Chapter 251 The Final Battle

She first bowed gracefully to Emperor Zhaoheng: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

Emperor Zhaoheng's gaze softened the moment she appeared, filled with undisguised doting affection.

He personally extended his hand, gave her a slight helping motion, and said gently, "Xian'er has arrived. No need for formalities. Come and sit beside me."

The observant eunuch immediately set up an embroidered stool next to the dragon throne.

Shui Xian thanked him and calmly took her seat. Only then did she turn her gaze to Lu Zhengqing, whose expression had changed slightly, with a perfectly appropriate, seemingly curious smile on her face.

Alarm bells rang in Lu Zhengqing's mind, and he quickly bowed again: "This old minister greets Your Highness the Imperial Noble Consort."

He hadn't expected Narcissus to appear so suddenly, and to immediately grasp the key point in his words.

Shui Xian looked at him with a smile, as if it were just casual conversation: "Academician Lu, I just overheard you saying from behind the curtain that the physicians of the Imperial Medical Academy are all elites. I'm curious, in your opinion, who is the most skilled physician in the Imperial Medical Academy today?"

Lu Zhengqing was wary inside, but outwardly he had to be humble:

"Your Majesty flatters me. The Imperial Medical Academy is full of talented people, and this old minister dares not be presumptuous. However... I am grateful for the kindness of my colleagues. As the head of the academy, I have some knowledge of medicine."

Although his words were humble, his underlying arrogance was undeniable.

"oh?"

Shui Xian raised an eyebrow and turned her gaze to Pei Jichuan and Ana below. "Then I wonder, where do Physician Pei and Physician Ana rank in terms of medical skills within the Imperial Hospital?"

A hint of disdain flashed in Lu Zhengqing's eyes, his tone clearly contemptuous: "Your Majesty, Physician Pei's medical skills are passable, but his experience is still limited, and he needs more training. As for this Miss Ana..."

Unlike Narcissus, Lu Zhengqing always addressed Ana as "Miss" rather than "Imperial Physician."

He paused, his tone growing even colder, "They are not from the orthodox medical tradition of the Central Plains, and what they have learned is rather... strange, hardly worthy of serious consideration. If we were to rank them, these two... would probably be at the bottom of the class. They need to study diligently and practice hard to catch up with their colleagues."

This evaluation was extremely low, practically trampling Pei Jichuan and Ana underfoot.

Upon hearing this, Shui Xian was not annoyed at all. Instead, she smiled sweetly, turned to Emperor Zhaoheng, and said in a tone that was both charming and suggestive: "Your Majesty, please listen. Imperial Physician Lu believes that the Imperial Medical Academy is full of elites, and Physician Pei and Physician Ana still need to study hard."

"Your Majesty, I suddenly have an idea. Since we are all gathered here today, why not have a competition to determine the best physicians? This would allow Physician Lu to showcase the superb medical skills of the Imperial Medical Academy, give Physician Pei and the others a chance to learn from their elders, and allow His Majesty to witness the brilliance of the physicians of our Great Qi."

Narcissus smiled and pursed her lips, "A win-win situation, isn't that wonderful?"

Emperor Zhaoheng was incredibly intelligent and immediately understood Shui Xian's intention.

He looked at the smiling woman beside him and laughed loudly:

"Xian'er's idea is brilliant! I grant it! Consider it a test of the Imperial Medical Academy's skills, and also an opportunity for me to broaden my horizons."

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! This matter... this matter may be inappropriate!"

Lu Zhengqing's expression changed, and he hurriedly spoke up to stop him.

He instinctively felt that this competition was strange, and that the Imperial Noble Consort's sudden proposal must have a deeper meaning.

"What's wrong with it?"

Shui Xian's smile remained unchanged, but her gaze sharpened as she looked at him. "Wasn't Imperial Physician Lu just now so confident, believing that the Imperial Medical Academy's skills far surpassed theirs? Could it be... that he's afraid of losing in front of the Emperor and me, which would look bad?"

"That is absolutely not what I meant!"

Lu Zhengqing was caught in a dilemma and found himself in a difficult situation.

