Chapter 194 - 169: Yan Chi Cowpox

Mrs. Guo left the palace feeling utterly aggrieved. She was still in tears when she returned home and recounted the events to her husband.

"That woman from the Rong family goes too far!" Guo Ruikuo felt he had lost a great deal of face. After all, it was his wife who had requested an audience in the palace, representing his honor. For Noble Princess Consort Rong to dare insult her clearly meant she didn’t fear his retaliation. "And you," he snapped, "I told you to find Gu Zhaoyi and plead your case. How did you end up with the Noble Consort?"

Annoyed, he refused to look at his weeping wife, who had buried her face in her hands. "All you do is cry. You can’t even handle a simple task like this."

Mrs. Guo explained, "After I paid my respects to the Empress, the palace maid led me directly to Zhaoyang Palace. Gu Zhaoyi was there, too, but she was very quiet and seemed to defer to the Noble Consort’s lead."

That day, Jiang Xian hadn’t uttered a single word of ridicule toward her.

Compared to the aggressive Noble Princess Consort Rong and Ma Wanyi, Mrs. Guo’s impression of her was much better. She felt that if they hadn’t been in Zhaoyang Palace, there might have been some leeway. It was the Noble Consort who had been too unreasonable.

But after hearing her account, Guo Ruikuo shook his head. "She was there but showed no anxiety? From your description, it sounds like she never intended to meet with you at all."

’The court is full of people like that,’ he mused. ’They don’t get into petty squabbles. They just smile and dismiss anyone they deem insignificant. Getting a straight answer out of them is next to impossible. Only a sheltered woman like you would think she was being kind.’

Mrs. Guo just meekly acquiesced.

Guo Ruikuo’s thoughts took another turn. "However, your trip wasn’t a complete waste. I said some things in court that displeased the Emperor. Now that you’ve taken a tongue-lashing from those two, His Majesty’s anger will likely have cooled somewhat. The only problem is, the credit for this will now go to Gu Zhaoyi."

Within the harem, Gu Zhaoyi was clearly part of the Noble Consort’s faction.

It was said her relationship with the Empress was also good.

’It’s just that my own daughter was foolish enough to get on her bad side,’ Guo Ruikuo thought. To him, it had been completely unnecessary, but now reconciliation was impossible. His only option was to find a way to suppress her, to slow her promotions and keep her from reaching the rank of a full concubine.

The next day, Guo Ruikuo requested an audience with the Emperor.

The Emperor actually granted him the audience, even allowing him to finish his woeful tale about his wife’s experience in the palace. When he was done, Lord Guo bowed pitifully. "It was I who offended the Lady Noble Consort, so it is not wrong that I should be taught a lesson. I only hope that Your Majesty, seeing as my wife has already suffered for this and the entire Guo family deeply regrets its actions, will show us mercy and bestow the Divine Medicine."

The Yan Chi Ren had no concept of what would be called science, nor of vaccines.

Thus, the cowpox that could "prevent" smallpox became known as the Divine Medicine.

"Do you know what this is?"

From the moment Guo Ruikuo had entered, Xie Che had been calmly sipping hot tea. Only after the official finished speaking did he set down his cup, pull a memorial from a neatly sorted stack beside him, and toss it down in front of Guo Ruikuo.

"I... do not know, Your Majesty."

"Then pick it up and read it. Reply to Us only after you have finished."

Guo Ruikuo bent down, trembling, and picked up the memorial. Tucked inside was a sheet of parchment covered in a Western script. Those in Yan Chi who could read Western languages were few and far between, and he was not one of them. Fortunately, the memorial included a translation. Yan Chi’s naval power was weak and underdeveloped. Aside from a few small, friendly nations, they had yet to establish trade routes with most of the Western World, having found no suitable opportunity.

Among these nations was Margom, the homeland of the missionary Chen Zufu, which was suffering terribly from the scourge of smallpox.

Upon hearing that Yan Chi possessed a miraculous method for preventing smallpox, Chen Zufu had been ecstatic. He wanted to return immediately to report the matter to his king and the Pope, promising he would come back with the utmost sincerity, opening the door for all manner of cooperation.

