In front of Renxin Medical Hall, silence reigned so complete that a dropped pin could be heard.

Bai Shouyi’s smile froze.

Yin Zheng was stunned, and even Miao Liangfang stood there dazed, momentarily speechless.

Shen Fengying belatedly sensed something was wrong with the atmosphere and looked at everyone with some confusion.

“Who did you say made the list?” Bai Shouyi asked.

“Dr. Lu!”

Mama Wang’s face changed: “Impossible!”

Shen Fengying didn’t know Mama Wang, but being contradicted instinctively made him unhappy: “How is it impossible? The red list is posted right under Jingde Gate. This year’s spring examination produced a genius – they say the exam papers submitted couldn’t even be faulted by the Director of the Hanlin Imperial Medical Academy!”

“It’s written clearly in red paper and black ink – Dr. Lu is first place. If you don’t believe it, go see for yourself!”

Shen Fengying had been patrolling outside today and happened to pass by Jingde Gate when palace people were posting the red list. He had originally gone to watch the excitement, but unexpectedly saw a familiar name on the red list.

Lu Tong!

Dr. Lu from Renxin Medical Hall!

As someone who enthusiastically curried favor with influential people everywhere, Shen Fengying would never miss any opportunity for advancement. Dr. Lu would enter the Imperial Medical Academy as a physician in the future. As the saying goes, “Imperial physicians and Grand Astrologers are called ‘the head of civil officials and the tail of military officials.'” If Dr. Lu’s fortune arrived and she perhaps got the chance to become an Inner Palace Imperial Physician, she might even say a few good words for him before the nobles. Wouldn’t his future prospects be bright?

Anyway, he had already dealt with Lu Tong several times before and was more familiar with her than others. Thinking of this, Shen Fengying had happily rushed to Renxin Medical Hall to announce the good news.

Mama Wang stared at Lu Tong in disbelief, her heart churning like stormy seas.

How could this be possible?

How could this be possible?

Before the red list was posted, a familiar physician had clearly told Madam Dong that Lu Tong’s name wasn’t on this year’s list.

Yet now, in front of so many people, seeing the other party’s confident manner, it didn’t seem like he was lying.

Why would Lu Tong suddenly make the list? Madam had already spoken with Director Cui, and the silver and Tao inkstones sent had all been accepted.

How dare Cui Min?

Around them arose the lively congratulatory voices of West Street neighbors.

In a small place like West Street, having someone become an official physician was something they wouldn’t even dare dream of. The poor, mercenary old alleys mixed with fish blood and market mud existed in a completely different world from the magnificent, precious, lofty palace gates and noble households.

Although the West Street residents had always encouraged Lu Tong regarding the spring examination, that was only a kind white lie.

In everyone’s hearts, a golden phoenix could never fly out of a chicken coop—

“Mama Wang,” Lu Tong spoke.

Mama Wang looked up and met the young woman’s gaze.

Her eyes were calm, the distinct black and white pupils like mountain snow water melting in early spring – clear, bright, and coldly thin. As if frozen by the ice and snow in her eyes, Mama Wang instinctively stepped back.

But Lu Tong reached past her and picked up the gift basket.

She weighed the gift basket in her hands and gently nodded to the woman.

“Now,” she said, “I can accept your congratulatory gift.”

…

Once the red list was posted at Jingde Gate, the news first spread through the medical profession.

When the news reached the Palace Command, Duan Xiaoyan was feeding bones to Gardenia in the courtyard.

The fresh stick bones had been boiled until fragrant and hard, perfect for the black dog to gnaw on. Upon hearing the news, Duan Xiaoyan’s hand shook, nearly dropping both bone and bowl. He stood stunned for a moment, then placed the stone bowl on the nearby table and hurried into the house, leaving the black dog staring longingly at the bones on the table while drooling all over the ground.

“Brother, did you hear? Dr. Lu got first place in the Imperial Medical Bureau spring examination – first place!”

