Resplendent – Chapter 453

Chapter 453 – If You Like Him, Take Him as Your Disciple

“If you like him, then just take him as your disciple. What’s there to regret?” The Sage said matter-of-factly. 

Junior apothecaries flocked to small gatherings like this not only to seek guidance but also to showcase their talent in hopes of being noticed by senior apothecaries and taken under their wing.

Not to mention the Great Pharmacists Convention—at the triennial apothecary examinations, there were always a few lucky ones who were recruited by renowned apothecaries. In the Sage’s eyes, being noticed by his own disciple was definitely a blessing earned from past merits.

Gu Ye, however, widened her eyes, pointed at her plain light-blue collar without a single ornament, and laughed: “I’m still a novice myself. Why would I be taking on disciples?”

“Who said you’re taking disciples? Start by bringing him back as an apprentice. If he shows promise, then you can discuss the future. The fact that you’ve noticed him now is already his good fortune. After the Great Pharmacists Convention, there will be plenty of people fighting to join our sect.” Don’t underestimate yourself!” The Sage patted his little disciple on the shoulder, speaking with a tone full of earnest advice.

Gu Ye thought for a moment. If the young man was willing, having an extra helper would definitely be useful. Since her unusual background had been revealed, returning to Yan City was no longer realistic. She couldn’t leave the pharmaceutical factory unattended. She didn’t trust anyone else entirely. 

Medicine wasn’t like other things; a single careless mistake could cause a major disaster. So she would slowly plan the relocation of the factory.

Both Jimin and Baicao Pharmacy had repeatedly requested larger orders, but the Yan City factory was too small to meet the demand. Once the factory moved to the capital, supply to the surrounding regions had to be ensured. And the Northlands, the birthplace of the factory, couldn’t be shortchanged either.

With all this, the original scale of the factory would no longer suffice. Expanding the factory was absolutely necessary. Yet she didn’t want to be bogged down by daily factory affairs. 

Yan City still had capable people, but it was unclear how many would be willing to leave their homes and relocate with her. Thus, she needed to prepare in advance and train a few assistants.

It seemed crucial to find a few apothecaries of good character and notable talent during this convention. That surnamed Lin met all the requirements, but whether he was willing remained unknown.

The Sage patted his chest and promised, “Don’t worry. Leave this matter to your master!”

Gu Ye nodded, but added, Master, if he’s not willing, that’s fine. We won’t force him.”

“Not willing? Then he must be blind and foolish. For an apothecary like that, we wouldn’t want him even if he were given to us!” The Sage clasped his hands behind his back and strode into Qingfeng Pavilion, heading straight for the third floor.

The staff at Qingfeng were about to ask if they had a reservation and which room it was, but saw their manager warmly usher the group of apothecaries, dressed in their guild uniforms, into the finest private room on the third floor.

The Sage loudly declared without any pretense, “I’m starving! Bring two plates of whatever snacks you have first. The rest of the dishes, just serve them all. I don’t care!”

Gu Ye shot him a glance: You don’t care, but I do! 

She opened the menu, picked a few of her favorite dishes, had Jiang Zhongtian order a few more, and then added a few of the restaurant’s signature dishes.

The Sage bared his teeth. “You spendthrift! How are the three of us supposed to finish all this? It’d be a waste if there’s leftovers!”

“Don’t worry, we’ll eat it all! Master, sit here for a bit. I’m going next door to the teahouse for a moment.” She still had two older brothers in the teahouse, along with Princess Anya, who could barely be considered a friend. Gu Ye didn’t know how much Princess Anya could eat, but she was quite familiar with the ‘combat power’ of her two older brothers. 

The Sage looked surprised. “The tea and snacks at Qingfeng are far better than those at a regular teahouse. Why are you going there? And friends?”

Gu Ye thought for a moment and briefly recounted her experiences since arriving in the capital. The Sage clicked his tongue in wonder. He hadn’t expected that a little peasant girl from a mountain village would turn out to be the daughter the Duke of Zhen had been searching for for many years.

After the Duke of Zhen rose to power, the emperor felt guilty toward him and treated him with great favor. In recent years, the Duke had become one of the most influential figures in the capital. With him as her backing, his precious disciple no longer needed to hold back, worrying about this or that, always acting under his name. She could finally act freely and pursue what she truly wanted!

“Good news! Recognizing one’s ancestry and returning to one’s roots is always a good thing!” When the snacks arrived, the Sage didn’t bother talking to his disciple. With a piece of snack in each hand, he began eating vigorously, one on the left, one on the right.

When Gu Ye arrived at the nearby teahouse, her two older brothers were idly playing chess. Though they called it chess, it was really just Chu Mushan unilaterally dominating Gu Ming. 

Gu Ming had only started learning to play after entering the Jun family’s academy, so naturally he couldn’t compare to Chu Xiaoliu, who had been repeatedly ‘tormented’ by his brothers since childhood.

Princess Anya was in the adjacent tea room, pressed against the window, staring outside with longing eyes. When she saw Gu Ye enter, she grabbed her, ready to leave.

Rubbing her empty stomach, Gu Ye said, “I’m so famished that I feel dizzy and lightheaded. Aren’t you afraid I’ll misdiagnose someone if I’m not focused? No matter how urgent, I have to fill my stomach first. Princess Anya, if you don’t mind, would you like to have lunch with us?”

“What lunch? We’ll just have a few snacks here to tide us over. No need to be so fancy!” Princess Anya muttered reluctantly.

“You want the horse to run, but you don’t want it to eat grass! Princess, that’s not fair!” Gu Ye rolled her eyes. After all, who’s asking for whom? If you’re asking someone, you have to show some attitude!

“Fine! Speak then—where are we going to eat? My treat!” Princess Anya said grumpily.

“Qingfeng Pavilion!” Gu Ye hadn’t even finished her sentence before earning several big white-eyed glares from Princess Anya.

“You’re doing it on purpose, aren’t you?” Princess Anya snorted heavily. “Even reserving a table in the main hall of Qingfeng Pavilion requires three to five days’ notice. Now you want me to treat everyone there? Aren’t you deliberately making things difficult for me?”

“Princess, could you let me finish my sentence?” Gu Ye sighed. “I mean, I’ve already ordered the dishes at Qingfeng. Please come over with my brothers. Princess, your impatience is a sickness. It needs treatment!”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier! What are you standing there for? Let’s go!” Princess Anya pretended not to hear and dragged her toward the exit of the teahouse. 

Gu Ye shook off her hand. Pulling and tugging—what nonsense is this! The teahouse wasn’t far from the Apothecary Guild. If the junior apothecaries saw this, it would be very damaging to her image!

Once inside the private room of Qingfeng Pavilion, Gu Ye introduced Princess Anya to her master. 

Seeing that the Sage was also present, Princess Anya wondered—did this mean the chances of curing her brother’s illness had just increased?

Unexpectedly, the Sage waved his hand. “Venereal disease? I can’t cure it! Not to mention me—even if my Medical Sage Senior Brother came, he’d be equally helpless. However, my disciple says she has an 80% chance of success. What is there to worry about? Just keep your mind at ease!”