Chapter 6, Hibiscus

As Qin Lin had barely settled onto the bench, he heard someone beside him lower their voice and say sharply, "Hmph, utterly unlearned and incompetent, how can such a person even mix into our medical hall? Even if the master is nostalgic, this guy doesn't even bother to take a look in the mirror to see what he's made of. How dare he sit in the middle of this classroom!"

Suddenly, Qin Lin heard his courtesy name being called from the podium, and in a daze, he looked up and responded.

This was not the case; Qing Dai, who was sitting in the front row, was leaning on the table, her shoulders shaking, clearly laughing heartily again. After a while, she turned around and, taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention, quickly made a face at Qin Lin—having been the first to discover the humor in this name, she was evidently quite pleased with herself.

Qin Shi returned to his hometown in Hanyang County on the opposite bank of the Yangtze River, living a life of poverty. Li Shizhen, having returned from the Imperial Medical Institute to practice medicine in Qizhou, gradually became more financially stable. He wrote a letter urging his old friend to move to Qizhou, but the strong-willed Qin Shi refused. Li Shizhen then entrusted someone to deliver a letter along with some money, yet Qin Shi accepted the letter but returned all the money.

Under such strict conditions, the number of people wanting to work in the medical clinic in and around Qizhou City is rapidly reaching a breaking point.

After Qin Lin arrived at the medical clinic for half a month, Li Jianfang suddenly did not appear for three consecutive days. On the fourth day, it was Pang Xian giving a lecture. In addition to the seven formal students, there were also many auditing apprentices attending the class.

Li Shizhen had six disciples who inherited his medical skills: Pang Xian, Qu Jiusi, and his four sons.

The students of the Li Medical Hall are divided into three ranks. The lowest rank is that of the pharmacy assistant, who, under the guidance of the shopkeeper and experienced staff, learns to identify various medicines and become familiar with their properties. As long as one has worked at the Li Medical Hall for more than five years and has become proficient, it is common for them to be offered lucrative positions as second or third counter heads at larger pharmacies. It is not unusual for them to even become shopkeepers at smaller pharmacies.

The young girl gently patted her chest, feeling as if her heart were racing like a startled deer

Qin Lin, who was originally feeling a bit downcast, instantly felt his mood brighten upon seeing her summer flower-like radiant smile, and he smiled as he nodded at her.

He had not yet figured out how to explain, when Li Shizhen decisively stated: "There is no need to mention the matter of the world nephew and grandson. I have a brotherly bond with your ancestor. Since he entrusted me with your care before his passing, I have the responsibility to guide you, and you are absolutely forbidden from causing trouble in Jiangnan. Very well, I will accept this travel permit... Liu Quan, come here quickly, take the travel permit to the prefectural office, and use my name card to find Clerk Zhang, so that Qin, the world nephew and grandson, can be registered in this prefecture!"

The King of Chu, frustrated by his failure to achieve immortality through alchemy, vented his anger on others. Li Shizhen, a renowned physician in the apricot grove with a good reputation, should not be treated too harshly. Just then, Emperor Jiajing issued an edict inviting esteemed physicians to serve in the Imperial Medical Institute. The King of Chu recommended him to take a position in the Imperial Medical Institute located thousands of miles away in the capital, effectively kicking him out of the royal palace, allowing him to be out of sight and out of mind

The entire classroom turned their surprised gazes towards him, and a few individuals had already begun to laugh.

In the Ming Dynasty, the rules of etiquette were strict. Qingdai was able to attend school here for several reasons: first, due to the advanced age of Li Shizhen, who required assistance from his granddaughter in certain aspects while compiling the "Compendium of Materia Medica"; second, the Li family, though a lineage of medical practitioners, was not a family of officials, and thus their family rules were not overly strict; third, Li Shizhen was quite indulgent towards his granddaughter

The letter brought by Qin Lin requested Li Shizhen to arrange a livelihood for him, so Li Shizhen allowed him to stay in the clinic to study medicine. This decision immediately made the apprentices and assistants in the clinic envious of Qin Lin.

Twenty-five years ago, Li Shizhen was invited by the Wuchang Chu King’s Mansion to serve as the "Fengci Zheng" of the 8th rank, primarily responsible for medical work. At that time, Qin Shizheng was serving as a "Dianzhang" in the royal guard, holding a 6th rank position as a low-level military officer, and the two shared a close friendship.

The teacher on the stage spoke of the relationships between sovereign and minister, as well as the concepts of cold and heat, deficiency and excess. Qin Lin furrowed his brow at the large characters: having learned Simplified Chinese characters since childhood, he found it not too difficult to recognize the Traditional characters currently in use, but writing them always left him short of strokes and dots. Furthermore, he had never practiced with a brush specifically, and now, holding a brush in his hand, the soft tip twisted and turned, resulting in characters that were crooked and uneven.

The most envied are the formal students of the medical institution, as they are the authentic direct descendants of the renowned physician Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty. As long as they achieve success in medicine, positions await them in the royal courts of Jing and Chu, and those with exceptional skills in medical arts and literature may even be recommended to the Imperial Medical Institute, which would mean official appointments from the court, bringing glory to their families.

