The imperial physician from Jing Du was named Zhang, with the given name Hu.
Although his name contained the character for "tiger," he was a refined man, tall and slender.
At just thirty years old this year, he had a peculiar fondness for sporting a mustache (in Yu Guo, growing facial hair was considered an activity for the elderly). It was said that every night before bed, he would count the hairs in his mustache to ensure none had fallen out that day.
If any had fallen, he would toss and turn, unable to sleep, heartbroken and despondent, and the next day he would lack the energy to perform his duties.
Zhe Qing had sent him to Yun Zhou to deliver medicine because, while accompanying his mentor, Imperial Physician Yu, to Chanming Palace to check her pulse, he had overheard her discussing kang-bed construction with officials from the Ministry of Works (Zhe Qing wanted to establish a commercial pilot project in Yun Zhou). After listening for a while, he returned to experiment on his own. While personally tending to the fire, he accidentally burned off his mustache.
Yet, instead of being upset, he joyfully ran to tell her that he wanted to join the escort team to Yun Zhou to deliver the medicine and also participate in the kang construction.
"I am originally from Yun Zhou," he said. "My childhood was harsh, and I often went hungry. But compared to hunger, I feared the cold even more. Yun Zhou is a bitterly cold land, and every winter, many people freeze to death."
"Later, I met my master. I followed him to study medicine, ate well, and dressed warmly. But whenever winter comes, I think of my days in Yun Zhou. I often wonder how wonderful it would be if everyone had thick clothing in the winter."
After he finished speaking, he saw Her Highness suddenly cover her forehead and say, "I also wish there were agricultural geniuses and weaving geniuses—then I wouldn’t have to suffer so much. Damn it, this fictional era’s map isn’t even the same as ancient China’s, so I don’t know if there are sweet potatoes or potatoes overseas."
After saying this, Her Highness drifted into thought, muttering to herself—something about cotton, something about Huang Daopo’s weaving techniques, something about corn—her words never ceasing. Then, suddenly, her eyes lit up.
"That’s right, there’s also wool! This is such a good resource—how could I have forgotten about it?"
There were simply too many things to consider, and with her limited energy, many details slipped her mind. Zhe Qing closed the webpage and began describing to the Yun Zhou expedition team the type of wool she needed and the method for making yarn from it.
Since Yun Zhou had a wide variety of sheep, determining which breed produced the best wool for yarn would require testing each one.
Originally, she had wanted to find corn, but her Golden Finger had its limitations. Because this was a fictional dynasty, many things resembled ancient China—such as millet and medicinal herbs—but the geographical layout was different. So, even though she knew corn existed, since it had not yet appeared in this era, she had no idea where to find it.
As for sending people overseas, that required sturdy ships. She had already assigned people to research shipbuilding, but time was short, and they hadn’t made any breakthroughs yet.
In truth, her infrastructure development was still in its early stages. The fastest progress had been made in medicine, while everything else remained quite ordinary.
Moreover, due to her special status, she dared not fully pursue certain initiatives, such as promoting commercial development. After much deliberation and discussion with Emperor Yu, she had designated Xu Jiang Xian in Yun Zhou as a pilot zone for experimentation.
"Yun Zhou borders the small kingdoms of the Western Regions and is actually a crucial transportation hub," she explained, having done some research. "But Yun Zhou is bitterly cold, and nothing has been developed there."
"Small countries in the Western Regions have even harsher environments and weaker national power compared to Yu Guo. They are also divided under separate rulers, and for centuries, they have never been united. The people there live more miserably than those in Yun Zhou. Therefore, merchant caravans from these countries often pass through Yun Zhou to trade for supplies elsewhere before returning. However, they never stay in Yun Zhou. Instead, they spend a great deal of time and money to reach Qing Province or Yu Zhou in Yu Guo, or travel to other countries, to exchange for the goods they need before heading back."
"What if we turn Yun Zhou into a prosperous place?"
Then Yun Zhou would become a true transportation hub.
Emperor Yu pondered her words for a long time before sighing, "Yun Zhou is plagued by heavy sandstorms, which inevitably prevents it from thriving."
"That’s why your daughter wants to start with Hua Xu County in Yun Zhou as a trial."
This was the first time she was undertaking such a major endeavor, and a pilot project was the best approach.
Xu Jiang Xian actually had excellent geographical advantages. It was connected by the Xu River, which allowed for boat travel between Yun Zhou Prefecture and Xu Jiang, making transportation convenient. More importantly, it bordered Qing Province, and along the border, there was a mountain range rich in iron ore and coal.
Almost all the materials needed for steelmaking were available. After reviewing the data on Yun Zhou and Qing Province, Xuesheng believed this was the ideal location to establish large-scale steel mills.
If developed successfully, it would form the Yun-Qing Economic Zone.
Emperor Yu agreed to let her try. With a grand gesture, he granted Yun Zhou to her as her fiefdom.
"You are not yet the Imperial Crown Princess, so what’s wrong with me giving you a province as your fiefdom? Go ahead and do it. Recently, those old-timers wouldn’t dare cause trouble with me."
Starting from Yun Zhou was indeed feasible. Moreover, when everyone heard that Her Highness the Princess merely wanted to set up a shop (a steel mill) in the small county of Xu Jiang, they remained silent. Even if they paid attention, they didn’t take it too seriously.
Zhe Qing immediately threw herself into action. Together with Emperor Yu, she personally selected several officials from the court and dispatched them to Yun Zhou. Zhang Hu was among them this time. When they left Jing Du, they did so without causing a stir.
Upon arriving in Yun Zhou, Zhang Hu was in no hurry to return. He followed Xu Fanghuai, the newly appointed magistrate of Xu Jiang Xian, around on his duties while focusing on his own mission of finding sheep.
