"Is that so? Then this year's Poisonous Doctor Saint Hall's competition will be quite lively!"
"Mmm, I heard that the number of participants this time is much larger than before, with people from medical families and foreign lands all joining."
"Yes, I also heard that our Emperor has sent several imperial physicians from the palace to be judges."
"Furthermore, he has specifically sent the eldest son of the Luo family, Luo Mu Chen, known as the God of Medicine, to be the final judge for this medical competition. Anyone whose medical skills can surpass his will be directly admitted to the Imperial Academy and become a fifth-rank imperial physician after the competition concludes."
"Really? A fifth-rank imperial physician, that's too high an official position. Some medical families have never produced an imperial physician serving in the court in their entire lives. Now, this is an excellent opportunity!"
"You're not the main point. Haven't you heard that the eldest son of the Luo family, Luo Mu Chen, is a man of both talent and beauty, a rare handsome man in the world? This time, many of the participants are young ladies from noble families, either for their daughters, their sisters, or even disguised as men to compete themselves."
"The reason they are participating in this medical competition is precisely because they want to have a good marriage with this eldest son of the Luo family, Luo Mu Chen."
"Hahaha, so that's how it is. Then this medical competition here will truly be lively!"
The crowd gathered outside the Poisonous Doctor Saint Hall was in a heated discussion.
At this moment, amidst the crowd, stood four unfamiliar faces.
One person, dressed in a red male robe, and a young boy in a white robe beside him.
Behind the two, followed two subordinates of varying heights, wearing robes of the same color as the young boy's.
"Mother~" The young boy looked up at his mother, who was disguised as a man, and before he could finish his words, he quickly changed his address: "Father, are you really confident that I can win against Luo Mu Chen? I've only followed you to learn medicine for a few years, and he's the God of Medicine."
Nan Gong Yi Hao reached out his small hand and tugged at Gu Qian Ying's robe, his dejected expression as if it were real.
Gu Qian Ying raised an eyebrow and tapped Nan Gong Yi Hao's little head with her delicate finger: "Alright, stop pretending. Last night, when you were talking in your sleep, you revealed everything. You registered for this competition under the guise of your maternal uncle, didn't you want to compete with Luo Mu Chen? What? Now you're acting so unconfident, do you want to get spanked by Father again?"
Behind Gu Qian Ying, Wu Zi, disguised as a man, and Jiao Long A Mu beside him, lowered their heads and chuckled.
Nan Gong Yi Hao stuck out his tongue and leaned closer to Gu Qian Ying, standing on tiptoe to whisper to her.
Seeing the vermilion cinnabar flower between his brows, Gu Qian Ying's heart softened.
Her son, since birth, had to ask Xuan Ling to suppress the demonic energy within him with spiritual power on every full moon.
Every time she saw her son in pain, she felt immense heartache.
If it weren't for the demonic power within her, her son wouldn't have to endure such torment.
She felt guilty and had always doted on her son.
As long as he didn't go too far, she would usually indulge him.
Thinking of this.
Gu Qian Ying squatted down, leaned in, and listened to Nan Gong Yi Hao's whispered words.
"Mother, you're not young anymore, it's time to get married. I've already inquired, this Luo Mu Chen is very handsome, and his temper is gentle. He's the most suitable for you. I will definitely win Luo Mu Chen for you in this medical competition, to be your husband."
"..."
After speaking, Nan Gong Yi Hao showed his small white teeth and smiled.
Gu Qian Ying took a deep breath and exhaled.
Don't be angry, don't be angry, he's my own son.
Moving a short distance away from Gu Qian Ying, Nan Gong Yi Hao changed his address: "Father, if he's unwilling, I'll win against him, trick him into submission, and directly give him an aphrodisiac for Father to enjoy, hehe."
Gu Qian Ying: "..."
"Nan Gong Yi Hao!"
Seeing his mother angry, little Yi Hao turned and ran.
Gu Qian Ying pushed through the crowd and chased after him.
Wu Zi and Jiao Long A Mu followed behind.
Weaving through the crowd, little Yi Hao ran towards a carriage that had been waiting around the inn for a long time.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and he directly tumbled into the arms of the person sitting inside.
"Uncle, save me, Mother is going to hit me!"
Little Yi Hao burrowed into Duan Xi Feng's embrace, wishing he could burrow into his stomach.
"Did you make your mother angry again?"
Duan Xi Feng grabbed little Yi Hao's collar and made him sit properly.
"Hehe, no. Uncle, didn't you say Mother needs a man? And you also said that the eldest son of the Luo family, Luo Mu Chen, is a good person. So, I told Mother about our plan, and she got angry as soon as she heard it."
Duan Xi Feng: "..."
"You brat, you actually sold me out!"
Duan Xi Feng panicked.
He lifted the carriage curtain and prepared to jump out and escape.
Little Yi Hao grabbed him, preventing him from leaving, and the two, one big and one small, tussled inside the carriage.
Neither of them noticed that Gu Qian Ying had already arrived in front of the carriage.
"Duan Xi Feng! Nan Gong Yi Hao!"
Gu Qian Ying called out their names.
Duan Xi Feng and little Yi Hao both froze for a moment, then exchanged glances.
