The eyes of Bai Shan and the other two were almost closed, but upon hearing their teacher’s praise, they tried their best to keep their eyelids from drooping.
He asked, "So, teacher, you also believe that our proposal is feasible?"
Of course, it’s not feasible. However, Mr. Zhuang had observed their efforts over the past month, so he praised them as he usually would, saying, "You’ve written well. To reference the Imperial Academy’s format and produce a proposal like this at your age is impressive; you have quite ambitious ideas."
Seeing their eyes were almost closing, Mr. Zhuang waved them off, saying, "Alright, let’s talk about these matters tomorrow. You should go rest first."
So, the three of them half-closed their eyes and stumbled back to their rooms to sleep.
They slept soundly, but Mr. Zhuang couldn’t fall asleep. He spent the night tossing and turning, thinking about the proposal they’d written.
He was well aware that they were learning how to write petitions and studying how to draft suggestions. It seed they were trying to figure out how to properly establish the Imperial Hospital for won, which was based on his earlier proposal referencing the Imperial Academy. However, he hadn’t expected them to think it through so thoroughly and ticulously.
Although the likelihood of this suggestion being adopted was very slim—in fact, it was absolutely impossible—it demonstrated their capabilities and potential.
Mr. Zhuang felt very pleased with this.
Their progress far exceeded his expectations.
Lost in these thoughts, Mr. Zhuang couldn’t sleep for most of the night. It wasn’t until the rooster crowed that he finally dozed off.
The next morning, Bai Shan and Bai Erlang, having just finished their year-end exams, indulged in lying in bed for a bit longer. Manbao, however, was already yawning as she got up and headed to the dical hall.
Today, she wasn’t taking a day off!
Manbao had almost finished her breakfast at the table by the ti Bai Shan and Bai Erlang joined her. She said, "Today I’ll speak to Shopkeeper Zheng about our trip back to the countryside. The luggage at ho is already being packed. Do you need to buy anything? If so, I can pick it up for you after leaving the palace."
Bai Shan shook his head, indicating that all the gifts they needed had already been purchased over the past few weeks and nothing else was required. He simply asked, "Are you headed to the palace today to perform acupuncture for the Empress and the Crown Prince?"
Manbao nodded, "Yes. We’re leaving tomorrow, so today will be the last visit to the palace. I’ll take the opportunity to say goodbye to them, too."
Bai Shan then pointed to the study and asked, "When are you planning to hand over our proposal to the Empress?"
Manbao thought for a mont before replying, "I’ll bring it with later. It’ll be a good opportunity for her to review it during the New Year festivities."
Bai Shan and Bai Erlang didn’t find anything unusual in this plan. After all, yesterday evening, their teacher had praised the proposal as well.
Thus, Manbao left with the proposal in hand.
She first went to Jishi Hall to talk to Shopkeeper Zheng about the trip back to their hotown.
Manbao had already ntioned this to Shopkeeper Zheng a long ti ago. Shopkeeper Zheng had agreed, and knowing that she would leave the next day, he had planned to take her to a restaurant for a farewell al today.
However, Manbao politely declined because she was too busy. She had to visit the palace shortly, where she would first perform acupuncture for the Crown Prince, then for the Empress, and also hand over what she had written over the past few weeks to Ms.Doctor Liu and Doctor Xiao—especially to Ms.Doctor Liu, to whom she had assigned a pile of howork.
After hearing about her packed schedule for the day, Shopkeeper Zheng was dumbfounded and said, "Your schedule is way too tight. Why rush to finish everything today? Couldn’t you stay for a couple more days?"
Manbao shook her head vehently, "The Crown Prince didn’t grant leave, and the journey is long. If I delay here for two extra days, I’ll have to cut two days short at ho. That’s not acceptable, not at all."
Shopkeeper Zheng glanced at the main hall and then suggested, "Why don’t you head to the palace now? There doesn’t seem to be too many patients today. Do you have any patients who absolutely need a follow-up consultation?"
