Chapter 323

The next morning in the Hu Region, Yueqian was invited to meet with the head of the royal physicians. However, her status wasn’t significant enough for the Emperor himself to welcome her. Unlike when the representatives of the Hu Region visited the Bai Region, they came as higher-ranking representatives, which warranted even the Emperor of the Bai Region to personally attend to them.

Despite this, the situation wasn’t too bad. It was clear that the Hu Region was genuinely welcoming as well. Although the Emperor did not personally attend, he sent a prince, specifically the Second Prince, who was well-versed in medicine, to greet them.

Being the son of an unimportant concubine and a student of medicine at the royal palace, the prince was quite humble. The royal physicians didn’t even use royal titles when speaking to him. Initially, Yueqian was very nervous, but the prince’s casual demeanor and permission to speak to him with the same level of formality used for nobility allowed her to gradually adjust and become comfortable.

"I never expected the Bai Region to have someone with such remarkable skills hidden away," the Second Prince remarked. Yueqian immediately responded modestly.

"My skills aren’t that great, Your Highness. I merely know a few basic healing techniques by chance."

"Oh! I can’t believe you’d say that. I heard that when Representative Jin criticized you previously, you stood up to him fearlessly. Why are you now downplaying it as mere luck? It seems like you’re not the real Furen Mu," the Second Prince teased. Yueqian glanced at the royal physicians of the Hu Region, who were laughing heartily, while Representatives Jin and Ma shook their heads in exasperation.

"Your Highness, when will you stop teasing me about this?" Representative Jin asked regretfully, which only made the others laugh even louder.

"Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore. But Furen Mu, as long as you have the skills, there’s no need to hide them. Here, we appreciate talented individuals, especially in our medical unit. As long as you have the abilities, you won’t be looked down upon, even if you are a woman," the prince said openly. Hearing this, Yueqian felt very happy.

She turned to look at Mu Heng, who was seated behind her with their son, who had been granted special permission to be there. If it were any other child, there might have been some issues, but their little son, who was just over a year old, was very well-behaved. He knew when to play and when to be quiet. Even Prince Jing and Prince Tang were influenced by him.

The two of them followed as the boy’s guardians, calling Xihao “Big Brother” while referring to themselves as “Second Brother” and “Little Brother.” It seemed rather odd to others, but when Jing Ziyang explained that “Big Brother” was a title for the strongest, and “Little Brother” was the supportive role with potential for future strength, everyone just laughed fondly.

No one believed that little Xihao could have such remarkable abilities, but the Mu family understood this very well.

Despite being just over a year old, Xihao had absorbed a wealth of knowledge from the principal wife. In the future, he was likely to become a physician like her, though his abilities were expected to surpass hers. Many who had encountered mysterious issues that the principal wife couldn’t resolve because they weren’t physical ailments found that it was the young master of the Mu manor who succeeded in addressing them.

Some said it was because he had been raised by a monk who taught him well. However, little did they know that the monk hadn’t even started teaching him yet. Moreover... the monk didn’t possess the third eye like Xihao did.

Even now, as the boy’s eyes scanned the surroundings, it seemed like he was observing something, but in reality, he was commanding the spirits that had become his servants, drawn to the offerings he made during rituals, to gather intelligence within the royal palace of the Hu Region.

For the safety of his family and mother, Xihao intended to become stronger than her, becoming a pillar of strength she could rely on, repaying her love and care since his infancy.

"Is this your son, Furen Mu?" Representative Jin asked. He didn’t want to dwell on past events any longer, and to avoid being teased by others, he turned his attention to Yueqian.

"Yes."

"Oh, he seems to be a very smart child. His eyes are quite perceptive, but there seems to be something unusual about his perception. For children, proper teaching is essential. I’ve seen people with a distant gaze like his before, and they eventually..."

"Official Jin!" As the middle-aged man was speaking with enthusiasm, the Second Prince’s voice suddenly interrupted, his tone completely transformed. From being a warm and playful prince, he turned into someone stern and intimidating.

"Y-Your Highness," Representative Jin realized his mistake and immediately shut his mouth. The faces of everyone else turned pale. Yueqian could only watch their strange reactions in silence.

"Let’s not waste any more time. To welcome Furen Mu, our Hu Region has organized a small banquet, which includes some knowledge exchanges. So, shall we head there now? Is that alright with you, Your Highness?" Representative Ma, sensing the tension in the air, interjected to break the tense atmosphere.

Representative Jin and the others quickly seized this escape route, immediately supporting Representative Ma’s suggestion. The Second Prince could only sigh, unable to express his anger. After all, these people didn’t mean to offend "that person."

