Iris, according to medical texts, can be used in medicine, incense, and as a vegetable. It has a sweet taste, vibrant color, and unscented flowers. It blooms in early March each year, with a very short flowering period. When used alone, it can calm the nerves and soothe the mind, but when mixed with other medicines, it has different effects.
As the dancers moved gracefully, she once smelled a faint, delicate fragrance, a scent reminiscent of a flower called rainbow lily. Now, she realized it wasn't actually the rainbow lily's fragrance, but rather the aroma of a broth made from a decoction of purple iris and Buddha's hand branches applied to the body. This broth had a rather subtle effect—amusement. It had no effect on women and was easily overlooked due to its similarity to the rainbow lily's scent, but men who smelled it would generally experience heightened passion and heightened libido.
She didn't understand music, so she wrote down all the medicines she had smelled, and added a sentence at the bottom, "Your Majesty, may I have a cup of willow leaf tea...?" Willow leaf tea can purify the mind and reduce desires.
She knew the Emperor didn't favor her, and her lack of musical talent was, in his eyes, an even greater offense. But today's competition was about medicine, and she clearly wrote down all the medicinal scents she smelled, subtly implying her superior skill with the willow leaf tea. The Emperor, being so intelligent, naturally understood her meaning and let her pass the first test. As for Yue Chuqing and Yue Surong's Xuan paper, they certainly didn't have that medicine on them, because they, like her before, would likely have overlooked the similar fragrance in this setting…
Soon, a palace maid in pink brought the items needed for the second test. She carried a round plate with three porcelain bowls on it, each covered with a thick, coarse cloth, obscuring the contents of the bowls…
At Du Haide's instruction, a maid in pink carried a round tray to her and said expressionlessly, "Miss Yue, please smell these three bowls, tell me what's in them, and give me a prescription."
Qingmo moved slightly closer, and a pungent smell assaulted her nostrils. Her brows furrowed. Could it be…?
The maid in pink seemed not to notice her, her face remaining expressionless. Qingmo raised her wrist, ran her fingers across the three bowls in turn, and after a moment of silence, signaled to the maid that she could take the plates away.
After the maid left, she took down a wolf-hair brush and quickly wrote on the Xuan paper: infant excrement, toddler excrement, sheep fat excrement.
For infants with imbalanced internal organs, medication is not recommended due to their young age. It is suggested that the mother boil three qian of Ganluzi and five qian of Yuweicao in three bowls of water until one bowl is obtained, and give the child the medicine three times a day, morning, noon and evening. Breastfeeding is also recommended, and the child will recover in less than three days.
For infants with congenital deficiencies who cry constantly and strain their voices, it is recommended to use pearl powder, add one ounce of warm crabapple, one ounce of white star fruit, three mace of green leaf grass, and three mace of golden leaf stamens, wrap it in fine gauze, steam it in a steamer for half an hour, and then apply it to the infant's chest through a coarse cloth to calm the mind and soothe the heart. This can be supplemented with medicinal diet. By doing so, the infant can be gradually conditioned and nourished.
Nine-month-old lambs, fed with orchids and herbs for three consecutive days to cleanse their intestines and give their internal organs a pleasant aroma, can be roasted whole after the wool is removed...
Du Hai collected the prescriptions from the three people and handed them to the Phoenix Emperor. The Phoenix Emperor glanced at them briefly and then handed them to Tang Yu, who was standing to the side.
Tang Yu looked closely and saw that the infant was born with congenital deficiencies, cried every day, and was hoarse from shouting. When he suggested using pearl powder, his eyes lit up with appreciation. But when he saw that the nine-month-old Mai Yang had been fed with orchid grass for three consecutive days, his expression became puzzled again.
He looked at the elegant small characters on the Xuan paper, which were very beautiful and neat. Then he looked at the signature Yue Qingmo below and felt a little regretful. He took out the Xuan paper, drew a line on the third strip of dung with his fingernail, and handed it to the Phoenix Emperor.
