336: The Contest 4

The Contest 4

She had gotten the last herb and came to the Dean, passing them all to him. She was wearing a composed expression as she smiled at Li Yuanxiang.2

The Dean's face twitched. She was not at all subtle in showing what she was up to!

"All are right, but you are the second-runner, good luck to your next contest." The Dean encouraged her.

Gu Chaoyan nodded, thanked him and stepped aside with Li Yuanxiang.

She had just taken a step aside when Liu Hanxiang came running to the Dean and passed the herbs. "Dean, am I…" Before she was able to ask anything more, she spotted Li Yuanxiang and Gu Chaoyan next to her.

Her eyes widened.

That was impossible! She was already fast enough, faster than all of the other students. How could someone be faster than her! That could not be possible!

She just could not believe that!

"You are the third runner." The Dean told her the answer.

"That is impossible!" Liu Hanxiang could not believe that. She spent all of her time reading medical books and studying medicine, even the imperial doctor who taught her said that she was a talented person and that she was definitely going to be excellent in this aspect. That was why she devoted herself to her studies fully. So how could that be?"

"We still have one more contest to run. You might be the third runner in this round, yet you can work harder in the next one," the Dean said as if being a mentor. Being the third runner meant that she did have some abilities.

Liu Hanxiang was still kind of disappointed. She stood aside and glared at Li Yuanxiang.

By and by, the rest of the students handed in the herbs. Many failed to find what was requested on the note.

Then came the second round of the contest - smelling the herbs.

Smelling the herbs, as the name suggested, meant that the contestant should tell what the herbs were through using their nose. Normally, only experienced doctors were able to do that, and it was indeed a difficult test for those newly-accepted students, but the Dean was confident this year.

The rule was still that the ones that named the largest number of herbs within the limited time won.

According to the winning order from last round, Li Yuanxiang was the first one to do the mission. She got one herb wrong. Gu Chaoyan followed and got two herbs wrong.

Then came Liu Hanxiang.

Since both Li Yuanxiang and Gu Chaoyan barely made mistakes, she was full of pressure inwardly. Sweat dripped down her head constantly. She tried this method back home, but even if she worked hard on it, she only got half right. That was why she was never confident about that.

She got even more sweaty every time she came to the next herb. By the end of the contest, she had sweat all over her face, yet she only got half right.

When she heard the answer, she collapsed.

The rest gave up totally. They would not want to humiliate themselves by taking part in the contest, when they found that Liu Hanxiang only got half right. If they gave up now, they might probably leave a better impression in front of the teachers.

So the contest finished very soon.

Li Yuanxiang, without doubt, got the qualification for making the medicine.

Gu Chaoyan was very glad too. Li Yuanxiang was a very gifted, passionate and discreet girl. If she could get the qualification, she was going to benefit from there too.

"Congratulations, Yuanxiang." Gu Chaoyan said sincerely.

"But Chaoyan, it should have been you…" Li Yuanxiang got a little bit embarrassed.

"I am totally happy for your success. You are a capable girl." Gu Chaoyan said.

Li Yuanxiang smiled.

***

At the Gu Mansion.

Xie Yan came directly to the Gu Mansion the next day after he was given the mission. He was asking to see Gu Zhenkang.

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