GBP Chapter 520 Xiang Yan Returns to Chu 2
Chapter 520 Xiang Yan Returns to Chu 2
Time flies, and winter has arrived in the blink of an eye.
Inside Xianyang City, a cold wind howled, and the last withered leaf on the sycamore tree swayed and drifted to the ground.
In front of the Great Qin Academy, carriages and horses came and went in an endless stream. This year's recruitment notice was surrounded by scholars and young women from all over the country, a scene that was unimaginable last year.
The year-long publicity campaign by the *Da Qin Xin Bao* newspaper had clearly been effective. Outside the newsstand, people would often loudly read aloud the latest reports: "Chunyu Shu, a female disciple of the medical school, saved a dying infant with acupuncture," and "Li Yanran, the first student of the Women's Academy, wrote the three-volume *Xing Jing*." These stories spread like wildfire throughout the city and its alleys, gradually changing people's stubborn belief that "women should not leave their homes."
At the gates of the Daqin Medical College, carriages and horses came and went in an endless stream. This year, in addition to scholars from all over the country, many young women had also gathered in front of the recruitment notice—a scene unimaginable last year. Princess Jiayang, Ying Wuyou, urgently needed talent for her newly established nursing and obstetrics and gynecology departments, resulting in a significant increase in the proportion of female students admitted this year.
Yunling, a seventeen-year-old girl from a family of doctors, is one of the new students admitted this year. Early in the morning, she carefully packed her acupuncture needles into her cloth bag and fastened the hairband required by the medical school in front of the mirror. Her mother was still giving her instructions: "Once you get to the academy, focus on your medical studies and ask your teachers for guidance..." Yunling knew that this journey would mark the beginning of a completely new path in her life.
On her way to the medical school, she passed by the towering walls of Daqin College. Although she couldn't go inside, she could still faintly hear the sounds of abacuses, geography simulations, and even occasional arguments coming from within.
Today, at Daqin Academy and Daqin Women's Academy, in addition to studying classics and history, students also need to learn new subjects such as mathematical deduction, physical structure, and drug synthesis. The most bustling place is the Hundred Schools Forum—last year there were only four seats for law, Mohism, agriculture, and medicine, but this year more than ten tents have been set up.
She had heard that the famous scholar Gongsun and the Yin-Yang school were recently engaged in a heated debate on the "dispute between name and reality," attracting a large number of students to watch; and that Wu Heng, the young successor of the School of Diplomacy, was also arguing endlessly with Legalist students about the "strategy of force and brute force."
Not far away, in front of the vermilion gates of the Daqin Women's Academy, several female students were holding books and discussing something in hushed tones. Since the women's academy began offering the same courses as the men's academy, such scenes of diligent study have become commonplace on the streets of Xianyang.
"What a big change!" Yunling heard the medical student beside her sigh softly, her voice revealing a hint of surprise and emotion.
Yunling couldn't help but turn her head to look, only to see the girl gazing at the street scene rushing past the window, an expression of amazement on her face. Yunling felt a surge of resonance as well; she, too, was astonished by the tremendous changes in Xianyang.
"Yes!" Yunling silently responded in her heart. Who could have imagined that Xianyang would undergo such earth-shattering changes in just a few years?
In the past, the Qin Dynasty was characterized by narrow streets, dilapidated houses, traffic congestion, and an unsatisfactory environment. However, today, two- and three-story buildings have sprung up like mushrooms after rain, wide roads crisscross the landscape, shady trees provide shade, the air is fresh, and the entire Qin Dynasty is brimming with vitality.
Yunling couldn't help but recall her childhood life here. Back then, Xianyang wasn't as prosperous as it is today, but it was full of warmth and human kindness. Now, Xianyang has become even better, but Yunling feels a little unfamiliar with it, though mostly filled with anticipation.
"I like this change," Yunling thought to herself. Although the Great Qin was no longer the way she remembered it, this change excited and thrilled her. There were more opportunities, broader prospects for development, and countless unknown possibilities waiting for her to explore.
Composing herself, Yunling took a deep breath and smiled at the girl beside her, saying, "That's right, this change is truly surprising."
After saying that, she turned her head and continued to admire the scenery along the way, her heart filled with anticipation for her future medical studies.
The medical school curriculum was far richer than she had imagined. In addition to traditional medical classics and pulse diagnosis, there was a great deal of new knowledge that she had never heard of before.
Inside the anatomy classroom, students were gathered around several anesthetized rabbits. The instructor carefully explained the distribution of blood vessels: "Today we will learn the art of hemostasis. You all need to familiarize yourselves with the flow of blood vessels first." Yunling carefully picked up a silver needle and practiced ligating blood vessels on a rabbit's leg. Her classmates held their breath, reminding each other of the angle at which to insert the needle.
On the other side, in a first aid class, more than ten students were divided into groups, practicing wound bandaging. "The bandage should not be too tight, so as not to restrict blood circulation," the instructor supervised each student's movements. Yunling partnered with a boy from a farming family, correcting each other's gestures. At first, she felt a little shy, but thinking that a doctor's eyes are only for the patient, she became more at ease.
What interested Yunling the most was the newly established obstetrics and gynecology course. That afternoon, more than ten female students sat around a room, discussing the prevention and treatment of puerperal fever.
“I once saw a woman in the village die of a fever after childbirth, but I didn’t know why,” said a round-faced girl.
Yunling pondered for a moment: "Perhaps it's related to uncleanliness during childbirth? I've observed that cloths boiled in boiling water prevent wounds from festering."
The instructor nodded approvingly: "This is precisely the essence of nursing—cleanliness prevents disease. You can record these observations and discuss them with each other."
After class, Yunling often stayed in the classroom with several classmates, perusing bamboo slips and discussing difficult questions. Sometimes male students would join in, sharing their insights on surgical procedures. This kind of free academic exchange is unimaginable elsewhere.
During her time at medical school, Yunling felt an unprecedented sense of fulfillment. Every morning she practiced acupuncture, spent the morning studying medical classics, the afternoon participating in practical exercises, and the evenings discussing what she had learned that day with her classmates. This teaching method, which emphasized practice and discussion, allowed everyone to benefit from the exchange.
As winter arrived, the north wind whipped up snowflakes, sweeping across the Central Plains like knives. Yet, within the city of Xianyang, a warm and inviting atmosphere prevailed. On the wide, flat cement roads, carriages and horses moved about in an endless stream, their wheels leaving only a crisp sound as they rolled over the pavement. Shops lined the streets, the aroma of wine wafting from taverns mingling with the sounds of blacksmiths hammering away. Even the common people were enveloped in the warmth of heated brick beds beneath their robes. The entire city radiated a vibrant and prosperous vitality.
Meanwhile, a thousand miles away in Yingcheng, the capital of Chu, the scene was quite different. The leaden sky hung low, and the cold wind howled through the cracks in the dilapidated city walls, seeping into the streets and alleys. Street vendors hunched their shoulders, guarding their meager goods, their faces full of sorrow; the occasional passerby hurried by, all with sallow complexions and heavy steps, and even the air was filled with a lingering desolation, the chill seeping into their bones through the folds of their clothes.