As early as when the names of tomatoes, corns, peanuts and other plants appeared, Zhang Shou concluded that Emperor Taizu's fleet had indeed arrived in America. As for whether this predecessor really died in a foreign land, or whether he quietly returned to China and died quietly somewhere.
place, or simply died at sea, he couldn't be sure.
After all, as for the part of Old Xianyu and Monk Zanghai's whisper that Ah Liu heard, it can only be said that they were entrusted by others to go to sea, but they did not really find the whereabouts of Emperor Taizu.
However, when he heard the word cinchona, he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. Cinchona...isn't it quinine? Although it was once a specific medicine for malaria, when it was introduced to the Qing Dynasty, Kangxi
The emperor still treated it like a treasure and only gave it to his most trusted ministers. However, the technology for extracting quinine at first was extremely backward. The most primitive method was to dry the bark and then grind it into powder...
Of course, chemical extraction was finally realized later, and by the 20th century, artificial synthesis of quinine had been successful. However, with the invention of various new drugs, especially artemisinin, the effect was not very good.
It has basically withdrawn from the big stage of malaria treatment and is only used to treat a small amount of falciparum malaria. Lao Xianyu just emphasized that falciparum malaria was probably based on the prophet's words.
Seeing Old Xianyu looking at him solemnly as if he was offering a treasure, Zhang Shou wanted to say that instead of going all the way to introduce cinchona, which was not that effective, he might as well try extracting artemisinin. However, after much thought,
, he still decided not to dampen their enthusiasm, and immediately asked curiously: "Oh, can it cure falciparum malaria? What's going on, tell me?"
After hearing the story of Old Xianyu who was infected with malaria at sea, and then met the dying "prophet" on the shore, but also got the "miraculous medicine", he said with a half-smile: "I dare you to treat me before"
Is there such a secret in the story you are telling? You didn’t tell it before, but now you are willing to tell it?”
"Dr. Zhang, you took such a big risk. Aren't I really sorry? And we tried taking this cinchona before. It has good medicinal properties, but the risk is also very high. Plus, you see, I don't even grow cotton.
Well, I’m really not sure whether this thing can be grown, so I didn’t dare to say it before.”
Old Xianyu was extremely thick-skinned, so he didn't care about Zhang Shou's mere teasing. There was not even a trace of embarrassment on his smiling face: "Besides, a small person like me is timid and afraid of getting into trouble. It's better to do less than to do more. If I wasn't really grateful for your kindness,
, I really don’t dare to take out something with only medicine and seeds. Really, although this medicine is effective, it is too strong..."
"Okay, okay!" Zhang Shou finally stopped Old Xianyu's endless introduction and thought to himself, how effective is the quinine thing? I don't know yet?
Originally, cinchona, that is, quinine, is not effective in treating all types of malaria. In these days, the extraction method is backward and may result in insufficient purity. Just like the extraction of artemisinin, he has read some information,
It is said that Artemisia annua is grown in different regions in the north and south, and the purity of the extraction will also be higher and lower, and the medicinal efficacy will also be different, not to mention the quinine.
To be honest, the value of cinchona trees is far different from that of natural rubber trees.
Having said that, Zhang Shou knows one truth. Natural rubber has unknown effects on most people, but the cinchona cream produced by the cinchona tree is likely to save some people's lives. It is easy to decide which is more important.
Got it.
Don’t underestimate malaria. Even among the most dignified people these days, the rate of malaria infection is quite high!
As for Artemisia annua... He remembered that this stuff was originally very low in traditional Chinese malaria treatment drugs, and like quinine, purification of Artemisinin was extremely troublesome, otherwise it would not have won the Nobel Prize in one fell swoop.
. And he is not a chemist or a doctor. This is not something that can be effective by boiling a medicinal soup in water. If he brings it up rashly, he will only be sprayed to death by the famous doctors today!
Thinking this in his heart, he fully affirmed Old Xianyu's act of offering a treasure: "If this thing can save people, it will indeed be of great merit."
However, when Old Xianyu took two steps closer and said something almost close to his ear, he couldn't help but frown.
"Dr. Zhang, I thought about the fragments of the stele that you asked me to tinker with before, and finally decided not to engrave the rubber tree. I did not make my own decision. The cinchona frost produced on the cinchona tree is the product of our work in the sea.
It has been tried on the eastern continent, but the sap of the rubber tree is very sticky, but we don’t know what it is used for. Don’t you think that if we want to borrow the virtues of Taizu, the cinchona tree would be more effective? Of course, if
Dr. Zhang, if you don’t agree, just treat me as if I didn’t say anything.”
