The Legend of Zhen Huan: Year after year, we share the spring breeze

There is a warm and lively scene in Bitong Academy.

"Your humble servant greets the three ladies, and wishes them the best of luck and happiness."

Wen Shichu was dressed in official uniform, his posture was upright but he looked a little tired. He walked quickly into the hall and saw Zhen Huan, An Lingrong and Shen Meizhuang in the room. He immediately shook his sleeves and knelt on the ground, bowing respectfully with his forehead touching the ground, his attitude extremely pious.

Zhen Huan sat in the upper seat, looked at him with a smile, and said in a gentle voice: "Get up quickly, no need to be so polite!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Wen Shichu stood up.

An Lingrong smiled and said, "It's been a while since we last met. How is everything going, Lord Wen?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I'm doing fine!" Wen Shichu straightened his clothes, turned towards An Lingrong, and kowtowed solemnly again, his tone sincere and full of gratitude: "Since the development of penicillin, it has saved countless lives. On behalf of the people outside the palace, I thank Your Majesty Wenfei!"

An Lingrong bowed slightly and asked, "Master Wen, please stand up. How is the promotion of penicillin going? I've been keeping it in my mind."

When Wen Shichu heard An Lingrong's question, he hurriedly and carefully took out a booklet from his arms. The booklet was carefully wrapped in cloth, and it was obvious that he treasured it very much.

This is not just a booklet, it is the result of his countless efforts.

He held the booklet above his head with both hands, leaning forward slightly as he presented it, his expression extremely solemn. "Please take a look, Your Majesty. This contains a detailed record, a testimony to the journey that I and my colleagues have taken."

An Lingrong took the booklet, gently opened it, and read it carefully. She saw that the booklet was densely covered with words. It not only recorded in detail the specific location and scale of penicillin production sites established across the country, but also the specific circumstances of its use, such as the dosage and frequency of use for different diseases. It also included many cases of difficult diseases cured by the use of penicillin. The descriptions of those cases vividly showed the process of patients from serious illness to recovery, and the benefits were also included at the end, which was clear at a glance.

Looking at these achievements, An Lingrong's eyes, which had been filled with worry, were instantly filled with relief. She praised him sincerely, "Thank you for your hard work, Master Wen! Behind each of these records, I'm sure you've put in so much effort. It's truly admirable. This achievement is all thanks to you."

She looked up at Wen Shichu. He was no longer the pale-faced scholar he used to be. Long-term hard work and travel had made his face dark, revealing a sense of vicissitudes of life. His body was also much thinner than before, but even so, his eyes were still sparkling, making him look energetic.

Wen Shichu said in a clear voice, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. I have not worked hard. While I have been traveling abroad, I have always kept in mind Your Majesty's teachings and have not dared to slack off in the slightest. Now, all eighteen provinces of the Qing Dynasty have Huimin Pharmacies that can produce and use penicillin. I have lived up to Your Majesty's expectations."

My next step is to promote penicillin to all provinces and cities, so that more people in remote areas can benefit from it. However, I know that this process will be more difficult than before. After all, the provinces are geographically dispersed, the situation is complex, and the people's understanding of the disease varies. I estimate that it may take longer.

However, I will do my utmost, no matter how difficult it may be, to accomplish this task, live up to Her Majesty's high expectations, and ensure that this excellent medicine can truly benefit the people of the world."

"Excellent!" An Lingrong praised, "Lord Wen has the world in his heart and is truly righteous. He is truly a blessing to the Qing Dynasty and a blessing to the people."

After saying this, An Lingrong summoned Wei Lin and said, "As you probably already know, we've developed a vaccination method to prevent smallpox. Wei Lin has mastered this method to perfection, and the success rate has greatly increased. I'm officially handing it over to you today. I hope you can promote it alongside penicillin."

An Lingrong paused for a moment, her expression growing serious. "But I must tell you that if we want to completely eradicate smallpox, we must make cowpox vaccinations available nationwide free of charge. This is a massive undertaking, and the costs involved are enormous."

Fortunately, the promotion of penicillin has been effective. Besides reserving a portion of the profits to maintain the basic operation of the pharmacy and the continued production and improvement of penicillin, the majority of the funds will be injected into the promotion of cowpox. Also, I will have Sister Mei and you go to see the emperor later to see if we can obtain special funding."

Free nationwide promotion?

Wen Shichu's face flushed with excitement, his eyes shining: "Yes! Your humble servant obeys your order!"

Seeing him so excited, his eyes gleaming with confidence, An Lingrong frowned slightly. Unable to bear with his overly optimistic attitude, she poured a bucket of cold water on him and said slowly, "Master Wen, don't just look at the significance of cowpox and be so enthusiastic that you think this will be easy. Promoting cowpox is even more complicated than promoting penicillin. The many aspects involved are far more complex than you can imagine, and the difficulties involved are naturally much greater."

To promote penicillin, simply manufacture the drug and sell it for use. While the process has its challenges, it's relatively straightforward. Cowpox, however, is different. It requires the active cooperation of the public. There are potential adverse reactions, even in rare cases, but the public, unfamiliar with medical knowledge, may be hesitant to try it, even if told it's free.

An Lingrong sighed softly, her eyes grim as she continued, "This is by no means something that can be accomplished overnight. It may take five or even ten years to truly popularize the cowpox vaccination method nationwide and completely eradicate smallpox. You must be fully prepared."

After hearing An Lingrong's words, Wen Shichu's excitement gradually subsided. His brows furrowed slightly, and his face became more solemn, but the determination in his eyes remained undiminished. He clasped his fists and saluted again, saying in a steady tone, "Your Majesty, you are absolutely right. I understand the difficulty of this matter, but having accepted this important task, I have already prepared for a long-term battle. No matter how long it takes or how many hardships we encounter, I will give it my all and will never retreat."

"Well, I was right!" An Lingrong exclaimed. She took a step forward and wanted to pat his shoulder, but then felt it was inappropriate, so she added, "The Emperor attaches great importance to these two matters. With his support, you can go ahead and do it. If you need our help, we will definitely not refuse."

When Wen Shichu heard this, a warm feeling suddenly surged in his heart. He hurriedly bowed and saluted, his tone full of gratitude: "Thank you very much, Your Majesty, for your trust! I will do my best to live up to the expectations of the Emperor and Your Majesty."