Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

Just as everyone cleared the space next to the young general, Xia Yu arrived. With lightning speed, she took a small bamboo tube, about the length of a finger, from her waist, poured out three dark pills, and stuffed them all into the injured young general's mouth.

"Bring me some water," Xia Yu said to the person next to her.

As soon as she finished speaking, a eunuch serving in the main hall trotted over with a bowl of warm water. Xia Yu had someone hold the young general's head, pinched his cheeks, poured the water down his throat, and then lifted his chin slightly, allowing him to swallow the pill smoothly. Watching Xia Yu's somewhat rough movements, the young civil officials present felt a slight ache in their cheeks.

They were used to being pampered by their wives and concubines at home; they had never seen such a rough way of administering medicine.

After feeding the medicine, Xia Yu carefully examined the young man before her, finding him increasingly familiar. She poured some of the remaining water from the bowl and smeared it on the man's face. Then she wiped the dust off his face with a handkerchief. But this wiping caused an accident; Xia Yu quickly poured the rest of the water onto the young man's face, roughly wiped it a few times with her hands, and then cleaned it with the handkerchief.

"Third Brother?" Xia Yu looked the cleaned face up and down and suddenly called out.

Her words startled all the civil and military officials in the hall. The young general who had almost died and returned to report the news was Princess Wenfu's third brother.

"Quickly, go and fetch the imperial physician again," Shen Jingxun ordered the imperial guards outside upon hearing Xia Yu's words.

"Yes, my lord"

Soon, the imperial physician arrived, panting, accompanied by a young eunuch carrying a medicine chest. Despite the rush, he didn't forget to bow to the Emperor and Empress Dowager.

"No need for formalities, quickly treat the young soldier," Zhou Luo stopped the imperial physician who was about to kneel and instructed him.

"Yes, Your Majesty"

Knowing the urgency of the situation, the imperial physician led his men to the side hall where the wounded young general was being cared for. After removing his armor, the man's crisscrossing wounds were revealed, causing the physician to shake his head in dismay.

"Sigh, it's really a miracle that you've survived until now." She said, while cleaning the countless wounds on his body.

Xia Yu stood outside the tent, feeling a pang of heartache upon hearing the imperial physician's mutterings. He'd been so busy with Zhou Luo and palace affairs lately that he hadn't had the energy to pay attention to anything else. Wasn't Changyuan supposed to be in the recruit camp in Zhongzhou Prefecture? When did he end up at Jialing Pass, and almost die there?

"Doctor Hu, how is my third brother? Is his life in danger?" Although Xia Yu knew that Changyuan had already taken the excellent medicine, she was still worried about other complications.

"Princess, please rest assured. The medicine you just gave him must have been excellent. I have examined him, and his internal injuries are not serious. Although his external injuries are more severe, they have stopped bleeding, so his life should be safe," Physician Hu said to Xia Yu after examining him.

"Thank you for your hard work, Doctor Hu. Wenfu expresses his sincere gratitude."

“Your Highness is too kind. This is what we healers should do. Please wait a moment, Your Highness. I will administer acupuncture to him now, and he will regain consciousness shortly.”

"it is good"

Xia Yu came out of the side hall and stood at the door waiting.

Just as the imperial physician had said, voices soon came from inside.

"Young General, you're awake?"

"Where am I? Am I dead?"

"This is a side hall of the Wende Hall. You are not dead yet. The Emperor and the Empress Dowager are still waiting outside for the military report you bring."

Physician Hu's words instantly snapped Changyuan out of his daze, and he immediately struggled to sit up in bed. Physician Hu and the young eunuch who had come with him quickly reached out to help him.

With a creak, the door to the side hall opened from the inside, and Changyuan, supported by someone, came out. As he looked up, his eyes met those of Xia Yu, who was waiting at the door.

"Xiaxia? What are you doing here?" Changyuan shouted.

"Third brother, hurry up and go to the main hall to tell the Emperor and Empress Dowager about the situation at Jialing Pass in detail."

"Okay, sure." Xia Yu didn't answer the long-term question; a single sentence diverted his attention.

In the main hall, Changyuan knelt on the ground and reported the current situation of Jialing Pass to the Emperor and Empress Dowager.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, the Prince of Ding'an has stationed a large army outside the city, but is not attacking. Every day, he only sends people to shout from the city walls. His message is that we are all soldiers of the Great Huai, one family, and should not be fighting each other. He asks General Zhao to open the city gates and let him pass, as he is coming to the capital to eliminate those impersonating royal blood… After five or six days, seeing that the general was unmoved, they began to attack the city. However, the time of their attacks is unpredictable; sometimes it's in the morning, sometimes in the evening, sometimes in the early morning, and sometimes even at midnight. The government troops inside the city are suffering greatly from their attacks…"

He rambled on for a full quarter of an hour before finally explaining the situation clearly from beginning to end. Those in the court listened with furrowed brows. According to the young general, the military report sent earlier demanding grain was deliberately dispatched by General Zhao at the behest of the Prince of Ding'an. His aim was to seize the imperial grain shipment to replenish his own military supplies.

Fortunately, General Zhao discovered the enemy's scheme in time and immediately sent out another messenger team. However, this team was ambushed by the Prince of Ding'an's troops. When they broke through the enemy's encirclement, only three of them remained. Two of them were too badly wounded on their way to the capital and were left at the post station by Changyuan to recuperate. In the end, he rode a fast horse back to the capital alone.

His injuries weren't very serious to begin with, but at the last post station on the way to the capital, he was preparing to replenish his supplies when he was suddenly attacked by the people there. He was stabbed in the stomach, and the military reports he was carrying were stolen. He mounted his horse and galloped away. If it weren't for the medicine that Xia Yu had sent him, he probably would be dead somewhere by now.

The men chasing him at the post station probably thought he was going to die from that stab wound, so they stopped pursuing him after getting the intelligence. It was fortunate they didn't catch up with Changyuan and witness his death. Otherwise, the imperial grain convoy transporting supplies to Jialing Pass might have been robbed by the Prince of Ding'an's men without any defenses.