Dou Bochang frowned, knowing she was about to repeat her old complaints.
Back then, Master Xuanming’s words had almost explicitly labeled her a "star of disaster." Moreover, Fourth Girl had indeed often caused trouble for the family, as if confirming her fate.
Thus, he had tacitly agreed to send her to Yuqing Monastery to dispel the ill fortune.
But this time was different. The Zhang family had only agreed to help him secure a promotion because of her connections.
Three ministers of rites had already come and gone. Most of his peers had been promoted, yet he alone had remained in the position of vice minister of rites for over a decade.
Had he not groveled and ingratiated himself to everyone he met?
He had spent his entire life bowing and scraping—wasn’t it his turn to shine now?
Dou Bochang grew impatient. "Didn’t you hire someone to resolve this? Whether it was the fish today or Chengge’er’s illness, none of it can be blamed on Fourth Girl. Why do you keep bringing up these baseless accusations?"
"The entire household is in chaos, and this is how you manage as the lady of the house? If you have so much free time, why not pay more attention to Yi Yatou’s daily needs? Compensate her properly!"
Madam Gu felt even more wronged, her eyes reddening. "Husband, I’m doing this for the Dou family, for the greater good! My mother-in-law has shamed me, my daughter resents me, and now you blame me too…"
Though she had maintained her beauty and charm over the years, and her tears had once moved him like pear blossoms glistening with rain, today, he found her affectations utterly contrived.
Disgusted, Dou Bochang abruptly sat up. "Then what else do you want? To publicize her as a star of disaster, let the Xie family find out, and call off the engagement?"
"Foolish woman! How much longer will she even stay in this household? Can’t you tolerate her a little longer? Once she’s married off, whether she’s a star of disaster or not, she’ll be someone else’s problem. Why are you in such a hurry?"
"As for Yi Yatou, if you had shown a little more care, we wouldn’t have suffered such humiliation. How could you let your own daughter become your enemy? Send her some gifts to appease her, and don’t give anyone more reasons to gossip."
Madam Gu was left speechless.
Dou Bochang threw on his outer robe and, with a cold expression, headed straight for Concubine Xu’s courtyard.
That night, Madam Gu wept bitterly, not falling asleep until much later.
The next morning, Granny Cao and Madam Yang from the second branch arrived at her courtyard early.
Suppressing her resentment, Madam Gu had a servant apply boiled eggs to her swollen eyelids for a long time before she felt presentable enough to receive guests. Upon learning that Chengge’er had been poisoned by a trace dose of Nux vomica, she broke into a cold sweat and dared not utter a word of dissent. She immediately joined Granny Cao in reorganizing the inner household.
Everyone, from the kitchen staff to the nursemaids serving closely, was implicated. After a swift and severe investigation, they pinpointed that Chengge’er’s poisoning was linked to one of the elderly servants.
But before Madam Gu could interrogate her in detail, the woman hanged herself.
When the news reached Old Madam Dou, she paused in counting her prayer beads. "Utterly useless. It seems she is unfit to manage this household!"
Dou Wenyi, of course, knew nothing of the argument between Madam Gu and Dou Bochang. When she received the compensatory gifts from Madam Gu, she was somewhat surprised.
At last, a promising start. She was determined to clear her name as a "star of disaster" and defy her fate.
Before she knew it, the selection day arrived. Well before dawn, Dou Wenyi, dressed neatly, made her way to the western side gate.
Upon stepping out, she encountered Dou Mingyan, who was dressed in an elegant outfit with light makeup and a white jade hairpin, presenting an image of dignified grace.
This was entirely different from her usual extravagant and flamboyant style.
"Good morning, Fourth Sister. Are you heading to the palace selection?" Dou Mingyan greeted her with a serene smile.
Dou Wenyi responded with a faint smile, "Third Sister, you're up early too. Are you also going to the palace?"
Dou Mingyan lifted her chin slightly, unable to hide the pride in her eyes. "The Crown Prince has returned to the palace, so of course I must attend… Since we're both heading to the palace, why not share a carriage? I have a token that allows us to skip the queue and enter directly."
"Thank you for your kindness, Third Sister, but I'm only there for the exam. I'd prefer not to stand out."
Dou Wenyi shook her head. She didn't dare share a carriage with her, fearing that any mishap along the way would only bring trouble upon herself.
Dou Mingyan sighed with regret. "Very well. The position of Imperial Pharmacist is a tough one. I admire your courage to strive for it—your compassion as a healer is truly commendable!"
As she boarded the carriage, she suddenly lifted the curtain and added, "May you have a bright future and achieve all you desire."
Dou Wenyi watched her depart, a faint smile curling at her lips.
We'll see who achieves their desires in the end.
The carriage arrived at Chonghua Hall, the venue for the Imperial Food Bureau's examination.
The sky was pale, with faint rays of morning light casting a brilliant glow on the glazed tiles of the hall's eaves.
As the candidates entered and took their seats, the matron in charge of the selection began her instructions. She emphasized that since they had all passed the preliminary screening, which focused on texts like "Suwen," "Synopsis of the Golden Chamber," and "Classic of Difficulties," the imperial physicians had already assessed their knowledge of pharmacology thoroughly.
Anyone who answered randomly, deliberately damaged exam papers, or used other tricks to disrupt the selection would be considered a troublemaker and severely punished according to the law.
Dou Wenyi stared idly out the window at the tender buds on the branches, her thoughts wandering.
When the drum sounded, she picked up her brush and began "skillfully" answering the questions. She had to make mistakes that wouldn't be easily detected, allowing her to slip through unnoticed.
But her right eyelid kept twitching.
They say a twitching left eye brings wealth, while a twitching right eye foretells disaster. Could something unexpected happen?
Dou Wenyi quickly completed this section of the exam. When it came to the practical pharmacology segment, her anxious heart sank completely.
The reason was simple: the herbs and spices in the medicine packet she was given were identical to those in the sachet she had given Pei Siyan—not one ingredient more or less.
She had to explain the principles of mutual enhancement and counteraction among the herbs in the sachet, as well as its uses.
Without a doubt, this exam question was Pei Siyan's doing!
If she answered carelessly, Pei Siyan might think she had deliberately deceived him that day and come to trouble her again.
But if she answered seriously, what if she accidentally passed the selection? Would she be trapped in the deep palace for life?
Dou Wenyi's palms grew sweaty. She hesitated for a long time, unable to write a single word.
Suddenly, a pair of black boots embroidered with gold thread came into view. Dou Wenyi's alarm bells rang loudly. Her gaze slowly traveled upward, and in the backlight, she recognized Pei Siyan's handsome, jade-like face.
Dou Wenyi's spine stiffened. Her fingers trembled, and a drop of ink splattered onto her answer sheet.
Pei Siyan's lips curved into a faint, ambiguous smile as he moved away.
Half an hour later, the second round of written exams concluded. The selected candidates still had to undergo an additional assessment: diagnosing the pulses of the imperial concubines.
A flicker of unease crossed Dou Wenyi's heart. Dou Mingyan's "blessing" still echoed in her ears—could she have begged Pei Siyan to detain her in the palace?
When she saw her own name prominently displayed on the announcement board, her brows furrowed tightly.
After two rounds of elimination, only about a dozen candidates remained from the initial several hundred.
Among them were many with genuine talent and learning. She hadn't scored more than sixty percent on the exam papers—by all rights, she shouldn't have advanced.
What exactly was Pei Siyan, the crown prince of a nation, trying to do?