Within just over ten days, wherever he went, the local people would press gifts into his hands.
"Nothing too fancy," said the village chief of a village in Xu Jiang Xian, limping on his leg. "These are just tokens of gratitude from the villagers."
In these past days, they had experienced a life they had never known before, and they were deeply grateful to the man before them.
"You have no idea—that kang is simply a divine creation," the chief said. It was easy to build, and as long as the kitchen stove was lit, the whole family could huddle on the kang. From now on, they wouldn’t have to fear the winter.
"It just uses a bit more firewood," the elder added with a hint of regret, though he was already quite satisfied. "Even if only one kang is built per village, everyone can gather in one house to live and eat together, and we’ll make it through the winter."
Then came their gratitude for the medicinal herbs brought this time, and more importantly, for Physician Zhang’s willingness to select someone knowledgeable about herbs from their village as his disciple, who would later treat the villagers.
This was an immense kindness.
"For an ordinary family, having a doctor among them is like a blessing from the ancestors," the village chief said with deep gratitude. "Our village has always been poor. If anyone fell ill, we had to go to other villages or the town to seek treatment."
If an illness strikes at night, it's as good as a death sentence.
Zhang Hu immediately added, "They will only be taught basic pharmacology… no, basic medical knowledge. You must understand that when they first complete their studies, they will only be able to treat simple ailments—such as fevers, coughs, sprained backs, as well as minor women's illnesses and common childhood diseases. For serious illnesses, they must still seek out professional physicians."
Even this was already very good. The village chief smiled and said, "Besides these, what other illnesses could we possibly afford to treat?"
Hearing this, Zhang Hu felt his eyes grow warm, and he said firmly, "The Fourth Princess says that one day, we will live in a world where the young are nurtured, the elderly are cared for, and the sick receive treatment. Elder, just wait and enjoy the good days ahead."
The village chief was nearly moved to tears. "We are all grateful for the Fourth Princess's kindness."
It was said that Yun Zhou had already become the Fourth Princess's fiefdom, and they were all her subjects.
Upon returning, Zhang Hu remarked, "The Fourth Princess truly embodies benevolence in this world."
Xu Fanghuai thought to himself that the Fourth Princess was not just benevolent—she was practically a deity. Every policy she had given him was written straight from his heart, leaving him astonished yet feeling it was only right.
He called Zhang Hu over and said, "Soon, the busy farming season will arrive. Before that, we need to recruit workers from nearby areas to build a steel mill here—" He pointed to a spot on the paper. "Right here."
Steel had existed since ancient times, but it was scarce. If high-quality steel could be produced in large quantities, Yun Zhou's safety would no longer be a concern.
Because Yun Zhou had many horses and sheep, but lacked food and sharp weapons. Little did people know how much change a good blade, sturdy armor, and sufficient grain transported to Yun Zhou could bring.
He felt he was engaged in a truly sacred task.
"Perhaps Yun Zhou can truly prosper."
At the same time, in Jing Du, Zhang Yushu and Imperial Physician Yu were drinking at a tavern.
Teaching was truly exhausting—not because they were physically tired, but because the students were so dull that teaching them was agonizing.
"Just a simple skin test! A skin test before administering Penicillin! I've explained it so many times, yet they still don't understand the principle! I'm about to die of frustration. At my age of sixty, I still have to be angered by these brats."
Zhang Yushu was younger and dared not call them brats, but he shared the same sentiment. He poured Imperial Physician Yu a cup of wine and sighed, "I understand you. A simple anatomical diagram, and they just don't get it. I even told them to go examine a human body—a corpse—and one of them was too scared! What is there to fear? He came here to study medicine, not to enjoy himself. If he still can't handle it, I'll report to Her Highness and have him dismissed."
After saying a few words, he added, "I heard you are writing a book titled Barefoot Doctors of the Yu Kingdom for Her Highness. Is it finished?"
Imperial Physician Yu stroked his beard and hummed, "Almost, almost. That's why I finally have time to drink with you."
Then he asked, "I heard you are researching an improved version of Ma-fu Powder, something called an anesthetic needle?"
Zhang Yushu nodded. "Yes, but it's too difficult. Although I have some ideas, there's no finished product yet."
Just as they finished speaking, they saw a young girl with her hair styled in twin buns coming up the stairs—it was Xuesheng.
She adjusted the hairstyle on her head, feeling somewhat unaccustomed. "Uncles, apologies for the long wait."
Xuesheng was an extremely shy girl who generally disliked going out, but today, Her Highness the Princess had insisted she take a walk.
"Those two are people with high intelligence, just like you. Talk with them, and perhaps you'll gain some insights—don't let yourself grow too stifled. Xuesheng, it's been a long time since you last went out."
Whether she talked or not, Xuesheng didn't really care, but Her Highness was so concerned about her that she didn't want to add to the Princess's worries—Her Highness was already busy enough. How could she, Xuesheng, be worthy of making the Princess fret over whether she was tired or bored amidst her countless duties?
And so, she came.
After she arrived, Imperial Physician Yu and Zhang Yushu had the shopkeeper replace the wine with tea.
Xuesheng felt a bit embarrassed, and Zhang Yushu comforted her, which only made her feel even more apologetic. "I was supposed to come earlier, but just as I was about to leave, a few people who are learning from me wouldn't let me go, asking all sorts of questions. That's why I'm late."
At this point, she hesitantly asked, "Seniors, do you know how to teach students? They… they're so slow. They can't even understand a single chemical formula."
Imperial Physician Yu and Zhang Yushu sighed together. "Ah—our students are the same, too slow."