Two more days passed, and a major incident occurred in Shengjing.

After the great fire at Fengle Tower, the eldest young master of the Grand Tutor Manor, who had been absent from public view, reappeared.

Qi Yutai appeared at the entrance of the Bureau of Ceremonies. Many people saw him as he passed through the corridor, and those who witnessed him said that aside from being somewhat pale and thinner, his behavior and mannerisms showed no abnormalities.

Lu Tong had just arrived at the dormitory dining hall and was sitting down with her bowl when she overheard the medical officers at the neighboring table discussing.

“I said it before—how could someone just go insane for no reason? Most likely, when the great fire broke out, Young Master Qi was frightened and shocked, but it got twisted into all sorts of rumors through gossip.”

“The Grand Tutor truly has a good temperament, not getting angry even when people spread such rumors about him. A few days ago when I went home, even my uncle who doesn’t involve himself in politics asked me whether the Grand Tutor’s son had contracted some kind of madness. Truly, people’s words can be terrifying!”

Lu Tong kept her head down, stirring the rice porridge in her bowl with her chopsticks. Lin Danqing put down her steamed bun and looked at the speaker with doubt: “He’s really recovered?”

“How could it be false? Young Master Qi is doing very well now. Moreover, the Grand Tutor Manor sent a thank-you gift to the Director early this morning to express their gratitude. I think he must have fully recovered!”

“Clatter—”

Lu Tong set down her chopsticks.

Lin Danqing turned to look at her: “Sister Lu?”

Lu Tong stood up, pushed away her porridge bowl, and left without saying a word.

Lin Danqing hurriedly followed with the steamed bun still in her mouth, speaking urgently behind her: “I know you’re unhappy—who knew he would recover so quickly… But you can’t show it so obviously. There are countless gossips in the Medical Officers’ Academy. Be careful not to let people see and talk about you behind your back—”

Lu Tong interrupted her: “Where are the recent medicine lists sent to the Imperial Pharmacy?”

Lin Danqing was stunned. “In the medical records archive. What’s wrong?”

Lu Tong turned around and walked straight toward the medical records archive without looking back.

Lin Danqing quickly followed.

Once inside the medical records archive, Lu Tong pulled out a scroll from a stack of records on the outermost shelf and began flipping through it. Lin Danqing was completely confused: “Sister Lu, what are you doing? Medical officers aren’t allowed to examine these medicine lists. At least close the door…”

When the Medical Officers’ Academy diagnosed and prescribed treatments, sometimes they needed new medicines but lacked sufficient medicinal materials, so they had to request them from the Imperial Pharmacy. All distributed medicines were recorded in these registers. However, without special reasons, medical officers were not allowed to examine them freely.

After flipping through several pages, Lu Tong’s movements suddenly stopped. She immediately pulled out one of the medicine lists, turned around, and headed outside. Lin Danqing was startled: “Hey, cover it up…”

“Where is the Director now?” she asked.

Lin Danqing answered: “In his own quarters. He’s not entering the palace today. Some medical officers saw him this morning. What are you planning to do?”

Lu Tong gripped the medicine list tightly, her expression showing hints of anger.

“To confront him.”

…

Outside his study, Cui Min stood with his hands behind his back, watching the servants from the Grand Tutor Manor carry wooden crates into the room.

The wooden crates were heavy. When the lids were opened, one could clearly see what was inside: mostly rare books and paintings, along with fine inkstones, paper, and ink.

This was the thank-you gift from the Grand Tutor Manor.

Rather than gold, silver, or precious jewels—mere material possessions—these elegant items perfectly demonstrated his refined character, upright integrity, and benevolent heart. They could also show everyone in the Medical Officers’ Academy how much the Grand Tutor Manor valued Cui Min, making them more important than monetary wealth.

The passing medical officers whispered among themselves, their gazes full of envy. A trusted aide approached with a smile, speaking in a low, flattering voice: “Congratulations, Director, on gaining the Grand Tutor’s favor.”

Favor?

Cui Min gazed ahead with calm eyes, a trace of sarcasm flashing through them.

For the past month, he had suffered day and night, tossing and turning sleeplessly. During the day, he went to the Qi family to treat Qi Yutai, and at night, he repeatedly adjusted prescriptions at the Medical Officers’ Academy. As Qi Yutai grew thinner, his own hair had turned white. In the end, all he received was this crate of meaningless objects and a few light words of gratitude.

