Although Ji Jin was young, his medical skills were superb, and this prescription came from him. When he spoke, everyone, no matter how disdainful, would not refute him.
Thus, the little medicine boy finally got his chance to speak.
He said, "Esteemed seniors, pills are the way of consumption for wealthy families. We cannot afford them, but we can use decoctions. A decoction made from one dose of medicinal ingredients might only be enough for three people, but it's different with a decoction."
"Good idea. When you calculate it this way, we might be able to save half the medicinal ingredients." Ji Jin's eyes lit up. He smacked his forehead in annoyance. How foolish of him to only focus on pills.
Some doctors worried, "Will the decoction reduce the medicinal efficacy?"
Ji Jin waved his hand, "It depends on the concentration of the decoction. Even if the decoction is made weak, it just means drinking a few more bowls. Even if it's made into pills, the dregs can be boiled into another pot. It is indeed less wasteful and much more convenient than making pills."
The doctors felt enlightened and quickly began to discuss heatedly.
Ji Jin said cheerfully, "You medicine boy are quite clever and quick-witted at such a young age. Wait here, I'll go and get you a reward."
With the eighty thousand taels reduced to forty thousand, Situ Yan breathed a sigh of relief and wrote another memorial. If the Ministry of Revenue couldn't produce the money, he would simply write another IOU to his wife.
Alas, after finally having a taste of self-sufficiency, a plague prolonged his days of living off his wife indefinitely.
He hoped his wife wouldn't despise him for the sake of their two sons.
The prescription injected a spark of life into the lethargic Zhanxian City, and also relieved Lu Nianfu, who was far away in the capital.
With the prescription, she no longer had to worry about Situ Yan falling ill.
As for the money, the imperial court controlled by the Crown Prince would not easily release it. However, Lu Nianfu had already taken money and had people buy medicinal ingredients. Tiger Roar Escort Agency had branches everywhere, so their procurement would naturally be the fastest. Cheng Beizheng generously stated that he would cover the forty thousand taels himself.
But Lu Nianfu did not agree. "Your help in buying the medicinal ingredients is enough."
"Lu Xiaofu, everyone knows now that I am Prince Rui's man. I can't help with anything else, so don't snatch the matter of funding from me. Otherwise, when Prince Rui ascends the throne, what will be left of my contributions to his cause? I'm counting on this merit to gain a noble title for myself in the future."
"Third Young Master, this path is not an easy one to tread."
Cheng Beizheng said, "Lu Xiaofu, you need to have some faith in your man. Do you know how many people are following him? Why do you always dampen your own spirits? Fine, give me the prescription, and you don't have to worry about anything else."
Lu Nianfu: "...... It's not that I don't trust him, but it's better to be safe than sorry."
"Women always worry unnecessarily." Cheng Beizheng "tsk"ed, took the prescription, and strode away. Lu Nianfu was left feeling awkward. Alas, it wasn't that she didn't trust Situ Yan; it was just that the struggle for succession was too significant.
The more people who followed them, the wider the implications.
If they lost this gamble, it wouldn't just be a matter of losing money.
However, if Cheng Beizheng had so much confidence in Situ Yan, then as his wife, she should naturally believe in him even more. Thus, she urged Wang Shocheng to raise a sum of money and held a banquet, calling upon the noble ladies in the capital to donate to the Yellow River flood victims.
The rain had stopped, and the plague had a cure. It was time to address the resettlement of hundreds of thousands of refugees.
This matter was usually led by the Crown Princess in previous years. But because Situ Yan was the one going to provide disaster relief, the Crown Princess naturally would not help her opponent raise funds.
The aristocratic circles in the capital were always stingy, but when Lu Nianfu made a move, she donated one hundred thousand taels. The others felt embarrassed to donate too little, so in the capital alone, she raised nearly six hundred thousand taels of silver.
"How much?" In the Eastern Palace, the Crown Princess screamed in disregard of etiquette upon hearing this sum.
What was wrong with these people? In previous years, when she organized donations, they queued up to cry poverty to her. One donated a necklace, another a hairpin, as if donating money would leave them unable to eat. Yet, when it came to Lu Nianfu, they were all incomparably generous.
Six hundred thousand taels.
That was enough for her to organize three times.
How would the Crown Prince see her? How would her aunt, the Empress, see her?
The Empress was indeed speaking ill of her to the Crown Prince: "I told Ying Xiao a long time ago not to be so stingy all the time. Look at Lu Nianfu, she took the lead with one hundred thousand taels. How could they dare to donate less? Honestly, a daughter from a Duke's mansion is not as generous as a merchant's daughter. I wonder how they are mocking her right now."