EPILOGUE

"The text is not a simple compilation from earlier treatises, but for the greater part an original work based upon the author's own experience." It was the comment from a prominent expert Bretschneider for Jiuhuang Bencao in 1895.

"Jiuhuang Bencao is a valuable early treatise on Chinese botany, and the earliest known, and still today the best work on famine food plants," praised Swingle in 1935.

"Jiuhuang Bencao is the most remarkable herbal of medieval times," said George Sarton, the Belgian-American historian of science in 1947.

"One is struck by an impression of great originality. Certainly, no previous work of a similar kind has come down to us." Needham commented in 1984.

"Jiuhuang Bencao is the most well-known, and comprehensive study of famine food plants," stated Robert L. Freedman, American anthropologist, in 2008.

Even though it needed hundreds of years to fulfill it, but in the end, Shao Rong's prophecy came true. Jiuhuang Bencao is not only beneficial for the Ming people, it even gives benefits all over the world. Jiuhuang Bencao receives great respect from China as well as international prominent scholars and scientists.

In 1525, Bi Mengzhai, the governor of Shanxi, China, ordered to print the second edition of Jiuhuang Bencao; with the physician Li Lian wrote the preface of the book and Lu Dong engraved the woodblocks.

Then, in 1555, the third edition of Jiuhuang Bencao was printed in four volumes, one for each of the four original parts. It first mistakenly identified the author as Zhu Su's son, Zhu Youdun. Li Shizhen's Bencao Gangmu repeated this erroneous attribution to Zhu Youdun, until somebody corrected it and wrote Zhu Su's name as the author.

Owing to frequent content revisions of the text, the number of chapters and plants in some editions no longer corresponded with the first edition Jiuhuang bencao. In 1562, Hu Cheng reprinted the text in Sichuan, but he excluded nearly half of the original four hundreds and fourteen plants. After the harsh 1565 famine, Zhu Kun of Baoshan, Yunnan paid to republish the original version in 1566, reprinted in 1586, but it only contained four hundreds and eleven plants. This 1586 edition is the oldest version preserved in China. In 1639, Hu Wenhuan published Xu Guangqi's Nongzheng Quanshu collection, reprinted the Jiuhuang bencao with four hundreds and thirteen plants.

In 1716, Jiuhuang Bencao was published in Japan under the title Kikin Honsho, adapted by a prominent Japanese herbalist named Matsuoka Joan. Jiuhuang Bencao managed to save Japanese people who suffered from hunger or illness, as the result Jiuhuang Bencao received much more attention from the Japanese. According to Kasai, a Japanese researcher of Chinese Materia Medica, Jiuhuang Bencao received great attention during the Tokugawa period (1603 to 1867 AD) in Japan. Ueno Yoshizo said, "Jiuhuang Bencao has concise records of plant origin, characteristics, and accurate drawings. It's contents are not available in books such as "Compendium of Materia Medica". This undoubtedly has a great influence on the naturalization of Materia Medica." Facts show that Jiuhuang Bencao played an important role in both famine relief and the development of botany in Japan at that time.

In 1846, French sinologist Stanilas Julien presented a copy of Jiuhuang Bencao to the French Academy of Sciences. Since then, Jiuhuang Bencao was known in the west. The westerners, which were very prominent in their scientific development, were unexpectedly interested in Jiuhuang Bencao. While the whole world was in awe of the advancement of European and American science and technology, these scientists instead highly praised Jiuhuang Bencao. According to them, Jiuhuang Bencao was never made in the west in the same year. The only similar work was made in 1783. Many methods of processing plants that were not recorded in medieval Europe. For example, the way how to get rid of the poison of Shanlidou was just written in Europe in 1873. De Rariorum Animalium Atque Stirpium Historia stated, "... When famine occurred in 1555, in order to eat, people used this method to save themselves... this method is coincidentally similar to the method introduced by The Eastern Prince..." In 1881, Russian botanist E. Baylor (Bretschneider, 1833 - 1901) in the book "Flora of China" (Batanicum Sinicum), identified 176 species of Jiuhuang Bencao, and considered it to be earlier for nearly 70 years than the West. In the 1930s, American scholar W. T. Swingle believed that Jiuhuang Bencao was the earliest known book and the best monograph on food plants for famine relief in the world. He also believed that the Chinese's attention to famine-saving plants made the influence for China right now, and its number of plants was likely to be 10 times that of Europe's and 20 times that of the United States's.

Even more, G. Sarton gave a high evaluation of Zhu Su's work. In "Introduction to the history of science", he mentioned that Zhu Su was an accomplished scholar, his botanical garden was an outstanding achievement in the Middle Ages, and his Jiuhuang Bencao might be the most outstanding cursive book in the Middle Ages.

The Seven Colored Cloud that Hongwu Emperor had ever seen, indeed indicated that Zhu Su would become a great leader. However, it did not appear literally. Zhu Su would never become emperor, but he did manage to become a great leader. A leader who became saviors, who brought hopes and prosperity not only for the people of his country, but also for the people of other countries who needed the help.

But obtaining that pride was not what Zhu Su actually wanted. Zhu Su never dreamed of becoming the world's foremost medical expert or botanist, or a great savior. Zhu Su did not write Jiuhuang Bencao to get fame, moreover to get the worship of people. No. He who willingly chose to resign from politics would not be eager to pursue all of this.

His only wish was, to realize his great passion for medical science. As well as, to help the sick people.

Because Zhu Su's wish was very simple.

To witness mankind free from the torments of disease. Always healthy, forever.