Chapter 12 — Kinh Thao

Several hundred years later. The world has changed through many dynasties. The magnificent imperial citadel was once destroyed by war and then rebuilt on top of the ruins. The mausoleums of the emperors were buried in sand and dust, and weeds covered the stele lines that once recorded merits and sins. Families that were once prominent have only a few obscure names left in their family trees. Only Man Chau...is still there. The temple outside the city to worship fake doctors... is still there. It is a medical temple built in the previous dynasty to commemorate a great physician of Man Chau, and has existed for several hundred years now. After countless renovations, the green bricks have been replaced countless times. Only a small almond tree in front of the temple has grown into a lush green almond forest. Every year in March, there are endless crowds of people coming to offer incense and worship. That morning, several scholars who were going to attend the exam stopped by together. On their backs they carry medicine boxes, in their hands they hold bundles of herbs that have just been picked, then carefully place them neatly in front of the temple door. The temple does not worship Buddha. Just worship a statue of a young girl wearing a basket of food on her back. She wore the most simple coarse cloth, no pearls in her hair, held a medical book in her hand, her face was gentle, her eyes were calm. A very young junior apprentice raised his head and looked at the statue for a long time, then bowed his head and sighed. "If only I had half of senior Can Mieu's ability in the future..." The senior brother standing next to her gently tapped her head. "That's not very ambitious." "What did senior write in the last volume of the Three Books? You still refuse to memorize it, right?" The junior apprentice held his forehead and said unconvinced: "The Three Books of Miao contains 《Thang Han Miscellaneous》, 《Women's Certification》 and 《Mieu Thi Amitabha Sutra》." "I've only been in school for one year, how can I study the last book?" A senior sister next to me smiled and continued: "Can Mieu, from Man Chau, came from a poor background, started practicing medicine at the age of twelve, and became a monk at the age of fifteen." "During the great epidemic in the Southwest region, she saved thousands of lives. She also improved the method of curing pregnant women with difficulty giving birth, reducing the number of deaths by seven-tenths." "The three sets of Miao Thi Tam Thu written by her recorded many medical records and acupunctures that were once kept in the forbidden palace, never passed down to the people." "She also improved many methods, using folk medicinal herbs to replace rare medicinal herbs." "Thanks Therefore, the treatment methods that were previously only available to the Queen, Concubines, and aristocratic princes finally reached common families." "She also broke the rule of accepting many female disciples, urging the court to set up a medical clinic specifically for women, so that women could also study medicine, practice medicine, and participate in medical examinations." "History records once recorded that her medical methods spread throughout the world, and her kindness protected posterity." "Although not standing up." in the court, but his merit is no less than that of a prince." "Even though he died in a small corner of the world, his name will live on forever." "Little junior sister." "Today we are able to stand here thanks to the blessing left by our senior Can Mieu." "So we have to try harder to rise." "How can you look down on yourself?" The old woman selling incense and candles next to her heard that and smiled and continued: "Don't talk about you students." "Not even this old woman." I'm also being taken care of by my seniors." Everyone looked up and saw the old woman standing in the shade of the green almond forest. Isn't it enjoying the shade left by our ancestors? Everyone laughed. The elementary school students also laughed. She turned her head to look at the statue in the temple, which was stained old by the incense smoke of the years. Suddenly the name that only existed above

The pages of the book also seem to have more warmth. After everyone had finished offering incense and was preparing to leave, someone pointed to a mountain hill full of weeds in the distance and asked: "Where is that over there?" The old woman squinted her eyes for a moment and then replied: "From the old people's story, it seems to be a royal mausoleum of the previous dynasty." "Pre-dynasty?" A scholar was immediately interested. "Who is buried in there?" The old woman thought for a long time then shook her head. "All I know is that it looks like an emperor." "What's the name?" The old woman was not very interested. paying attention, just waved his hand and smiled. "There were many emperors from hundreds of years ago." "Who still remembers each one?" Everyone nodded. Soon I forgot that story. Only that elementary student couldn't help but turn around and look one more time. On a wild mountain. Withered grass has covered the stele. The mausoleum that the ancient emperors used countless people and resources to build has long since been eroded to the point that its original appearance is no longer recognizable. No one came to worship anymore. No one remembers the name of the owner of that tomb. The mountain wind blew gently, the words on the stone stele were blurred and could no longer be read clearly. At the foot of the mountain, in front of a small medical temple, incense smoke still lingers all year round. The little apprentice quickly ran after the brothers and sisters in front. "Senior sister!" "You still haven't told me..." "What exactly is written in the last volume of the Tam Thu Mieu Thi?" The senior sister smiled and held her hand. The brothers and sisters looked at each other and smiled, then read each sentence in unison. "Medicine is infinite, human strength is limited." "People in the future do not need to see me as a golden rule, but should have the will to surpass me." "What I know today is not necessarily correct." "The diseases I cannot cure today, people in the future may not be able to cure them." "Readers of this book, if you discover my mistakes, please correct them for me; if you can fill in what I am missing, please fill in the gaps." Instead of me, if you can create a method that is a hundred times superior to me... that will be the greatest luck of the world." "May the people of the next generation be like a wild grass in the middle of a storm, broken a hundred times but still not yielding." "Just like a young rice plant in spring, the next generation will always be higher than the previous generation." End.