Doctors in the late Ming Dynasty

On the stage of the theater, the poles are performing hard. This is a unique link in Qizhou, presenting a play to the prince of medicine.

In addition to the theater in front of the Yaowang Temple, there are also people on stage performing performances in the large and small medicine markets in the north of the temple, but they are not as lively as here. After all, the large and small medicine markets are still places for business.

Unlike other temples, which usually face north and south, Yaowang Temple in Qizhou faces east and west, with the gate and theater building in the west. Xiaoyao Market is located to the north of Yaowang Temple, south of Dayao City, and Xiaoyao City.

The inner streets and alleys are criss-crossed, and except for a few residential houses, most of them are medicinal shops.

The Big Medicine Market is different. It is surrounded by medicinal shops, but there is an open space of four to five acres in the middle, which is enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people trading here. From this, we know that the Big Medicine Market is worthy of its name.

. You must know that the entire Yaowang Temple only covers an area of ​​25 acres, and there are more than a dozen buildings scattered around.

Yaowang Temple, small medicine market, and big medicine market are three points and one line, forming the largest medicine market in the north. Every year, medicine dealers from all over the country bring tens of millions of kilograms of medicinal materials to trade here, with a turnover of one million taels, which is more than one million taels.

The tax savings are much higher.

And how much commercial tax did such prosperous commerce contribute to Qizhou? Forty taels!

Of course, this does not mean that drug dealers traveling to and from Qizhou do not pay taxes, but they do not pay much tax to Qizhou, and there are many checkpoints along the way.

The stage here was full of excitement, and the Yaowang Temple was even more crowded. Thousands of people kowtowed, and many patients, supported by their family members, kowtowed step by step until they reached the front of the temple.

In the temple, there are many people who voluntarily come to work, including those who clean the courtyard, those who guide the pilgrims, and those who perform ceremonies...

Leader Lin was directing everyone to pay their respects and prepare their own offerings to kneel and kowtow four times. However, because tomorrow was the official date, the main entrance of Yaowang Temple was not opened, and all common people and merchants came in and out through the side door.

It was still early and the auspicious time had not yet come. The people who came to pay homage and offer gifts were still ordinary people. The merchants, officials and gentry did not participate, but the officials and gentry would not come until tomorrow.

Suddenly a burst of crackling firecrackers overwhelmed the whole place, and then the drums and music started playing.

"It's coming, it's definitely the Liaodong army that's coming first."

"Every year, people from Liaodong come the most. I'm afraid there are thousands of them!"

"They may not be from Liaodong. Maybe I, the son of Qizhou, will come first this time."

"That makes sense. Although we, the merchants in Qizhou only account for 20%, we can still outnumber merchants from all over the country."

There was a lot of noise in the crowd, everyone was talking, speculating, and watching.

No one was performing on the stage at this time. The attention of everyone in the audience was attracted by the sound of drums and firecrackers coming from the north. If it weren't for the crowd, everyone would have wanted to rush away immediately to have a sneak peek.

Seeing that Zhang Jiebin and others were also very curious, Zhang Ruyi introduced them: "In recent years, with the increase in merchants participating in temple fairs, more than a dozen drug dealers from various places have gradually formed. Most foreign drug dealers are based on guild halls, and my local drug dealers

Most of them are factories, which are the center of business. Among the foreign drug dealers, the largest number are Liaodong merchants. Every year they come in large numbers, with as many as a thousand people, so they are called the Liaodong Army."

"Oh? I have been working in Liaodong in the past few years, and I heard that there are businessmen selling medicinal materials all year round. I wonder if there are Jurchens, Mongolians and Koreans among these Liaodong businessmen?" Zhang Jiebin asked.

Zhang Ruyi replied: "Yes, especially there are many Korean and Jurchen merchants. They used to bring their goods to the Huitong Pavilion in the capital for trading. Later, they found that as the tribute envoys were too restricted, the price was also suppressed. Let's talk about ginseng.

