Wang Can arrived quickly, reaching the Ji family in half an hour.
Upon hearing that the proprietor of the Four Great Medical Halls had arrived personally, Gu Peilan hurriedly came out to greet him. However, Wang Can knew that his employer had an unfavorable relationship with the Ji family's new wife, the First Madam. Thus, he offered no pleasantries beyond necessary instructions and explanations, not a single extra word.
Gu Peilan was speechless.
Were all doctors so arrogant these days?
Ji Renran was merely overcome with anger, and the issue was not severe. In a short while, Wang Can packed his medical chest. However, before leaving, he walked up to Ji Ziyun and said, "The person who sought me out used the invitation of the Ji family's Third Young Lady. I would trouble the Third Young Lady to send someone to Miaoshouzhai later to settle the consultation fee."
Ji Ziyun was a little bewildered, but she quickly understood that it must have been her elder sister's arrangement.
She came to visit Ji Renran not to give the First Madam any ammunition about being ostracized by the Ji family, nor to provide the Tong family with an opportunity to cause trouble. But her elder sister, with one move, had brought the Four Great Medical Halls directly to their doorstep. As long as Gu Peilan accepted, she would have no chance to retaliate. As for the servants in the manor, they would all believe that she, in her magnanimity, had found a doctor for Ji Renran, and would surely respect and heed her more in the future.
Ji Ziyun had thought she had done enough, but compared to her elder sister, she still fell far short.
Seeing that Ji Ziyun understood, Wang Can said no more and turned to leave. However, upon exiting Ji Renran's courtyard, he did not depart but quietly entered Zhaoyuan.
Upon seeing Ji Zizhao, he respectfully presented the account books of the Four Great Medical Halls, saying, "Madam, these are the recent profits and expenditures. Please review them."
Seeing that Wang Can was not in a hurry, Ji Zizhao kept him for a cup of tea and carefully examined the account books.
Currently, the two counties where the Four Great Medical Halls cooperated with the imperial court in their medicinal fields and pharmacies had begun to generate income. Especially the two medicinal fields, by supplying the medicinal herbs needed by the Four Great Medical Halls, they no longer had to purchase them at high prices from other merchants, saving a considerable sum.
Objectively, this sum was still growing.
"Madam, have you heard? The Jin family's pharmacies are being sold off," Wang Can said, putting down his teacup after seeing that his Madam had almost finished reviewing the account books.
Ji Zizhao looked up, "The Xuanping Marquis's Estate?"
Wang Can nodded. "Precisely. Madam was at the imperial palace during that period and might not be aware. Ever since the Xuanping Marquis's heir's wife passed away, the Xuanping Marquis's heir has had no restraints. He indulges in nightly revelry, and it is rumored that he recently became infatuated with a new courtesan, spending tens of millions of taels of silver and still not enough. To win the courtesan's smile, he sent his daughter, born to the Xuanping Marquis's heir's wife, to the countryside to marry a local rich man."
The Xuanping Marquis's heir's wife...
That was Ji Ruyun!
So the one married to the local rich man was...
Jin Xueyan?!
Since her aunt had passed away, Ji Zizhao had paid no attention to the Xuanping Marquis's Estate. She hadn't expected that in just over a year, the Xuanping Marquis's Estate would have fallen into such disarray.
"Did the Xuanping Marquis not intervene?" Ji Zizhao remembered meeting the Xuanping Marquis once from afar when her aunt got married, held in her mother's arms. That person was no easy adversary.
"The Xuanping Marquis is old, and he is no longer capable of handling many matters. By the time he learned of this, it was too late. He likely had no other choice, which is why he plans to sell off the pharmacies in the imperial city."
"Uncle Can, do you know the asking price for those pharmacies?"
"Combined, it's about this much." Wang Can extended all five fingers. Although the price was somewhat high, the Jin family's pharmacies numbered seven or eight, and they also had considerable stock of medicinal herbs. If a drug merchant took them over directly, they could still profit. Suna Novel Network.
"Then we will buy them," Ji Zizhao said.
Wang Can was startled. "Madam, are you serious?"
Ji Zizhao smiled. "I would not joke about matters concerning pharmacies. The Jin family's pharmacies have been a reputable name in the imperial city for decades. Many commoners recognize the Jin family's brand. If some unscrupulous merchants take advantage of this and then inflate the price of medicinal herbs, it would be detrimental to both the commoners and our medical halls."
If the price of medicinal herbs in the imperial city were to rise, external suppliers would see it as profitable. This way, the medicinal herbs delivered to other pharmacies in the imperial city would also increase in price, and ultimately, the commoners would bear the pressure.
When Wang Can mentioned the Jin family, he already knew that the Jin family and the Ji family were at odds, and he wanted his Madam to hear some gossip. He never expected to hear such a momentous decision.
"But currently, our manpower is only enough to maintain the Four Great Medical Halls," Wang Can sighed.
"Since the Jin family's pharmacies are to be sold, their original employees and shopkeepers will also lose their livelihoods. At that time, Uncle Can and Uncle Gang will need to pay more attention, select those who are capable to remain in the original pharmacies, and for those who harbor malicious intentions, simply settle their wages."
Wang Can never imagined that in such a short time, his Madam had already considered all this.
"Madam's compassionate healing and benevolent treatment are truly admirable. Wang Can has learned a great deal."
In reality, the Four Great Medical Halls were already making a fortune, and there was no need to take over the Jin family's pharmacies and invite trouble upon themselves. Wang Can knew that his Madam was doing this simply because she did not want the commoners of the imperial city to become prey to unscrupulous merchants inflating prices, and also to provide a livelihood for the original employees of the Jin family's pharmacies.
"If we lack benevolence, how can we be worthy of the title of doctor? Moreover, only if the commoners of the imperial city live in peace and contentment can our medical halls continue to operate smoothly. Otherwise, if the commoners truly begin to fear seeking medical treatment and hesitate to enter our medical halls, how far can our medical halls go?"
This vision...
It truly commanded admiration!
If he knew his enemy was struggling and selling their shops, he would be overjoyed, so why would he spend his own money to help his enemy?
Yet his Madam did precisely that, and without hesitation!
Wang Can, who had merely wanted to gossip, left with his feet barely touching the ground.
Who would have thought that a simple bit of gossip would lead to such a major business deal?
After Wang Can left, Ji Zizhao was not idle either. She specifically had Shui Ling go out to buy a pile of books from various regions, and then she devoted herself to studying the terrain and landforms of Xirong, inferring the unique medicinal herbs of Xirong. She then meticulously matched all the herbs, finally compiling no less than a hundred types of poisons.
With clear targets to conquer, the problem of antidotes became much easier. Ji Zizhao then specially had Mo Hen take her list to the people of the Four Great Medical Halls to prepare the medicinal herbs on it, pack them into boxes, and ship them.