Spoiler History: Starting from the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 693: Limitations of the Times

Sure enough, Dai Sigong had a feeling that it was as expected.

After all, when it comes to Song Ci, who else could it be?
Although he was an imperial physician, he also read Xiyuan Ji Lu carefully.

When the Chief Criminal Inspectors read this book, they focused on the key points of examining corpses and distinguishing the causes of death. But for Dai Sigong, the book was quite useful because it covered how to distinguish the corpses of women and children, how to differentiate between bone injuries, internal injuries and trauma, and how to distinguish between pathological changes during autopsy.

And now, looking back at this book from the perspective of future generations, Dai Sigong feels that he has gained something.

For example, people in later generations highly praised the criminal law regulations established by Song Ci, so shouldn’t doctors also have a similar one?

The young man also gave a very clear summary of the advantages of Xiyuan Ji Lu, which was noted down by Dai Sigong, who was thinking about calling it a "professional auxiliary book".

Combined with the "division of labor" theory that he had heard so hard before, Dai Sigong felt as if he had vaguely seen a path to eternal fame.

Zhu Yuanzhang was not very interested in this, but when he looked back at his sons, all of them seemed to be thinking deeply, he felt happy in his heart, so he simply pointed to the one who looked the most serious:
"Did Lao Wu gain anything?"

As a result, Zhu Di interrupted with a smile:

"Dad, my brother is busy, why don't you ask me?"

Ming Tianzi immediately laughed and scolded:
"You want to be a great general, what's the point of reading these?"

But what the fourth brother said was not wrong. Zhu Su looked very serious in thinking.

"Of course it works!"

Zhu Di nodded seriously and said:

"Then the idea of ​​division of labor is correct. The elite soldiers in the army are usually good at one thing. Only in this way can they defeat the enemy without any disadvantages."

"And now that I know that later generations call this judicial officer a forensic doctor, I think that most military doctors can be similar. I want someone to set up a rule and write a book that can help people become military doctors after reading it."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded in surprise. What his son said... made sense. Then he turned to his eldest son.

Zhu Biao said clearly:
"In his later years, Song Tixing summarized his life's gains and losses, and wrote this book."

"As Song Tixing said, officials' ignorance causing the people to suffer is not unique to the criminal justice system."

"Dad, don't you want to compile the Hongwu Code? Why not start by asking experienced officials to compile a complete record of all the gains and losses?"

"For every position, I would collect dozens of articles on the gains and losses of my work and summarize them..."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes were filled with satisfaction:
"Good, this matter should be summarized from the perspective of the flag, and if we talk about the foundation of the country, we should start with agriculture."

Zhu Di gritted his teeth in confusion. He was obviously not interested in medicine and agriculture, but why did he have an indescribable feeling when he heard the name "Hongwu Encyclopedia"?
……

In Xuchang City, Liu Bei looked at the light screen and pondered for a while, then asked his military advisor:
"Song Ci is a really good official. Just by listening to the introduction, I know that Xiyuan Jilu is also a good book."

“But the steps before and after…”

Before Kong Ming could speak, Pang Tong said with a smile:

"My Lord, of course you are familiar with it, because the order of the workshops and farming affairs under our jurisdiction is also to first set the rules, then summarize the key points, and then print them into a book before promoting them."

Liu Bei suddenly understood and nodded repeatedly:
"It is indeed a good method. Kong Ming had no previous suggestions from later generations, but he was able to make it work. He is worthy of being my Sleeping Dragon!"

Kong Ming shook his feather fan and refused to accept the title:

“The secrets of sugar, paper, glass, etc., were all invented by later generations.”

"The planning of the workshop was decided by the Lord and Gong Yan Shiyuan."

"It was Zhang Ziqiao who advocated the task of educating the people to read and write. It was Zizhong and Zichu who took great pains to unite the markets and regulate the trade routes."

"The detailed procedures of each workshop and agricultural work, as well as the summary of taboos, were all recorded by the people."

"What have all these things to do with me? What have they accomplished?"

