Chapter 335: Chapter 132 First_1
Before Renxin Medical Hall, quiet reigned so much that one could hear a pin drop.
Bai Shouyi’s smile froze.
Yin Zheng was stunned, and even Miao Liangfang stood speechless, not uttering a word for a moment.
Shen Fengying, slower to catch on to the mood, looked around in confusion.
"Who did you say passed the examination?" Bai Shouyi asked.
"Doctor Lu, of course!"
Missus Wang’s face changed: "Impossible!"
Unfamiliar with Missus Wang, Shen Fengying felt annoyed at being contradicted: "How is it impossible? The red list is already posted at Jingde Gate. This year’s spring exam produced a genius—they say even the officers of the Hanlin Medical Institute couldn’t find a fault in the submission!"
"As clear as day, written in black on red paper, Doctor Lu is number one. If you don’t believe it, go look for yourself!"
Shen Fengying had been on patrol outside today and happened to pass by near Jingde Gate just as the royal staff were posting the red list. He was drawn there by the commotion, hardly expecting to see a familiar name.
Lu Tong!
The very Doctor Lu from Renxin Medical Hall!
As someone keen on currying favor and building ties with the nobility, Shen Fengying would never miss an opportunity for advancement. Doctor Lu would soon be joining the Medical Officer Institute, and as the saying goes, "The medical officers and the imperial historians are the head of the civil officials and the tail of the military ones." If Doctor Lu’s star was on the rise, he might one day be appointed an Imperial Physician; then he could put in a good word for Shen Fengying in noble circles—what a bright future that would be!
After all, he had interacted with Lu Tong on several occasions, and their relationship was somewhat closer than with others. With that in mind, Shen Fengying hurried to Renxin Medical Hall to share the good news.
Missus Wang stared at Lu Tong, her mind in tumultuous disbelief.
How could this be possible?
How could this possibly be?
Before the red list had been posted, an acquaintance among the medical officers had made it clear to Lady Dong that Lu Tong’s name was not on this year’s list.
Yet faced with so many onlookers and the earnest demeanor of the other party, it seemed unlikely they were lying.
Why had Lu Tong suddenly been listed? After all, Lady Dong had made arrangements with Envoy Cui, and the silver and the Tao Inkstone had both been accepted.
How dare Cui Min?
Congratulations echoed around from the neighbors in West Street, creating an uproar.
In a place as small as West Street, the thought of producing a medical officer who could enter the ranks of court service was beyond their wildest dreams. The poor, the mercantile, the laneways stained with the blood of slaughtered fish and the muck of vegetable markets—they were an entirely different world from the grand, opulent, exulted palace gates.
Although the locals of West Street had always encouraged Lu Tong for his spring exam, it was just a kind lie.
In their hearts, they knew a golden phoenix could never fly out of a chicken coop—
"Missus Wang." Lu Tong spoke up.
Missus Wang looked up, meeting the gaze of the woman before her.
Her eyes were calm, clear and cool as the melting snow in the early spring mountains, freezing Missus Wang as if she were caught in the icy depths, making her unconsciously step back.
But Lu Tong reached past her, lifting the congratulatory basket.
She weighed the basket in her hand and gave a slight nod to the woman.
"Now," she said, "I can accept your congratulatory gift."
...
When the red list was posted at Jingde Gate, the news spread first among those in the medical field.
When the news reached the Palace Front Office, Duan Xiaoyan was in the yard feeding zhizi.
Fresh bones had been boiled, fragrant and tough—perfect for the black dog to gnaw on. Hearing the news, Duan Xiaoyan’s hand shook, almost dropping bone and basin. He stood stupefied for a moment, setting the stone basin on a nearby table before rushing into the house, leaving the black dog staring pitifully at the bone on the table, drooling all over the ground.
"Brother, did you hear? Doctor Lu topped the spring exam of the Imperial Medical Bureau—first place!"
No sooner had he entered than Duan Xiaoyan started shouting.
Pei Yunmeng, busy with official documents, frowned: "Close the door."
"Oh, right." Duan Xiaoyan hurriedly shut the door, but seeing Pei Yunmeng’s indifference, he quickly turned back to the desk. "Aren’t you surprised? They say the exam was set by Ji Xun himself this year—the students from the Imperial Medical Bureau were all complaining. She actually got first place!"
Pei Yunmeng didn’t respond, but Xiao Zhufeng, who was sitting nearby looking at the documents, looked up slightly: "Ji Xun?"
This Doctor Ji was extremely talented in medicine, having become an Imperial Physician at a young age. Outwardly, he held a lowly position but was well-known; on deeper investigation, with the Ji family backing him, his status was not much lower than that of an officer.
However, Ji Xun was known to be aloof and proud, difficult to approach. Since he was responsible for setting the spring exam this year, the difficulty level was naturally high.
"Yes," Duan Xiaoyan said with excitement in his eyes, "they say the students of the Imperial Medical Bureau looked quite upset when the red list was posted at Jingde Gate. Those from the Bureau probably don’t know where to put their faces now!"