Chapter 131: Zhu Biao’s Backside Clenched Tight

The Emperor and Zhu Biao both turned their gazes toward Xu Cunren.

Someone? Who else could it be?

As soon as Xu Cunren spoke, Zhu Yuanzhang’s attention was instantly captured.

"He said that everyone has a standpoint. The right or wrong of this matter depends entirely on whose perspective you are considering it from! Is it from my perspective, or that of the Jiangnan scholars? Is it the perspective of the officials, or that of His Majesty? Everyone hopes for fairness, but everyone’s definition of fairness is different! For example, Your Majesty..."

Xu Cunren relayed what Zhang Yi had said, filtering it through his own understanding for Zhu Yuanzhang.

The Emperor remained silent for a long time, a look of gratification appearing on his face. That little rascal Zhang Yi’s perspective was always neutral, objective, and thought-provoking.

The Emperor’s fairness? As Zhu Yuanzhang followed this line of thought, he vaguely realized that the reforms to the imperial examination might not be comprehensive enough. However, for the moment, the Emperor could not pinpoint exactly where the loopholes lay. Because Lady Xu had interrupted Zhang Yi, he had not elaborated further on this topic, but Zhu Yuanzhang felt a vague intuition that this issue—or rather, this hidden danger—was more significant than the inclusion of mathematics in the imperial examination itself.

"Your Majesty, that child named Zhang Yi is extraordinary! You should meet him..."

This was the third time Xu Cunren had recommended Zhang Yi to the Emperor, but Zhu Yuanzhang remained unmoved. Meeting Zhang Yi was out of the question. However, the Emperor was successfully intrigued by the questions Zhang Yi had raised. He calmly shifted the topic.

"Since you believe you are on the right path, then persist in walking it, Xu Cunren!"

"Your Majesty, I am here!"

"Effective immediately, your position as Libationer of the Imperial Academy is restored. Also, the current Imperial Academy is too small. I will find a place for you to relocate it! Return to the Academy tomorrow; no feigning illness allowed! As for the storms in the court, I will shield you. I simply refuse to believe..."

As Zhu Yuanzhang spoke, a murderous aura filled his eyes. The atmosphere in the court was dire; it was time to execute a few people to serve as a warning to the other ministers. First, they isolated Longhu Mountain, then Kong Ne, and now Xu Cunren. Who would be next? They were entitled to their dissatisfaction, but this habit of isolating others was a display of using power to suppress dissent. This trend could not be allowed to grow; it was time to sacrifice a few heads to sharpen the blade! He made this decision silently, waiting for some fool to walk into the trap.

"Many thanks, Your Majesty!"

With the Emperor’s support, Xu Cunren felt a measure of comfort. "Since mathematics is to be included in the imperial examination, the mathematics curriculum at the Imperial Academy must be expanded. However, there are hardly any talents proficient in mathematics in the entire country. I humbly request that Your Majesty grant me additional quotas!"

From his start at the Imperial Academy, Xu Cunren had risen to become its Libationer. He had dedicated his entire life to the cause of education in the Great Ming. Since Zhu Yuanzhang trusted him and wanted him to act boldly, he also began to ask the Emperor for money and manpower.

"The Imperial Academy is fine, but if Your Majesty truly decides to include mathematics in the imperial examinations, it will be a monumental event for students in other prefectures! For the Four Books and Five Classics, there are books to study, but for a subject like mathematics, where are we to find the study materials? I have pondered this and entrusted people to search for ancient texts. I have collected many classical mathematical works passed down from the Song Dynasty; these are indeed the painstaking efforts of our predecessors, but there is a problem..."

"What problem?"

"They lack a system; there is no way to start!"

Zhu Yuanzhang grew thoughtful upon hearing this. Mathematical geniuses had always existed, especially during the two Song dynasties. Most of their works had survived, but while they were valuable, they were not necessarily convenient for learning. Because the imperial court did not prioritize it, mathematics had always been a niche discipline; one emperor might value it, while the next might let it wither. To introduce mathematics into the imperial examination, simply throwing these books at the scholars of the world would not suffice. The best solution was to compile a unified textbook!

"Do you have any leads?"

"I have already contacted old friends, asking them to help me find people proficient in mathematics, but..." Xu Cunren shook his head with a bitter smile. Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao understood immediately. Given his current situation, many of his former acquaintances were likely unwilling to associate with him. Including mathematics in the imperial examination might not seem like a huge deal, but it touched upon the interests of many. Even those who were proficient in mathematics might not be willing to approach Xu Cunren at this time.

Zhu Yuanzhang felt both annoyed and amused; this old man was essentially serving as a scapegoat for Zhang Yi. He reminded him, "The person who suggested this to you—why don't you consult him to see if he has any methods?"

"Zhang Yi?" Xu Cunren was stunned. Zhang Yi was only a seven-year-old child; what did he know about mathematics? However, he was at his wit's end. To do this job well, a mathematics textbook had to be compiled as quickly as possible. Even though the imperial examination had not yet begun, once the Great Ming captured Dadu, the Emperor might hold a special examination at any time. By then, it would be too late to promote mathematics education!

"I will go and ask him..." Xu Cunren did not hold much hope, but since the Emperor had suggested it, he would do it.

"You may go. I will also have people search for mathematical talent and recommend them to you later!"

Xu Cunren left with the Emperor’s decree. After he departed, Zhu Biao stood up. "Father, I would like to visit the Qingxin Temple to see the Zhang brother!"

"Go! And bring back the answer!"

Zhu Biao nodded and immediately arranged for an escort to take him out of the palace.

