Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

“Your Majesty, the production of penicillin is extremely complicated, and problems can arise in every step. Therefore, producing high-purity penicillin is not easy, and the price... naturally won't be cheap, but I don't know the exact cost, so I dare not speak carelessly!”

Wang Meng lowered his head and swallowed hard.

It's impossible to say he doesn't know at all, but it's not entirely accurate either, because he doesn't oversee the procurement of many materials.

For example, the massive number of monkeys used for testing, the silversmiths' fees for crafting the syringes, the glassware, and so on, all of which must be included in the final cost.

In any case, he couldn't just throw out a number to the Emperor. Whether he said it was high or low, it would be difficult for the master. He would be in trouble.

If it can be used on the battlefield, then it truly deserves to be called a divine medicine that saves countless lives!" Emperor Jing was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this: "According to you, this thing cannot be mass-produced. What exactly is penicillin, and why does it have such a strange name?”

“Penicillin is a type of mold that grows on orange peels, but it's not just on orange peels; it grows on many foods.”

“The materials are very easy to obtain, but besides penicillin, there are also many impurities, and those impurities may be harmful to the body. To effectively treat illnesses, we must find a way to separate the pure penicillin. There are too many uncontrollable steps, so it's very difficult.”

Wang Meng continued, “The penicillin Your Majesty is using is the best we can offer. In fact, its purity isn't that high, and penicillin with more impurities can also treat illnesses, but there might be some problems. However, compared to losing one's life, it's much better. Moreover, we haven't understood this medicine for very long, so perhaps we can mass-produce it in the future.”

“Hmm, very good, very good!” Emperor Jing looked pleased. Although he didn't fully understand, he grasped the general idea.

He closed his eyes and couldn't help but feel emotional.

Fang Qing has taught me another lesson. I didn't expect this thing to be a wonderful object that can truly benefit the world.

To think that moldy things can also cure diseases; it's truly amazing!

I seemed to have stopped him from doing it back then...

“Guo Banban, take these two down first and settle them properly. After I recover, I will reward them handsomely.”

“You two should stay in the palace and treat me with peace of mind. If anyone asks you questions, do not answer them.”

“We thank Your Majesty!”

Guo Tianyang bowed and retreated, taking Wang Meng and the others away.

As soon as they left, Emperor Jing's gaze immediately turned cold as he looked at Imperial Physician Hu.

“What exactly does the Imperial Hospital do? You're not even as good as the country doctors from Peach Blossom County. I think I might as well dismiss all of you.”

“Your Majesty! I am wronged!”

Imperial Physician Hu immediately cried out and fell to his knees.

“That penicillin is poisonous, and everyone in the capital knows it! And making it from moldy orange peels is definitely a method of fighting poison with poison!”

“I had already thought of a way to save Your Majesty, using aconite to fight poison with poison, but this... before I could use it, they used penicillin first.”

“My ancient prescription will definitely cure carbuncles!”

As he spoke, Imperial Physician Hu even began to wipe away tears. His face was still swollen.

Those two damned bastards actually managed to get it right!

Emperor Jing said dismissively, “Peach Blossom County could think of penicillin. Why couldn't you?”

“This... this... Orange peels have been used in medicine since ancient times! The ancients must have recorded its uses, but... it just didn't become popular. They discovered it,” Imperial Physician Hu explained, sweating profusely.

Li Yuanzhao sneered from the side, “Father, he even went back to flip through books when treating you. I think it's better to dismiss all the old members of the Imperial Hospital, and in the future, select imperial physicians from the common people every year.”

“In my opinion, medicine is the same as martial arts; it's use it or lose it. Those old men in the Imperial Hospital don't see many patients throughout the year, so they're already useless!”

“Relying on flipping through books to treat illnesses when faced with a situation? Everyone in the palace can read. If your skills are lacking, why should we rely on you?”

Imperial Physician Hu opened his mouth, looking pitiful: “I... I am wronged! The wisdom of the ancients is as vast as the sea; how can I, one person, learn everything? Even country doctors have to flip through books.”

“Alright, stop arguing.” Emperor Jing panted twice, still feeling weak. He waved his hand and said, “Let's leave it at that for now. If the Imperial Hospital continues to be useless, you might as well all go to the common people to treat illnesses, so you don't just know how to eat the imperial salary in the palace every day!”

“Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty! I will definitely study the ancient books properly after I return!” Imperial Physician Hu quickly kowtowed three times loudly.

A trace of fear flashed in Li Yuanzhao's eyes.

He's already this old, and he still has to study? I won't end up in this state, will I!

“Cough... cough... Pour me some more water.”

Li Yuanzhao quickly poured a cup of water and handed it over.

After drinking a cup of tea, Emperor Jing looked at Li Yuanzhao's concerned eyes and smiled, “I'm fine. There's no need to worry too much. It's just that my body is still a little weak. I should be fine after a few days of rest.”

“Don't panic when something happens. What will you do if I really die one day?”

“I... I don't know.” Li Yuanzhao lowered his head, not knowing how to answer.

He couldn't imagine it, and he didn't dare to imagine it.

“If I were to die tomorrow, you should quickly perk up and preside over the court. What you bear is not just one family's name, but the people of the world.”

“It doesn't matter if I collapse; the world cannot collapse. Do you understand?”

“I understand.” Li Yuanzhao felt uncomfortable and murmured, “Father, don't say that.”

“Hehe, alright, I won't...”

“Your Majesty! Urgent report!”

Emperor Jing was about to speak when Guo Tianyang actually returned!

He rushed to Emperor Jing's side and said, “Your Majesty! News of Fang Zheng is back!”

Emperor Jing and Li Yuanzhao perked up at the same time: “Speak quickly!”

“The people from the Eastern Depot went to Haiyuan City to investigate, but Fang Zheng had already left the city. After asking the soldiers guarding the city, they learned that he might have been abducted by Prince Wu.”

“The subordinates followed the clues and found a secret port. Many supplies were left on the coast, as well as fragments of a ship.”

“Several hundred corpses were found in the nearby mountains and forests. A battle of considerable scale had taken place, and the clues ended there.”

“The subordinates guess that someone may have rescued Lord Fang, and Prince Wu also escaped by boat.”

Li Yuanzhao's heart tightened, and he said anxiously, “Didn't anyone find Lao Fang? He wouldn't have run into trouble, would he!”

Emperor Jing closed his eyes and pondered, then reached out and patted Li Yuanzhao's shoulder, “Don't worry. He's the last person who will run into trouble.”

“Fourth Brother wants gunpowder, so he definitely can't let Fang Zheng run into trouble. Moreover, it's not that easy to search for people in the mountains, and their time is also very tight. There's a very good chance that Fang Zheng escaped.”

“Is that all? Is there any other news?”

Guo Tianyang looked at the secret report in his hand and said, “Yes, based on the ropes found at the port and the fragments of the ship, it is estimated that the ship Prince Wu was on was unusually large. There was also a large amount of gold and silver among the discarded supplies, and the mooring posts at the port were very old, so the port should have been in use for a long time.”