Chapter 332: Chapter 131 Red List_1
A commoner medical worker? Surnamed Lu?
After a brief silence, the side hall erupted into noisy chaos.
In Shengjing’s triennial spring examination, there are very few commoner medical workers who participate, and this year there was only one, and she was a young woman.
The reason why this young woman, Lu Tong, was known in the Hanlin Medical Institute was, firstly, because of her unclear involvement with the young master of the Minister of Imperial Treasury’s family. Secondly, it was because she had unexpectedly discovered at Prince Wen’s Mansion that the poison affecting Princess Consort Wen was the forbidden palace drug "Child’s Sorrow".
Princess Consort Wen would frequently invite imperial physicians from the palace to examine her pulse and check her condition. For so long, the poison that the physicians failed to detect was identified by a female doctor from the populace. Outsiders might not consider this commoner medical worker to be exceptionally skilled, but they would certainly think, overtly and covertly, that the people in the Medical Officer Institute were a bunch of ignorant and incompetent doctors.
Moreover, the case of "Child’s Sorrow" had implicated many people, not only did Consort Yan, who was highly favored, fall from grace, but it also led to a series of lawsuits within the Imperial Apothecary and the Medical Officer Institute that had just been resolved a few months ago.
Additionally, Princess Consort Wen had also divorced Prince Wen.
This medical woman had not yet appeared, but she had already stirred unrest everywhere, showing that she was a person of deep scheming and fierce character. The medical officers were wary of her on one hand, and disdainful on the other, those educated at the Imperial Medical Bureau always felt a subtle sense of superiority over these resident doctors from the marketplace.
However, the exam paper at hand had wiped out everyone’s sense of superiority.
This exam paper had surpassed all the students from the Imperial Medical Bureau!
A young medical officer, unwilling to accept this, said, "Maybe she was originally a coroner–how else could she answer so adeptly? Gentlemen, after you finish reviewing the other subjects’ exam papers, tear off the names and search for Lu Tong’s exam papers in the other medical subjects. I refuse to believe that she can answer so well in every subject!"
As if they couldn’t accept that the students meticulously taught by their Imperial Medical Bureau would be outdone by a commoner medical worker, the doctors in the side hall began earnestly searching through the exam papers they had graded for Lu Tong’s.
Chang Jin stood in place, staring blankly at the exam paper on the table. The handwriting on the exam was bold and unrestrained, and through this rough and wild script, he seemed to see a young and beautiful woman standing in front of him. She must be an unrestrained and flamboyant character, so the lines of her writing were all permeated with arrogance and conceit.
The originally well-structured and fully answered exam paper had now become evidence of brazen defiance. The image of her in his mind grew increasingly terrifying.
What would the officer think, having seen such a person?
The officer?
Chang Jin suddenly shivered.
It was common knowledge that Envoy Cui was not fond of commoner medical officers, so this time, he might not be too pleased.
...
When Cui Min received the report from the medical officers under his command, he had just finished diagnosing the pulse of Consort Rou.
After Consort Yan was executed because of the "Child’s Sorrow" case, the imperial harem was empty and desolate, and the Emperor recalled Consort Rou, who had been neglected for a long time. Suddenly, Consort Rou’s palace became lively again.
As dusk fell, the entrance to the Medical Officer Institute was silent except for a few faint frog croaks. From afar, one could see a person standing under the lamp by the institute’s gate. Upon approaching, it became clear it was the medical officer Chang Jin.
"Officer," said Chang Jin, holding a stack of papers in his hands and speaking with respectful formality, "All the spring examination papers have been graded, and I have an important matter to report."
"Come in," Cui Min walked forward without waiting.
Inside the room, after lighting a lamp, the place brightened up.
Chang Jin placed the exam papers on the table and stood aside with his hands at his sides, sneaking glances at the person sitting at the desk.
Chief Officer of the Yiguan Court, Cui Min, was past the age of forty, thin and pale with a well-groomed beard, exuding a calm demeanor. He was always dressed in blue, which accentuated his tall and distinguished bearing.
To have reached the position of Chief Officer at the Medical Officer Institute at his age was quite an accomplishment. Despite his youth, Cui Min’s medical expertise was greatly favored by the nobility in the palace, particularly because he had led the Medical Officer Institute in compiling "Cui’s Pharmacology," benefiting countless citizens of Shengjing, an act of great kindness and a testament to his benevolent heart and mind.
Chang Jin admired him greatly.
Cui Min sat behind the desk, flipping through the papers brought by Chang Jin briefly before asking, "What is it?"
"Reporting to the officer, this year’s spring examination added a new subject called ’Verification Case Study,’ and the students submitted papers with poor quality. One person’s paper, however, was exceptional, without a single mistake," Chang Jin reported.
"Oh? Who is it?" Cui Min seemed a little interested.
"A commoner medical worker, Lu Tong."
Chang Jin, even afraid to lift his head to see his superior’s expression, could only plow on, saying.