The Phoenix Emperor picked it up and glanced at it, his expression turning somber as he handed it to Du Haide. Du Haide paused, then said, "The second challenge: diagnosing illness by following the flow of qi, Miss Yue will receive the blood transfusion..."
Several mocking laughs came from behind the screen on the right. "Sister Qingmo, you're a disgrace to the Yue clan, the Moon Maiden! You can't even diagnose a simple illness by observing the flow of qi. Alas, all those years of medical training have been wasted... Haha..." Yue Surong continued to laugh scornfully...
Qingmo looked doubtful. She had studied medicine for over ten years and had even inherited the medical classics of Full Moon Manor; naturally, she wouldn't make a mistake in diagnosing illness by observing qi. But if she hadn't made a mistake, then where exactly did things go wrong?
Her thoughts raced, and in barely a few seconds, Qingmo had made the right decision. Her face was grave. She took a few steps forward, stepped out from behind the screen, and knelt below the platform. "Your Majesty," she said, "may I ask where I went wrong? I have studied medicine for many years. I dare not claim to be the best in the world, but I am certainly not mediocre. I was confident enough in my medical skills to gamble with my life. Winning should be honorable, but losing should also be accepted with sincerity. I beg Your Majesty's judgment."
A clear, serious female voice rang out, carrying a unique firmness and determination. Her words, neither humble nor arrogant, though not every word was a gem, struck a chord deep within the listener's heart. Especially those words: "Win with honor and dignity, lose with acceptance," made her stand out even more.
Chapter 11: A Move Better Than the Others
Born into a family of doctors, Tang Yu could tell a doctor's true skill just by looking at a prescription. He glanced at her and explained gently, "The bowl contains infant feces, toddler feces, and Hummer feces. Miss Yue's prescription is indeed excellent, but if you can't even distinguish between Hummer feces and sheep feces, how can you be qualified to treat Prince An and Prince Ping? So, you've lost this round."
Qingmo knelt on the ground, her eyes narrowing, her face cold. So the third bowl contained Hummer dung. Who had switched her dishes? And why now, at such a crucial moment, had they decided to kill her?
"Guards, take this blatant swindler, Miss Yue Er, away immediately. Aren't you afraid of offending His Majesty's eyes?" Feng Luochuan's face flashed with a hint of smugness and ruthlessness as he issued the order, using the prestige of the powerful as a pretext.
Before the Phoenix Emperor could speak, Qingmo stood up. On the stage, Feng Luochuan's smug and self-satisfied expression was on full display, and she instantly understood that this substitution incident was definitely related to him.
Her expression hardened, and her sharp gaze swept over Tang Yu. She bowed, her words laced with venom, "May I ask, sir, is a snail a cow?"
Tang Yu was taken aback for a moment, but still said seriously, "No."
Qingmo looked at him coldly, then asked, "Excuse me, is a wet nurse a mother?"
Tang Yu was puzzled. "No."
"Is cooking wine a type of alcohol?"
"no."
Everyone stared at the two of them with great curiosity, but then Qingmo smiled mysteriously and asked, "So, is Hummer a sheep?"
Tang Yu paused, then understood what she meant, "No."
"Very well," Qingmo glanced at Feng Luochuan with eyes as cold as needles, and said coldly, "Since even such similar items are known to be different, how could a doctor who has studied medicine for decades and raised a herd of Hummers possibly confuse Hummer dung with sheep dung?" After a pause, Qingmo knelt on the ground and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, I swear on the reputation of Manyue Manor that what I smelled during my diagnosis was infant feces, toddler feces, and sheep fat feces. I beg Your Majesty to see the truth."
The Emperor looked at her intently, his gaze unreadable. After a moment, he said, "Luochuan, go and summon that palace maid from earlier, and bring me what Miss Yue heard. I want to verify it myself."
