The next day brought clear skies after the rain.

When Chang Jin came to inspect the dormitory early in the morning, he smelled the heavy scent of alcohol in Lu Tong’s room. Eventually, he discovered two empty wine jars under Lin Danqing’s bed, along with several chicken bones wrapped in oiled paper.

The Medical Director was furious and fined both of them wages, plus assigned them to sweep the courtyard in front of the dormitory for a month.

Lin Danqing was often punished and scolded, so without a word, she immediately and openly accepted the punishment.

Lu Tong wasn’t in the room, having left early in the morning for an unknown destination.

Though the Medical Director scolded them, he ultimately had a father’s heart. After finishing his tirade, he had the kitchen prepare radish and bean sprout soup to help with hangovers. Seeing Lin Danqing with dark circles under her eyes, looking exhausted as she handed him an empty bowl, he took the bowl and ladled a generous portion of soup, pressing a spoonful of radish into it. Frowning, he asked: “Where is Medical Official Lu?”

At the mention of Lu Tong, remembering last night’s drunken ramblings, Lin Danqing couldn’t help feeling embarrassed. She avoided the awkwardness in her heart, found a low table to sit at, and said absent-mindedly while holding her bowl: “Medical Director, you forgot again – today is the day to treat Minister Jin.”

Chang Jin’s hand holding the ladle paused.

Minister of Revenue Jin Xianrong’s illness had been dragging on for so long without complete recovery. It was fortunate that Lu Tong had a good temperament – if it were another medical official, they would have been complaining privately long ago.

Being a commoner medical official really wasn’t easy.

Sighing inwardly, Chang Jin covered the pot and glared disapprovingly at the person behind him: “Really don’t know what’s important! Going to treat someone while hungover – aren’t you afraid of making mistakes while drunk and causing problems? If you bring alcohol back to the Imperial Medical Academy again, I’ll tell your father!”

Lin Danqing’s face was nearly buried in her radish soup, and she almost wanted to laugh.

Hungover?

Last night she had vomited and cried, but Lu Tong acted as if nothing had happened, leaving early in the morning with her medical box. Before leaving, she had even calculated the bill for yesterday’s food purchases, leaving the account book neatly on the table.

She was even more clearheaded than Chang Jin was now.

If she hadn’t also drunk a jar herself, she would have thought the errand boy had bought her fake wine.

Medical Official Lu looked delicate and weak like a paper beauty, but her alcohol tolerance had quite the heroic spirit. She drank that huge jar like water, without even a flush on her face!

Lin Danqing viciously bit her chopsticks.

Losing the spring examination was one thing, but losing at drinking too!

…

Lu Tong was unaware of Lin Danqing’s shock at her unexpected alcohol tolerance.

That amount of wine was really nothing to her, or rather, most things swallowed into her stomach had very limited effect on her.

Early in the morning, Lu Tong went to the Ministry of Rites.

Jin Xianrong was lying in his reclining chair contentedly drinking tea. When he saw her arrive, he quickly stood to greet her, flattering her: “Knowing Medical Official Lu would come for treatment today, I came to the Ministry early to wait, afraid of being late and delaying Medical Official Lu’s duties… Tsk, tsk, tsk, not seeing you for a few days, Medical Official Lu seems even more beautiful. The Hanlin Imperial Medical Academy having such a pearl as you is truly a blessing cultivated over a thousand years…”

As his condition improved day by day, his respect for Lu Tong increased correspondingly. To him, Lu Tong was his reborn parent, a merciful goddess. When dealing with a merciful goddess, one must show proper devotion.

She couldn’t be offended.

Lu Tong nodded at him and dealt with his words blandly.

When she reached Jin Xianrong’s desk, she noticed the incense burner on the table was emitting wisps of light smoke, filling the entire room with an elegant, sweet fragrance. Lu Tong stopped and asked: “After changing incense, has Lord Jin felt any benefits in his health recently?”