Run!
Following that, the horses galloped, dust kicked up, and Duan Xi Feng drove the carriage with little Yi Hao, speeding away.
Watching the carriage disappear into the distance.
Gu Qian Ying stood rooted to the spot.
Wu Zi and Jiao Long A Mu walked over.
"Sect Leader, Leng sent a letter saying that the palace has increased its security in the past few days. Several of our people were lost, and there is still no news about Empress Meng and the young emperor."
"Furthermore, over the years, the branch medical halls of the Poisonous Doctor Saint Hall in various countries have had their personnel replaced. Some, for self-preservation, some to protect their families, the old contacts have disappeared, some have gone into hiding, and some have been killed by assassins. The Poisonous Doctor Saint Hall now belongs to the imperial court."
"Sect Leader, I also heard that over the years, anyone seeking medical treatment at the Poisonous Doctor Saint Hall or its distributed medical halls needs to pay exorbitant consultation fees, otherwise they cannot receive treatment. Moreover, other medical halls dare not treat patients who enter or leave the Poisonous Doctor Saint Hall."
"Two years ago, a medical hall with little fame treated a poor patient who was expelled from the Poisonous Doctor Saint Hall. Who knew that afterwards, that small medical hall was completely wiped out, and that poor patient was also killed by imperial guards."
"Later, no one dared to treat patients who entered or left the Poisonous Doctor Saint Hall. And over the years, because many poor families couldn't afford the expensive consultation fees, they went to street doctors for treatment. However, not long after, these doctors all died, presumably with the involvement of imperial guards."
"Later, rumors spread in the martial world that street doctors had short lifespans. From then on, those who wanted to study medicine would apprentice themselves to medical families. Most physicians who came from these families would undergo assessment at the Poisonous Doctor Saint Hall and become physicians within the Poisonous Doctor Saint Hall."
Hearing this.
Gu Qian Ying's cold eyes deepened, and she curled her lips into a cold smile: "Heh! After a few years away, the capital has changed so much!"
"Does the Sect Leader mean that Empress Meng and the young emperor have betrayed us?"
Wu Zi pressed.
She also learned about the affairs of the capital from Lu Zhu.
When returning to the capital, their Saintess Lu Zhu specifically sought her out and told her some things about the capital.
Empress Meng and her son were placed in power by the Sect Leader.
This truly surprised her.
Their Sect Leader was too formidable!
"Betrayed? Everyone has their own choices. We were never in a lord-subject relationship, so how can there be talk of betrayal?"
Gu Qian Ying's voice grew colder.
She and Empress Meng were friends. Her return this time was for two reasons.
First, she needed to clarify whether the seizure of her Poisonous Doctor Saint Hall was the intention of Empress Meng and her son, or the order of the person who assisted Empress Meng and her son – the Fourth Prince, now the Prince of Guo.
If it was the former, she would naturally help Empress Meng. If it was the latter, she and Empress Meng might become adversaries.
However, she would not take her life, only reclaim the Poisonous Doctor Saint Hall.
Second, it was for the people of the capital.
Regardless of her past life or this life, physicians and medical halls are primarily for treating patients, not for becoming medical halls that rely on the imperial court to earn conscience-money with exorbitant consultation fees.
Before entering the capital, she saw many poor people dying from prolonged illnesses because they couldn't afford to go to medical halls for treatment.
Some died before they could even gather the expensive consultation fees. Some, lacking money, simply didn't seek medical help for their wives, resulting in many women dying from childbirth complications or postpartum illnesses.
She did not want to see such a phenomenon.
She was neither a saint nor a benevolent person, her hands were already stained with blood.
But she would not allow the blood on her hands to be from innocent people.
The Poisonous Doctor Saint Hall, originally her medical hall, had now become a "grim reaper's summons" for patients.
She would never allow this!
"Sect Leader, please forgive me, it was my servant's presumption to speak." Wu Zi dared not say more and stepped aside.
"Sect Leader, what should we do next?"
A Mu asked for instructions.
"Since we cannot force our way in, we will go with the flow."
Gu Qian Ying raised her clear, cold eyes and looked at the crowd surrounding the Poisonous Doctor Saint Hall.
A Mu followed her gaze.
"Does the Sect Leader mean that we should take advantage of the young master participating in this medical competition, have the young master win, and use that opportunity to enter the palace?"
Gu Qian Ying did not respond to A Mu's words, only saying: "Little Yi Hao's medical skills are easily among the best in this Poisonous Doctor Saint Hall, but... I don't know about the medical skills of Luo Mu Chen, the one known as the God of Medicine. A Mu, go and investigate to see how capable Luo Mu Chen truly is."
"Yes, Sect Leader!"
At the same time, in the Luo family's side courtyard, within the study.
A man, dressed in a snow-white robe, sat before a desk, with a young bookboy standing beside him.
The man possessed a handsome face and a mind that could read ten lines at a glance and remember everything.
"Young Master, Master has sent word asking you to immediately go to the Poisonous Doctor Saint Hall to take charge, as the medical competition is about to begin."
The man continued to read a medical book, remaining silent. The clear words on the medical book, however, transformed into the four characters "Reincarnation Tribulation" in his eyes.