Qingmo's expression froze, a cold smile creeping across her face. The Phoenix Emperor claimed he would personally investigate, yet he had Feng Luochuan present the evidence—clearly, he wanted to silence the gossip and then condemn her to hell. Her hand clenched into a fist within her sleeve, a murderous aura emanating from her. She narrowed her eyes; whoever made her unhappy now would make her unhappy for eternity. Who would emerge victorious this time was still unknown; they'd just have to wait and see.
Tang Yu stood aside, seemingly sensing the subtle atmosphere. Seeing that Feng Luochuan had stepped down from the stage, his eyes narrowed. "Your Majesty, the young prince is of noble birth and cannot be touched by unclean things. I am willing to go with the prince to retrieve the item."
Qingmo looked up in surprise. Was this gentle young man in white robes going to help her? Tang Yu didn't look at her. Seeing the Phoenix Emperor nod, he stepped back and chased after him.
Not long after, a palace maid in pink carried a round tray and slowly walked over, followed by Feng Luochuan and Tang Yu.
Qingmo's gaze was fixed on the tray, a hint of trepidation and unease in her eyes.
At the Phoenix Emperor's instruction, the woman in pink placed the tray in front of her, while Tang Yu stood to the side, allowing him to peel back the coarse cloth covering each bowl. The first, the second, and when the third was peeled back, both of them were stunned; the bowls actually contained... Hummer dung.
Tang Yu gave her a meaningful look, his face already showing distance.
Qingmo paused, a sad smile creeping onto her lips.
At first, she thought this upright and refined man would help her, but now the truth is in front of her. He looks at her with a look that says she has deceived him, but she doesn't know if his expression is genuine. In this world, no one will be kind to her for no reason. In the end, it was just wishful thinking on her part.
Phoenix Emperor sat in a rosewood armchair and casually asked, "Tang Yu, what's in the bowl?"
Tang Yu glanced at the woman beside him who looked both forlorn and proud. The chill emanating from her was both frightening and heartbreaking. He paused, "The contents of the bowl are infant excrement, toddler excrement, and... Hummer excrement."
"Yue Qingmo, what else do you have to say?" The Phoenix Emperor was not surprised by this result. He placed one hand on the armrest of the round chair, leaned forward slightly, and exuded a lazy aura. It seemed that everything below was a farce directed and performed by a clown, and he was just a casual spectator. The clown's life or death had nothing to do with him.
Qingmo did not answer immediately. Her gaze swept over everyone present. She wanted to remember the expressions on everyone's faces when she was in trouble. A drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring of gratitude, and a needle prick should be repaid with a severed neck. In the future, there will be times when they need her.
"What are you looking at? You lost the medical skills competition after only two rounds. If you had admitted earlier that you were not as good as others, you wouldn't have lost your life today..." Yue Surong felt a chill run down her spine after being swept by her cold and sharp gaze, and blurted out in a panic.
Instead of being angry, Qingmo smiled—not a fake smile, but a radiant, heartfelt joy. Her naturally red lips parted slightly, curving upwards in a beautiful arc, making her look bright, clever, charming, and lively, instantly stunning everyone.
Before they could recover, Qingmo had regained her composure and knelt on the ground again. Her clear voice was even more cold and sharp. "Your Majesty, I have something else to say. Anyone in the world who is interested in painting likes to stamp their work with a unique seal. I have been studying medicine for decades and unfortunately have also developed this bad habit. Just now, when I was diagnosing patients by following their qi, a maid brought a tray to me. I used a unique technique to stamp the Full Moon Manor's mark on three bowls. I risked my life and dared not be negligent in the slightest. Whether these three bowls belong to me or not can be determined by simply picking them up and looking at the bottom of the bowls for a five-finger mark."
Upon hearing this, Feng Luochuan's expression changed drastically, and he became somewhat uneasy.
