Chapter 203: Seating

Early on the morning of the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Hua Changxi flew away from Lingguang Hall and headed straight for the capital. When she arrived at the Medicine Department, it was exactly the fourth quarter of the Chen hour (9:00).

Feeling that she had arrived very early, she saw Pharmacist Xu pacing back and forth at the gate from afar.

"My God, you've finally come."

Seeing Hua Changxi, Pharmacist Xu's eyes lit up, and he ran quickly toward her.

Seeing him reaching out as if to pull her, Hua Changxi quickly moved to the side to avoid Pharmacist Xu: "Uncle Xu, speak properly."

Pharmacist Xu had no leisure to bicker with Hua Changxi and said anxiously: "Each pavilion master has been coming one after another since the beginning of the Chen hour, and Prince Shou and the Department Head also entered the meeting hall a quarter of an hour ago. My grandmother, now you are the only one who hasn't arrived."

Hua Changxi looked surprised: "Why did everyone come so early?"

Pharmacist Xu said helplessly: "It's not that others came early, it's that you came late." As he said this, he hurriedly led Hua Changxi quickly toward the Medicine Department building.

"Jiuniang, let me tell you, Prince Shou has the biggest temper among all the princes. If Prince Shou scolds you later, you must admit your mistake and be soft. You must never go against the Prince in public..."

"Also, today all eighteen pavilion masters are here. No matter what instructions are issued from above, let's not be the first bird to be shot. First, look at everyone's reaction, and then stand on the side with more people."

"Of the eighteen Huang-Yellow Pavilions, only our pavilion and the eleventh and twelfth pavilions have no power. At this time, we must develop low-key. You must not act impulsively..."

Under Pharmacist Xu's nagging, they arrived at the Medicine Department building.

Arriving outside the meeting hall, Pharmacist Xu seemed to want to nag Hua Changxi again. Seeing this, Hua Changxi quickly stepped into the meeting hall.

Half of the area on the first floor of the Medicine Department building was occupied by the meeting hall. In the spacious meeting hall, seventeen Huang-Yellow Pavilion masters, Prince Shou, the Department Head, and officials of all levels of the Medicine Department had all arrived.

As soon as Hua Changxi entered the meeting hall, it was as if a pause button had been pressed, and it suddenly became quiet. Everyone looked at her.

Prince Shou and Department Head Gu sat high in the middle hall, while the others sat facing each other on both sides. On the left sat the officials of all levels of the Medicine Department, and on the right sat the Huang-Yellow Pavilion masters.

Hua Changxi looked at the people in the meeting hall and was speechless about their seating arrangement. The chairs on the left and right sides were only in one row. Clearly, arranging a few more rows could allow everyone to be closer to the main seat, facilitating communication, but they only arranged one row.

Eighteen tables and chairs were arranged in a row, and the last chair was at least twenty meters away from the person in the main seat. So far away, are they sure they can hear what each other is saying?

There were fewer people on the official side, with twelve people sitting.

Seeing that everyone was looking at her, Hua Changxi steadied her mind, nodded to everyone, looked at the empty chair at the end of the row on the right, was silent for a moment, and decisively walked toward the official side, sitting in the thirteenth chair.

Seeing her like this, many people showed interest.

The official sitting in the twelfth chair saw Hua Changxi sitting below him and kindly reminded her: "Pavilion Master Hua, you should sit on that side."

Hua Changxi knew the officials present and was not sure of their seating order, but the seating on the Huang-Yellow Pavilion side was not arranged according to the order of the Huang-Yellow Pavilions. The person sitting in the first seat was the Seventh Prince Chu Junhao, and Mu Qingying of the first pavilion was actually sitting in the fifteenth chair.

"Is there any special regulation for where to sit?"

Of course, there were regulations for seating. The officials sat according to their rank, and the Huang-Yellow Pavilion side sat according to the forces they represented. These were unspoken agreements. The twelfth official couldn't say it directly, so he looked at Hua Changxi, who was asking for advice, and said with a mocking laugh: "There is no such thing."

Hua Changxi immediately smiled: "Since there is no regulation, then I will sit here. It is more convenient to listen to the Prince and the Department Head speak here."

The twelfth official: "..."

On the pavilion master's side, Tang Yufeng, who was sitting in the eleventh chair, turned his body and whispered to Gu Jinfan, who was sitting below him: "I've long heard that you, Hua Changxi, have a lot of personality. Seeing it today, it's really interesting."

Gu Jinfan glanced at him sideways: "Interesting? She clearly doesn't understand the rules of the officialdom."

Tang Yufeng didn't quite agree with this, but looking at Hua Changxi, who seemed somewhat tense because she was not used to such occasions, he smiled and shook his head. After all, her background was a bit poor.

In the main seat, Prince Shou was originally angry that Hua Changxi arrived later than him. Now seeing her sitting randomly, he was even angrier and immediately snorted coldly: "Hua Changxi, last month, the thirteenth Huang-Yellow Pavilion was the last to submit spirit pills. This month is already the last day, and your pavilion's spirit pills haven't been submitted yet. Shouldn't you give this Prince an explanation now?"