“Good, very good!” Jin Xianrong immediately perked up at this topic, smiling proudly with a somewhat triumphant air: “Since using Medical Official Lu’s ‘Pond Spring Grass Dream,’ my health improves day by day. Medical Official Lu previously told me I could occasionally engage in intercourse, so I tried once… tsk, tsk…”

He didn’t continue, but looking at him, things seemed much better than his previous “surrendering when facing the enemy” debacle.

“…This stuff is good and not expensive. Not to hide it from Medical Official Lu, even Young Master Qi, who’s used to fine things, asked me for a few pills some days ago!”

Lu Tong’s expression shifted slightly. She glanced toward Qi Yutai’s room, saw the door wide open with no one inside, and asked: “Young Master Qi isn’t here today?”

Jin Xianrong waved his hand: “The imperial hunt in the capital’s outskirts is coming soon. The Ministry of Revenue has nothing urgent, so I let him return early to prepare his hunting attire and archery equipment.”

The Liang Dynasty’s imperial family had long had autumn hunting customs. Later, when the former Crown Prince died in autumn floods, the current emperor changed the hunt to summer after ascending the throne, calling it “Summer Hunt.”

On hunting day, princes and nobles would go hunting in great spectacle.

Lu Tong had only heard about autumn hunts from others, so she said: “The hunting grounds must be very lively.”

Jin Xianrong’s face immediately showed pride.

“Naturally… Those who can go hunting are young, brave men from the capital’s nobility. Some noble sons even bring hunting falcons and hounds to assist.”

Jin Xianrong cleared his throat lightly, trying hard to appear nonchalant, but perhaps due to his appearance, his nonchalance looked rather like petty pride: “Though the hunt is grand, the riding attire and hunting equipment are quite particular. My riding outfit this year isn’t finished by the tailor yet – I don’t know if it will fit properly…”

He wanted to show off, hoping Lu Tong would follow his lead and continue asking, such as “Is your lordship also going to the hunting grounds?” so he could complete his boasting. However, when Lu Tong heard this, she just nodded casually: “I see.”

She didn’t continue asking.

Jin Xianrong’s male pride still couldn’t be rebuilt in front of her.

Lu Tong didn’t notice the resentful disappointment in his eyes and simply turned around, setting down her medical box as usual: “It’s getting late. Let me give your lordship acupuncture treatment first.”

That day, after Lu Tong finished treating Jin Xianrong and returned from the Ministry of Rites to the Imperial Medicine Academy, then completed various accumulated tasks like organizing records, it was already quite late.

The willow trees at the Imperial Medical Academy’s entrance swayed wildly in the evening breeze. Lu Tong came out of the pharmaceutical room carrying her medical box, planning to find some leftover food in the small kitchen. Just as she left the main hall, she saw someone standing under the willow tree at the entrance.

Ji Xun stood under the tree.

He wasn’t accompanied by that lively lantern-carrying young pharmacy apprentice today, so there was no lamp. The last bit of sunlight in the distance had completely set, but the moon hadn’t fully risen yet, casting a faint, elusive shadow in the pale blue night sky that made the figure under the tree appear cold and lonely.

Hearing movement, he turned around.

Lu Tong paused and stepped forward: “Medical Official Ji.”

In the nearly half year since entering the Imperial Medical Academy, she and Ji Xun had spoken fewer than ten sentences total, rarely seeing him. Ji Xun didn’t like gathering with other medical officials in the academy, preferring to come and go alone, and wasn’t at the academy most of the time – inner court physicians had to frequently enter the palace.

He nodded, but instead of giving a casual greeting and leaving as usual, he looked at Lu Tong and said: “You went to treat Minister Jin during the day?”

“Yes.”

“I heard Minister Jin’s condition has improved and he’ll recover soon.”

Lu Tong became suspicious.

Ji Xun wasn’t someone who liked inquiring about others’ affairs. His manner today suggested he wanted to chat with her.

She cautiously replied: “The condition changes daily. I dare not speak with certainty.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Xun glanced at her.

The woman slightly lowered her head, her tone respectful with just the right amount of proper distance. She was very quiet, spending most of her time treating patients or making medicine. With the bright and cheerful Lin Danqing beside her, she sometimes even appeared somewhat wooden.

