Chapter 364: Chapter 139: The Reward
The rain had continued for two days, but finally, the sky had cleared.
At the Imperial Apothecary, Shi Changpu moved the damp medicinal herbs out to bask in the sun while he himself dozed off in a chair at the entrance.
The duties at the Imperial Apothecary weren’t as busy as those at the Medical Officer Institute, but it couldn’t be considered leisurely either. However, for someone with no ambition, who just wanted to scrape by, this was a cushy job indeed.
Shi Changpu had joined the Imperial Apothecary twenty years ago, and in the blink of an eye, twenty years had passed. His colleagues either climbed up the ranks or fell from grace mid-way, while he alone remained securely in his position, as if he had no intention of ever giving up his post as Chief Physician until the end of time.
His superiors would scold him, frustrated that he didn’t "strike while the iron is hot." After all, like the Medical Officer Institute, the Imperial Apothecary’s staff could look forward to bright prospects if they caught the eye of the right noble. But despite his many years in the Palace, not to mention nobles’ favor, Shi Changpu hadn’t even received a word of praise, perfecting the art of mediocrity to an extreme.
Whenever his superiors berated him, Shi Changpu would nod respectfully, a picture of profound self-reproach, while inwardly rolling his eyes to the heavens.
What did they know?
The people inside the Imperial Apothecary and next door at the Medical Officer Institute were all sick in the head. Today I make six bottles of medicine, tomorrow he makes seven. If today he stays up burning the midnight oil concocting tonic prescriptions for nobility, then tomorrow I won’t rest until well before dawn.
In the end, the one who strived hard would break down, getting white hairs in their youth, all to give those high and mighty nobles a bargain, just for a single word of "favor."
Tsk.
Shi Changpu snorted in derision.
Anyway, although his salary wasn’t generous, he didn’t have much need for money. By maintaining a moderate effort, no one expected much of him, so there was no pressure to better himself.
As for living life, it’s about muddling through where you can.
Shi Changpu turned over and found a comfortable position in the sunshine, and just as he was about to close his eyes, suddenly heard a voice: "Changpu!"
He jumped to his feet: "Envoy."
The visitor was Imperial Apothecary Court Envoy Qiu He.
Court Envoy Qiu He was past sixty, his white beard and eyebrows trembling with every step he took, and Shi Changpu worried that the old man might fall apart from running, quickly rising to meet him: "What brings Envoy here..."
"One Dream Pill..." the old Envoy said, catching his breath as he steadied himself on Shi Changpu’s arm.
Shi Changpu thought to himself, here we go again.
Every year, the One Dream Pills were sent to Consort Rou, and it was a given that shortly thereafter, the Imperial Apothecary would be cursed by those from Consort Rou’s palace, nothing serious other than complaints about the pills being mediocre in effect and lacking in number, along with insults about the Imperial Apothecary being good for nothing, all of whom would soon be thrown out of the Palace, the usual.
Fortunately, over the years, Shi Changpu had grown accustomed to these comments and had devised ways to deal with them. Before Court Envoy Qiu He could speak, Shi Changpu immediately began to bow and apologize.
"You’re absolutely right, Envoy, this year’s One Dream Pill did not perform well, and it’s all my fault," he confessed sincerely: "I am to blame, as my knowledge of medicine is average, falling short of Soft Consort’s expectations. But the raw materials, the Hong Fangxu, are quite scarce to begin with, and its medicinal properties fade quickly, making it truly difficult to come up with a solution. Rest assured, Envoy, in the coming days I will strive to study intensely, in hopes of finding a way to enhance the pills’ efficacy by next year, to relieve the Soft Consort’s insomnia, and ease the noble person’s worries."
Court Envoy Qiu He: "You..."
Shi Changpu nodded: "Yes, yes, it’s my fault, if Envoy decides to dock my pay or scold me, I will have no objections."
Court Envoy Qiu He: "I..."
Shi Changpu: "Exactly, Envoy is always worried about me, for which I am deeply ashamed. Please don’t let this anger harm your health, the Imperial Apothecary relies on you."
Frustrated, the old Envoy stamped his foot and said: "Will you let me finish speaking!"
Shi Changpu immediately fell silent.
"Soft Consort just sent someone from her palace to say that this year’s batch of One Dream Pills you sent had quite a good effect, and she has especially given you a reward," Qiu He said, patting his shoulder, his smile brimming with satisfaction, "Changpu, I used to worry that you weren’t ambitious enough, but who would have expected that you were actually making quiet efforts. Heaven doesn’t neglect those who are prepared, your lucky break has come!"
Shi Changpu: "Huh?"
...
The old Envoy gave a few instructions and then asked Shi Changpu to accompany him to receive the reward.
Even after the Senior Palace Maid from Soft Consort’s side had left, Shi Changpu still felt dazed, as if it all seemed a bit unreal.
Good heavens, this was like an unexpected windfall that hit him completely unprepared. However, for Shi Changpu, this wasn’t necessarily a good thing. As the saying goes, "The tree that stands out in the forest is the first to be brought down by the wind," he had hoped to spend his life coasting along as the Chief Physician at the Imperial Apothecary. But now that he had suddenly caught Consort Rou’s eye, just look – the gazes of his colleagues had already started to shift. They couldn’t possibly think he was concocting new medicines in secret late into the night, could they?