"General Nie, what do you mean by this?" Ling Xiao was not afraid of him, but she frowned and asked in a somewhat unpleasant tone. Nie Zhiyuan's attitude was terrible, and she was already very tired, so she had no mood to play any inexplicable tricks with him.
After a moment's thought, Ling Xiao suddenly understood Nie Zhiyuan's intentions, and a cold smile couldn't help but appear on her face. Unable to pull her hand back, she simply didn't waste her energy and glared back at Nie Zhiyuan, laughing, "You think my method of diagnosing the injury is wrong? My method of saving him is wrong? You think my method is different from others and suspect I have a problem? You saw me use medicine and he became unable to move and lost consciousness, so you don't trust me?"
She scoffed, her face turning cold, and continued, "Are you mistaken? I am acting on His Majesty's orders. Whatever medicines or methods are used, His Majesty knows everything and has never said a word. If you insist on believing there's something wrong with me, why don't you go and talk to His Majesty directly? A brain is a good thing; I hope you can take it with you when you go out."
Nie Zhiyuan was surprised that Ling Xiao had seen through his thoughts so easily. He looked a little embarrassed, but the darkness of the night concealed it. His grip on Ling Xiao's wrist loosened, and he was momentarily at a loss for words. Ling Xiao seized the opportunity to withdraw his hand, too lazy to say another word, and turned to leave.
By dawn the next day, the soldier had finally survived. Later that night, Song Shuhao, having woken up, noticed that Ling Xiao hadn't gone back to rest, so she went to keep him company. After confirming that he was out of danger, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Compared to her, who at least slept a wink last night, Ling Xiao hadn't slept for almost a day and a night, so Song Shuhao urged her to go back and rest. Although Nie Zhiyuan was there, he left earlier when Song Shuhao came over because Ling Xiao ignored him. Now he's back to check on the soldiers.
Song Shuhao and he had nothing to say to each other. His sister was Consort De, and because of this, it was inevitably somewhat awkward. Perhaps seeing that Ling Xiao hadn't rested all night, and realizing his own abruptness the previous night, Nie Zhiyuan immediately chased after Ling Xiao after he left.
Although worried about Ling Xiao's condition, Ah Hao figured it wouldn't be detrimental to her, and since she needed to wait for someone to come and take care of the soldier, she didn't go to check on him. Ling Xiao also ignored Nie Zhiyuan and simply went her own way.
Knowing he had pushed himself too hard and his body could feel it couldn't take it anymore, Ling Xiao just wanted to get back and rest as soon as possible to avoid collapsing in public. But Nie Zhiyuan wouldn't have it, refusing to leave him alone; even an apology was annoying.
She had no choice but to stop and patiently said to the person blocking her way, "I need to go back and rest. I really don't have time to argue with you. If you really have energy to burn, why don't you go for a run? You won't bother anyone and you'll get some exercise."
Nie Zhiyuan frowned, clearly not pleased by Ling Xiao's impatience. He suppressed his temper and said, "What happened last night was my fault. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that..." As he was speaking, he saw that the person in front of him seemed to be unable to stand, so he reached out to support him.
Ling Xiao hated Nie Zhiyuan, and she hated it even more when he touched her. The moment he reached out, she immediately flung his hand away. But she hadn't expected to use too much force; everything suddenly went black, and she lost consciousness.
Seeing Ling Xiao's body suddenly go limp, Nie Zhiyuan quickly picked her up and looked down to find that she had fainted. After quietly looking at the person in his arms for a long time, Nie Zhiyuan pursed his lips, then quickly took her back and found other doctors to examine her.
When Ling Xiao woke up again, Nie Zhiyuan was gone, and Song Shuhao was taking care of her. Seeing that she was awake and seemed to want to get up, Shuhao quickly pressed her down, "Don't rush, it's afternoon now. I slept for three hours after I came back before taking care of you, it's alright."
After hearing Song Shuhao's words, Ling Xiao stopped struggling to get up and lay on the bed. Recalling what happened before he fainted, he couldn't help but raise his hand and tap his head. Ahao sat by the bed and said, "You've been pushing yourself too hard. Your body can't take it anymore. How can this be? After watching you these past few days, I know you can't live without someone, so you need to take better care of yourself."