, Thirty years ago, one pound of silver was only one cent, but now you can’t even buy good goods for one tael of silver per pound, and the price changes every year. You think, those Jurchen Korean businessmen would still foolishly follow the tribute envoys to the Huitong Pavilion

Doing business?”

Zhang Jiebin nodded when he heard this. Not to mention thirty years ago, ten years ago, ginseng in the capital was only five or six dollars per pound. Even so, Jin Ying complained that many ordinary people could no longer use ginseng.

As for the increase in ginseng prices, not only is the trade barrier broken and merchants outside the customs starting to trade freely, but also because Shangdang ginseng production has been reduced, which has flooded the market with counterfeit medicines, making Liaodong ginseng the only choice and popular among doctors and patients.

"Then do you think whose caravan will be the first to present gifts?" Zhang Jiebin asked curiously.

Zhang Ruyi smiled and said: "Of course you know, I have been following the temple fair affairs this month. Otherwise, sir, why do you think you haven't seen me in the past few days?"

Listening to the sound of firecrackers and drums getting more and more intense, Zhang Jiebin asked: "Oh? I wonder who it is?"

"The drug dealers in the capital are the third largest group after us in Qizhou and Liaodong." Zhang Ruyi said.

Zhang Jiebin nodded when he heard this, thinking that they could cooperate regardless of whether they also had the task of purchasing medicine.

At this moment, the crowd parted, revealing a team of medicine merchants from the capital city, with loud drumming and music, and many people holding sticks and walking in front, waving firecrackers, which exploded loudly in the air, which was both lively and clearing the way.

After the firecrackers, a group of drug dealers, with their faces glowing red, bowed to the onlookers and said something like "good luck, longevity and health" and "no disease and no disaster".

One of the drug dealers saw Zhang Ruyi and raised his voice from a distance: "Firstly, I hope that the King of Medicine will cure all diseases, and the people of Qizhou will be happy; secondly, I hope that Dianke will benefit all people, and the people of Qizhou will be very happy."

"good!"

"color!"

Everyone sang along and the atmosphere became even more exciting.

Zhang Ruyi couldn't help but laugh and said to Zhang Jiebin: "Does the minister know who he is?"

Zhang Jiebin was also smiling. He nodded and said, "Of course, Master Cao of Henian Hall, how can I be ignorant?"

"Yes, I forgot that Hui Qing has been studying medicine with Mr. Mengshi for ten years, and he is very familiar with the doctors in the capital." Zhang Ruyi slapped his forehead and realized what he was doing.

Zhang Jiebin couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "To say that Heniantang is also amazing. Two families, six generations, have stood in the capital for more than 180 years, and they have opened five branches. Especially in the hands of the Cao family, regardless of

It was Yan Song, Yan Shifan, Yang Jisheng, and Qi Jiguang who all wrote inscriptions for Heniantang. Chen Jiamo and Li Shizhen generously praised it. This is the only one in the capital that has such an honor, and I believe there is no other in the world."

Zhang Ruyi said: "I don't know about other places, but Meng Yutang in Ruzhou has been passed down for more than 800 years. It must be no worse than Heniantang, right?"

Zhang Jiebin muttered a few words and suddenly realized: "Could it be Meng Yutang created by Meng Shen, a doctor in the Tang Dynasty?"

Zhang Ruyi smiled and nodded.

Li Yingzha listened for a long time and asked in confusion: "What are you talking about? Who is Meng Shen? I only know about Sun Simiao, a famous doctor in the Tang Dynasty."

Zhang Jiebin said with a smile: "Haha, Meng Shen and Sun Simiao are equally famous. They were both among the four famous doctors in the Tang Dynasty. They wrote "Dietotherapeutic Materia Medica" and were the founders of dietary therapy and health preservation for 800 years. Now that we can eat medicinal diet, we should all thank him.

"