He glanced at a middle-aged imperial physician surnamed Wang standing beside him, and the two exchanged a look.

Physician Wang was his student, and he had just come with his teacher.

Physician Wang nodded slightly, his eyes filled with confidence. He clearly believed that there was no need to show favoritism towards people like Pei Jichuan and Ana, and that victory was assured.

Lu Zhengqing felt somewhat relieved and thought he would take this opportunity to severely suppress Pei Jichuan and Ana's arrogance, so that the Imperial Noble Consort would know the power of the Imperial Hospital and interfere less in its affairs in the future.

He took a deep breath, cupped his hands, and said, "Since Your Majesty and Empress have such an interest, this old minister... will obey your decree."

"good!"

Emperor Zhaoheng: "Since that's the case, Imperial Physician Lu, you will be paired with this Physician Wang, and Pei Jichuan with Ana. To ensure fairness, all diagnoses and prescriptions will be copied by eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department, with names concealed, and sealed before being sent to all unauthorized physicians in the Imperial Hospital for anonymous evaluation. Xian'er, what do you think of this?"

"Your Majesty is wise; this is the fairest course of action."

Narcissus nodded with a smile.

The competition immediately began in a side hall of the Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Zhaoheng and Shui Xian sat at the head of the table, with Lu Zhengqing, Imperial Physician Wang, Pei Jichuan, and Ana on either side.

A table was set up in the hall, complete with writing implements and some necessary medical tools.

The first competition tested the ability to identify medicinal herbs.

The eunuchs carried over several trays covered with red cloth. When they were uncovered, they revealed dozens of kinds of medicinal herbs, some whole, some sliced, and some in powder form.

It contains several medicinal herbs that look and smell extremely similar and are very easy to confuse.

Feng Shunxiang, who was in charge of the event, announced in a high-pitched voice: "The first round is to identify medicinal herbs. You need to accurately state their names, main effects, and precautions for use. The Pei Taiyi group will start first."

Pei Jichuan and Ana stepped forward. The two worked together seamlessly, hardly needing to communicate, and took turns quickly and accurately reciting the names, properties, meridians, main effects, and contraindications of various medicinal materials.

When encountering those easily confused flavors, Pei Jichuan could even pick them up and smell them carefully, or pinch off a small amount with his fingernail to taste them, and then give extremely precise distinguishing points.

Ana added some unique uses and insights from southern Xinjiang for some obscure or rare medicinal herbs, which were refreshing.

When it was Lu Zhengqing's and Physician Wang's turn, the two were also calm and experienced, answering questions fluently, after all, this was a basic skill for a physician.

However, listening to Pei Jichuan and Ana's almost effortless, and even more insightful, analysis in some details, Lu Zhengqing and Physician Wang remained outwardly calm, but inwardly they were slightly alarmed.

They never expected that these two young men, whom they considered to be "self-taught," would have such a solid foundation.

In some aspects, it even exceeded the conventional understanding of the Imperial Medical Academy.

On the surface, the match appeared to be a draw, but the strength displayed by Pei Jichuan and Ana had already made Lu Zhengqing put away some of his contempt.

The second test focused on diagnosing complex and rare diseases.

Feng Shunxiang brought in two palace maids who looked unwell, explaining that both of them suffered from hidden illnesses, but the specific cause needed to be diagnosed by the imperial physician.

Each of the four people took turns coming forward to examine the patient, observing, listening, inquiring, and feeling their pulse.

Lu Zhengqing and Physician Wang examined the patient carefully and asked detailed questions, occasionally exchanging hushed conversations.

Pei Jichuan and Ana were the same; Ana even used some of the Qi-observation techniques from the Southern Frontier, which made Lu Zhengqing frown inwardly.

After the diagnosis was completed, each of the four parties wrote down the diagnosis and the proposed prescription on a piece of paper, which was then handed over to the eunuchs to make a copy on the spot. The original was sealed, while the copy was placed in a specially made wooden box and personally delivered to the Imperial Hospital by Feng Shunxiang.

The atmosphere inside the hall was subtle as they waited for the results for half an hour.