Old Xianyu paused for a moment, and then whispered: "If you agree, I will not take credit for this matter, and will definitely insist that you found it from the seeds I brought back from the east coast based on the fragments of the stele.
, and then I found Cinchona cream of unknown use here!"
"If you don't take credit, how can you tell others that you have tried it and confirmed that it really has that effect?"
Zhang Shou was a little dumbfounded, but when he asked casually, he saw that Old Xianyu's expression had become subtle: "The only people who have tried it and are still alive today are Zang Hai and me. As long as we don't say anything,
, then no one will know about it. Furthermore, the imperial court will definitely find a group of civilians suffering from falciparum malaria to test the medicine to see if the medicine is effective. Wouldn't it be nice to let them give it a try?"
When he saw Zhang Shoudeng, he frowned, clearly disagreeing with such a proposal. Lao Xianyu didn't know whether he was glad that he met a high-ranking official who didn't want to take credit, or whether he should be annoyed that he met a stubborn person who didn't know how to adapt. But
No matter what, of course he would rather meet such a gentleman!
"If Dr. Zhang is afraid that the superiors will think that you are selling sheep's meat to dogs, you can file a memorial to explain that this is a last resort. I made my own decision and turned around and accepted the punishment. But I really have good intentions. You know, those stubborn elders in the court,
I wish that the world's men farming and women weaving would be forever dead, and how could they pay attention to overseas seeds. If they had the sense of pioneering and enterprising, maybe the Northern Barbarians would have been pacified long ago!"
Zhang Shou didn't expect that Old Xianyu was still a radical despite his age, and he was immediately angry and funny. Although he was angry that this guy was so self-righteous and made his own decisions, considering that the matter had only been in the past two days, it was not a matter of time before the deal was settled.
Notifying himself, after pondering for a moment, he finally said in a deep voice: "Okay, let's leave it like that, but..."
He suddenly increased his tone, stared at the old man and said word by word: "There will be no next time! Moreover, you'd better think about it yourself to see if there is anything you are hiding from me. Otherwise, I don't mind.
Use the secret box of Taizu that the emperor gave me, and only he and I know the key, and present it specially to tell the emperor the story of you, the legendary sea traveler!"
He originally meant it as a threat, but after hearing this, Old Xianyu's eyebrows showed an extraordinary look.
However, the focus of this old drama star is still different from anyone else: "Dr. Zhang, is it really the secret box left by Emperor Taizu? Can you let me take a look? Really just take a look! Just take a look and I will be counted."
I am willing to die!"
Zhang Shou casually grabbed the tea cup on the side and was about to smash it. When he saw that no one was moving, he said angrily: "Okay, if you don't do anything wrong, I will show you later!"
If you are wasting your time on me, you might as well go visit your nephew and others in the prison. This case is not considered a trial for me, I have to go to court and hear the response."
Old Xianyu's eyes suddenly lit up: "Is it really possible? By the way, Dr. Zhang, you suspended the execution yesterday because you wanted them to use some wound medicine, and then execute him and exile him after he recovers from his injuries?"
"It's not that easy! I asked you to go see him, so that you don't have to go back and lose the chance! Don't think that I have just finished the case, but if the verdict and charges are returned to the court, I will also
There is nothing we can do. That’s why I delayed the execution. If they will get stabbed even if they stretch their heads or shrink their heads, there is no need to let them get another beating!"
"Of course, if someone in the court changes from Taizu's old rules, I can't do anything about it." Zhang Shou saw Lao Xianyu's expression suddenly change, and he said calmly: "This is not something I can decide in one word, so the next step is to
We can only leave it to fate. Well, you can follow Ah Liu. General Zhu has already said hello to them over at the cell, and he will definitely not make them suffer as hard as they did in the palace."
Ah Liu dragged the somewhat lost old salty fish out without any explanation, but Zhang Shou began to think about how he should polish this matter and send it to the emperor in a secret box.
That's right, because the previous events in Cangzhou did not involve details that needed to be kept secret, he had never used a powerful weapon that could be delivered directly to the emperor.
But Old Xianyu instigated him to replace rubber trees with cinchona trees - he had to explain clearly the concept of planting trees secretly.
The emperor has lost a son anyway, even if it is an unruly and unruly son, he had better pay attention to the anger of a father. An angry father is completely unreasonable in many cases.
