Butler Li was a man of his word, and he ran away early the next morning.
Su Wan was surprised that things went so smoothly. She was worried that Butler Li would give her away when he saw her, so she made up some excuses. But she got through it easily.
When the two maids, Xiaomei and Xiaozhu, saw her, they were somewhat surprised that Steward Li hadn't mentioned this matter. But Steward Li had already run away, and there was nowhere to ask, so they simply assumed that Su Wan was the doctor Steward Li had found.
Su Wan devoted herself to treating the two elderly people. A parent's heart is always full of love and concern; in her eyes, Bai Zhiyi's parents were no different from any other parents.
Having finalized the treatment plan and written the prescription, she left the Duke's mansion.
Meng Ruliu greeted her outside and asked about what happened last night.
Su Wan recounted what had happened and handed the prescription to Meng Ruliu, saying, "Sister-in-law, go to the inn and bring out our luggage and horses. The Duke and Duchess have already agreed to let me store the horses at the Duke's mansion. Then go to the pharmacy to get the medicine according to this prescription, and come back together."
"Then what is my identity?" Meng Ruliu took the prescription.
"You're my brother, right? You're in charge of protecting your sister's safety." Su Wan looked him up and down.
Meng Ruliu laughed and said, "Dr. Su, you're getting better and better at making things up."
Back in Xiping Pass, Su Wan had impersonated a doctor to treat her, so he was quite experienced.
She took the prescription and left, while Su Wan returned to her residence.
With Butler Li having absconded, Su Wan, being a doctor, now carried more weight in her words. She instructed Xiao Mei to have the kitchen prepare some millet porridge.
"The two elderly people are weak from crying for a long time, and their liver qi is stagnant. They can't eat meat or fish. They have to wait until they recover before they can eat them. For now, they can drink some millet porridge. After taking medicine for a few days to regulate their qi, they can slowly start taking tonics."
The Duke and Duchess Bai drank some porridge, and Su Wan chatted with them for a while. She felt that Meng Ruliu should have returned long ago; why hadn't she come yet?
She was a little puzzled, greeted Bai's mother, and left the Duke's mansion.
Meng Ruliu possesses immense strength and formidable martial arts skills. Ordinary people simply cannot get close to her, so she must not have encountered any bad people.
Upon arriving at the inn and asking, the innkeeper said, "You mean Qu Yong? Isn't he a candidate for the martial arts examination? Today is the first day of the examination. He was the only one who didn't go, so the invigilator sent someone to the inn to look for him and brought him to the examination hall."
Su Wan thought to herself, "A miscalculation. I was only thinking of using Qu Yong's identity to sneak into the city, but I didn't expect my sworn sister to actually go and participate in the martial arts examination."
She stood there in a daze, and the waiter said, "Didn't you come together yesterday? He left a piece of paper here."
Su Wan glanced at the prescription, took it, and said, "We have a new place to stay now, let's settle the bill."
She paid the room fee with the waiter, took out the two horses and their luggage, went to the pharmacy to get medicine, and then returned to the Duke's mansion to store the horses and luggage.
She personally brewed the medicine, with her two maids, Xiaomei and Xiaozhu, watching and learning. By the time it was finished, it was already afternoon. She served the Duke and Duchess Bai the medicine, quickly ate some rice, and then ran out of the Duke's mansion to inquire about the location of the martial arts examination.
After finally finding out the location, as they hurried over there, they saw a large group of people walking towards them, discussing the matter.
"That Qu Yong looks so thin, I never imagined he was so strong."
"That's right, he lifted a 300-pound iron chain in one go without even breaking a sweat."
"It's probably not that impressive, many other candidates raised theirs too."
"Dude, you have to look at their physique. Those candidates are all big and strong, they look powerful."
"This first round alone has eliminated half of them. Tomorrow we'll have a test on horseback archery; I wonder how many more will be eliminated."
Su Wan stopped the group of people who were speaking and asked, "Brothers, has the martial arts examination already ended?"
An old man said to her, "Yes, it's already so late. If you want to watch, you'd better come early. The martial arts competition starts at noon."
"What are the contents of the military examination?" Su Wan asked, not understanding.
A young man standing next to the old man eagerly said, "Miss, I know. The tests include weightlifting, horsemanship and archery, foot archery, spearmanship, talent and appearance, and eloquence. One test is given every day. May I ask your name, young lady?"
Su Wan asked, "What about the examinees?"
“During the martial arts examination, all candidates have to stay at the examination site. The government provides food and lodging, one room per person,” another young man chimed in, “If you want to go see it, young lady, I can take you.”
Su Wan said, "I won't bother you any longer."
She turned and ran back to the Duke's mansion in a flash.
Meng Ruliu had told her that she wanted to try her luck in the martial arts examination. As long as she was careful, she shouldn't be exposed. These past few days, she had been able to focus on treating the two elderly people.
The next day, she helped the two elderly people take their medicine and then left early to go to the examination hall.
The examination hall was located just outside the south gate of the imperial city. When Su Wan arrived, it was already packed with people. Every now and then, a drumbeat would sound, and the audience would erupt in enthusiastic cheers.
She found a high vantage point to look down at the arena. The person riding a horse inside was none other than Meng Ruliu.
Meng Ruliu rode his horse in circles across the arena, drew his bow and released an arrow, which struck the straw man squarely. The supervising official raised his red flag, and the soldiers on the sidelines began to beat the drums.
A woman nearby said, "Among so many candidates, this child is the smallest and thinnest, but I didn't expect him to be so skilled at horseback riding and archery."
Another old woman said, "He looks like someone who rides horses often. Could he be the son of some general?"
Seeing that Meng Ruliu had passed the test smoothly, Su Wan returned to the Duke's Mansion in a good mood.
On the third day, Meng Ruliu passed the archery test with flying colors. On the fourth day, she wielded the spear with incredible skill, leaving the examiners in awe.
The fifth day is about talent and appearance. Talent is tested by strategy, and appearance is judged by looks.
Su Wan was somewhat worried.
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