Priceless: A widow with a baby asks the prince to marry again

Imperial Palace, Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The ministers' rebukes were overwhelming, directed at Prince Duan Chu Shiyu's "rudeness and arrogance". The hall was filled with an uproar that almost drowned people out.

"enough!"

A familiar roar erupted like thunder, instantly cleaving the din—it was none other than Liu Rusi's sharp-tongued master, Li Chunfu! This outspoken doctor slammed the table in front of him, shaking the cups and plates! His eyes widened in anger, and his resounding scolding echoed through the hall: "You keep accusing others of being impolite, but don't you have any sense of propriety yourselves?! You're the father, hosting a banquet for your son! It's no problem for your son to invite a few people to the feast!"

"You guests, you come to someone else's family's banquet and point your finger at the host's son and curse him! What kind of logic is that?! What kind of etiquette is that?" Li Chunfu glanced around, his eyes like lightning, his hair and beard standing on end in anger. "You're usurping the throne! You're the host! I think you're the most disrespectful!"

This sudden curse, with its straightforward and almost arrogant attitude, stunned all the civil servants in the room for a moment.

The Minister of Rites was the first to recover and shouted, "Who are you? How dare you roar in the court!"

"I am Li Chunfu, a country doctor!"

Li Chunfu spoke modestly, but in front of the room full of high-ranking officials, his expression was full of arrogance! He raised his chin slightly and glanced at everyone with contempt!

This was even more puzzling to the ministers than Prince Duan's own arrogance! Prince Duan was, after all, a prince of the reigning dynasty, a noble and distinguished prince, but who was this Li Chunfu? How dare a barefoot doctor act so presumptuously in the Hall of Supreme Harmony?!

The Minister of Rites immediately shouted, "How can a quack doctor with no official title and no rank come to attend the banquet?!"

"Of course it's my invitation!"

Chu Shiyu replied in a cold voice, his eyes like knives, piercing the Minister of Rites: "Doctor Li previously rushed to the battlefield in Mobei and treated hundreds of seriously injured soldiers with his miraculous skills! Why can't he attend the banquet?!"

"This..." The Minister of Rites choked, but quickly sneered and retorted, "A nameless person! Their origins are unknown! If every meritorious person were invited to the banquet, wouldn't hundreds of thousands of soldiers be invited into the Hall of Supreme Harmony to discuss state affairs?"

——What a sharp mouth!

These civil officials who were steeped in political politics were indeed very eloquent. With just a few words, they negated Li Chunfu's achievements and even dragged hundreds of thousands of soldiers into the court as a foil, as if if Li Chunfu was allowed to sit at the table today, countless civilians would flock to the court tomorrow!

However, the opportunity Liu Rusi had been waiting for finally arrived.

She stood up and said apologetically, "My Lords! Please don't blame the medical teachers!"

The woman's shrill voice was extremely abrupt in the hall. The noise in the hall stopped for a moment, and everyone couldn't help but listen to her sad words.

"This was my idea!" She took a deep breath, her eyes sweeping earnestly over the ministers before continuing, "I previously held a medical conference and invited renowned doctors from Great Xia. I was worried their unique skills might be lost, so I used the conference to exchange medical expertise. Then, upon hearing that war was brewing in Mobei, I thought I could do my bit to heal the brave Great Xia soldiers fighting against the enemy, and that's why I invited all of you to the battlefield!"

Having said this, she paused deliberately, frowning nervously, as if she was at a loss for words...

Sure enough, a minister immediately frowned and asked impatiently, "What does this have to do with attending the banquet? Can you be so proud of your small achievements that you can offend the court?!"

Liu Rusi sighed deeply with a sorrowful expression, and looked earnestly at the ministers, continuing, "It's not that I'm arrogant, but during this trip to Mobei, I witnessed with my own eyes how many more lives could have been saved if there were more skilled doctors treating the wounded during wartime!"

She paused, her voice trembling slightly, as if she was suppressing her emotions: "But all the teachers are dedicated to helping the world and do not want to be tainted by the secular court and fight for power and profit..."

Looking at Chu Shiyu with a guilty look in her almond-shaped eyes, Liu Rusi said, "This time, His Royal Highness Prince Duan invited me and the other doctors to attend the banquet, which is the opportunity I thought of..."

Liu Rusi paused again, stalling for time. Her purpose was not to argue with these ministers.

The ministers could not understand what Liu Rusi was talking about. They looked at each other in silence for a few moments, their eyes shifting suspiciously between the doctors, Liu Rusi and Chu Shiyu.

Good opportunity, what kind of good opportunity is this palace banquet - what is she laying the groundwork for?

At this moment, the eunuch's shrill voice suddenly came from outside the palace -

"The Emperor has arrived!"

All disputes and doubts were immediately stopped, everyone fell silent, and walked to the edge of the table and knelt down to pay their respects.

Liu Rusi's heart was solemn, and she concentrated all her energy!

The emperor has arrived.

The real game has just begun.

