“Then did you ask…”
“I asked, but she’s set her heart on participating in the Imperial Examination. We don’t have a chance.”
Yun Wei spoke up immediately, cutting her father off as if she knew exactly what he was going to say.
“Did you tell her we’re the Yun family of the Capital? The conditions we can offer are definitely better than the Imperial Academy of Medicine, which she’s working so hard to squeeze into.”
Who didn’t know that being near a ruler was like being near a tiger?
The current Empress’s emotions were volatile, and the current Grand Princess was a total medicine jar, suffering from a minor illness every three days and a major one every ten.
In the four years since the Wangshu era name was established, more than 100 Imperial Physicians had been executed by the Imperial Academy of Medicine for ineffective treatments or lack of skill.
In comparison, the death rate of joining the army at the border was much lower than the death rate of practicing medicine in the Imperial Academy of Medicine.
“I told her, but she’s unwilling. We can’t exactly kidnap her and bring her back, can we?”
Though Yun Wei was tempted, she wasn’t some dissolute noble daughter who couldn’t wait to bring a beauty back to her bedroom the moment she saw one.
“Then what is she after? Does she want to become the first person in history to succeed in the New Imperial Selection, or the first woman? If she’s truly seeking fame and fortune, that would indeed be enough to go down in the history books.”
“She said…”
Yun Wei spoke subconsciously, but the words were swallowed back down the moment they reached her lips.
Because of what Shen Yu had said — especially the line, “Only I can cure the Grand Princess’s illness” — Yun Wei didn’t dare speak plainly to her father.
To put it mildly, it was arrogance; to put it harshly, it was a path to certain death…
A stubborn disease that countless Imperial Physicians couldn’t solve even at the cost of their lives and the Extermination of Three Generations…
Shen Yu was, to put it bluntly, a slip of a girl in her early twenties.
What right did she have?
The spit from those civil officials and censors alone could drown her.
“Never mind, it’s nothing, Father. We’ve rested long enough. Let’s set off and return to the Capital quickly.”
“Her Majesty’s New Imperial Selection won’t be that simple. I’ll keep a close eye on it. If she fails her attempt, I’ll try to recruit her into our family then.”
Yun Wei glanced at the closed guest room door on the second floor and subconsciously pursed her lips.
“Let’s go back.”
“Mhm, put more heart into it, daughter. Your body is also weak. Father would feel more at ease having a female physician help nourish your health. Since that’s the case, let’s hurry back to the Capital. Her Majesty still needs to summon me to discuss calming the bandit troubles at the border.”
“Fighting bandits is much easier than fighting those Barbarians. When the time comes, Father will take you along to gain some experience.”
***
After the Yun father and daughter left, late night soon arrived.
Shen Yu, feeling refreshed after an early bath, was currently sitting by the bed flipping through her Medicinal Herbs Notebook by the dim light of an oil lamp.
This was the crystallization of Shen Yu’s hard work over the years since arriving here, and her ultimate understanding of all the medicinal herbs in this world.
This notebook didn’t just represent Shen Yu’s heart and soul; it had saved many lives at the border.
Thus, whenever she had a moment of leisure, Shen Yu would hurry to refine it.
‘I need to make a nebulizer. Although the medicinal effect will be a bit weaker, it will definitely be fine for saving lives.’
Shen Yu held a brush in her hand.
Her skin, beautiful like mutton-fat jade, was faintly visible under her light gauze nightgown, a dazzling presence even in the dim room.
“Sister!”
Just as Shen Yu was thinking seriously with her brush in hand, Yin Qiu cautiously approached with an envelope.
“What’s this?”
Shen Yu’s train of thought was interrupted.
Seeing Yin Qiu’s cautious and slightly conflicted appearance, it was clear she was terrified of disturbing her, yet she had no choice but to deliver the letter.
“I don’t know. A masked woman gave it to me.”
“Huh? A masked woman? Haven’t you been in the room this whole time?”
Shen Yu was somewhat surprised.
“Yeah… so she climbed through the window to bring the letter in. You were thinking about something very seriously at the time, Sister, so you didn’t notice her. She also said I had to give this letter to you right away.”