Smiling Under Lanter Chapter 288 - 118 Little Pei

Chapter 288: Chapter 118 Little Pei

Convinced that Lu Tong ca from a mysterious background, with ancestral dical volus passed down in his family, Miao Liangfang had inquired a few tis to no avail and eventually let it go. Ultimately, his goal was to get Lu Tong into the Hanlin dical Institute, but as things stood now—

Sighing, Miao Liangfang said, "Miss, with this approach, it’s impossible for you to enter the Hanlin dical Institute."

He tactfully hinted, "The spring exam evaluates nine subjects, each with its own standards. Your prescriptions might indeed cure the symptoms, but if you answer the exam paper this way, you’re bound to fail."

"What we fear as dical Officers in the Hanlin dical Institute isn’t prescribing dicines that fail to cure people, but dicines that end up killing them. You add a few poisonous ingredients right off the bat; as soon as the examiners see your paper, they’ll imdiately toss it aside. What else are you expecting?"

In principle, Lu Tong was intelligent, grasping dical concepts with just a hint, almost to the point of possessing a photographic mory. Miao Liangfang dared to say that even those in the Imperial dical Bureau, who had been taught by masters of the nine subjects for years on end, might not have the exceptional talent that Lu Tong possessed.

But it’s not the slow learners that are feared, but the students who are too full of their own ideas. Lu Tong, after all, was more familiar with poisons than dicine. His self-devised answers left Miao Liangfang feeling like he was staring into an abyss.

"Those old folks in the dical Officer Institute are cowards. They are extrely cautious even with prescribing beauty-enhancing concoctions; you’re too wild, your prescribing is so domineering, not even veterinarians are that bold!"

A voice sounded from behind.

"Who’s going to be a veterinarian?"

Lu Tong’s writing hand paused, and she looked up towards the door.

The doors of the dical clinic were wide open, and a young man walked in from outside, wearing an overcoat of gold-edged silk brocade atop his official attire, which made him appear even more dazzling against the snowy backdrop.

Lu Tong put down the pen and said indifferently, "Why is the Marshal here?"

Since that night he ca uninvited and she helped him elude Shen Fengying’s search, Lu Tong hadn’t seen this man for many days and wondered if he was dead or what had happened.

This was fine by her. To be frank, Lu Tong did not wish to beco entangled with him. She hadn’t forgotten that right after Pei Yunng’s injury, the capital was under martial law for half a month because of an assassination attempt in the palace. A guard of the Emperor turned into an assassin overnight—knowing the risks involved was enough.

She just wanted to go about her own business; whatever Pei Yunng did was none of her concern. It would be best, like the heavy snow that day in the temple at Su Nan, if by the next day, each could go their separate ways, bridges returned to their places and roads to theirs—better not to recognize each other at all.

As if unaware of Lu Tong’s indifference, Pei Yunng entered the main room and said, "I ca to pick up Treasure Bead’s dicine."

The dicine for Treasure Bead was usually collected by Pei Yunshu’s errand runners every so often, and occasionally Lu Tong would visit too. Treasure Bead’s remnant poison had already greatly diminished, and with a good prognosis, she would heal completely in half a year.

It was nothing unusual for Pei Yunng to run an errand for his niece. Lu Tong got up and walked behind the dicine cabinet to retrieve the prepacked finished dicine.

Miao Liangfang sat in the corner with his head lowered, appearing like a patient in consultation, when Pei Yunng glanced back unintentionally and his gaze suddenly froze.

"I... I’ll go get the dicine from the back yard!" Miao Liangfang sprang up, leaning on his walking stick as he hurried toward the rear curtain.

But after only two steps, he was called to halt by the person behind him.

"Why run, dical Officer Miao."

Lu Tong looked up, surprised.

Miao Liangfang stood still, not daring to move for a long while.

The wind blew down the street, slipping in through the open doors of the dical clinic and causing the pages on the table to flutter noisily. Lu Tong’s gaze swept over the two of them and slowly her brows furrowed.

In an atmosphere thick with suffocating silence, Miao Liangfang slowly turned around and gave Pei Yunng a smile that was uglier than a cry.

"Lord... Lord Pei," he stamred.

Pei Yunng looked at him calmly, "It’s been a long ti, indeed."

"Does Lord Pei know Mr. Miao?" Lu Tong put down the finished dicine in her hand and asked.

Pei Yunng carelessly set aside the money for the dicine and sat down at the small table inside the room.

"The once highly sought-after dical Officer Miao from the Hanlin dical Institute," he said, the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth very faint, "what brings you here?"

Lu Tong’s gaze fell on Miao Liangfang. As Miao Liangfang stood awkwardly, his complexion sowhat unsightly, Lu Tong said, "Mr. Miao is the teacher I’ve invited to instruct

in dical theory."

"Teacher?" Pei Yunng glanced at him, "When dical Officer Miao left the dical Officer Institute all those years ago, his whereabouts beca unknown. I hadn’t expected to have the fortune to encounter him here today."

Lu Tong’s gaze shifted slightly.

Pei Yunng’s attitude toward Miao Liangfang was less than friendly, and it was unclear if they had past grievances. What had happened in the Hanlin dical Institute and why Miao Liangfang had been expelled with a limp leg remained anybody’s guess. Du Changqing had indeed inquired, but Miao Liangfang was unwilling to discuss the matter, rely stating that he would tell Lu Tong after she successfully passed the Imperial dical Bureau’s spring exam.