Chapter 252 A brilliant victory!
The blue smoke rising from the Qilin-shaped red gold incense burner swirled and curled within the side hall of the Qianqing Palace.
The fragrance wafted very slowly, but everyone was extremely nervous.
The third match, the one that would determine the final outcome, a contest of pandemic strategies, has officially begun.
The imperial physician's hand, holding the pen, trembled slightly. The first two matches, in which he drew with Pei Jichuan and his team, had already thrown him into a state of mental turmoil.
In particular, the difficult diagnosis that he thought he had a sure thing about was actually intercepted by the Imperial Noble Consort, which added to his unease.
He hesitated as he put pen to paper, frequently glancing sideways at Lu Zhengqing beside him, his eyes filled with questioning and barely concealed panic.
Lu Zhengqing sensed his unease and felt that his student was good in every way except for his unstable mentality.
"What's the panic! Calm down!"
Lu Zhengqing whispered to the somewhat flustered Imperial Physician Wang in a voice that only the two of them could hear.
"The Imperial Noble Consort's expression was strange just now. If we keep the results, Pei Jichuan must have lost!"
Recalling the panic that Narcissus couldn't hide no matter how hard she tried, Lu Zhengqing scoffed:
Even if we lose this match, the worst outcome will be a draw.
"However, this third battle concerns the very foundation of the epidemic, the very basis of our Imperial Medical Academy's existence. How could we possibly lose to them?!"
His gaze swept across to the other side, where he saw Pei Jichuan hunched over his desk, writing furiously, occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones with Ana beside him.
Ana listened more, occasionally dipping her finger in tea and drawing some peculiar symbols on the table.
Although Lu Zhengqing couldn't clearly see Ana's drawing from his position, his prejudice fueled a deep disdain, and he firmly thought:
Pei Jichuan was merely relying on the support of the Imperial Noble Consort, while Ana was even more unorthodox. Her method of using medicine from foreign tribes was distinctive and unique. Once the prescription was sent to the Imperial Hospital for anonymous review, how could her colleagues not recognize it?
At that time, out of consideration for upholding the orthodoxy of the Imperial Medical Academy and for the sake of mutual respect, the votes will naturally lean towards their side.
With this in mind, he felt more at ease, refocused his mind, and began to devise his own strategy for dealing with the epidemic.
However, what Lu Zhengqing was unaware of was that Pei Jichuan and Ana were having a crucial exchange at that moment.
As Pei Jichuan wrote, he said to Ana in a very low voice, "Imperial Physician Ana, this anonymous review, while seemingly fair, still has loopholes."
"Judge Lu has been working in the Imperial Medical Academy for many years and has many students and old friends. Your approach to medication is unique and distinctive. If it is directly presented in the prescription, it will be easily recognized and may be subject to unfair judgment."
A knowing glint flashed in Ana's eyes, which resembled purple gemstones.
Although she was unfamiliar with the ways of the people in the Central Plains, after working side by side with Pei Jichuan among the common people for so long, she had developed a deep trust in his medical skills and character.
Ana nodded almost without hesitation and whispered, "I understand... Physician Pei, you can take the lead. My thoughts are just for your reference."
She even made a gesture as if to get up and leave her seat to avoid causing a disturbance.
Pei Jichuan quickly stopped her with a look, shook his head slightly, and indicated, "No, we need to put on an act to confuse the opponent."
Ana immediately understood, sat up straight again, and continued to talk to Pei Jichuan in a low voice. However, she no longer directly participated in the specific formulation of the prescription. Instead, she whispered to Pei Jichuan some of her ideas on dealing with miasma and epidemics in the southern border region and some alternative medicinal materials.
The two cooperated so seamlessly and silently.
Let alone Lu Zhengqing and the others who had already underestimated the two, even if he listened carefully, he might not have been able to discover that Pei Jichuan and Ana had already noticed his thoughts.
Above the palace, Narcissus's face was calm as still water, but her fingertips unconsciously tapped lightly on the slip of paper on the table, which was covered by a teacup and contained the results of the second match.
She took in the expressions of the four people below the stage.
Whether it was the disdain in Lu Zhengqing's eyes or the barely concealed panic of Physician Wang, opposite them, Pei Jichuan and Ana shared a tacit understanding...
Narcissus sneered silently to herself.
Lu Zhengqing, Lu Zhengqing, how much of your current position is due to your medical skills, and how much is due to the Lu family's connections in the Imperial Medical Academy?
Sitting in that position for too long, being flattered and praised all day long, one might even forget one's own worth!
Time flowed slowly by, and drafting a prescription for treating the epidemic using years of knowledge was an absolute challenge for any team.
Emperor Zhaoheng on the dragon throne tilted his head slightly to the side.
He leaned slightly forward, and a very faint scent of ambergris wafted towards the narcissus.
The man's eyes were deep as he asked in a low, concerned voice, "Xian'er, are you tired?"
Narcissus turned her gaze and smiled sweetly at him, her eyes sparkling like stars hanging in the sky.
She shook her head, and the smile on her lips, in Emperor Zhaoheng's eyes at that moment, surpassed all beautiful scenery.
Narcissus shook her head, the pearls and jade pendants hanging from her ears jingling softly.
"I am not tired. Your Majesty... the show has only just begun."
Her voice trailed off at the end of her sentence.
Shui Xian and Emperor Zhao Heng exchanged a glance, a smile flashing in their eyes.
