Resplendent – Chapter 475

Chapter 475: The Beginning

Three days after Gu Ye had delivered the gifts, the Great Pharmacists Convention finally began. The convention was held in a massive polo field that had been expanded four or five times its original size, forming a circular arena.

Around the perimeter, pavilions had been erected, each with tiered seating. Every pavilion bore the insignia of a different state’s delegation. The best viewing spots were occupied by foreign envoys, the royal family of Dongling, and officials of various ranks. The higher the rank, the better the position.

As a first-rank duke, the Duke of Zhen’s pavilion offered some of the best views available.

Besides the envoys, officials, and their families, a public viewing area was also open. Any merchants or families who had sponsored the conference were allowed to watch the grand event.

Occupying nearly half of the arena were the pharmacists and their families. According to incomplete statistics, over 3,500 pharmacists of various levels had arrived for this conference alone. Junior pharmacists and uncertified apprentices did not have viewing privileges. They waited outside, only entering when their names were called for evaluation.

Gu Ye had a major advantage. She was part of an official family, so she had her own seat on the viewing platform. Similarly, families like Jiang Zhongtian’s, which had senior pharmacists or Grand Pharmacists, were allowed to attend as relatives.

The first day consisted of an opening ceremony. Envoys from various nations entered, followed by the royal family and officials of all ranks. Then the pharmacists filed in, taking their seats according to rank.

First to enter were the ten most prestigious Grand Pharmacists. However, this conference had invited the Sage Apothecary to serve as both in-arena advisor and honorary judge. The ranking system in the pharmacist world was strict; the ten Grand Pharmacists treated the Sage Apothecary with utmost respect, letting him take the central position on the viewing platform first. The other nine Grand Pharmacists positioned themselves around him like stars orbiting the moon, ready to absorb his teachings at any moment.

When the Sage Apothecary and the Grand Pharmacists entered, the entire hall, including the royal family, stood to greet them. This clearly demonstrated the high status of pharmacists in the world.

When the Sage Apothecary appeared, Gu Ye excitedly stood up, waving frantically at her master. The Sage wore the same slightly worn pharmacist robes, deep blue with nine embroidered Lingzhi mushrooms at the collar. But no one dared underestimate him—he was a legendary figure!

With one hand behind his back and the other stroking his beard, he exuded the air of a detached sage. Noticing his little apprentice waving energetically, he casually waved back in Gu Ye’s direction from the Duke’s pavilion, nodding slightly to acknowledge that he had seen her.

The families seated on either side of the Duke immediately grew excited, insisting that the Sage was waving and nodding at them. To the Duke’s left was Prince Qing’s family. One of the Prince’s consorts was even urging him to bring his son forward to curry favor with the Sage Apothecary.

Princess Anya saw her father being persuaded by Consort Wu and planned to prepare lavish gifts tonight to visit the Sage. She snorted inwardly, waiting to see her father’s eager face meet someone else’s cold shoulder!

She sat down next to Gu Ye, the two young girls leaning their heads together, whispering. Of course, their conversation centered on the illness of Princess Anya’s brother.

Perhaps because people in this world had never encountered antibiotics, after about ten days of treatment, the Crown Son’s symptoms had almost completely disappeared. All that remained was a few more doses of penicillin to fully consolidate the recovery, and he would be essentially cured.

At this Great Pharmacists Convention, the heir, who had been recuperating outside the city, returned ‘cured’, much to Consort Wu’s secret astonishment. The courtesan she had arranged had been carrying a highly contagious disease, and she had learned from those attending the prince closely that he had indeed contracted it.

She had intended, after the conference, to find an opportunity to visit him under the pretense of checking on his health, so that the Prince would be utterly disappointed in his legitimate son. At this moment, the young prince should have been lying on the estate, covered in sores, awaiting death, but instead, he was already recovering. How did he come back completely unharmed?

Consort Wu’s frequent attention did not go unnoticed by the Crown Son. He sneered inwardly: I didn’t die. What a disappointment for you! This prince will peel the skins of you, mother and son, and expose the filth in your hearts for the world to see!

Princess Anya tugged at Gu Ye and whispered, “Ye’er, what do you think of my brother?”

Gu Ye glanced at the Crown Son. He wore a crow-blue silk robe patterned with swastikas, his features handsome and refined, exuding a scholarly elegance—a young, dashing gentleman, checked and verified!

The Crown Son noticed Gu Ye’s gaze. Looking over, he realized the little girl sitting next to her was the same young doctor who had made him strip down to get an injection. A blush instantly spread across his fair, jade-like face.

Next to them was the Duke of Zhen’s viewing platform. This girl bore some resemblance to the Duchess. Could she be a relative of the Jun family? Ah, he vaguely remembered upon returning to the capital that the Duke of Zhen had finally found his long-lost daughter. Could it be…

By now, Gu Ye had already shifted her gaze toward the grand pharmacists entering the arena. She casually remarked, “Your brother is quite handsome, but not as good-looking as Senior Brother Baili.”

“Senior Brother—Senior Brother Baili—” Gu Ye cupped her hand over her mouth and suddenly shouted toward the center of the arena. The quiet of the venue was shattered by her cry, and all eyes turned in her direction. But Gu Ye ignored everyone and waved enthusiastically at her two senior brothers.

Princess Anya, who was sitting beside her, also became the center of attention. Even this spirited little princess could feel embarrassed sometimes. Fortunately, the grand pharmacists had already taken their seats. Princess Anya quickly tugged on Gu Ye’s sleeve to sit down—just in time to avoid total embarrassment!

“See? Doesn’t Senior Brother Baili remind you of the poem ‘A man on the road is like jade; the gentleman is unmatched in the world!’? Doesn’t Senior Brother Baili look like a handsome man stepping right out of a painting?” This was Gu Ye’s first time seeing Senior Brother Baili since arriving in the capital.

She had heard from Jiang Xiaotian that he had been taken away by the Medical Sage to help someone, and she didn’t know when he had returned. Gu Ye had even worried that he might not make it to this convention! Did her Uncle-Master Medical Sage come to the capital this time?

Princess Anya cast a glance in the direction of Grand Pharmacist Baili. That calm, refined elegance truly made one’s heart skip a beat. However, she was not like some foolish young girls who would become infatuated with Grand Pharmacist Baili, shamelessly declaring they wanted to marry him. 

A grand pharmacist was not someone anyone could just tame. Seeing him, a phrase appeared in her mind: ‘To be adored from afar, not to be toyed with.’

Looking at Grand Pharmacist Baili clad in a moon-white robe, the purple collar embroidered with red ginseng flowers, he truly resembled a lotus standing apart from the world. Princess Anya couldn’t help but cover her mouth with her handkerchief and smile.

Baili Yunji glanced toward his little junior sister and naturally noticed the young girl’s gaze beside her. He was already accustomed to admiration—whether overt or subtle—but the little girl in the red dress seemed different from all the other admirers.