Yet her actions didn’t match her proper appearance.

Ji Xun changed the subject: “Previously when I saw you selecting medicinal materials in the pharmacy storehouse, I asked if you had used red cotton floss, and you denied it.”

Lu Tong’s heart jumped as she heard his calm voice.

“Why did you deny it?”

The moon brightened a bit more in the clouds, though that brightness still carried some dimness. The wind lantern under the tree was hidden by branches and leaves, making his expression unclear.

Ji Xun looked at Lu Tong.

“You’re very clever. Red cotton floss is poisonous – except for Imperial Medicine Academy workers, ordinary medical officials cannot use it freely. So you only had Imperial Medicine Academy worker He Xiu fetch remnants and scraps of red cotton floss. These scraps aren’t recorded in the books, so no one would discover their use.”

“But you forgot that He Xiu comes from poverty. Red cotton floss can be used medicinally after removing its toxicity. Even scraps and remnants can be sold outside the Imperial Medicine Academy for silver.”

“You only had He Xiu provide small amounts of scraps. He Xiu couldn’t bear to throw away the rest, so he saved them in his room and had someone sell them to capital medical shops during rest days.”

“Medical Official Lu,” his voice also carried a righteous coldness, “will you still deny it?”

Lu Tong’s heart tightened.

She had indeed had He Xiu help her get red cotton floss scraps to make the stupefying incense she used on Qi Yutai that day at the Ministry of Rites.

But she had overlooked He Xiu’s impoverished circumstances. Though those red cotton floss remnants could only be exchanged for a tiny amount of silver, for a commoner, there was no reason to throw money away.

He Xiu saving those leftover scraps had instead become evidence.

Seeing her silent, Ji Xun’s expression showed hidden anger: “As a medical official, knowing red cotton floss is poisonous, you used it on people for personal gain, endangering lives and damaging medical ethics.”

Her hands holding the medical box tightened slightly, but Lu Tong’s face remained calm as she looked up at him.

“Medical Official Ji, do you have evidence?”

He was bluffing her.

That incense pill had long been burned by Qi Yutai. She had poured the ashes under the windowsill at the Ministry of Rites, and days of rain and wind had long since washed them clean. After so much time, Ji Xun couldn’t possibly have evidence. Though she didn’t know how he found out, just based on He Xiu’s bit of red cotton floss, he really couldn’t convict her.

The Liang Dynasty laws had no such provision either.

“Of course I do.”

Lu Tong’s pupils contracted.

Ji Xun’s voice was very cold.

“Though your prescription for Minister Jin contained no red cotton floss, I had someone search his medicine dregs.”

“In the dregs, there were still remnants of red cotton floss.”

Lu Tong was stunned. After brief confusion, her whole body suddenly relaxed.

Jin Xianrong’s medicine dregs…

Ji Xun wasn’t talking about Qi Yutai’s incense pill, but Jin Xianrong’s prescription!

Jin Xianrong’s impotence wasn’t entirely fabricated – otherwise, Cao Huai wouldn’t have found it difficult to treat initially. She had used a bit of red cotton floss as a medicine primer to help Jin Xianrong’s condition improve.

Just now, when Ji Xun questioned her, she thought she had exposed herself. Perhaps it was truly guilty conscience that made her first think of Qi Yutai’s incense pill.

After the cold sweat, suddenly relieved of a heavy burden, Lu Tong’s heart felt suddenly light.

This relief was caught by Ji Xun, and his expression became even colder.

He questioned: “Red cotton floss is poisonous. Using it for Minister Jin’s kidney disease, though immediately effective and shortening treatment time, prolonged use will inevitably leave aftereffects. The Imperial Medical Academy always puts patients’ safety first when making diagnoses and prescriptions. You only care about immediate results, abusing poisonous herbs. Even if you didn’t study at the Imperial Medical Bureau, didn’t your master ever teach you medical ethics?”

The moonlight was gloomy, with crows cawing in the distance, their cries sharp and piercing in the quiet courtyard.

