The next day, Gong Xiaohua got up early.
Madam Gong saw Gong Xiaohua and said, "Xiaohua, I just heard some noise from your younger brother's room, he should be awake now. Go see him later, he will definitely be very happy knowing you're back."
"Okay, Mother."
Gong Xiaohua went to Gong Xiaonan's room.
"Knock, knock."
"Xiaonan."
"Thud." Not long after, there was a loud sound of something heavy falling in the room.
Gong Xiaohua pushed the door open heavily and walked in to see Gong Xiaonan had fallen beside the bed and was trying to get up anxiously.
"Xiaonan."
Gong Xiaohua hurried over to help Gong Xiaonan up from the floor, but was refused. He didn't want his sister to see him in such a useless state.
After Gong Xiaonan managed to sit half-lying on the bed, he looked at his sister with choking sobs, "Sister, you're finally back. It must have been very hard for you out there."
"It was fine, Sister didn't suffer. It was you, Xiaonan, that Sister dragged down." Gong Xiaohua felt extremely heavy seeing Gong Xiaonan like this.
"No, Sister, this is not your fault. The powerful always hold our lives and deaths in their hands, they make us live if they want, make us die if they want. If it wasn't for my brother-in-law, I might never have seen you again."
"Yeah." Gong Xiaohua didn't dare look Gong Xiaonan in the eye. The once sunny and lively boy had become disheartened like this because of her.
She silently examined Gong Xiaonan's injured left leg. The fracture was just above the ankle joint.
His foot was now in a bizarre deformed shape, from the comminuted fracture caused by violent blows.
"Sister, don't look. It's fine, I can still walk a bit in the future, just can't work anymore." Gong Xiaonan said dejectedly.
"Xiaonan, it must have hurt a lot back then?!"
Gong Xiaohua gently stroked the fractured part of Gong Xiaonan's leg and said heartacheedly.
Although he was always of limited ability, whenever anything came up, he would be the first to stand in front of her to protect her.
This half-grown boy was only thirteen this year. His life had only just begun, was fate going to stop him here?
No, she wouldn't allow that. She must find a way.
"Xiaonan, Sister will definitely try her best to heal your leg, even if unsuccessful in the end, will you trust Sister?"
Such a comminuted fracture could be cured with just one surgery in modern times.
But in this society, it wasn't so simple to perform surgery.
However, for Gong Xiaonan, she needed to find a way to prepare for such a surgery, even if she wasn't a real doctor in her previous life and had never performed surgery on anyone. But she needed to take the gamble.
"Sister, do you have a way to cure my leg?"
The scrawny Gong Xiaonan looked at Gong Xiaohua with his bell-sized eyes full of joy and excitement.
"I have some ideas, but no absolute certainty, and it will take a long time to prepare."
"As long as there's a way to cure my leg and let me work again, I'm willing to take the risk. At worst, it would be the same as now."
"Alright, from today onwards, you have to cheer up and eat well. When you have nothing to do, let Mother take you out to the yard to get some sun, it's good for your health."
"I understand, Sister."
"It's getting late, Sister has to go out now."
"Okay, Sister, take care."
Gong Xiaohua who walked out of the room had a gloomy expression, her tightly clenched fists had green veins popping up, and her nails had cut deeply into her palms.
Since transmigrating to this time, the elders in her family were open-minded and kind, the siblings got along harmoniously, neighbors and colleagues were friendly.
She thought she was fortunate, but she had forgotten this was a feudal society, a cannibalistic society.
Could ordinary people only be ordinary? She wanted to see, were emperors, ministers and generals the only ones capable?
From this moment, Gong Xiaohua's aura changed.
Outside the Gong residence.
"Young Madam, this subordinate is Qin Shiyi, sent by the Master to serve you." A young man with ordinary looks, leading a horse, stood outside the residence. Seeing the Young Madam come out, he immediately came forward and greeted respectfully.
"Hmm, you stay at the Gongs', I don't need anyone by my side." Gong Xiaohua took the reins of the horse in her hand and spoke as she walked.
"Young Madam, I..."
"I'm not discussing this with you, I'm telling you. I'll bear all the consequences."
Qin Shiyi felt the Young Madam's momentum was off, and he wisely chose to shut his mouth.