The area around the Qingxin Temple was still haunted by a lingering stench, making the already unpopular Taoist temple seem even more desolate. When Zhu Biao arrived, Deng Zhongxiu was resting at the entrance, covering his nose. Seeing him approach, the former was about to announce him when Zhu Biao stopped him: "There are no women inside; I will go in myself!"

Leaving his guards behind, he walked into the temple. The first thing he noticed was the commotion coming from the alchemy room. Enduring the smell, he walked inside and saw Zhang Yi with a piece of cloth tied over his mouth, held by strings looped around his ears. Zhang Yi did not notice Zhu Biao’s arrival, but was cheering with joy: "Finally, stable production!"

"Brother, you are here!" Zhang Yi discovered Zhu Biao behind him and waved what was in his hand, looking triumphant.

Zhu Biao was pleasantly surprised. "You succeeded? That thing called... an antibiotic?"

"That’s right, stable production is possible!" Zhang Yi’s affirmative answer made Zhu Biao ecstatic. This thing was a matter of life and death for his future. At the very least, this issue had been solved by Zhang Yi.

"Has the destiny changed? Can the Crown Prince survive?"

"More or less! If he is lucky, he should be able to survive..." A cold was not necessarily a bacterial infection; Zhang Yi refused to speak in absolutes. Zhu Biao took the bottle from Zhang Yi’s hand. He hadn't paid much attention to it at first, but upon closer inspection, he was shocked.

"This is not glaze; this is glass..."

"Correct, a little toy I made myself!" Zhang Yi replied casually.

Glass was not unseen in the lands of China; it had been passed down since the Sui and Tang dynasties. Yet, even into the Ming and subsequent dynasties, glass remained a luxury item. Moreover, given the current glass-making technology in China, it was impossible to produce glass with nearly 100% transparency; such a technique simply did not exist. Assessing the value of this small bottle based on the principle that rarity equals value, it was likely no cheaper than the jade he had given him.

"I researched it while tinkering with alchemy. There aren't many. If you like it, Brother, I'll give you one!"

Zhang Yi chuckled. Being able to produce a small glass bottle was one of the results of his recent "truancy" research. Zhu Biao knew how precious this was, and Zhang Yi naturally knew it too. This was his reliance for a good life in the future! However, the glass was not the focus; what was inside the bottle was.

"The liquid inside is called allicin. It is an antibiotic I extracted from garlic. It has a broad antibacterial spectrum and can be used in most situations..."

Zhang Yi was also very happy about successfully researching allicin. This thing could not only save Zhu Biao’s life but also serve as a trump card for his own survival in this era!

"Allicin?"

"Give me a few more portions..." Zhu Biao decided to keep these things on his person at all times, never leaving them behind!

"Uh, there are some issues with how this is used and stored..." Zhang Yi’s expression turned strange as he decided to shatter Zhu Biao’s unrealistic fantasies. "First, the storage. With our current level of technology, this medicine won't last long even if it isn't used. That is one problem... Secondly, it is extremely expensive and materials are scarce... I can't make much!"

"Expensive? How expensive can it be?" Zhu Biao frowned. Zhang Yi pointed to a bamboo basket in the alchemy room. "That basket of garlic can make one small bottle like the one in your hand, Brother! I weighed this basket; it’s about 120 jin. One jin of garlic costs eight wen, but I buy in bulk, so I can get it for six. Even so, the medicine in your hand costs 720 wen. And that’s not even the full cost; including labor and other losses, it’s at least one tael of silver per dose. If I were to sell it, selling it for five taels a bottle wouldn't even be profitable; ten taels would be me showing mercy! A cold takes at least seven days, three bottles a day—you calculate who can afford that..."

Zhu Biao gasped. Even at cost, twenty-one taels of silver was no small amount. Ordinary people, or even officials, could not afford this medicine. And Zhang Yi telling him one tael was a joke; given how precious it was, selling it for five or ten taels would be considered conscientious. If sold to the right person, one would pay a hundred taels a bottle... However, he was the Crown Prince; no matter how expensive the medicine was, as long as it could save his life, it was worth it!

"Prepare some for me. I will take them back and store them. When the efficacy wears off, you prepare more for me!"

"There is one more problem..."

"Can you say everything at once!" Given it concerned his life, Zhu Biao wished Zhang Yi would explain the matter of "allicin" clearly.

"As a topical ointment for external wounds, it works very well. As for oral use... with the current technology of our era, the effect of oral allicin is very mediocre... If it really needs to be used as medicine, the method of administration is... a bit different. It is... it is... it needs to be administered rectally..."

"What did you say?"

"It means it needs to be inserted into your backside, allowing the rectum to absorb it directly... Because with my current technology, if you take it orally, you would need at least three to five times the dose to withstand the neutralization by stomach acid. So..."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao’s vision went dark. He was almost angered to death by this bastard. Zhu Biao’s expectations for allicin had been vivid enough to form a mental image. He imagined a future day when he fell ill, and the eunuchs, in a flurry of panic, would scream: "His Highness has fainted! Quick, quickly remove His Highness’s trousers..."

His dignity! His reputation! The image was too horrifying for the Crown Prince to even contemplate. His posterior instinctively tightened, and he glared fiercely at Zhang Yi. This guy was unscrupulous, and even the medicine he made was unscrupulous. Whoever used this medicine would lose every shred of their lifelong reputation!

However, since it was a life-saving medicine, Zhu Biao gritted his teeth. "I still want it. Prepare some for me..."

Zhang Yi shrugged. His benefactor wanted it, so he would make it. "Fine. But to produce this, I need a massive amount of garlic. I will have Brother Deng look for channels at the docks later!"

"I will also have people send a batch over. Brother, since you have broken the death trap for the Crown Prince, you should tell me how he died, right?"

With his own worries resolved, Zhu Biao finally found the courage to ask this question.