Resplendent – Chapter 447

Chapter 447: The Gathering

The Crown Prince, sent by the emperor to welcome the envoys of Yan, rode atop a pure white horse, every hair immaculate—youthful, handsome, and full of vigor. The citizens of Fanjing couldn’t help but cheer.

Huh? That horse looked a lot like her Xueyun. Gu Ye couldn’t help but glance a few more times.

The Crown Prince smiled and nodded respectfully to the people who adored him. His gaze swept over the towering Chu Mushan and Gu Ming. They were both nearly 1.8 meters tall, exceptionally tall for the era, standing about half a head above the surrounding crowd.

Naturally, the Crown Prince recognized Chu Mushan. He noticed him tightly protecting a small pharmacist dressed in moon-white pharmacist robes and curiously looked a bit longer. 

Hmm? It was actually the girl who had so boldly rebuked Prince Tai. It turned out that she was a pharmacist.

The Crown Prince recalled Prince Tai’s fawning behavior after initially being haughty and raised an eyebrow. Could it be that this girl came from a family of skilled pharmacists, with a powerful mentor backing her?

However, the Chu family were by no means opportunists. Even if someone were a grand pharmacist, they would never treat them with special favor. Chu Mushan was being so protective of this little girl. Could it be that he fancies her?

The entourage escorting the envoys finally passed, and the crowd gradually dispersed. Chu Mushan let out a gentle sigh of relief and, glancing his sister up and down, asked, “Sister, were you squeezed or pushed at all?”

Gu Ye, protected by her two brothers who were both skilled in martial arts, was untouched by the surrounding crowd. Her clothes and accessories remained perfectly in place. Meanwhile, the two brothers’ garments were pressed flat, looking like wrinkled pickles.

She helped straighten their attire and smiled, saying, “I’m fine. With you here, I’m perfectly safe. But it’s getting late. I think I’m going to be late.”

Passing through the most crowded stretch of the street, Chu Mushan hired a carriage and urged the driver to whip the horses, speeding toward the East District. By the time they arrived at the courtyard of the Apothecary Guild, Jiang Zhongtian was already waiting outside, craning his neck.

Seeing Gu Ye step down from the carriage, Jiang Zhongtian hurried over, jogging slightly: “What a coincidence. Today happens to be the day the envoys from Yan arrive in the capital. Aunt Master, was the journey smooth?”

“Don’t mention it. We almost got flattened into a sheet of paper!” Gu Ye joked playfully, then asked, “Has the gathering started? Am I late?”

“It’s fine. Many of the senior apprentices went off to watch the commotion, so the gathering has only just begun.” He glanced at Chu Mushan behind Gu Ye and said somewhat awkwardly, “The Pharmacists’ Gathering rules state that each participant can only bring one apprentice inside. You…”

“No problem, I’ll wait outside with Brother Ming. Sister, you can go in with her maid!” Although Chu Mushan was curious about what went on at a Pharmacists’ Gathering, he quickly said this. It was his sister’s first time attending, and as her older brother, he couldn’t hold her back.

Jiang Zhongtian pointed to a spot not far away and smiled: “There’s a teahouse over there. The tea and snacks inside are decent. You two can rest your feet there.”

“Okay! Sister, you go on in. When it’s over and you don’t see us at the entrance, come look for us in the teahouse…” Chu Mushan said with a smile, straightening her pharmacist uniform and signaling her not to worry.

Gu Ye didn’t know how long she’d be, so she said to her two older brothers: “After it’s over, I might still go check on a patient with Princess Anya. If you two have other things to do, go ahead. Princess Anya will see me back safely afterward!”

Gu Ming shook his head, stepping in before Chu Mushan: “I just arrived in the capital and have no friends and no social obligations. What could I possibly be busy with? I’ll wait for you in the teahouse and accompany you when you go to see patients.” 

Back in Yan City, whenever he was free, he always accompanied his sister on her visits.

Chu Mushan also said with a grin, “I asked for a half-month leave just to be with you. How could I leave you here and go play? Am I an irresponsible brother? Go on in, my Brother Ming and I will wait for you!”

Seeing her brothers so determined, Gu Ye no longer insisted. On the way into the Apothecary Guild courtyard, Jiang Zhongtian smiled and said, “It seems your newly recognized brother treats you quite well. Did everything go smoothly with acknowledging him as family? How are they with you?”

“They’re great! They’re just so good that I’m not used to it yet.” Her parents pampered her like a child, and her brothers treated her like a treasure. 

While Gu Ye felt happy, she also felt a little exhausted. Pretending to be obedient, sensible, and cute was really tiring!

Jiang Zhongtian glanced at her and said thoughtfully, “You’ll get used to it gradually.” 

To him, it was natural that suddenly being surrounded by strangers who became family in a new environment would feel abrupt and uncomfortable. It’s human nature!

“Eh? Why did so many people bring medicinal ingredients? Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I haven’t prepared anything!” Gu Ye exclaimed, seeing that the spacious courtyard of the Apothecary Guild was already packed with senior and junior pharmacists in pale-blue uniforms. Some of the pharmacists had set up simple stalls using wooden boards, displaying the medicinal ingredients they had prepared.

Gu Ye was dumbfounded. Her hands were empty, and now it was too late to take any materials from her space!

Jiang Zhongtian smiled: “Aunt Master, most of these are pharmacists from small families, hoping to get guidance from other pharmacists. Do you still need someone to instruct you?” Who could possibly have that qualification?

Gu Ye carefully observed. Sure enough, the pharmacists with stalls were mostly young, lower-ranked practitioners. The embroidery on their collars usually had one or two lingzhi patterns.

As for the mid- and high-level pharmacists, confident in their status, they only paused briefly in front of the stalls with serious expressions, frowning or shaking their heads, and then walked away. No one seemed particularly eager to give advice.

Not only in the world of pharmacists, but in the world at large, most people cling to their own treasures. How many are truly selfless?

“Master Jiang, could you take a look at my medicine?”

“Master Jiang, look at mine…”

“And mine…”

Before long, Jiang Zhongtian was surrounded by several young pharmacists. They all held the medicines they had prepared, seeking his guidance.

Jiang Zhongtian came from the line of the Sage Apothecary; his father was an exceptionally rare Grand Pharmacist, and among his senior brothers, many were high-level pharmacists. Though he himself was still a beginner, his foundation was by no means inferior to these lower-ranked pharmacists. Even a tiny bit of guidance slipping through his fingers would benefit them greatly.

The Jiang family pharmacists were known to be approachable. Every time there was a pharmacists’ gathering, they were always very popular. As more and more young pharmacists crowded around him, Gu Ye squeezed out of the crowd. She glanced back at her junior nephew, surrounded like a star at the center of a constellation, and shrugged—better to explore on her own!

Gu Ye wandered over to a stall. The stall owner was a boy of sixteen or seventeen, with a single lingzhi herb embroidered on his collar. He was holding a bag of hare’s ear root, craning his neck to watch her Junior Nephew, his expression tinged with hesitation.