Strongly Spoiled by the Villainous Tyrant After Climbing into the Dragon’s Bed - Chapter 14

Under the Imperial Academy of Medicine, there were the Imperial Pharmacy, the Huimin Bureau, the Pharmaceutical Department, and the Raw Medicinal Herb Warehouse.

The Ning Dynasty placed great importance on medicine, the military, education, and the people. Therefore, the Head of the Academy held the rank of First Grade. The current Head, Shi Rendong, was an eccentric and upright man who despised the incompetent above all else.

In the fifth year of Xuan Ning, Shi Rendong proposed the establishment of the “Xinglin Academy” to train medical apprentices. He divided these practitioners into nine grades. Each grade required an examination; those who passed were awarded an identity plaque and sent to local medical clinics, the military, or prisons.

Those above the Fifth Grade of Xinglin who possessed extraordinary medical skills and met the residency requirements for the capital could remain in the city as Imperial Physicians, holding the rank of Fifth Grade officials.

Those below the Fifth Grade—such as the Ninth Grade Xinglin—would go to manors in various fiefdoms to treat the working commoners.

The First Grade Xinglin held the qualification to enter the Imperial Academy of Medicine directly, were assigned corresponding official posts, and diagnosed the Emperor himself.

Xinglin practitioners between the First and Fifth grades could enter the Huimin Bureau within the capital to treat the public.

In the southeastern part of the capital stood a cluster of low buildings arranged like fish scales, from which a thick medicinal fragrance wafted for half a mile. This area was known as the “Xinglin District,” and the Imperial Academy of Medicine was located within it.

“So, what I’m participating in is the entrance examination for the Xinglin Academy?!” In front of the Xinglin Academy, inside a carriage, Zhan Yueqing spoke out in surprise. “I thought I could…”

“No.” Jun Yushu knew what he was going to say. “A physician must have a benevolent heart. Shi Rendong is extremely strict about this. He absolutely will not allow quacks to mix in and harm lives. There is no such thing as using silver to buy a Xinglin plaque. Did you think I was joking when I said my friend failed eighty-one times trying to become a First Grade Xinglin?”

Zhan Yueqing: “…”

It turned out that when Tan Huairan said the Imperial Academy was hard to enter, he meant it.

He frowned, feeling a bit troubled. “How old are the people in the Xinglin Academy? Won’t it be strange for me to go in?”

“The oldest are thirty, and the youngest are fifteen.” Jun Yushu looked at him with a hint of schadenfreude. “Otherwise, if you’re too young, the people won’t trust you. Only the requirements for military doctors are slightly lower—the entrance exam for those specializing as military medics is easier.”

Zhan Yueqing remained silent.

Jun Yushu looked at him, unable to understand why, given how much the Emperor favored him, he didn’t just stay in the harem. The quality of food and clothing in the palace was something certain low-level officials wouldn’t see in a lifetime.

“Actually, getting in is quite simple; it’s advancing further inside that’s hard. My friend wanted to test for First Grade and failed,” Jun Yushu added, not wanting to see him discouraged. “Since you were so confident before, admission shouldn’t be a problem. It’s just that the rank of Imperial Physician requires being Fifth Grade or higher. The Fifth Grade exam takes over ten days and covers many subjects. You might not pass it for the time being.”

Zhan Yueqing felt strangely that these words sounded a bit sarcastic and let out a sigh.

In the modern era, he had been scouted by a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) doctor at a neighboring pharmacy when he was seven. He had been in contact with the field since then.

Later, he went through nine years of compulsory education. However, for certain reasons, even though he was accepted into a prestigious university, he didn’t go. Instead, he entered the Tan family.

While undergoing his compulsory education, he had been self-studying TCM under his neighbor’s guidance. He had been praised by several practitioners for his intuition, possessed a vast amount of knowledge, and had practical experience. However, he understood that things here were ultimately different from the modern world.

Not to mention, he had to pass the scrutiny of this Academy Head who sounded very difficult to deal with.

Did Tan Huai send me here to finish university? Zhan Yueqing murmured, “But if I can’t even get in, isn’t it all for nothing?”

Jun Yushu didn’t hear him clearly. “What did you say?”

Zhan Yueqing exhaled. “Forget it. I’ll take the test first.”

Jun Yushu gave him a thumbs up. “Great perseverance!”