Who said the Young Madam was particularly gentle? Her aura was no less than the Young Master's.
"Yes, Young Madam."
Gong Xiaohua rode her horse across the moat, arrived at the palace gates and handed the horse to the eunuchs in charge.
She went out early, but the Gongs lived far away, so by the time she arrived at the palace, most of the ministers were already waiting outside the main hall.
Seeing a eunuch leading in a tall, young woman, the ministers all guessed she must be the one who found the cure for the "plague".
It was said this woman not only had remarkable medical skills in Nanlong Prefecture, but also extraordinary martial arts.
"Xiaohua."
"Lord Li." Gong Xiaohua bowed with her fists cupped.
"Xiaohua." Qin Chuyuan called Gong Xiaohua's name very naturally, quickly adapting to the change of roles.
As for Gong Xiaohua, facing Qin Chuyuan standing in front of her, she really didn't know how to address him.
Calling him Young Master Qin, or Master Qin, was obviously inappropriate with so many people around.
Calling him "Chuyuan" or "Hubby"? She really couldn't say that. So she directly called him by name.
"Qin Chuyuan."
And when Gong Xiaohua directly called him by name, Qin Chuyuan felt helpless inside. The other party probably still only saw him as a friend.
Just then, the eunuch's voice came from the main hall entrance.
"Court is in session, ministers pay respects."
The ministers lined up according to rank and slowly entered the main hall.
Gong Xiaohua was directly led by the eunuch to wait in the side hall next to the main hall, waiting for the emperor's summons.
She didn't know how long passed before the eunuch's summons came from outside.
"Summoning Deputy General Gong to court."
Gong Xiaohua tidied herself and followed the eunuch into the main hall.
"This lowly officer pays respects to Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty."
"Rise, Deputy General Gong. Minister Li has already reported everything about the Nanlong Prefecture affair. The deputy general was courageous and strategical, with great merit."
"This lowly officer is overwhelmed with trepidation."
"The deputy general need not be modest. Especially regarding this plague, ever since I was born, from the history I know, every outbreak only ended with corpses piled by the millions, before it could be quelled."
"Now, the fatal catastrophe upon the Great Ye Dynasty has been resolved by the deputy general. One can say she is the greatest contributor to the Great Ye Dynasty. I want to heavily reward you."
"Reporting to Your Majesty, eating Your Majesty's food and doing Your Majesty's work are all within the duties of a subject. They should not qualify for Your Majesty's great rewards."
"Well said. My Great Ye Dynasty needs loyal subjects like this. Thus I will reward even more heavily. Come."
"This subordinate is present."
"Reward Deputy General Gong with 10,000 gold and a promotion to Head of the Ministry of Justice."
"Your Majesty, this lowly officer wishes to exchange all rewards for one imperial favor from Your Majesty."
Gasps rose in the main hall at these words.
"Oh? I wonder what favor does the deputy general seek?"
"This lowly officer's uncle, Li Zichen, was originally a clerk in the garrison near the capital, convicted of a crime and demoted to a shock trooper sent to the border at Xu Mountain. This lowly officer wishes to exchange all credit for recalling and reinvestigating my uncle's case."
"Your Majesty, military law is strict. How can we casually transfer soldiers headed for the battlefield based on Deputy General Gong's one-sided words? How will the generals command the troops then?" Minister Lin walked out from the rows and raised an objection.
"We plead for Your Majesty's deliberation." Like-minded people with Minister Lin also came forward to agree.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, Deputy General Gong's uncle was recommended by me to the garrison near the capital. I'm willing to vouch for his character with my official post. Please recall the deputy general's uncle to comfort her heart." Qin Chuyuan said.
"Yes, Your Majesty. With Deputy General Gong's great achievements, how can she not ask for such a favor?" Lord Li said.
"Hear, hear."
"Everyone, the 100,000 troops headed for the Xu Mountain border are about to arrive. Are you not worried about disturbing the military's morale?"
"He's just a mere shock trooper, how would that disturb morale?"
"This view is mistaken..."
The main hall descended into a clamor of arguments.
"Your Majesty, this lowly officer is willing to go to the border and join the battle."
A clear voice suddenly quieted the great hall as all eyes turned to its owner—Gong Xiaohua.
