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After Hu Dongqiang left, Gu Jiao looked at Gu Changqing with admiration, saying, "How did you come up with the idea of organizing such a large medical team?"
"It wasn't my idea." Gu Changqing replied.
The battlefield was a dangerous place, and while medical officers from the court were duty-bound, civilian physicians were just regular people, and Gu Changqing wouldn't easily enlist them.
However, Second Owner approached Gu Changqing, stating that their medical hall was willing to send several physicians with him northward. They would handle their own medical supplies and expenses.
This information somehow spread widely.
In times of national crisis, the people were also valiant and righteous, and gradually, many medical halls approached the imperial court.
The Emperor and Empress Dowager Zhuang found this approach feasible. Thus, they selected a group of robust physicians from the public, capable of enduring long journeys and the harsh conditions of the border.
"There's one more thing." Gu Changqing said.
"What?" asked Gu Jiao.
"The Lin Family in You Province donated 100,000 taels of gold for the border defense." Gu Changqing mentioned.
It was Lin Chengye's family.
Originally, Master Lin had intended to donate only 50,000 taels of gold. However, Lin Chengye rushed back home and clung to his father's thigh, pleading and acting pitifully. He even mentioned that if the imperial court didn't have enough funds for war, his little teacher’s wife might starve to death at the border.
Whether Master Lin was convinced by his son or moved by the potential future of Gu Jiao and Xiao Liulang remained unknown.
In any case, after previously donating a building to the Imperial Academy, he generously opened his pocket once again for the border defense.
As they continued conversing, Gu Jiao's stomach growled.
"Wait here, I'll get you some food." Gu Changqing said hurriedly.
As Gu Changqing stepped out of the tent, a sudden chill in the air made him feel like he had forgotten something, but he couldn't recall it right away.
A hundred paces away in an infirmary tent, Gu Chengfeng lay restlessly on a makeshift wooden bed.
The tent housed critically injured soldiers transferred from the intensive care camp. Their conditions were mostly under control, but they still required further observation and medical treatment.
About a dozen beds were arranged in this relatively small tent. Gu Chengfeng occupied the innermost bed, while Tang Yueshan lay on the bed next to him.
Tang Yueshan never expected to end up sharing a tent with Gu Chengfeng, oddly becoming roommates in sickness.
One had an arm suspended, the other a leg, both in quite a miserable state.
Mealtime arrived quickly, and the soldiers brought rice porridge and steamed buns. Tang Yueshan, whose mouth almost tasted bland, furrowed his brow, "Aren’t there pickled vegetables?"
He knew Gu Changqing had brought provisions for the journey north. He didn't dare ask about meat, but he was certain there would be pickled vegetables.
Physician Song approached and sternly advised Tang Yueshan, "Your wound has been stitched. Your diet needs to be light."
It was a physician’s tone reserved for patients—— serious and non-negotiable.
Tang Yueshan's face darkened, and his powerful supreme commander aura burst forth, "Who gives you the courage to speak to this supreme commander like that?"
Unfazed by his powerful aura, Physician Song calmly stated, "Physician Gu. She said that if patients don't obey, she'll come and give them a few shots."
Tang Yueshan's arrogance was extinguished in an instant!
On the other hand, his little wardmate Gu Chengfeng also had little appetite. It wasn't about disliking the bland food, he was contemplating how to face his eldest brother next.
His grandfather didn’t seem to have mentioned his martial arts skills to his eldest brother.
Even if he had, his grandfather wasn't fully aware of his true prowess. He probably thought he had only basic skills, nothing extraordinary that could be presented to the table.
Under such circumstances, his eldest brother must have been worried and upset when he left the capital and headed north.
But then again, his performance at the border shouldn’t be too bad, was it?
He had showcased his prowess on the battlefield, which was witnessed by both the defending troops and his eldest brother.
Would his eldest brother start to see him in a new light?
"Second brother, it was this older brother who underestimated you before. I'm very proud of your capabilities."
The thought of his eldest brother praising him like that made Gu Chengfeng couldn't help but smirk foolishly.
Tang Yueshan, nibbling on his bun and sipping the rice porridge, turned to see Gu Chengfeng blushing and giggling. He was so frightened that his hand shook, causing the bun to fall!
Gu Chengfeng eagerly awaited his eldest brother's arrival.
However, he waited from noon to evening, and yet there was no sign of his eldest brother!
His eldest brother must be extremely busy!
Yuegu City had just experienced a fierce battle, so there must be a lot to manage!
His brother must be working tirelessly, too preoccupied to visit him here!
Yet, the eldest brother, who was supposed to be extremely busy and working tirelessly, had already managed to efficiently delegate tasks.
At this moment, he sat quietly in his tent, listening to his subordinates' reports on the movements of the State of Chen's army while meticulously mending the small flower decoration on Gu Jiao's red-tasseled spear.
Night came and Gu Chengfeng drifted off to sleep while waiting for his elder brother, feeling rather aggrieved.
Humph, eldest brother will definitely come to see me tomorrow!
The following day, Gu Changqing left the city...
Gu Changqing departed alongside Gu Jiao.
While the crisis in Yuegu City had been resolved, two impending crises awaited them in the upcoming battles: one being Gu Changqing having his legs severed, and the other, the annihilation of the Gu Family Army.
These two events were actually related, and it all started in Lingguan City, which was occupied by the remnants of the previous dynasty.
To counter the Gu Family Army by any means necessary, the remnants of the previous dynasty, from somewhere unknown, introduced a plague-infected individual into the city, allowing the infection to spread among the populace. When the Gu Family Army reclaimed Lingguan City, they were unaware that a plague had silently spread throughout the city.
By the time physicians diagnosed it as a plague, the Gu Family Army had already been infected.
This plague was most likely bubonic plague, with a short incubation period, rapid onset of symptoms, severe manifestations, and an extremely high mortality rate.
The Gu Family Army swiftly took measures, but it was already too late. A significant portion of the soldiers had already been infected.
Due to the lack of proper treatment, hundreds of the Gu Family soldiers died daily in the quarantined camps.
To fully halt the plague, their bodies had to be cremated, and their ashes couldn't even be brought back.
Gu Changqing was ambushed while searching for medicine for them. It was by a highly skilled death warrior, whose prowess rivaled that of the Dragon Shadow Guards of the State of Zhao. However, the assassin didn't take Gu Changqing's life; instead, they severed both of his legs.
It seemed the other party’s intention was to let Gu Changqing live in agony and awareness— Destroying the Gu Family Army, taking the lives of his grandfather and his own younger brother, but leaving him with Gu Chenglin at home, making him desire death yet unable to achieve it.
He perpetually lived in the depths of agony.
Gu Jiao earnestly considered that to save the Gu Family Army, they needed to eliminate the plague at its source and prevent its spread.
And to avoid the tragedy befalling Gu Changqing, preventing him from leaving the main army to search for medicine was secondary; the crux was to deal with the root cause——find and eliminate that formidable death warrior!
Raz P.'s Thoughts
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