CHAPTER 187 — THE REAL CONTEST
Tang Kexin swept her gaze across the gathered crowd. There were far more applicants than she'd expected — dozens of young men, most barely in their twenties, all standing stiffly with nervous anticipation. In contrast, she looked like a weathered forty‑year‑old man in her disguise, her hair streaked with grey, her posture relaxed.
It worked in her favour. A military doctor needed experience, endurance, and the ability to survive long campaigns. Her disguise made her look like someone who had spent half a lifetime travelling through wind and dust.
While everyone else fidgeted anxiously, Tang Kexin alone seemed calm, even curious, her eyes drifting across the training grounds.
A young man carrying a cloth bag noticed her composure. He blinked, surprised, then hurried over.
"Big Brother," he whispered, eyes wide with admiration, "you don't look nervous at all. Have you been practising medicine for many years?"
Tang Kexin lowered her voice, deepening it to match her disguise. "Yes. I understand a little."
The young man's face brightened. He was handsome in a gentle, scholarly way — refined features, clear eyes, and a sincerity that felt rare in this era.
"And you?" Tang Kexin asked, genuinely curious.
"I'm only an apprentice," he admitted shyly. "I know a few herbs."
"Oh?" she raised a brow. "Then why apply to be a military doctor?"
The young man straightened, his expression firming with conviction. "Men should have ambition. My body is too weak to fight on the battlefield, but as a military doctor, I can save soldiers' lives."
Tang Kexin's lips curved. "A noble thought."
Another man overheard and chimed in, "He's right! And General Gu rewards and punishes fairly. If we follow him, we'll accomplish something."
A third man joined in, puffing out his chest. "But when His Highness, the Third Prince, leads the troops, no one can compare!"
At the mention of Ye Lanjue, the group suddenly became animated.
"That's right! His Highness is our war god. When he appears on the battlefield, the enemy flees before the fight even begins!"
"And though he's cold, he treats soldiers extremely well," another added. "My cousin served under him — said the Third Prince never acted superior."
"Of course! His Highness is good to us common folk too!"
The young man beside Tang Kexin nodded eagerly. "He's amazing. Truly amazing."
Tang Kexin stared at them, stunned.
Ye Lanjue? Popular? Beloved? Kind?
Were they talking about the same man?
The Ye Lanjue she knew was a cunning fox with a terrifying temper — a man who could freeze a room with a single glance. Yet here, among ordinary people, he was spoken of with admiration bordering on worship.
She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Before she could dwell on it, a soldier stepped onto the platform, holding a scroll. The crowd fell silent. Gu Xiuran sat nearby, composed and authoritative, with an empty seat beside him.
The soldier unrolled the scroll. "The competition will consist of three stages. First, a written test. Second, practical skills. The third stage… will be revealed later."
Tang Kexin raised an eyebrow. Keeping secrets now? How dramatic.
Still, the structure was familiar — almost like a modern interview process. Written test, practical test, final evaluation. She could handle this.
Soldiers distributed paper, brushes, and ink. Tang Kexin chose a seat at random. The young man from earlier sat beside her, smoothing his clothes nervously before placing his bag down.
The soldier cleared his throat. "First question: list the common illnesses found in military camps and their treatments. You have one hour."
The young man beside her exhaled in relief and immediately began writing.
Tang Kexin dipped her brush in ink and began her answer.
She wrote swiftly, her mind drawing from both ancient knowledge and modern medical training. Cold exposure, typhoid, festering wounds, epidemics — all common in ancient armies. Especially epidemics. After battles, corpses rotted in the open, blood soaked the earth, and disease spread like wildfire.
Modern soldiers had better conditions, better medicine, better sanitation. But ancient soldiers fought with flesh and bone, and death was always close.
She wrote about wound care, infection prevention, battlefield triage, and herbal treatments. She changed her handwriting deliberately — rougher, older, masculine.
Ye Lanjue was a terrifying opponent. She couldn't afford even the smallest mistake.
When she finished, she blew gently on the paper and set her brush aside. She glanced at the young man next to her. His handwriting was neat, his answer thorough. He knew far more than he'd claimed.
"Time's up! Put down your brushes!"
The soldiers collected the papers. The crowd immediately erupted into murmurs.
Some looked confident.
Some looked sick with worry.
Some stared into the distance, regretting every moment they hadn't studied.
Tang Kexin almost laughed. Exams were the same in every era.
The young man beside her groaned. "Big Brother, I didn't finish a few answers! My brain always fails me at critical moments!"
He smacked his forehead dramatically.
Tang Kexin chuckled. "Don't worry. Your answer was very good."
"Really?" His eyes lit up with hope.
"Of course. I saw it."
His relief was instant and overwhelming. "That's great! I can finally breathe!"
Then he froze. "Wait… you saw it?"
He glanced nervously at Gu Xiuran on the platform. "Big Brother, you're bold. General Gu is right there."
Tang Kexin sighed inwardly. This child…
Before she could reply, the soldier announced the results.
"Li Jin. Yang Si. Tang Zhibei. Tang San."
The young man leapt to his feet, grabbing Tang Kexin's sleeve. "Big Brother! I—I made it! Tang Zhibei made it!"
"I know," Tang Kexin said, smiling despite herself. His joy was infectious.
