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World's First Traitor System (225)
🕑 Added 2024-06-29 17:02:47 +0000 UTCChapter 225 - Conflict at the Imperial Hospital
The Great Jin Dynasty was, without a doubt, the smallest in the world.
Few cities.
Only one, the capital Jin City, was still under construction.
Few people.
Emperor Fan Li, Grand Secretary Wang Ban, Director of the Censorate Jing Wudi, Fan Yuehua who had recently arrived in Jin City, and the five soldiers who had survived the ambush at Mount Yunmeng.
That was all.
As for Yu Shenzi and the disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect, they were still considered guests.
Within the city, the sounds of construction echoed ceaselessly.
The number of "Maid" mechanical puppets had reached a staggering five thousand!
Five thousand Nascent Soul puppets was the limit Wang Ban could control with his current cultivation level.
Initially, he had divided his time between planning the city's construction and manufacturing puppets.
Now, with the puppet army reaching its limit, he could finally dedicate himself entirely to building Jin City.
The construction speed was several times faster than before!
In fact, most of the city's infrastructure was complete.
Only the Imperial Hospital remained a source of headaches for Wang Ban.
"Grand Secretary Wang!"
"Excavating a spirit spring isn't as simple as digging a hole in the ground. Ordinary groundwater can't easily replicate the effects of a true medical spirit spring. You should follow my advice and go to the location sixty miles southeast of Jin City. There's a spirit spring there. Just channel it here, and Jin City will have an inexhaustible supply!"
Hearing the familiar complaints, Wang Ban couldn't help but laugh wryly.
Turning, he saw Yu Shenzi approaching with large strides.
Wang Ban quickly bowed.
“Sect Leader Yu, channeling a spirit spring from sixty miles away is a massive undertaking, not to mention the countless possibilities for disaster along the way. If Jin City were besieged, and the enemy poisoned the artificial waterway, the spirit spring would instantly become a poison spring. I’ve already laid out spirit gathering formations beneath the city, ensuring that the groundwater will be transformed into a spirit spring. It's the same effect."
Wang Ban patiently explained, but Yu Shenzi wasn't satisfied.
“No, no, no! A true spirit spring is a spiritual root of water, nourished by heaven and earth. A mere spirit gathering formation can only imbue ordinary water with a trace of spiritual energy. It can’t compare to a water spirit root."
Hearing this, Wang Ban became annoyed.
"A mere spirit gathering formation? Hmph! The Guiguzi secret techniques passed down through my family were once coveted by emperors. You call them 'mere'?"
Yu Shenzi scoffed. “So what if you inherited the Guiguzi secret techniques? I also inherited the medical arts from a pre-Qin imperial physician. Am I inferior to you? A spirit gathering formation is still man-made, while a spirit root is nurtured by heaven and earth. You call it 'mere'? That's an overstatement!"
The old man and the slightly chubby middle-aged man stood before the nearly completed Great Jin imperial palace, their argument escalating.
"Hee hee hee..."
A woman's laughter, melodious and sweet, drifted through the air.
Fan Yuehua strolled nearby, munching on fresh fruit she had gathered from the surrounding mountains. She had been in Jin City for several days, and she loved it more with each passing day.
Especially the daily "show" of Wang Ban and Yu Shenzi bickering. She never tired of it.
"Wudi."
"I'm here, Princess. What are your orders?"
From an inconspicuous corner, Jing Wudi appeared silently.
Fan Yuehua, as Fan Li's younger sister, was undoubtedly the Eldest Princess of the Great Jin Dynasty.
"These two bicker every day, and Wang Ban's cultivation is far superior to Yu Shenzi's. What if he accidentally kills him with a single slap?"
Jing Wudi replied seriously, “Don’t worry, Princess. Although Sect Leader Yu's cultivation isn’t as high as Grand Secretary Wang's, he's incredibly resilient. It's not easy to kill him."
This was based on his personal experience. The Azure Cloud Sect lineage was known for its tenacious vitality.
“Grand Secretary Wang, esteemed Elder Yu, are you two arguing again?”
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the sky, accompanied by a large, dark shadow.
Fan Yuehua looked up, surprised. "Brother, what are you doing here?!"
