei Guangde told a joke to lighten the dull atmosphere.

My dad is not in good health, it would be strange for his son to be in a good mood.

"Master Wei, you are joking. We should treat our distinguished guests well, even though we cannot even invite them."

Tan Luoshu said hurriedly.

Wei Guangde smiled and then asked about Tan Lun's situation.

Tan Lun's old injury was mainly caused by irregular meals during his early years in the war against the Japanese pirates. In later times, it was called stomach disease.

This disease is actually difficult to cure and usually the only thing you can do is to take care of it.

Also, although he was a civil servant, he had been leading troops outside for a long time, so he had scars from that time on his body.

For example, he fell off a horse and injured his leg in Fujian. The cold was actually very minor and it mainly triggered the old injury. Now Tan Lun's right leg hurts so much that he can't get out of bed.

"Doctor Zhang prescribed some medicine. In addition to the decoction for dispelling wind and cold, the rest were pain-relieving medicines and incense. In fact, I could have prescribed these prescriptions for myself without him telling me."

Tan Lun smiled, looking very relaxed.

Long illness makes one a doctor. Now, Tan Lun actually has corresponding prescriptions for various ailments that occur on his body.

But the son was still worried, so he asked the imperial physician to come over and take a look.

Hearing the incense, Wei Guangde couldn't help but shrug his nose and laughed, "I was wondering why I smelled a strange fragrance when I came in. I thought I walked into that lady's boudoir."

"Haha, this opium incense has the effect of relieving pain. Doctor Li said that if the pain is severe, you can light it up and smell it. In fact, there is this thing in the decoction."

Tan Lun smiled and said, "If Shandai thinks it's good, you might as well take some back and use it at home."

"so good?"

Wei Guangde smiled.

"This opium is mainly used to relieve pain, and also has the effects of relieving cough and asthma, calming and hypnotizing."

Seeing that his father and Wei Guangde were talking excitedly, Tan Luoshu took out a black piece from the tray next to him and handed it to Wei Guangde.

When Tan Lun saw it, he pointed at it and said, "This is the juice inside the fruit. It looks black, but I saw flowers blooming in the south when I was young. They were very beautiful." Wei Guangde took it and smelled it, but didn't smell anything.

"You can't smell it. It can only emit this strange fragrance if you put it in an incense burner."

Tan Lun explained, "Oh, it is said that in the second year of Qianfeng in the Tang Dynasty, the Qin Dynasty sent an envoy to offer the Diyega, which is this thing."

The Great Qin mentioned by Tan Lun is certainly not the Great Qin Dynasty founded by Qin Shihuang, but the name China gave to the Roman Empire at that time.

“At that time, they brought seeds with them, so after the Tang Dynasty, they started to plant it in China and extract it themselves.

I heard from Doctor Wang, the retired doctor, that this thing was probably introduced during the Han Dynasty.

After Tan Lun finished speaking, Wei Guangde nodded and continued, "Silk Road."

"Yes, the Silk Road not only allowed Chinese products to be seen by the West, but also brought some things that are unique to the West."

Tan Lun smiled and said, "Although the South has a history of growing hibiscus flowers for viewing, the quality of this flower in China is not good. The one you have is still the stock in the Imperial Hospital."

"We in the Ming Dynasty cannot produce this medicine?"

Wei Guangde was delighted when he heard this, and guessed that it had something to do with the soil and climate.

Some plants, even if they have stronger adaptability and can be planted, their medicinal value may be weakened after they bear fruit, so it is better to go to their place of origin.

"Then the Imperial Hospital was bought from the West?"

Wei Guangde asked casually.

"It seems to be a tribute from Siam in Southeast Asia. During the Jiajing period, 300 kilograms were paid as tribute. A little of this is enough for daily use, but not too much.

After all, it is a drug, there are always some bad things. "

Tan Lun said, "I heard from the people in the Imperial Hospital that the late emperor also used this substance to make medicine. The medicine smelled very fragrant when it was being made, but it turned into a bad smell after it came out. So the late emperor stopped using this substance after refining it twice.

I think there should be more of this thing in Southeast Asia.

Now that the imperial court has garrisons in Luzon and Old Port, if the country needs them in the future, we can just let them pay tribute."

At this time, Tan Lun thought that Wei Guangde liked this thing very much, so he indeed added a little bit of it into the incense burner, and the aroma was refreshing.

"Luo Shu, pack a bag for Lord Wei."

Tan Lun gave another order.

Wei Guangde did not refuse. After all, it was from the Imperial Medical Bureau. To them, it was like getting it for free without spending any money.

When Wei Guangde left the Tan residence, he had a paper bag in his hand, which was estimated to weigh at least two or three taels.