Lu Zhengqing and Physician Wang appeared to be resting with their eyes closed, but in reality, they were making plans in their hearts.

Emperor Zhaoheng then spoke in hushed tones with Shui Xian, their posture intimate.

Half an hour later, the wooden box was returned.

Feng Shunxiang bowed, intending to present the results to Emperor Zhaoheng, but Shui Xian smiled slightly and extended her slender hand: "Eunuch Feng, please let me see it."

Feng Shunxiang didn't think there was anything wrong with this action, and he presented the results to Shui Xian first.

She took the stack of slips of paper with the judgment results written on them and quickly glanced through them.

A fleeting, icy glint flashed in his eyes, so fast it was almost impossible to catch.

But she quickly regained her composure, gently placed the note on the low table beside her, weighed it down with a teacup, and said calmly, "The results of this second round will not be announced for now."

Lu Zhengqing had been secretly observing Shuixian's expression and happened to catch that moment of coldness in her eyes.

He felt immediately relieved!

It must be that Pei Jichuan and Ana made a big mistake in their diagnosis, causing the Imperial Noble Consort to lose face, which is why they withheld the results.

A hint of undisguised smugness crept onto his face as he stroked his beard, his demeanor becoming increasingly composed, as if victory was assured.

Shui Xian took in his changing expressions, sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm, continuing to control the pace: "The first two rounds seem to be evenly matched. In this third round, let's compare the most important thing right now—epidemic prevention."

Her gaze swept over Lu Zhengqing and Physician Wang, her voice clear and melodious: "Let's compare how to draft a strategy for treating the epidemic. Let's see whose thinking is clearer, whose medication is more appropriate, and whose prevention and treatment methods are more ingenious."

"Your Majesty! This is unfair!"

Lu Zhengqing immediately protested loudly, and Physician Wang quickly echoed his sentiments.

Lu Zhengqing frowned and said, "Pei Jichuan and Ana have been in contact with patients suffering from the epidemic for a long time, which gives them a huge advantage in terms of experience! We, on the other hand, live deep in the palace. Although we know about the epidemic, we don't have many cases to refer to. How can we compete fairly?"

Shui Xian had anticipated his response. Remaining calm and composed, she curled her lips into a cold smile and retorted, "Judge Lu, just now in the hall, didn't you confidently assert that the physicians of the Imperial Medical Academy were deeply immersed in their studies, possessing superb medical skills far superior to those who toiled in the marketplace?"

"What, now that we've reached the point of truly battling it out with strategies to deal with this critical epidemic affecting the national economy and people's livelihoods, you, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, have suddenly lost confidence?"

A cold sneer flashed across Narcissus's lips.

"Could it be that your long-studied experience in dealing with epidemics has been defeated by two young imperial physicians whom you consider 'inexperienced' and 'last-rate'?"

This series of rhetorical questions was like an invisible slap, landing hard on Lu Zhengqing's face!

His previous words, which elevated the Imperial Hospital and belittled Pei Jichuan, have now become a knife held to his own throat!

If he insists that it is unfair, he is admitting that the Imperial Medical Academy is all talk and no action, and that his previous statements were all exaggerations.

If he accepts the challenge, he will lose the initiative and fall into a trap!

Lu Zhengqing's face turned pale and then red as he choked on his words. He had a feeling that today's situation was not simple.

But.

His pride in his medical skills outweighed the unease in his heart.

In the end, Lu Zhengqing's arrogance as the head of the imperial physicians was completely unleashed!

He abruptly flicked his sleeve, stiffened his neck, and said arrogantly, "How could I possibly lose! I have studied the strategies for dealing with the epidemic for a long time and have my own insights! What harm is there in having a contest!"

"good!"

Narcissus slightly curled her lips, a hint of expectation flashing in her eyes.

That's exactly what Judge Lu was waiting for.

"Then please have Imperial Physician Lu, Physician Wang, Physician Pei, and Miss Ana each draft a strategy for the prevention and control of the epidemic, with a time limit of one incense stick!"

Inside the incense burner, incense was lit, and wisps of smoke rose gently.

The final battle, which would determine the outcome and even the future of the Imperial Medical Academy, was about to begin...