"What? County Princess Linghui solved my Eighteen Arhats puzzle in just an hour?" Cui Zhengyang, who was sitting on the kang bed drinking his medicine, looked at Song Shixue in astonishment.
Song Shixue placed the pulse pillow back into her medical box. "Yes, it only took her an hour. My older sister also said she would reassemble it today, mentioning that putting it back together is harder than taking it apart."
Cui Zhengyang sat there in a daze, unable to believe it. To think someone could actually solve the Eighteen Arhats puzzle he had made, and in merely an hour at that.
After staring blankly for a long while, Cui Zhengyang got down from the bed.
He slipped on his shoes, walked over to the bookshelf, and took out a twenty-four-pillar puzzle lock from the bottom drawer, handing it to Song Shixue.
"This is a twenty-four-pillar puzzle lock I made. It's a bit more complex than the Eighteen Arhats one. Could I trouble Second Miss Song to pass this on to the County Princess?"
Song Shixue took the twenty-four-pillar lock and examined it from all angles. This thing definitely wouldn't stump her sister.
"Young Master Cui, my sister knows how to build hydraulic waterwheels and even wheelchairs, which are no simpler than this creation of yours. I really don't think this will be difficult for her."
Cui Zhengyang felt a bit dealt a blow by Song Shixue's blunt words. This was something he had spent several years figuring out.
"Second Miss Song, just take it back with you. If the County Princess solves it, I will figure out an even harder one."
Song Shixue placed the twenty-four-pillar lock into her medical box.
"Your priority right now is to recover. The metropolitan examination begins in just ten days, and I promised my brother and Young Master Dongfang that I would cure you."
Cui Zhengyang returned to the bed and covered his lower half with a blanket. "Second Miss Song's medical skills are exquisite. My body already feels much better than yesterday."
Song Shixue said, "You let your cold drag on for too long, and it has already damaged your lungs. Over the next two days, your body's reactions will be quite pronounced."
"A sore throat, fever, full-body aches, and fatigue are all normal symptoms. Make sure to rest plenty and maintain a light diet. I will come back in two days."
Cui Zhengyang nodded. "Thank you very much, Second Miss Song."
"Mo Chen, see Second Miss Song out."
In the Imperial Academy of Medicine, Gu Jupu sat in his room, pondering how to send away the imperial physician responsible for conducting the routine health checkups for those fourteen concubines.
There were numerous concubines in the palace but few imperial physicians. With routine checkups required every half a month, each physician had to take charge of dozens of concubines.
Especially those of the lowest ranks, they were often assigned to the most junior physicians. These fourteen individuals were all handled by the same physician.
After a while, Gu Jupu stood up and headed to the Imperial Dispensary.
Seeing Gu Jupu enter, the Apothecary Official immediately stood up and walked out to welcome him.
"Why has Director Gu come in person? If you need any medicine, just send someone to let us know, and I would personally deliver it."
Gu Jupu clasped his hands behind his back and said sternly, "I am not here to fetch medicine. Where is your Director Sha? I have official business with him."
The Apothecary Official brought out a chair for Gu Jupu to sit. "Director Gu, please wait a moment. I will go call for him right away."
Before long, the head of the Imperial Dispensary hurried over.
After the two sat down in the room, Gu Jupu spoke to him, "Has the matter of the Imperial Dispensary sending personnel out of the palace to procure supplies this year been finalized? When will they depart?"
The head of the Imperial Dispensary fixed his gaze on Gu Jupu, wondering why he would ask this. In the past, the Imperial Academy of Medicine never interfered in such matters.
Nevertheless, he answered truthfully, "It has been settled. The head eunuch in charge of procurement will leave the palace tomorrow. Does Your Excellency wish to purchase some medicinal herbs?"
Gu Jupu lightly stroked his beard and nodded.
"The Empress in the palace is unwell. I need a batch of top-quality thousand-year-old ginseng to use in her medicine. I fear the procurement officers might buy inferior goods, so for this trip, I wish to dispatch an imperial physician to accompany them."
The head of the Imperial Dispensary furrowed his brows.
The ginseng typically purchased for the palace ranged from thirty to two hundred years old. A batch of thousand-year-old ginseng was far too high a demand.
