When Zhe Qing noticed the four large characters—[Medical Genius]—suddenly appearing above the head of Imperial Physician Yu, who was currently taking her pulse, she knew that her transmigration had taken an unusual turn.
Zhe Qing had originally been a minor office drone in the 21st century who had just graduated. Because she was desperate for money, she worked herself to death after a year of frantic overtime.
Then, she closed her eyes and opened them again to find herself as the deeply pampered Fourth Princess of the Yu Kingdom. She lived a life where she didn’t have to lift a finger for food or clothing, and a networked computer had even appeared in her mind for her entertainment.
With such a god-tier setup, Zhe Qing decisively chose to live the life of a “salted fish.”
Using “a love for reading” as an excuse, she never left her quarters. When she was hungry, she ordered “takeout” from the Imperial Kitchen; when she was sleepy, young palace maids immediately arrived to make her bed. Thus, she spent her days lying in bed using the computer to read novels and watch TV, occasionally sneaking onto forums to gossip about her decadent life as a slave owner (of course, no one believed her).
However, this life came to an end a month ago because her only three imperial brothers met with a sudden landslide while hunting and subsequently passed away.
At that time, rumors began to circulate that she was about to be made the Crown Princess.
This was because her father, the Emperor, was the only heir for three generations.
Being the “only heir for three generations” meant that after the three imperial brothers died, even if her father wanted to adopt a closely related nephew to be the Crown Prince, he couldn’t.
Now, she was the only “seedling” left in the entire imperial family and clan.
Emperor Yu did indeed want her to be the Crown Princess.
But this wasn’t something that could be settled simply because her father wished it.
Due to historical reasons, the Yu Kingdom suffered from a weak monarchy and powerful ministers. Consequently, even though she was the only one left in the imperial family, the prospect of a woman occupying the position of heir still faced opposition from half of the powerful ministers in court. They argued that “women do not participate in politics,” and a few of those old fogies even went as far as to bash their heads against the palace pillars in court, threatening suicide to force the Emperor’s hand.
Zhe Qing actually understood. They didn’t want her to be the Crown Princess; they only wanted her to give birth to a son early so he could be the Crown Grandson—and if this Crown Prince were born from her and one of their sons or grandsons, that would be even better.
Zhe Qing: “…”
If she hadn’t experienced this herself, she wouldn’t have imagined that people could be so unabashedly shameless!
Her father, who had such an explosive temper, was forced to the point where he couldn’t even vent his rage. The sheer anger had damaged his health, leaving him bedridden for three days. He told her: “Now, you have no way to retreat. While I am on the throne, it’s fine; I can always block for you. But if I pass away, the ministers will be like wolves. If you don’t stand up for yourself and ruthlessly tame them, I’m afraid it won’t be long before you come down to join me.”
If Emperor Yu were gone and she lacked the ability herself, she would become a pawn in the hands of the ministers. They might even force her to give birth to a child and then send her to hell with a bowl of poison.
Just thinking about it made Zhe Qing tremble. She shook her head violently. “I will not become fish on their chopping block!”
She had died an unnatural death in her previous life. In this life, she wanted to die of old age with dignity.
So, while her father endured the grief of losing his sons and continued the standoff with the ministers, she no longer had time to immerse herself in sorrow. She deleted all the novels and TV shows and began to strive for self-improvement. She started frantically researching how to crush these people in court and ways to govern the country. In the end, she didn’t find any practical solutions; instead, due to excessive late nights, she caught a chill and sneezed once in the morning.
Given her current status, a single sneeze was a major event. Imperial Physician Yu, the Head of the Imperial Academy of Medicine, was hurriedly called to take her pulse.
Zhe Qing remembered that when he first arrived, those four characters weren’t above his head. It was only when she looked down and then up again that the words appeared, glowing with golden light.
Moreover, in this vast palace hall, there were about a dozen people serving her, but only Imperial Physician Yu had golden light above his head.
What was going on?
Sensing something, she opened the computer. Sure enough, a new piece of software named Infrastructure Maniac had appeared on the desktop.
The name was so straightforward that Zhe Qing instantly understood its purpose and the extent of the “infrastructure” involved.
She opened the software. The inside was empty, containing only a document titled “Character Collection Progress.”
When she opened the document, a card appeared featuring a portrait of Imperial Physician Yu.
[Yu Hong, Medical Genius.]
There was no other information. No matter how she tinkered with the software, there was no further reaction.
Zhe Qing stood up, ordered people to keep an eye on Imperial Physician Yu, and hurriedly made a round of the imperial palace. By the time she returned, panting, she looked at the wrinkled face of Imperial Physician Yu as if she were looking at a beautiful maiden.
So far, only Imperial Physician Yu had characters!
Rarity made things precious.
Such an “intense” gaze made Imperial Physician Yu feel uneasy. He said in trepidation, “The Princess is looking at this old official so… is there something inappropriate about me?”
Zhe Qing felt like grabbing his hands and giving them a shake to show how much she valued him, but seeing how nervous he was, she decided not to scare him. She put on an air and said, “Lord Yu, I see that you have an extraordinary constitution; you are a rare medical genius in this world. I have a book here called the Great Method of Penicillin Extraction. Take it back, look it over, and produce it for me as soon as possible.”
She wanted to see the extent of this “Medical Genius.” If he could even produce penicillin, then he truly was a genius.
Then, ignoring Imperial Physician Yu’s protests, she had him stay in a side hall of her Chanming Palace and dispatched four young eunuchs to guard him. Immediately afterward, she used Baidu to write down the method for extracting penicillin and stuffed it into Imperial Physician Yu’s hands, telling him to research it as quickly as possible.
“If this item can be created, you shall be recorded in the Book of Meritorious Officials and your name shall be remembered for eternity,” she said earnestly.