The Emperor Feng took a sip of tea, listened to her relentless narration, glanced at Feng Luochuan without showing any emotion, and said calmly, "Little Du, go and look at the three bowls in front of Miss Yue and tell me the results."
Du Haide walked to the pink-clad maid, picked up each bowl on the tray and examined them, bowing slightly. "Your Majesty," he said, "the bowls on the tray are indeed as Miss Yue Er described. One of them does not have the five-claw mark, and this bowl contains Hummer dung."
"Bang!" The Phoenix Emperor's face turned ashen as the exquisite porcelain cup in his hand shattered. He pointed at the maids below the stage and shouted sternly, "Guards, drag this audacious servant out and beat him to death!"
Upon hearing this, the maid in pink hurriedly knelt down and begged for mercy, "Your Majesty, spare me... This servant was only responsible for carrying the plates and did not know what was in the bowls. Your Majesty, spare me... This servant knew nothing about this..."
"Are you all dead? Drag this lowly servant away right now!" Feng Luochuan shouted, his forceful tone trembling slightly.
"Your Majesty...it wasn't this servant's doing...Your Majesty, spare my life..." The pink-clad maid cried out in anguish, but she was no match for the two tall guards. In the blink of an eye, she had been dragged out of the garden, and even her terrified cries had ceased.
Qingmo coldly observed this farcical performance of the powerful figure in a high position, who was trying to justify his actions. The maid in pink was utterly innocent and wronged; given no chance to defend herself, a delicate life, like a flower, was lost. The Phoenix Emperor clearly knew everything, yet he allowed Feng Luochuan to run rampant. Hmph… what a laughable display of imperial power.
---Aside---
The author describes the relationship as a slow, insidious process, like boiling a frog in lukewarm water. Please be patient as the author unfolds this story for you.
All medical terms are made up by this person. Please take them with a grain of salt and don't take them too seriously. Medical professionals, please don't take this seriously!
Chapter 12: A Proclamation to the World
The originally scheduled three-stage competition was disrupted by an unpleasant incident during the Qi diagnosis. The Emperor ordered everyone to kneel and pay their respects, and the three young ladies of the Yue family returned to the post station to await the results of the concubine selection competition.
Unexpectedly, before evening, the post station received an imperial edict delivered by the eunuch.
By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Yue Qingmo, the second daughter of the Yueling Clan, is dignified, elegant, intelligent, and exceptionally skilled in medicine; I am greatly pleased with her. Now that the Fifth Prince, Feng Chenmu, is of marriageable age… I hereby betroth you, Yue Qingmo, to the Fifth Prince Feng Chenmu as his Princess Consort. All ceremonies shall be jointly handled by the Ministry of Rites and the Director of the Imperial Observatory. The wedding shall be held on an auspicious day, and this decree shall be proclaimed throughout the land. This decree is hereby issued!
There were two more imperial edicts like this: Yue Yueqing was to marry Feng Chenxi as a concubine, and Yue Surong was to marry Feng Chenhao as a concubine.
Qingmo's anxious heart finally found some peace. She had thought the imperial decree would be as unpredictable as the imperial concubine selection competition, but she hadn't expected it to come so quickly and easily. That was good, she didn't have to overthink it anymore, at least marrying Feng Chenmu would give her plenty of opportunities to obtain the Flawless Pearl.
After seeing her father-in-law off, it was getting dark, and Tianzhen and Lanman still hadn't returned. She couldn't help but feel anxious.
In the morning, Lanman impersonated her to ostentatiously participate in the selection of concubines. Elder Yuanyue's guards and disciples strongly intercepted her, allowing her to slip into Qiongfang Garden unscathed. However, she had given the two more tasks than one; another was to take the opportunity to smuggle the wet nurse out of Manyue Manor. She wondered what the current situation was.
