Chapter 140 Identity Exposed
As dusk fell and birds returned to the forest, Shaoqing Prefecture won a great victory in its first battle.
The two armies of the Great Qi sounded the retreat and withdrew dozens of miles away. Mu Tingyu led the palace soldiers to clean up the battlefield and returned to the city.
The west city gate opened wide to welcome the triumphant heroes.
The soldiers who had been watching the battle for a long time rushed forward, gave thumbs up, their eyes full of amazement and conviction.
"General Wanqian, you fought this battle beautifully!"
"It's a pity that the commander Wu Yi never went into battle, otherwise you would have taught him a lesson."
"It's true that a tiger father has a tiger daughter. General Wanqian is brave and skilled in battle, and your daughter is no less so. She truly impresses me."
Mu Tingyu smiled and bowed, ignoring the murderous aura etched in his blood. His every move and gesture was that of a scholarly general. "You are all too kind."
Mu Yuanzhu followed behind his father, parroting his words, "You are all too kind. It's mainly because the Qi bandits were frightened by the previous battle, and their morale has collapsed."
Thinking of the scene of mountains collapsing, the earth cracking, and fireballs rolling, everyone felt the same way.
"Seeing is believing. The power of gunpowder is truly not to be underestimated. It blew those Qi bandits off their horses and left them crying for their parents."
"First, we'll disrupt their morale with gunpowder and muskets, then we'll push the Qi bandits back forty or fifty miles. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, they'll need at least three to five days to recover."
"The Qi bandits probably still think we are still trapped by the plague and are completely unaware of their conspiracy."
Du Qingtang was in a good mood, a faint smile on his lips, giving people a feeling of being bathed in spring breeze, but his words were cold and ruthless: "The Qi bandits are cunning and vindictive. You must not take them lightly."
The cold water poured by the prefect chilled everyone to the bone. Their laughter stopped abruptly, and their excitement turned into contemplation.
"Your Excellency is right. The Qi bandits have hundreds of thousands of men. Even if they fight in a rotating battle, they can hold out for a long time."
"The night guards must not be relaxed to prevent a surprise attack by the Qi bandits."
Everyone echoed in unison, their faces flushed, and they warned themselves in their hearts that pride will lead to failure.
Although the first battle was a great victory and the Qi bandits lost 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers, we must not get carried away and it is better to keep a low profile.
Du Qingtang looked at Mu Tingyu and other soldiers who were heading out of the city to fight, and said slowly, "The wounded can go to the casualty clinic for treatment, and the rest of you can return to the camp to rest. You all have made great contributions in this battle. After we repel the Qi bandits, we will reward you all according to your merits."
Mu Tingyu said modestly, "Your Excellency is too kind. Defending our country is our duty."
However, he did not say that there was no need to reward people based on their merits.
The soldiers fought for their lives on the battlefield. They fought bravely and defended Shaoqing Prefecture. They deserved all the rewards.
Du Qingtang nodded slightly and told General Huang to settle the wounded. He glanced at the wounded on the stretcher, his eyes flashed slightly, and he rode away.
Mu Tingyu saluted Guardsman Wan and left with the palace soldiers.
He killed hundreds of Qi bandits, his armor was stained with blood, and the smell of blood was overwhelming. He had to take a shower, change clothes, and then treat his wounds.
Shoubei Wan watched the soldiers go away, raised his telescope and looked up at the sky. The sunset was gorgeous and very pleasing to the eyes.
Captain Liu sidled up to Guard Wan, took a look at his expression, and said nonchalantly, "That Wan Guiyu is truly too arrogant. He has no regard for superiority or inferiority. He actually bypassed you and asked the prefect to fight. Doesn't he know that this first battle is crucial and that you should lead the troops to fight and establish your position?"
"The same is true for the prefect. She is a bit too partial. She agreed to Wan Guiyu's challenge. Where does she want to put you, sir?"
Guard Wan put down his binoculars, tilted his head to look at Captain Liu, and asked inexplicably, "So you think the prefect was wrong?"
The sudden desire to survive made Liu Bazong shake his head like a rattle, and explained with a wry smile: "You misunderstood, I just feel sorry for you..."
Shoubei Wan stood facing the west city gate. Within his field of vision, military doctors and palace soldiers were carrying countless wounded soldiers towards the wounded station. Some of them were seriously injured, leaving a trail of blood along the way. The yellow earth outside the city was covered with charred marks. Further ahead, the battlefield was littered with corpses and blood flowed like a river.
In fact, Shoubei Wan had never faced such a large-scale battle with a small number of troops against a large number of enemies before. Most of the time, he was ordered to suppress bandits, fight against bandits, or suppress refugees who migrated from other places and gathered to cause trouble.
Everyone knows that war is cruel, and Wan Shoubei knows this very well, but to be fair, he has never experienced it personally, so he cannot empathize with the soldiers on the border.
To this day, he stands on the city wall.
There was a fierce battle outside the city, and thousands of Qi bandits were blown to pieces by gunpowder, leaving no trace of their bodies.
On the battlefield, the two armies met, swords and spears collided, clanging sounds, red knives went in and white knives came out, and blood splattered every time the weapons were swung.