As soon as he entered the house, Duan Xiaoyan started shouting.

Pei Yunying, who was handling official documents, frowned: “Close the door.”

“Oh, oh.” Duan Xiaoyan quickly turned back to close the door. Seeing that Pei Yunying remained unmoved, he spun around and approached the desk. “Aren’t you surprised? I heard Ji Xun personally set the questions this year, and those Imperial Medical Bureau students were all complaining bitterly, yet she got first place!”

Pei Yunying ignored him. Xiao Zhufeng, sitting on the other side reading documents, slightly raised his head: “Ji Xun?”

This Physician Ji had extremely high medical talent and had already become an Inner Palace Imperial Physician at a young age. Though his position seemed humble, his reputation was prominent. With the Ji family backing him, his status wasn’t much lower than the Academy Director’s.

However, Ji Xun was aloof and proud by nature, difficult to approach. Since he set this year’s spring examination questions, the difficulty would naturally be considerable.

“Yes,” Duan Xiaoyan’s eyes lit up with excitement. “I heard that when the red list was posted at Jingde Gate, all those Imperial Medical Bureau students had ugly expressions. This time, those people from the Imperial Medical Bureau probably don’t know where to hide their faces!”

With imperial physicians teaching and setting questions, yet a commoner female physician from the marketplace achieved first place – it sounded rather inglorious.

“Brother, should we prepare congratulatory gifts to send to West Street?”

Pei Yunying glanced at him: “Aren’t you afraid of her?”

Ever since being toyed with by Lu Tong using the black snake at Renxin Medical Hall last time, Duan Xiaoyan had kept his distance from Lu Tong. Although that snake actually wasn’t poisonous, Duan Xiaoyan always felt that the murderous intent in Lu Tong’s eyes when she looked at him was real.

Duan Xiaoyan shivered: “It’s precisely because I’m afraid that I want to send gifts. Think about it – in the future when she enters the palace, if we have headaches or fevers and happen to be assigned her for treatment, wouldn’t we be putting our lives in her hands? One careless moment—” He made a throat-slitting gesture. “Who would we complain to?”

Having witnessed her madness, Duan Xiaoyan felt Lu Tong was capable of anything.

She had a kind of silent brutality – “those who follow her prosper, those who oppose her perish.”

Pei Yunying chuckled: “Send them if you want. I won’t stop you.”

With Pei Yunying’s approval, Duan Xiaoyan left cheerfully, though it was unclear what he was so happy about.

In the room, Xiao Zhufeng looked thoughtfully at the person across from him.

Pei Yunying raised an eyebrow: “What are you looking at?”

“Aren’t you planning to stop this? Lu Tong is entering the Imperial Medical Academy.”

Pei Yunying turned a page of the scroll, answering absent-mindedly: “I said I wouldn’t protect her.”

“You’re already protecting her,” Xiao Zhufeng reminded him.

Pei Yunying looked up, his brow slightly furrowed: “I feel like you’re particularly concerned about her affairs.”

Xiao Zhufeng sneered: “You’re the one being too irrational.”

The young man put down the scroll in his hands, leaned back, and looked out the window.

It was March, and the plane tree leaves in front of the Palace Command courtyard were turning green again. When the wind blew, the emerald leaves rustled.

He watched for a while, then withdrew his gaze, his expression relaxing again as he smiled: “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

“You’d better,” Xiao Zhufeng snorted and left the room. As he exited, he nearly collided with Qing Feng who was coming in.

Qing Feng was startled and looked back at Xiao Zhufeng before saying to Pei Yunying: “Vice Commander Xiao… doesn’t look very happy.”

Pei Yunying acted as if he hadn’t noticed: “Don’t mind him.”

Qing Feng fell silent.

Indeed, this wasn’t the first time. Whenever Xiao Zhufeng disagreed with Pei Yunying but was helpless about it, he would storm off like this, expressing his opposition through silent protest.

One had no deterrent effect, the other did as he pleased.

They always went their separate ways.