Actually, there wasn't much point in saying all this. Song Shuhao had previously thought that Ling Xiao knew his limits, so she naturally wouldn't nag him. But Ling Xiao had fainted today, and she couldn't feel at ease without giving him some advice.
Ling Xiao smiled and said she would be more careful, advising A-Hao not to worry too much. If it weren't for Nie Zhiyuan's persistent harassment, she wouldn't have collapsed outside. But she didn't mention this to A-Hao. A-Hao didn't nag any further, fetched water to help Ling Xiao wash up, and then brought her some porridge.
·
The city they were currently in was called Fengcheng. The army had been resting in Fengcheng for half a month, but there had been no movement from Dayuan, which was somewhat puzzling. However, over the past half month, troops had been quietly setting off from Fengcheng one after another, and after half a month, only 30,000 troops remained in Fengcheng.
Ah Hao remembered that Zhang Yu had once told her to stay in Fengcheng and not continue with the army. She wasn't worried now because General Fang Renguang was in charge of leading the troops, and Ling Xiao and many doctors in the army were also still here. Military secrets couldn't be explained to her in detail, and she had to trust that Zhang Yu had his own plans.
After staying in Fengcheng for half a month, it seemed that the rainy season had arrived. It rained on and off for seven days without stopping, and the moat was full, and it looked like we were about to face a flood. But on the eighth day, the sky cleared up again, and the situation eased up a lot.
Zhang Yu was not in Fengcheng at the moment, and Ahao had no way of knowing his situation. Perhaps she could ask General Fang Renguang, but it wasn't so easy to ask, and she didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble. If he didn't tell her, it didn't necessarily mean he was unwilling, but it could be that he couldn't.
The heavy rain stopped for only half a day before it started again and continued for more than ten days. This prolonged downpour meant they were stuck in Fengcheng for over a month. Without orders to leave, they had to stay.
The torrential rains of the past ten days and more were too much for Fengcheng to bear. Water began to flood the city, and in low-lying areas, some houses collapsed. Even those that were not flooded were uninhabitable. General Fang ordered his soldiers to escort, or rather, escort, the homeless civilians to other places temporarily safe from the floods, and set aside several large courtyards specifically to house them.
Some people died in the flood, and many more didn't manage to escape in time. Ling Xiao then told General Fang that if any bodies were found, they should be retrieved immediately, otherwise there was a risk of an epidemic. If an epidemic broke out at this time, it would undoubtedly be another major problem. After considering it, General Fang agreed to Ling Xiao's words.
Now that things have come to this, Ah Hao understands why the Dayuan Kingdom has been hesitant to make any major moves. With the floods already raging, they can simply sit back and watch them struggle; why bother with all that effort? However, the biggest fear is that this will create chaos, which could allow others to take advantage of the situation.
Ah-hao stood under the eaves, looking at the gloomy sky outside, which seemed to be raining endlessly. A sense of melancholy arose in her heart, and she vaguely felt that things were not so simple.
However, the fact that only 30,000 troops remained in Fengcheng is probably the only consolation. If the main army had remained in Fengcheng, things would have been much more complicated. I wonder where Zhang Yu is now, what's going on with him, and whether he's alright…
Ling Xiao, having just woken up again, came out of the house and stretched lazily without a care. The heavy rain had hindered everyone's work, but after so much time, even those who were initially seriously injured had recovered considerably and no longer needed constant attention. Ling Xiao, naturally, had nothing to do, so he simply slept to recharge.
Seeing Ah Hao frown, Ling Xiao couldn't help but smile and said, "Is our Empress worried about the country and its people? The rain should be stopping soon. After these few days, there will be a lot of things to do. At that time, Your Majesty can lend a lot of help."
She said this, but glancing outside, she felt equally unsure. The person being teased, however, remained serious, saying, "As long as there's anything I can do to help, Lord Ling, please feel free to give the order." Ling Xiao immediately tickled Song Shuhao, and the two of them burst into laughter again.
Just as Ling Xiao had said, the rain gradually subsided after another day, continuing intermittently for another day until it finally stopped completely at night. The next day the weather cleared up, and the floodwaters in the low-lying areas of Fengcheng quickly receded. Song Shuhao and Ling Xiao, having rested for a while, got busy again.