Today's events are the result of a secret discussion between Shui Xian and Emperor Zhao Heng.
Originally, Emperor Zhaoheng's tolerance for the Imperial Medical Academy was not so great that he felt compelled to reform it.
However, after he ordered and encouraged imperial physicians to go to the countryside to treat the people during the epidemic, the number of imperial physicians needed was less than a handful.
From then on, the emperor, as the ruler of the country, became wary of the Imperial Medical Academy.
Narcissus's suggestion perfectly aligned with his deepest fears...
It took him nearly an hour to finally put down the pen after drafting the prescription.
After much difficulty, when both parties finally stopped writing, they handed over their written strategies for preventing and controlling the epidemic to the eunuchs.
The eunuchs copied it onto new paper in front of everyone, concealing the handwriting, and then sealed it in a wooden box.
The entire process was conducted in full view of everyone to ensure that no one could tamper with it.
Feng Shunxiang once again personally picked up the wooden box and sent it to the Imperial Medical Academy for a final anonymous review.
Waiting always feels exceptionally long.
Lu Zhengqing closed his eyes, his fingers constantly twirling his beard, trying to calm the turmoil in his heart.
Physician Wang was restless. Just thinking about how his colleagues in the Imperial Hospital would view him if he fell behind Pei Jichuan in this competition made him uneasy, not to mention how his teacher would feel about him.
The main person who drafted the prescription just now was Lu Zhengqing.
But the imperial physician Wang, who knew him well, knew that if they lost, the responsibility would fall on him...
The imperial physician grew increasingly anxious, his white knuckles clenched tightly at his side betraying his innermost thoughts.
Just then, Narcissus's clear, cool voice broke the silence.
She turned to Emperor Zhaoheng and said softly, "Your Majesty, why don't we take this opportunity to announce the results of the second competition?"
Emperor Zhaoheng nodded: "Granted."
Upon hearing Shui Xian's suggestion, Lu Zhengqing suddenly opened his eyes, and the ominous premonition in his heart suddenly intensified!
He instinctively wanted to stop it, but the imperial decree had already been issued, and he was not allowed to object.
Feng Shunxiang stepped forward, picked up the slip of paper that had been pressed under the teacup for a long time, unfolded it in front of everyone, cleared his throat, and loudly announced: "Second round, diagnosis of difficult diseases, after anonymous review by the imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital - Physician Pei Jichuan and Physician Ana's team, the diagnosis was accurate and the prescription was appropriate, they win!"
"What?!"
Lu Zhengqing's face instantly turned ugly; for a moment, he completely lost control of his expression.
He looked at Shui Xian in disbelief, then at the note in Feng Shunxiang's hand, as if trying to see through it!
He actually... he actually lost to these two young men he looked down on in what he thought was his forte: diagnosis?!
As Narcissus met his shocked gaze, a hint of cold sarcasm flashed in her eyes.
Her tone was calm, as if she were stating a simple fact, but every word was as cold as a needle, piercing Lu Zhengqing's heart.
"Judge Lu... seems to be overconfident. The way of imperial physicians is to be effective and relieve the suffering of patients, rather than relying on seniority or sticking to old rules."
Shui Xian looked encouragingly in the direction of Pei Jichuan and Ana, "Although Physician Pei and Physician Ana are young, their experience in the common people and their personal contact with thousands of cases make them seem far superior to some of the closed-door, stagnant people in the Imperial Hospital."
These words not only slapped Lu Zhengqing in the face, but also the entire Imperial Medical Academy in the face afterward.
Both Lu Zhengqing and Physician Wang lowered their heads instinctively upon hearing this.
They felt a burning sensation on their faces, a mixture of shame, embarrassment, and panic at losing to Pei Jichuan and the others, causing all the blood in their bodies to rush to their heads.
The elderly Lu Zhengqing experienced bouts of blurred vision.
He wanted to refute and defend himself, but faced with the irrefutable facts, all his words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single one.
As a result, it was sent to the Imperial Medical Academy for evaluation!
He could only grit his teeth and suppress his almost bursting anger, placing his last glimmer of hope on the results of the third review of the epidemic prevention strategy that was about to be sent back.
He absolutely refused to believe that he could lose in the Imperial Medical Academy's headquarters, under the judgment of his colleagues whose interests were tied to his!
However, fate seemed determined to work against him.
The results of the third round of judging were sent back quickly, much to everyone's surprise.
Feng Shunxiang took the wooden box back and, at the signal of Emperor Zhaoheng and Shuixian, opened it in front of everyone and took out the results.
Throughout the entire side hall of the Qianqing Palace, everyone's eyes were focused on the piece of paper in Feng Shunxiang's hand.
Lu Zhengqing held his breath, his heart pounding in his chest.
Feng Shunxiang unfolded the paper, glanced at it, and then clearly announced the results: "In the third round, the strategy for the prevention and control of the epidemic was drafted. After anonymous review by the imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital, Physician Pei Jichuan and Physician Ana demonstrated foresight, appropriate use of medicine, and a combination of prevention and treatment that hit the nail on the head. They win again!"
The first match was a draw, but the next two matches were won in a row!
No matter how you calculate it, Physician Pei Jichuan and Physician Ana won this competition exceptionally well!
Furthermore, because the judges were anonymous, they won fairly and squarely based on their own abilities!
"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"
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