Full Moon Manor currently has six elders: Round Moon, Gazing Moon, New Moon, Bright Moon, Blue Moon, and Clear Moon. Each elder has trained guards and disciples. Among the six elders, Elder Round Moon is the leader. In order to prevent her from participating in the selection of concubines, he even mobilized his own guards and disciples, but the obstruction was not strong.
Qingmo thought that Elder Yuanyue must have deliberately arranged for her to participate in the imperial concubine selection. He knew she was determined to obtain the Flawless Pearl, and all he had to do was have someone keep an eye on her. As soon as she got the pearl, he could send someone to snatch it away. Officially, he had done everything in his power to stop her from choosing a concubine, but he hadn't succeeded. When the six elders held a joint trial, the responsibility would fall entirely on her, and the elders' council would have nothing to do with it—a win-win situation. Therefore, Qingmo guessed that Lanman should be able to successfully bring the wet nurse out, but he didn't know why she hadn't returned yet.
"Miss, I saw the notice on the city wall. You've been betrothed to Prince Ping. Miss, it's settled!"
Qingmo was worried about the two of them when Tianzhen burst in, hugged her tightly, and exclaimed excitedly, "Miss, we did it! We did it..."
Infected by her, Qingmo's cold face also showed a smile, and she asked gently, "Has the wet nurse been brought out?"
Tianzhen released her and said angrily, "Indeed, as Miss said, no one in the manor stopped us, and everything went smoothly until we left the manor. As soon as we left, Miss's guards stopped us. Lanman was almost seriously injured by them while trying to save me. Fortunately, Prince Ping appeared in time and saved Lanman's life. Lanman is currently settling her wet nurse. She was afraid that Miss would worry, so she asked me to come back and tell you first, so that you can rest assured."
Qingmo narrowed her eyes, her face darkening. She would settle this score with Yuechu Qing sooner or later. She paused, "Just now you said that Lanman was saved by Prince Ping, but neither you nor Lanman have ever met him. How do you know it was Prince Ping and not someone else?"
"He said it himself. Oh, and he also asked me to give Miss a letter." Tianzhen took out a letter from her pocket and handed it to her.
Qingmo took the letter. On the clean white Xuan paper, he drew a lifelike purple kite with just a few strokes, without writing any other words.
Tianzhen leaned closer, looking puzzled. "Huh? There's no writing on this letter, just a drawing of a flower. What does Prince Ping mean by that?"
Qingmo remained silent. It seemed that Prince Ping had already investigated her thoroughly. Therefore, during the selection of concubines, he deliberately wet the purple iris flowers on his sleeves to remind her of the hidden secrets. Afterwards, he left in a hurry and secretly helped her when Lanman picked up her wet nurse.
He did this for two reasons: first, to show goodwill; second, to tell her that he could help her with whatever she urgently needed, and now it was up to her what she could do for him.
"Tianzhen, you stay at the post station and wait for Lanman. I'm going out for a bit," Qingmo whispered, then went behind the screen to change her clothes. Since Prince Ping was so sincere, she had to reciprocate with her own sincerity in order to have a chance to join forces and achieve a win-win situation.
With only a sliver of light remaining on the horizon, a nimble figure quietly slipped out of the courtyard.
"You wretch, trying to run away? You're lucky to have caught my eye."
"No, please, young master, spare me. I will repay the money my father owes you."
Qingmo opened her eyes wide. She was on the top of the wall, and below the wall was a dead end. In the dim light, a group of men were surrounding a woman. The woman was being pressed against the wall by a tall, thin man, and she was struggling and moaning.
"Ouch, you bitch, you dare bite someone," *slap*, a crisp slap echoed, followed by a lewd laugh from the man, "You all turn around, hehe..."
Qingmo frowned slightly. There was no shortage of such scoundrels in the world. Then she heard someone say softly, "Young master who has taken off his clothes, please open your collar a little so that I can draw your lewd appearance."
"Who? Who's on the wall? Get down here!" The man stopped tearing at the woman's clothes and turned his head to look, but saw nothing.