My Wife is Unbeatable in the Whole World, Touch Me If You Dare!
Chapter 542 - 352: The Method to Break the Deadlock_2

Upon hearing this, the Imperial Physicians felt embarrassed to remain silent and began to speak one after another.

"I donate five thousand taels."

"I donate three thousand taels."

"I donate one thousand taels..."

Although these sums of silver equaled several years or even more than ten years of their salaries, the Imperial Physicians, unlike other officials, had these salaries as only a small part of their income. Each time they went to treat the nobles, although under orders, the nobles would still give them generous rewards.

Medical reform is a bottomless pit, and since the National Treasury had no extra silver, Li Nuo had to seek sponsorship on his own.

Of course, it wasn't without reason; the more successful the medical reform, the quicker his cultivation in the Medical School and Confucian improved.

However, in Zhao Country, Doctor Sun would casually open his mouth, and there would be tens of thousands of taels of funding. It's unknown if the Imperial Physicians in Daxia were poorer or if Doctor Sun had some unique secret technique for obtaining money.

Of course, those who gave five thousand or three thousand taels were considered very supportive, so Li Nuo was embarrassed to ask for more.

Afterwards, Li Nuo continued discussing details with them.

Establishing a Medical College in Chang'an wasn't difficult; the Imperial Physicians of the Imperial Hospital usually had not much to do and could go teach and make visits without charging a penny.

Based on the accumulated experience in Zhao Country, to avoid medical crowding, the consultation fees for the people could be set at different levels.

A First Realm doctor ten cents, Second Realm twenty cents, Third Realm fifty cents, Fourth Realm one hundred cents.

This could deter over ninety percent of those who were just looking for trouble without illnesses.

For the lower-class populace of Chang'an, one hundred cents was about one to two days' earnings, almost all could afford it.

Because of the precedent in Zhao Country, Li Nuo thought the medical reform in Daxia should also proceed smoothly.

But the next day, the Imperial Doctor Order came to the Secretariat with a complex expression.

After a moment, Li Nuo frowned at him, asking, "Price increase?"

The Imperial Doctor Order nodded, saying, "Overnight, all the drug merchants in Chang'an increased the prices of their medicinal materials by several times..."

If you want to lower the cost of people's medical treatment, you must reduce both consultation fees and the prices of the medicinal materials.

Consultation fees were easy to reduce; Imperial Physicians received state salaries, making treatment free, and apprentices trained in the Medical College had to stay in court public medical halls for years under the management of the Imperial Hospital, bringing consultation fees to a level acceptable to the populace.

But medicinal materials required costs.

The court couldn't provide all the medicinal materials for free, as the National Treasury couldn't possibly afford it.

In Zhao Country, the entire medical community voluntarily ceded a part of their profits, selling medicinal materials to the court almost at cost.

But in Daxia, things developed completely differently.

When the court intended to implement medical reform, they raised the prices several times, openly opposing the court.

Ordinary people wouldn't dare do this.

Li Nuo asked, "What background do those drug merchants have?"

The Imperial Doctor Order sighed, saying, "All the drug merchants in Daxia are under the Six Great Families. Although the court also has the Shangyao Bureau, the medicinal materials grown by the Shangyao Bureau are barely enough for the Imperial Hospital. If an additional medical hall is to be opened, it must procure from the drug merchants..."

Li Nuo's gaze shifted slightly, murmuring, "Six Great Families..."

In fact, Zhao Country's medicinal materials were also monopolized, but the monopoly belonged to Zhao Country's Medical School.

Although the Zhao Country's Medical School also valued profit, they also carried the sentiment of healers.

When Zhao's court was undergoing medical reform, they chose to sacrifice part of their profits to support the court and benefit the people.

The Imperial Doctor Order continued, "It's not just the drug merchants; almost all the medical halls in Chang'an are industries of the great clans. The court's plan to establish affordable medical halls is bound to affect their interests, so it's not surprising they would do this..."