Xie Che wasn’t worried about the missionary returning home to spill secrets. After all, a method for preventing smallpox was bound to be promoted nationwide with great fanfare; foreigners wouldn’t need to try hard to learn about it. Moreover, this wasn’t an elixir with a finite supply. Once the missionary Chen Zufu understood the concept of a "vaccine," he had declared it a miracle, which would surely dissuade the other party from any untoward ideas.

Besides, if it came to war, Yan Chi truly had nothing to fear.

One path meant exhausting their people and resources, while the other meant prosperity for all. Xie Che was confident the rulers of Margom would make the wise choice.

"Gu Zhaoyi’s contribution not only spares the people of Yan Chi from the suffering of smallpox, but it also serves to broadcast the might of our nation. We have named this preventative method ’Yan Chi Cowpox’ and will spread the news that cattle fed with Yan Chi’s unique Long Turtle Grass are better suited for inoculation... These were all Gu Zhaoyi’s ideas. You, a Second-rank Official of the court, instead of devising plans to benefit the nation and its people for Us, are fixated on claiming a sliver of her credit. It’s preposterous!"

Jiang Xian had proposed two points. The first was to "capitalize on the buzz."

Just as a group of people could be stigmatized, they could also, in turn, earn a stellar reputation.

Westerners had long lived in fear of smallpox. Now, a preventative method had been discovered, and it bore the great name of Yan Chi. Who wouldn’t develop a favorable impression of the country? How powerful must a nation be to conquer such a terrifying plague?

The second was to use the opportunity to make a profit.

Long Turtle Grass was completely useless for the inoculation process. Its advantage lay in the fact that it grew only in Yan Chi territory and was highly recognizable. Its leaves bore a pattern strikingly similar to a turtle’s shell, making it difficult to counterfeit.

Both of these strategies were what Jiang Xian had proposed to the Emperor.

...

Xie Che had started off speaking slowly, but he grew more incensed as he went on, finally culminating in that sharp reprimand.

A single rebuke from the Emperor carried more weight than a hundred from a Noble Consort.

"Your Majesty, quell your anger!" Guo Ruikuo was scared out of his wits, pressing his forehead to the floor. "I was only thinking of Your Majesty’s prestige! Imagine, a method for preventing smallpox, if it came from Your Majesty’s own hands, would surely be far more convincing than if it came from the mouth of a mere woman."

How could Guo Ruikuo admit he was trying to suppress Gu Zhaoyi?

He had to insist, to his last breath, that his only motive was the Emperor’s well-being. At worst, it was a case of misguided loyalty.

"Our prestige does not need to be built by usurping the credit of others. We have already investigated this matter thoroughly. You claim loyalty to the throne, but in truth, you have accepted numerous lavish gifts and conspired with others to suppress Our Gu Zhaoyi, simply because she is not from a great aristocratic family and her father’s official rank is low."

"Your Majesty, I was momentarily foolish!"

Guo Ruikuo kowtowed until his forehead was bruised and purple, begging the Emperor to be lenient just this once.

Indeed, Xie Che could not simply have him executed. He gave him a stern warning, sentenced him to house arrest to reflect on his transgressions, and fined him a year’s salary... And while the gifts he had accepted weren’t explicitly mentioned, it went without saying that they would have to be returned.

After leaving the Imperial Study, a terrified Guo Ruikuo stumbled on the path. He nearly fell but was steadied by a pale, strong hand. "Lord Guo, you should watch your step."

Once steady on his feet, Guo Ruikuo saw who had helped him and quickly bowed. "This humble official greets Your Highness, Prince Xie."

Prince Xie replied, "I would rather not have seen you."

Guo Ruikuo’s face showed his confusion.

Prince Xie elaborated, "The Emperor just met with you. He must be in a foul mood now, which makes my task more difficult."

Guo Ruikuo: ...

’My whole life has been one of being openly despised by the Xie family,’ he thought.

While he was still standing there in awkward silence, Prince Xie had already gone inside for his audience with the Emperor. Before bowing to offer his greetings, the Prince’s gaze swept over a nearby screen. There was no shadow behind it, but he caught the faintest hint of a delicate fragrance.

For a fleeting moment, he thought he recognized it as an incense the late Emperor had been particularly fond of.