Through the telescope, he saw a Xia soldier blocking the sneak attack of the Qi bandits for his colleagues, and was cut in half by a scimitar. However, he still did not forget to stab the Qi bandits with his backhand, and closed his eyes with a smile after the other party died. He saw a Xia soldier being swept off his horse by the Qi bandits, half of his body was trampled by the horse's hooves, but he held on to his last breath and cut off the horse's hooves, dragging the Qi bandits to the west together.
Everywhere you look, you see the bright red color that symbolizes heroism.
It was not until then that Shoubei Wan truly felt the cruelty of war.
He asked himself, if he led the troops to fight, could he kill the enemy as easily as cutting melons and vegetables like General Wan Qian, and kill hundreds of Qi soldiers in just an hour and a half?
Wan Shoubei was unsure.
He suddenly understood why the prefect made an exception and promoted Wan Guiyu to the rank of Qianzong.
Wangui Jade is truly worthy of its name.
His identity as a bandit cannot be a constraint for him. One day he will surely make the leap and soar into the sky.
The garrison commander was envious and admired him, but he was not jealous.
Just because those praises are what Wanguiyu deserves.
"Since you don't mind, I can't say anything." General Liu sighed pretentiously, "But I think that the next time the Qi bandits attack the city, you can be the first to ask for battle, so as not to be overshadowed again..."
All sorts of thoughts flashed through his mind. As he listened to General Liu's incessant chatter, Wan Shoubei suddenly felt annoyed: "So noisy."
Liu Bazong was stunned: "Huh?"
Shoubei Wan hung the telescope around his neck and snorted, "General Wan Qian volunteered to fight precisely because you guys were gossiping and talking behind my back."
"The prefect agreed to his request to fight because he wanted him to convince the public with his military achievements and make you shut up."
"Don't tell me whether it's worth it or not. As long as we can win the battle and kill the Qi bandits, it's worth it!"
Shoubei Wan glanced at Captain Liu, as if to commit his appearance to memory. "Next time the Qi rebels attack the city, I will recommend you to the prefect to fight them."
Liu Bazong was stunned: "Huh?"
Shoubei Wan curled his lips, walked away with his hands behind his back, the telescope on his chest waving. "Do you really think I'm a fool? You goaded me into confronting General Wan Qian like a fool? You're starting an internal conflict right under the prefect's nose. Do you really think I'm a birthday star who hanged himself because he thinks his life is too long?"
Liu Bazong, who was sprayed with spit in the face, said: "......"
"Old Liu, you're here! It really made it easy for me to find you. The food supply at Huotou Camp is almost gone. Please send a few trucks over."
Hearing a shout from behind, Liu Bazong's eyes changed several times, finally settling on a smooth and shrewd look. He wiped his face and turned around: "Okay, I'll arrange for someone to send it over right away!"
Captain Liu went to the grain depot. Captain Zhu, who had just spoken to him, sighed and said, "His job is quite easy. Unlike me, I still have to lead people to clean up the battlefield."
"He's a lazy guy who's always been lazy and lazy. I guess he'll only be a general in his lifetime."
"That's true. Anyway, I have to deal with the body quickly."
......
Du Qingtang rode his horse to the south city gate, where a group of men were dancing on the city wall, happy that they had worked together to repel the Qi bandits.
"It's so satisfying! I never thought I'd be able to kill a few more Qi thieves in my lifetime."
"When will they come again? There are so many rocks in my pit, they're heavy and smelly. If we hit them, they'll definitely explode!"
"It has to be cement powder. A bucket of water would scald a bunch of Qi thieves to death."
"Hot oil works well, but it's too expensive. Next time I can use boiling water instead, which will also work."
Du Qingtang climbed up the city wall, and his crimson official robe immediately attracted everyone's attention.
"Your Excellency the Prefect!"
"You didn't see, my lord, those Qi bandits fell screaming, many of them hitting the ground and dying. I also saw them attacking the city gate, but they couldn't climb the wall or force the gate open. They were so angry that they kept cursing and finally retreating because they had no other choice."
Du Qingtang observed the Qi army with a telescope and vaguely saw a familiar face.
Thinking of Xiao Jinbao's cunning and viciousness, Du Qingtang tapped the city wall with his fingers and said, "Thank you for your hard work. The Qi bandits will not return within six hours. You can go back and rest first, gather your strength, and wait for the next battle."
"It's not hard, it's not hard. We are also part of Shaoqing Prefecture. Since we have the ability, we should contribute to resisting the Qi bandits."
"That's right, sir, please don't be polite with us. Just give us your orders if you have anything to say."
Du Qingtang's eyebrows were filled with smiles: "Okay."
She did intend to do so.
The people must be involved and understand the hardships of defending the city. Only then will they understand the difficulties faced by the soldiers and will not take it for granted that the palace soldiers guarding Shaoqing Prefecture are legitimate.
The common people retreated and the government soldiers climbed up the city wall.
Du Qingtang put down his telescope and told Captain Zhang, who was in charge of guarding the South City Gate, "Be alert at night. The Qi bandits are likely to send someone to scout out the enemy. If they are found, kill them without mercy."
The battering ram failed to break down the city gate, and Xiao Jinbao was defeated in the first battle. He would certainly not give up.
I believe he will soon discover the secret behind the city gate and find a way to break out.
