024 I Am But a Quack~

In the midsummer of 1649, a massive steamer enveloped the world. The sudden, intense heat pressed the pause button on the entire empire.

Military campaigns in the south were suspended; the forces in Shanxi remained motionless.

Smallpox reared its head once more, with the sweltering heat serving as its natural ally.

In the West City, a shriek erupted from a luxurious mansion.

"The Princess Consort has contracted smallpox! Quickly, summon the imperial physicians!"

The primary consort of the Imperial Father Regent Dorgon had fallen ill, suffering from persistent high fevers and a body covered in pustules. The physicians arriving from the palace were at their wits' end, offering only conservative treatment.

...

Inside the Palace of Heavenly Purity in the Forbidden City.

Shunzhi paced back and forth in agitation; even the addition of ten extra blocks of ice could not bring him peace.

Kneeling before the throne was a middle-aged Manchu official named Soni, a nobleman of the Plain Yellow Banner with a distinguished lineage.

"Your Majesty! This servant has words to speak."

"Speak!"

"I have returned to the capital from the Zhaoling Mausoleum in Shengjing under imperial decree. Along the way, I saw nothing but the ravages of smallpox. Our Eight Banners soldiers are falling ill one after another—it is a harrowing sight. If this continues, the very foundation of the state will be shaken."

"I know this, of course. But what can be done?"

Soni kowtowed again, his eyes resolute. "We must eliminate smallpox at any cost. Otherwise, the Ming fell to the Qing, and the Qing will fall to smallpox."

"Audacious!"

"He is right."

A voice sounded from behind. Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang had arrived.

...

Shunzhi rose hurriedly, but Xiaozhuang, unceremonious, sat directly upon the dragon throne.

Soni looked up, his excitement meeting her gaze.

"The Imperial Father Regent’s primary consort—my own cousin from the Borjigit clan—she has just passed away," Xiaozhuang said, her face filled with sorrow. "It happened two hours ago."

A deathly silence filled the hall.

"Soni."

"This servant is here."

"You have guarded the ancestral tombs at Zhaoling; you have rendered great service."

"Watching over the spirits of our Qing ancestors is this servant's blessing and my bounden duty."

Soni, ever tactful, did not mention that it was Dorgon who had intentionally exiled him to Shengjing two years ago.

Xiaozhuang nodded in satisfaction.

"At tomorrow’s morning court, everyone will present a plan. For the sake of the Great Qing, for the sake of the nation, smallpox must be eradicated."

"As you command."

That evening, Soni was appointed Commander of the Plain Yellow Banner and concurrently Magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture.

...

Imperial power is supreme; even if the decree were to move mountains or fill the seas, the ministers would have to comply.

At the Imperial Academy of Medicine, the head physicians, senior doctors, and medical staff gathered in a room thick with gloom, their candles burning as they debated incessantly.

First, they had to declare their stance. If they were to outright refuse, the misfortune that befell the Imperial Board of Astronomy next door might well descend upon them.

At dawn, everyone washed their faces, composed their appearances, and walked toward the Meridian Gate. Along the way, their numbers grew, merging into a "blue tide" of officials. The civil and military ministers stepped through the side gates of the Meridian Gate, entering the Forbidden City and walking toward the towering Hall of Supreme Harmony.

"Long live the Emperor! Long, long live the Empress Dowager!"

The shouts were like a mountain crashing and a sea roaring. Today was different from other days; Xiaozhuang sat above, with Shunzhi to her left.

...

"Ministers, I have unfortunate news to share. Just yesterday, the primary consort of the Imperial Father Regent—my own cousin—passed away from smallpox."

A stir ran through the hall.

Xiaozhuang’s high-pitched voice rang out through the chamber.

"Since we crossed the pass, smallpox has haunted us like a vengeful spirit. How many famous generals and nobles of our Qing have died of it? How many banner soldiers have perished? Prince Yu’s body is not yet cold, and now another has died. How can the Imperial Father Regent be at peace on the front lines?"

"Everyone, I demand that you present a plan."

"Let us hear your views."

Fan Wencheng, Grand Secretary of the Secretariat and Minister of Rites, stepped forward: "The Empress Dowager is wise. I believe we should first hear the thoughts of the Imperial Academy of Medicine."