Yet he still had to appear deeply honored and grateful.

How tragic, how ridiculous.

However, he had been in the Medical Officers’ Academy for twenty years. Rising to this position as a commoner had not been easy. The rising talent Ji Xun was watching him like a tiger stalking its prey, and Consort Yan, on whom he had once relied, had long since fallen from grace. Without the Grand Tutor Manor backing him, his position as Director might not be secure.

He had no choice.

After watching for a moment, Cui Min was about to turn and go back inside when he suddenly heard a voice: “Director!”

Looking back, he saw Lu Tong striding quickly from outside the academy.

She walked very fast, and her voice was slightly higher than usual. The medical officers who were examining the Grand Tutor Manor’s gifts all looked up at her.

Cui Min: “Medical Officer Lu…”

Lu Tong walked up to him and immediately interrupted: “Director Cui, did you steal my prescription?”

As soon as these words were spoken, the surroundings fell completely silent.

Lin Danqing, who had hurried to catch up, was shocked and momentarily forgot to speak.

Cui Min’s eyes flickered slightly as he looked at her, his tone remaining calm: “Medical Officer Lu, what do you mean by this?”

“Over ten days ago, the Director summoned me to his study and asked about the new prescription I had created for the final question in the general medicine examination during the spring imperial examination.”

“The prescription on the exam paper was hastily written and had deficiencies. The Director asked me how to remedy it, so I told him according to his request.”

“And now,” she glanced at the wooden crate full of ancient texts and ink stones being carried to the door, and spoke coldly: “Young Master Qi has recovered from his illness, and the Grand Tutor Manor has presented a thank-you gift. All of this came about because the Director stole my prescription.”

“How could the Director, who is so upright and serves as the head of the Medical Officers’ Academy, commit such a despicable act?”

The surroundings stirred, then immediately erupted in discussion.

Everyone in the Medical Officers’ Academy knew about Cui Min going to the Grand Tutor Manor to treat Qi Yutai.

However, aside from Cui Min himself, no one knew the specifics of Qi Yutai’s condition or the medical records.

Now that Lu Tong had suddenly launched this accusation and questioned Cui Min in front of everyone, it inevitably aroused curiosity.

Suddenly, someone among the watching medical officers spoke up—

“Medical Officer Lu, what a big face you have! The Director’s ability to cure Young Master Qi is the Director’s skill. What does it have to do with you? Standing here making baseless accusations with your red lips and white teeth, do you really think that being first on the spring examination red list makes you so great, that everyone is coveting your prescriptions!”

Lu Tong looked sideways. The speaker was Cao Huai.

Cao Huai snorted coldly.

Ever since he had dumped Jin Xianrong’s troublesome assignment on Lu Tong months ago and then claimed illness to go home, he had been dreaming at home about Lu Tong being tormented by Jin Xianrong. But after waiting and waiting, he never received news of Lu Tong’s downfall. Everything at the Medical Officers’ Academy remained calm with no major incidents.

Feeling very strange about this, when Cao Huai returned to the Medical Officers’ Academy and found familiar medical officers to ask about Lu Tong’s situation, he received a thunderbolt of news.

“Medical Officer Lu? Isn’t she treating Jin Shilang’s scrotal carbuncle? She’s been doing quite well with it. I’ve seen Jin Shilang’s servants deliver medicine records to Medical Officer Lu several times, much more respectfully than they treated Brother Cao before.”

“Medical Officer Lu really has some skills!”

Cao Huai felt as if struck by lightning.

Lu Tong had actually cured Jin Xianrong!

That would have been bad enough, but what made him even more uneasy was that after returning to the Medical Officers’ Academy, Director Cui had never assigned him any other duties. Although he wasn’t particularly diligent himself, with this batch of new medical officers entering the academy, everyone wanted to get ahead. Sitting on the bench for a long time meant failing administrative evaluations and losing any chance of becoming an imperial physician.

He blamed everything on Lu Tong. However, having cured Jin Xianrong, Lu Tong had gained some reputation in the Medical Officers’ Academy, and later there was Pei Yunying from the Palace Guard Command backing her with his power and influence, so Cao Huai didn’t dare act rashly.