Then, her life would be much easier.
Since this software was named Infrastructure Maniac, it surely wouldn’t just give her one medical genius, right? There must be other geniuses!
Zhe Qing was suddenly filled with hope for the future.
She had a premonition that these “geniuses” would create an infrastructure kingdom for her.
Lord Yu held the prescription, an indescribable expression on his face as he looked at the words written upon it.
First: Take millet and grind it into juice.
Second: Take taro and grind it into juice.
Third: Mix the two liquids together.
Fourth: Find blue mold and mix it into the liquid.
Fifth: Collect urine.
…
He had never prepared medicine like this before, nor had he ever seen such a strange formula.
However, he also had a feeling that as he read the formula written by the Princess, it was as if something had been opened up within him, and he could understand these words very well.
Sigh, I might as well give it a try.
After settling Imperial Physician Yu in the morning, Zhe Qing was summoned by Emperor Yu in the afternoon.
When she arrived, Emperor Yu was reviewing memorials. However, he had a volatile temper and was currently harborng a great deal of anger. Consequently, every time he finished reading a memorial, he would throw it out. The young eunuchs below hadn’t straightened their backs once while picking them up.
Seeing her arrival, the eunuchs breathed a sigh of relief. They respectfully served her tea and withdrew. Out of habit, Zhe Qing glanced over their heads and then opened the software to look… Mmm, nothing happened.
She let out a disappointed sigh and said to Emperor Yu, “Father?”
Emperor Yu was burly and very tall. Although he was only forty this year, the death of his three sons had added a trace of agedness to him. He beckoned Zhe Qing over and handed her a memorial.
“A-Qing, this is a post from the Duke of Ying. Take a look.”
Zhe Qing took it and saw that the central idea of the memorial could be summarized in one word: Delay.
The general meaning was: Appointing a woman as the sovereign is inconsistent with the rites and systems of the Yu Kingdom. However, since His Majesty insists on appointing the Fourth Princess as the Crown Princess, his subjects can only obey. But there is no need for haste. The Fourth Princess is fifteen this year and has previously only been exposed to things concerning the ladies’ chambers. If she were to be placed in the position of heir with such a mindset, there are fears it would be inappropriate, and the court officials are concerned. Why not temporarily refer to her as “Her Highness,” and have His Majesty personally select teachers to instruct her? Once the Fourth Princess has completed her studies and possesses the character of an heir, it will not be too late to formally appoint her as the Crown Princess.
The title “Highness,” according to the ancestral rules of the Yu Kingdom, was only used to address princes.
Zhe Qing could see that since Emperor Yu was showing her this memorial, he had likely been pressured into a corner and was considering a compromise.
She showed a hint of mockery. “They all say that making me the Crown Princess violates the ancestral rites. Then, as subjects, interfering in the matter of the succession—is that not also an act of gross insubordination?”
She placed the memorial back on the desk and said, “However, Father, dragging this out gives them time, but it also gives us time.”
Now that she had a Golden Finger, her path would be much easier to walk.
If she had to study, she would study. A great edifice was not built in an instant.
She said slowly, “A hundred years ago, the former dynasty collapsed. Afterward, various prefectures and provinces were ruled separately, and there was chaos for thirty years before the current situation of seven kingdoms standing together emerged. In the seventy years since our founding, the seven kingdoms have never been entirely harmonious, and disputes break out from time to time. Over the years, for the sake of the Yu Kingdom’s stability, you have never dared to make any big moves, choosing instead to plan slowly, which has led to today’s peaceful and prosperous situation.”
“Moreover, when you were born, the late Emperor passed away. Although you ascended the throne, power was out of your hands for over a decade. As you grew older, you slowly used the art of balance to reclaim part of that power into your own hands… but the time has been short, and your grasp is not yet firm. That is why we are being restrained by others.”
She consoled him, “But your daughter believes that if you give me just a few more years, these buffoons will be completely dealt with. Why should you be angry at people who are destined to fail sooner or later?”
Emperor Yu sighed. “Three years ago, the Qin Kingdom intended to attack the Chu Kingdom, and the Lu Kingdom is also watching hungrily from the side. For the sake of the bigger picture, I do not dare to kill those few old scoundrels. But if they dare to push any further, I will surely skin them alive to vent my hatred.”
Zhe Qing smiled. “Presumably, having followed you for many years, they also know your temperament. That is why they dare to threaten you with death.”
Emperor Yu gave a cold snort, a flash of disgust appearing in his eyes. He said hatefully again, “These old scoundrels… I will kill them sooner or later!”
Then he dropped the subject and instead asked Zhe Qing about Imperial Physician Yu. “Why have you locked the man away?”
That wasn’t locking him up; it was giving him a quiet place to conduct experiments!
She explained, “Father, do you still remember the fire in my small study three years ago?”
Emperor Yu nodded. “I remember. That fire burned for an entire day. You were knocked unconscious by the smoke and didn’t wake up for three days.”
That was when Zhe Qing had transmigrated. The original owner liked to read books, especially miscellaneous ones. Emperor Yu had ordered people to collect rare books from across the world for her. As a result, while she was reading three years ago, she accidentally knocked over a candle, leading to the fire. All the books in the study were burned to ash, and the girl herself was gone, allowing Zhe Qing to take her place.
Zhe Qing planned to use this as an excuse.
“In those books, there were some medical techniques. I didn’t pay much attention when I read them, but today I suddenly remembered some strange formulas. I wrote them down and gave them to Imperial Physician Yu to help develop.”
“Father, you have no idea. If that formula can be produced, then in the future, when we go to the battlefield, as long as we have it, we can have the chance to save the lives of thousands upon thousands of soldiers.”
If penicillin could appear in this era, it would be an eternal godsend!