Then let’s see whether the Qi army’s battering ram is harder or the concrete wall is harder.
Zhang Bazong clasped his fists and said, "I will obey your orders, sir!"
Du Qingtang went around the East Gate and the North Gate again, knocked on the door of the government soldiers guarding the city wall, and finally rode back to the government office.
As soon as she took off her official robes and changed back into her casual clothes, she saw Du Qingzhu coming in with a food box. She raised her hand and said to her, "Xianyu, come and eat."
The two moved to the dining room. Du Qingtang was busy eating. Du Qingzhu had already eaten and was just holding up her chin, looking at her with a smile.
"We won the battle today, Xianyu, you can finally breathe a sigh of relief."
Du Qingtang remained silent. Although gunpowder and muskets were incredibly lethal, she was still a little anxious before today.
Worried about not being able to defend the city and worried about casualties among the people.
It would be fine if the city and people died, but if she survived by chance, her career would probably be ruined.
The Xia army pushed the Qi army back for dozens of miles, and Du Qingtang finally let go of his worries, and his tense nerves relaxed a lot.
Du Qingzhu took a sip of tea, leaned back in his chair with his hands in his pockets, and said casually, "But Xiaoba and Sister Wang will be busy in the next few days."
There will inevitably be casualties in war. As a doctor, Du Qingju naturally has to be at the front line, treating patients and saving lives day and night.
Members of the Qiongying English Society, led by Wang Nianzhi, and the girls from the charity hall volunteered yesterday to go to the infirmary to take care of the wounded, and Du Qingtang agreed.
Now that the battle is over and the wounded are being sent to the hospital one after another, it's time for them to get busy.
Du Qingtang took a sip of soup to dispel the cold, and his stomach felt warm. "I'll go to the wounded soldiers' home later."
The soldiers were injured while defending Shaoqing Prefecture. As the official of Shaoqing Prefecture, she naturally had to go and express her condolences.
Du Qingzhu also wanted to go: "But I still have to go back to Huotou Camp and continue cooking for the soldiers. Please go check on Xiao Ba for me and tell her to take care of herself and not to exhaust herself."
Du Qingtang: “…”
I always feel that what she said had a hidden meaning, like she was making a veiled criticism of someone else.
Du Qingtang complained in his heart, but he remained calm and hummed softly, lowering his head to concentrate on eating.
As soon as he put down his chopsticks, Du Qingzhu left in a hurry with the food box. Du Qingtang took a short rest, took two painkiller pills, and rode to the nearest infirmary for wounded soldiers from the government office.
I visited the wounded soldiers one by one, hoping they would come back to rest before midnight.
She has been really tired recently and even a strong body can't bear it. She must take advantage of these two days to have a good rest, recharge her energy and prepare for the next battle.
-
After the war, the infirmary in the west of the city was in chaos, with military doctors, doctors, wounded soldiers, and government soldiers coming and going constantly, and they would almost bump into each other when they turned around.
"There's an empty room here. Send the wounded here!"
"The medicinal materials are almost used up, hurry to the warehouse to withdraw them!"
"The Ma Fei San is here, get ready to sew it up!"
Du Qingtang dismounted and just by sniffing outside the door, he could smell the strong smell of blood and the bitter smell of medicine. The screams and wails were endless, which made people tremble with fear.
When I walked into the wounded soldiers' home, General Huang Qian had just sent in a group of wounded soldiers and was planning to visit his second daughter on the way.
General Huang's second daughter, Huang Yuemei, joined the army last year and officially became a female soldier in the female barracks.
When the Qi bandits attacked this time, Huang Yuemei fought together with three thousand female soldiers. She was slightly injured and was sent to the wounded center.
Fortunately, it was only a minor injury and he was back to full strength after lying down for two or three days.
Upon seeing Du Qingtang, General Huang Qian stopped to greet him: "This humble general greets you, sir."
Du Qingtang stopped and asked, "How many wounded soldiers have not been sent here yet?"
Huang Qianzong reported in a serious tone, "Over 3,000 people were seriously injured, with only about 100 to 200 remaining."
Du Qingtang nodded slightly, waved his hand and told him to get busy and go visit the wounded first.
The vast majority of the wounded soldiers were seriously injured. Some had their skin and flesh peeled off by the Qi army, some were stabbed through, and some had their hands and feet chopped off and were bleeding profusely.
The military doctor, Du Qingju and Liang Chuxia were working tirelessly to suture their wounds, trying to save as many as possible.
Only a few of the injuries were minor, and the doctors in the city were responsible for treating their wounds.
After receiving the medicine, these wounded soldiers left and returned to the barracks to recuperate while training, always ready to go into battle again.
Once they left, the doctors had no one to treat the soldiers. The wounded soldiers whose wounds had already been sutured were taken care of by the women from the Qiongying Society and the charity hall. Compared with the busy military doctors and Du Qingju, their situation seemed a bit awkward.
"If I had known there would be a war in Shaoqing Prefecture, I would have gone to the military doctor to learn suture techniques."
The imperial court vigorously promoted suturing among the army and the people, and as doctors, they naturally heard of it.
They just felt that their bodies and hair were given by their parents, and suturing was too bloody and cruel. No matter how the government called on them, they were unwilling to go to the military camp and learn suturing from military doctors.