Zhan Yueqing glanced at him. “Sarcastic.”

Jun Yushu rubbed his head, the red mole under his eye squinting as he smiled. “How so?”

They stepped down from the carriage.

Inside the Xinglin Academy, a bustling crowd had gathered.

The admission was divided into three trials: Identifying Herbs, Understanding Pharmacology, and Pulse Diagnosis.

The First Trial: The examinee must identify one hundred types of medicinal herbs within the duration of three sticks of incense, writing them down on a scroll for the examiners to verify.

The Second Trial: The examinee must write down the efficacy of the herbs and which illnesses they are used for.

The Third Trial: The examinee will perform pulse diagnosis on twenty patients and write corresponding prescriptions, with the examiners grading them based on accuracy.

“Brother Chen, do you think you can pass this time?” A candidate leaned on his friend. “The herbs the Academy Head puts out are different every year. Identifying a hundred types in three sticks of incense is harder than climbing to heaven.”

The candidate named Chen smiled bitterly. “If I don’t pass this time, I’m giving up.”

“Don’t do that! This is only your second time. I’ve done it eight times!”

“What’s eight times? I’ve done it dozens of times!” another candidate in the courtyard added indignantly. “And don’t you think there’s a problem with the way Head Shi sets this up? Identifying a hundred herbs in three sticks of incense! And those herbs are all dried. To me, they all feel and smell the same anyway…”

“If you can’t pass after dozens of times, you should reflect on whether you should choose another path!” an old, stern voice shouted, piercing through the noisy crowd. “There are only nine thousand types of herbs in total. I only asked you to recognize a hundred—that is already a mercy!”

The complaining candidate hadn’t expected his casual venting to draw the Academy Head’s attention. He immediately wished he could bury himself in the ground.

Zhan Yueqing was startled and looked up.

Walking out from the ancient-style building was a man with the face of a youth but hair as white as a crane’s. He wore the crimson robes of the First Grade. His long hair was tied up, and he looked to be about fifty years old. His face, marked by time, had some wrinkles, yet his complexion glowed with a healthy ruddy hue.

“That is Shi Rendong,” Jun Yushu whispered a reminder. “I saw him once in the palace with His Majesty when I was a child. Back then, he was even fierce toward the Late Emperor; he fears nothing. Look, do you see the cane he’s leaning on?”

Zhan Yueqing blinked and indeed saw a cane held under Shi Rendong’s wide sleeves.

“What’s with the cane?” Zhan Yueqing whispered back into Jun Yushu’s ear.

“Shi Rendong isn’t lame or blind. That cane is for hitting people. It’s called the ‘Staff of Virtue.’ No matter who you are, if you are wrong in front of him, you get hit.”

Zhan Yueqing: “…”

What a way to “convince people with virtue.”

“But he loves talent, especially those gifted in pharmacology,” Jun Yushu continued. “Look at the three students behind him.”

Zhan Yueqing moved a couple of steps silently and finally saw three young people standing behind Shi Rendong.

One in green, one in white, one in red.

“The one in the green robe with the white jade earrings is Bai Tingyu. She’s the daughter of Lord Bai from the Ministry of Rites. She’s about twenty-five this year? But she’s already a Third Grade Xinglin.”

Bai Tingyu’s expression was cold, and her voice was like an ancient zither—long and resonating. “There is one quarter-hour left before the Hour of the Snake (9:00 AM). The First Trial is about to begin. Candidates, please enter the courtyard.”

Zhan Yueqing looked. Not bad, quite cool.

Wait? Daughter?

“A girl?” Zhan Yueqing was somewhat surprised.

Jun Yushu nodded and said, “The two in red and white are twins. Those two are male and look identical. The one in red is Ji Honghu, and the one in white is Ji Moyu. Both are Sixth Grade Xinglin, but they’re young—only seventeen.”

Zhan Yueqing memorized their faces. He was about to say thank you when his shoulder was shoved.

The person was likely doing it on purpose; the force was unchecked. Zhan Yueqing was caught off guard and stumbled toward Jun Yushu—

“Qin Rui! What are you doing!”

Anger appeared on Jun Yushu’s face as he steadied Zhan Yueqing.

Zhan Yueqing hadn’t seen such childish antics in a long time. He looked up and saw a tall, sturdy man with slightly yellowish skin and a face full of malice.

