With Lou Yingyu's help, the negotiations with the Yu Kingdom went incredibly smoothly, as if divinely inspired.
Qu Bufan felt incredibly proud of himself; after all these years, he was still as sharp as ever, with an undiminished talent for insight.
Qu Bufan squinted and asked, " Lord Lou, do you know why I chose you?"
Lou Yingyu tilted her head. "Because you saw my strengths?"
Qu Bufan stroked his beard and chuckled, "You could say that."
When Lou Yingyu was born, Lou Ming had already risen to the position of prime minister. Since Lou Ming and his wife only had this one daughter, they naturally doted on Lou Yingyu.
Even now, Lou Ming often complains that it's all his fault for spoiling his daughter, Lou Yingyu, and making her so unruly.
In Qu Bufan's view, Lou Yingyu's arrogance stemmed from her confidence; she was like a piece of jade, uncarved yet uniquely beautiful.
Such jade, placed in a place like the Imperial Academy, would naturally be considered arrogant.
However, if placed in the Court of State Ceremonial, or in front of the arrogant Yu Kingdom, it would be a powerful weapon.
Lou Yingyu was stunned. "Am I really that useful?"
Qu Bufan patted Lou Yingyu on the shoulder, intending to tell her not to underestimate herself, but then he thought that those four words probably had nothing to do with Lou Yingyu.
Therefore, Qu Bufan said, "Keep up the good work."
Later, when Lou Yingyu met with Azhu and Tong Aning, she sighed, "I feel like even if I poked a hole in the sky, Lord Qu would still tell me to keep trying."
Tong Aning and Azhu were silent for a moment.
Lou Yingyu said with dissatisfaction, "Hey, what do you two mean by this?"
Azhu: "I think Lord Qu has a really good way with words."
Lou Yingyu looked at Tong Aning with a quiet gaze.
Tong Aning smiled and said, "I think Lord Qu."
Lou Yingyu was finally satisfied. She sat between the two of them, nuzzled against Azhu on the left, and then against Tong Aning on the right.
Tong Aning was both amused and exasperated. "You've rubbed all the perfume off my face."
"No way."
Lou Yingyu snuggled closer to Tong Aning, her nose twitching, "Jasmine scent."
Tong Aning pushed Lou Yingyu back to her original spot, "Still saying no."
Azhu watched the two of them fooling around, laughing as she watched, though it was unclear what she was laughing about.
"Miss, we've arrived."
Lou Yingyu lifted the curtain and discovered that this was Xue Ruyun's residence.
Lou Yingyu asked in confusion, " Aning, you haven't learned acupuncture techniques today?"
"No, I don't have it yet, but I've come today to ask my master for something."
Lou Yingyu muttered, "So mysterious."
Tong Aning and Azhu went down first, and when Lou Yingyu went down, she saw two hands reaching into her eyes.
She beamed and went to meet him.
The three men brushed past a girl wearing a cloak, and all three of them smelled a strong medicinal scent emanating from her.
Lou Yingyu asked, "Are you here seeking medical treatment?"
Azhu: " Aning, it seems your master can't do anything about it either."
This young woman looks so young, it's such a pity.
Tong Aning murmured, "What kind of intractable disease must it be?"
"You three," Xue Ruyun's voice came from inside, "What are you saying at the door? Come in now."
"Coming, coming."
Tong Aning lifted her skirt and stepped over the threshold, walking at the very front.
Xue Ruyun was in the courtyard, looking through her medicinal herbs.
There was originally only one reclining chair in the courtyard, but when the three of them came in, Xue Ruyun had someone go in and bring out three more reclining chairs.
Tong Aning sat down, smelling the herbs, and swayed leisurely.
Xue Ruyun sat down next to Tong Aning, glanced at Azhu, and then said to Tong Aning, "I've improved the scar removal ointment you were researching."
Tong Aning said happily, "Thank you, Master."
Hearing what the master and apprentice said, Azhu roughly understood.
Azhu was wounded on the battlefield and barely survived. If it weren't for the medicine Tong Aning prepared for her, she might not have made it back.
But Azhu remained silent, neither in her letters nor when she returned.
It wasn't until the night the three of them slept together, when they were fooling around in bed, that Lou Yingyu and Tong Aning noticed the scars on Azhu's body.
He had arrow wounds and knife wounds, with the knife wounds being the most serious.
Both of them were heartbroken, especially Tong Aning, whose tears streamed down her face like a broken string of pearls when she saw the scars.
Azhu comforted them for a long time, thinking the matter was over and done with, but unexpectedly... Azhu's nose started to sting.
Tong Aning took the ointment Xue Ruyun handed over and placed it in Azhu's palm. "The herbs inside were ground by Yingyu for me. Keep it safe."
The box was cold, but when Azhu looked at Tong Aning and then at Lou Yingyu, her heart felt warm.
Azhu nodded, gripped the box tightly, and said solemnly, "I will."
Taking her hand, Tong Aning murmured, "Actually, scars don't matter. All generals on the battlefield have scars. They are medals and honors. But Azhu, Yingyu and I have remembered your medals and honors. Let them remain in our hearts."
[Don't leave it on Azhu.]
Azhu's eyes welled up with tears. "Okay."