It is said that one only regrets not having studied enough when one needs to use it, and the same is true for studying medicine.
At this moment, because the house was occupied by wounded soldiers and there was limited space in the pharmacy, they were forced to live under the eaves and face the attention of passers-by. Their old faces turned red with shame and they buried their faces in their chests, feeling full of regret.
"The military doctors were full of praise for Du, praising her superb medical skills and excellent suturing techniques."
"Humph, she stole all the limelight. How hateful!"
"Doctor Liang, your Chu Xia is really a hidden talent. She actually knows how to suturing."
Doctor Liang had a sour face and said unhappily, "She is no longer my granddaughter. Whether she is good or bad has nothing to do with me."
"You can't say that. Blood ties can't be severed so easily... Look, that Du guy actually left so many wounded soldiers to fend for themselves and went off to chat with the prefect!"
The doctors raised their heads and looked in the direction of the speaker's finger. Du Qingju was indeed talking to the prefect.
With all the new and old hatreds combined, Doctor Liang was furious. "She's such a flatterer and shameless! I'll go and complain to Doctor Fang about her!"
Doctor Fang is the oldest and most experienced, and is the head of the West City Injury and Sickness Hospital.
He is serious and strict in his actions. If he knew that Du Qingju had neglected her duties, he would definitely not let her off easily!
On the other side, Du Qingtang personally visited the wounded soldiers, and his words were full of concern, which moved the wounded soldiers so much that their eyes were filled with tears.
"Don't worry, sir. When the Qi bandits attack the city again, I will definitely be able to go to the battlefield!"
"This wound only looks serious. It will heal in three to five days."
Du Qingtang shook his head and said solemnly, "I am not the kind of evil person who exploits soldiers. Only when you recover from your injuries can you have the strength to fight the enemy, right?"
The wounded soldiers nodded and promised to recover well.
Du Qingtang gave a few more instructions and went out, just in time to meet Zhang Caiwei who came out of the next room carrying a basin.
"Sir." Zhang Caiwei's face lit up when she saw Du Qingtang, and then she said with concern, "Sir, you have lost a lot of weight recently. The war is important, but your health is equally important. Millions of people in the city are counting on you."
Du Qingtang hummed, "I know."
Zhang Caiwei smiled, bowed, and walked away with the basin.
Du Qingtang visited the wounded soldiers in the two rooms and met Du Qingju when he went out.
Du Qingju's face and body were covered in blood, and her hands were stained red with blood, and her original whiteness could not be seen.
Seeing the youngest, Du Qingju couldn't help but complain to her, "There are too many wounded soldiers and not enough manpower. Even if we focus on treating the seriously injured first, some people are still... I'm going to get busy now. One of the wounded has had his internal organs pierced, and I need to sew him up quickly."
Du Qingtang watched her go away, and caught a glimpse of the doctors looking over here curiously, with the attitude of onlookers. A nameless anger rose in his heart, and he walked towards them quickly.
Seeing the prefect approaching, the doctors quickly stood up straight and saluted respectfully: "Your humble servants pay their respects to the prefect."
Du Qingtang frowned when he saw their hands were clean. "There are so many wounded soldiers waiting for treatment, why are you so leisurely?"
"Your Excellency, I and the others don't know how to sew, so..."
The wrinkles between Du Qingtang's eyebrows deepened, and he was speechless. "If you don't know how to do it, go learn it. I didn't ask you to come here just to be a decoration."
A bunch of old guys who rely on their seniority to bully the weak and fear the strong. She wanted to scold them as early as last month when the plague broke out.
They take the wages but don't do the work, and they are very good at bullying women.
"If I find you again doing nothing and causing trouble in the infirmary, showing your ignorance of medical ethics and medical ethics, you will all be sentenced to half a month's imprisonment, and you will be forbidden to open your clinic."
These people are just like the group of old doctors in Runing Prefecture. They will learn their lesson only when they feel pain. It just so happens that Du Qingtang has never been a kind-hearted person, and the government will not spend money to support a group of idle people.
Doctors: “!!!”
The doctors did not dare to anger the prefect, for fear of being imprisoned, and the clinic would be closed down. They swallowed their anger and went in groups to watch the military doctor suture the wounded soldiers, and they became more and more dissatisfied with Du Qingju.
Du Qingju must have been trying to flatter them in front of the prefect, which is why the prefect spoke so harshly to them!
However, because the prefect had not left yet, they also wanted to learn suturing techniques to avoid being overshadowed by the two women, Du Qingju and Liang Chuxia. The gratitude of the wounded soldiers and the praise of the military doctors all fell on them, so they had to temporarily suppress their dissatisfaction and watch the military doctors thread the needle.
As they watched, the doctors gradually became fascinated.
It has to be admitted that although suturing is counterintuitive, the effect is immediate.
Although suturing the wound does not guarantee survival, it can at least stop bleeding quickly and promote wound healing.
"I'm narrow-minded and have been prejudiced against sutures from the beginning."
“It’s not too late to learn now.”
"If I had known this would happen, I would not have let that female doctor get away with it alone." Doctor Liang said indignantly, then thought of the plague prescription.
He had been practicing medicine in Shaoqing Prefecture for many years and knew all the doctors in the city very well, but he had never heard of any doctor being called a miracle doctor.