According to custom, procuring expensive medicinal materials with special requirements indeed necessitated the accompaniment of someone from the Imperial Academy of Medicine; otherwise, a mistaken purchase could cause disastrous delays.
"May I ask which imperial physician Your Excellency intends to send?"
Gu Jupu replied, "Imperial Physician Jiao Siqiao."
The head of the Imperial Dispensary nodded. "In that case, let Imperial Physician Jiao set out tomorrow alongside the head eunuch in charge of procurement. However, the journey is long, and this trip will likely be very exhausting."
Gu Jupu said, "Imperial Physician Jiao is still young and a rising star in the Imperial Academy of Medicine. It is only right that he gains some experience. Enduring a little hardship is nothing."
After returning to the Imperial Academy of Medicine, Gu Jupu reached out and tapped twice on Jiao Siqiao's desk. "Follow me inside."
Completely baffled, Jiao Siqiao put down what he was holding and followed Gu Jupu into the room.
Gu Jupu instructed, "Close the door."
Jiao Siqiao's heart began to drum. What matter required closing the door to speak with him alone?
Standing in front of the desk, Jiao Siqiao felt a numb tingling all over from being stared at so intently.
"Tomorrow, the people from the Imperial Dispensary will leave the palace to procure medicinal herbs. This time, you will go with them."
Jiao Siqiao pointed at himself in disbelief. "Me? Leave the palace to buy medicine?"
Gu Jupu nodded. "I need a batch of premium thousand-year-old ginseng. The eyes of those in the Imperial Dispensary are not discerning enough. Only if you go will I feel at ease."
Jiao Siqiao's heart instantly bloomed with joy. He hadn't expected Director Gu to trust him so much.
"Rest assured, Director. I will definitely handle this matter flawlessly."
On second thought, he looked a bit troubled. "Director, this month's routine pulse checkups have not yet been completed. Since I will be away from the palace for a long time, do the tasks on my hands need to be handed over to another imperial physician?"
Gu Jupu said nonchalantly, "Write down the tasks that need to be done and hand the paper to me. I will arrange the rest. Just focus on your departure."
A bit agitated with excitement, Jiao Siqiao cupped his hands and bowed to Gu Jupu. "Thank you, Director. On this trip, I will certainly not disappoint your expectations."
In the evening, before leaving the palace, Jiao Siqiao organized the tasks on his hands and handed them over to Gu Jupu.
Looking at the thick stack in his hands, Gu Jupu frowned in dismay.
Flipping through it casually, there was a massive pile of matters. Just the concubines he was responsible for numbered thirty, and all the ones with the lowest statuses were assigned to him.
The next day, after Jiao Siqiao had set off, Gu Jupu called Imperial Physician Xu before him.
"Imperial Physician Jiao has left the palace to procure medicinal herbs and will not return in the short term. A portion of the concubines under his care will be temporarily entrusted to you."
Gu Jupu gave him fifteen, keeping the remaining fifteen to handle personally. Among those, fourteen were the exact individuals Song Jinzhao had specifically named.
In the afternoon, faced with Gu Jupu personally taking their pulses, these fifteen concubines were all astounded. Given their status, how could they be worthy of having the Director of the Imperial Academy of Medicine treat them?
Only upon asking did they learn that it was because Imperial Physician Jiao was not in the palace, so Gu Jupu was temporarily stepping in to help.
When the other imperial physicians found out, they all praised Gu Jupu for being considerate of his subordinates, taking the burden upon himself instead of delegating it to others.
Some even ran up to Gu Jupu to volunteer their services, but he rejected them all.
Sitting in his chair, Imperial Physician Xu was deeply puzzled. Why had he given none to anyone else, yet specifically handed fifteen over to him?
He quietly asked another imperial physician sitting next to him, "Did I somehow offend the Director?"
His colleague patted his shoulder encouragingly and said, "How could that be? The Director entrusting this task solely to you shows that he values you. Others couldn't get it even if they wanted to."
Imperial Physician Xu thought about it and felt that made sense; otherwise, why didn't he seek out someone else?
Last time at the Duke of Zhenguo's estate, only he and Director Gu had witnessed the entire surgical procedure with their own eyes.
Ever since then, he really did start talking to her more often, and his demeanor became much gentler than before. This must mean he truly valued her.
