Chapter 248: Chapter 106: Spring Exam Quota_3
Yin Zheng pondered for a moment, "Are you worried about the girl being enchanted by Lord Pei, Shopkeeper Du, is that why you’re reacting this way? Are you enamored with our girl and feeling jealous?"
"Cough cough cough—"
Du Changqing nearly choked on a melon seed husk, and only after some struggle managed to spit it out, he retorted angrily, "How could that be possible?"
"Then why do you get so upset every time Lord Pei is mentioned?"
"If we don’t stop him, and he sweet-talks Doctor Lu into the Pei Family’s mansion?" Du Changqing said irritably, "Once a woman marries, she loses her freedom. Especially in a bureaucratic household like theirs."
"If Doctor Lu really ends up with someone surnamed Pei, would he still let her come out to attend to my hall? My medical hall has finally started to see progress, and in a few more years, I could afford to buy property south of the city. He wants to lure Doctor Lu, he’s scraping off my silver. Depriving someone of their wealth is akin to killing their parents; facing the man who murdered my ’parents,’ could I possibly show a kind face?"
Yin Zheng had not expected Shopkeeper Du’s thoughts to be so uniquely original; she was momentarily speechless before finally saying, "I see, I underestimated you, Shopkeeper Du."
Du Changqing shoved the melon seeds into his pocket, "I’ve told you before, watch less of that romantic stuff, think bigger."
He lifted the felt curtain and sighed, "Doctor Lu, this golden phoenix, can’t be taken away by some messy trifle. She should just stay in our broken-down nest and continue to gild our nest with her presence!"
Yin Zheng: "..."
He strode off, his figure proud and unrestrained. Yin Zheng pursed her lips, and looking at his retreating back, her gaze filled with a hint of sympathy, she whispered softly, "That remains to be seen."
...
While Du Changqing was still thinking about keeping Lu Tong as the treasure of Renxin Medical Hall for a long time, Young Master Dong, having received Lu Tong’s request, visited the medical establishment that very afternoon.
The medical envoy of the establishment had been lying on the bed these past few days, drafting the list of commoner doctors for the Imperial Medical Bureau’s spring exams, and when the Minister of Imperial Treasury’s young son unexpectedly arrived, he immediately dropped the brazier he was holding and rushed barefooted to welcome the visitor.
Surrounded by a group of people, Dong Lin entered the establishment, and once the door was closed, he repeated his reasons for coming. The medical envoy in charge immediately slapped his chest and said confidently, "Such a trivial matter, why bother Young Master Dong running a trip here, just sending someone to say the word would have sufficed." He then leaned closer to the roster submitted by various medical halls and queried with curiosity, "The person Young Master Dong speaks of is... is..."
"It’s Doctor Lu Lu Tong from Renxin Medical Hall."
At this, the medical envoy had an epiphany, his gaze towards Dong Lin suddenly changed, "Ah, it’s that Doctor Lu!"
Renxin Medical Hall had gained some fame in the Shengjing medical circles in the past six months, but not because the previously obscure female doctor from out of town had produced two new remedies. Instead, it was because Lou Si from the established pharmacy, after accepting silver to make Renxin Medical Hall suffer, ended up embarrassingly chased away by the Dong Family’s bodyguards who came to support, spreading the incident swiftly among the medical community.
The insignificant Renxin Medical Hall unexpectedly had the backing of the Minister of Imperial Treasury.
The medical establishment had originally been skeptical about these rumors, but now with the young scion of the Dong Family personally interceding for this Doctor Lu, it seemed the rumors were indeed true.
The medical envoy silently added a mark next to the little medical hall on West Street in his mind, while outwardly he assured, "Young Master Dong, rest assured, the establishment here fails to fill the quota for recommended doctors for the spring exams every year. With your word, on the contrary, you’ve solved an urgent need for us. I’ll draft her name right away; there will be no delay for Doctor Lu’s spring exam this year."
Dong Lin expressed his gratitude with a smile, listened to a series of the medical envoy’s flattering remarks, and then departed.
After he left, the attendant by the medical envoy’s side asked, "Sir, what’s so special about that Doctor Lu that Young Master Dong would personally appeal for her?"
Although she had treated Dong Lin, she was essentially just an ordinary commoner; it wouldn’t be worth it for the son of the Minister of Imperial Treasury to go out of his way like this. Dong Lin’s actions clearly indicated great concern for the matter.
The medical envoy snorted, "Who knows?"
He tucked his hands into his sleeves, "Find an opportunity to mention this to Lady Dong."
"Eh? Why should you tell Lady Dong?"
The medical envoy rapped the attendant on the head, shaking his head as he walked away.
"Silly boy, we don’t help for nothing."
Outside, the servant helped Dong Lin into the carriage. The chill wind was biting, freezing the hands and feet, Dong Lin sneezed, and the servant hurriedly handed him a hand warmer.
As the carriage turned a corner and gradually moved away from the long street, the servant couldn’t help but speak up, "Young Master, are you really going to help Doctor Lu enter the palace?"
Why would their Young Master personally suffer for the sake of a spring exam candidate?
Dong Lin, with a smile on his face, clutched the hand warmer, its slightly burning warmth reminding him of the small patch of skin that Lu Tong’s fingers had touched back in the medical hall, just as hot.
His mind elsewhere, he said, "It’s just letting her participate in the spring exam; it’s not certain she’ll be able to pass the inspection and enter the palace."
Over the years, apart from the Imperial Medical Bureau’s students, how many of the old doctors recommended by the establishment have passed? Granted, those old doctors are not mediocre in medicine, but the inspection and practicing medicine are sometimes two different things, and besides, Lu Tong is still so young.
Dong Lin was clear in his heart that even if he let Lu Tong take the spring exam, the outcome would most probably be disappointing.
Yet, such an action could win him the good graces of the beautiful damsel.
In truth, he had always cared more about Lu Tong’s detachment than his mother’s opposition. But today was different; she had taken the initiative to care about his health, and he had run about for her wish. Dong Lin believed he could discern a softening in Lu Tong’s attitude towards him—perhaps, for Doctor Lu, he wasn’t completely without sentiment.
The servant asked, "What if Doctor Lu doesn’t pass the spring exam?"
"Even better."
The servant was taken aback.
The carriage jolted over the cobblestones, Dong Lin looked down and tightened his grip on the hand warmer that almost slipped away, a trace of a smile flashing in his eyes.
"Then I’ll directly propose a match, and welcome her into the Dong Family’s doors."