Lu Tong was quiet for a moment.

The person before her stood under the tree, his snow-white robes clean and untouched by dust, glowing bright in this dusky night, starkly out of place with the surroundings.

She bent slightly at the waist, maintaining a humble posture, and spoke slowly.

“Medical Official Ji,” she said, “aren’t you mistaken?”

Ji Xun frowned.

“The Imperial Medicine Academy regulations prohibit medical officials and workers from freely using red cotton floss, but the scraps and remnants left by red cotton floss aren’t counted as medicinal materials and are treated as waste for workers to dispose of themselves.”

“Since it’s waste, useless to the Imperial Medicine Academy, whether to sell or use it personally is naturally up to the individual. Medical Official Ji comes from noble birth and doesn’t understand commoners’ hardships. Waste exchanged for a few coins of silver is enough to support a commoner for half a month. When people are poor, their aspirations suffer – exchanging some silver is understandable.”

She looked up: “Lu Tong comes from humble origins without the Imperial Medical Bureau teachers’ guidance, but I remember the relevant Liang Dynasty laws quite clearly. Even if Medical Official Ji reports He Xiu’s sale of red cotton floss scraps to the Imperial Medicine Academy, it shouldn’t be illegal.”

“Isn’t that right?”

Her tone was very calm, her voice gentle, yet the words carried subtle, sharp sarcasm. Though she appeared quiet on the surface, those eyes seemed to hide some untamed spirit.

Ji Xun was somewhat angry, seeming to discover for the first time the harshness beneath her gentle exterior.

He suppressed his anger: “What about Minister Jin?”

Lu Tong said: “Medical prescriptions naturally cannot remain unchanged…”

“Absurd,” Ji Xun interrupted her, “you clearly had other ways to slowly nourish his constitution, yet you chose the most harmful method. Too eager for quick success.”

“You clearly ranked first on the spring examination red list at the Imperial Medical Bureau, yet you use my name to throw your weight around at the Imperial Medical Academy.”

“For physicians, virtue comes first. All who practice medicine must first correct themselves. Since your intentions are improper, how can you practice medicine? You might as well leave early.”

Improper intentions, how can you practice medicine?

These words fell like heavy drums in the night, creating a dull, resounding crash. The disappointment and contempt in his eyes were unconcealed, falling with the thin willow branches behind him into the dust, slowly spreading a layer of humiliation.

Through the wind lantern hidden by branches and leaves, Lu Tong watched him.

From youth to young man, his features seemed unchanged. He was still as clear and aloof as a crane, yet those words “Seventeenth Miss, if you’re injured in future, seek treatment promptly. As a physician, you should understand this principle even better” seemed as distant as events from a previous life.

Lu Tong’s gaze fixed on the jade pendant at his waist.

That jade was transparent and warm, flawless.

He had changed to a new jade pendant.

She was dazed for a moment.

All the sharp retorts she had ready suddenly stuck in her throat, not a single word coming out.

Everything around was empty, surrounded by dead silence. Gradually, rustling footsteps and figures came from the direction of the pharmacy storehouse behind the courtyard – medical officials finishing their inventory were returning.

The footsteps grew closer. Once they walked through the corridor, they would discover this standoff.

In this cold, damp darkness, suddenly a smiling voice cut through diagonally.

“What are you standing around for?”

With this voice, the dim ground was suddenly illuminated brightly.

Lu Tong looked up.

Pei Yunying walked in from outside.

He held a pear blossom palace lantern, its light clear, instantly driving away the cold dampness of the courtyard and illuminating everything around with warm, bright colors.

The young man glanced at Ji Xun standing under the tree, was silent for a moment, then laughed lightly.

“What, bad timing? In the middle of a lecture?”

The two under the tree remained silent.

He looked at Ji Xun, his dark eyes still filled with laughter, but Lu Tong seemed to detect a hint of impatience in that smile.

“If you want to lecture, why not another day.”

He curved his lips and grasped Lu Tong’s arm: “Let me borrow her for a moment.”