Grand Tutor Fu had a son and a daughter.
His son was a general, and his daughter was the empress... Yet fate was cruel, and the white-haired man had to bury his black-haired children, as both passed away far too soon.
But amidst the misfortune, there was a small blessing—both left behind descendants.
That year, Grand Tutor Fu simultaneously gained a grandson and a granddaughter.
The grandson was raised in the Fu Residence, but the granddaughter was born in the imperial palace... only to pass away that very night.
Few knew of this tragedy. Later, when the younger granddaughter was born, the people of Great Yan believed the empress had only given birth to one princess—Yan Muling.
The arrival of the younger generation somewhat eased the sorrow in the Fu Residence. Grand Tutor Fu devoted himself to raising the two grandchildren. Fu Yan'an excelled in the imperial examinations and enjoyed a smooth career in government, while Yan Muling, cherished by the emperor, lived a carefree life.
But then disaster struck.
The old khan of the grasslands led a hundred thousand cavalry to repeatedly test the borders between the two nations, growing increasingly bold—burning, killing, and pillaging without restraint.
He issued a demand: Princess Muling must be sent to the grasslands for a political marriage, or he would refuse to withdraw his forces, plunging the two nations into war.
If war broke out, the soldiers would bear the brunt of the fighting, and the common people would suffer the most.
The weight of Great Yan’s fate fell entirely on the shoulders of his granddaughter. Grand Tutor Fu was so consumed by worry that he lay awake night after night.
Then, not long after, his granddaughter vanished without a trace, and to this day, there had been no news of her.
Recently, Fu Yan'an was promoted to Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. The tension that had kept Grand Tutor Fu going finally loosened, and with that release, he fell gravely ill.
Fu Yan'an was, without exaggeration, one in ten thousand—a rare talent in all of Great Yan.
From childhood, he had been diligent, studious, and hardworking, becoming only the second person in the Great Yan dynasty to achieve the "Triple Crown" in imperial examinations—the first being the current prime minister, who had earned the title of top scholar twenty years prior.
Fu Yan'an had an innate curiosity, often delving deep into matters even in his youth. Now that he worked in the Court of Judicial Review, this tendency only intensified.
After Yan Muling’s disappearance, Fu Yan'an had been quietly investigating the matter.
The Mute Girl knew little about the Fu family’s affairs, but that wasn’t a major issue.
From the young men she had overheard earlier, she learned that Fu Yan'an took the search for physicians to treat his grandparents very seriously. However, his official duties could not be neglected, so healers wishing to enter the Fu Residence now had to queue.
If there were many applicants, Fu Yan'an would set aside a full day to personally assess them.
If there were few, he would wait until more gathered before conducting the evaluations.
Clearly, fooling Fu Yan'an would not be easy.
Hearing this, the Mute Girl grew uneasy.
"So this assessment..." Wouldn’t it quickly eliminate them?
After all, Jiu Yue had admitted she didn’t understand medicine.
"Ah, not necessarily!" Jiu Yue sniffed, entirely unbothered. "We’ll play it by ear when the time comes. If all else fails, there’s always the last resort!"
She knew nothing about healing, but she had mastered the art of smooth-talking!
Besides, gaining the Fu family’s recognition was just the ideal path. If that proved impossible, she could always produce the keepsake—let them doubt her if they must. She had nothing to hide!
Still, if there was a chance, Jiu Yue wanted to try. Trust was best established before suspicion took root.
The Mute Girl was stunned by her optimism.
Honestly, she had never met someone so self-assured.
But... there was some logic to it. It wasn’t as if they were completely out of options.
Her spirits lifted, and she happily served Jiu Yue more food.
"You must be hungry—go on, try this."
The next day, the two went to the Fu Residence.
At the sight of the long lines outside, Jiu Yue briefly felt like she was queuing for free meals... Ahem.
She shook her head, stood on tiptoe, and examined the signs at the front of each line—these were instructions for registration.
Physicians could choose their queue based on experience... namely, how many years they had practiced.
The leftmost table, manned by a servant, had no one in line. When Jiu Yue asked, she was told this was for those with over a decade of experience.
Jiu Yue: "...My mistake."
This was clearly the VIP lane!
Moving right, she saw most applicants had three to five years of experience, while a fair number of younger ones with less than a year were there mostly to observe.
So Jiu Yue adjusted her veil and, with an air of mystery, led the Mute Girl to the last line.
Though they might not even meet anyone from the Fu family, the Mute Girl had insisted on dressing Jiu Yue properly—after all, this was her maternal family! There had to be some ceremony to it!
Jiu Yue didn’t object, only requesting she look the part of a healer.
Thus, the usually ruggedly dressed Jiu Yue now wore an ethereal white gown. A plain veil covered her face as she stood straight in line, the occasional breeze fluttering the hem of her robe, which she ignored... Her entire demeanor exuded serene elegance, a stark contrast to the other young hopefuls around her.
Those standing near her even lowered their voices.
She gave off the aura of a hidden master!
The Mute Girl straightened her posture, determined not to drag Jiu Yue down.
Meanwhile, the "master" herself was busy lecturing her system: "No slacking! Study harder—don’t just memorize, understand the deeper meaning. If there’s a written test or Q&A, I’m counting on you!"
System: "..."
Was this its job?!
Jiu Yue wasn’t idle either.
She was reviewing The Art of Smooth-Talking, having distilled its essence into two words: Confidence!
Or, more elaborately: Speak nonsense with absolute confidence!
Jiu Yue committed this to heart as the line inched forward, soon reaching her turn.
The servant was momentarily stunned by the woman before him. Through the veil, he glimpsed a face both indistinct and strikingly beautiful, forgetting to look away.
Then those calm eyes met his.
He jolted back to reality, flustered.
"My apologies for the impropriety, young mistress." He nearly toppled from his seat.
"No matter." Jiu Yue waved a hand lazily. "Kindly proceed with the registration."
The servant nodded eagerly, carefully noting her details before asking, "Might I ask where you hail from?"
Jiu Yue paused. "Does the Fu Residence investigate its physicians so thoroughly?"
"No, no, you misunderstand!" he hurried to explain. "This is on the young master’s orders. Knowing many healers travel far to treat the grand tutor, some may be unfamiliar with the capital. The residence offers lodging—if you don’t mind, you may stay with us."
Jiu Yue arched a brow.
Fu Yan'an knew how to handle things.
Lodging was covered, so meals surely were too.
And since assessments were held within three days, those unqualified would leave quickly—hardly a financial burden.
A considerate arrangement indeed.
"I see." Jiu Yue smiled faintly. "Then please add that to the record."
Well, that was convenient.