Liu Bei and Pang Tong laughed loudly, Guan Yu stroked his beard and said:
"I haven't seen you for three years, but the military advisor is still busy with all kinds of things and doesn't want to take any credit. He hasn't changed." In response to Guan Yu's words, Kong Ming sighed:

"If there were no generals fighting bravely in front of us, how could Liang live in Chengdu and command the country?"

Zhang Fei was already familiar with the mutual humility between his brother and the military advisors, so he simply poked the prime minister beside him:
"Meng De Meng De, Zhang Ziqiao and Liu Zichu..."

Before Zhang Fei could finish, Cao Cao said:

"I don't know."

Zhang Fei clapped his legs and laughed:

"I haven't finished yet, why are you in such a hurry?"

I just want to say that Ziqiao is indeed a great talent in Yizhou, and Zichu can also be called a talent in Jingzhou.

Cao Cao remained silent, but his face showed obvious regret.

……

In Ganlu Palace, Li Shimin looked at Sun Simiao who was writing furiously:

"Sun Yao Wang, everything that was said on the light curtain just now was recorded by Deng Shan."

"It is better to record them together, and leave the forensic medicine to the Taichang Temple and the Dali Temple..."

Before Li Shimin finished speaking, Sun Simiao said anxiously:

"My current residence is right next to the Tingwei Prison, so it's convenient for me to go in and out. And the people I see are all familiar with autopsies and examinations, so it's just right for me to write a book on forensic medicine!"

[Xiyuan Ji Lu has important significance in forensic medicine and is also a significant contribution to world history.

However, it still has distinct characteristics of the feudal era.

In the last issue, we talked about how science in the Song Dynasty could only exist as a vassal of Neo-Confucianism, and forensic medicine was no exception.

Classical views and ideas are sacred and inviolable, and over-reliance on sensibility and intuition in research is too subjective. These shortcomings also exist in Xiyuan Ji Lu.

For example, the third volume of Xiyuan Jilu, the bone examination, begins with the following statement:
"There are 365 bones in a human body, corresponding to 365 days in a year."

This number is obviously nonsense. After all, even if nails and teeth are included, the total number of bones is still far from 365.

If we look back at history, we will find that this number was not proposed by Song Ci.

The "Shengji Zonglu" compiled by Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty clearly recorded that "the number of bones and joints in the human body is 365, which corresponds to the number of one period."

Going back further, Dong Zhongshu's "Chun Qiu Fan Lu" said something even more mysterious:
It is said that the 365 bones correspond to the number of days in a year, the bones are divided into twelve major sections, corresponding to the number of months, the five internal organs of the body correspond to the five elements, and the four limbs of the body correspond to the four seasons.

Going back to the Han Dynasty, the "Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic" already clearly recorded that "human beings have 365 joints."

So you're saying that Song Ci didn't know that there are not 365 bones in the human body? He definitely knew.

But if you don't write it this way, it would be tantamount to denying Song Huizong who commissioned the compilation of "Shengji Zonglu", denying the great Confucian sage Dong Zhongshu, and even denying Huangdi. In this way, it might be a question whether "Xiyuan Ji Lu" can survive, let alone be published.

Of course, according to our modern research, the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine was finally completed through continuous additions by talented people from the pre-Qin Dynasty to the Western Han Dynasty, and has nothing to do with the Yellow Emperor.

In addition, there are other low-level fallacies in the bone examination chapter, such as "men's bones are white, women's bones are black";
For example, "Men have twelve ribs on each side, eight long and four short, while women have fourteen on each side", and "Men have bones on their wrists and around their iliac joints, while women have none", etc.

However, behind these, Song Ci gave a very detailed description of the differences in the shapes of the male and female pelvises, which contrasts sharply with such low-level fallacies as the number of ribs and the total number of bones.

It can only be said that fortunately, the most important part of the views and experience summaries in "Xi Yuan Ji Lu" did not fall into the rut already set by the classics, which allowed Song Ci to record his life experience without restrictions.

Ancient people had far more opportunities to come into contact with corpses than modern people do, and simple questions like the total number of bones and the number of male and female ribs could be determined just by looking at them.

But the fact that this wrong conclusion has been accepted as a guideline for more than a thousand years shows us from another perspective the limitations of a backward era.

(End of this chapter)