Maybe they were wrong from the beginning. There was no such thing as a miracle doctor. The plague prescription was most likely developed by a military doctor.
The scene of Liang Chuxia and Du Qingju studying medical books all night flashed before his eyes. Doctor Liang shook his head and sneered in his heart.
Liang Chuxia even gave up her relatives for her master. She will regret it sooner or later.
When that day comes, even if she kneels before him, he will never recognize this granddaughter again.
-
Du Qingtang visited the five wounded soldiers one by one, comforted them, and then talked with the members of the Qiongying Society and the girls from the charity hall who were responsible for taking care of the wounded. It was already past midnight when he returned to the government office. After washing up, he fell asleep.
In the Qi camp, Wu Yi lay on a tiger-skin blanket, sweating profusely.
An hour ago, the military doctor removed the bullet from his right shoulder.
The bullet was embedded very deeply and was stuck in the bone gap. The military doctor used a dagger to cut open the flesh, put his fingers in, and fiddled with it for a long time before he was able to take the bullet out.
The whole process was full of bleeding, and half of his body was stained red with blood. Even a rough man like Wu Yi who was used to getting injured was twitching in pain and his vision went black after the Ma Fei San wore off. He has not recovered until now.
"Du Qingtang!"
Wu Yi wished he could eat the tiger's flesh and drink its blood raw. He punched the tiger-skin blanket and accidentally pulled the wound, causing him to gasp in pain.
Seeing this, the military doctor beside him hurriedly tried to dissuade him, "General, calm down. The wound has finally stopped bleeding. Don't let it burst again."
Wu Yi closed his eyes and ignored him, his nostrils flaring. It took him a long time to calm down the anger and hatred in his heart.
"Let Zhang Teng come over."
There was a moment of silence in the main tent, and the voice of the personal guard was barely audible: "General, Zhang Teng was killed in battle."
Wu Yi: “…”
Yes, Zhang Teng died at the hands of the middle-aged general in black armor, beheaded by him with a single spear.
Not only Zhang Teng, but also eight of Wu Yi's personal soldiers died at his hands.
Recalling the horrifying scene of the earth-shaking during the day and the brave attitude of the Xia army risking their lives, Wu Yi gritted his teeth and suppressed the urge to send people to attack at night.
Having suffered a loss due to underestimating the enemy once, how could Wu Yi let his soldiers go to die when Shaoqing Prefecture had made all the necessary preparations?
Wu Yi thought for a long time and ordered his personal guards: "Notify the people in the city that the action can begin."
"yes."
Not long after, there was a "whoosh" sound, and the arrow shot straight into the sky.
The sound was sharp, illuminating the night sky in an instant.
Inside the city, someone stood under the eaves, gazing at the horizon.
Only when the light faded did the thin figure turn around and go into the house.
......
In the main tent of the Southern Army, Xiao Jinbao sat cross-legged under the lamp, meditating with his eyes closed.
He was wondering why the city gate remained motionless after the battering ram had been attacking for half an hour.
What role did Du Qingtang play in this?
Even a battering ram can't break it open. What on earth is that city gate made of?
If all the city gates of Da Qi were replaced with this material, Da Qi would be invincible forever.
Thinking of this, Xiao Jinbao felt excited.
"Someone come!"
If he doesn't solve the mystery soon, he will be anxious and unable to sleep all night.
An incense stick of time later, a team of twenty people took advantage of the cover of night and quietly approached the South City Gate.
Ten of them were responsible for studying the material of the city gate, while the other ten took out the grappling hooks, threw them upwards with force, fixed them firmly on the city wall, and climbed up along the ropes.
After climbing to the top, the Qi army did not immediately climb up the city wall, but stayed close to the wall and watched for a while to make sure that there was no one guarding the place above. Then they did a somersault and landed steadily on the battlement.
The general has ordered that upon entering the city, we must first seek out that person and assist him in joining forces with the main force to capture the city in one fell swoop...
“Puff—”
The spear pierced through his chest. Qi Jun's eyes were wide open with astonishment. His body shook twice and he fell straight down like a dead leaf.
"Bang!"
They would never have imagined that the soldiers from Shaoqing Prefecture would hide under the battlements and attack them by surprise.
The sound of a heavy object falling to the ground broke the dead silence of the night. The Qi army who were sticking to the city gate to study its material were suddenly startled. They exchanged glances with each other, retreated quickly, and returned to the Qi camp in the night.
"General, we have carefully studied the gate of Shaoqing Prefecture. It is no different from any other gate, made of wood, not black iron. It is even covered with cracks from the impact of the battering ram."
"Logically, the city gate should have collapsed under such circumstances, but for some reason..."
Xiao Jinbao seemed to be lost in thought.
It is covered with cracks but has not collapsed. It is very likely that there is support behind the door.
As a result, Xiao Jinbao was even more curious about what method Du Qingtang used to withstand the attack of the battering ram.
"Did those ten people get in?"
The Qi army shook their heads: "Died at the hands of the Xia bandits."
The city gate is impenetrable and the city walls are heavily guarded, so the South Gate is undoubtedly a tough nut to crack.