Manbao replied, "I have two."
"Once you finish seeing those two, you can head out. Let Doctor Ding and the others manage the rest."
Manbao was delighted to gain so extra ti and cheerfully agreed.
When Mr. Zhuang woke up, washed, finished his breakfast, and took Bai Shan and Bai Erlang to the study to ticulously review the shortcomings of their proposal, he realized Manbao had taken the proposal with her.
Mr. Zhuang: ...
Mr. Zhuang was silent for a long mont before asking, "You intended to send this to the palace?"
Bai Shan nodded, "Since we’re leaving tomorrow, it seed convenient for Manbao to take it with her today."
Is the submission of an official docunt supposed to be convenient?
Mr. Zhuang glanced at the water clock, let out a sigh of relief, and said, "The proposal cannot be submitted. If it is handed over, it’ll only cause laughter. Go to the front yard and send soone to Jishi Hall to retrieve it, and remind Manbao not to ntion this to the Empress for now, alright?"
Bai Shan was puzzled and asked, "Why?"
"The plan you’ve proposed essentially suggests rebuilding an entirely new Imperial dical Bureau, which involves widespread implications. Although the suggestion is well-written, it’s absolutely impossible to implent. Since you know it won’t be adopted, and you’re not court officials, why submit it just to invite mockery?"
Bai Erlang couldn’t help but point out, "But last night, teacher, you didn’t say that. You even said we’d done well."
Mr. Zhuang nodded, "The proposal is indeed well-written, but being well-written doesn’t an it’ll be accepted."
Bai Shan said, "But referencing the Imperial Academy was your suggestion."
Mr. Zhuang nodded again and said with a smile, "I gave reference ideas based on your concept. You did write well, but I never said that referencing the Imperial Academy would make it ready for submission."
Bai Shan began to understand. Their month-long effort was essentially just a lesson exercise, not a mature idea ready for formal submission.
He sighed in disappointnt, stood up, and said, "Alright, I’ll go get it back."
However, when he arrived at Jishi Hall, Shopkeeper Zheng inford him that Manbao had already left more than an hour ago.
Bai Shan frowned, didn’t say much, and hurried to catch up with her, but ultimately failed to do so.
When he reached the entrance of the imperial city, Daji was already driving the carriage out.
Sitting on Liu Gui’s carriage, Bai Shan exchanged a look with Daji before reluctantly turning back ho.
Upon hearing this, Mr. Zhuang was startled. He turned to look at the water clock and first asked, "Is the water clock broken?"
He couldn’t help but glance outside, noting that the sun wasn’t even very high yet.
Bai Shan said, "I asked Shopkeeper Zheng upon returning. Shopkeeper Zheng explained that Manbao was extrely busy today and decided to leave for the palace earlier."
Manbao’s visits to the palace were different from those of other noblewon, who needed to schedule their trips. Manbao, however, could visit at any ti. Even if the Crown Prince and Empress were unavailable, she could et with Liu Doctor to assign howork, ensuring no ti was wasted.
And so, it had coincidentally happened that they missed each other.
Bai Shan asked, "Teacher, what should we do now?"
Mr. Zhuang thought for a mont and shook his head, saying, "No need to worry. If it’s been submitted, so be it. If it causes laughter, so be it. After all, we’ll be leaving tomorrow, and no matter how stormy the aftermath, it won’t concern us. By the ti we return to the capital, a month will have passed, and with the palace busy over New Year’s, the Empress might forget about this matter entirely."
Bai Shan and Bai Erlang found these words quite reasonable and felt reassured.
None of them expected the Empress to find the proposal fascinating. She hadn’t even finished reading it before she brought it out to share with the Emperor that evening, saying, "I think their proposal is rather good."
The Emperor, equally intrigued, treated the proposal more like a storybook. But upon hearing the Empress’s suggestion, he nearly fell off the bed.
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