The Martial Doctor-Chapter 82 - 81: Why Not Give It a Try?

"Mr. Sang, this junior does not have such grand ambitions, but if the successors lack even the courage to surpass their predecessors, how can medicine be inherited and developed?" Lin Miao said calmly after a moment of silence.

Having come to this point, Lin Miao still had not given up, which showed his remarkably resilient character.

Young people, if they do not possess even a bit of this "eagerness to advance," how can they talk about surpassing their seniors?

He came to this world not daring to claim he would certainly surpass them, but at least to stand at the peak and take a look.

Mr. Sang was unsure where his confidence came from, as he did not hold high hopes for him. In the past, there had been young individuals who had attempted such things.

Every few years, one or two extraordinarily talented young people would emerge, who also tried to qualify as "nationally selected physicians" in this way, aiming for overnight fame.

But without exception, they all failed in the end.

No one dares to commit fraud in this matter, for once discovered, not only would one’s own reputation be ruined and future destroyed, but so would the reputations of those who assisted them.

Moreover, such a "trial" is sure to attract many eyes, and no one wants another person to rise above their contemporaries, for it is a source of pain and sorrow. There is also the invisible battlefield of competition between various medical schools.

Wherever there are people, there is strife, and the realm of medicine is no exception.

"Mr. Lin, if you submit this application, both the court and the guild will send supervisors. If you fail, not only will you waste a year, but it will also heavily impact your future advancements," Mr. Sang reminded him.

"What kind of impact?"

"According to the court’s regulations, once a ’trial physician’ qualifies and obtains their medical warrant, they can submit an advancement application every two years. The state guilds conduct the evaluations to determine advancement. If you wish to advance to a physician, it’s once every three years. If you fail once, you must try again next time," Mr. Sang explained. "If you fail the ’Path of Sainthood’ trial, you would waste at least two years, and the future advancements will be subject to stricter review and evaluation..."

Lin Miao understood the subtext: failure would make him a target, but success would as well.

"So, if I wish to advance all the way to a senior physician, it would take at least fourteen years, correct?" Lin Miao calculated in his mind.

"Approximately."

"Is it necessary to meet the time requirement for each advancement, or are there any exceptional conditions?" Lin Miao asked.

"Of course there are, but the conditions are quite stringent. If met, you can automatically advance without the guild’s review," Mr. Sang internally marveled at his audacity. "Those matters are still quite distant for you, and there’s no need to concern yourself with them now."

Lin Miao nodded, deciding to ask when the time came, as there was no need to aim too high prematurely.

"Mr. Sang, how should I apply for this ’consultation’ qualification?"

"Applying is simple. Fill out a form, sign it yourself, stamp your master’s medical warrant, then have it stamped by the guild seal and finally the Medical Bureau. Submit it to the Li Jing Imperial Pharmacy. If approved, it would take at least half a month," Mr. Sang replied.

"My master has already passed away, and his medical warrant was pawned out of necessity, as you should know. He was convicted of a case and had to pay a fine when he was alive. We couldn’t afford it, so we had to pawn his medical warrant. I intended to redeem it once I could afford it, but the pawnshop had already sold it," Lin Miao explained truthfully.

"How ridiculous, which pawnshop?"

"’Yuanheng’ Pawn.

"’Yuanheng’ Pawn has a good reputation. Was it a dead pawn?" Mr. Sang asked.

"No, it was a live pawn, with an agreement to redeem within three months. However, someone internally forged a pawn ticket backup, so now I can’t get my master’s medical warrant back."

"Have you approached them?"

"I have, but ’Yuanheng’ Pawn can’t help. The medical warrant was auctioned in the black market, and they don’t know the current owner. Even if I sued, the most they could offer would be triple compensation, but I still wouldn’t retrieve the warrant..."

"Did they compensate you?"

"They did," Lin Miao nodded. A lawsuit with ’Yuanheng’ at this time would be problematic, especially since he was the weaker party. Winning would only result in compensation and Mr. Xie going to prison, an outcome he did not desire.

"It’s not a big issue not having your master’s medical warrant, as long as you can prove your master’s passing. If those at the top discover that your master has passed away yet his stamp appears on your application, it would be seen as fraud, questioning your integrity. Since you don’t have it, don’t use it," Mr. Sang pondered and advised.

Such cases were rare in the past.

"Thank you, Mr. Sang, for your flexibility."

"I can handle matters at the Medical Bureau, but the guild stamp could be a bit troublesome for you," Mr. Sang said.

"Are you saying that Mr. Ye might make things difficult for me?" Lin Miao realized that the guild president was Ye Shengyuan from Shengyuan Hall.

"I cannot say for sure. Mr. Lin, you can give it a try. He usually doesn’t visit Xinglin Institute but attends consultations at Shengyuan Hall," Mr. Sang suggested.

"Thank you, Mr. Sang."

"Let me find the application form for you. No one has filled one out in many years here," Mr. Sang said, for indeed, ever since he became the head of the Medical Bureau, no such forms had been issued, though he wasn’t sure about his predecessor.

These forms were rarely used.

If not for the requirement to archive the application format for future reference, it might have been impossible to locate. If provincial archives were poorly managed, they might not be found at all.

The archives of the Dongshan Prefecture Medical Bureau were reliable, and after much effort, they finally located an application form.

It was made from special paper, emanating the scent of herbs, evidently treated to prevent insect damage and ensure longer preservation.

Moreover, there was only one copy. If filled out incorrectly, there was no second one available, meaning that if one wished to apply again, they would have to borrow from a nearby province, which would take several days, assuming they were willing to lend it to you at all.

