Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

"Sir, please sit down."

"Thank you for your seat. I wonder what you want from me, Duke?"

That day, Jia Cong invited Ye Tianshi to have a chat in the outer study room. His only intention was how to keep him.

Jia Cong knew very well that such miracle doctors were not interested in fame, wealth or power, and were upright and honest, with a heart to save the world. It would be extremely difficult to ask them to serve one family.

Yin smiled and said, "My wife's health is getting better day by day, all thanks to your skillful hands. I have nothing to do now, so I specially invited you to have a chat to express my gratitude."

Ye Tianshi waved his hand and smiled, "Grandma was able to recover, thanks to the Duke's contributions to the country and the people. God has a benevolent nature. I just happened to meet him by chance, it's just luck, it can't be said that I have done anything meritorious."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Sir, you are too modest. By the way, I have asked Guan Zhongtang, the Grand Secretary of Wenhua Palace and the Minister of Rites, to transfer your masterpiece "On Warm and Reakage" to the Imperial Hospital, asking them to study it well and publish it throughout the country.

It is set as a subject that all medical practitioners at all levels must learn and take exams, and is on par with classics such as "Suwen", "Treatise on Febrile Diseases" and "Golden Chamber". I think you will be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the predecessors in the future."

Ye Tianshi was surprised and delighted. He took a deep breath, stood up, bowed to the ground, and said, "I would like to thank you, Duke, for your kindness."

Jia Cong hurriedly helped him up and said with a smile: "This is a good deed for the people of the world, and it is also a good deed for Cong to do for his family. Sir, why do you need to thank me? Sit down."

Ye Tianshi sighed, "Your Excellency has the world in his heart and a kind heart. No wonder you are able to turn danger into safety so often. I am so lucky to have someone to whom I have devoted my life's efforts.

Now that grandma's condition has improved, I have prescribed three more prescriptions for you. If you take ten doses in sequence, you should be back to normal. I have been bothering you for many days, and it is time to say goodbye."

Jia Cong said hurriedly, "Sir, why are you in such a hurry to leave? Why not stay a few more days? Cong respects your character and knowledge very much, and would like to ask for your advice every day."

Ye Tianshi bowed and smiled, "Thank you for your hospitality, Duke. However, I have been studying medicine since I was young, and I have made up my mind when I was young to travel around the world to relieve the suffering of the poor people. Now that everything is done, it is inconvenient for me to stay any longer."

Jia Cong was well prepared, and said with a smile: "Cong, don't you know your ambition? How dare you keep me here to enjoy myself? But there are millions of people in the world who suffer from illness and pain. Even if you practice medicine every day and forget to eat and sleep, how many people can you save?"

Ye Tianshi sighed: "What the Duke said is true, I am just doing my best."

Jia Cong said: "Although Cong is not talented, he also has the heart to save the world and the people. I have thought of a way, and I think it can save thousands of times more people than your method."

Ye Tianshi hurriedly said, "Please enlighten me, Duke. I am all ears."

Jia Cong asked, "Sir, do you think it is more effective to save people by yourself or by tens of millions of Ye Tianshis?"

"Of course it's the latter."

"Great minds think alike. Cong thought that although the master's healing and saving lives benefited the local area, it was just a small act of kindness and righteousness. How many people could he save in his entire life?
If one day we pass away and leave our masterful medical skills without anyone to carry on our legacy, wouldn’t that be a great regret for the country?
Cong heard that Hua Tuo was a great doctor, but unfortunately he had no successor, leaving behind only some rudimentary veterinary skills. It is a pity to think about this every time! Sir, how can you not take this as a warning? "

"This..." Ye Tianshi hesitated slightly. This was also a problem he often worried about. However, it was not easy to find a good candidate to inherit his legacy.

"Even if you pass on your skills to future generations, let alone whether your sons have your talent, I am afraid that your descendants will regard it as a treasure mountain and cherish it for themselves, which is against your original intention." Jia Cong said.

Ye Tianshi nodded and sighed, "What the Duke said is true. There are always many cases where a father is a tiger and his son is a dog. The descendants may not be as determined as the students."

