Chapter 66: Medic

Ma Xun entered the palace once again, though this time it was not to the inner court, but rather to the administrative offices, a rare occurrence for him.

It was the Wuying Hall of Zhu Yuanzhang, the very place where the emperor handled daily state affairs.

Seeing Ma Xun, Zhu Yuanzhang was in high spirits. "Your sister is still nagging about you, saying that once you went outside, you were unwilling to enter the palace. In the past, I could still scold you, but now that you are a married man, she is terrified that you might neglect serious matters."

Everyone knew well what those serious matters were.

Ma Xun complained good-naturedly, "Brother-in-law, it's not that I'm speaking ill of my sister. She belongs to the Zhu family now, and besides, I am married myself. How can I let her manage me every single day?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was delighted by Ma Xun's 'audacity'. He loved seeing this kind of familial closeness from Ma Xun rather than constant, rigid adherence to protocol.

"She is your elder sister, after all. Looking after you is only right," Zhu Yuanzhang asked with a smile, "Is there business bringing you here today?"

Ma Xun immediately replied, "I mentioned last time that I plan to teach medical officers and practitioners, but right now I lack funds and personnel. I've already inspected a site; I intend to build a school at the foot of Rooster Crying Mountain."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked surprised. "Build a school? Ordinary medical officers study at the Imperial Hospital. Why build a separate school?"

"There will be a broader curriculum. Aside from conventional medical treatments, I want to place greater emphasis on teaching people how to treat wounds and care for the wounded," Ma Xun explained. "When I went to Qingyang last time, seeing so many wounded soldiers left unattended filled my heart with worry."

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression immediately darkened. "Unattended wounded soldiers?"

Realizing he had been misunderstood, Ma Xun clarified, "It's not that there was no one to treat them; it's simply that those ordinary treatment methods are ineffective."

Taking the memorial handed over by Ma Xun, Zhu Yuanzhang read through it carefully, his brows furrowed deeply.

After a moment, Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Doing it your way will require quite a few people, and it will cost a substantial amount of money."

Ma Xun retorted, "It's still better than paying pensions for soldiers who have died, and veteran soldiers are hard to come by. Even so, I'm still worried that the personnel won't be enough."

Naturally, Zhu Yuanzhang understood this as well. Medical officers and practitioners within the army were already far from plentiful.

In any era, medical resources were bound to fall short.

Ma Xun continued, "My idea is this: these people will follow me to learn how to treat and nurse wounded soldiers, and ordinarily they won't be assigned to garrisons. Should a war break out, they will set out with the main force."

Zhu Yuanzhang instantly grasped Ma Xun's intent. These specialized medical soldiers would train and study during peacetime, unlike the medical officers and practitioners dispatched from various garrisons who, upon completing their studies, had to return to their respective posts.

Ma Xun went on, "If these people study well, I believe they can be of great use. Local garrisons always lack people, but if there is a major war, the wounded soldiers will certainly be even more numerous."

Zhu Yuanzhang asked, "Then we'll just recruit more people. Have them all follow you and learn."

Ma Xun hurriedly replied, "I won't be able to teach that many. Originally, I also need to have them follow the imperial physicians to learn trauma treatment skills and various other subjects. This cannot be mastered in a month or two. Moreover, learning all this requires money."

Zhu Yuanzhang fell silent. Although he now ruled the entire realm, he still frequently found himself short of funds.

After weighing the matter carefully for a moment, Zhu Yuanzhang said, "If you ask for too much money, you aren't just teaching medical officers—you're building a grand academy. I'll give you the land and the craftsmen, but build the school on a smaller scale."

Ma Xun thought for a moment and responded, "Then I'll start by asking for a small amount. Once you see results, Your Majesty can consider whether you can give a bit more?"

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, "Fine. If it truly proves useful, I'll give you whatever personnel and funds you want at that time."

Giving an initial startup fund obviously did not mean handing over whatever sum Ma Xun demanded; otherwise, this wouldn't be training medical officers—it would be building a National Academy.

He who manages the household knows the cost of firewood and rice; Zhu Yuanzhang felt that although his young brother-in-law was not extravagant in his personal life, he certainly knew how to spend money boldly.

Immediately afterward, Zhu Yuanzhang asked with some curiosity, "What do you want craftsmen who make gunpowder for?"

"I'm interested in gunpowder and firearms, so I want to find some people to do research," Ma Xun answered. "Anyway, I have nothing better to do. Let's see if we can make gunpowder more powerful."

Zhu Yuanzhang grew even more serious. "You have a way to make gunpowder more powerful?"

Early Ming gunpowder had basically achieved the optimal golden ratio, so Ma Xun naturally didn't need to waste effort trying to reform its chemical composition, but there were other aspects that could be improved.