Xiao Jinbao felt a little headache and thought about the Western Route Army. He wondered what the situation was like on Wu Yi's side. Was he dealt a heavy blow like him, with over a thousand casualties?
"Forget it, let's talk about it tomorrow."
Before going to bed, Xiao Jinbao did not forget to send someone to the Western Route Army to inquire about the situation.
He planned to send more people to attack the city tomorrow to find out how many cards Shaoqing Prefecture had.
He was defeated by Du Qingtang last time, and this time he would never allow himself to be defeated by her again!
-
In the infirmary, the military doctor, Du Qingju and Liang Chuxia were busy until the next morning before they treated the wounds of all the wounded soldiers.
But even so, dozens of wounded soldiers died due to their serious injuries.
A trace of sadness flashed across Doctor Fang's aged face. His back hunched over as he sighed deeply, "We'll prepare their remains and notify their families to come and take them home."
The local soldiers did as they were told and registered the names of the deceased. When the war was over, the government would distribute pensions to their families.
Seeing that Doctor Fang was in a state of fatigue and considering his advanced age, Du Qingju said softly, "The wounded have been taken care of now. Leave this to us. You've been up all night, go get some rest."
Doctor Fang really couldn't bear it any longer. He took one last look at the palace soldier who looked peaceful, as if he was just asleep, and left with a frown on his face.
As soon as he walked out of the house, he was blocked by Doctor Liang and others.
The military doctor was busy all night, and they also learned suture techniques all night. Their eyes were sore and they yawned continuously.
During the period, the military doctor asked them to try to sew up the wounded soldiers. One of them was too sleepy and inserted the wrong stitch. The bad-tempered military doctor scolded him and he stood timidly against the wall, not daring to breathe.
After finally making it to dawn, the military doctor mercifully let them go.
When he went out, he happened to meet Doctor Fang. Thinking of what he saw yesterday evening, Doctor Liang took a step to the right, blocking Doctor Fang's way.
Doctor Fang looked up and saw Doctor Liang's wrinkled face. He frowned and said fiercely, "What are you doing? Can't you walk?"
Doctor Liang's throat choked, and it took him a long while to recover. "Doctor Fang, hundreds of critically injured soldiers arrived at the infirmary yesterday, and Doctor Du deserted his post, had the audacity to stop the prefect, and shamelessly engaged in conversation with him. We couldn't stand this, so we came to inform you."
Doctor Fang frowned: "Doctor Du?"
"That's the taller female doctor."
Doctor Fang remembered that it was the girl from before.
He stared at Doctor Liang with a serious expression: "Are you serious?"
"Absolutely true!"
"We were standing under the eaves at the time and everyone saw it."
Doctor Fang saw that the doctors didn't seem to be pretending, and was about to speak when a soft female voice came from behind him: "You are all exaggerating. I just met the prefect and paid my respects to her. How can you say I was 'shameless enough to talk to her'?"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a beautiful woman appear with graceful steps. There was no anger on her face, only a hint of sarcasm.
Doctor Liang flicked his sleeves and snorted coldly, "I saw it with my own eyes. You blocked the prefect's path with a flattering smile. And I wasn't the only one who saw it. How could this be false?"
It is unethical for a woman to practice medicine. This female doctor even instigated the usually well-behaved Chu Xia to talk back to him and break off the engagement with him. Now that he has finally caught her by surprise, how could he let go of this great opportunity so easily?
He wanted to ruin her reputation and make her unable to practice medicine again!
"Why can't it be false? Can't you just frame me?"
A familiar female voice came closer. Doctor Liang turned his head and looked at her. His face suddenly darkened. "Liang Chuxia, what do you mean by that? Is this the tone you use when talking to an elder?"
Liang Chuxia didn't expect that when she just went to change the medicine for the wounded soldier, her grandfather led a group of old doctors to target her master.
Liang Chuxia was about to explode with anger, her body moved faster than her consciousness, and she was the first to question.
"That's exactly what you mean!" Liang Chuxia trotted over, shielding her master behind her. She gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and shouted at the top of her lungs, "And Master doesn't need to flatter anyone. Even the prefect will satisfy all her requests as long as she wants!"
The scene suddenly fell silent, and the next moment, Doctor Liang and others burst into laughter.
"Meet all the requirements? That's the funniest joke I've heard this year!"
"What is the status of the prefect? And what is the status of your master?"
Doctor Fang disagreed upon hearing this and warned in a deep voice, "Son, I know you're angry, but you can't just say everything. Although the prefect is kind and loves his people like his own children, you can't offend him casually."
Liang Chuxia's face flushed with anger, and she turned to look at Du Qingju for help: "Master..."
Du Qingju sighed helplessly, her clear eyes sweeping over the doctors, whose faces were filled with mockery. "Ever since I was ordered to the quarantine center, you've never stopped targeting me. You've mocked and belittled me, deliberately messed up the prescriptions I painstakingly prepared, and spilled the medicine I'd spent over half an hour simmering... You've used all sorts of tactics, one after another."
"I've observed and quarantined dozens of doctors, and you only did this to me."
"Just because I'm a woman, do I have to endure your unreasonable harassment?"
The doctors didn't expect that Du Qingju would openly tell everyone about the obstacles they had set for her. Her smug smile was frozen on her face, her eyebrows were raised, and her mouth was grinning. She looked so weird for no reason that people couldn't help laughing.