Seeing the atmosphere growing increasingly tense, Lou Yingyu stepped in to smooth things over. She rubbed her hands together and looked at Tong Aning expectantly. "Well, I'm the main character today, right?"
Tong Aning blinked. "Yes, there are."
"Really?" Lou Yingyu couldn't help but smile. "What is it?"
"I specifically learned a new acupuncture technique from my master."
Lou Yingyu had a bad feeling. She asked warily, "They're not going to use me to prick my neck, are they?"
Tong Aning held three silver needles, which gleamed brightly in the sunlight. She said, "One needle will refresh your mind; three needles in a row will make your brain feel brand new."
After saying that, she looked at Lou Yingyu, eager to try.
Lou Yingyu: "..."
I think you need a new brain more than I do.
Tong Aning: "..."
The two chased each other and played around in the courtyard for a while before returning to their seats, panting.
Xue Ruyun: "A prime minister's daughter and a marquis's daughter, what kind of behavior is this? Luckily, they didn't ruin my herbs."
Tong Aning poured herself and Lou Yingyu a cup of tea before she had a chance to ask, "Master, what was that young lady doing here?"
Tong Aning keenly noticed that Xue Ruyun's expression had changed, and even the surrounding temperature seemed to drop!
Tong Aning had never seen Xue Ruyun like this before. Xue Ruyun often got angry with her, but most of the time it was with doting affection.
Unlike now, when I'm genuinely angry.
Tong Aning whispered, trying to cover it up, "I just asked casually, it's okay if you don't tell me."
Xue Ruyun glanced at her. "What's wrong with saying this? She's here to become an apprentice."
"Become an apprentice?" Tong Aning asked, somewhat surprised.
Seeing the three heads all looking at her, Xue Ruyun said, "She comes every year, but you didn't run into her the past few years."
Tong Aning said "Oh," and then asked, "Master, why don't you take her as your apprentice? Isn't she talented enough?"
"On the contrary, her talent far surpasses yours; she's a natural-born medical student."
At this point, Xue Ruyun still felt a pang of regret.
Tong Aning: "..."
Why are they even comparing and belittling each other?
Lou Yingyu asked, "Then why didn't you accept her?"
Xue Ruyun frankly stated, "I don't like her gaze."
From the first moment Xue Ruyun saw Ling Xue'er, she disliked Ling Xue'er's gaze.
Her gaze was neither warm nor cold, but rather radiated an ruthlessness that seemed to emanate from her very bones, as if all things in the world were the same to her.
Such a person cannot study medicine.
Anyone who doesn't understand the preciousness of life cannot study medicine.
Tong Aning nodded thoughtfully.
A few days later, Tong Aning encountered Ling Xue'er again.
This time, it wasn't a chance encounter; Ling Xue'er took the initiative to find Tong Aning.
At that time, Tong Aning had just received a letter from Tong Fengye, in which he said that he and Feng Chu would soon be returning from the border.
Tong Aning was very happy, her eyes and brows were full of smiles.
She met a pair of eyes that were devoid of any compassion.
Tong Aning paused, Ling Xue'er walked up to her. "I apologize for disturbing you, Miss Tong."
Ling Xue'er's voice was devoid of emotion.
Tong Aning immediately wondered what kind of person Ling Xue'er was. She seemed to have no hope for anything.
Tong Aning snapped out of her daze and smiled at Ling Xue'er, "Don't mention it."
[She came to see me, could it be related to my master?]
Ling Xue'er cut to the chase, "I'm here for Doctor Xue Ruyun."
[really!]
Tong Aning said, " Miss Ling, my master has clearly rejected you, there's nothing I can do."
Tong Aning has never been good at beating around the bush; she only speaks the truth. If Ling Xue'er wants to break through her, she should make it clear so that Ling Xue'er won't waste her efforts.
"I know, I'm here to ask Miss Tong to pass on a message," Ling Xue'er stared intently at Tong Aning, her gaze sending chills down one's spine. Ling Xue'er said softly, "Soon, I won't need her as my master anymore."
Tong Aning looked somewhat puzzled.
But Ling Xue'er had already turned and left.
[ Xixi, what do you think she means?]
[Because her medical book is almost finished.]
Is she still writing medical books?
Her medical books were based on practical experience.
Tong Aning's eyes widened. [Then isn't she using people for experiments?]
[First her parents, then the servants in her household, and only one was missing.]
Tong Aning felt a chill run down her spine, and suddenly understood Xue Ruyun's words.
In Ling Xue'er's eyes, people weren't people at all, but walking medical books.
Having learned from Xixi that Ling Xue'er would be meeting the last unlucky man the next day, Tong Aning, after finishing court the following day, took A Shu and rushed to the place where Ling Xue'er was meeting the man.
She crouched in the bushes, her expression a little strange. "How could it be him?"
A Shu asked in a low voice, "Do you know her, Miss?"
How could I not recognize you?
When Zhao Qianrong was auctioning off her husband on the street, at least half of the people there recognized him!
[Did Wei Feng realize that this was a quick way to make money after the auction failed, and he wanted to sell himself to Ling Xue'er?]
[Sell it, sell it, a nightmare awaits you ahead.]