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墨書 Inktalez
During the days at the Medical Camp, life was as grueling as that of a high school student drowning in endless practice questions. Each day was filled with either memorizing the Medical Book or grinding herbs and diagnosing ailments.
Of course, Ye Chen mostly dealt with simple colds and external injuries. He could handle these sprains and bruises with ease. However, when it came to internal injuries that required pulse diagnosis to understand the underlying issues, he needed Pei Guanjing to step in. Ye Chen would attentively learn by observing Pei Guanjing’s techniques and reasoning, quietly taking mental notes of the key points.
Doctor Liu had returned. He was a small old man who often wore a gray robe and appeared quite amiable. Whenever he had free time, he would take the opportunity to share stories about his experiences gathering herbs during lunch with the apprentices.
Sometimes, Ye Chen would stay in the Medical Camp, squatting in a corner with his hands propping up his chin, listening with great interest as Doctor Liu recounted amusing anecdotes. The old man was friendly and approachable; aside from Ye Chen, who was Pei Guanjing’s direct disciple, the other apprentices were also Doctor Liu’s students learning the art of medicine under him.
One evening, as night fell and the number of people in the Medical Camp dwindled, the old man began telling stories again. In the military camp, aside from Doctor Liu and Pei Guanjing who had General He’s orders allowing them to come and go freely, others could only enter or exit during their off-duty hours or with He Mu Ming’s orders. Thus, those who couldn’t leave were particularly eager to hear about events happening outside.
Ye Chen rested his chin on his hands, eyes wide open as he listened intently to Doctor Liu narrate a significant recent event. It was said that King Huai'an of Chongzhou had entered the capital to pay respects and discuss the Promotion Edict issued by Regent Pei Yongshang.
The Promotion Edict was a policy announced by the Regent at the beginning of the year, stipulating that any strategies beneficial to local governance and people's livelihoods could be recommended for official positions as long as the recommenders had genuine talent and knowledge.
Of course, this policy had its loopholes; local officials and prominent families could easily collude and corruptly occupy positions for recommendations. As a result, children from humble households would find it nearly impossible to rise above their station.
In no time, some clever individuals began to recognize these flaws.
"This is useless; those powerful families and local officials will still monopolize official positions. Even if the Promotion Edict is implemented, how many truly talented individuals will actually get those spots?"
"Not necessarily. I see that among those noble families, there are indeed a few capable individuals. If they were allowed to hold office, it would certainly be better than us who have never attended private school and can’t even recognize basic characters."
"You fool! Why are you defending those Powerful Families? They’re all rotten; each one has complicated relationships and connections. How many can truly help others without bias? You’re just too naive; those families give you a few candies, and you forget your roots."
“……”
The crowd exchanged words, and before long, they began to argue again. Although they were in the Military Camp, these soldiers genuinely cared about the state of affairs and the well-being of the people.
Ye Chen’s eyes darted among the arguing group. In the end, he quietly poured himself a cup of hot water, cradling it in his hands and sipping it slowly, choosing not to speak. He enjoyed watching the commotion, observing everyone express their opinions. It provided him with a sense of reality, reminding him that he was deeply entrenched in this world rather than viewing it as an illusion.
Regarding the Promotion Edict, Ye Chen reflected on his history lessons from high school. He remembered hearing about several emperors from previous dynasties who had attempted similar policies, only for them to be eventually discarded by the passage of time.
The Imperial Examination System had been a consistent policy throughout history and remained in place. It upheld the principle of selecting talent based on merit rather than familial connections.
In the grand flow of a thousand years of history, a brief dynasty had provided an answer regarding talent selection—the Imperial Examination System.
With an answer in mind, Ye Chen gently blew on his cup of hot water and shook his head again, a look of regret crossing his face just as Pei Guanjing caught sight of him.
“What are you shaking your head about?”
Pei Guanjing stood silently behind him, one hand holding a Medical Book while the other was tucked behind his back. People came and went from the Medical Camp, lifting the curtain as moonlight streamed in, casting a long shadow of him.
Upon hearing Pei Guanjing’s voice, cool as the moonlight, the previously arguing crowd fell silent instantly, as if someone had pressed the mute button. All eyes turned toward this direction before quickly shifting topics to discuss other matters.
“Hey, the moon is quite round tonight; did you see?” one soldier broke the silence first, deliberately lightening the mood.
“Yes, yes! It must be almost Mid-Autumn,” another soldier quickly chimed in, his eyes betraying a hint of nervousness as he occasionally glanced at Pei Guanjing.
Pei Guanjing was the adopted son of the Regent, and everyone was too wary to discuss the Promotion Edict in his presence.
Gradually, the crowd dispersed. Doctor Liu waved his hand a couple of times, trying to keep them from leaving, but no one stopped. He gave up and stood up, passing by Pei Guanjing. He glanced at him and Ye Chen, smiling as he nodded, "What are you two up to?"
Ye Chen had been squatting by Pei Guanjing's feet. Upon seeing Doctor Liu, he suddenly stood up too quickly and lost his balance for a moment. Pei Guanjing instinctively reached out his hand behind him in a gesture to catch him if he fell. However, Ye Chen quickly steadied himself, and Pei Guanjing's hand silently retreated.
Doctor Liu observed all of this and greeted them before leisurely departing.
Once Doctor Liu left the Medical Camp, Ye Chen followed Pei Guanjing into the Medicine Hall.
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