He had already inspected the fragments of the tablets one by one before. Because Lao Xianyu was so confident that he was good at seal carving and forgery, he asked someone to use a piece of stone tablet with no writing at all to engrave some information on the rubber tree to extract sap.
The graphic, come to think of it, has now changed to peeling bark from a cinchona tree to save people... I never thought that he would also forge cultural relics one day!
However, for the many plants that those "prophet" have found but have not been introduced to the Central Plains so far, it is worthwhile to fake them!
When Zhang Shou and Zhu Tingfang were racking their brains to write memorials, Zhu Ying, who had been traveling day and night, had already entered the outer city of the capital in two days and two nights. She had always paid great attention to health.
, I can get up late but never get up early, I can be lazy but never diligent, but this time I have been traveling almost non-stop for two days and nights, and every time I take a short break late at night and noon.
At this moment, she was tired and tired, but the outer city was just like the inner city, and it was not easy to hurry up, so she could only send Zhu Hong to come forward and shout to clear the way. Until she entered Xuanwu Gate, she rode on the official road next to the imperial road.
He trotted along, turned directly into the front street of Duke Zhao's Mansion under many surprised looks, and then rode his horse through the door.
The eldest lady suddenly came back without warning, and the whole house was naturally in a state of panic. However, Zhu Ying didn't care about this. She first sent someone to report the news to her parents and grandmother, and she hurried back to her room to enjoy herself.
I took a bath with hot water, then changed out of my dusty clothes, and went to Qing'an Hall without even combing my hair.
When she entered the door, she saw her grandmother and mother were there, but her father was missing. Zhu Ying didn't care. She told Zhang Shou's verdict and verdict in a few words, but then she changed the subject and said: "Grandma, mother, I'm going to the palace now.
See the Emperor."
The wife was about to stop her, but when she saw Zhu Ying's arrogant but stubborn eyes, she couldn't help but think of her granddaughter when she was a child. When she was with her peers, if she was rejected by others, Zhu Ying would go alone to make friends with the same people.
Friends who are alone will never compromise with those who exclude them. As long as they are relatives and friends that Zhu Ying recognizes, she will never give up. This is an unchanging fact.
So, when she saw Jiuniang silently stepped forward and used a jade comb to comb Zhu Ying's hair that had not yet dried completely, so she simply combed all the hair that had fallen down, she said, "Go ahead, remember to come back early!"
"
"Yeah!" Zhu Ying nodded happily, and then she let Jiuniang tie her hair into a low bun nonchalantly. When Jiuniang got a hooded cloak, saying it was to protect her from the dust, she
He put it on and hurriedly turned around and walked out the door.
When she arrived at the gate, she saw that the horse she loved most and was reluctant to take with her to Cangzhou was brought out. She smiled and patted the neck, then jumped on the horse's back: "Let's go directly to Bei
An gate!"
From the moment when Zhu Ying entered the palace to seeing the lively and beautiful girl appearing in front of him, it seemed that it was just a matter of effort. Although the emperor had been in a very bad mood for several days, the moment Zhu Ying entered the door, it was as if the sun was unbridled.
The ground lit up the whole room, and he couldn't help but squint his eyes unaccustomedly before speaking.
"Yingying, why are you so reluctant to come back from Cangzhou?"
This may sound like a joke to others, but to Zhu Ying, it is like the emperor's greeting after a long absence. She smiled and bowed, and then said in a matter-of-fact tone: "Enough of staying here.
Of course it’s time to come back, Shou will come back anyway!”
"Oh, it's that simple?" The emperor smiled, with the same joking tone as always, "Didn't you come back to see me because of your wishful husband?"
"Why do you ask questions when the emperor knows it?" Zhu Ying interrupted the emperor slightly angrily. This was not the first time she behaved rudely. After rushing forward, she suddenly stretched out her hand and pressed the emperor's hand.
The desk in front of you.
"Ah Shou and I found the Haidong continent that Emperor Taizu once drew when he was Emperor Mengtian... No, we found people who had been to the Haidong continent, and we also saw many strange plants! I heard
Ah Shou said that many of these things can be grown in many places, but there are also many that can only be grown in specific places."
"In this case, I also agree with Ah Shou's approach of letting a group of prisoners who were originally waiting for death to try planting! What's more..." She paused, as if she was organizing a sentence, and it took a long time to say word by word,
"What's more, with an old man who has been to Haidong Continent leading the way, maybe the imperial fleet can get there!"