Chapter 136: Gyeonghoeru [1] Originally, after returning to Hanyang, he had planned to go around visiting this person and that one. But because they had wasted so much time on the road back from Suwon, it was difficult to make any real room for that. They had come back tracing the character zhi in their route, like a drunken man staggering and wandering here and there, so it was only natural.
Had not Yeoju, the most learned member of the party, and Sayaga even brought up the old story about Liu Bang from the Records of Chu and Han? The two of them had gotten along so well that they chattered without pause.
Kanghyeok shook his head as he recalled their conversation.
"Do you think Liu Bang originally left Pei County with people because he meant to rise against Qin from the very start?"
"It was because Liu Bang had idled and delayed while quietly on his way to the construction works for the First Emperor's mausoleum at Mount Li, and so missed the deadline."
"If young master is also planning to lead us in some great uprising, then you'd best give it up immediately."
Kanghyeok had been so dumbfounded that afterward he had hardly stopped at taverns at all. Thanks to that, they had managed to return without being late.
How is it that there are no traitors around me, only loyal ministers? How could a man live on water alone? At times in life, he would crave a little grease too. But those damned bastards kept saying nothing but correct things. It would be nice if they flattered me once in a while.
After grumbling to himself for a moment, Kanghyeok reached self-justification through an utterly absurd chain of thought.
Then again... it's because my own character is so upright that people like this gather around me.
In reality, he was a tyrant who smacked the backs of Dolseok's and Makbong's heads whenever they said something reasonable. But somehow, the Kanghyeok in Kanghyeok's own head had already become a sage king worthy of standing beside Yao and Shun.
Thinking that way, a pleased smile suddenly spread across his face. To anyone else, it was truly a smile that had appeared out of nowhere, so curiosity rose naturally.
"Master, why are you suddenly smiling?"
Dongpa, who had abruptly become the acting director of Kanghyeok's clinic for the next year, asked. There was a strange pride in his voice, because Kanghyeok had been reviewing his prescriptions when he smiled. He had probably assumed Kanghyeok was smiling because he found his prescriptions sound.
"Ah. Hmm."
Kanghyeok quickly came to his senses and looked over Dongpa's prescriptions again. For the most part, they were good enough to pass.
But a leopard could not change its spots. His habit of overprescribing steroids remained exactly the same.
"Hey, Dongpa."
"Yes, Master."
"This... do you really have to give it like this? I kept you back separately and even gave you lectures."
Kanghyeok pointed to a book he himself had practically scribbled out. It was not a particularly thin volume, but the entire contents were devoted to steroids alone: when it was good to prescribe them, for what kinds of people they should never be prescribed, how the dosage should be set, and even how they should be tapered off. If he remembered right, it had taken him a full week to write.
Dongpa nodded again with a face full of emotion at his master's grace.
"Yes, I have been prescribing them exactly as it says there."
"No, when did I ever... hmm."
Thinking about it, that was not entirely wrong. Looking at Dongpa's records, he really was only mixing in moderate doses for younger patients.
The problem was that he was also giving them to patients who did not really need them.
If you give them, the patient probably does feel like they recover faster. Using them for three or four days and stopping would not likely cause permanent problems. Steroids... this really is a difficult issue.
Kanghyeok scratched under his chin with a troubled face. Even in twenty-first-century South Korea—no, even in the United States, which claimed to lead the world in medicine—debate over steroids continued endlessly. There was no disagreement that abuse and overuse had to be avoided. But beyond that, there was constant argument over smaller, incidental use. Even Kanghyeok considered it a problem without a clean answer.
"Should we not use them at all?"
As Kanghyeok's expression worsened, Dongpa's face darkened with it.
"It's not that..."
"But patients feel the difference between using them and not using them too clearly.... From a physician's standpoint, it's hard not to use them."
"Hmm."
Kanghyeok nodded and looked at Dongpa.
Surely this brat was not prescribing steroids because he hoped to gain glory and wealth from it. He was giving them because the patients liked them. And even then, he was barely holding back his own "secret formula" that Kanghyeok had developed. If anything, that meant he ought to be praised.
One of my seniors in private practice used to say that.
He had been much older than Kanghyeok, a man who had run his own clinic for nearly twenty years. In other words, he had more than twenty years of internal mastery. A true master of the medical world, and during one drinking session, he had said this:
"A master in private practice is decided by how appropriately he uses steroid prescriptions."
What he meant was that the secret of mastery lay in using them in doses that would not become a problem, but would still reduce symptoms effectively.
Unfortunately, Kanghyeok could be called an outsider in that particular field. He had never personally dealt with illnesses like the common cold.
Maybe Dongpa will become great in this area.
Had he not already once been burned badly because of steroids? Then naturally, he would be careful on his own. And if that continued, there was a chance he might develop the optimal recipe.
"All right."
"Yes?"
"Use them like this for now. But record the changes in symptoms in detail, and also record the patient's age, sex, and weight. I'll review it after I come back."
"Then... does that mean you acknowledge my prescriptions?"
"Yes. But be careful not to let side effects appear."
"Yes! Thank you, Master."
Dongpa bowed deeply, happier than ever. It was only natural. He had just received recognition from one of the finest physicians he had ever encountered in his life.
But Kanghyeok had no intention of leaving his business establishment exactly as it was and simply walking away.
"Dongpa."
"Yes!"
"The prescriptions are one thing, but..."
"Yes...?"
"Only skim off a reasonable amount of money. You know there are eyes watching all over the place, right?"
Did Dongpa really think Kanghyeok would entrust everything to him and then disappear off to Japan?
He had already laid all the arrangements.
First, Yi Hangbok. The steward at that house seemed pretty reliable.
Next, Dorikkae.
