Chapter 256: Chapter 223: Imperial Decree of Favor

Clop clop...

The crisp sound of horse hooves startled Sang Shuhuo, the head of the Dongshan Prefecture Medical Bureau, awake from his afternoon nap.

Who is so bold to ride a horse in the Xinglin Institute?

"Master, master, wake up quickly, the imperial decree officer from the court has arrived..." The scribe from the Medical Bureau hurriedly ran over and knocked on the door where Mr. Sang was napping in the Xinglin Institute.

"What, the imperial decree officer from the court?!" Sang Shuhuo was shocked, his old arms and old legs somehow leapt off the couch.

"Who are they looking for?"

"You, of course, or why would I come to find you..."

"Quickly, set up the incense table to welcome them!" Sang Shuhuo said while fumbling to put on his shoes.

"It’s already being set up!"

Outside the main hall of the Dongshan Prefecture Medical Bureau, the incense table was already prepared.

"I, Sang Shuhuo, head of the Dongshan Prefecture Medical Bureau, pay my respects to the imperial officer!" Sang Shuhuo changed into his official robes and hat, ran over, and respectfully greeted the decree officer, who held a decree in hand.

Generally, unless specified otherwise, in the capital, the decree officer is usually a Eunuch from the Yellow Gates, while outside the capital, it would be an officer from the Imperial Guards. There are rules, and Eunuchs cannot leave the capital without an imperial command.

"Are you Sang Shuhuo, head of the Dongshan Prefecture Medical Bureau?" 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"Yes, I am."

"The decree states: Sang Shuhuo, head of the Dongshan Prefecture Medical Bureau, has diligently fulfilled his duties with exceptional dedication, hence is specially promoted to the court rank of a regular seventh-grade Literary Scholar and transferred to the capital for another appointment!"

"What?" Sang Shuhuo was completely stunned after hearing this. He had long given up hope on his career and planned to retire in Dongshan City after this term.

Who would have thought that he would be promoted and even transferred to Li Jing? It’s like a golden opportunity fell from the sky onto his head.

"Congratulations, Mr. Sang, felicitations, Mr. Sang!" The scribes nearby began to congratulate Sang Shuhuo.

Sang Shuhuo, awakening as if from a dream, quickly stood up from the ground, accepted the emperor’s decree, and took out a piece of silver from his pocket to hand over.

This is also customary; the decree officer, having come all this way for good news, naturally should be given some gratitude money.

There’s no exact standard; it depends on personal generosity.

But Sang Shuhuo, being the head of the Medical Bureau, of course, should give at least ten taels of silver for an official decree of promotion.

There aren’t many technical officials who receive royal decrees for promotion. Usually, transfers and promotions require only an order issued within the Imperial Pharmacy.

Of course, a Literary Scholar is a court-conferred title for civil officials; as for the position, it hasn’t been mentioned yet. It’s likely to be known only after meeting the emperor in the capital.

But as a mere head of a small Medical Bureau, how had the emperor come to know about him, and even issued a decree for his promotion? It’s truly mysterious.

"Your Excellency, excuse me, could you tell me why the emperor suddenly decreed for me?"

"That I do not know, but the emperor also has a verbal message for Mr. Sang." The decree officer from the Imperial Guards, satisfied after receiving the ten taels of silver, saw it as a happy bonus for the decree officer.

Another verbal message shocked Sang Shuhuo, causing him to almost kneel down.

"Mr. Sang, no need to kneel. The emperor said this message cannot be conveyed face to face." The decree officer laughed, "Mr. Sang, lean in closer."

Sang Shuhuo brought his ear closer.

"Don’t be in a rush to go to the capital; you need to stay in Dongshan Prefecture for another year and a half..." the decree officer whispered.

"Why is that?" Sang Shuhuo asked, puzzled.

"That I do not know; it was a personal instruction from the emperor when I left." The decree officer chuckled, "By the way, is there a physician named Lin Miao in Dongshan Prefecture? Where is he?"

"Lin Miao, he should be at the Convenient Medical Diagnosis Point in Xiuyue Square in Dongshan City right now, Your Excellency. Why are you looking for him?"