“I should be asking what you are doing here. Instead of staying at your Jun residence, what are you doing at the Xingchun Academy?” Qin Rui rolled his eyes sarcastically. “What? Are you taking the Xinglin exam too? Can you even pass?”

Jun Yushu’s sword-like brows furrowed. Not wishing to argue, he pulled Zhan Yueqing into the courtyard, ignoring him.

“Who is that?” Zhan Yueqing whispered.

“The son of Lord Qin from the Ministry of Justice, named Qin Rui. He’s also taking the Xinglin exam this time, but he’s testing for military doctor.”

Zhan Yueqing: “Is his medical skill very impressive?”

“No.” Jun Yushu raised an eyebrow. “If it were impressive, he wouldn’t be testing for military doctor. Let’s get inside quickly. By the way, your examinee name is Jun Yueqing—using my father’s surname.”

Zhan Yueqing nodded.

…

“The Hour of the Snake has arrived. Candidates, enter the courtyard—”

On the first floor of Xingchun Academy, as far as the eye could see, there were over a dozen small tables on the left. Each table was covered with a black cloth, from under which a thick herbal scent emanated.

On the right sat Shi Rendong and several grading examiners.

Shi Rendong looked at the three unlit incense sticks in front of him and glanced into the crowd.

The courtyard wasn’t very large. It could only accommodate one examinee at a time, and the examinee had to remain silent throughout the process until they sat down to write all the herb names.

“Second Young Master of the Jun family, Jun Yueqing. You go first.”

Shi Rendong suddenly spoke.

Zhan Yueqing hadn’t expected to be the first one and looked up in surprise.

Whispers broke out among the crowd.

“Where did the Jun family get a Second Young Master?”

“Who is this?”

“A parachute candidate? I don’t recall this name on the previously announced list.”

“Parachuting is useless. It’s real skill that’s tested. If he can actually pass, I’ll admit defeat no matter who he is.”

“Exactly. Remember the Fifth Young Master of the Su family last time? He was also a parachute. He messed up during the exam and was cursed out by Shi Rendong to his face, told to get lost and go back home to start over!”

…

Listening to these voices of doubt, Zhan Yueqing looked at the old man not far away.

Shi Rendong was also looking at Zhan Yueqing.

He had lived half a life and hated nothing more than cheating and those who held positions without merit.

Last night, Tan Huairan had sent someone to deliver a message, using both threats and inducements to get this child named Zhan Yueqing promoted directly to Third Grade Xinglin.

Others feared the Tyrant, but Shi Rendong did not. He felt an immediate, intense disgust, returned the petition, and even wrote a few lines scolding Tan Huairan in the notes.

He thought Tan Huairan had truly gone senile from taking painkillers for too many years!

He had forgotten his principle of “a physician’s benevolent heart” once again!

“Teacher,” Zhan Yueqing spoke. The youth’s voice was clear and transparent, like the morning sun.

It did not sound like the “kidney-deficient and debauched” voice Shi Rendong had expected.

“Could you give me a hair ribbon?”

Everyone in the field was startled. What is he doing?

Shi Rendong frowned, his tone extremely unpleasant. “What do you want a hair ribbon for?”

Zhan Yueqing’s thin lips parted slightly: “Naturally, to identify the herbs while blindfolded.”

This time, it wasn’t just the candidates staring. Even the examiners, Bai Tingyu, and the Ji brothers looked over.

System 997 couldn’t help but speak up: 【What are you doing?】

Zhan Yueqing replied in his mind: “Shi Rendong loves talent. I want to catch his attention.”

997: 【Nonsense. I’m asking if you can actually pass. Do you really know those herbs?】

Zhan Yueqing chuckled softly. “Now I believe that you System Management people really never checked my past.”

997: 【I never had the authority. The headquarters just said you are prone to being spoiled and arrogant. By the way—three sticks of incense is nearly an hour; I’ll count it as an hour for you. Didn’t you use three days of vision to trade for that dirt on the Tyrant earlier? How about I make you truly blind for one hour? That way, you’ll have seventy-one hours of blindness left.】

Zhan Yueqing: “…”

997 continued: 【You’re just feeling around blindly while covered anyway, might as well be truly blind—OK, silence is consent.】

Zhan Yueqing: “???”