The next day, Gong Xiaohua got up early.
Madam Gong saw Gong Xiaohua and said, "Xiaohua, I just heard some noise from your younger brother's room, he should be awake now. Go see him later, he will definitely be very happy knowing you're back."
"Okay, Mother."
Gong Xiaohua went to Gong Xiaonan's room.
"Knock, knock."
"Xiaonan."
"Thud." Not long after, there was a loud sound of something heavy falling in the room.
Gong Xiaohua pushed the door open heavily and walked in to see Gong Xiaonan had fallen beside the bed and was trying to get up anxiously.
"Xiaonan."
Gong Xiaohua hurried over to help Gong Xiaonan up from the floor, but was refused. He didn't want his sister to see him in such a useless state.
After Gong Xiaonan managed to sit half-lying on the bed, he looked at his sister with choking sobs, "Sister, you're finally back. It must have been very hard for you out there."
"It was fine, Sister didn't suffer. It was you, Xiaonan, that Sister dragged down." Gong Xiaohua felt extremely heavy seeing Gong Xiaonan like this.
"No, Sister, this is not your fault. The powerful always hold our lives and deaths in their hands, they make us live if they want, make us die if they want. If it wasn't for my brother-in-law, I might never have seen you again."
"Yeah." Gong Xiaohua didn't dare look Gong Xiaonan in the eye. The once sunny and lively boy had become disheartened like this because of her.
She silently examined Gong Xiaonan's injured left leg. The fracture was just above the ankle joint.
His foot was now in a bizarre deformed shape, from the comminuted fracture caused by violent blows.
"Sister, don't look. It's fine, I can still walk a bit in the future, just can't work anymore." Gong Xiaonan said dejectedly.
"Xiaonan, it must have hurt a lot back then?!"
Gong Xiaohua gently stroked the fractured part of Gong Xiaonan's leg and said heartacheedly.
Although he was always of limited ability, whenever anything came up, he would be the first to stand in front of her to protect her.
This half-grown boy was only thirteen this year. His life had only just begun, was fate going to stop him here?
No, she wouldn't allow that. She must find a way.
"Xiaonan, Sister will definitely try her best to heal your leg, even if unsuccessful in the end, will you trust Sister?"
Such a comminuted fracture could be cured with just one surgery in modern times.
But in this society, it wasn't so simple to perform surgery.
However, for Gong Xiaonan, she needed to find a way to prepare for such a surgery, even if she wasn't a real doctor in her previous life and had never performed surgery on anyone. But she needed to take the gamble.
"Sister, do you have a way to cure my leg?"
The scrawny Gong Xiaonan looked at Gong Xiaohua with his bell-sized eyes full of joy and excitement.
"I have some ideas, but no absolute certainty, and it will take a long time to prepare."
"As long as there's a way to cure my leg and let me work again, I'm willing to take the risk. At worst, it would be the same as now."
"Alright, from today onwards, you have to cheer up and eat well. When you have nothing to do, let Mother take you out to the yard to get some sun, it's good for your health."
"I understand, Sister."
"It's getting late, Sister has to go out now."
"Okay, Sister, take care."
Gong Xiaohua who walked out of the room had a gloomy expression, her tightly clenched fists had green veins popping up, and her nails had cut deeply into her palms.
Since transmigrating to this time, the elders in her family were open-minded and kind, the siblings got along harmoniously, neighbors and colleagues were friendly.
She thought she was fortunate, but she had forgotten this was a feudal society, a cannibalistic society.
Could ordinary people only be ordinary? She wanted to see, were emperors, ministers and generals the only ones capable?
From this moment, Gong Xiaohua's aura changed.
Outside the Gong residence.
"Young Madam, this subordinate is Qin Shiyi, sent by the Master to serve you." A young man with ordinary looks, leading a horse, stood outside the residence. Seeing the Young Madam come out, he immediately came forward and greeted respectfully.
"Hmm, you stay at the Gongs', I don't need anyone by my side." Gong Xiaohua took the reins of the horse in her hand and spoke as she walked.
"Young Madam, I..."
"I'm not discussing this with you, I'm telling you. I'll bear all the consequences."
Qin Shiyi felt the Young Madam's momentum was off, and he wisely chose to shut his mouth.