The Qing followed the Ming system, and the Academy of Medicine was under the Ministry of Rites. Thus, Fan Wencheng’s suggestion was entirely appropriate.

All eyes turned to the Head of the Imperial Academy of Medicine, Wu Yong.

...

"Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, honorable ministers, after three months of diligent research by all my colleagues at the Academy, we have gained the following understanding of smallpox. General Ma Yuan of the Eastern Han dynasty campaigned against the southern barbarians and brought back captives, among whom were those with smallpox, which later infected the Han army..."

Half an incense stick of time passed, and Wu Yong was still reciting his history lesson.

Blah, blah, blah.

Fan Wencheng remained motionless, Hong Chengchou furrowed his brows, and Soni sneered silently.

"Stop! Head of the Academy Wu, say something useful. Even if all the blame lies with Ma Yuan, what does it matter? He has been dead for over a thousand years. I want to know how to treat it! How do we cure it?"

Shunzhi had lost his patience.

"Yes, yes."

Wu Yong remained unhurried, continuing his analysis.

Ma Yuan had to be mentioned because the blame for smallpox had to be distributed: primary responsibility to Ma Yuan, secondary to Heaven, partial to the Board of Astronomy, some to the Chongzhen Emperor, and some to the southern city.

...

Of course, the Imperial Academy of Medicine also bore a tiny sliver of the responsibility.

Another incense stick of time passed, and even the usually composed Fan Wencheng could not take it anymore. He took the rare step of stepping forward himself.

"Head of the Academy Wu, say no more. Get to the point—how do we treat it? How do we prevent it?"

"I understand, but if I do not fully analyze the origins and development of smallpox, I fear my colleagues will not understand the pharmacology and the prescriptions..."

Xiaozhuang’s expression turned cold. She saw through this man named Wu at once; he was a slippery old bureaucrat. Yet, no emperor could casually execute a physician or a cook; unless they committed high treason, the most one could do was dismiss them from office.

The reasoning was subtle. In short, they simply could not be killed.

"Head of the Academy Wu, I shall ask, and you shall answer."

"I obey the decree."

...

"Once someone contracts smallpox, how should they be treated? What of the environment for recovery? What are the corresponding prescriptions? The diet? How should the family respond? Answer me one by one."

The looks the crowd cast toward Xiaozhuang were filled with admiration; the imperial court still needed her to steer the ship.

Wu Yong remained unfazed:

"My colleagues and I, combining the experience of our predecessors and long-term verification, have concluded that the patient should be isolated, kept away from the city, and placed in a well-ventilated environment. They should consume the 'Smallpox-Extinguishing Heat-Clearing Decoction' developed by our staff, remain in bed, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, drink water, avoid overexertion, and stay away from drafts. During the recovery, no one should come into contact with the patient except for the physician, and separate latrines should be used for waste."

After hearing this, Xiaozhuang’s anger only intensified.

It showed that the medical skills of the Academy were not mediocre; on the contrary, it was a gathering of famous doctors with great insight. But they never used their full effort when treating the royal family—they wouldn't even use five-tenths of their capability, usually giving only two, or at most three.

...

Thinking of this, she softened her tone.

"Head of the Academy Wu is truly a master of the medical arts. I believe that in a hundred years, future generations will praise you as the Li Shizhen or Zhang Zhongjing of our Great Qing."

"The Empress Dowager flatters me; I am utterly unworthy."

Wu Yong knelt down with a thud, hurriedly pouring filth upon himself. He didn't just smear his own reputation, but even that of his deceased father and grandfather.

Xiaozhuang’s liver ached with fury, but she suppressed the urge to kill.

She continued to cajole:

"The Wu family has been a line of famous physicians, serving the court since the Wanli era of the Ming. I still remember when we first entered the pass, the Imperial Father Regent suffered from a sudden headache, painful beyond endurance. Your father used only one dose, and the effect was immediate. Even Hua Tuo reborn could do no better."

Wu Yong was slightly moved, but his stubborn nature remained unchanged.

"The Empress Dowager flatters me. I am terrified. I recall that after my father returned home that day, he said it was merely a coincidence—that Heaven blessed the Regent, and he had merely claimed the credit for a stroke of luck."

Young Shunzhi listened in stunned silence. Even when being compared to Hua Tuo, Li Shizhen, and Zhang Zhongjing, you are still this timid?