However, when Wei Guangde sat in the sedan chair, his expression did not look as relaxed as when he came.

Leaning back in my chair, I carefully pondered the history of opium as told by Tan Lun. I always felt as if I had seen it somewhere in later generations.

I wanted to ask Doctor Zhang for advice, but it's too late now and everyone is probably resting, so I can only put it off until tomorrow.

Wei Guangde returned home and went to the backyard with the paper bag.

"Oh, Master, you went to see Master Tan and got something from him?"

After entering the room, Madam Xu Jianglan saw the paper bag in Wei Guangde's hand and joked.

"They say it's some kind of opium that can be put into a smoker to produce a strange aroma."

Wei Guangde casually handed the paper bag to Xu Jianglan and sat down, still thinking.

"I thought it was something else, but it turned out to be that thing."

At first, Xu Jianglan was surprised at what good things Wei Guangde brought back. Given the current situation in the Wei Mansion, there must be all kinds of good things that Wei Guangde should have brought back personally.

Knowing that it is opioid, it is not surprising.

"you know?"

Wei Guangde asked in confusion.

"I know, Wu Xiang, it's like everyone knows it.

It smells good, and people who like it like it very much. I smell it, but I don’t like it that much either.”

Xu Jianglan answered nonchalantly, and now Wei Guangde heard a name, "Wu Xiang".

Wei Guangde's heart tightened and he felt uneasy for no reason.

He had already had this feeling in the sedan just now, and it was even stronger now.

"In many mansions, if the ladies like something, they will go to the Imperial Hospital to get some to add to the incense burner. It seems that there is no harm in it. It is a medicinal ingredient in the Imperial Hospital."

Xu Jianglan said with a smile.

Upon hearing that opium was not only used as medicine by the Imperial Hospital, but also attracted women from the dukes' and marquises' houses due to its unique fragrance, Wei Guangde could not help but fall into deep thought.

There is always a sense of déjà vu, but it is so foggy that I can't see clearly.

Suddenly, Wei Guangde thought of Zhang Ji, and immediately asked the maid to find Zhang Ji and ask him to check the record of opium in "Compendium of Materia Medica" and send it to him immediately after finding it, so that he could take a look.

Wei Guangde would also ask about Imperial Physician Zhang.

However, it is good to know more before asking in person.

Wei Guangde's order caused chaos in the Wei family again.

Many servants who had already gone to bed were woken up by Zhang Ji. They were all literate servants, and they were arranged to gather together to read the "Compendium of Materia Medica".

No one knows anything about medicine, so it's a bit difficult to search.

Wei Guangde didn't know all this, and soon he started to wash up and get ready for bed with the help of his maid.

It was already very late, and the army that went out to pick up money in the city gradually disappeared completely.

The next morning, Wei Guangde got up and ran in the garden, then did two rounds of boxing. Then he wiped the sweat off his face and went back to prepare for breakfast.

At the dinner table, Zhang Ji brought the records he had found about "opium" and brought them directly here.

"Opian, pronounced as woye in the local dialect, is named afurong because its flower color resembles hibiscus.

It was rarely heard of in previous generations, but has become useful recently.

It is said that this is the fluid of poppy flowers.

When the poppy forms green buds, prick the outer green skin with a large needle in the afternoon, without damaging the hard skin inside, three to five times.

The next morning, it was taken out of the river, scraped with a bamboo knife, and put into porcelain to dry in the shade before use.

While eating, Wei Guangde read the book's record of opium.

Here, Wei Guangde learned the new name "Afurong".

"Scrape it into porcelain, wait for it to accumulate for a long time, seal it with paper, and dry it in the sun for 27 days. It will become opium. If you are impatient, use it more often."

When Wei Guangde read this, he was stunned. Opium, opium, black incense, opium

In an instant, Wei Guangde felt bad, and he finally understood where the uneasy feeling yesterday came from.

The two or three taels of opium that I brought home were fucking opium.

No Chinese person in later generations has a good impression of this thing. This is the demon that poisoned China for a century.

Wei Guangde stopped eating, and his hand holding the piece of paper began to tremble slightly.

"Master, master."

Zhang Ji, who was standing by, saw this and hurriedly called out to him in a low voice.

"Ah."

Wei Guangde looked back, his emotions gradually stabilized, and he put down the paper.

At this point, he no longer had any appetite.

Because later education did not provide a comprehensive introduction to this aspect, many Chinese people believed that opium was introduced into the country during the Qing Dynasty. Wei Guangde did not expect that the doctors of the Ming Dynasty had already used it as a medicine at that time.

“I didn’t expect that the drugs had been around me for a long time, but the harm was still unknown.”

Wei Guangde murmured. (End of this chapter)