"Alright, let’s go then," the Second Prince said, trying to restore normalcy, though it was not good enough as the heavy mood was still palpable.

Yueqian pretended not to have heard the previous conversation, but Xihao frowned, seemingly having picked up on something from the exchange.

The entire group proceeded to the grandly organized event, where scholars and knowledgeable individuals gathered. Representatives from other Regions were also present. Since the event was just beginning, the Emperor had not yet arrived to present awards or observe the outcomes. However, many princes and princesses were in attendance.

These individuals, like the Second Prince, were the Emperor’s less favored children. The responsibility of welcoming foreign envoys had been delegated to them. Although they held no real power and had no right to aspire to the throne, many chose to align themselves with others who could, all in the hope of gaining merit later on. In the meantime, they also ensured they had protectors.

Unlike the Second Prince, who had no interest in such matters, he wished to work for the medical team. Previously, many had tried to recruit him into their factions, but he made it clear that he wanted no involvement in politics. Every conversation he had was solely about healing and medicine. Eventually, everyone gave up and let him live his life like any other royal physician. Even the Emperor almost forgot he was his own son, often referring to him as "Physician Ling."

"Up ahead is the potion-making contest to earn points. As long as you successfully make the potion, you’ll earn points. There are seven topics for this contest. Many choose to make potions for two or three topics to earn points confidently. If you choose a difficult topic and waste the herbs, you’ll lose points."

"For each topic, you can earn 10 points. If you choose a topic and fail, you lose 10 points. To avoid ending up with negative points, you must be careful in your selections."

Representative Jin continued explaining to Yueqian and the group. Despite Representative Ma’s earlier summary, the detailed rules seemed well thought out. Allowing participants to choose their work freely prevented complaints of unfairness. Some might be quick but produce low-quality potions, so it was better to lay out the topics openly and have them complete the tasks. The final scores could then be tallied all at once.

"The morning quiz contest has already concluded. We must wait several hours for the noon session. In the meantime, you can either start making potions or answer leftover questions. Each activity earns points, and the one with the most points at the end receives the reward."

"Understood," Yueqian thanked Representative Jin for his guidance. By now, others had begun their tests, waiting for the noon session, which promised to be the largest as many were eager to participate.

The Second Prince, being a royal physician, joined the senior members in reviewing the questions. Some questions came from commoners who faced problems and sought advice on how to take care of themselves. These questions were checked by experts, and the best answers were selected for actual treatments.

Yueqian walked around, reviewing the questions and writing her responses on the board. In this contest, there was no need to fear plagiarism. If someone had a good answer, they could write it down. If others copied, it would be noted as subsequent entries, and they wouldn’t earn points.

Many chose to read others’ answers first. If they found the answer complete and aligned with their knowledge, they wouldn’t add anything, as it would be a waste of time. However, if they disagreed, they could write their name and add their answer.

Xihao walked alongside his mother, reading the various answers with expertise. He came across a question that piqued his interest.

"Mother, may I answer this?" Young Xihao asked. He noticed that someone had already answered this question, but it differed from what his mother had taught him.

Yueqian looked at the short question, which was about a common ailment. Many had glanced at it and moved on, assuming the existing answer was correct. However, Xihao had spotted the mistake and didn’t hesitate to provide his answer.

She glanced at the committee standing nearby and asked.

"Are there any restrictions on who can provide answers?"

"No, but..."

"Understood," Yueqian knew what they were about to say—a young child, barely old enough to walk, wanting to answer questions? They must have thought it was a joke! However, Yueqian wasn’t about to let them continue. She had taught her son herself, so how could she not know if he was capable of answering such simple questions?

"Oh, who do we have here? The famed individual from the Bai Region, who saved Representative Ma’s life. I always wondered what kind of person you were, but I never expected someone so frivolous," as her little Xihao was diligently writing his answer with the earnestness of a young child...

The greeting from behind ma caught Yueqian’s attention, causing her to turn around. She didn’t know anyone here and knew it wasn’t wise to make enemies. However, the tone and words were blatantly disrespectful, making it impossible to consider this person a friend.

"And you are...?" Yueqian asked. The other person smirked before replying.

"Oh, I am Yi Dai, brother-in-law of Official Ma and uncle to Ma Hong," the other party introduced himself arrogantly. He was with a medical team from another region under the Hu Region’s supervision. Yueqian noticed he was accompanied by another prince who had likely separated to review the questions to avoid competing for points.

However, she hadn’t expected the man to approach her so openly. The beautiful woman thought for a moment, but ultimately, she understood his hatred well.If it weren’t for her... would his sister, who was on her way to success, have been condemned to death? Moreover, his nephew’s path, which had been paved with rose petals, was ruined because of her. It was no wonder he was so furious!