"Haha, it sounds just like the storybooks, is it really true!"
Lingxi took out several storybooks. The covers read: The Unknown Two or Three Things About the Divine Martial General, The Years Before the Divine Martial General Became a General, The Daily Life of the Divine Martial General and the Divine Maiden.
...
Qu Linglong just wanted to know who the author of these storybooks was! How audacious.
"Look, they even describe exactly what the Imperial Sister wore at the New Year's Eve banquet, as if they saw it with their own eyes. Is everything in here true? Did brother-in-law have several childhood sweethearts in the village?"
"And he was a little tyrant since childhood. At 8, he led a group of children to drag a local bully to prison, and he even peeked at a widow bathing."
"Haha, Imperial Sister made him kneel on an abacus."
"Imperial Sister made him stand on one leg all night."
"To win Imperial Sister's favor, brother-in-law climbed trees and sang, getting his head covered in bee stings."
...
"Princess, may I borrow these for a couple of days?"
"No problem, you keep them. I'll have Ling'er find new ones. I heard Qing Shan Ju Shi has released new ones, we need to grab them early, or they'll be gone."
Qu Linglong left, holding the books with satisfaction.
Lingxi asked Ling'er, "I wonder where Brother Tang is on duty now?"
Ling'er's brow twitched. "Princess, this is not appropriate. Commander Song was involved with the Divine Maiden before. You should keep your distance from him."
In reality, Ling'er knew that the Divine Maiden and Commander Song were now merely in a subordinate relationship. It didn't matter who Commander Song married, and the Divine Maiden wouldn't care.
She said this because she saw clearly that Commander Song had no interest in the Princess and had been avoiding her these past few days. The Princess couldn't even see him.
She just didn't want the Princess to offer warmth to a cold shoulder, which would lower her own status.
"But I told Imperial Sister. She said marriage is everyone's freedom, and she wouldn't interfere." Lingxi was stubborn.
Ling'er dared not speak directly. If she said too much, and the Princess was hit with another blow, she might revert to her former self.
Alas, she should find more storybooks to help the Princess shift her focus!
Qu Linglong returned to the Imperial Hospital. The group of old men were not there to annoy her, but when she picked up the medicinal liquid she had prepared before leaving, she immediately noticed something was wrong.
This was not the same bowl of medicine; it had been replaced.
This was the medicinal liquid she had spent seven days preparing, a more effective medicine specially formulated for the epidemic in Xichuan!
Her anger ignited instantly. "Where is my medicine?"
"Your medicine?"
Lu Ming, the Deputy Director acting as Director, walked over. "Isn't this it?"
"This is not my original medicine!" Qu Linglong stared at him. He was her father's perennial rival, narrow-minded, and had been making sarcastic remarks and targeting her since she arrived at the Imperial Hospital.
"Not the original? Then this Director knows nothing about it."
"Who replaced the medicine, stand out!" This time, Qu Linglong was not going to swallow her pride.
So you want to make a scene?
Was she afraid?
"Not standing out, huh? Those who do evil, beware of your intestines bursting tonight!"
Lu Ming slammed the medicine bowl on the table. "As a physician, your heart is truly wicked. You even dare to curse people? Qu Yihang has a good daughter. He always claimed benevolence and saving lives, but was it just talk? After all, a crooked beam leads to a crooked house..."
"Shut up! Lu Ming, don't think I don't know why you're always targeting me! It's because years ago, you made a mistake with medicine and almost killed the Noble Consort, and my father found out!" httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"Qu Linglong! How dare you spout nonsense!" Lu Ming's eyes were fierce, and he raised his hand to slap her.
Qu Linglong met him head-on. "How dare you!"
Lu Ming stopped, and the two stood in a stalemate. Everyone in the pharmacy held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
Lu Ming stared intently at Qu Linglong, his eyes practically overflowing with venom, the flesh on his cheeks twitching from suppressed rage.
She had no evidence, only a sharp tongue.
Heh, she really was the daughter of that 'Qu Undying,' as detestable as him.
"I'll ask again, where did that bowl of medicine go?"
"You placed it too close to the edge. This Director accidentally brushed against it while passing by," Lu Ming said dismissively, lowering his hand.
So what if it was intentional? What could she do to him?
"That's a real pity," Qu Linglong said, word by word. "That was a potent medicine for the plague that His Majesty ordered me to develop. It took a full seven days to prepare. It seems Director Lu will have to explain this to His Majesty personally."
"You bitch!" Lu Ming's eyes bulged, wishing he could kill her!
This slut was even more venomous than Qu Undying!
She even wanted to use the Emperor to get rid of him!
Easier said than done!
Qu Linglong looked at Lu Ming with cold eyes.
"Am I wrong? Married into the imperial family and still not content, giving the Prince of Jiangbei a huge green hat. This Director will also report to His Majesty, saying how can such a morally corrupt person be qualified to remain in the Imperial Hospital!"
"Qu Linglong, Qu Linglong, this is not a place you should be. Go home and breastfeed your children! Don't bring further shame to the Prince of Jiangbei's mansion!"
Qu Linglong looked at the young imperial physician cowering in the corner, a sarcastic smile playing on her lips.
Indeed, people were always driven by self-interest.
Today, she would show these hypocrites that she, a woman, was not to be bullied.
There was a jar of strong liquor used for making medicine on the table.
Qu Linglong picked it up with one hand and swung it with a whoosh, smashing it onto Lu Ming's disgusting face.
"Ah—"
"Ah! Director!"
"Qu Linglong, are you trying to kill someone?"
Five or six imperial physicians rushed forward to find medicine, help him up, and so on. Little Du hid in the corner, too scared to come forward.
This woman was too terrifying.
"Blood..." Lu Ming's head had nearly split open. Dazed, he touched it and found his hands covered in blood. His pupils widened. He felt dizzy, the pain... was he going to die?
"Heh!" Qu Linglong threw away the broken ceramic jar. "Don't worry, Director Lu. This Imperial Physician inherits the skills of the Divine Martial General. I aim for seven parts of force, never eight. You won't die, you'll just need a month or two to recover. This Imperial Physician will personally request leave for you from His Majesty."
"Apologies, I served as a military doctor at the border for two years, so I've inevitably picked up some rough manners. However, you know that serving under the Divine Martial General, one must be formidable, or risk being disliked by the General."
Yes, she had served under the Divine Martial General for two years and had a good relationship with him. The other imperial physicians secretly lamented.
"Imperial Physician Qu, it's all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding? This is no misunderstanding!" Qu Linglong looked coldly at those who were quick to change their allegiance.
"That bowl was potent medicine for the plague. Do you know how many people died in Xichuan? Over twenty thousand! You old fools, only scheming and climbing the ranks in the capital, have probably never seen such a scene in your lives!"
"Have you seen a family rotting in their home, undiscovered? Have you seen corpses floating everywhere, with infants crawling out from beneath layers of bodies? Have you seen a teenager crawling ten li for a bowl of medicine, their hands showing bare bone?"
"A bunch of rotten waste! Shameless physicians!"