Pei Yunying asked: “Did you find the things?”

Qing Feng: “Everything has been found, not one item missing.”

Pei Yunying nodded: “Go then, send them to Renxin Medical Hall.”

“Yes.”

…

The sitting female physician from West Street had made a stunning debut in the spring examination, overwhelming all the Imperial Medical Bureau students to claim first place on the red list. This shocked the entire medical profession in the capital, throwing the Imperial Pharmacy, Hanlin Imperial Medical Academy, and Imperial Medical Bureau into chaos.

Some rushed to curry favor upon hearing the news, others hesitantly prepared gifts, but those most impacted by this news were the arrogant mother of the young master from the Grand Court of Judicial Review Minister’s household.

“How is this possible? Cui Min accepted my gifts – how could he let Lu Tong make the red list, and in first place no less!”

In the flower hall, Madam Dong’s face was full of fury as she violently hurled her teacup aside.

“Crash!”

The fine lotus-patterned blue and white porcelain cup instantly shattered into pieces.

The person kneeling in the flower hall kept his head down, not looking at the porcelain shards scattered at his feet. He simply presented the wooden box in his hands forward and said respectfully: “The Academy Director ordered this servant to return these items. He has failed Madam’s kind intentions and asks for Madam’s understanding.”

“Understanding?”

In the wooden box were two pristine Tao inkstones along with a box full of gold ingots, so brilliant they were almost blinding.

Madam Dong laughed instead of showing anger: “Since Cui Min is unwilling to accept the Dong family’s favor, the Dong family dare not accept this understanding.”

Familiar people had clearly told her that Lu Tong’s name wasn’t on this red list, and Cui Min had already accepted the gifts sent. Madam Dong had already arranged for Mama Wang to go to Renxin Medical Hall and humiliate Lu Tong thoroughly, to repay the grudge against those gossiping women from West Street who had slandered her son that day. Who knew that at the last moment the red list would change – Lu Tong not only made the list but became first place!

Who knows how many people in the capital were secretly mocking the Dong family.

Their reputation was completely ruined!

With nowhere to vent her anger, if Cui Min weren’t the Academy Director of the Imperial Medical Academy, Madam Dong would have personally gone to his door to scold him for being untrustworthy.

The servants in the flower hall kept their eyes on their noses and noses on their hearts, not daring to breathe loudly. However, the messenger from the Imperial Medical Academy hesitated: “Actually…”

“Actually what?”

“Actually, it wasn’t that the Academy Director was unwilling. The person who put Lu Tong on the list was someone else.”

Madam Dong sneered: “Is Cui Min finding a scapegoat to dismiss me?”

As the Director of the Hanlin Imperial Medical Academy, Cui Min had final say over spring examination slots. Only he could arrange others – who could arrange him? Could it be the Emperor?

Madam Dong didn’t believe a word.

“It was Physician Ji.”

Madam Dong was stunned.

Physician Ji… Ji Xun?

The servant before her pressed his head to the ground: “This year’s questions were set by Physician Ji Xun. The female physician Lu answered the Examination of Evidence subject perfectly, thus gaining Physician Ji’s attention. He personally sought out her other exam papers and graded them one by one.”

“Physician Ji greatly admired the female physician Lu and praised her repeatedly, insisting on placing her in first position. Academy Director Cui tried to stop him, but…”

“You know, Physician Ji is quite favored by His Majesty, and his position at court is one that even the Academy Director cannot compare to. The Academy Director didn’t dare disobey his words, so even though Academy Director Cui had crossed out the female physician Lu’s name, it was still added to the red list by Physician Ji in the end, even becoming first place…”

The Imperial Medical Academy servant said anxiously: “Madam, that female physician Lu may gain Physician Ji as her patron in the future.”

Ji Xun becoming Lu Tong’s patron?

Madam Dong stepped back twice and sat back down, her expression uncertain.