The shadow descended, revealing Wu Gang in her dragon form, carrying Fan Li and Lu Fubao on her back.
“Master, I’m returning to Peng City now.”
“Thank you for your hard work. Go,” Fan Li said, sending her off with a smile.
He approached the two men who were still arguing.
“Your subject, Wang Ban, greets Your Majesty!"
Wang Ban’s hair was disheveled, and his clothes were torn, but his demeanor was respectful.
“Greetings, Emperor Jin,” Yu Shenzi said, bowing slightly.
During their argument, Wang Ban had pulled out a handful of his beard, and Yu Shenzi had lost a shoe.
“You may rise.”
Fan Li deliberately turned away, pretending to admire the city.
“Our capital is truly taking shape. You have all worked hard.”
Wang Ban quickly straightened his clothes.
Yu Shenzi, however, said urgently, “Emperor Jin, you must speak to Grand Secretary Wang! He knows nothing about medicine, and his approach to building the Imperial Hospital is completely disorganized! I've offered numerous professional suggestions, but he refuses to listen. At this rate, even if the Imperial Hospital is completed, it will be nothing more than a facade!"
“Nonsense!" Wang Ban retorted. “Most of your suggestions are nitpicking, and some are simply unreasonable.”
“Oh?”
Fan Li, intrigued, asked, “Tell me, what’s going on?”
The two men began talking over each other, explaining the situation with the spirit spring.
Yu Shenzi wasn’t satisfied. Having finally encountered Fan Li, he took the opportunity to voice more suggestions regarding the medicinal fields, the pharmacy, and the alchemy laboratory. Most had been rejected by Wang Ban.
“Your Majesty, listen to him! Is he being reasonable?" Wang Ban asked, exasperated.
“I’ve planned a thousand acres of medicinal fields outside the city, and he insists we can’t plant any herbs for two years? And we have to use the ashes of thunderstruck wood as fertilizer? And the cauldrons for the alchemy laboratory, the tools for the pharmacy - his requirements are incredibly demanding! This is deliberate sabotage! The Great Jin Dynasty is newly founded. We have so much to do. I have plans for hundreds of new cities. I don't have time to fuss over a single Imperial Hospital."
Fan Li listened patiently as the two men argued, a smile playing on his lips. He nodded frequently, as if he valued their opinions greatly.
When they finished, he finally spoke.
"Grand Secretary Wang, overseeing the construction of the entire city, you have indeed worked hard. I, as Emperor, have been neglecting my duties. I am ashamed."
Wang Ban, warmed by his words, quickly protested.
Fan Li then turned to Yu Shenzi. "Esteemed Elder, you are our honored guest. You came to Jin City to sightsee, yet you’ve spared no effort in helping us build the Imperial Hospital. I am deeply grateful."
"Haha, Emperor Jin, you are too kind," Yu Shenzi replied, his earlier frustration forgotten.
This was leadership.
When subordinates dedicated themselves to their tasks, their efforts should be acknowledged.
But as a leader, one must also take responsibility. In a situation like this, where a conflict remained unresolved, Fan Li had to make the final decision.
After pondering for a moment, he said, “Grand Secretary Wang, although Sect Leader Yu’s suggestions are demanding, he's helping us build the most advanced Imperial Hospital in the world. I ask that you spare no effort in fulfilling his requirements, even if it means delaying other projects.”
“Grand Secretary, can you do that?”
Wang Ban and Yu Shenzi were stunned. Yu Shenzi, in particular, looked at Fan Li with newfound respect, as if they were kindred spirits.
Fan Li, however, noticed his reaction. He smiled inwardly, saying, “I should start preparing invitations for renowned physicians from all over the world to join the Great Jin Imperial Hospital."
Yu Shenzi felt a pang in his chest.
What?
The Imperial Hospital he had painstakingly planned was intended for others?
His hard work, a gift for someone else?
Wasn't this a case of "giving good cabbage to a pig"?
Were there any physicians in the world who could compare to him?
He suddenly remembered Fan Li’s repeated invitations, all of which he had rejected…
A hearty laugh escaped Yu Shenzi’s lips.