"Go ahead!" Jia Cong slapped his thigh and said, "Cong thought that only in the world, Shenjing has the most young doctors and the most poor patients. Why don't you open a clinic and recruit more disciples?

Moreover, Mr. Wang’s “On Warm and Hot Diseases” is so subtle and profound that it would be difficult for others to fully comprehend it without his personal guidance.

Cong can ask someone to go to the Imperial Hospital and send talented young doctors to study with you. After they have finished their studies, they can be assigned to various prefectures and counties to practice medicine. Isn't this a thousand times better than you wandering around alone?"

These words made sense. After hearing them, Ye Tianshi nodded slowly, his eyes showing a thoughtful look, and he was obviously interested.

Jia Cong hurriedly struck while the iron was hot and said, "Sir, you should know that your ability is the most valuable. Why do you have to run around and waste your time and energy? Can't you just treat patients and save lives in the capital?"

Ye Tianshi sighed, "My lifelong wish is to help the poor people. If I stay in the capital for a long time, I will inevitably be disturbed by dignitaries, which is against my original intention."

Jia Cong waved his hand and smiled, "Sir, you worry too much. How could Cong not have thought of this?

A few hundred steps away from Ningrong Street, there is a century-old pharmacy called Ji'antang. Cong has invested in it and is now the owner of the pharmacy.

The teacher can sit there and treat only poor people. Cong does not charge a penny and even gives them medicine as a gift.

If wealthy families come to consult me, I will refuse them all and ask them to consult other doctors first. If that doesn't work, they can come back to me for treatment. There are several famous doctors in the pharmacy. Are you afraid that they cannot share my worries?
Besides, you will have your own disciples to serve you, so why would you be afraid of being disturbed?"

"This... this is really too much of a hassle for the Duke. How can a student deserve this..." Ye Tianshi said with a wry smile, feeling both moved and frightened.

"Sir, you are too distant. We are all in the medical field. Why should we differentiate ourselves from each other?" Jia Cong said with a smile.

"Hmm? The Duke is also proficient in the art of medicine?"

"I don't understand. But I've heard that medicine is a benevolent art. Although Cong has no medical skills, he has a kind heart like you. Isn't he a fellow practitioner?" Jia Cong said shamelessly.

Ye Tianshi smiled and said, "What the Duke said is true. When it comes to kindness, I am not even a fraction as good as the Duke."

"Ah, sir, you are too modest. I have no big or small ambitions. I just try my best." Jia Cong laughed. Seeing that the time was almost right, he took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and said, "Please take a look, sir."

Ye Tianshi took it and looked at it, and saw that it said:

In the winter of the eleventh year of Xifeng, Cong was ordered to go to Liaodong secretly, kill King Xian of Liao, and capture all his followers. The Liao vassal state was then withdrawn.

When he returned, he heard that his beloved concubine was about to die. All the famous doctors in the capital were helpless. But Ye from Jiangnan happened to visit her and diagnosed her with a febrile disease. The medicine worked and the disease was cured, and she came back to life.

Cong declined the offer, but left behind only one volume of his book, On Warm and Reakable Diseases. Ye, whose name was Gui, courtesy name Tianshi, and pseudonym Xiangyan, was from Wuxian. From then on, he was known as a miracle doctor.

"This is..." Ye Tianshi's heart was pounding after reading it. The text was concise and powerful, and it looked like a record in historical books no matter how you looked at it.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Old Wu, the president of the Hanlin Academy, is quite friendly with Cong. They are writing my biography, and I asked him to add this paragraph in it. In the future, you can also be recorded in history with me."

Although Ye Tianshi was a doctor, he was ultimately a scholar. Which scholar could resist the temptation to leave his name in history, let alone a doctor who was not a formal official.

Since ancient times, there are only a few people who have been recorded in history for their medical skills, such as Bian Que and Hua Tuo.

The "wild famous doctors" written in the notes and diaries of predecessors do not count. Only those recognized by official history can be truly "famous in history."