He hadn’t expected Lu Tong to seek her own destruction today.

A mere commoner who had become so arrogant just because someone backed her, not knowing her place.

He deliberately wanted to stir things up further and make this matter so serious that it couldn’t be resolved, so he put on an act and shouted loudly: “Falsely accusing a court official—do you know what crime that constitutes?”

Lu Tong’s eyes were like cold ice: “Medical Officer Cao speaks of false accusations without investigating the facts. Isn’t that somewhat biased?”

“Words without evidence. Medical Officer Lu, if you have the ability, produce proof.”

“Of course I have evidence.”

Cui Min’s gaze trembled slightly, and his hands behind his back quietly clenched into fists.

Lu Tong raised her hand, and the paper scroll unfurled before everyone, hanging long in front of her.

She said: “That day, Director Cui told this subordinate that the prescription written in the spring examination could calm the soul and stop fright and palpitations. But if the patient, in addition to this, appeared confused like a madman, troubled by evil spirits and frightened, speaking without reliability, this prescription’s medicinal effects would be quite shallow. It might reduce the symptoms of delusional speech and visions, but the condition of the spirit not keeping to its dwelling and the heart and gallbladder being frightened would remain.”

“So this subordinate added several ingredients to this prescription: white及, sesame, light bamboo sap, phellodendron, platycladi seed, dragon’s blood…”

Lu Tong displayed the medicine record in her hand.

“This is the record of medicinal materials that the Medical Officers’ Academy requested from the Imperial Pharmacy a few days ago, which includes precisely these ingredients: white及, sesame, light bamboo sap, phellodendron, platycladi seed, and dragon’s blood.”

“I had just told the Director about the prescription, and the Director immediately used these medicines. Could this really be just a coincidence?”

She stood there, her expression very cold: “The Director first used the pretext of inquiring about medical classics and pharmaceutical principles to steal the prescription, then used this prescription to cure Young Master Qi.”

“During the entire medical treatment process, he never mentioned this subordinate in the slightest. He clearly intended to steal another’s achievements and claim them as his own!”

The final sentence was forceful and resounding.

The surroundings fell silent, with medical officers looking at each other, then gradually beginning to whisper quietly.

Although what Lu Tong said seemed somewhat reasonable at first hearing, wasn’t it a bit too much of a stretch to accuse the Director of plagiarism based solely on one prescription?

Cui Min raised his hand to quiet the crowd’s whispers, then looked at Lu Tong.

He stared at Lu Tong for a long moment, then spoke: “Medical Officer Lu, you say I plagiarized your prescription to treat Young Master Qi’s illness?”

“Correct.”

Cui Min lifted his chin slightly, and the gaze that fell on her instantly became dark. “Then tell me, what exactly was Young Master Qi suffering from?”

“The prescription written in the general medicine section of the spring examination was specifically for symptoms of madness and epilepsy. Young Master Qi must naturally have had epilep—”

Before she could finish speaking, Lin Danqing quickly covered her mouth with lightning reflexes, her eyes instantly filled with horror.

She couldn’t say it!

After Fengle Tower, rumors spread through Rouge Alley that Qi Yutai was speaking incoherently and deliriously, but the Grand Tutor Manor had never acknowledged this. They only said that Qi Yutai was shocked by the fire and temporarily lost his composure due to fright and palpitations.

Even though the entire population of Shengjing City discussed this privately, who in the imperial city would dare bring up the matter of the Grand Tutor’s son going mad openly? Even the people under the Third Prince, when discussing this matter, had to consider the occasion. Especially now that Qi Yutai had recovered, this matter was even more unspeakable!

Lu Tong broke free from Lin Danqing’s hand, and Lin Danqing shook her head almost imperceptibly.

She fell silent for the moment.

Everyone in the academy seemed to realize that Lu Tong’s words had crossed into forbidden territory, and no one spoke for a while. As summer neared its end, the blazing sun became more vicious, causing everyone’s foreheads to break out in fine sweat, making the expressions of those in the shadows under the eaves appear even more somber.

“Medical Officer Lu.”

After a long while, Cui Min spoke.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his long robe swaying in the wind, lifting his eyelids to glance at Lu Tong.

