Great Xia: At the start, summon the Net of Heaven to suppress the martial arts world.

After the Zhenwu Division's visit concluded, Xia Taige and the four women, Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju, returned to the East Palace in their white dragon carriage!

Zhao Gao did not follow. Now that Donghuang Taiyi is in the capital, there is no need to worry about Xia Taige's safety!

Zhao Gao was left in the Zhenwu Division to discuss the details of the follow-up plan!

Inside the Eastern Palace, Xia Taige suddenly remembered that she hadn't signed in today!

Then he silently recited in his mind:

"System sign in!"

[Congratulations, host, for signing in and obtaining the physician Bian Que!]

"System Summoning!"

Xia Taige was naturally familiar with Bian Que's great name! He was the founder of ancient medicine and the originator of the four diagnostic methods of observation, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation!

His name is renowned in the hearts of every medical student!

A flash of white light appeared, and an old man leaning on a cane appeared before them.

Upon seeing this, Xia Taige bowed to him.

"Greetings, Master Bian Que!"

Bian Que was not his real name, but a title of respect.

"Greetings, Your Highness!" Although Bian Que was old, he was in exceptionally good spirits!

"Sir, would you be willing to carry forward the medical profession in this world?"

Xia Taige was well aware of the shallowness of ancient medical skills. In this ancient era with a pitifully low average lifespan, medical skills urgently needed to be developed!

"That is my wish, I dare not ask!" Bian Que happily agreed!

Promoting the medical profession was his greatest wish, and with Xia Taige's help, it was even easier!

"In that case, I would be grateful if you would stay at the East Palace for the time being, and then I will begin teaching once my disciples and the academy are fully prepared!"

"There are many medical books in the Eastern Palace, and knowing that you enjoy learning, you are welcome to read them at your leisure!"

Upon hearing this, Bian Que bowed deeply to Xia Taige and expressed his heartfelt gratitude:

"Bian Que thanks Your Highness!"

Upon hearing this, Xia Taige quickly helped Bian Que up and turned to signal to Mei Lan Zhu Ju and the others beside him to make arrangements for Bian Que!

The women obeyed and led Bian Que to a side courtyard to stay.

With Bian Que here, Xia Taige felt much more at ease!

~~~

In the capital city, within a magnificent mansion, an extraordinary scene is unfolding.

In the backyard of the mansion, a group of people were waiting anxiously.

The leader was Lin Dongshi himself, dressed in a magnificent official robe, with a serious yet enigmatic expression.

Standing beside him were his family members and many of the women in his household.

Before them stood a eunuch holding a roll of bright yellow silk embroidered with exquisite patterns, bearing the Empress's imperial edict.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Empress decrees: I have heard that Lin Ying, the daughter of the Lin family, is dignified and proper, knowledgeable and reasonable, naturally beautiful, and exceptionally intelligent. I am very pleased with her and hereby order her to enter the palace! There shall be no mistake. So be it!"

The eunuch's shrill voice echoed in the backyard, and everyone who heard it felt a sudden tightness in their chest.

For a moment, the entire backyard fell silent. The family members looked at each other, puzzled as to why the Empress would suddenly issue such an edict.

In the silence, Grand Secretary Lin Dongshi remained calm.

He frowned slightly, his deep eyes flickering, as if he were pondering the deeper meaning behind it.

Lin Ying, the apple of the Lin family's eye, who was named, was also full of doubts.

She looked up at her grandfather, Lin Dongshi, and saw him nod slightly, as if giving her some kind of hint.

The exceptionally intelligent Lin Ying instantly understood her grandfather's meaning, and her initially flustered heart gradually calmed down.

"Your subject, Lin Ying, accepts the imperial decree!"

Lin Ying respectfully took a step forward, then slowly squatted down and performed a standard bow.

Lin Dongshi smiled and politely said to the eunuch who came to deliver the imperial decree, "Thank you for making this special trip, Your Excellency!"

The eunuch quickly replied with a smile, "Lord Lin, you're too kind. This is just our duty!"

After saying that, he handed the imperial edict to Lin Ying.

Although it is said that even a third-rank official is above the Prime Minister's gate, one must consider who is in front of him. The head of the civil officials of the Great Xia Dynasty cannot be allowed to put on airs!

"I hope that you, young lady, will quickly tidy yourself up and then come with me to the palace to meet Her Majesty the Empress!"

The eunuch spoke in a high-pitched voice.

"Yes! Please wait here for a moment, sir!"

Lin Ying nodded slightly and gave her father-in-law a graceful bow.

After receiving a signal from Chief Minister Lin, she moved gracefully and followed closely behind him toward the side hall.

Upon entering the side hall, one could see that Chief Minister Lin had furrowed brows and a slightly solemn expression on his face.

His gaze fell on his granddaughter, and with a hint of helplessness, he slowly asked:

Do you know why Her Majesty the Empress suddenly summoned you to the palace today?

Lin Ying nodded slightly, a thoughtful look flashing in her beautiful eyes, and she already had a general guess in her mind.

"I think it might be related to His Highness the Crown Prince!"

After listening, Chief Minister Lin nodded slightly, stroked his beard, and continued:

"Now that the position of Crown Prince has been decided, Her Majesty the Empress has summoned you this time, most likely to select a suitable candidate for Crown Princess."

Upon hearing this, a gentle smile appeared on Lin Ying's beautiful and refined face.

She replied softly, "Your granddaughter understands. She is naturally happy to agree to this marriage, and she really can't find a reason to refuse!"

"How could I, your granddaughter, refuse such an opportunity to become the rightful Crown Princess, and even more so, the future Empress who will rule the world?"

Upon hearing this and seeing that Lin Ying agreed, Prime Minister Lin was relieved and immediately nodded.

Now that Prime Minister Lin holds a high position of power, his granddaughter may be made Crown Princess. This may well be a warning from Emperor Xia!

"Without further ado, hurry up and prepare. Don't keep Her Majesty the Empress waiting!"

With a serious expression, Prime Minister Lin waved his hand gently, then turned his gaze to his graceful granddaughter, Lin Ying, standing to the side, and earnestly gave her some advice.

In no time, the news that the Empress had summoned Lin Ying, the daughter of the Grand Secretary, to the palace spread throughout the capital like wildfire.

People whispered and discussed among themselves, all speculating about the deeper meaning behind it.

Now that the Crown Prince has just been established, and the daughter of the Chief Minister Lin has just been summoned to the palace, people can't help but think that the Empress is carefully selecting a Crown Princess for the Crown Prince!

After all, becoming the Crown Princess means that one may one day ascend to the throne of Empress, the mother of the nation. Such a huge temptation, how many people in the world can resist it?

Back in the day, the Yan family was incredibly powerful, with their residence always bustling with visitors and their influence over the court still vivid in my mind.

Every family longed to take this opportunity to advance further and attach themselves to the royal family.

As a result, officials in the capital racked their brains and tried every means to use their connections to try to add their daughters' names to the mysterious list of selected candidates.

They spared no expense in expending a great deal of manpower and resources, just to give their family a glimmer of hope.

However, these officials did not expect that, despite the large number of people on the list, the competition would be fierce.

But in reality, the Empress and Emperor Xia had already decided on a suitable candidate.

This seemingly lively selection of a concubine may have been destined from the start to be nothing more than a futile farce...