Ma Xun explained his thoughts, "Gunpowder is currently all powder. When it encounters damp, cold, or rainy weather, it becomes unusable. I want to figure out a way to press the gunpowder into small grains so that it can be used even on rainy days."

Hearing Ma Xun say this, Zhu Yuanzhang began to advise him against it. "This sounds unreliable. I'll give you some people first. It's best if you find a method, but if you don't, don't push yourself too hard."

This was a display of care for Ma Xun. Zhu Yuanzhang understood the formidable power of firearms better than anyone, and he was well aware of gunpowder's shortcomings.

Ever since gunpowder came into the world all those years ago, everyone had been aware of its flaws. Yet despite the abundance of skilled artisans and clever craftsmen, no one had yet found a way to overcome them.

Therefore, supporting his young brother-in-law was fine, but he shouldn't burden him with too much pressure.

With the serious business concluded, Zhu Yuanzhang said, "The people you asked for will be sent over in the next few days. Someone will go look for you then. Go see your sister now."

Ma Xun certainly had no objections. "Then I'll take my leave."

Watching Ma Xun depart, Zhu Yuanzhang chuckled to himself. This brother-in-law of his was becoming increasingly reliable and even knew to find productive things to do.

Arranging those tasks for him originally had been merely titular; he hadn't expected Ma Xun to actually accomplish anything.

Yet now that there was sufficient enthusiasm, it was undoubtedly a wonderful thing.

Upon seeing Ma Xun arrive at the Rouyi Palace, Empress Ma Xiuying was quite surprised. "What a rare visitor. This is truly unusual—you came into the palace all by yourself without anyone summoning you."

Ma Xun hurriedly begged for mercy. "How long has it been since I last went out? Ever since I arrived in the capital, the time I've spent living inside the palace has been far more than the time outside."

Ma Xiuying asked with concern, "Any movement yet?"

Ma Xun was instantly terrified. "It has only been a few days since our wedding! It would be a miracle if there were a pregnancy already."

Ma Xiuying knew she was being impatient, but she still urged, "Hurry it up. The family relies entirely on you to pass on the ancestral line."

Ma Xun understood this as well and replied, "I'm striving for sooner rather than later. I've also been having Shuning eat more black sesame seeds, red dates, peanuts, tofu, and pork liver."

Ma Xiuying immediately grew curious. "What's the reasoning behind that?"

"To give birth to a healthy baby, I have to supplement her nutrition," Ma Xun answered. "I also take her out for walks and let her eat more fish."

Ma Xiuying eagerly pursued the questioning, "Eating fish is good? Write down these methods of yours and send them into the palace later."

Eugenics and proper childcare were extremely important to the Great Ming. While doing this might not necessarily guarantee the birth of a genius baby, ensuring that infants and toddlers were healthier could never be a bad thing.

Ma Xun asked, "Is Biao'er getting close to marriage as well?"

Ma Xiuying smiled and said, "He marries next year. By then, you, as his uncle, will have to act as the matchmaker. I can see those two youngsters are getting somewhat impatient."

Acting as a matchmaker certainly wouldn't require Ma Xun, but presiding over the ceremony as the primary host was a sure thing.

Ma Xun then inquired, "I was just with my brother-in-law, preparing to set up something for treating wounded soldiers. I've been thinking—should I pull Biao'er in on this as well?"

Ma Xiuying looked at Ma Xun and asked, "What is your reasoning?"

Ma Xun answered, "He is the Crown Prince. His position is secure now, and his prestige is high. However, acquiring a bit more of a reputation for virtue and benevolence can never be a bad thing."

Ma Xiuying asked further, "The Crown Prince's authority is already too great. Aren't you afraid your brother-in-law will overthink it?"

Ma Xun was momentarily stunned. Under normal circumstances, an emperor would nurture the Crown Prince, yet also worry that the Crown Prince's power and prestige might grow too vast.

However, Ma Xun immediately reacted, "Brother-in-law is different with Biao'er, so I believe that by doing this, brother-in-law won't overthink it."

"Then take Biao'er along. He is your nephew." Ma Xiuying was exceedingly happy and said with considerable pride, "The higher Biao'er's reputation and prestige, the better. Whenever there is a good deed to be done, think of him first, and your brother-in-law will be pleased as well."

Ma Xun said, "I was originally worried that doing this would make you all think I was neglecting my proper pursuits. Since you've said so now, I will take Biao'er along."

Ma Xiuying smiled and nodded. Her youngest brother viewed certain matters quite correctly—Biao'er should indeed be the most special one of all!

Whenever there was any good undertaking, the family members should always think of Biao'er first!