Chapter 203: Seating Arrangement
On the morning of the twenty-eighth of the twelfth lunar month, Hua Changxi flew from Lingguang Hall and headed straight for the Capital City. She arrived at the Medical Affairs Department precisely at the fourth quarter of the Chen hour （9:00）.
Feeling she had arrived quite early, she saw Pharmacist Xu pacing anxiously back and forth at the main entrance from afar.
“Oh heavens, you’re finally here.”
Upon seeing Hua Changxi, Pharmacist Xu’s eyes lit up, and he quickly strode towards her.
Seeing him extend his hands as if to grab her, Hua Changxi quickly moved aside, avoiding Pharmacist Xu. “Uncle Xu, let’s talk properly.”
Pharmacist Xu had no leisure to bicker with Hua Changxi and said anxiously, “The Hall Masters have been arriving one after another since the beginning of the Chen hour. Prince Shou and the Department Head entered the Assembly Hall a quarter of an hour ago. My dear great-granddaughter, you are the only one left who hasn’t arrived.”
Hua Changxi’s face showed surprise. “Why did everyone come so early?”
Pharmacist Xu said helplessly, “It’s not that others came early, it’s that you came late.” With that, he quickly led Hua Changxi towards the Medical Affairs Department Building.
“Jiu Niang, let me tell you, Prince Shou has the worst temper among all the princes. If Prince Shou scolds you later, you must yield and admit your mistake. Absolutely do not confront the Prince in public.”
“Also, all eighteen Hall Masters are here today. No matter what instructions are given from above, let’s not be the first to act. Let’s first observe everyone’s reactions and then side with the larger group.”
“Among the eighteen Qihuang Halls, only our hall and Hall Number Eleven and Hall Number Twelve have little influence. At this time, we must develop discreetly. You absolutely must not act impulsively!”
Amidst Pharmacist Xu’s nagging, they arrived at the Medical Affairs Department Building.
Outside the Assembly Hall, Pharmacist Xu seemed to want to nag Hua Changxi further. Seeing this, Hua Changxi quickly stepped into the Assembly Hall.
Half of the first floor of the Medical Affairs Department Building was occupied by the Assembly Hall. In the spacious Assembly Hall, seventeen Qihuang Hall Masters, Prince Shou, the Department Head, and officials of various levels from the Medical Affairs Department were all present.
As soon as Hua Changxi entered the Assembly Hall, it was as if a pause button had been pressed. The hall suddenly fell silent, and everyone turned to look at her.
Prince Shou and Department Head Gu were seated in the main hall, while the rest were divided into two sides facing each other. On the left sat officials of various levels from the Medical Affairs Department, and on the right sat the Qihuang Hall Masters.
Hua Changxi surveyed the people in the Assembly Hall and was somewhat speechless about the seating arrangement. The seats on both the left and right sides were only one row deep. If they had arranged a few more rows, everyone could have been closer to the main seat, facilitating communication. But they only arranged one row.
Thirty-six sets of tables and chairs were arranged in two columns, with eighteen sets in each column. The last chair was at least twenty meters away from the people in the main seat. At such a distance, could they even hear each other speak?
There were fewer officials, with twelve people seated. The Qihuang Hall side was full, with only the last chair remaining empty.
Seeing everyone looking at her with scrutinizing, appraising, or curious eyes, Hua Changxi felt annoyed. She steadied her mind, nodded to everyone, glanced at the last empty seat on the right, and after a moment of silence, decisively walked towards the officials and sat in the thirteenth chair.
Seeing her do this, many people showed a look of interest.
An official seated in the twelfth chair saw Hua Changxi sitting below him and kindly reminded her, “Hall Master Hua, you should sit over there.”
Hua Changxi recognized the officials present and was unsure of their seating order. However, the seating arrangement for the Qihuang Halls was not in their sequential order. The Seventh Prince Chu Junhao was seated at the head, and Mu Qingying, the Hall Master of Hall Number One, was actually sitting in the fifteenth chair.
“Is there a special rule about where to sit?”
There were indeed rules for seating. The officials sat according to their rank, and the Qihuang Halls sat according to the influence they represented. These were unspoken agreements. Official Number Twelve found it difficult to say directly, and seeing Hua Changxi, who seemed eager to learn, he chuckled and said, “Not really.”
Hua Changxi immediately smiled. “Since there are no rules, I’ll sit here. It’s more convenient to hear the Prince and the Department Head speak from here.”
Official Number Twelve: “…”
On the Hall Masters’ side, Tang Yufeng, seated in the eleventh chair, leaned over and whispered to Gu Jin Fan, who was seated below him, “I’ve heard for a long time that you, Hua Changxi, are very individualistic. Seeing you today, you are indeed interesting.”
Gu Jin Fan glanced at him. “Interesting? She clearly doesn’t understand the rules of officialdom.”
Tang Yufeng didn’t quite agree with this, but looking at Hua Changxi, who seemed a bit tense and unaccustomed to such occasions, he smiled and shook his head. Her background was indeed lacking.
In the main seat, Prince Shou was already angry that Hua Changxi had arrived later than him. Now, seeing her sit in the wrong place, he was even more furious. He immediately snorted coldly, “Hua Changxi, last month, Hall Number Thirteen was the last to submit its elixirs. Today is the last day of the month, and your hall’s elixirs haven’t been submitted yet. Don’t you owe me an explanation?”
