Chapter 257

257 Can’t Refuse

“But she didn’t do that. Instead, she took the initiative to wait until all the patients had recovered before she accepted the award. What kind of selfless and responsible spirit is this? It’s a blessing for the people of Ping City to be able to invite her!”

“And now the final results have come out. All the patients who received Lady Qin’s treatment have been cured without exception. It can be seen that her medical skills are high. She is indeed worthy of the reputation of a Divine Doctor. It is not an exaggeration to say that she is the reincarnation of the medical saint.

Duanmu Xize’s mouth was full of beautiful words, praising Mo Ruyue to the skies. His goal was very simple. He wanted to carry out her good reputation to the end and push her prestige to the highest point.

He had a good reputation among the people, and with his inspiring speech, he quickly stirred up everyone’s emotions.

!!

Everyone looked at Mo Ruyue with fanatical eyes as if they were looking at a bodhisattva who had descended to the mortal world. With her life, they would have a guarantee.

Mo Ruyue’s brows furrowed slightly. She suddenly had a feeling that Duanmu Xize was walking on the edge of danger. Not only did he want to boost her reputation, but he also wanted to create a God.

When Duanmu Xize spoke, he kept glancing at Mo Ruyue from the corner of his eye. Naturally, he didn’t miss the micro-expressions on her face. At the same time, he was secretly pleased with himself.

This move of acting first and reporting later was to make Mo Ruyue unable to refuse.

She could either accept it, or she would have to stand on his side in the future, and even if she was unwilling, she would have to be used by him.

She could either refuse and admit in public that her medical skills were fake and not as magical as the legends made them out to be. This would prevent the people from becoming her fanatical believers and becoming a problem that she would never be able to solve.

Once Mo Ruyue chose the latter, the power she wanted to borrow would be gone. In other words, she would get nothing other than ten days of hard work in vain. She might even offend him and provoke a powerful enemy.

This was not Ye Jingzhi’s idea, but his own decision.

Ye Jingzhi’s idea was to be slow, to be gentle, and to attack the heart, but he couldn’t wait any longer.

At the beginning of spring next year, the imperial court would hold an examination for officials once every three years. Although Duanmu Xize’s reputation among the common people was excellent, he was still not satisfied.

If he could make good use of Mo Ruyue, he would not only be able to please the common people, but also those who needed him to look up to.

Mo Ruyue knew that Duanmu Xize was secretly observing her reaction. However, no matter what he was expecting, he was probably going to be disappointed.

She didn’t rush to refute or confess anything. She would wait until she got the order of commendation. After all, that thing was the most practical.

Duanmu Xize saw that Mo Ruyue didn’t have any reaction and thought that she had already accepted her fate. He was secretly pleased with himself. As expected, his method was the fastest and most effective. That Ye Jingzhi always acted like he was profound and unfathomable, but in reality, his standard was only so-so.

He was relieved. After boasting, he “invited” the order of commendation out.

Mo Ruyue, who had been standing behind him, immediately turned to him. Because this was only an order of commendation and not an imperial edict, she did not need to kneel to listen. However, Mo Ruyue was dressed as a man, so he still had to bow and listen.

Duanmu Xize quickly read through the order of commendation once, then held a piece of paper in his hand and said, “Lady Qin, this is the court’s recognition and high regard for you. I hope that you can continue to benefit the people with your benevolence and heart.”

As he spoke, he handed over the order of commendation again.

This time, Mo Ruyue put her hands over her head and solemnly took the piece of paper.

Although it was just a piece of paper, the honor and responsibility it carried were heavy. Of course, the benefits it could bring her were equally heavy.

“Many thanks to Master Duanmu for giving this commoner this opportunity. This commoner has only done a little bit of effort. The sea of knowledge is vast, and the path of medical skills is endless. I don’t dare to be called a divine doctor, so please don’t flatter me.”

After Mo Ruyue received the order of commendation, she also said a few words. However, when the people heard her, they thought that she was just being polite and did not treat these words as her true feelings at all.

She also knew that the people were in a frenzy now. Even if they saw with their own eyes that she had killed someone, they would probably take the initiative to find a reason to exonerate her.

However, there was still room for manipulation. Of course, Mo Ruyue wouldn’t destroy her reputation, but she also wouldn’t let such a thing happen.

Duanmu Xize thought that he was using this method to firmly tie her together, but he did not know that it was not a good thing to be extravagant. Once someone got hold of something that could be used against him, it would immediately lead to a disaster.

She had thought that he was a smart person, but she did not expect him to be so short-sighted and stupid.

Mo Ruyue thought disdainfully in his heart. At the same time, he also felt very strange.

Since someone like Ye Jingzhi was by Duanmu Xize’s side, why would he give him such an idea? Could it be that Ye Jingzhi was actually not favored by the magistrate?

This was interesting.

After the award ceremony, Mo Ruyue brought the order of commendation back to where she was staying.

Just now, she had seen that familiar face among the many officials, but the situation at the time did not allow her to look carefully. But she could imagine that his expression must have been very wonderful.

Soon, it was time for the banquet. She could not attend such a formal banquet in men’s clothes, but Mo Ruyue did not know how to comb her hair like those ancient women, let alone bring any suitable clothes or jewelry to match it.

Fortunately, Qing Xi had sent someone over at the crucial moment. It was Madam Du, who had dealt with Mo Ruyue before. Not only did she know how to comb all kinds of hair styles, but she had also brought a few sets of clothes and jewelry for Mo Ruyue to choose from.

Mo Ruyue was used to wearing black and white clothes, but white was not resistant to dirt. When she entered the forest, her clothes would not look good, so later on, she changed to wearing sky blue or gray.

Qing Xi seemed to have seen through her fashion taste. The clothes she brought were not the kind that dazzled people’s eyes. there were sky green, light gray, and camel colors inside.

Mo Ruyue’s hand naturally reached for the light gray but saw that Madam Du was frowning slightly.

“Is it not appropriate?”

It was rare for her to take the initiative to ask for advice.

“Lady Qin, although we women should dress solemnly and steadily, but tonight’s banquet is for you. If you choose to attend in such clothes, it would seem a bit dull.”

“In my opinion, the azure one is better. Your skin is cold and white, and this color suits you the best. It’s bright and doesn’t look dull, and it’s not too festive or bright, so it’s perfect for you.”

On the other hand, Madam Du was very serious in giving Mo Ruyue her advice.

“Then I’ll take this.”

Mo Ruyue took the sky-blue clothes and compared them to his body. The effect on the upper body was not bad.

Qing Xi was, after all, the daughter of a wealthy family. Her taste was indeed very good. The things she picked were elegant and not vulgar. They had both class and taste, which saved her a lot of trouble.

Because Mo Ruyue was the widow of the original owner, she still had to comb her hair into a woman’s bun, even though she was still a virgin.