Chapter 532: Chapter 189 Rat Poison
The sweltering heat of summer felt like sitting in a steamer.
As the peak of summer approached, not even the rain could bring coolness; after a night of showers, the ground remained muggy with moist heat.
Ever since the dog days had started, the Medical Officer Institute boiled cooling herbal tea daily to distribute. Even so, the blistering sun remained unbearable. The pharmacy in the small grove, generally quiet, now saw even fewer footsteps—the heat of making medicines in the summer was doubled, truly unbearable.
Early in the morning, as the sunlight pierced through the gaps in the small grove to light up the ground of the compound, the door of the pharmacy was pushed open, and Cui Min walked out.
Waiting at the door, a servant helped to carry the medical box, cautiously speaking, "Envoy has been toiling all night. Please rest first."
Cui Min shook his head.
In the oppressive heat, the furnace in the pharmacy kept burning. After a night had passed, his light robe was almost soaked through with sweat, his eyes bloodshot, his countenance especially weary.
In just a few short days, the Envoy of the Medical Officer Institute, who always seemed to be above worldly concerns, had grown many white hairs at his temples. At first glance, he looked years older, no longer carrying his previous elegant and striking demeanor.
Adjusting his sleeves, he felt unusually sticky all over from sweat and said, "Prepare water for a bath first."
"Yes."
The servant quickly made ready the hot water for the bath. Cui Min returned to his room, removed his outer robe, and lay down in the wooden tub. The warm steam washed away and softened the soreness in his body but could not remove the weariness deep in his bones.
A confidant asked tentatively from behind the curtain, "My lord has labored for several days; do you have a remedy for your ailment?"
Cui Min remained silent.
Ever since he took his position as the Envoy, aside from attending to the nobility of the palace, he seldom entered the pharmacy.
With his status, if not for his own strict demands, he actually didn’t need to study any new prescriptions.
However, with the recent incident of Qi Yutai, the Grand Preceptor exerting pressure, Cui Min had spent many consecutive days toiling in the pharmacy.
Once one gets older, they no longer possess the abundant energy of youth, and the exhaustion of mind and body shows on the face.
He closed his eyes.
Outside the curtain, everything was quiet. The silence only seemed to exacerbate a certain irritability.
Not until the water in the tub had cooled from warm to slightly chilly, causing goosebumps in the summer heat, did Cui Min open his eyes.
He took hold of the robe draped to one side and, in a moment, made a certain decision, instructing the person outside the curtain.
"Bring Lu Tong to me."
...
When Lu Tong was summoned to Cui Min’s study, she had been organizing medical texts in the library.
In the humid and hot season, the medical texts were more prone to moisture damage and required regular maintenance.
She handed over her task to another medical officer and followed the guide to Cui Min’s Quiet Room. Upon entering, she immediately sensed a rich, fragrant aroma.
Following the scent, she saw wisps of blue smoke rising from the bronze incense burner at the front of the long desk, its fragrance carrying a touch of familiarity.
Spirit Rhinoceros Fragrance.
Cui Min was seated behind the long desk, appearing to have just washed and changed into a fresh, breezy, azure robe, although the faint dark circles under his eyes couldn’t hide the fatigue between his brows.
Lu Tong performed a ceremonious bow: "Envoy."
Cui Min raised his head and appraised the person before him without a word.
The woman wore the blue robe of an Envoy of the Medical Officer Institute, her face bare, without a single piece of jewelry, her demeanor calm and humble.
Yet, it seemed as though he could see through her ostensibly submissive exterior and glimpse her stubborn defiance—like her untamed nature when she killed Qi Yutai’s hunting dog on Huangmao Hill.
Thinking of Huangmao Hill, Cui Min’s eyes deepened.
Everyone thought that Lu Tong’s killing of the Qi Family’s hunting dog would lead to a dreadful outcome, yet miraculously, she came out unscathed from that turbulence.
The son of Grand Scholar Ji and the Commandant of the Palace Front Office, Pei Yunmeng, successively spoke on her behalf, especially Pei Yunmeng, who said something to the Empress Dowager, managing to put the Qi Family at a disadvantage.
Initially, it seemed like the Qi Family’s setback was temporary, with countless future opportunities to manipulate a commoner at will. Who would have known, man proposes but God disposes, and then the fire at Fengle Building happened. Now the Qi Family found themselves too preoccupied to bother with a mere female doctor, allowing her to fortuitously escape harm.
Cui Min stared at Lu Tong.
The young and beautiful female commoner Medical Officer had climbed to her current position with just a bit of medical skill—it couldn’t possibly be just luck. Now, rumors of a romantic involvement between Pei Yunmeng and Lu Tong spread far and wide, yet the gossip maintained a perfect balance—ambiguous yet open—which eventually became a protective talisman. Even among those in the Medical Officer Institute dissatisfied with her, they ultimately hesitated to act against her.
Cui Min’s fingers twitched.
The Prince of Zhaoning taking such an interest in a commoner female doctor was unexpectedly peculiar.
Now that Lu Tong’s backing was Pei Yun, this was not the time to provoke her, yet with the current dire situation, there wasn’t much room for consideration.