"The emperor has a decree for him as well." The decree officer chuckled without hiding it, as once the decree is announced, the whole Dongshan Prefecture would know.

"What?!"

"Mr. Sang, could you find someone to lead me there? It’s my first time in Dongshan Prefecture, so I’m not familiar with the way!" the decree officer requested.

"Alright, how about I accompany Your Excellency over there?" Sang Shuhuo volunteered, also curious about what the decree officer wanted with Lin Miao.

"Won’t this delay your duties, Mr. Sang?"

"It’s currently lunch break time, I’m not due back to work until the afternoon..."

"Very well." The decree officer from the Imperial Guards said no more, so Sang Shuhuo led in a carriage while the decree officer rode a horse, carrying a bag on his back, following behind.

The uniform of the Imperial Guards was naturally exceptionally bright, attracting the attention of the townspeople as they walked down the street, clearly indicating a person of extraordinary status.

The news of the imperial decree being delivered by the Imperial Guards in Dongshan quickly reached Pei Jian, the Prefect of Dongshan Prefecture.

If an Imperial Guard came to Dongshan with a decree and he didn’t even know whom it was for, there were two possibilities: either it wasn’t for him, in which case the court would naturally inform him, or, if it was for him, he must have done something wrong, causing trouble, and they’d come to arrest him. Naturally, they wouldn’t notify him in advance.

He had confidence he hadn’t committed any major faults during his tenure as the Prefect of Dongshan Prefecture, not so much as to warrant an imperial order for his arrest.

So, the decree officer from the Imperial Guards wasn’t likely coming for him. Upon hearing the officer headed straight to the Xinglin Institute, he breathed a sigh of relief; it had nothing to do with him after all.

However, after the decree officer left the Xinglin Institute, they saw the vehicle from the Medical Bureau leading the decree officer away, seemingly heading to another location.

This left Pei Jian utterly perplexed, instructing his subordinates to investigate and report back again.

...

Xiuyue Square, at the entrance of the Convenient Medical Diagnosis Point.

"One, two, three... Okay, today afternoon’s thirty slots are full. Except for emergencies, we won’t be accepting anyone else today. Those who want to see Physician Lin, please come early tomorrow." Xia Zhu handed out the number cards to the first thirty people in line.

"Lady Xia Zhu, we’ve been waiting for a long time too. Can’t you make an exception for us?"

"It’s not that I won’t make an exception. Once the door is opened, my master won’t have time to eat or drink and will be swamped day and night with patients. With so many people, physical and mental exhaustion are inevitable. If he’s careless, he might misdiagnose or prescribe the wrong medicine, which could be harmful to you. Isn’t that right, everyone?" Xia Zhu explained.

"Exactly. You came to see Physician Lin, you should come earlier to line up. Didn’t you see that those of us who came from afar are staying in inns so we can queue up early in the morning? We didn’t even get into the morning slots..."

"You’re from out of town. How do you know about Physician Lin?"

"I’m from Yuntai County. I heard that Physician Lin is particularly skilled, even capable of treating rabies. I came here hoping to cure my old ulcerated leg..."

As the conversation unfolded, several patients in the afternoon line turned out not to be from Dongshan City, but from counties under Dongshan Prefecture.

Lin Miao’s reputation spread throughout the Dongshan Prefecture by word of mouth from the patients; whether it permeated the entire Lanzhou region is unknown.

"Alright, when I call out the number on your card, come find me and I’ll take you inside." Xia Zhu said.

"Understood, Lady Xia Zhu."

In the afternoon, everything was prepared to start the consultation.

Quickly, the first patient was led into the consultation room by Xia Zhu.

"Physician Lin, my condition fluctuates, and I’ve seen many physicians. Medicines help temporarily, but the moment I stop, it returns to how it was..." The patient walked in clutching his abdomen, looking somewhat uneasy.

Lin Miao understood; this patient suffers from chronic diarrhea, persisting despite attempts to cure it.

Usually, such chronic diarrhea is related to the patient’s living environment or emotions. Since they’ve seen physicians and made adjustments, such reminders should have been given.

"May I check your tongue?"