He paused and added, "The influence of the great clans in Chang'an is still minimal; outside of Chang'an, over ninety percent of the medical halls belong to them, and they control all the drug merchants. Outsiders find it difficult to intervene. Daxia's Medical School must either submit to the aristocratic families or rely on the court. Otherwise, there's no room for survival..."

Li Nuo finally realized he was too idealistic.

There are fundamental differences in the national conditions between Zhao Country and Daxia.

Even implementing the medical reform in Chang'an encountered such obstacles. Outside of Chang'an, wouldn't it be utterly impossible?

Inside the government office, the Left Prime Minister slammed the table in anger and said, "How bold they are! The same with the tax reform, and now with the medical reform. Can they not bear to see the people live even a slightly better life!"

He said gravely, "There must be someone orchestrating this behind the scenes. Investigate carefully; who exactly is obstructing the medical reform!"

In matters like this, the Spiegel Bureau was evidently more skilled than the Secretariat.

An hour later, Li Nuo received the answer he wanted.

He opened the letter sent by Housekeeper Wu, which contained only two characters.

Wang family.

Since last year's "Dual Kings' Rebellion," the Wang family's power on the court has been almost completely eradicated.

However, their influence on Daxia had already permeated every aspect.

The Left Prime Minister said coldly, "It's the Wang family again..."

At the mention of the Wang family, a hint of ferocity appeared on the face of this Fifth Realm Great Scholar.

The court's decrees found it difficult to extend beyond Chang'an because of these great clans, with the Wang family being the leading family of the age.

They controlled vast tracts of land but were exempt from taxes.

When the court attempted to implement land reform, returning land to the people, they were the greatest obstruction.

The three provinces repeatedly issued edicts hoping to limit the amount of land the clans could own, but they incited nobles to reject it.

When the court sought to revoke their tax exemption rights, the tax officers sent were mysteriously killed on the way.

The court wanted to expand official schools and reform the Imperial Examination, but the official schools established in each province couldn't recruit students. The best students all attended their private schools.

These people effortlessly passed into the Four Great Academy and, after entering the court, sought benefits for them in every way.

Local officials, newly appointed for only a few months, would be bribed by them and collude with them, deceiving superior and misleading the subordinates, completely forgetting their vows at the Confucian Temple.

The medical reform easily executed in Zhao Country couldn't even make its first step in Daxia.

The Left Prime Minister slowly sat in his chair, his once straight spine now slightly bent.

To change all of this, he has fought tirelessly for decades, losing countless disciples, yet he still sees no hope...

Ministry of Personnel.

An official walked into the government office and said to the Right Prime Minister, "Teacher, their medical reform has encountered obstacles before even being implemented. The drug merchants controlled by several great families have increased the prices of medicinal materials severalfold overnight..."

The Right Prime Minister showed no surprise and said, "It's nothing more than repeating itself. Once it was Li Xuanjing; now it's his son's turn. Isn't the loss of so many disciples under Cui Jian enough? Does he want to drag a few more in?"

He put down a memorial in his hand, showing a hint of curiosity as he slowly said, "Back then, when Li Xuanjing led a group of newly admitted scholars to march in protest, only one out of seventeen survived. Twenty years later, I'm curious to see what his son will do?"

Secretariat.

A similar situation, the Left Prime Minister had experienced countless times.

He looked at Li Nuo and asked, "You are the Six Subjects' Scholar; there are few in the world smarter than you. Tell this old man, what is the way out for the court's reform, what is the way out for the people of Daxia?"

Li Nuo truly knew the answer to this question.

The Daxia Dynasty had a brief history of only three hundred years. Before, it was the extremely chaotic Warring States, leaving little historical precedent to draw upon.

But China's five thousand years of history, the cycles repeat over and over, leaving many valuable experiences.

Any problem could find an answer in that long history.

When at the end of a Dynasty, land is severely consolidated, national resources are concentrated in the hands of a few, and the people struggle just to live, how should one break the stalemate and escape the oppression and exploitation of the aristocratic families and landlords?

The answer is simple.

Kill them all.