“I’ll ask you one more time: what illness was Young Master Qi suffering from?”

Lu Tong remained silent, her expression gradually becoming difficult.

He then spread his sleeves: “First, the spring examination prescription you mentioned was for symptoms of madness and delusional speech, to remove evil blood from the heart’s apertures and eliminate wind epilepsy and phlegm confusion.”

“But Young Master Qi’s illness was chest impediment and insomnia caused by smoke inhalation from the fire scene. With qi deficiency and blood stasis, when I treated him, I mostly used medicines to soothe the liver and resolve depression, and to benefit qi and raise yang. This has nothing to do with the epilepsy and madness you mentioned.”

Lu Tong: “You…”

“Second, medical officers in the Medical Officers’ Academy cannot freely examine medicine distribution lists from the Imperial Pharmacy. As a medical officer, you privately examined these records, which already violates academy regulations and should be punished.”

Lu Tong: “Setting aside whether this subordinate violated regulations, how should the Director explain the overlap between the medicine list and the prescription?”

Cui Min replied calmly: “White及, sesame, light bamboo sap, phellodendron, platycladi seed, dragon’s blood… these are all commonly used medicinal materials. The medicine list contains other herbs as well. Medical Officer Lu only singled out these few items, which is somewhat biased.”

“Moreover,” he changed his tone, “that day I only asked Medical Officer Lu about the spring examination prescription because the prescription had some deficiencies. I was also concerned about Medical Officer Lu rashly writing new prescriptions during treatment. Medical practice and pharmaceutical preparation should be approached with caution—this was for the Medical Officers’ Academy’s sake. As for the prescription Medical Officer Lu mentioned… I never heard about it that day.”

Lu Tong’s gaze turned cold.

The surrounding medical officers’ looks toward her immediately changed.

When Lu Tong and Cui Min discussed the prescription, no one else was present. However, one was the Director of the Medical Officers’ Academy—respected, noble, and medically accomplished—while the other was a young, impulsive new medical officer who hadn’t even entered the Imperial Medical Bureau and had learned medicine on her own. People naturally tended to favor the former.

Cao Huai showed contempt and suddenly spoke: “Medical Officer Lu is so desperate to get ahead that she’s gone mad, making baseless accusations against the Director based on mere speculation. Look at who the Director is—he was able to write ‘Cui’s Pharmaceutical Principles’ back in the day, and his medical knowledge and insight far exceed yours.”

“You keep talking about theft, but aren’t you being too conceited!”

A commoner medical woman who wrote a few prescriptions and thought her medical skills were the best in the world, making up groundless stories. She was so desperate to climb up that she thought a random medicine list could prove someone stole prescriptions. Little did she know that prescriptions in this world are all composed of commonly used medicinal materials. As long as they appear on the list, couldn’t they all be prescriptions?

Simply absurd.

Lu Tong stood in the academy courtyard, fury blazing in her eyes, looking somewhat disheveled as she faced the accusations alone—quite different from her usual composure.

Cao Huai seized the opportunity: “Director, Medical Officer Lu first privately examined Imperial Pharmacy medicine lists—that’s her first offense. Then she slandered and defamed you—that’s her second. How can such a person lacking in virtue remain in the Medical Officers’ Academy to damage its reputation? Please, Director, punish her strictly according to regulations to make an example of her—”

Lin Danqing: “That’s not acceptable! Director, Medical Officer Lu was just momentarily anxious.” She tugged at Lu Tong’s sleeve and whispered: “Quickly apologize.”

Lu Tong kept a cold expression and refused to speak.

Cui Min looked down at the person before him. The woman stood under the harsh sunlight with no trees for shade. In the sweltering heat, her face was slightly flushed—whether from anger or the sun was unclear. Only the gaze she fixed on him seemed to hold deep-seated hatred, and her knuckles gripping the medicine list were white.

Still too young, unable to keep her composure.

He thought carelessly, straightening his back that had become slightly hunched from recent busyness, and spoke without haste.

“Colleagues must be carefully examined. Medical Officer Cao is right. That Medical Officer Lu misunderstood my situation without proper investigation is a small matter, but if this becomes precedent in the future, the atmosphere of the Medical Officers’ Academy will surely become chaotic.”

