Chapter 2603 - 2576: Filing a Complaint

After the Emperor and the Empress exchanged light banter and vented their tempers, the next day he managed to muster a smile and attended court as usual.

It was not a great assembly day, so Manbao cheerfully went to the Imperial Hospital. It was a quiet day at the hospital, so she turned her attention to book compilation work at Chongwen Pavilion.

The reform of the Imperial Hospital has resulted in an increased intake of students this year, with many physicians from various regions coming to learn, many of whom are young and within the recruitment age range.

Director Xiao has further refined the courses at the hospital, resulting in more detailed coursework and required medical texts.

Imperial Doctor Liu and the others have no official positions, so they teach freely with the texts they receive, and teach what they wish whether it’s in the texts or not.

Manbao, however, couldn’t afford such freedom. As the editor at Chongwen Pavilion, particularly in charge of compiling medical texts, she had to consider the educational resources of the hospital.

Director Xiao also likes to ask her for medical texts. Receiving a salary for this, Manbao couldn’t be negligent.

Actually, Manbao would like to suggest to the Emperor to appoint part-time editorial roles to Director Xiao and Imperial Doctor Liu, so everyone could compile books together.

Unfortunately, she knew widespread appointments were unlikely, so she could only ponder it in her mind.

Manbao took out the medical texts that Zhou Liru and others had been transcribing recently, and drafted outlines, planning to summarize and organize the content, then compile these medical texts into volumes for students.

While she was engrossed in writing, an editor outside called, "Editor Zhou, someone is looking for you."

Without raising her head, Manbao replied, "Please let them in."

After finishing a page, Manbao looked up to see Zhou Liru and others there, slightly surprised, "How did you find me here?"

Zhou Liru softly replied, "Teacher, these are the medical texts you asked us to transcribe. We’ve finished them."

Manbao put down her pen, reached out for the texts, and praised, "Good job, then keep transcribing."

"There are no more texts." Zhou Liru, sounding a little aggrieved, said.

Manbao, hearing this, frowned, "Didn’t I ask Imperial Doctor Zheng to fetch more for you?"

Zhou Liru immediately replied, "Yes, Imperial Doctor Zheng went in the morning, but the Hanlin Academy refused, saying Young Master Zheng’s condition had stabilized, and the Hanlin Academy no longer opened to our Imperial Hospital, so Imperial Doctor Zheng couldn’t retrieve the texts. The few books we transcribed were even reclaimed."

Manbao stared wide-eyed. She still had several books unborrowed, especially some Herbal Classics. Some books had additional content that the books at Chongwen Pavilion and outside lacked, how could they not lend them?

Manbao immediately stood up, "Is this what the Hanlin Academy said?"

"Yes."

Manbao pursed her lips and immediately planned to find the Hanlin Academy, but halfway there, she felt it wouldn’t work and turned back to find Bai Shan.

"The Hanlin Academy refused to lend you medical texts?"

Manbao nodded, holding her temper, "These medical texts aren’t like other books, they’re lifesaving, how can they refuse?"

Bai Shan asked, "Have you damaged or contaminated the books?"

"Are we such people?" Manbao replied, "I anticipated this excuse from them, so I instructed everyone early on not to pollute the books; Imperial Doctor Zheng and the others checked them upon return, there’s no issue with the books."

Having thought about it, Bai Shan said, "I’m currently on duty and can’t accompany you to the Hanlin Academy. You’ll have to wait until after lunch when I change shifts; then, I’ll go with you."

Manbao nodded, then sneaked a glance at the main hall, asking, "How’s His Majesty’s mood today?"

Bai Shan asked, "Do you plan to petition His Majesty?"

Manbao: "I want His Majesty to directly order the lending of all the medical texts."

Bai Shan pondered, "Such a small matter doesn’t require asking His Majesty, asking the Prince would suffice."

He continued, "Let me accompany you this afternoon; if we still can’t borrow them, then we can appeal to the Prince, using your compilation work as a reason."

"Compilation work?"

Bai Shan nodded, "Hanlin Academy and Chongwen Pavilion often borrow books for compilation, with Young Master Zheng’s condition stabilizing, borrowing based on that isn’t sufficient anymore, and..."

He looked at Manbao with a smile, "How many of the books you borrowed actually relate to Young Master Zheng’s condition? There might be many at Hanlin Academy having opinions."

Manbao snorted, "But these are medical texts, not military or sensitive documents, what’s there to keep secret?"

Guozhong came out and saw the young couple whispering behind the hall. Because of the angle, they didn’t see him, but he overheard quite a bit. Hearing Zhou Man’s grievances, Guozhong chuckled and turned back inside.

The Emperor was taking a break, rubbing his forehead. Seeing Guozhong return alone, he asked, "Didn’t I ask you to find Bai Shan to read to me?"

Guozhong chuckled, "Zhou Manbao is outside; the young couple is talking, it’s not proper for us to interfere."

"What brings Zhou Man here?" The Emperor became curious, "Don’t tell me she couldn’t last half a day without seeing me?"

Surely not. Zhou Manbao had stayed at the Emperor’s villa for ten days without issue before.

Guozhong chuckled, "Imperial Doctor Zhou is aggrieved, seeking help from Lord Bai."

"Oh?" The Emperor grew more interested, with his headache easing, enthusiastically asking, "What grievance did she suffer?"

Guozhong tilted his head, pondering, "I couldn’t hear clearly from afar, but it seems the Hanlin Academy refused to lend medical texts to Lord Zhou, who was quite upset and came seeking Lord Bai’s help."

The Emperor laughed heartily, but after a laugh, his expression turned stern, "Why is Hanlin Academy withholding medical texts from Zhou Man? "

Guozhong smiled: "Presumably because Young Master Zheng’s condition has stabilized. Initially, Your Majesty’s letter to Lord Zhou was intended for Young Master Zheng’s injury."

"But for a healer, they surely can’t wait until there’s a perplexing condition before searching through medical texts?" The Emperor scoffed, "Medical texts aren’t like others, Hanlin Academy shouldn’t withhold them like this."

Guozhong lowered his head, refraining from commenting on this matter.

The Emperor tapped the table, making a mental note of the matter, but since Bai Shan hadn’t spoken up, he said no more, observing the young couple’s antics.

Bai Shan returned to read to the Emperor, they conversed a bit while playing, and when lunchtime came, the Emperor went for a meal and rest while Bai Shan went for his work meal, using his break to meet Manbao and together went to Hanlin Academy.

Hanlin Academy, adhering to their protocol, naturally refused.

Thus, Bai Shan had no choice but to take Manbao to the Office of Palace Affairs to seek out the Prince.

The Prince was busy too, hearing just the beginning he asked, "So which medical texts do you want?"

Manbao had prepared for this, previously working with Bai Shan and Bai Erlang to go through the catalogs in Hanlin Academy’s two buildings, noting down unborrowed medical texts. Deducting those transcribed recently, only nineteen were left, not many.

Manbao directly handed the list to the Prince.

After glancing at it, the Prince promptly took up a pen, wrote a note, stamped it with his seal, and handed it to Bai Shan saying, "Get another seal from the Office of Palace Affairs and take this to Hanlin Academy to retrieve the books."

Both Manbao and Bai Shan were delighted, Bai Shan respectfully offered the book list, saying, "Your Highness, how about stamping it here too?"

The Prince: ...

He silently gave them a glare, but nevertheless stamped the book list.

The two left joyfully, heading ahead to find Minister Guo for the seal.