The hem of his bright yellow dragon robe moved with steady steps. When he sat on the high dragon throne, sheltered by the large banquet table, a gentle voice finally spoke: "My dear ministers, there is no need to be so formal. Please stand up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The ministers expressed their gratitude and then stood up and sat down in their respective seats.

Those finely wrinkled auspicious phoenix eyes swept calmly over everyone, including Liu Rusi, and finally landed kindly on Chu Shiyu, praising him: "Yu'er, in less than two years, we've already held two welcoming banquets for you. This time, you've made a great contribution!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the compliment." Chu Shiyu nodded in thanks, but then said with a look of surprise, "But it can't be called a great achievement... I just invited a few people who made contributions in this battle to attend the banquet, and I was disturbed by a group of people who enjoyed peace in the capital!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall suddenly fell into dead silence.

Those civil officials who were just filled with indignation were angry again, but now their faces were pale and blue, and no one dared to presumptuously reprimand the emperor in front of him.

The emperor looked at Liu Rusi with a gaze that was difficult to discern, then glanced at the ministers, asking in confusion, "I heard a commotion in the palace just now. What were they arguing about?"

Just as the ministers were about to speak, Liu Rusi stood up, walked to the center of the hall, and knelt down, apologizing before them. "Your Majesty, please forgive me! This is my fault. I knew that men and women should sit at separate tables, but I followed His Royal Highness Prince Duan into the Hall of Supreme Harmony! Your Excellencies are understandably censured!"

"Oh?" The emperor's eyes flashed with interest, and he asked, "Then why did you show up with the men's guests when you knew the tables were divided?"

As if mustering immense courage, Liu Rusi raised her head and looked towards the emperor. In a trembling but firm voice, she stated the whole story: "Because I have an important matter, I have the courage to present my petition to the emperor!"

She took a deep breath, pulled out two neatly bound volumes from her sleeve, and held them high above her head. "This is the 'True Records of Military Medical Treatment' that I and other doctors recorded on the battlefields of Mobei. It details the treatments we received during the two battles. I beg Your Majesty to take a look!"

The emperor nodded, looked at the eunuch Li Yinglian standing by, and ordered, "I have been reviewing memorials all day and do not want to read these dizzying words anymore. You come and read them to me."

"Yes!" Li Yinglian agreed, and quickly stepped forward to take the booklet. She then walked to the side of the steps of the high platform, facing the officials below, and read aloud:

"Mandalay Gobi Tucheng in the Northern Desert, New Year's Eve Battle Rescue Record:

In the Northeast New Medical Area of ​​Tucheng, there were seven doctors and eleven apprentices who treated 923 wounded people and 795 of them survived!

In the old medical area southwest of Tucheng, there were nineteen military doctors and twenty-two apprentices who treated eight hundred and thirty-four wounded soldiers, with four hundred and seventeen of them surviving!

Li Yinglian flipped a page and saw a densely packed list of personal treatment records. She switched to another one and continued reading the summary from the previous page:

"Rescue Records of the Battle to Rescue King Kang in the Onon River Valley, Mobei:

The two districts under Prince Duan were merged into one, and after learning from each other's methods of treating injuries, they worked together to provide treatment. With 28 doctors and 34 apprentices, they treated 2,130 wounded people, and 1,492 survived!

As the number of people in the records was read out, the officers and generals in the hall who had been on the battlefield began to breathe heavily with excitement! They knew better than anyone that even if a seriously injured soldier on the battlefield was lucky enough to receive medical treatment, his life or death was uncertain! In this record, the military doctors in the old forensic area were already considered outstanding!

Even more astonishing was the new forensic section—treatment speeds were exponentially increased, and survival rates had actually increased by several percent! Don't underestimate just a few percent! Those were lives lost! Those most vulnerable on the battlefield were often the bravest warriors at the forefront! If such doctors had been present during the battles they witnessed, how many of their comrades would have survived?!

Aside from the military commanders, the officials from Prince Kang's faction, including the Ministers of Personnel and Revenue, were all filled with mixed emotions. They had long known that Prince Kang was rescued by Prince Duan and Lady Liu, so they had remained silent during the earlier verbal battle.

People from other factions and conservative civil officials would naturally observe the emperor's words and expressions and know that they could not make arbitrary judgments on this matter. They all kept silent and held their breath, waiting for the emperor on the dragon throne to make the final decision.

The emperor seemed completely oblivious to the atmosphere in the palace and asked calmly, "What's wrong with these records?"

Liu Rusi humbly replied, "Your Majesty, these records reveal at least three key points: First, I have some experience in treating injuries... Therefore, during the New Year's Eve Battle of Tucheng, although there were fewer doctors in the Northeast New Law District where I was stationed, many soldiers were treated, and the proportion of survivors was much higher than in the Southwest Old Law District..."

At this moment, someone sneered in disdain. It was the newly appointed director of the Imperial Hospital: "How dare you boast so much! The doctors you brought with you are all renowned doctors in Daxia, some even miracle doctors! With them around, they will naturally be far superior to ordinary doctors!"

