"I don't know how just after three doses of medicine, she got better."
"The child is young, we didn't dare to believe it, and we were just about to ask Imperial Physician Jiang to have a look."
"Imperial Physician Jiang, you are too busy; we couldn't bear to disturb you."
"It's good that you came, please look at our madam. How come you suggest trying medicine for ten days to half a month, but after three doses she claims she could be cured?"
"I really can't believe it. After all, Imperial Physician Jiang, you are so much older, with vast experience, and I didn't know where Jiuling Hall gets the confidence to just cure me. Could you see if I'm really cured? I won't trust others; I only trust Imperial Physician Jiang."
Thinking of this, Imperial Physician Jiang felt stifled.
These women of the Marquis Dingyuan residence were mocking him on purpose, playing a trick on him.
Didn't she know whether she was cured or not?
Looking at these women, so full of sarcastic vigor, I knew that they were perfectly fine.
Even when cured, they didn't let anyone mention it; they still continued to get medicine from the Imperial Hospital, just luring him here on purpose today.
These inner court women…
Short-sighted, vengeful, and troublemakers.
"A woman and a villain are hardest to raise."
He, Imperial Physician Jiang, would not stoop to the level of these inner court women or be jealous that others were more skilled in medicine than him. In literature, there is no first, and the same goes for medicine. He couldn't deny that some doctors had unique skills for certain ailments, and he was here to humbly learn.
Yet, he didn't expect to see such a scene.
Doctors, when treating diseases, must calm their minds and wills, desire nothing and expect nothing, and firstly, exude a heart of great compassionate concealment, treating all patients equally regardless of their status or wealth.
He had never seen such selective treatment of patients. It was truly a disgrace to the profession.
Imperial Physician Jiang stepped forward.
"Hey, hey, the older one, get in line." People in the queue saw the commotion and shouted.
The two clerks at the door also hurried to stop him.
"Old man, get in line," they said.
Imperial Physician Jiang pushed them aside.
"I'm not here to see a doctor," he said and strode inside.
"You're not here to see a doctor, you're here…" The clerks tried to stop him, but seeing Imperial Physician Jiang enter Jiuling Hall, the surrounding doctors immediately followed him.
"This is Imperial Physician Jiang from the Imperial Hospital," they declared in a noisy scramble, pushing past the clerks and rushing inside.
The originally quiet hall suddenly became crowded.
Miss Jun and the patient she was diagnosing turned their heads to look at them.
"Who are you?" Seventh Chen asked.
"This is Imperial Physician Jiang." The doctors said promptly, standing behind Imperial Physician Jiang.
"An imperial physician." Seventh Chen frowned, "Even imperial physicians need to queue here."
The doctors behind made a sound of contempt, they started to speak chaotically, but Imperial Physician Jiang gestured for them to stop and stepped forward.
"I am not here to see a doctor; I am here to seek advice," he declared, gesturing towards Miss Jun.
Seek advice?
Or start a challenge?
Seventh Chen raised an eyebrow.
Such incidents were inevitable and even beneficial.
He said no more and stepped back, bumping into Fang Jinxiu, who had come in from behind.
"Are you okay?" Fang Jinxiu asked.
"Fine, someone brought us an opportunity to enhance our reputation," Seventh Chen whispered with a laugh.
Fang Jinxiu noticed Imperial Physician Jiang and exclaimed.
"Imperial Physician Jiang," she said.
"You don't have to fear the imperial physician," Seventh Chen said; "I believe Miss Jun is more formidable."
Fang Jinxiu smiled.
"Of course, there is no need to fear," she remarked.
He was already a defeated competitor.
Miss Jun naturally recognized Imperial Physician Jiang too, but Imperial Physician Jiang hadn't recognized her yet; firstly because he met so many people it was impossible to remember them all, and secondly because Miss Jun's demeanor and attire were different from the previous upheaval at the Yangcheng Fang Family.
"Just a moment, Imperial Physician," Miss Jun said, then turned back to the person seeking consultation in front of her, "If your madam only has these symptoms, there's no need to come here. Just find a medical house and follow the doctor's advice."
The woman, upon hearing this, got up joyfully.
"Hold on," Imperial Physician Jiang called out to the woman, "What ailment does your madam have?"
The woman had also heard that this was the imperial physician and was delighted rather than displeased when asked.
The imperial physician—such a person was not easily accessible.
"Perfect, Miss Jun doesn't treat this; imperial physician, you have a look and prescribe some medicine," she said.
