Zhu Yanyi nodded with a smile. "Yes, there are many elders at home. I made these herbal teas to help them stay healthy. If you want some, I’ll give you a pack later. You can take it home and drink it slowly."
"I won’t be polite then." After the meal, Mi Xiao felt very close to Zhu Yanyi. "Yanyi, it would have been great if you joined our academy earlier."
"There is an exam at the end of next year. I will go then," Zhu Yanyi said with a light laugh.
"Junior Sister Nine means she can ask you for good things as a senior sister. Since she isn’t your senior sister yet, she can’t ask," Gu Jun said, seeing through Mi Xiao’s intent.
Zhu Yanyi paused, then laughed. "It’s just herbal tea. Why be shy? Just come to me when you finish yours."
"You are so nice, Yanyi," Mi Xiao said happily. "When I join the academy, I will protect you."
"I think you need Little Yan to protect you," Gu Jun said directly.
"Right," Mi Xiao added. "I remember now. Yanyi is the Little Divine Doctor."
Zhu Yanyi felt amused. "I thought you knew that long ago."
"I knew, but I forgot," Mi Xiao said, sticking out her tongue shyly.
Gu Jun said, "It’s fine to act young here. But don’t let people underestimate you when you work outside."
She paused. "By the way, I heard Duke Pete from Country Y and Princess Elisa came to you for medical help."
Zhu Yanyi nodded. "Princess Elisa was cursed by a witch doctor’s sleep spell. At first, I asked Duke Pete to sign an agreement about removing the curse. She was afraid of getting hurt and refused, so I refused to treat her."
"What kind of person is this Duke Pete? To encounter witch doctors," Mi Xiao said seriously.
"I don’t know if she is a bad person, but she is selfish," Zhu Yanyi replied. "I was clear. Either sign the agreement for treatment, or take Princess Elisa back. Without the agreement, I would not treat her.
Recently, the royal family of Country Y faced pressure. Princess Elisa had to recover, so they pressured Duke Pete. Now the agreement is signed. But am I that easy to talk to? You sign when you want treatment, and don’t sign when you don’t? It’s not that simple here. So I added other conditions."
"That is right," Lei Danfeng said. "Doctors must have kindness, but we don’t need to be perfect saints. We must have our own principles."
"Exactly," Zhu Yanyi smiled. "So I asked Ao Han to set some conditions. I didn’t meet her myself. When Duke Pete meets my conditions, I will save her."
Liu Qirong said, "Traditional Chinese Medicine is not trusted much now."
"It is better now," Zhu Yanyi said with a smile. "Many people see the value of TCM. Some countries send students to learn it. But TCM is really hard to learn."
Zhu Yanyi stopped, as if thinking of something.
"What’s wrong?" Mi Xiao asked curiously.
Zhu Yanyi thought for a moment. "I am wondering if I should build a pure TCM school."
Yan Ao Han took a sip of tea. "If you want to build it, just do it. People will do the work. You just need to teach some classes to make it interesting."
Zhu Yanyi glanced at Yan Ao Han. "I don’t care about making it interesting. I think TCM is rising, but learning it step by step is hard. Famous doctors also find it hard to find suitable students. I think building a school is better. We can start teaching from primary school. Through teaching, we can discover their talent.
Then we can recommend them to famous doctors to learn as apprentices. This way, on the path of learning TCM, we won’t be blind in finding masters or apprentices. Some traditions won’t be lost."
Some aspects of TCM are lost because no suitable successor is found.
Many traditions in Huaxia are like this. It is hard for students to find masters, and hard for masters to find suitable students. If there is such a platform, it is good for TCM.
"That’s great. We can be teachers too," Mi Xiao said directly.
Zhu Yanyi tilted her head at Mi Xiao. "Then it’s decided. If I build a TCM school, students from the Sage Academy must come to be teachers."
"I can promise that," Gu Jun nodded directly. For good things for TCM, Gu Jun agreed without hesitation.
TCM is declining fast. If there is a chance to revive it, Gu Jun was happy to help.
Zhu Yanyi and Yan Ao Han looked at each other. Yan Ao Han nodded slightly, showing they had a plan in mind.
After sending Gu Jun and others away, Yan Ao Han asked Zhu Yanyi, "You want to find real teachers for TCM, right?"
Zhu Yanyi nodded slightly. "I won’t leave here soon. Being a teacher is inevitable. But more teachers mean more medical styles. TCM is different from Western medicine. TCM relies on doctors’ experience. If we can pass this experience down, TCM will never decline."
Yan Ao Han understood Zhu Yanyi’s thoughts.
Zhu Yanyi felt she would leave one day. Because of her feelings for this place, she would arrange everything well.
First, she needed to arrange TCM.
TCM is the essence of Huaxia, but it is fading. Without better inheritance, TCM might become a historical term one day. Zhu Yanyi did not want to see that.
So Zhu Yanyi planned to build a pure TCM school. Students would learn from a young age. Famous doctors would be part-time teachers and find suitable apprentices. Even if they didn’t find apprentices, teaching a little would be valuable experience for TCM lovers.
Huaxia people are generous and forgive easily. But they are also stingy, especially in inheritance. They always think masters should keep some secrets.
They don’t think: if every master keeps secrets, one day, this unique skill will disappear. Only trash will remain.