“As the saying goes, those who cherish weeds waste grain, and those who favor thieves harm good people. Although I value Medical Officer Lu’s medical talent, I cannot indulge her indefinitely. Since rules are established, they should be followed.”

“Someone come,” he said calmly, “remove Medical Officer Lu from the official roster. Starting immediately, Medical Officer Lu is suspended for three months. After three months, we’ll make another decision.”

Lin Danqing was alarmed: “Director, please reconsider!”

But Cao Huai was suddenly overjoyed: “The Director is wise! We don’t want to associate with such opportunistic petty people!”

The medical officers whispered among themselves, while only Lu Tong stubbornly stared at him, standing straight as a statue under the sun, rigid and refusing to bow her head.

“Medical Officer Lu, do you have any objections?” Cui Min looked at her calmly.

Suspended for three months, but he didn’t say she could return to the Medical Officers’ Academy after three months. Whether she stayed or left was entirely up to Cui Min’s decision.

Lu Tong stared at him steadily for a long time. After a moment, she slowly lowered her head, her voice restrained.

“No.”

…

The crowd in the courtyard gradually dispersed, and this farce came to an end.

Lu Tong returned to the dormitory and silently pushed open the door and walked in.

All the wooden cabinet doors were opened as she folded her clothes one by one and placed them in an unfolded bundle cloth. Lin Danqing stepped through the door and urgently pressed down on her hands that were packing.

“Sister Lu,” she said urgently, “don’t rush to leave. This matter isn’t without hope for resolution. Let me plead with the Director together with you. Suspension is no joke.”

Lu Tong’s hands stopped moving, and she turned to ask: “Do you think what I said in the courtyard just now was false?”

“This…”

Lin Danqing was speechless.

If she were to convict Cui Min of plagiarism based solely on similar prescriptions, it would be too far-fetched. Moreover, although the entire Shengjing was discussing whether Qi Yutai had contracted epilepsy, no one knew the real truth.

How could epilepsy be so easily cured?

The current Qi Yutai had already proven at the Bureau of Ceremonies that the rumors were false.

Lin Danqing didn’t understand. Lu Tong usually wasn’t an impulsive person. How could she take just one medicine list to question Cui Min today, merely upon hearing news of Qi Yutai’s recovery?

At least gather more evidence first!

She advised: “Regardless, it’s impossible for you to use the prescription to prove the Director plagiarized.” She lowered her voice: “Not to mention the Medical Officers’ Academy, even the Qi family wouldn’t admit that Qi Yutai suffered from epilepsy. If they knew you spoke about this in front of everyone, you might face trouble later.”

Lu Tong remained silent.

“The matter has come to this. I have nothing more to say.”

She looked determined not to yield, and Lin Danqing grew secretly anxious: “Just go apologize. A wise person doesn’t fight when the odds are against them. At worst, stay for now and slowly gather evidence later.”

“No need.” Lu Tong interrupted her, lowering her head to continue packing her belongings on the bed. “You don’t need to run around for my sake either. You worked hard to get into the Medical Officers’ Academy—losing your position for me isn’t worth it.”

“But…”

“There’s no ‘but’ about it.” She said, “I can also practice at the clinic on West Street. The salary at the Medical Officers’ Academy isn’t much more than at a medical clinic.”

She spoke decisively, and Lin Danqing could no longer persuade her. She could only sit to one side, staring blankly at Lu Tong’s packing movements.

“In this Medical Officers’ Academy, I finally found someone I could talk to. With you gone, I won’t even have anyone to share my evening snacks with at night.”

She sighed wistfully: “Don’t tell me I’ll have to share them with the mouse that gnaws holes in the wall? When you go back, thinking about sharing a room with a mouse is quite disgusting. I wonder if the rat poison actually worked.”

Outside the window, the sun blazed brightly, leaving not a sliver of shadow or darkness in the bright dormitory room.

Lu Tong glanced at the sunlight outside.

Summer’s light shone on the green trees before the window, with branches and leaves thick and lush, densely flourishing. But in a few more months, when autumn came, the flowers would no longer bloom, leaving only desolation.

She withdrew her gaze.

“Don’t worry.”

Lu Tong stood up, walked to the wooden cabinet, placed the four porcelain jars one by one into her medical box, then locked it again.

“It’s just that death is approaching.”