Looking at the few dozen words on the paper, Ye Tianshi's fingers trembled slightly, and he barely spoke: "Duke... this... this, how can a student be worthy of this?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I know very well that you are an expert in medicine, and the Hanlin Academy is just writing honestly. What's there to be unworthy of? In this way, the younger generations in the future will pay more attention to your masterpiece."

Faced with the irresistible conditions offered by Jia Cong, Ye Tianshi was convinced and said, "My Lord, you are so kind and friendly. I will follow your arrangements."

"Good! Cong thanks you on behalf of the people of the world." Jia Cong was overjoyed.

"Don't dare."
-
Jia Cong was overjoyed to have successfully kept Ye Tianshi. He had dinner with him and then went out to see Yang Si Niang, Lan Wei, Zhen Yuan and other "outside wives". He missed them after not seeing them for more than a month. If future generations knew what I had done, would they say I was a scumbag bulldozer? Riding on the horse, Jia Cong was lost in thought and couldn't help but smile.

Forget it, these losers know nothing. I am a womanizer and I have no choice. I will just bear the blame if there is any. As a real man, why should I explain my actions to others?

Explanation is equal to concealment, and concealment is equal to making up stories. Jia Cong understands this truth very well.

He went to the Lai family nearby to ask and learned that Lan Wei had gone to the Zhen family. Jia Cong had finally escaped from the peach blossom array of Ren Shu, Su He and Chao Lu, and hurried to the Zhen Mansion, crying out in his heart that he could not stand it any longer. If he was entangled by them, he would have nothing to do today.

Lan Wei hadn't figured it out yet, so even if he was greedy, he was afraid of getting an upset stomach.

When the servants of the Zhen family saw him coming, they hurriedly invited him in and asked the ladies to meet the guest.

Jia Cong exchanged a few words with the ladies of the Zhen family when he suddenly saw two graceful figures coming out from the back hall. They were Zhen Yuan and Lan Wei.

"Brother Cong, how come you have time to come here? I haven't yet congratulated you on your promotion to Grand Tutor." Zhen Yuan smiled and said, "Your royal favor is rare in ancient and modern times." She didn't know that Jia Cong had already gone to Liaodong for a visit.

Everyone laughed and agreed.

Jia Cong waved his hand and smiled, "What's the value of an empty title? We are all serving the court. What does it matter if we are high or low officials?" He looked at Lan Wei and asked, "Why is Wei'er here too?"

Lan Wei smiled and said, "To answer the Duke's question, Duobao Pavilion is closed today. I heard that Miss Zhen San is a famous talented woman in Jiangnan, so I came here to ask for advice."

"Okay, walk around more when you have nothing to do, so you won't feel suffocated." Jia Cong said with a smile.

The women knew Jia Cong's intention and hoped that Zhen Yuan would be favored by him, so they all excused themselves and left, leaving the three of them to talk privately.

"Let's go inside and talk."

"Okay, I'll follow the host's wishes." Jia Cong raised his eyebrows and smiled.

Zhen Yuan's face turned slightly red as she led the two back to the living room.

Bang, the door closes.

Jia Cong sat down with the two girls in his arms, and said with a smile, "It's been a long time since we last met. Do you miss me?"

Zhen Yuan was a lady from a wealthy family after all, so she quickly pulled his hand away and said, "I'm at home in mourning, how can I have time to think about you?"

Lan Wei smiled and said, "Miss Third, you don't mean what you say. If you don't want to, why do you always talk to me about the Duke's poems?"

"Sister..." Zhen Yuan said coquettishly, rolled her eyes at Jia Cong, and said, "Sister Wei said she hasn't seen you these days. Are you so busy?"

"Didn't you go to Liaodong on official business?" Jia Cong quickly told him about the events in Liaodong. "If I were in the capital, I would not be able to resist coming to see you."

Lan Wei smiled and covered her mouth, "I heard the other day that you disobeyed the emperor's order to save a beautiful girl and searched the whole city for her heroic deeds. I was so envious of you. If you can love me like this, I would be willing to get seriously ill."

