"Elder brother, staring blankly?"
Feng Shihao suddenly turned his head, his jade face flushed red, and he glared at Ling Yao fiercely, "You've been corrupted by Xiao Shan!"
Then, he turned and strode away.
Qu Linglong finally arrived, only to see a retreating figure.
What, he ran away because he saw her?
Ling Yao took a flower ornament and put one on herself, then pinned the other to Qu Linglong, casually tossing the yellow one into the bushes.
She didn't need to guess to know that her elder brother wanted to use her name to give it to Linglong.
It seemed he was also interested in Linglong!
"Elder brother bought this for you, to wear."
"Really?" Qu Linglong's eyes lit up instantly.
At midnight, the sound of gongs and drums arose, startling the city from its slumber.
Flames reddened half the sky. Emergency tents were hastily erected, and soldiers, covered in blood, were carried in. The scene was so familiar that Qu Linglong quickly adapted and joined, calm and collected in the face of crisis.
Meng Jiu and Chi Yun also understood medicine. Under Qu Linglong's guidance, they soon became capable of handling their tasks independently.
At this moment, speed was of the essence. Emergency care was different from life-saving.
It was impossible to waste time on one person.
They could only provide emergency treatment before transferring them to the rear.
With their assistance, the workload of the military doctors was significantly reduced, freeing up one person to specifically care for the severely wounded.
Feng Shihao, along with Zhang Yan, Wei Hu, and others, were helping out.
Soldiers with severed limbs were everywhere, their groans incessant. It was Feng Shihao's first time witnessing such a scene, and his face turned pale with shock.
Yet, Qu Linglong, with a steady expression, was scraping flesh and pulling out arrows, her face and body splattered with blood.
Her gaze was focused, unaffected by her surroundings. Her hands moved swiftly, and she would calmly reassure the wounded soldiers, "You'll be alright."
Then she would continue, "Next."
Thus, they were carried in, one after another, and carried out.
The sounds of fighting in the distance were faint, but the drumming was right by their ears, chaotic and overwhelming.
But inside the tent, her voice was firm and powerful, and every word he heard clearly.
"Medic! Medic! Quickly save General Du! He's been shot in the chest, medic, save him!"
Two people rushed in, carrying someone.
Du Ling was brought to Qu Linglong's side. His upper body was soaked in blood, half an arrow protruding from it. His eyes, which had been half-open, now widened slightly.
Wasn't he still alive?
How had he seen Doctor Qu?
"Don't be afraid, you'll be alright," Qu Linglong recognized Du Ling and reassured him.
Perhaps it was the pain, or something else, but he grabbed Qu Linglong's hand.
The arrow had struck his chest, and blood continuously flowed from his mouth. He felt as if he were dying.
"If, if I don't die, can you, can you marry me..."
In fact, he had lied to the general.
He had liked Qu Linglong since she fearlessly embraced the sick child to comfort him.
Since she calmly persuaded the frenzied crowd.
Since she shed her clothes in the cave to keep him warm, disregarding her reputation as a woman.
He had liked her then.
If, if the Prince of Jiangbei treated her poorly, could she give him a chance?
Qu Linglong said firmly, "You won't die, cheer up."
Many soldiers, when they thought they were dying, would say strange last words. Qu Linglong didn't overthink it; reality didn't allow her to.
"Hold him down! Pull the arrow!"
She commanded those around her.
Feng Shihao startled, snapping out of his daze. Hearing "pull the arrow," he instinctively reached for the bloody arrow.
"What are you doing, don't move!" Qu Linglong shouted.
Upon seeing it was Feng Shihao, she quickly explained, "Your Highness, please hold down his legs, I'll pull it."
Feng Shihao quickly pressed down on Du Ling's legs. Other soldiers held his arms. Qu Linglong didn't hesitate, exerting force to pull out the arrow. Blood splattered onto her face. Without a second thought, she grabbed a gauze pad soaked in medicine and pressed it against the wound.
Du Ling had already fainted.
The air was thick with the smell of blood, and Feng Shihao felt a tightness in his chest.
He realized that besides his title as a prince, he knew nothing and was nothing.
Witnessing all this firsthand, he understood how much the border soldiers had sacrificed for Da Jing.
They were the truly respectable ones.
And her... although covered in filth, devoid of any feminine grace.
He found her astonishingly beautiful, so beautiful it made his heart tremble.
"Your Highness, please take him to the princess's tent."
Qu Linglong was being selfish. She owed Du Ling a life and didn't want him to die.
His injuries were too severe; he was unlikely to wake up.
Only the princess could save him; she had a medicine that could bring the dead back to life.
"Alright."
Feng Shihao gave her a deep look and, with Wei Hu, carried the bandaged Du Ling onto a stretcher.
The gongs and drums sounded again.
It was the third round.
In the distance, the sky faintly showed a hint of light.
After this round, it would be over. If no news came, then Xiao Shan would be safe.
Ling Yao, not knowing how many soldiers had been lost or how many families ruined, inwardly cursed. As soon as dawn broke, she would find that sorceress and burn her to ashes.
Feng Shihao brought Du Ling over, and Ling Yao understood immediately.
She had pricked her finger today and made some medicinal pills, not many, all for emergency use. She had also given five to Hua Qingmu.
Linglong knew this would harm her body, so she wouldn't have sent him over unless it was extremely urgent.
She fed Du Ling one pill.
Feng Shihao was lost in thought. Ling Yao called out to him before he reacted.
"Is it very busy up there? Are you tired? Can Linglong manage?"
"Yes, it's quite busy. I'll head back now."
Feng Shihao hurried back again.
He truly lived less than these two women.
No wonder his imperial sister was devoted to Xiao Shan. Such a man, who had fought his way through countless battles to protect Jing Guo, was someone everyone respected.
A goddess protecting the homeland, a general protecting the outside.
The two were truly a match made in heaven.
The last trace of dimness receded, and dawn broke.
A foul odor wafted in with the wind. The soldiers, after a night of fighting, showed no signs of fatigue, but their gazes towards the distance were filled with dread.
Puppet army!
Xiao Shan stood far on the mountaintop, the first to see the rows of advancing figures.
"Retreat—"
He roared, his voice shaking the heavens. The shouts echoed down, and the soldiers retreated like a tide.
"Light the fire!"
Wu Zhoubai directed the soldiers to spread bundles of mugwort along the boundary line and ignite them. The scent would interfere with the puppets' sense of smell, temporarily holding them back.
On the battlefield, corpses were piled high like mountains. Even the enemy soldiers who were still breathing but not yet dead were being devoured by the puppet army.
Their ferocity and brutality were chilling.
The woman hidden in the shadows gritted her teeth in hatred. She hadn't expected Xiao Shan to counterattack so recklessly, losing over a hundred thousand troops overnight.
Then she wouldn't blame herself for using the puppet army to make the entire Lizhou pay.
If she hadn't been stripped bare, she wouldn't have been able to control only a few thousand puppets.
It was all Feng Lingyao's fault.
Oh, no, it was her nemesis, Fu Tu Nian.
Or perhaps, A Yin Xi Rui.
In this life, she would reclaim all her hatred.
And make her vanish forever from this world.
Xiao Shan, she just needed Xiao Shan.