The doctors hadn't heard of it, but the passerby knew it clearly.
"Miss Jun started as a bell healer, went through the streets and alleys, everyone recognized her," they even said enthusiastically.
Bell healers.
Most bell healers are nothing but Jianghu charlatans.
The doctors were even more certain, such charlatans were plentiful in the capital; it's just that Jiuling Hall was the first one to become famous overnight.
The crowd quickly arrived in front of Jiuling Hall, but the scene before them left them somewhat surprised.
Instead of being crowded with customers lining up, it was eerily quiet. Two clerks sat at the doorstep, chatting and laughing.
Could it be there were no customers? Then why did it sound like everyone in the capital was coming here for treatment?
"You don't know the rules," said a vendor carrying a basket when he saw them stand there, bewildered. He smiled, "Jiuling Hall isn't open for consultation every day. It only sees patients on the days of three, six, and nine each month."
Thinking they're the Buddha, also choosing the days for incense offering.
"And even on the days of three, six, and nine, not everyone can be seen by Miss Jun," the vendor continued, "It depends on whether you have the fate to be treated by her."
Ah, spit.
The doctors spat in their minds in unison.
"Tomorrow is the ninth; we shall come again tomorrow to see how she performs her tricks," said the crowd, striding off in a huff.
When they gathered the next day at Jiuling Hall, the long queue still took them by surprise even though they expected a sizable turnout.
The line stretched from the door to the street corner, easily over a hundred people, young and old, men and women, all with devout expressions, resembling worshippers at a temple more than patients seeking treatment.
Seventh Chen frowned upon seeing the people from a window.
"I feel that three, six, and nine aren't suitable," he pondered for a moment, "The effect is still not enough."
The two clerks stuck out their tongues at the queue outside.
This wasn't enough? This was the third time the rule was publicized, and the number had nearly increased by half compared to the first two times.
One could only imagine how many more people would come next time.
"We won't just take patients on the days of three, six, and nine, but we will also limit the number each time," Seventh Chen said.
Limit the numbers?
More than half of those in the queue were turned away by Miss Jun; having twenty or thirty able to consult would be good enough.
With limited numbers, even fewer could be seen.
"So what if it's fewer?" Seventh Chen said, "Scarcity is what makes something valuable. Our Jiuling Hall is about being prestigious and scarce."
The two clerks looked at him and dared not retort.
Seventh Chen was now the shopkeeper of Jiuling Hall, and he had set the rule of three, six, and nine. Miss Jun hadn't opposed it.
It seemed that from now on, he would be the one calling the shots at Jiuling Hall.
"Changing the rules at dusk." Fang Jinxiu's voice came from inside, as she walked in from the back hall, "You can't just change the rules that have just been set."
Seventh Chen immediately smiled and agreed.
"You're right," he said.
The two clerks exchanged glances.
They were wrong, the future of Jiuling Hall was determined by this accounting room Miss.
"There's no need to change this rule," Fang Jinxiu said, glancing behind where Miss Jun walked in, "Because no matter how many people queue up, she alone can manage how many she consults."
Miss Jun hummed and sat straight down at the consulting desk.
"But we can use this rule for our medicine," Fang Jinxiu continued, looking at the medicine cabinet.
The reason for setting the consulting days to three, six, and nine was because Miss Jun and Liu'er were busy preparing medicines every day. But the medicine cabinets were still more than half empty, so they spared some time to speed up production.
"As for medicines, we can always keep them limited," she said, "Firstly, the high price automatically filters people out."
Seventh Chen nodded his head repeatedly.
"You're right, let's do it this way," he said, "Once Miss Jun has prepared the medicines, we'll discuss the pricing and set the limits."
Fang Jinxiu nodded and looked at the weather as well as the crowd outside.
"Let's open the doors," she said.
The two clerks responded and together pushed the doors open.
The queue suddenly surged forward, with the people at the very front almost tripping in their eagerness to enter.
The watching doctors could hardly bear to look.
People usually visit a clinic with worries and pained expressions from their illnesses. Who would be this jubilant?
Those who entered quickly came out.
"How did it go?" the waiting queue eagerly asked.
"Miss Jun won't treat my illness," the person joyfully said, "I can go elsewhere."
So it was as they said, relegating their own clinics to dealing with the trifling matters she deemed unworthy of her attention? It was an insult. The doctors were even more outraged as they witnessed this scene firsthand.
The second person, like the first, was sent away and walked off jubilantly.
Only until the seventh person, as jubilant as the earlier ones, came out and was asked, did they reveal they had been accepted for consultation.
"Miss Jun told me to wait at home; she will come tomorrow to treat my mistress," the person said.
This was clearly a servant, whose master must have been too ill to come in person, or it was inconvenient for them to show themselves publicly.
"What kind of treatment is this? How can you diagnose without seeing the patient?" one doctor frowned.
A nearby vendor clicked his tongue.
"You just describe it to Miss Jun," he said, "There have been people who exaggerated their descriptions to get Miss Jun to take their case, but Miss Jun was never fooled. She would point out their lies in just a few words."
Saying this, he nodded again.
"I told you, Miss Jun's consultations depend on whether one has fate, and she can't be deceived."
The doctors rolled their eyes. This was nothing but fortune-teller's tricks.
When the crowd heard the servant's reply, they all grew restless.
"It seems to be very serious," they said. However, their expressions soon turned envious. "Lucky they have Miss Jun, surely she can cure it."
The servant also nodded happily.
"Yes, indeed, I must hurry and tell my mistress the good news," he said, running off as if flying.
To consider a diagnosis of a serious illness good news!
Must be sick in the head!
Happy to be turned away, happy to be diagnosed with a serious illness, had all these people gone mad?
How had Jiuling Hall managed to drive so many people to such madness?
The doctors gazed at Jiuling Hall and the endlessly lengthening queue with expressions of shock and disbelief.
"Hey, look," suddenly one doctor quietly spoke up, gesturing in a direction, "It's Imperial Physician Jiang."
The doctors looked in the direction he pointed, indeed, on the other side of the street stood an elder, none other than Imperial Physician Jiang, the head of the Imperial Hospital.
Imperial Physician Jiang was not looking at the queue, instead, he stared somberly towards Jiuling Hall, with the laughter of the ladies from Marquis Dingyuan's estate echoing in his ears.
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Good morning.