The floodwaters receded, leaving the flooded areas of the city in ruins. Their immediate priority was to prevent an outbreak of plague. Many bodies of those who perished in the flood were recovered in time; those that weren't recovered soon were now too gruesome to bear at first glance.
But it still needs to be dealt with.
Ling Xiao was still in charge of leading the team. He borrowed some men from General Fang, explained the relevant matters, and then worked with everyone to get to the flooded area. In addition, throughout the city, large pots were being used to brew medicinal soup according to the prescription given by Ling Xiao, and the strong aroma of Chinese medicine filled the air.
Amidst the flurry of activity, the scorching sun was making everyone feel weak, and then more bad news reached the city. The Dayuan army had divided into three routes to besiege Fengcheng, but the remaining route, which hadn't been blocked, was now completely cut off due to a landslide caused by torrential rain. Sending people to clear the blockade was now impossible.
The city was besieged by the army of Dayuan, and the city was full of Dayuan people. If it weren't for General Fang's suppression, the news would probably have caused chaos as soon as it got out. General Fang only said one thing—if anyone rebels, then slaughter all the people in the city first, and then go out and fight the Dayuan army to the death.
While the words were somewhat brutal, the effect was excellent. Furthermore, those who acted suspiciously were immediately executed, serving as a warning to others. Even though they were all from Dayuan, ordinary people mostly just wanted a peaceful life. Since they hadn't been mistreated after the city fell, they naturally wouldn't deliberately seek death or fight the soldiers.
General Fang did not engage in battle, but instead held the city gates. The 60,000-strong Dayuan army outside the city also seemed hesitant to make a move. If the people of the city were to suffer, the news would spread elsewhere, causing panic and potentially eroding the people's trust. Thus, the battle devolved into a stalemate, a protracted struggle in which the defenders were clearly at a disadvantage.
The flood has blocked all roads connecting the city to other places, and the city's food supply is limited. There are still many affected civilians to feed, as well as soldiers, whose daily consumption is enormous. General Fang clearly understands that the granaries must be defended, and has assigned a trusted confidant to oversee this task.
Lu Yuan said that Zhang Yu and his men were trying to take Nanwan City, but it was not going very well, and they had not received any news that a large army was on its way to rescue them. Song Shuhao did not know how to respond to this.
Nanwan City is an extremely important city in Dayuan. To reach the heart of Dayuan, it is imperative to capture Nanwan City. While they are attacking from one side, the other side will undoubtedly defend it to the death... It won't be easy.
·
Finally, she went to see General Fang Renguang with Ling Xiao and Lü Yuan, and Fang Rong was also there. General Fang had always had a stern face, and now, facing such a grim situation, he appeared even more imposing. Although Song Shu and the others hadn't said anything yet, he seemed to know everything and spoke first.
"We must win this battle," he said slowly, his tone firm. But everyone knew that winning this battle would not be easy, so they remained silent. General Fang then continued, "We haven't received any news for so long. His Majesty is probably unable to spare any resources. This time, we can only rely on ourselves."
Fang Rong frowned, a hint of frustration in her voice, "The torrential rain that lasted for more than half a month actually helped them. Otherwise, if they had followed the original plan, they wouldn't be in this predicament." They were originally going to support the capture of Nanwan City, but the heavy rain blocked their way. The Dayuan army must have seen this situation, which is why they chose this time to besiege Fengcheng.
Fengcheng wasn't a particularly important city, but once Dayuan launched its counterattack, regardless of its significance, successfully recapturing even one city would boost morale and stabilize the army. A defeat at this point would also negatively impact morale. But how could this battle be won?
Fang Rong felt a headache coming on just thinking about having to deal with the large army outside the city and also keep a close watch on the people inside.
Ah Hao was also thinking about how to win this battle. If the people could be utilized, there would be no need to be on guard, which would naturally save manpower. There were at least 30,000 troops. Since their military strength was already weaker than that of Dayuan, they could not allow their soldiers to go hungry.
At this moment, General Fang seemed to remember Song Shuhao's status as Empress, and said to her, "I wonder if Your Majesty has any thoughts?" He sighed, "If I had known, I should have sent Your Majesty away quietly when the rain subsided. Now you are in a dangerous situation, and I don't know how to explain it to His Majesty."