Currently, the conditions for enrolling formal students at the Li Family Medical Clinic are extremely strict. Including Lu Yuanzhi and Li Qingdai, there are only six individuals, and Qin Lin is the seventh.

Qin Lin studied at the medical clinic for several days, with Li Jianfang and Pang Xian taking turns as teachers.

Li Shizhen did not believe in the methods of the Daoists and repeatedly engaged in debates with them, resulting in his being ostracized by the Daoist community. During this time, Qin Shi provided him with considerable assistance, but the King of Chu, who was intent on seeking immortality, favored the Daoists, leaving both of them helpless in the situation

However, Qin Shi was not so fortunate. Although he held the rank of a sixth-grade official, he had little standing in the Ming Dynasty, which prioritized civil over military matters. The military officials of the Royal Guard were treated almost like household servants. When the King of Chu ordered him to be beaten out of the royal palace with clubs, he was directly dismissed and stripped of his title.

Every time Pang Xian recited a line, a crowd of people below burst into laughter. There was no way around it; the primary function of this hibiscus was indeed "very risqué and very violent"

The second rank is that of an apprentice, who is qualified to attend the medical hall as an observer. However, they are still required to undertake cleaning duties and work in the pharmacy. The apprentices at the Li Medical Hall are considered external disciples of the renowned physician Li Shizhen. After studying for five to eight years, upon graduation, they can practice medicine throughout the urban and rural areas of the Jinghu region without worrying about their livelihood.

The chubby Lu Yuanzhi has been studying at the Li Medical Clinic for three years, and he is quite skilled at taking care of patients. He also occasionally delivers chicken soup and ginseng soup from the kitchen. In just a few days, Qin Lin's health returned to normal, without any lingering effects.

In recent days, Lu Yuanzhi has consumed quite a few buns and char siu that Qin Lin offered. Seeing him being called upon by the teacher, it is clear that he will likely be unable to answer and will most probably face the teacher's reprimand

Li Qingdai made a playful face at him, her spring onion-like fingers scratching her nose, giggling: "Shameless, utterly unashamed!"

Later, the Taoist spread slander and framed others, attributing the failure of the alchemy to the disrespect shown to the immortals by someone in the residence, with the blame directed towards Qin and Li.

He then solemnly read from the podium: "Hibiscus, sweet, neutral, smooth, non-toxic, primarily used to treat psoriasis, hemorrhoidal swelling and pain, rectal prolapse, dysentery with locked mouth, yellow water sores ... and books"

Qin Lin stood up and replied earnestly, "I do not know, please instruct me, sir"

From the mouth of Li Shizhen, Qin Lin learned that his grandfather, Qin Shi, had a very deep friendship with this great Ming dynasty medical sage

The King of Chu firmly believed in Daoist practices and invited Daoists to his residence to open furnaces for alchemy, resulting in a cloud of smoke and foul air. Those Daoists even absurdly claimed that illnesses did not require medical treatment; one only needed to sincerely pray to the gods and refine elixirs to achieve recovery. They asserted that by refining the golden elixir, one could attain immortality and ascend to heaven in broad daylight.

Thus, it was only respectful to comply with the request and remain in the Li family

Hibiscus!

Unexpectedly, before he could finish speaking, Li Shizhen's face turned crimson, and his white beard bristled with indignation as he sternly said: "Nonsense! Nephew, your ancestor has written that you have a naturally unruly disposition, fearing that you might stray onto a wicked path. I initially thought he was being overly strict, but hearing you speak this way today only confirms his words. Consider the debauched places in Jiangnan, such as the Qinhuai River and West Lake, with their brothels and pleasure boats. If young people go there, won't they be dazzled and entranced? One misstep leads to another, and what good can come of it in the future?"

Thank you, teacher, for your guidance Qin Lin clasped his hands and sat down

In his previous life, he studied forensic medicine, dealing more with the dead than the living, and only had a superficial understanding of clinical treatment. When it came to traditional Chinese medicine, he was utterly clueless. After witnessing Li Shizhen's ability to treat snake bites without the use of antivenom, Qin Lin couldn't help but develop a keen interest in the medical skills of this great Ming dynasty physician. Since he had not yet decided on his next destination, staying at the medical clinic was not a bad option.

However, Qingdai rarely spoke to her fellow disciples, let alone smiled at others. Qin Lin merely nodded, and she became extremely shy, her face flushed as she turned her head away, no longer looking in this direction

Pang Xian tapped the table with a book and scolded, "What are you laughing at?"

Qin Lin obtained a considerable amount of gold and silver from Gao Chaiyu, the senior brother of the White Lotus Sect, who was being pursued by the Jinyiwei. For the time being, he was not short of money and had little interest in positions like the medical officer of the Wang family or the imperial physician, which held no real power and were purely service-oriented, often subject to the whims of others. Thus, despite Lu Yuanzhi's persuasive words, Qin Lin remained largely unmoved.

