binnovel Chapter 366 Memorial to the Throne
Chapter 366 Memorial to the Throne
More than half a month has passed, and Xiao Siyue's arm has fully healed, but it is left with a scar the size of a soybean. However, this is a minor matter compared to the deadly smallpox.
Besides, he has a scar-removing miracle product; after applying it for a while, the scars will fade.
This experiment thrilled Xiao Qinian, and the rest of the Xiao family were also very excited. They now had several children, and ever since Yangyang contracted smallpox, they had been living in fear, worried that their other children might also get infected.
Dr. An was overjoyed. He never expected that just by treating the Xiao family, he would discover a cure for smallpox. If word got out, his colleagues would be envious. He had lived a worthwhile life, achieving such a feat even in his old age.
Dr. An's impression of the Xiao family improved, and he decided to treat any member of the Xiao family who was ill for free.
Thankfully, the Xiao family didn't know what Dr. An was thinking, or they would have been furious. What kind of good person would want to get sick? It's better to have fewer doctors than usual.
That day, the Xiao family gathered together for a short meeting.
Xiao Qinian saw that the entire Xiao family had arrived, even the children.
Then he spoke: "As you all know, Yue'er was vaccinated against smallpox and is now completely recovered without any problems. It is very likely that Siyue will not be infected with smallpox again. What I want to say is, whether you want to be vaccinated against smallpox or not is up to you. After all, Yue'er is the only one who has tried it, and there is no guarantee that there will be no problems."
After Xiao Qinian finished speaking, he looked at the expressions on everyone's faces.
The eldest son's family now has four children. Xiao Yiyang has already recovered from smallpox and no longer needs to be rehabilitated. The remaining three children are twins who are only a little over one year old, and Xiao Yihui from Xiao Sibo's family is even less than one year old. These three children are still young, and there is a concern that something might go wrong. They will wait until they are a little older, or until it is confirmed that there are no more problems, before taking in another child.
Therefore, the only one who can be vaccinated now is the eldest, Xiao Yichen.
Because of Yangyang's smallpox, Xiao Siqi and his wife were still worried. Knowing that their younger sister had been vaccinated against smallpox without any problems, they wanted to vaccinate Chenchen as well.
"Third Grandpa, I'm willing. Auntie got vaccinated against smallpox, so I'm not afraid either." Chenchen is a big kid now, and she can understand what adults are saying.
"Hmm, Chenchen, if you get vaccinated against smallpox, you'll experience the same pain and itching as your aunt and Yangyang. Can you bear it?"
"Yes, Auntie and Yangyang can do it, and so can I." Chenchen nodded. In his mind, he was already a man. He wasn't afraid of his younger brother, who was several years older than him, or his aunt, who was a girl. So he answered decisively, his voice loud and clear, showing his determination.
"Alright, in that case, we'll have Dr. An inoculate you with smallpox later." Xiao Qinian was very satisfied with this grand-nephew. The children of the Xiao family might not be highly educated or have outstanding grades, but they absolutely could not be cowards.
Another half month passed, and Xiao Yichen recovered, following a similar process to Xiao Siyue, without any unexpected incidents.
This result further convinced Xiao Qinian that smallpox vaccination was feasible.
Xiao Qinian wrote down everything he had compiled about the smallpox vaccination process over the past few days in a memorial to the Zhou Emperor.
After all, if he wanted to implement smallpox vaccination, he needed the most powerful person in the entire Zhou Dynasty to do it.
This memorial caused a huge uproar in the court the next day, but this time few people objected. After all, Xiao Qinian had already used his own child as an experiment, so how could they have the nerve to say anything?
Moreover, none of them had any relatives who had lost children to smallpox, which was all in their own interest, so naturally they wouldn't refuse.
To verify Xiao Qinian's words, Emperor Zhou summoned Doctor An to court, which made Doctor An both excited and afraid. He was excited that he, a mere commoner, would have the opportunity to meet His Majesty, but he was afraid that if he made a mistake, he would be beheaded. He was old and it wouldn't matter if he was beheaded, but he still had family.
Therefore, after entering the court, Doctor An was very cautious and restrained, not daring to look around. He basically maintained one posture, which looked very stiff.
But seeing Xiao Qinian beside him, he relaxed a little.
"This humble subject pays respects to Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty!" Doctor An knelt down and bowed, but did not rise.
"Get up." Emperor Zhou's voice was majestic. Doctor An felt like he was being clawed by a cat. He wanted to see what Emperor Zhou looked like, but he didn't dare to look.
"So you're Dr. An? I heard from Minister Xiao that you not only cured her grand-nephew but also vaccinated two other children in the Xiao family?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"After getting vaccinated against smallpox, will I really not get smallpox again?"
"Your Majesty, that should be the case, but it has not been verified, and I cannot guarantee it," Doctor An replied.
"Very well, then I hereby appoint you as the Imperial Physician. You and the other physicians of the Imperial Hospital will continue to research smallpox so that the children of my Great Zhou will no longer be afflicted by smallpox."
Upon hearing this, Doctor An immediately raised his head in astonishment, staring dumbfounded at Emperor Zhou at the head of the table.
Did he mishear? His Majesty said he wanted to make him the imperial physician—what an immense honor!
His heart was pounding so hard that he was having some difficulty breathing.
But he quickly calmed down. Although he was tempted, he knew his own limitations and that this was not his achievement.
He would feel uneasy if he were to actually take over His Majesty's position.
Quickly composing himself, Doctor An kowtowed to Emperor Zhou at the head of the table.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, but please forgive me for being unable to accept the position of Imperial Physician." Although it was difficult to refuse, one must know that his family was just an ordinary family, and if he really took over, his family would definitely change its status.
"Oh? Why are you unwilling?" Emperor Zhou raised an eyebrow, glanced at Doctor An, and then at Xiao Qinian standing beside him. Xiao Qinian's face remained unchanged, as if he had already anticipated this matter.
"Your Majesty, the fact that I was able to cure the young master of the Xiao family is not due to my own merit. I merely prepared the medicine according to the prescription given by Lord Xiao, and the prescription for smallpox vaccination was also given by Lord Xiao. I am ashamed and dare not take credit for it." Doctor An's words were without a trace of embarrassment.
Emperor Zhou looked at the old man below and felt great admiration for him. Such an upright and honest person was truly pleasing to the eye.
Looking at Xiao Qinian, he was even more satisfied. He was indeed the lucky star of his Great Zhou Dynasty. He had done another thing that benefited the country and its people.
Xiao Qinian was equally happy. He had indeed made the right choice in judging Dr. An. She was a person of good character and worthy of respect.
"In that case, would Doctor An be willing to exchange ideas with the imperial physicians on the treatment of smallpox and the key points of inoculation, so as to do his part for our Great Zhou?"
Upon hearing this, Doctor An did not immediately answer Emperor Zhou's question. Instead, he glanced at Xiao Qinian, since the prescription was not his own and he had no right to dispose of it, even if the person was Emperor Zhou.