The other contestants murmured amongst themselves, as her words were not the names and uses of herbs.
"What is she talking about?"
"Yes, where did this sickly woman come from? She's probably making it up. Is there some hidden agenda here?"
Seeing the obvious confusion, Aunt Wang finally spoke.
"May I ask everyone, what is the topic of this round of competition?"
The answer was already written on the hanging paper nearby. The other contestants looked puzzled, but someone still stepped forward to answer her question.
"Reporting to Auntie, the topic is 'Smell, Identify'."
As one person answered, the other contestants who were unaware naturally nodded in agreement.
"And does it state what you are supposed to smell? And what you are supposed to identify?"
Aunt Wang posed the question, and her inquiry momentarily stunned everyone present.
"The maids brought up herbs, and they blindfolded us. Isn't it obvious that we are supposed to smell the herbs and identify their uses? Your question is very strange. Do you think we are fools?"
Wu Bingbing, having lost the competition, was filled with indignation and spoke without restraint.
"Heavens, how dare she speak to Aunt Wang like that? Isn't she afraid of losing her head?"
The other contestants whispered amongst themselves. Although they were competitors, they had also looked out for each other in the palace during their time outside of the competition.
While surprised, they were naturally all sweating for Wu Bingbing.
If Aunt Wang became angry because of her words, then even if she lost the competition today, she might not be able to leave the palace safely.
The hall fell silent instantly, and the contestants stopped talking. Even the sound of their breathing became very light.
Aunt Wang narrowed her eyes and looked at Wu Bingbing, who had spoken. After a long while, she slowly opened her mouth.
"The topic of this round is those two words, but it is not asking you to smell the herbs in front of you. How can such a simple test reveal your abilities?"
Her words were irrefutable, and the contestants all lowered their heads.
Indeed, when everyone saw the topic, they secretly rejoiced at how simple this round was. However, despite this, due to their abilities, most of them still did not understand the true meaning of the test.
Seeing that the people below were no longer as arrogant as before, Aunt Wang revealed the true rules of this test.
"What you truly need to do in this round is to perceive the patient's illness through your sense of smell and touch. I believe some of you saw Gu Qianying perform pulse diagnosis for His Majesty on your first day in the palace. If you want such an ability, you must first learn to diagnose the cause of illness through touch, and this competition is testing you on this very point."
It turned out that Aunt Wang was not only testing everyone's judgment and analytical skills, but also whether the contestants possessed a unique way of asking about illnesses.
Upon hearing this, Wu Bingbing's head remained lowered.
It turned out that her proudly held sensory ability was merely a foil everywhere. In the end, she had still lost to her medical skills.
After announcing the results, Aunt Wang then announced the time for tomorrow's third competition.
And after several rounds of competition, only Gu Qianying and Su Yuxi advanced.
The people in the hall gradually dispersed, but Su Yuxi, Gu Qianying, and Wu Bingbing remained.
"I know what you're thinking. Physicians and pharmacists are complementary. You are proficient in pharmacology, and can identify even the rarest and most obscure herbs, and you know their effects. For ordinary physicians, your abilities are already enviable."
Gu Qianying walked up to Wu Bingbing.
When Wu Bingbing had retorted to Aunt Wang earlier, Gu Qianying had intentionally glanced at the paper she had written.
The use of one of the herbs on it was even unknown to her, but Wu Bingbing had written it down. After some reasoning in her mind, she realized that the herb indeed had a special effect.
This point indicated that her ability in pharmacology was no less than her ability in treating illnesses and saving lives.
Knowing that Gu Qianying was comforting her, Wu Bingbing still felt a sense of loss.
"My father was a herb dealer his entire life. Although my family runs the largest pharmacy in the capital, when it comes to actual consultations, there is no one in my family who can be called renowned. My father's hopes were all on me. I found masters to teach me medicine since I was young, but I never expected that in the end, I would be no good."
Another person influenced by her family, but her mother was truly a bit too stubborn.
"There is no perfect person in the world. You already have excellent abilities in pharmacology, so why force yourself to learn something you are not good at? In fact, you can continue to improve your knowledge of pharmacology and benefit the common people in this aspect. If one day I diagnose a difficult illness, I might need your help to analyze the medicinal materials for the condition."
Gu Qianying's words were heartfelt. Wu Bingbing was a talented woman, and she did not want such a person to have her future life delayed because she chose the wrong path for a moment.
Indeed, upon hearing this, Wu Bingbing suddenly looked up, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Gu Qianying.
"Is that so? Can merely understanding herbs also benefit a region?" She sounded somewhat disbelieving, but Gu Qianying's words seemed very reasonable.
"Of course. Let's make a pact. Three years from now, we will have a competition. I will focus on medical skills, and you on pharmacology. For the same illness, let's see if your pharmacological knowledge is faster and more effective, or if my medical skills are more exquisite. How about it?"
This seemed like a pact, but it gave Wu Bingbing immense hope.
She touched her belt. In the sachet there was a piece of medicinal stone that she had kept sealed for a long time. This stone was extremely peculiar; when steeped in water, it would release medicinal properties.
She had discovered this when she was young. She had originally intended to research it, but her mother thought she was being lazy and sly, so she had put it away.
This time, she would start her research with this stone, and she was determined to truly surpass Gu Qianying with her own abilities in three years.
She nodded, "Alright, three years it is. I believe in myself, I can definitely do it."
After saying this, she regained her confidence and left the hall with her head held high and her chest out.
Duan Xifeng, standing by, watched as the person who had been dejected now became confident again because of Gu Qianying's words. He couldn't help but give her a thumbs-up.
"Not bad. I didn't expect you to have the ability to lecture."
Gu Qianying rolled her eyes at him.
"It's not lecturing. She's a smart person, and her enthusiasm shouldn't be wasted. I'm just lending a hand. How she walks her path in the future still depends on herself."
After saying this, she turned around.
All the contestants had already left. The only ones remaining were Gu Qianying and Su Yuxi.