Who said the Young Madam was particularly gentle? Her aura was no less than the Young Master's.
"Yes, Young Madam."
Gong Xiaohua rode her horse across the moat, arrived at the palace gates and handed the horse to the eunuchs in charge.
She went out early, but the Gongs lived far away, so by the time she arrived at the palace, most of the ministers were already waiting outside the main hall.
Seeing a eunuch leading in a tall, young woman, the ministers all guessed she must be the one who found the cure for the "plague".
It was said this woman not only had remarkable medical skills in Nanlong Prefecture, but also extraordinary martial arts.
"Xiaohua."
"Lord Li." Gong Xiaohua bowed with her fists cupped.
"Xiaohua." Qin Chuyuan called Gong Xiaohua's name very naturally, quickly adapting to the change of roles.
As for Gong Xiaohua, facing Qin Chuyuan standing in front of her, she really didn't know how to address him.
Calling him Young Master Qin, or Master Qin, was obviously inappropriate with so many people around.
Calling him "Chuyuan" or "Hubby"? She really couldn't say that. So she directly called him by name.
"Qin Chuyuan."
And when Gong Xiaohua directly called him by name, Qin Chuyuan felt helpless inside. The other party probably still only saw him as a friend.
Just then, the eunuch's voice came from the main hall entrance.
"Court is in session, ministers pay respects."
The ministers lined up according to rank and slowly entered the main hall.
Gong Xiaohua was directly led by the eunuch to wait in the side hall next to the main hall, waiting for the emperor's summons.
She didn't know how long passed before the eunuch's summons came from outside.
"Summoning Deputy General Gong to court."
Gong Xiaohua tidied herself and followed the eunuch into the main hall.
"This lowly officer pays respects to Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty."
"Rise, Deputy General Gong. Minister Li has already reported everything about the Nanlong Prefecture affair. The deputy general was courageous and strategical, with great merit."
"This lowly officer is overwhelmed with trepidation."
"The deputy general need not be modest. Especially regarding this plague, ever since I was born, from the history I know, every outbreak only ended with corpses piled by the millions, before it could be quelled."
"Now, the fatal catastrophe upon the Great Ye Dynasty has been resolved by the deputy general. One can say she is the greatest contributor to the Great Ye Dynasty. I want to heavily reward you."
"Reporting to Your Majesty, eating Your Majesty's food and doing Your Majesty's work are all within the duties of a subject. They should not qualify for Your Majesty's great rewards."
"Well said. My Great Ye Dynasty needs loyal subjects like this. Thus I will reward even more heavily. Come."
"This subordinate is present."
"Reward Deputy General Gong with 10,000 gold and a promotion to Head of the Ministry of Justice."
"Your Majesty, this lowly officer wishes to exchange all rewards for one imperial favor from Your Majesty."
Gasps rose in the main hall at these words.
"Oh? I wonder what favor does the deputy general seek?"
"This lowly officer's uncle, Li Zichen, was originally a clerk in the garrison near the capital, convicted of a crime and demoted to a shock trooper sent to the border at Xu Mountain. This lowly officer wishes to exchange all credit for recalling and reinvestigating my uncle's case."
"Your Majesty, military law is strict. How can we casually transfer soldiers headed for the battlefield based on Deputy General Gong's one-sided words? How will the generals command the troops then?" Minister Lin walked out from the rows and raised an objection.
"We plead for Your Majesty's deliberation." Like-minded people with Minister Lin also came forward to agree.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, Deputy General Gong's uncle was recommended by me to the garrison near the capital. I'm willing to vouch for his character with my official post. Please recall the deputy general's uncle to comfort her heart." Qin Chuyuan said.
"Yes, Your Majesty. With Deputy General Gong's great achievements, how can she not ask for such a favor?" Lord Li said.
"Hear, hear."
"Everyone, the 100,000 troops headed for the Xu Mountain border are about to arrive. Are you not worried about disturbing the military's morale?"
"He's just a mere shock trooper, how would that disturb morale?"
"This view is mistaken..."
The main hall descended into a clamor of arguments.
"Your Majesty, this lowly officer is willing to go to the border and join the battle."
A clear voice suddenly quieted the great hall as all eyes turned to its owner—Gong Xiaohua.