Applying from Li Jing, the round-trip time would be long...

So, the form must not have any mistakes.

Mr. Sang and I thought Lin Miao would take it back, think it over carefully, and then decide. Who knew he would fill it out on the spot.

"Mr. Sang, if the Medical Bureau’s seal is affixed, do you think Mr. Ye will show leniency?" Lin Miao didn’t want to wait until he found Ye Shengyuan to get the Medical Bureau’s seal; it didn’t matter which one he got first.

"Well, I’ll stamp it for you," Mr. Sang thought for a moment. There was no need for him to offend Lin Miao over this matter. If it succeeded, he could claim credit for discovery and recommendation, which could count as an achievement during his tenure at the Medical Bureau.

If it didn’t work out, it wouldn’t be a significant loss to him.

To make things difficult deliberately would bring a reputation for ’suppressing newcomers.’

With the application form stamped by the Medical Bureau, Lin Miao immediately took his leave and departed from the Medical Bureau by carriage, heading straight for Shengyuan Hall.

"It’s you, you want to see our Patriarch, wait here."

In Shanyuan Square’s Shengyuan Hall, he once again encountered the steward who had been to the Lin Family. He was just as imposing, though Shengyuan Hall was even grander and more opulent than Qingyu Hall.

This waiting hall was at least twice the size of Qingyu Hall’s. There was even a dedicated waiting tea room, and the service was more attentive than a teahouse’s.

The floor was paved with polished bricks, spotless, with some areas reflecting people’s faces.

However, the consultation fees here were not low. Patients were graded; an ordinary patient paid two hundred coins just for a basic physician’s visit.

Lin Miao wasn’t a patient; he came to see Ye Shengyuan, and the steward knew his status. Thus, unlike at Qingyu Hall, where they would have driven him away, he was seated in a corner and served a cup of tea. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

The tea was cold.

It was clear the steward was targeting him; the hostility seemed unfounded.

If it were the height of summer, he might have thought the host considerate, but it was winter, freezing outside, and they had the audacity to serve him cold tea!

Nothing could be done; when you needed something from someone, you had to endure such grievances. To boldly avenge oneself, one must have strength and capital.

Moreover, does he care about the steward’s attitude towards him?

If worse comes to worst, he could find an opportunity to eliminate him.

Lin Miao sought an audience, and the steward did not dare not report it. If anything happened, it would be he who suffered, for Ye Shengyuan could not tolerate intentional concealment.

But when to report, that was flexible. Besides, Ye Shengyuan was currently diagnosing a patient, and the Patriarch was not to be disturbed during consultations unless there were exceptional circumstances.

A renowned physician’s consultation fee started at twenty taels of silver, and home visits at no less than a hundred taels!

Of course, not all renowned physicians charged this much; some offered lower prices, but the consultation fee was no less than ten taels of silver.

The consultation fee was split with the medical hall. To reach renowned status meant at least an 80-20 split.

As for Ye Shengyuan, since Shengyuan Hall was his, he controlled the shares. Even if he pocketed everything, no one would say anything.

A high-level physician’s consultation cost at least five taels of silver, medium-level was two taels, and entry-level was one tael.

For medical practitioners, the rate was eight hundred coins for senior practitioners, about five hundred coins for mid-level, and one to two hundred coins for junior practitioners, prices set by each medical hall.

If a junior practitioner saw twenty patients a day, they could earn one tael of silver daily with the usual revenue share, and with the share from medicinal herbs, they could earn at least two taels of silver a day.

Over a month, including various subsidies, it was not difficult to earn seventy to eighty taels of silver, income many ordinary families might not achieve in a year.

In fact, it didn’t stop there. There were additional commissions from home visits, averaging a junior practitioner’s monthly income at around a hundred taels of silver.

Of course, this applied in places like Dongshan City; in smaller counties, income might be less.

Comparing the increase in income by upgrading a level, a high-level physician’s monthly earnings were self-evident. If a renowned physician, the sky’s the limit.

Studying medicine offered a better future than taking civil exams for a political career. It brought wealth, social status, and respect. Most importantly, as long as they stayed apolitical, no one would plot to harm a physician.

It’s easy to see why becoming a ’medical practitioner’ was so difficult.

Lin Miao wasn’t upset; he took the opportunity to observe the patient demographic at Shengyuan Hall and estimate its daily cash flow, providing clarity on its daily profits and yearly earnings.

Shengyuan Hall had a total of twelve consultation rooms, categorized, though not as meticulously as on Blue Star, but roughly similar. Shengyuan Hall had two consultation rooms for renowned physicians: one for Ye Shengyuan and another for another contracted renowned physician, Cai Jin.

Lin Miao vaguely remembered Cai Jin because his sister-apprentice Sun Youwei’s health had been diagnosed by him.

The conclusion was she wouldn’t live past twenty, and to cure her, they needed a ’Spirit-Storage Elixir.’ Such an elixir wasn’t available in Dongshan City; hope lay only in Li Jing, but even with money, it wasn’t guaranteed to be purchasable.

This involved the ’Elixir School’ in medicinal academia, which nearly produced a ’Saint of Elixirs’ in its time.

However, this ’Saint of Elixirs’ sullied his name with ’Carefree Powder,’ becoming notorious and despised, once a candidate for immortal fame, now an infamous disgrace.

This school, weakened by that infamous individual, became a public pariah, yet some of the elixirs they crafted remained highly sought after in black markets and auctions...