He was simple, earnest, and utterly endearing. Having him nearby would help her blend in. In a military camp, the lonelier one looked, the more suspicious they became.
"Big Brother," he said suddenly, "you're Tang San?"
Tang Kexin winced. "Yes."
Tang San… what a ridiculous name.
She must have been temporarily brain‑dead when she chose it.
It really was Ye Lanjue's fault.
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CHAPTER 188 — BEING CAUGHT IN THE ACT
Tang Zhibei practically bounced with excitement, his enthusiasm so bright it almost hid the heaviness settling in Tang Kexin's chest.
"Big brother, we're even from the same clan!" he declared proudly. "Please accept this younger brother's respect!"
He bowed so earnestly that Tang Kexin nearly laughed aloud.
Big Brother? she thought dryly. If only you knew who was older here.
Still, she couldn't help liking him. His innocence was refreshing — a rare, untainted sincerity in a world full of masks.
"Big brother, what do you think the next test will be?" he asked, eyes wide with curiosity.
Tang Kexin shook her head. She had only met Gu Xiuran once; she didn't know him well. But she had seen enough to understand he was a practical general. Whatever came next would be something hands‑on, something rooted in real battlefield needs.
And strangely… she found herself looking forward to it.
A soldier stepped forward and read the second challenge.
"Demonstrate a medical skill."
The crowd erupted instantly.
"That's it?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"There's no direction at all!"
Confusion spread like wildfire.
Tang Kexin, however, felt a spark of admiration. Gu Xiuran's question looked vague, but it was actually clever. Medicine had many branches — diagnosis, herbs, surgery, trauma care. By leaving the question open, he could see each candidate's strengths.
And with soldiers watching, it also helped them understand which doctor they could trust with their lives.
Beside her, Tang Zhibei looked utterly lost.
"I understood the first question," he muttered miserably. "But this… what am I supposed to do?"
"What can you do?" Tang Kexin asked gently.
He hesitated. "I… I grab herbs."
Tang Kexin blinked. "Are you familiar with medicinal plants?"
His eyes lit up with pride. "Very! I can recognise herbs by smell alone. I never mismeasure them."
Tang Kexin smiled. "Then show that."
He stared at her. "But… what use is that for a military doctor?"
"A great deal," she said firmly. "On the battlefield, injuries are endless. Herbs are needed in huge quantities. If you can identify and measure them quickly, you save time — and time saves lives."
Tang Zhibei straightened, determination returning to his eyes.
While they spoke, the first candidates began demonstrating their skills. Some showed bandaging techniques, others herbal knowledge, others pulse‑reading. Gu Xiuran watched silently, occasionally glancing toward the entrance as if expecting someone.
Then—
"Next, Tang Zhibei!"
He jumped, then hurried onto the stage. After bowing to Gu Xiuran, he tore a strip of cloth from his sleeve and tied it over his eyes.
"I am Tang Zhibei," he announced. "I can distinguish herbs by smell alone, and measure them accurately by hand."
The crowd scoffed.
"What kind of skill is that?"
"We're choosing military doctors, not apothecary boys!"
"Useless!"
Tang Zhibei flushed, shoulders trembling.
Gu Xiuran ignored the jeers. "Bring the herbs."
Soldiers filed past with trays — each holding three different herbs. Ten soldiers. Thirty herbs. Some with nearly identical scents.
Tang Kexin's stomach tightened. Gu Xiuran, you sly fox.
The trays didn't stop on stage — they walked past him, giving him only a fleeting moment to smell each one.
Tang Zhibei inhaled deeply.
"Yuan Hu, Wu Mei, Dragon Helianthus, Bai Zhi, Fen Xia, Bamboo Yellow, Green Artemisia, Yu Jin, Tortoise shell…"
His voice was steady, confident.
"Elsholtzia, Aster, Pu Huang, Phoenix‑Tail Grass, Calamus, Aconite, Gall Grass, Yanhusuo. Thirty‑three herbs in total."
The crowd fell silent.
Those who mocked him earlier turned red with embarrassment.
Tang Kexin exhaled in relief. Good boy.
But Gu Xiuran still said nothing. He simply stared at Tang Zhibei, expression unreadable.
Tang Zhibei shifted nervously. Something felt wrong. His shoulders felt heavier, his breath tighter.
Tang Kexin's eyes narrowed. Internal pressure.
Gu Xiuran was testing his composure.
Tang Zhibei forced himself to think. Had he missed something?
Then it struck him.
"General!" he said suddenly. "You have wormwood on your person!"
A faint smile touched Gu Xiuran's lips.
Tang Kexin grinned. Smart lad.
After testing his weighing skills, Gu Xiuran dismissed him.
Then—
"Next, Tang San."
Tang Kexin touched her face instinctively. Her disguise was intact — rough skin, darkened complexion, fake Adam's apple, padded shoulders. She looked nothing like herself.
She stepped onto the stage.
"This commoner is Tang San. Greetings, General Gu."
"What do you require?" Gu Xiuran asked.
"A piece of raw pork, a needle, and thread."
The crowd murmured in confusion.
"Raw pork?"
"What is he planning?"
"Is this a cooking demonstration?"
Tang Kexin ignored them. She was preparing to demonstrate suturing — something unheard of in this era.
But then—