"And you." Du Qingju stepped forward and protected Liang Chuxia behind her. "Chuxia just wanted to study medicine. I promised you that I would protect her, but you slapped her without explanation that day. Then you even used your family relationship as a threat to force her to leave the quarantine center."
Liang Chuxia stared at her master who was protecting her. Although his figure was so slender, he made her feel an incomparable sense of security.
She had only experienced this sense of security from her mother.
Liang Chuxia's nose felt sore and tears fell.
Doctor Liang was already quite old and had been running a clinic for most of his life. Wherever he went, everyone was polite to him and no one had ever dared to speak to him like that. He immediately became so angry that he fell backwards and started to speak without thinking.
"I'm Liang Chuxia's grandfather, so she has to listen to me."
"Why should I let her study medicine just because she wants to?"
"Liang Chuxia is just a little girl, what's the big deal if she studies medicine?"
"As a woman, you should marry an honest man when you reach a certain age and continue the family line for your husband's family. Instead of being like you, you're still showing up in public at such an old age, stitching up wounds for men you don't even know. You have no shame. If I were your grandfather, I would die of shame!"
Doctor Liang was obviously very angry and his voice was so loud that it attracted the soldiers and women who were taking care of the wounded to come and watch.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Du Qingju smiled instead of getting angry: "That's great, thank goodness you're not my grandfather."
Doctor Liang glared: "You!"
Du Qingju held down Liang Chuxia, who was about to talk back to Doctor Liang.
She can argue with Doctor Liang, but Liang Chuxia can't.
Filial piety is above all else. The mere charge of "disobedience and unfilial piety" is enough to crush this young girl in her prime.
"To be honest, my family has always been very supportive of my medical studies, especially my sister."
"She was the first person who encouraged me to pursue my dreams."
"She also introduced me to a very famous doctor in my hometown, giving me the opportunity to become his disciple and formally study medicine."
As Du Qingju spoke, her eyes slowly searched the crowd, and after a moment they stopped on Wang Nianci.
Their eyes met and Du Qingju blinked.
Wang Nianci understood immediately and exclaimed softly, "Doctor Du, I really envy you for having such a wonderful sister."
Gu Ran echoed, "I wonder where Lord Du's sister is now? I'd love to meet her. There aren't many women who are so considerate and courageous."
A trace of smile flashed across Du Qingju's eyes, and she whispered softly, "Actually, you have all seen my sister."
"You've seen them all? Why don't I have any impression of them?"
"Doctor Du's surname is Du, and I think her sister's surname is also Du..."
Everyone looked at each other, and an incredible guess came to their mind.
Doctor Liang's eyelids twitched twice, and he blinked hard twice, staring at Du Qingju's face.
I don’t know if it was Doctor Liang’s illusion, but he actually found similarities between Du Qingju’s face and the prefect’s.
And there is more than one place.
Doctor Liang swallowed his saliva and said, "You don't mean to say that your sister is the prefect, do you?"
Du Qingju smiled slightly: "Exactly."
There were exclamations from the crowd.
The doctor next to Doctor Liang asked, "If I remember correctly, the prefect did have a sister who studied medicine. She was even named the Lord of Deyang Township because of her research on the Tianju Drink. Aren't you that Lord of Deyang Township?"
Du Qingju nodded: "Exactly."
There was an uproar at the scene.
"The head of Deyang Village? Doctor Du is actually a village head?!"
"I never thought that Doctor Du and the prefect were actually sisters. But why didn't she tell me before?"
"Yes, why didn't you tell me before?" Doctor Liang felt that he had found a flaw in Du Qingju's words. "If you really are the Lord of Deyang, why did you hide your identity?"
"As long as you say you are the mayor of Deyang, I'm sure many people will buy your story and go to Xinglin Hall for treatment."
"Also, since you are the mayor of Deyang and have previously developed a cure for smallpox, why haven't you developed a corresponding cure for this plague?"
Doctor Liang pressed on step by step, speaking aggressively, with obvious suspicion in his eyes, which successfully aroused everyone's suspicion.
"Yes, Xinglintang has been open for two years, and my wife was delivered by Doctor Du. I have never heard her say that Doctor Du is the mayor of Deyang Township."
"Plague and smallpox are essentially the same. Infection is fatal. You claim to be the Lord of Deyang, so why haven't you developed a cure for the plague?"
Du Qingju tilted her head, and the usually steady girl showed a rare hint of playfulness, her voice rising at the end: "Who said I haven't figured it out?"
Liang Chuxia poked her head out from behind her master, her tone barely concealing her pride: "Who said Master hasn't figured it out?"
She had known the secret of her master's identity for two years, but she didn't dare tell anyone for fear of causing trouble for her master.
During the initial period, Xinglin Hall was under great scrutiny. Liang Chuxia's identity as a master was exposed, and everyone was shocked and tried to fawn over her.
After holding it in for so long, my identity is finally revealed!
Doctor Liang shook his head after hearing this: "You didn't even draft your lies beforehand. Do you really think we're dead?"
"When the plague was raging, your every move was under our watchful eyes. How come I didn't know you had developed a cure for the plague?"
"You're so shameless! Aren't you afraid someone will come to your door with a prescription and slap you in the face?"