For some reason, that guy looks at me almost like I'm the Grim Reaper himself.
And he was astonishingly diligent for someone who had once been a bandit.
Beyond that, there were quite a few people Kanghyeok had planted here and there. He had not lived in Hanyang for all that long, but he had gotten to know a great many people in that time, and not just anyone, but major figures in politics.
"S-skim it off?"
"Come on. I know everything."
It was not like Korea, where every record remained in a computer. And it was not as though every item going in and out matched perfectly. In fact, even when Kanghyeok treated patients by himself, the numbers often failed to line up exactly.
"No... I..."
"Hey, I'm just telling you to skim a little and fill your own share and Dorikkae's too. Be honest, you're the one doing all the work while I'm gone."
"Mm."
"Think of it as a bonus."
There was no way Dongpa would know what a bonus was. But he was not stupid enough to miss the meaning between the lines, and he quickly understood Kanghyeok's intentions.
"Thank you."
"Right. I'm going to the palace now."
"Yes, Master. Please take care of your health and return safely."
"Sure, sure."
Kanghyeok winked at Dorikkae, who was bowing deeply from afar, then turned and stepped out of the clinic.
If you only ever tighten the screws, people naturally start to resist.
At this moment, Dongpa was probably thinking he would not embezzle even a single grain of rice. For now, that might be true, but there was no knowing how long that would last.
People always changed.
Had Kanghyeok not felt that to the point of exhaustion during six years of medical school and five years of training?
Out of all the classmates who said they wanted to go into surgery, I was the only one who actually did.
So preparing several safeguards against change was by no means excessive.
As expected, I'm a genius.
How was it that he was not only so skilled in medicine, but also this good at managing people? Lavishing no restraint in praising himself, Kanghyeok stepped through the gate.
By the entrance, Dolseok and the rest of the party were already fully prepared and waiting.
"Young master, that fellow Dongpa will be all right, won't he?"
As expected, that was the first thing Dolseok asked at once. Since they had not spent that much time living together, suspicion naturally came first. Besides, Dolseok had always treated Kanghyeok's property almost like it was his own.
"Dorikkae is there, and I've entrusted things here and there too, so it'll be fine."
"Dorikkae... if it's him, then he is reliable."
Was he not the sort who uniquely followed Dolseok around calling him big brother? Dolseok also cherished Dorikkae as an exception.
"Let's go, before we're late."
"Yes, young master."
They were on their way not just anywhere, but to attend a banquet hosted by the king himself. If they were late to a place like that, they would never escape a beating. Surely they would not actually be killed. Still, there was nothing good about earning Seonjo's displeasure for no reason.
As he rode along thinking such things, someone approached the group. It was Ryu Seong-ryong.
"Kanghyeok."
"Ah, my lord."
"So you're heading out now?"
"Yes. I'm trying to get there without being late."
"Good. I was worried because there was no suitable physician, but when you readily agreed to go, I was greatly relieved."
"Well, I..."
Kanghyeok looked back at Seong-ryong, who was gazing at him with genuine gratitude. He was thanking him so sincerely that it almost made Kanghyeok feel guilty. After all, he was going because it was worth going. There was no record of any accident happening to the diplomatic missions that went to Japan. If anything, he remembered that they had been treated quite well. So there was nothing to worry about.
Kanghyeok concealed his awkwardness and replied, "I'm only doing what ought to be done."
Though, unlike his feelings, the words that came out were a little brazen.
"Haha. With young men like you, the future of this country is bright."
"Yes, haha."
If he knew even what would happen only two years from now, he would not be talking about the future like this. But being human, how could he possibly imagine such things? So Kanghyeok merely laughed along.
On the way, I'll have to persuade Kim Seongil... or at least go around speaking up myself.
If he could manage even that much, then the year-long trip to Japan would not be in vain.
"Oh, right. Take this with you."
"Hmm? What is this?"
"It's a vest made from sable fur. The sea wind will be bitterly cold. If someone else falls ill, you can treat them, but if you fall ill, who will look after you?"
"Huh... thank you."
"Yes. Take care of yourself. I probably won't get to see you separately during the banquet."
"Yes, my lord."
Since Ryu Seong-ryong was one of the people hosting the banquet, he had to hurry more than Kanghyeok did. After handing over the vest, he immediately spurred his horse and rode straight into the palace.
Since they had nearly arrived already while talking, Kanghyeok too was able to follow him into the palace soon after.
He had come to the palace already too many times to count on both hands. But this was the first time he had gone straight toward Gyeonghoeru along the main road rather than taking a side path.
"Wow, this really is another world," Dolseok murmured with a face full of admiration.
Even Makbong, who was not particularly moved by scenery, looked the same. There was even less need to mention Yeoni and Yeoju, both girls still in their teens.
Even Kanghyeok, who had once been to Gyeonghoeru in childhood, was no different.
"It's beautiful."
"As expected, the place where His Majesty lives really is different."
Since they were used to seeing nothing but dusty market streets every day, simply walking on stone paving felt new. There was no need even to speak of the view around Gyeonghoeru, which called to mind a carefully kept garden and lake.
As they stood there looking around for quite a while, a eunuch hurried over.
"Are you here to attend the banquet?"
Kanghyeok instantly suppressed his excitement and answered with composure.
"Ah. I am."
"May I ask your affiliation and your name?"
"I am Baek Kanghyeok, Jikjang of the Royal Medical Bureau."
"If you will come this way."
"Very well."
As he followed behind the eunuch, he saw someone's procession in the distance. They were walking slowly enough that it looked like it would still take another ten minutes or so to arrive there. The number of attendants with them was incomparably greater even than Gwanghae-gun's.
That must be Seonjo. To think I'd see the famous Seonjo with my own eyes.
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