Huangfu Chen was stunned, “Yaoyao, I have taught you the divination you want to learn. Even if you are not my apprentice, I have not concealed it.”
She shook her head slightly. “I want to learn not only divination but also your medical skills, Teacher. To be honest with you, I’m actually looking for someone who can protect my identity even more. If I can become your apprentice… in the future even if my identity is exposed, I will have some protection.”
“Yaoyao, you are already a princess,” he said.
“Mister Chen thinks this identity can protect me till the end?” she asked rhetorically. Not to mention Mo Rongzhan would not let her be a princess for too long.
Huangfu Chen looked at her silently. He had never accepted an apprentice nor had he ever thought of accepting an apprentice. Apprentices were different from students. He would be a teacher and father for life. If he accepted Yaoyao as an apprentice, many things would happen in the future. Later, many affairs would be different.
He had deliberately said before to Mo Rongzhan that Lu Yaoyao was his disciple… Was that a foreshadowing of the future?
Having received nothing but silence, she looked up and asked, “Mister Chen, do you think I am threatening you to accept me as your disciple with my previous help to you?”
“I know you are not.” Huangfu Chen chuckled softly.
“Actually, when I asked you to teach me the divination, I wanted to ask you to accept me as a disciple, but….” She was too embarrassed to continue.
He said, “Yaoyao, if I accept you as a disciple, you will not be able to go back to the academy. From then on, you would have entered the doors of our Qi Family. If you go out to practice medicine, you can only focus on Qi family medicine….”
Most of what Ye Zhen was learning now came from the 《Qi Medical Classics》 of the Qi Family, and the books in the library pagoda were all left by the Huangfu Family. Didn’t that also belong to Qi Yanling? Moreover, based on her understanding of Huangfu Chen, he shouldn’t be the kind of person who only cared about fame.
“Mister Chen, the world of medicine is one family, and those who become great doctors cannot rigidly adhere to their own interests. Whenever a doctor treats a disease, he must be calm and determined, free of desires, first show great kindness and compassion and vow to alleviate the suffering of the patient. Regardless of whether they are rich-poor, young-old, relatives-good friends, wise-foolish… their race, etc., you need to treat them with the same kindness. And when doing so, you mustn’t care about your own gain and loss, danger and safety. You must see their sufferings as if your own. You shouldn’t avoid hardships- No matter if it is day or night, cold or hot; whether you are hungry, thirsty or fatigued, you should heal and serve with all your heart, so you can be the great doctor of the common people….”
“You remember the medical principles of my great-great-grandmother so clearly, why should I not accept you as a disciple?” Huangfu Chen said with a smile.
These words formed the preface of the《Qi Medical Classics》 and were written by Qi Yanling herself to encourage the future generations. However, it was unexpected that Lu Yaoyao would have also learned it by heart.
Ye Zhen looked at Huangfu Chen in surprise. Is he promising to accept me as a disciple?
“Master….”
“Since I want to accept you as an apprentice, I naturally have to drink a cup of tea by the hands of my apprentice.” Huangfu Chen sat down and motioned to Ye Zhen to bring him the teacup on the tabletop.
“Yes, Master!” An elated Ye Zhen took the teacup with both hands and lowered herself to his knees to bow.
Huangfu Chen held her hand, coughed softly, and said, “I have never been someone else’s master, but with different identities, the relationship between you and me is still the same as usual, so you don’t need to do such a big courtesy.”
Ye Zhen knelt down resolutely. “Etiquette cannot be abandoned. Master here, please accept Yaoyao’s bow.”
Huangfu Chen had to take the teacup in her hand and sipped a mouthful… If Mo Rongzhan knew that Yaoyao really entered my doors, I wonder how angry he would be.
“Rise.” Huangfu Chen looked at her with a smile. Although he had never wanted to accept an apprentice, this little girl was extremely talented and intelligent. In the future, she might really be able to inherit the mantle of his great-great-grandmother.
Ye Zhen smiled sweetly. “Thank you, Master.”
“Then what do you plan to do next? Do you want to continue to be a physician in the imperial palace, or study medical divination with me?” he asked.
“Master, I want to go to Huaijiang first, and when I return, I will no longer go to the imperial palace to be a physician,” she said.
“Huaijiang?” Huangfu Chen frowned slightly. “If you are going to Huaijiang, it will make you more aware of the meaning of being a healer, but I’m afraid it will be a little dangerous.”
“If one dares not go to heal people because of danger, then is there anyone in this world who wants to become a doctor?” Ye Zhen asked rhetorically.
Huangfu Chen nodded slightly. “I will go with you when the time comes.”