At this moment, a rough male voice came from the edge of the crowd: "What are you all doing here?"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw the man wearing armor. It was Captain Huang who had brought the wounded here yesterday.
Doctor Liang hurriedly told General Huang Qian the whole story: "...This person took advantage of the prefect's generosity and deliberately implicated the prefect. I ask the general to report this matter to the prefect and punish him severely. Kill him as a warning to others, and let everyone know the consequences of carelessly implicating the prefect!"
Huang Qianzong looked around and saw that everyone was half-believing and half-doubting, with a somewhat subtle expression: "No need."
"Why not?"
Huang Qianzong looked at Du Qingju, who nodded slightly. He understood what was going on and said frankly, "Doctor Du is the head of Deyang Township and the prefect's sister. The prefect has personally acknowledged this."
"Boom—"
A bolt of thunder struck down on their heads, frightening Doctor Liang and the others to death.
Instantly becoming the focus of the crowd, Du Qingju remained calm and composed, a smile on her lips: "The reason I concealed my identity is that I wanted to see you all as Du Qingju."
"These are turbulent times, and I don't want to cause trouble, so I've been tolerant. I didn't expect that kindness can lead to bullying. Some people actually thought I was afraid of them, and they've repeatedly offended me. Even normal conversations between sisters are used to make stories. I had no choice but to reveal my identity."
Since the outbreak of the plague, the doctors who have been keen on making things difficult for Du Qingju felt their calves tremble and fell to their knees.
Liang Chuxia frowned and smiled quietly.
......
"After they knelt down, they kept begging for mercy. Many wounded soldiers heard the noise and ran out to watch. I didn't intend to forgive them, so I took Chu Xia away."
"Anyway, the wounded have been treated, so it wouldn't make a difference if Chu Xia and I were both treated."
Du Qingtang glanced at Du Qingju and said expressionlessly, "You are still too kind. You should have taught them a lesson the first time they caused trouble."
"You're a bunch of bullies. You're not fighting alone. You still have me and Seventh Sister with you."
Du Qingju felt relieved. She took the youngest's arm and shook it gently: "I don't want to be stared at wherever I go, and I don't want to be crowned with the title of Deyang Township Lord."
"Besides, it's not like I haven't retaliated. They messed up my herbs, so I spiked their food. I made sure they had stomachaches all afternoon."
"They knocked over my medicine jar, so I caught some bugs and put them in their house." Du Qingju blinked, "It made them feel both pain and itch."
Du Qingtang smiled: "So you are malicious."
Du Qingju pretended to be angry and slapped Du Qingchun's arm: "What are you talking about!"
Du Qingtang was about to reply when Du Yi came in with a rapid stride: "Master, the Qi army has begun attacking the East Gate and the North Gate."
"Also, those few people you asked me to keep an eye on have started to move since last night."
Du Qingtang rested his chin on his hand and pondered for a moment, then waved to Du Qingju: "Eighth sister, come with me."
Although Du Qingju didn't understand why, she still followed the youngest into the house.
......
Only one night and one morning later, the Qi army launched another attack.
When the news spread, people in the city were in panic.
"Why did it start again so soon?"
"We can definitely win, right?"
"Don't worry, the three city gates in the east, south and north are all sealed. Unless the Qi thieves have wings, they can't get in."
Du Qingju was walking on the street, brushing past government soldiers, and the people's discussions were carried into her ears by the wind.
Passing through an alley, a familiar female voice came from afar: "Doctor Du! Village Master!"
Du Qingju looked in the direction of the voice and saw Zhang Caiwei sitting on the ground, holding her ankle with one hand, with a look of pain on her face.
Du Qingju didn't think about it and walked over quickly: "What's wrong?"
Zhang Caiwei's innocent face flushed, and tears welled up in her eyes. "I wanted to go back to the charity hall to get something, but I accidentally fell and my ankle hurts so much. Can you help me see what happened?"
"Of course." Du Qingju's eyebrows were curved, and her smile inexplicably reminded people of the sun at noon.
Zhang Caiwei was stunned for a moment, the strange emotion in her heart disappeared in an instant, so quickly that she didn't even notice it. "Then I'll trouble you."
Du Qingju shook her head, lifted her skirt and squatted down, pretending to check on Zhang Caiwei's ankle injury. Her voice was as soft as a cloud: "It's okay..."
Before he could finish his words, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
Zhang Caiwei held Du Qingju up before her face hit the ground and glanced at the alley entrance. People were coming and going on the street and no one noticed what was happening in the alley.
Zhang Caiwei carried Du Qingju and walked straight into the depths of the alley.
She tried to avoid people as much as possible, making many turns along the way, and finally stopped outside the grain warehouse.
The granary, which should have been heavily guarded, was empty at the door and the courtyard door was wide open.
Liu Bazong came forward and said, "You are finally here. I had a hard time getting rid of them."
"I've been waiting for her." Zhang Caiwei said concisely, "Let's go."
Captain Liu took out a lighter and threw it into the grain warehouse where kerosene had been poured in advance.
When kerosene meets fire, flames rise instantly.
Captain Liu glanced at the unconscious woman, took her from Zhang Caiwei, carried her on his back, and the three of them headed straight west.
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