She knew Ji Xun – no one in the capital’s medical profession wasn’t familiar with Ji Xun’s name. That genius young physician came from a family of scholars and great Confucians, yet he devoted himself to medicine, with medical skills far surpassing older physicians.

When she learned that Ji Xun was setting this year’s spring examination questions, Madam Dong had been secretly pleased. She didn’t doubt Ji Xun’s ability – with Ji Xun’s questions, Lu Tong might not be able to answer them.

Who would have thought that after going in circles, it would end up benefiting Lu Tong?

“Are you telling the truth?” Madam Dong was still skeptical.

Ji Xun was known to be proud and harsh – why would he favor a small commoner physician? Could it be that he was attracted to Lu Tong’s beauty?

Yes, that woman was always skilled at using her beauty to seduce men – first Pei Yunying, then her son, and now it was Ji Xun’s turn. Madam Dong thought maliciously.

“Absolutely true! If I’m deceiving Madam in any way, may I be struck by lightning and have my soul scattered!”

Madam Dong’s brow furrowed slightly: “Get up.”

Greatly admired, praised repeatedly?

These words sounded particularly grating.

“What a Ji Xun!” Madam Dong said coldly.

No one in the medical profession was unaware of the grudge between the Grand Court of Judicial Review Minister and Lu Tong. By helping Lu Tong so much, this Ji Xun was clearly making an enemy of the Dong family.

Madam Dong’s face darkened.

For a moment, that young physician’s cold and handsome appearance also became detestable.

…

Night fell completely, and the deep courtyard was especially quiet.

“Creak—”

The gates of the Imperial Medical Academy were opened.

Someone quickly walked into the Academy Director’s study and said softly to the person inside: “Sir, the silver and message have both been delivered.”

Upon hearing this, the person who had been sitting with closed eyes suddenly opened them, his eyes full of sharp light, showing no trace of fatigue.

“Good.” Cui Min nodded and picked up a medical text from the table to read.

His blue sleeves swept across the table like a blue cloud, simple and serene.

The person at the table said: “Madam Dong was very angry. This servant shifted the responsibility to Physician Ji, and Madam Dong didn’t suspect anything.”

Cui Min: “Mm.”

The subordinate quietly sighed in relief.

Ji Xun wasn’t popular at the Hanlin Imperial Medical Academy and was aloof and proud, difficult for others to approach. These days he was busy treating the old master at the Censor-in-Chief’s household and hadn’t come to the Imperial Medical Academy at all. As long as Madam Dong didn’t seek out Ji Xun to verify personally, she wouldn’t discover anything amiss – though of course, given Madam Dong’s nature, she would never confront Ji Xun anyway.

This grudge with the Grand Court of Judicial Review Minister would be borne by Ji Xun on Cui Min’s behalf.

Even though Ji Xun had never even seen Lu Tong’s exam papers.

However…

“Academy Director, why did you add that female physician’s name to the final red list?” his confidant couldn’t help asking.

The tip from the physician friendly with the Dong family that Lu Tong’s name wasn’t on the spring examination list wasn’t actually false.

Because initially, Cui Min had indeed crossed out Lu Tong’s name.

Lu Tong’s exam papers, though perfect in the Examination of Evidence subject, weren’t flawless in other medical subjects. If one really wanted to be picky, those minor details were also grounds for deduction. Even if brought before the entire medical profession, there would be sufficient reason to stand firm – no one would say Cui Min was grading arbitrarily.

But on the night before the red list was posted, Cui Min had changed the red list again, and Lu Tong’s name appeared on it.

His confidant was puzzled. Lu Tong was just a commoner female physician with no background or connections whatsoever. The Academy Director clearly disliked commoner physicians the most – why would he risk offending the Grand Court of Judicial Review Minister to add Lu Tong’s name to the red list at the last moment?

And as first place, no less.

Under the lamp’s glow, the middle-aged man’s face appeared blurred in the dim yellow light, shadowed like a thin false shell.

His confidant gritted his teeth: “Academy Director, why did you keep her?”