Zhen Yuan hurriedly asked, "Is Miss Qingwen's illness getting better?"

Jia Cong nodded and said, "Thank you for your concern. I am finally well. Wei'er, don't be silly. Is it good to be sick? I would rather your illness happen to me, so that I won't have any problems with your fragile bodies. I will be so heartbroken."

"Master...I..." Lan Wei was so moved that she choked up. She had seen countless people, so she could naturally tell whether Jia Cong was sincere or not.

Zhen Yuan also said softly: "Cong Lang, you only have this body, but you have to get sick for many sisters, and you are not afraid of being sick. Besides, how can Sister Bao, Sister Lin, and Sister Chan bear to see you suffer? Don't say this again in the future."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Then you all should be good and take good care of yourself. Don't get sick, so that I don't have to worry about you. But even if you get sick, don't be afraid. I have kept Mr. Ye in the capital. If you have any illness in the future, ask him to help you, and you will be fine."

After chatting for a while, Jia Cong remembered something and said, "My elder sister will come back to visit her family during the Lantern Festival next year. Do you want to come and play with her? I'll introduce you to her."

Lan Wei was delighted, then shook her head and whispered, "How can I, with my background, go to see the Imperial Concubine?"

Jia Cong comforted them, "You are all good people who were kidnapped and sold since childhood. Now you have restored your status as good girls. Not only can you see the imperial concubine, you can also see the emperor."

Lan Wei asked, "Am I going alone, or am I going with my three sisters?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "You decide."

Lan Wei said happily: "Then the four of us sisters will go to pay respect to the queen together."

Jia Cong nodded and looked at Zhen Yuan: "Yuan'er, do you want to go to my house to play?"

Zhen Yuan shook his head sadly and said, "I am in deep mourning and it is not appropriate for me to come to the mansion to pay my respects. Please pay my respects to the queen on my behalf."

"That's fine. There's still a lot of time left, and we'll have plenty of opportunities to meet in the future." Jia Cong said in a soothing voice, and changed the subject: "By the way, why didn't you see Baoyu today?"

Zhen Yuan sighed, "He is now devoted to his studies and has already gone to Mingde Academy to study. He will not be back until the end of the New Year."

Jia Cong said: "Well, a scholar must be broad-minded and resolute, and the responsibility is heavy and the road is long. As the saying goes, one can go through three periods of poverty and three periods of wealth until old age. The temporary rise and fall of a family is nothing. As long as the children of the family strive to make progress, revival is just around the corner.

Baoyu is a smart person. As long as he puts his mind on the right path, he will be successful in the future."

Zhen Yuan smiled and said, "Thank you for your good words. It would be great if I could help him if I have the chance."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Since he is my uncle, who would I pull him in if I don't? Don't worry, Cong only recruits people based on their talents and is eager to recruit talented people."

Zhen Yuan rolled her eyes at him, feeling extremely shy.

After staying in the Zhen Mansion for a long time, Jia Cong finally came out with Lan Wei.

"Wei'er, the Zhen family is in trouble. When you are free, come and accompany Yuan'er for me and comfort her."

"Don't worry, Master. I'll take care of it." Lan Wei said with a smile, "Besides, with this good medicine from Master, Miss San's mental illness will naturally be cured."

Jia Cong smiled evilly and said, "Then would you like me to cure your lovesickness first?"

Lan Wei covered her mouth and chuckled, saying, "Master, you should treat Miss Ren and the others first. They are seriously ill."

Jia Cong laughed in silence: "I went to look for you just now, and I was almost caught and squeezed by them. I dare not provoke them."

Lan Wei said coquettishly, "It's like the Silkworm Cave. How can it be so scary? With my skills, killing them in and out seven times is a piece of cake."

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare." Jia Cong was humble for once. As he was talking and laughing, he suddenly heard the sound of hurried horse hooves on the long street. The horse and the people on the street were thrown to the ground.

"Get out of the way! Urgent news from the border! Urgent news from the border!" A messenger with a frosted face and a red flag on his back, whipped his horse wildly, and galloped past. (End of this chapter)