Chapter 338: Chapter 133 Plot_1
"Why did Cui Min decide to keep you?"
In Renxin Medical Hall, Miao Liangfang looked at Lu Tong in front of him, his eyes barely concealing his shock.
The night had deepened, darkening the sky. Du Changqing, having dealt with all the neighbors who came to congratulate him during the day, was already exhausted and had gone home with Ah Cheng to rest.
Yin Zheng locked the main gate of the medical hall and picked the silver lamp from the table below, seeing that the lamp grew brighter, she then lifted the felt curtain and entered the small courtyard first.
It was quiet inside. Miao Liangfang looked at Lu Tong and repeated, "Lu Tong, why exactly did Cui Min decide to keep you?"
Miao Liangfang was at a loss for answers.
This year saw the addition of a new "Verification Case Study" subject, which everyone found difficult. Even if Lu Tong was a genius, astonishingly brilliant in the Verification Case Study, Cui Min as the Chief Officer of the Yiguan Court personally marking Lu Tong as first in the merit list was quite peculiar no matter how one looked at it.
To know that for Cui Min to place Lu Tong first on the merit list was to offend the Minister of Imperial Treasury. What did Lu Tong have that was worth Cui Min offending the Minister for?
"Could it be..." Miao Liangfang’s eyes flickered, "because of the Princely Heir of Lord Zhao Ning?"
During Pei Yunmeng’s last visit to Renxin Medical Hall, he seemed particularly familiar with Lu Tong. Although Lu Tong denied it, Miao Liangfang always felt their relationship wasn’t as distant as Lu Tong verbally claimed.
Lu Tong said, "It’s not."
"Then for what reason..."
"Because in the medical examination questions, I wrote new prescriptions," Lu Tong spoke calmly, "Ten new prescriptions, and Cui Min is not a saint; of course, he would be tempted."
Ten new prescriptions?
She spoke so lightly, yet it took Miao Liangfang by surprise, "Are you joking with me?"
Miao Liangfang knew that Lu Tong had many strange new prescriptions in her mind, and those prescriptions weren’t necessarily incorrect, albeit some were somewhat toxic. Aware of the conservative habits of the Medical Officer Institute, Miao Liangfang had daily warned Lu Tong prior to the spring examination, asking her not to impulsively write down those new prescriptions in her answers, and Lu Tong had obediently agreed.
Yet now, Lu Tong said she not only wrote them but wrote ten in one go!
For a moment, Miao Liangfang didn’t know whether to be angry at the girl for her breaches of promise or to be amazed at her audacious courage.
Others had iron bones, but she had a rebellious bone.
Miao Liangfang, holding his chest, took deep breaths trying to calm himself while Lu Tong glanced at him and offered an explanation.
"Years ago, Cui Min stole your ’Miao’s Prescriptions’ and claimed them as his own, through which he gained fame and was promoted to Chief Officer of the Yiguan Court. You once said that after becoming the Officer, Cui Min has not developed any new prescriptions in these years."
"In other words, for the past ten years, Cui Min has been unable to develop new prescriptions himself or steal others’ work.
"My guess is that the newly appointed physicians in the Medical Officer Institute come from the Imperial Medical Bureau and are not commoners without backgrounds, making it difficult for Cui Min to take action."
In the dark of the night, her expression was serene as she spoke unhurriedly.
"A person who covets fame and profit but hasn’t produced any achievements for many years would still feel unease despite appearing carefree, especially when those previous gains were stolen."
"That’s why I wrote ten new prescriptions, to bait him into it."
Miao Liangfang muttered, "To bait him?"
"I’m merely an ordinary person with no background, yet I can write new prescriptions others can’t. After Cui Min tests a few of them cautiously and finds out they’re real..."
"In his eyes, I become the next you."
"I bet he would choose to place my name on the merit list for greater gains," she asserted.
Miao Liangfang, greatly shaken, said, "But that’s so many prescriptions!"
How precious a single medical prescription could be, Miao Liangfang knew better than anyone. If Cui Min weren’t willing to offend the Dong Family for Lu Tong, then those prescriptions would have been given to him for nothing.
An average person cherishes a good prescription too much to ever give it away, and sometimes one prescription can secure a lifetime of wealth for someone. Yet Lu Tong was giving them away as if they were cabbages.
"You can’t trap a wolf if you’re unwilling to sacrifice," Lu Tong chuckled, "Besides, I won the gamble, didn’t I?"
Miao Liangfang was rendered speechless.
In his heart, he questioned whether, if he were in her shoes, desiring to get close to an enemy for revenge, he would possess Lu Tong’s determination and audacity. She appeared so young and calm on the surface, but on some matters, she had a reckless resolve.
If he had had Lu Tong’s resolution years ago, perhaps he wouldn’t have spent all those years cowering like a rat in that dark, humble hut, keeping the company of yellow wine and weeds, living in a daze.