Most people did not witness the scene that unfolded in an instant, but Qin Lin was unaware that a sinister gaze had already shot over from behind him.

Qin Lin was taken aback; Li Shizhen was not only his nominal grand-uncle but also a genuine lifesaver. When this old man displayed the authority of a grand-uncle, he naturally felt helpless, watching as the steward Liu Quan took the travel permit to the prefectural office.

Qin Lin was already dumbfounded, as he had intended to go to the coastal areas of Jiangnan because those regions had a developed commodity economy, making it convenient to engage in some activities. Unexpectedly, Li Shizhen had completely misunderstood his intentions

Qin Lin smiled wryly as he rubbed his nose. He did not understand traditional Chinese medicine and had no idea that "Mugua" was actually a medicinal herb. He chose "Mugua" as his courtesy name simply because it matched the road sign and sounded harmonious with his original name. It was only now that he understood why Qingdai burst into laughter the first time he spoke his name after regaining consciousness

Qin Lin had no choice but to come up with an excuse: "My nephew does not want to trouble Uncle Tai, so he plans to travel down the Yangtze River to do some business in Jiangnan..."

The chubby boy quickly covered his face with a book and, in a voice only Qin Lin could hear, passed the answer: "Prolapse is a decoction of hibiscus root..."

Recalling the past, Li Shizhen couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia. After finishing, he said to Qin Lin: "Since you, my grandnephew, have come here, everything will be arranged by me. I will certainly not disappoint the trust of my old friend Qin Shi. By the way, Wuchang is several hundred miles upstream from Qizhou. Why didn't you come to Qizhou City to find me, but instead went to the downstream direction of Jingtuling?"

Who would have thought that Pang Xian, with a cold smile, raised the ruler towards Lu Yuanzhi, causing the chubby boy to hide under the table in fright, yet did not make things difficult for Qin Lin. He answered himself: "For rectal prolapse, boil the roots of hibiscus to make a decoction, first fumigate and wash, then apply a mixture of alum and galls. For hemorrhoids with swelling and pain, use the bark or leaves of hibiscus to make a decoction, first fumigate and then wash. For yellow pus sores... Qin Lin, you may sit down. As your teacher, I know your foundation is weak, but those who study medicine must understand the properties of medicines. You must not neglect your studies and should work even harder."

Now Qin Lin realizes how ridiculous it is that those time travelers can pass the imperial examinations in ancient times simply by reciting a few outstanding poems and essays from later generations, not only achieving the rank of Jinshi but also winning the top three honors. Just the brush calligraphy of the ancients is something he cannot even hope to match.

Li Jianfang is somewhat serious and rigid in demeanor, and he rarely speaks with students after class. He picks up his books and leaves—Lu Yuanzhi remarked that this teacher aspires to follow in the footsteps of Li Shizhen and enter the Imperial Medical Institute, thus he is preoccupied with studying medical classics and is not very attentive to the teaching and daily clinical work at the medical clinic

Lu Yuanzhi informed him that the Li Medical Hall is not so easily accessible. Firstly, one must have a family background free of any blemishes for three generations. Secondly, the individual must be eager to learn and strive for progress. Lastly, one must possess innate intelligence.

An apprentice came over from the hall of the medical clinic to call for help, stating that a critically ill patient had arrived. Pang Xian arranged for the students to study on their own and asked the senior brother, Zhang Jianlan, to take care of things before hurriedly leaving the classroom

Pang Xian, courtesy name Lumen, is a somewhat portly middle-aged man. He greets everyone with a cheerful smile and a friendly demeanor, and he currently bears the primary responsibility for the work at the medical clinic

On stage, Pang Xian was amused by himself, the corners of his mouth involuntarily curling up as he cheerfully asked, "Qin Lin, since you have chosen 'Mugunghwa' as your courtesy name, do you know how this Mugunghwa is used medicinally?"

However, he has not yet decided what to do next. The forensic science and criminal investigation skills he learned seem to be of little use in the Ming Dynasty. As for promising jobs like making glass, soap, or smelting steel, he does not know how to do those either

In the first year of the Wanli era, Qu Jiusi left the medical hall after passing the imperial examination. His eldest son, Li Jianzhong, was serving as an official far away in Pengxi County, Sichuan. His second son, Li Jianyuan, and fourth son, Li Jianmu, had both passed the xiucai examination and were studying at the Huangzhou Prefectural School and the Qizhou Confucian Academy, respectively. Currently, only Pang Xian and his third son, Li Jianfang, remain in charge of the medical hall

Lu Yuanzhi and his fellow brothers looked at Qin Lin with smiles on their faces, and some even gave him a thumbs up... Clearly, the brothels and entertainment houses of Jiangnan hold considerable allure in the imaginations of these young people

Alas... Lu Yuanzhi slapped his thigh in frustration, thinking that Qin Lin was about to face punishment: Although Teacher Li Jianfang usually has a stern expression, he is actually indifferent to the students' academic performance; you can study or not as you wish. In contrast, Mr. Pang appears to be smiling, yet he is the strictest when it comes to academic checks, and any slight mistake will result in punishment.