The tongue coating was white and greasy, suggesting cold-damp diarrhea. The pulse corroborated this with its slow, weak, and faint nature.

"Where do you usually live, or spend most of your day at work?" Lin Miao asked.

"I work at a dye workshop, primarily in the washing section..."

"So, you usually work in dark indoor areas, and your sleeping quarters are in a north-facing room without any south-facing windows?" Lin Miao inquired further, immediately identifying the cause of the ailment.

Living long-term in cold, damp conditions naturally leads to illness. For now, it’s merely diarrhea, but in the future, it could develop into rheumatoid arthritis. Judging by his finger joints, signs are already evident.

"To truly cure this ailment, medication will only provide temporary relief. You must heed my advice: stop living in that north room without south-facing windows. Additionally, spend at least an hour under sunlight daily, and make sure to bask in the sun whenever possible."

"Can sunshine really cure it?" The patient asked in surprise, as no other physician had ever mentioned this.

"Living long-term in cold, damp conditions has affected your health. Consider this: plants can’t grow without sunlight; similarly, humans need it. You’re just lacking this bit of sunshine." Lin Miao chuckled, explaining, "First take the medication, then gradually adjust and relax. It’s nothing severe."

"Thank you."

...

"Officer, here it is."

Sang Shuhuo got off the carriage, leading the Imperial Decree Officer from the convoy to the entrance of the diagnosis point and gestured as he introduced.

"Lin Miao, Physician of Dongshan Prefecture, come forth to accept the decree!"

The officer from the convoy took out a decree from his backpack, holding it high with his right hand, and shouted.

This proclamation startled everyone inside and out—patients waiting for consultations, Lin Miao, Sun Youwei inside, and even Guan Biyun in the backyard were alarmed.

No matter what, they needed to step outside to see what was happening.

Thus, everyone emerged and surrounded Sang Shuhuo and the Imperial Decree Officer from the convoy, forming a semicircle that blocked off half the street.

Being the central figure, Lin Miao couldn’t avoid it. Recognizing Sang Shuhuo, the Medical Bureau’s head officer, he hurriedly stepped forward and greeted, "Mr. Sang, what’s going on?"

He wasn’t one to mingle in officialdom. Though the Imperial Decree Officer from the convoy was decked out in gleaming soft armor, he didn’t know who he was.

"Physician Lin, you’re in luck. This is the Imperial Decree Officer; quickly kneel to receive the decree!" Sang Shuhuo hastily advanced, excitedly reminding him.

"Receive a decree? What decree?"

"His Majesty’s decree." Sang Shuhuo directly pulled Lin Miao down to kneel. It was natural not to understand it’s his first time receiving an imperial decree. Sang Shuhuo himself, despite growing up in officialdom, was receiving one for the first time too. He understood the situation, but Lin Miao, a mere seventeen-year-old from humble beginnings, wouldn’t.

"Imperial... Imperial decree..." Lin Miao was astonished. His understanding was that decrees were usually read by eunuchs. The presence of a general suggested apprehension risks.

"Forget the formal preamble."

"Lin Miao, Physician of Dongshan Prefecture... Promoted to the rank of Regular Seventh-Rank Gentleman." The officer read the decree and handed it to Lin Miao.

Lin Miao felt as if he were dreaming. In his previous life, he didn’t even finish school. In this life, he became a physician and now an official—even if it’s an unfixed civil rank, it carries Regular Seventh-Rank benefits. Now, he needn’t fear confrontations with South City District Commander Zheng Dan.

"Senior sister, do you have any silver?" Accepting a decree required passing silver to the officer; this was a rule he’d observed on TV in his past life; otherwise, minor officials might cause trouble.

Sun Youwei hadn’t brought any silver, but she liked carrying two gold nuggets. Thus, she handed them to Lin Miao.

Lin Miao, no longer financially constrained, directly slipped the two gold nuggets into the Imperial Decree Officer’s hand from the convoy.

The officer felt the weight, realizing it was gold. Lin Miao’s action of reaching for money from the woman beside him indicated he was unaware and hadn’t prepared beforehand.

A gold nugget valued around ten taels of silver; two equaled twenty taels, making the trip worthwhile.