Liu Rusi showed an embarrassed look on her face, but she was secretly happy in her heart. This was actually in line with her rhythm. At least the other party's doubts about her being able to summon famous doctors and miracle doctors were confirmed!

But before she could even pretend to argue, the white-haired and bearded genius doctor Zhu Hengzhen spoke up, "Madam Liu, you are not boasting. I have been practicing medicine for decades and have treated countless injuries, but none of them can compare to Madam Liu's effective techniques of hemostasis, debridement, disinfection, and suturing. Although I went to Mobei later, seeing the healing of the wounds is enough to glimpse Madam Liu's superb healing skills!"

Liu Rusi quickly said modestly, "It's all thanks to the medical skills of all of you teachers! Patients often experience high fevers and lingering symptoms after surgery, and acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal decoctions, and other profound traditional methods are often more effective!"

As the two of them were complimenting each other, the Imperial Hospital's Director dared to question: "Since you know how to rely on the great doctors, why are you still bragging about yourself, woman?"

Liu Rusi looked at him curiously and said, "How can you be boasting? This is the original purpose of this medical conference, to learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses, and to pass on unique skills and experience. Before the merger of the two districts under Prince Duan's command, the difference in the treatment and survival rates was significant, but after the merger, the rate increased significantly. This proves that doctors who already have skills can quickly learn new methods and save more people!"

At this moment, the Minister of War stole a glance at the Emperor's expression and followed up on the conversation, asking, "You just said there were three points. What about the second and third?"

Liu Rusi tilted her head and nodded to him, a genuine sadness instantly covering her face. Her voice sank, "Secondly... there are still too few doctors! No matter how good the method, no matter how advanced the medical skills, a doctor only has a pair of hands and a body! Although we have tried our best and saved many soldiers, there are still many..."

Tears of pity and regret flowed from her almond-shaped eyes as Liu Rusi wept sorrowfully, "Especially the battle in the Onon Valley! Two thousand one hundred and thirty soldiers were rescued, but tens of thousands more were seriously injured and sacrificed before they could even receive treatment!"

The military commanders present could not help but express their sorrow with solemnity. Qin Shuangyu, who had been silent the whole time, stood up and bowed to the emperor, saying in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, it is indeed so. I have been guarding the border for many years and have experienced many battles, both large and small. However, due to the lack of military doctors, many of our brothers had to rely on themselves to get through it..."

Liu Rusi's drooping eyes flickered slightly, but her face was filled with an uncontrollable sadness. She then cried out in grief, "If only... if there were more people practicing medicine... even just one more little girl who has just learned how to heal injuries!"

Looking at the maids standing behind the table—Xia Lian and Dong Xue—with tearful eyes, Liu Rusi cried out, "Even a teenage girl could have saved more than a dozen lives!"

"A little girl can save more than a dozen people." These words hit the hearts of the generals on the field like a heavy hammer!

The whole hall of civil and military officials were overwhelmed by this bloody reality. No one spoke for a moment, and different thoughts were surging in everyone's mind.

Fang Qiu, who had been feeling depressed, was infected by Liu Rusi's emotions and couldn't help but ask, "How many more doctors are needed to treat all the soldiers?"

The sudden female voice diverted the attention of Taihe Hall again. Although everyone saw her just now, the focus and attention were all on Chu Shiyu before and Liu Rusi now. No one had time to care about her for a while.

At this time Fang Qiu spoke, and the civil officials who had just been blocked from saying anything because of the righteousness of the country and the people who saved the bloody soldiers found a new target, and all their verbal attacks were directed at her!

"Liu is of humble origin and ignorant of etiquette. She has important matters to attend to, and out of desperation, she has come here to seek an audience with His Majesty! You, a woman who was nurtured in propriety and brought up by the Fang family, don't you know the rules? How dare you come to a place like the Hall of Supreme Harmony for meetings? How disrespectful!"

"I...this..." Fang Qiu was not good at speaking, and his face turned red immediately after being scolded. He didn't know how to defend himself.

Chu Shiyu said indifferently, "During the Battle of Onon Valley, Fang Qiu was besieged by the Tatars and Jurchens and saved Prince Kang from death. I believe she deserves a generous reward, so I have asked her to come to the Hall of Supreme Harmony and ask your father to decide on a reward."

The emperor's expression changed imperceptibly for a moment, and then he took on the look of a loving father whose true and false appearance was hard to tell. His tone revealed his sympathy for his eldest son's distress and his praise for his rescuer: "The Fang family is indeed full of heroes. This time, you saved Shi Kun and spared me the pain of losing my son. Naturally, you deserve a reward..."

As he spoke, he looked a little embarrassed, and his eyes shifted between Fang Kui and Fang Qiu, as if he couldn't make up his mind how to reward them.

At this moment, Fang Qiu took a deep breath, mustered up her courage, and said in a resolute voice, "This humble servant does not ask for any reward, but only for Your Majesty's grace! Let this humble servant stay in the army, make great achievements, and become a general through my own merits!"