Chapter 14 What should the Crown Prince of a nation do?
Dou Bochang frowned, knowing she was about to repeat the same old story.
Master Xuanming's words back then were practically an open declaration that she was a 'jinx,' and the fact that Fourth Sister often caused trouble for her family seemed to confirm her fate.
So he tacitly approved of sending her to Yuqing Temple to ward off evil spirits.
But this time it was different; the Zhang family was only willing to help him get promoted because of her.
The Vice Minister of Rites has changed three times, and most of the officials who served with him have been promoted, but he alone has been stuck in the position of Assistant Minister of Rites for more than ten years.
He fawns over everyone he meets, always trying to please them.
He's been bent over his whole life; it's time for him to shine.
Dou Bochang was getting impatient. "Didn't you invite someone to come and resolve this? Neither the fish nor Cheng-ge'er's illness can be blamed on Fourth Miss. Why do you keep bringing up these irrelevant things?"
"The whole household is in complete chaos. Is this how you manage a household as a mistress? If you're so idle, you should take better care of Yi'er's food, clothing, and daily necessities! Make it up to her properly!"
Madam Gu felt even more aggrieved, her eyes reddening. "My lord, I did it for the Dou family, for the greater good! My mother-in-law has humiliated me, my daughter resents me, and now you're blaming me too..."
Even though she is very well-maintained and still has her charm, in the past, when she cried, he would think of her as a beautiful woman with tears in her eyes, which had a unique charm.
But looking at it today, he felt it was pretentious and affected!
Dou Bochang was extremely disappointed and sat up abruptly. "Then what else do you want? To make a big fuss about her being a jinx, let the Xie family know, and then break off the engagement?"
"Ignorant woman, how much longer can she stay in the house? Why can't you tolerate her? Once she gets married, she'll be no troublemaker and will only bring misfortune to other families. What's the rush?"
"If you had paid more attention to Yi'er, you wouldn't have lost face so badly. Do you think you've turned your own daughter into an enemy? Send her some things to appease her and prevent her from giving anyone more ammunition to criticize you."
Madam Gu was completely speechless.
Dou Bochang took off his outer robe and wrapped it around himself, then went to Aunt Xu's courtyard with a cold face.
Madam Gu cried that night and didn't fall asleep until some time later.
The next day, Granny Cao and Madam Yang from the second wife's side arrived at her courtyard early in the morning.
Madam Gu suppressed her resentment and had someone apply hard-boiled eggs to her eyes for a long time before she dared to come out and face people. When she learned that Cheng-ge'er had been poisoned by accidentally eating a small amount of strychnine, she was shocked and broke out in a cold sweat. She dared not say anything and followed Granny Cao to start tidying up the inner courtyard.
From the cook to the wet nurse who served him closely, everyone was implicated. After a series of swift and decisive actions, they finally determined that Cheng Ge'er's poisoning was related to one of the old women.
However, before Madam Gu could investigate further, the old woman hanged herself.
When the news reached Madam Dou's ears, she paused in counting her prayer beads. "What a useless woman! I don't think she should be in charge of the household!"
——
Dou Wenyi was naturally unaware of the quarrel between Madam Gu and Dou Bochang, and she was still somewhat surprised when she received the compensation sent by Madam Gu.
Finally, she had a good start. She was determined to clear her name of being a 'jinx' and defy fate.
Before long, the day of the selection arrived. Before dawn, Dou Wenyi dressed neatly and went to the West Corner Gate.
As soon as she came out, she encountered Dou Mingyan, who was wearing an elegant dress, with light makeup and a white jade hairpin in her hair, which made her look dignified and gentle.
It was completely different from her usual luxurious and glamorous style.
"Good morning, Fourth Sister. Are you going to participate in the palace selection?" Dou Mingyan greeted her with a gentle smile.
Dou Wenyi smiled and replied, "Third sister, you're here so early too. Are you also going to the palace?"
Dou Mingyan raised her chin slightly, her eyes revealing undisguised smugness. "Since His Highness the Crown Prince is returning to the palace, I must go too... Since we are both going to the palace, why don't we ride together? I have a token, so I can cut in line and enter the palace first."
"Thank you for your kindness, Third Sister. I'm just going to take the exam; there's no need for me to be different."
Dou Wenyi shook her head. She dared not ride with her. If anything went wrong along the way, she would be the one to suffer.
Dou Mingyan said regretfully, "Well, being a pharmacist is a tough job, but my sister dared to take the risk. Her compassion as a doctor is admirable!"
She boarded the carriage, then suddenly lifted the curtain, saying, "May you have a bright future and all your wishes come true."
Dou Wenyi watched her walk away, a smile playing on her lips.
Let's see who gets what they deserve.
The carriage arrived at Chonghua Hall, the place where the Imperial Food Bureau held its examinations.
The sky was turning white, and the glow of dawn was faint. Strands of red clouds sprinkled onto the glazed tiles of the palace eaves, making them shimmer and shine.
As the candidates entered the hall and took their seats, the matron in charge of the selection began to give them a speech. The gist of it was that since they had all passed the preliminary review, which focused on their knowledge of classics such as "Suwen," "Jinkui Yaolue," and "Nanjing," the discerning imperial physicians already had a good grasp of the candidates' pharmacological abilities.
Anyone who answers questions carelessly or deliberately damages the exam paper to disrupt the selection process will be considered to be causing trouble and will be severely punished according to the law.
Dou Wenyi stared listlessly at the tender buds sprouting from the branches outside the window, lost in thought.
As the gongs and drums sounded, she gripped her pen and began to answer the questions 'cleverly.' She had to make mistakes so obvious that they couldn't find any flaws in order to get away with it.
But her right eyelid kept twitching.
A twitching left eye means good fortune, while a twitching right eye means bad luck. Could something unexpected happen?
Dou Wenyi quickly finished this part of the questions, and when it came to the pharmacology practice part, her heart finally settled down.
The reason was simple: the herbs and spices in the medicine bag she held were exactly the same as those in the sachet she gave Pei Siyan, with not a single ingredient added or missing.
She needs to explain the principles of the interaction between the medicinal ingredients in the sachet and their uses.
Without even thinking, it's obvious that this test question was Pei Siyan's idea!
If she answers carelessly, Pei Siyan might think she deliberately deceived him that day and come looking for trouble with her again.
But if she answers seriously, what if she accidentally gets selected? Does that mean she'll be stuck in this deep palace for the rest of her life?
Dou Wenyi's palms began to sweat, and after hesitating for a long time, she still couldn't write a single word.
Suddenly, a pair of black boots inlaid with gold thread came into view. Dou Wenyi's alarm bells went off. Her gaze climbed upwards little by little, and in the backlight, she saw Pei Siyan's fair and handsome face.
Dou Wenyi's back stiffened, and her fingers trembled, causing a drop of ink to fall onto the answer sheet.
Pei Siyan's lips curled up in a half-smile as he moved away.
Half an hour later, the second round of written tests was over, and the selected maids still had to participate in the test of diagnosing the concubines' pulses.
A sense of unease swept through Dou Wenyi's heart. Dou Mingyan's 'blessing' still echoed in her ears. Could it be that she had asked Pei Siyan to keep her in the palace?
When she saw her name prominently displayed on the bulletin board, her brows furrowed tightly.
After two rounds of selection, only about ten people remained after the initial few hundred were eliminated.
There are many truly talented people among them. She answered no more than six out of ten questions correctly, so she shouldn't have advanced at all.
What exactly is Pei Siyan, the crown prince of a nation, planning to do?
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