Hearing this, Hua Changxi remembered the matter of submitting spirit pills.

Prince Shou naturally knew that Hua Changxi had only stayed in the thirteenth Huang-Yellow Pavilion for half a day during the entire twelfth lunar month and hadn't come back to refine spirit pills at all. If she didn't find someone to help, the spirit pills for this month couldn't be paid: "The Medicine Department distributes spirit herbs in full every month, but you can't submit them. Since you can't manage the thirteenth Huang-Yellow Pavilion well, the person by this Prince's side..."

As soon as Hua Changxi heard that Prince Shou wanted to insert someone into the thirteenth Huang-Yellow Pavilion again, she decisively interrupted him: "I have already refined the spirit pills. I will submit them after the meeting."

Prince Shou's brows knotted, and his tone was unkind: "Then submit them now."

Hua Changxi was very disgusted by others forcing her, and plus everyone in the meeting hall was staring at her with unknown meaning, so she couldn't help but feel annoyed. She really had an urge to beat someone. At this moment, a dull pain came from the back of her hand, which immediately woke her up.

"Hoo~"

Hua Changxi took a deep breath, quickly collected her mind, and glanced at Prince Shou, preparing to take out thirty bottles of first-grade spirit pills she no longer needed from the Sumeru Mustard Space. But when she took them, she realized that the low-grade and middle-grade pills had been put in the medicine shop for sale, and the top-grade pills had also been put in Lingguang Hall and distributed to the Zhu Que Army. Now she only had first-grade top-grade pills in her hand.

She was reluctant to submit top-grade pills to the imperial family.

Hua Changxi looked at the pavilion masters sitting opposite, looked at Chu Junhao, Duan Yuyan, Mu Qingying, Shen Qianfan, and Zhu Qinghuan, whom she knew, and finally her gaze fell on Mu Qingying: "Pavilion Master Mu, can you lend me thirty bottles of spirit pills? I will return them to you after the meeting."

As soon as this was said, Prince Shou burst into laughter, and others present were also somewhat speechless.

Mu Qingying didn't expect Hua Changxi to borrow pills in such a situation and didn't know what to do, so she couldn't help but look at Department Head Gu above.

Department Head Gu didn't give any hints, obviously letting his disciple not meddle in other people's business.

After Mu Qingying understood her master's meaning, she looked at Hua Changxi apologetically: "Sorry, Pavilion Master Hua, I didn't bring any spirit pills."

After hearing this, Hua Changxi looked at Shen Qianfan and Zhu Qinghuan again, both of whom turned their heads and didn't look at her.

Among the people she knew present, only Chu Junhao and Duan Yuyan were left.

Thinking of the status of these two, Hua Changxi didn't intend to open her mouth to them. Just as she was about to take out the top-grade pills, Chu Junhao stood up.

"Imperial Uncle, I will help Pavilion Master Hua submit the spirit pills for this month first. I think she didn't mean to delay. Please give her another chance, Imperial Uncle."

Looking at Chu Junhao, who was bowing and pleading with Prince Shou, not only was Hua Changxi full of surprise, but others present were also very surprised.

Prince Shou looked at Chu Junhao. He liked this nephew very much and gave him face: "For your sake, I'll let it go this time. If the thirteenth Huang-Yellow Pavilion doesn't submit spirit pills on time next time, I will change the pavilion master."

Chu Junhao hurriedly thanked him: "Thank you, Imperial Uncle." As he said this, he took out thirty bottles of spirit pills in public.

Just as Prince Shou was about to accept the spirit pills, Hua Changxi stood up with a 'swoosh' and stopped him: "Wait a minute."

Everyone's eyes gathered on Hua Changxi again, not understanding what she was going to do.

Hua Changxi looked at Chu Junhao: "Thank you for your kindness, Seventh Prince, but I cannot accept your spirit pills."

Chu Junhao smiled: "Pavilion Master Hua, I have attended your class, and you and I have a teacher-student friendship. It is only right for me to help you."

Hua Changxi shook her head: "The help I need is help, and the help I don't need is not help. Put your spirit pills away." After saying this, she flipped her wrist, and three wooden boxes appeared in her hand.

Everyone looked at Hua Changxi curiously until she opened the wooden boxes, and the extremely rich pill fragrance rushed into their noses.

Top-grade spirit pills!

The wooden boxes were made of black iron wood, and the sealing effect was quite good. Having already taken out the top-grade pills, Hua Changxi didn't want to lose three more wooden boxes, so she took out a handkerchief and decisively poured out the three hundred pills from the three wooden boxes.

During this period, the pill fragrance in the meeting hall became more and more intense. Seeing Hua Changxi's rude behavior, everyone was dumbfounded and heartbroken.

"Prince, these are the spirit pills submitted by the thirteenth Huang-Yellow Pavilion. Please count them."

Hua Changxi sent the top-grade spirit pills wrapped in the handkerchief to Prince Shou with spiritual power with a pained expression, and then sat there with a dark face without saying a word. ===== CHAPTER 204 =====