Upon hearing this, Hua Changxi remembered the matter of submitting elixirs.
Prince Shou naturally knew that Hua Changxi had only spent half a day in Hall Number Thirteen throughout the entire twelfth lunar month and had not returned to refine elixirs. If she didn’t get help, she wouldn’t be able to submit this month’s elixirs.
“The Medical Affairs Department distributes the spiritual medicine in full every month, yet you cannot submit the spiritual medicine. Since you cannot manage Hall Number Thirteen properly, I will have to arrange someone…”
When Hua Changxi heard Prince Shou was going to assign someone to Hall Number Thirteen again, she decisively interrupted him. “I have already refined the elixirs. I will submit them after the meeting.”
Prince Shou’s brows furrowed, and his tone was unfriendly. “Then submit them now.”
Hua Changxi strongly disliked being pressured by others. Moreover, everyone in the Assembly Hall was staring at her with unclear intentions, which made her uncontrollably angry and gave her the urge to hit someone. At this moment, a dull ache on the back of her hand startled her.
“Hoo~”
Hua Changxi took a deep breath, quickly collected her thoughts, glanced at Prince Shou, and prepared to take out thirty bottles of First Rank elixirs from her Sumeru Mustard Seed, which she no longer needed. However, when she took them out, she realized that the low-grade and mid-grade pills had already been sold at the apothecary shop, and the high-grade pills had been distributed to the Vermilion Bird Army at Lingguang Hall. Now, she only had Supreme-grade First Rank elixirs on hand.
She was reluctant to submit Supreme-grade elixirs to the Royal Family.
Hua Changxi looked at the Hall Masters seated opposite her, then at Chu Junhao, Duan Yuyan, Mu Qingying, Shen Qianfan, and Zhu Qinghuan, whom she knew. Finally, her gaze fell on Mu Qingying. “Hall Master Mu, can you lend me thirty bottles of elixirs? I will return them to you after the meeting.”
As soon as she said this, Prince Shou burst into laughter, and the others present were also somewhat speechless.
Mu Qingying also did not expect Hua Changxi to ask her for elixirs in such a situation and was unsure how to respond. She couldn’t help but look at Department Head Gu above.
Department Head Gu gave no hint, clearly indicating that his disciple should not meddle.
After understanding her Master’s intention, Mu Qingying looked at Hua Changxi apologetically. “I’m sorry, Hall Master Hua, I didn’t bring any elixirs with me.”
Upon hearing this, Hua Changxi looked at Shen Qianfan and Zhu Qinghuan. Both quickly turned their heads away, avoiding her gaze.
Thus, among the people she knew present, only Chu Junhao and Duan Yuyan remained.
Thinking of their identities, Hua Changxi didn’t intend to ask them. Just as she was about to take out the Supreme-grade elixirs, Chu Junhao stood up.
“Imperial Uncle, I will submit Hall Master Hua’s elixirs for this month first. I believe she did not intentionally delay. I beg Imperial Uncle to give her another chance.”
Seeing Chu Junhao bowing and pleading with Prince Shou, not only Hua Changxi was astonished, but even the others present were greatly surprised.
Although they knew Chu Junhao wanted to win over Hua Changxi, given his status as a prince, he didn’t need to personally humble himself.
Prince Shou looked at Chu Junhao. He was quite fond of this nephew and gave him some face. “For your sake, I’ll let it slide this time. If Hall Number Thirteen fails to submit elixirs on time again, the Hall Master will be replaced.”
Chu Junhao quickly thanked him. “Thank you, Imperial Uncle.” With that, he produced thirty bottles of elixirs in front of everyone.
Just as Prince Shou was about to accept the elixirs, Hua Changxi suddenly stood up and said, “Wait a moment.”
Everyone’s gaze once again focused on Hua Changxi, wondering what she was going to do now.
Hua Changxi looked at Chu Junhao. “Thank you for your kindness, Seventh Prince, but I cannot accept your elixirs.”
Chu Junhao smiled. “Hall Master Hua, I attended your class, and we have a teacher-student relationship. It’s only right for me to help you.”
Hua Changxi shook her head. “The help I need is help. The help I don’t need is not help. Please put your elixirs away.” After speaking, she flipped her wrist, and three wooden boxes immediately appeared in her hand.
Everyone looked at Hua Changxi curiously until she opened the wooden boxes. A rich and intense pill fragrance immediately wafted into their nostrils.
Supreme-grade elixirs!
Upon realizing that Hua Changxi had produced First Rank Supreme-grade elixirs, everyone’s eyes widened.
The wooden boxes were made of Black Iron Wood, which had excellent preservation effects. Since she had already taken out the Supreme-grade elixirs, Hua Changxi didn’t want to lose three more wooden boxes. She took out a handkerchief and decisively poured out the three hundred pills from the three wooden boxes.
During this time, the scent of pills in the Assembly Hall grew stronger and stronger. Seeing Hua Changxi’s rough actions, everyone was dumbfounded and heartbroken.
“Your Highness, these are the elixirs submitted by Hall Number Thirteen. Please count them.”
Hua Changxi reluctantly used her Spiritual Power to send the Supreme-grade elixirs wrapped in the handkerchief to Prince Shou, then sat down with a sullen face without saying a word.
