Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1451: Chapter 1552 Impeaching Bai Ruozhu_1

Tang Yin looked at Bai Zepei and couldn’t help but sigh, ”So be it, I approve.”

The next morning during the early court session, the Emperor issued a decree stating that the top three scholars of the current imperial examination were young and promising, with distinguished character and appearance. He decided to bestow marriages on the three of them in half a year, to allow them to serve the Imperial Court with peace of mind first.

Bai Zepei hadn’t expected that his issue would suddenly involve the other two scholars as well; he didn’t know whether this was good or bad for them. However, seeing Tang Feng heave a great sigh of relief, it was clear that he too had been troubled by this matter.

Bai Ruozhu also breathed a great sigh of relief upon learning of this. She actually preferred the straightforward Si Yihuan to Tang Yuwei, but she would still remember Tu Ying, who once admired her second brother.

Although she was aware that Tu Ying and her second brother were not a good match and knew that her second brother had no desire to marry Tu Ying, she still held onto a trace of hope. Perhaps because Tu Ying’s whereabouts were unknown, she felt it was somewhat unfair to betroth her second brother to someone else.

Waiting another half a year seemed good, to let the excitement over the examination results pass and to see who was truly sincere.

Soon, the Holy Edict, along with several carts of gifts from the Emperor, grandly left the palace for the Bai Residence. Naturally, this attracted the attention of many onlookers; some curious folk even followed to see what kind of imperial rewards the Bai Family’s second top scholar had received, and whether the Emperor was bestowing marriage upon him.

To everyone’s surprise, the Holy Edict was bestowed upon Bai Ruozhu.

”By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: the daughter of the Bai Family, Ruozhu, possesses exceptional medical skills and high moral standards. Fearlessly, she ventured deep into the plague-affected areas to aid the disaster victims, making tremendous contributions to controlling the plague. Hence, she is specially granted the title of Lady of the Third Rank, and appointed as Chief Doctor of the Female Physicians Institution in the Imperial Medical Hospital, receiving the same emoluments as a fourth-rank female officer.”

”The Medical Alliance established by Bai Ruozhu upholds the principles of openness in medical practice, mutual learning and discussion among doctors to benefit the public. Special approval is granted for its development in Danliang Country, and ten thousand taels of silver are bestowed as startup funds...”

”The Emperor bestows a hundred taels of gold, a cart of rare medicinal materials, twenty rolls of silk...”

”The Empress Dowager bestows fifty mu of medicine field...”

Hearing the long list of rewards, Bai Ruozhu was stunned. She thought that being appointed as a female officer and receiving the approval for the Medical Alliance was ample; she had not expected such generous rewards. The Emperor even bestowed ten thousand taels of silver as funding for the Medical Alliance. If she didn’t manage the Medical Alliance well, she truly wouldn’t have the face to meet the Emperor in the future.

It was Jiang Yichun who gave her a tug on her sleeve, reminding her to express her thanks, that brought her back to her senses.

”Thank you for your immense grace, long live the Emperor, long live, long long live!” Bai Ruozhu gave her thanks and acknowledged the decree, and also gave a generous red envelope to Wang Shun, who had come to deliver the decree.

”Chief Doctor Bai, congratulations!” Wang Shun bowed to her. Now that she held an official position, people would address her by her surname and her official title in the future, a mark of respect seldom granted to ordinary women in ancient times.

Bai Ruozhu invited him inside for some tea with a smile, ”Officer Wang, please be a guest in our house. I see you are struggling with an Inner Fire; have a cup of health tea I’ve blended to help soothe it.”

Wang Shun had intended to hurry back to report his duties, but upon hearing this invitation, he became interested and thought that enjoying a cup of tea wouldn’t take up much time.

Bai Ruozhu had tea brewed for Wang Shun, and when he left, she also gave him some tea to cool his Inner Fire. Wang Shun was very delighted and felt even more convinced that befriending Bai Ruozhu was the right choice.

