Chapter 20: Donating a Military Position

In the eyes of the long-time servant Shuisheng, the Young Master, a divine doctor, suddenly became even more exalted. He was already high, but now he was so high that he seemed unreachable.

In fact, at this moment, Chen Xie's heart was filled with regret, not for selling expensive medicine at a high price, such as changing the packaging of a common cold capsule from a five-yuan board to a glass bottle and selling it for five thousand yuan, but for missing the opportunity to take advantage of the Governor of Denglai, who had jurisdiction over both Dengzhou and Laizhou, and was the most powerful person in the city. He must have been very wealthy. If he was sick, Chen Xie would sell him expensive medicine; if he wasn't sick, Chen Xie would find some minor ailments and sell him more expensive medicine that wouldn't kill him. This was what a black-hearted barefoot doctor should do.

Chen Xie, filled with regret, had no idea that people are very strange creatures. His show of arrogance, seen by the departing eyes of Master Mo as he left with a tall and imposing figure, was perceived differently.

"Extraordinary people do extraordinary things. The legendary divine doctor is indeed unfathomable!" Holding the medicine bottle, Master Mo carefully tucked it into his chest. The bottle looked very high-end, and the pills inside were particularly unique. They were colorful, small, and clearly looked like the legendary divine doctor's miraculous medicine.

Sun Guozhen, the Governor of Denglai, received his appointment in May and took three months to finally arrive in August. Sun Guozhen didn't leave much of a mark in Ming Dynasty history, but he was said to be one of the main contributors to the recovery of the Penghu Islands from the Dutch. (Note: I couldn't find relevant historical records, but this is mentioned on Baidu. The then Governor of Fujian, Nan Juyi, might have taken most of the credit according to the bureaucratic norms.)

After a long journey, he fell ill as soon as he took office. Master Mo, a former governor's advisor, quickly sought out a divine doctor to secure a high position under the new governor.

Holding the medicine given by the divine doctor, Master Mo returned and presented it to Sun Guozhen. Hearing that this was a young divine doctor who could treat tuberculosis and even perform surgery to remove abscesses, Sun Guozhen, half-believing and half-doubting, took the dazzling pills. Soon after, he felt drowsy, slept for a while, and woke up with a foggy head, but his cold symptoms had improved significantly.

The quick results were indeed those of a divine doctor. Although his head was still foggy, wasn't it normal for a cold sufferer to feel dizzy? Sun Guozhen, the governor, was only dizzy now, but headaches were still to come. Below him were the Maritime Defense Commissioner of Denglai, Wang Tingshi, the General of Denglai, Yang Guozhu, and the local garrison. Soon, he would also have to deal with the decisive and ruthless Governor Yuan. There would be plenty of headaches.

The divine doctor Chen Xie was indeed very busy. He returned home late at night after another secret discussion with Zhou Shi, this time with Zhang Yao listening in. He felt that Chen Xie's method of first formulating a detailed plan and then executing it could be applied not only in business but also in governance.

After a long night of discussion, Chen Xie finally went to rest. This night talk gave Zhang Yao a new impression of Chen Xie: he was very systematic and detail-oriented, setting rules before starting any task. The benefits of this approach were clear: while it's good to fix problems after they occur, it's even better to prevent them beforehand.

In the end, Chen Xie suddenly expressed his desire to donate a military position. Zhang Yao's face turned a bit sour, but he didn't openly oppose it. This matter kept Zhang Yao up all night, thinking about Chen Xie's decision to donate a military position and the methods he used, which were worth learning from. As a former official, he knew that Ming Dynasty officials relied on temporary workers and local gentry to govern. The specific implementation of imperial policies was often vague. If detailed plans were made in advance, responsibilities and scopes were clearly defined, and problems were addressed promptly, it would greatly reduce bureaucratic red tape.

In reality, Chen Xie's plans were only drafts. If he were working for a company and presented such a plan to his boss, it would likely be thrown back in his face with the order to redo it.

Compared to Zhang Yao's restless night, Chen Xie slept soundly. He woke up early, before dawn, and set out with his long-time servant Changsheng. Waiting at the Zhang family's gate was a manager surnamed Liu, holding a lantern. Seeing Chen Xie, he bowed and said, "Divine Doctor, fifty large carts are ready, waiting at the Zhang family's village."

As soon as the city gates opened, the group set off on various animals. Chen Xie was given a horse, while Changsheng rode a donkey. Judging by the appearance, Chen Xie, who was riding a horse, was far less skilled than Changsheng, who was riding a donkey. Even Manager Liu couldn't help but laugh at Chen Xie's awkward riding, which made him look like he was drunk.