What a thing to say!atemala having Imperial Physician Jiang pick up what Miss Jun disdained to treat?
The doctors standing behind Imperial Physician Jiang immediately bristled.
Imperial Physician Jiang stopped them and gestured to the woman with his hand.
"Alright, let's hear what you have to say," he said.
The woman then described her symptoms, which made the expressions of the doctors behind him even more displeased.
Imperial Physician Jiang didn't immediately tell the woman what medicine to prescribe, but instead looked towards Miss Jun.
"Do you know what illness this is?" he asked.
Miss Jun nodded.
"I do," she said.
Imperial Physician Jiang brushed his sleeve, picked up a brush from the table in front of her, and swiftly wrote down a prescription.
"Will this prescription work?" he handed it to Miss Jun and asked.
Miss Jun nodded.
"It will," she said, "It precisely addresses the symptoms."
The prescription was ready—validated by Miss Jun, yet the woman next to her, eager to take it, was denied by Imperial Physician Jiang, who continued to stare at Miss Jun.
"If you can treat it, why won't you do it?" he asked.
Miss Jun hadn't yet spoken when the woman interjected.
"You don't understand," she said, "Why would Miss Jun deal with such a trivial worldly illness?"
"What do you mean by trivial worldly illness?"
"What do you mean by unnecessary?"
"Isn't she running a clinic? Isn't she a doctor?"
"It makes no sense to refuse treatment when capable, instead of admitting inability and choosing not to treat," the doctors couldn't hold back any longer and spoke out one after another.
The woman, frightened by the doctors' outrage, dared not speak again.
Imperial Physician Jiang silenced the clamor of the doctors behind him, waved the prescription, and looked at Miss Jun.
"People only treat those with destiny; if there's no destiny, they don't treat—what does destiny mean? Are you refusing to treat her just because her family isn't wealthy enough, hence it's not worth your time?"
Is that so?
Being disliked and looked down upon due to poverty was certainly distressing, reflected on the examining woman's uneasy expression.
"Hey, don't talk nonsense," Seventh Chen couldn't help but say.
If people were chosen by Tianze to receive treatment, the public could accept it. But skepticism arose when selection was influenced by money and status, igniting public resentment. Such accusations could badly tarnish Jiuling Hall's reputation.
"Am I talking nonsense?" said Imperial Physician Jiang. "Since you've opened Jiuling Hall in the capital, the five cases you've accepted were either from the wealthy or the powerful, with consultation and medicine fees easily reaching a thousand, isn't that true?"
The consultation fee alone came to a thousand.
The public and some of the doctors were unaware of this.
Murmurs of astonishment surged through the crowd.
The price was shockingly high.
"As for my prescription," Imperial Physician Jiang shook the prescription in his hand, "and my consultation just now, I would only charge you ten taels of silver."
The woman managed a weak smile; ten taels of silver were indeed steep, but it was still affordable and worth it for her to visit an imperial physician.
"And you?" Imperial Physician Jiang then turned to Miss Jun, shaking the prescription in his hand, "If you handled this consultation and prescribed this medicine, how much would you charge?"
"Of course a few taels..."
But Miss Jun was quicker.
"A thousand taels," she said.
A thousand taels.
Everyone in the room froze, shocked as the woman stared at Miss Jun.
Seventh Chen raised his hand to rub his face as if he couldn't bear to watch.
"My consultation fee is a thousand taels, and the medication is extra," Miss Jun continued explicitly.
My goodness, the woman's expression was that of shock; she couldn't afford such an amount, no wonder Miss Jun hadn't offered to treat her. It wasn't because she lacked destiny but because she wasn't wealthy enough to afford Miss Jun's services.
The woman's expression grew complex, and the surrounding crowd also showed diverse reactions, especially as many in line began to disperse.
Such an expensive fee was beyond their means; better not to humiliate themselves by asking.
The atmosphere around became strangely tense.
Observing the change in the public's demeanor, the doctors felt a sense of relief, letting these naive people see clearly who they were so senselessly adoring—she didn't even regard them as worthy.
"Why do you charge a thousand taels?" a doctor cried angrily, unable to compare with Imperial Physician Jiang as his own consultancy fee was only a tael.
Miss Jun smiled.
"That, of course, is because my medical skills surpass yours," she said.
The room fell silent again with that remark.
Shameless.
The only thought the doctors had as they looked at her.
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