IDWBE -Chapter 473 Goiter

It wasn’t just a problem at the He Mansion— even the imperial palace was the same. The grandest halls, like the Jinluan Treasure Hall, were still supported by countless wooden pillars.

Lin Yi could never understand why buildings were constructed with wood.

If it was about material availability, the northern lands were actually short of timber. Most construction wood had to be painstakingly transported from the south.

If it was about technical limitations, there were still grand cities and the Great Wall, built to fend off northern nomads.

After thinking it over, Lin Yi could only chalk it up to “tradition.”

People were simply used to building this way, so the structure persisted.

Still, he hoped to change construction methods. In the newly built “satellite city,” he insisted on Western-style architecture.

Sanhe had once captured quite a few foreign workers. While many were sent back, some stayed for the sake of money, and among them were a few who understood construction.

These foreigners weren’t true architects, but they knew enough to build houses. Their skills had contributed a lot to Sanhe’s bridges and buildings.

One of them had even received Lin Yi’s “Outstanding Contribution Award.”

Whenever Sanhe had a major project, this man was always called upon for design.

After Tian Sixi entered Ankang City, he brought this man over. The current major development outside the city was under his supervision.

Most buildings were made of brick and stone, with three- and four-story structures common.

Especially in some gardens, the style remained classical, but if you didn’t scratch off the red lacquer on the outside, you would never know it was stone inside.

What pleased Lin Yi most was that these buildings abandoned the dense support pillars.

For schools, hospitals, welfare institutions, and other public facilities, this architectural method was perfect!

“Prince is correct,” Jiao Zhong couldn’t help agreeing, but after hesitating a moment, he added, “It’s just that the water system outside the city isn’t finished, and the roads aren’t complete. When it rains, flooding is inevitable and travel is inconvenient. If Your Highness really wants to move there, it might be wise to wait a little longer.”

And as for winter?

The outskirts were mostly poor families. Those who couldn’t afford charcoal or coal relied on wood for heat. Sometimes, long before sunset, smoke already filled the area.

Fields, forests, and houses—there were few places with clean air.

Ma He, the prefect of Ankang City, wanted to intervene, but once he saw slogans painted across the city walls, he dared not move.

No matter how harsh, you can’t forbid poor families from burning wood, can you?

Through all dynasties, no emperor, however foolish, nor any minister, however cunning, had done such a thing.

Faced with smog and freezing deaths, he finally made a choice.

Under no circumstances could many people freeze to death during his tenure—otherwise, his position as prefect would be lost.

But letting the city be blanketed in smoke wasn’t acceptable either.

So he implemented a supplier system: centralized procurement of charcoal and coke, then sold at low prices to surrounding residents.

Still, the effect was limited.

Logging was a cost-free business. If you could get it for free, who would spend money buying it?

That would be madness.

“That’s true as well,” Lin Yi looked at Jiao Zhong and smiled. “Your eyes are sticking out more and more. Feeling uncomfortable?”

Jiao Zhong forced a laugh. “I drank too much yesterday and don’t remember falling asleep. When I woke, my eyes were like this—constantly hurting. I was planning to ask Doctor Hu to take a look.”

“No need,” Lin Yi examined Jiao Zhong’s eyes and neck closely, then sighed. “Even if he looked, there’d be nothing he could do.”

“Prince,” Jiao Zhong asked curiously, “please enlighten me.”

Lin Yi smiled. “Because I haven’t taught him about goiter. If you ask him, he’d only think you didn’t sleep well.”

Most of Hu Shilu’s medical theories came from Lin Yi. Today’s progress owed much to him.

“Ah!”

Jiao Zhong panicked. “He doesn’t know what goiter is?”

Of course, compared to others, he knew Lin Yi’s skills better.

Seeing the Prince sighing like this made his heart race.

Instinctively, he circulated his internal energy around himself—loop after loop, everything felt normal.

Suddenly, he noticed a blind man appear next to the Prince.

Alarmed, he realized this was from excessive cultivation—he had summoned the blind man.

Lin Yi, accustomed to the sudden appearances of the blind men, monks, and others, paid no attention and continued looking at Jiao Zhong.

“It’s what’s called goiter.”

“Goiter?”

Jiao Zhong quickly touched his neck, panicking. “Prince… cough, cough!”

After two consecutive coughs, he was full of regret.

He was truly foolish! After making such a commotion, why hadn’t he checked his neck first?

Now, hitting it with internal energy, the blocked path caused pain to bring tears to his eyes.

He was certain: he was seriously ill. And it was a big problem!

Lin Yi smiled. “Goiter isn’t that exaggerated. You’re already crying?”

“Please, Prince, save me!”

Jiao Zhong knelt with a thud.

He knew this wouldn’t be fatal, but as a man with such a large neck, how would he face people in the future?

Most importantly, could he continue as commander of the He Mansion guards?

His future seemed ruined!

“No cure,” Lin Yi shook his head. “The simplest solution is to eat lots of seafood before it swells—kelp, nori, daily, every meal, even until you vomit. Don’t worry about overeating. Maybe your neck will shrink, and your eyes return to normal. Anyway, roll the dice.”

“Yes.”

Jiao Zhong replied softly.

“Life isn’t easy. Babies can miscarry in the womb, one bite of salty vegetables can cause malformation. After birth, polio, whooping cough, scarlet fever, encephalitis await,” Lin Yi casually quoted Uncle Ge’s sayings: “Too much calcium, no height; too little calcium, bowlegs. Ah… so, surviving is what matters. Goiter isn’t deadly; don’t lose hope.”

As he spoke, he grew more reflective, sighing unconsciously at life’s hardships.

“Prince is correct.”

Jiao Zhong felt even more distressed after hearing this.

He vowed that once his neck’s swelling subsided, he would train it with internal energy, leaving no weakness.

He was a ninth-rank officer!

A ninth-rank officer with goiter—what a joke that would be!