Chen Xie's adaptability was strong. After traveling less than ten miles, he was almost able to sit steadily on the horse. His thighs were burning, and he wondered if the skin had been rubbed raw. In modern society, riding a horse on TV seemed easy, but why was it so difficult for him?

Because they were all riding animals, the group of about ten people moved relatively quickly. By around eight in the morning, they had reached the Zhang family's village. The old master, supported by a concubine, personally came to the village entrance to welcome them. Chen Xie quickly dismounted and limped forward to support the old master, saying, "Why did you come, sir? The morning wind is strong; you shouldn't be exposed to it."

"You are mistaken. I cannot repay the favor of saving my life. I would crawl here to thank you in person. Besides, I am much better now, so it's no problem." The old master's voice was strong, showing no signs of his near-death state a month ago.

After much persuasion, Chen Xie finally managed to send the old master back. He then led the large convoy on the road. Following the directions, Chen Xie found a pile of goods covered with thick canvas under a large rock by the sea.

He lifted the canvas to reveal a mountain of goods. About two hundred people rushed forward and, under Chen Xie's command, sorted and loaded the goods onto the carts. They cut the canvas into small pieces to cover the goods on the carts. During the loading, Chen Xie took the lead, feeling the increase in his strength. He easily lifted a box that weighed over a hundred pounds, while others had to carry it with two people. After two hours of hard work, it was almost dark, and they finally finished loading. Some goods couldn't fit, so they had to tie them to the animals they rode.

Chen Xie, of course, didn't have to walk, but the divine doctor, who had been tortured by horseback riding, declared with great righteousness that he would walk back. It was already dark, and the torch-lit convoy returned to the Zhang family's village. Despite the preparation, unloading the goods and storing them took until the middle of the night, almost five in the morning, before everything was finally done.

Chen Xie didn't feel tired at all and was surprisingly energetic. In contrast, everyone else was exhausted and scattered as soon as the work was declared done. Covered in sweat, Chen Xie washed himself at the well and returned to his room to find Changsheng sleeping soundly, not even snoring. He wondered if this was a benefit of time travel, making him stronger and less prone to fatigue?

Lying in bed for a while, Chen Xie finally fell asleep. When he woke up, it was already afternoon, and he quickly got up. Changsheng was waiting at the door and greeted him, "Young Master, Madam has come to inspect the goods."

Chen Xie nodded in understanding, washed up, and headed to the warehouse. Zhou Shi was inspecting the goods with Yu Huan, holding a ledger to check the items. Chen Xie smiled and said, "Aunt, how are the goods?"

Zhou Shi turned and smiled, "I just opened a few boxes and inspected the goods. Although they are not as exquisite as what you sent, they are still very good. With these goods, I can confidently say that we will make a huge profit this time."

Chen Xie said, "Dengzhou is still a small place. Compared to the Jiangnan region, Shandong is not very wealthy. To quickly establish ourselves, we must send someone to Jiangnan."

Originally, Chen Xie planned to go to Jiangnan himself, but Zhou Shi disagreed. She believed that if Chen Xie, with his status, were to travel as a merchant, it would be hard to change that perception later. Therefore, it was better to send someone else, while Chen Xie continued to be the divine doctor.

"Si Hua, the master asked me to ask you, are you really sure about donating a military position?" Zhou Shi's face was serious. In the Ming Dynasty, military officials had a low status. Chen Xie's decision was hard for her to accept. However, Zhang Yao had clearly told her before she left that she should support any decision Chen Xie made.

"That's right. I've thought about this for a long time and can't find a faster way. There's a lot to do, and I can't wait." Chen Xie's words were sincere. Since he couldn't bear to part with his Ming Dynasty life, he had to quickly establish a solid foundation. When the time came, he wouldn't fear anyone, not even the Manchu army.

As for how to build a modern army, Chen Xie wasn't entirely clear yet, but he could continuously obtain knowledge in this area. After learning, he would find a suitable way to train the army in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhou Shi sighed, "I understand your thoughts. You want to quickly expand the Chen family. Since you've made your decision, I won't try to dissuade you. Talk to Uncle Zhang; he's troubled by this, even if he doesn't say it."

Chen Xie said, "Aunt, there's one more thing. I plan to buy a village as a foundation for our family in the Ming Dynasty."

Zhou Shi nodded, "We'll discuss this with the master."

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End of Chapter 20