By this time, the news of Bai Ruozhu’s conferment had spread among the aristocrats in the Capital. Many were astonished; they wondered how many years it had been since Danliang Country had bestowed such prominent honors upon a woman, even appointing her to an official position.

The families that had approached the Bai family for a marriage proposal felt more convinced that they had made the right choice. The Bai family wasn’t just about Bai Zepei entering the civil service; the future of the Bai family was boundless.

Those who hadn’t proposed were naturally filled with regret, but since the Emperor had already decreed that the marriage would be bestowed six months later, they hadn’t lost all chances to make a move.

For a time, many families in the Capital began to scheme.

Of course, some were strongly opposed to the idea of granting official titles to women, including old stick-in-the-muds with conservative thoughts and those who simply disliked Bai Ruozhu, such as Yang Tianhua.

Therefore, that very afternoon an imperial censor submitted a petition to impeach Bai Ruozhu. The next day at the early court session, Tang Yin erupted in fury, slamming the petition to the ground with great force.

”Last year, I already stated that our great Danliang Country is rich in resources and has no shortage of literary talents. Yet, when it comes to female scholars, we’re actually falling behind Chengshui Country to our southeast. I encouraged the establishment of women’s education and urged women to accomplish something. Yet, there are still old fogeys stubbornly clinging to old ways, insisting our country fall behind others?”

Tang Yin’s voice was loud; he was visibly quite angry.

”I had just bestowed a title upon Bai Ruozhu yesterday morning, and that afternoon a censor began to impeach her. Are you not impeaching Bai Ruozhu, but challenging my Imperial Edict?” The Emperor slammed his palm onto the armrest of the Dragon Throne. ”Just for Bai Ruozhu’s contribution to the remedy of the plague alone she deserves to be honored. No one else in other countries has yet achieved this feat, not to mention she saved countless people in the southwest from infection.”

Yang Tianhua stepped forward and said, ”Your Majesty, there’s really no need to establish the Female Physicians Institution at the Imperial Medical Hospital. And even if such a decision must be made, it should not be entrusted to someone as young and inexperienced as Bai Ruozhu.”

Before the Emperor could speak, the Virtuous King suddenly intervened, ”Wouldn’t it be better for the Empress Dowager and the concubines in the Palace to be treated by female physicians? Does Your Majesty’s Harem also need to seek your permission to set up a Female Physicians Institution? And besides, would it be appropriate for a bunch of old men from the Imperial Medical Hospital to manage a group of female physicians?”

Nobody expected the Virtuous King to speak in defense of Bai Ruozhu, not even the Emperor was a little surprised.

Finding himself the center of attention, the Virtuous King coughed awkwardly and said, ”This King is addressing the matter, not the person. Bai Ruozhu has achieved a great deed, and it’s only right that the Emperor rewards and punishes accordingly.”

”Since rewards and punishments are clear, then how should we punish Bai Ruozhu for poisoning several noble ladies in the Harem and moreover, slapping them in private?” Yang Tianhua asked aggressively.

At this moment, the Emperor’s face was so dark it seemed almost to freeze. He looked at Yang Tianhua coldly and said, ”When did my Harem become a concern for you, Master Yang?”

Instantly, the atmosphere in the Court dropped to a nadir; everyone held their breath, too afraid to make a sound, but Yang Tianhua stubbornly said, ”The noble ladies in the Palace are selected from the daughters of the aristocrats. How could we allow a lowly peasant woman to insult them?”

”Yang Tianhua! My wife is a third-rank imperial noble lady. By saying this, are you suggesting your wife is even lower?” Jiang Yichun shouted fiercely.

Although Yang Tianhua held military power, his official rank wasn’t high, and his wife was only a fourth-rank imperial noble lady. Thus, when Jiang Yichun made that comment, Yang Tianhua’s face turned the color of a pig’s liver.

The Emperor narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint flashing within them. His patience with Yang Tianhua had reached its limit.

At that moment, a guard rushed in hurriedly, ”Your Majesty, an emergency report from the southwest has arrived...”