She's skilled in medicine, martial arts, and even understands animal language—the abandoned dau

The next morning, sunlight shone through the clouds into the courtyard of the Qingyang Marquis's residence.

Marquis Qingyang sat solemnly in his study, while his servants hurriedly went out to fetch the renowned trauma doctor from the city, as he had instructed.

Before long, the doctor arrived at the Marquis's residence carrying his medicine chest.

He first bowed to Marquis Qingyang, and then began to carefully examine his injuries.

Because of its age, the wound on Qingyang Marquis's shoulder had long since healed, leaving only a brown scar.

The doctor would sometimes lightly touch the area around the scar, and sometimes frown in deep thought.

Everyone held their breath upon seeing this, and the atmosphere became extremely tense.

Standing to the side, Aunt Luo's beautiful eyes were filled with worry, and the handkerchief in her hand was tightly clenched into a ball.

Time ticked by, and after a long while, the doctor finally finished his diagnosis. Everyone's hearts jumped into their throats, and they all looked at him, waiting for him to announce the results.

Finally, the doctor looked at Marquis Qingyang and said in a heavy tone, "My lord, please forgive my lack of medical skills; I am truly unable to heal this old injury for you..."

Upon hearing this, disappointment was evident on the faces of everyone present.

After listening to the doctor's words, Marquis Qingyang did not blame him. Instead, he comforted him, saying, "It's alright. I invited you here today just to try my luck!" After saying that, he sighed softly, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.

It's important to understand that the right hand is of paramount importance to a general who has led troops in battle for many years. The loss of his right hand is undoubtedly a huge blow to him.

Although the Marquis of Qingyang has been working hard to practice using his left hand to hold the knife over the years, his left hand is still not as flexible as his right hand.

Moreover, on the battlefield, when two armies clash, bows and arrows are the most commonly used and deadly weapons.

Without the ability to use his right hand flexibly, he would inevitably be at a disadvantage when facing enemy attacks.

Thinking of this, Marquis Qingyang felt an indescribable sense of sorrow welling up in his heart.

"Yang'er, if I can't come back from this campaign, you must shoulder the burden of the family and take good care of us..."

Marquis Qingyang spoke earnestly to his eldest son standing beside him. His gaze was fixed on Shen Chongyang, and deep worry was evident in his eyes.

If there is anything regrettable about Marquis Qingyang's life, it is his eldest son.

Shen Chongyang not only bore no resemblance to him in appearance, but their personalities were also worlds apart.

Marquis Qingyang himself was a resolute, decisive, and efficient person, while Shen Chongyang was weak-willed and indecisive by nature.

What frustrates him even more is that Shen Chongyang has been spoiled by his mother, Wang Shi, since he was a child. He can't handle anything, and now that he's fifteen years old, he doesn't know how to solve problems and can only cry.

In terms of ability and talent alone, the second son, Shen Minzhao, is far superior. From any perspective, Shen Minzhao is much better than Shen Chongyang.

Shen Minzhao is intelligent, quick-witted, and decisive, showing some of the demeanor of the Marquis of Qingyang in his youth. If it weren't for Shen Chongyang holding the title of eldest son, the Marquis of Qingyang would probably have already named Shen Minzhao as his heir.

Upon hearing his father's words, Shen Chongyang turned pale with fright, his legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

Then, he burst into tears, his sobs flowing like a burst dam: "Father, why don't you go and plead with the Emperor to send someone else? What will we do if you die?"

"Nonsense! The Emperor's decree has already been issued, how can it be taken back? Alright, you may leave now!" Marquis Qingyang's mood became even more irritated by Shen Chongyang's crying.

"Father, don't worry, I'll take care of things at home. I won't let anything happen to the Qingyang Marquis's mansion while you're away on your campaign," the second son, Shen Minzhao, stepped forward and said to his father.

"Okay, keep an eye on your older brother, don't let him cause trouble outside!"

Just then, a servant came to announce the arrival of the First Prince. Marquis Qingyang quickly composed himself and invited him in.

The two examined the map in the study and discussed the marching plan. After a few incense sticks' worth of time, they finally finalized their strategic deployment.

Marquis Qingyang rubbed his temples, a feeling of exhaustion washing over him.

Chu Zhiyi noticed this and frowned slightly, saying, "My lord, you don't look well. Is something troubling you? This expedition is of great importance. If we don't give it our all, there may be danger."

"If you have any issues, my lord, you can speak directly to me. That way, I can plead with the Emperor on your behalf and ask him to choose a different deputy general."

Marquis Qingyang bowed and expressed his gratitude: "Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness. I am fine."

"In that case, let's set off in three days!"

Three days later, with the booming of war drums and the fluttering of military flags, the army finally assembled.

The eldest prince, Chu Zhiyi, dressed in golden armor, rode a horse with a dashing and heroic air, his eyes revealing determination and resolve.

Meanwhile, Marquis Qingyang, Shen Wangnan, stood beside him, clad in a silver battle robe, exuding an imposing aura. Together, the two commanded this massive army as it marched toward the border city.

Meanwhile, Shen Han, the second young lady of the Qingyang Marquis's mansion, was escorted by her family's guards and followed behind the main group.

When Chu Zhiyi led an army of 100,000 from Shangjing, Fu Kai, far away in Ling'an Town, was once again caught in a fierce battle.

In the past few days, the Qi Rong people have been attacking the city like madmen, day and night, causing great suffering to the soldiers guarding the city gate towers.

At first, the soldiers were able to put up a brave fight, but they gradually felt powerless in the face of the enemy troops who kept coming in like a tide.

Soon, the city gates of Ling'an Town became precarious due to the numerous attacks, and many cracks appeared on the city walls, making them teeter on the verge of collapse.

As the city gates were about to be breached, Fu Kai was extremely anxious. He watched as the number of soldiers around him dwindled, knowing that they alone could not defend the town.

Left with no other option, Fu Kai decided to send another urgent letter of appeal to the magistrate of Tong'an County and the prefect of Biancheng.

Officials from both prefectures were greatly alarmed. They dared not delay and immediately set to work, rushing to villages and towns throughout the territory to urgently conscript all males aged 15 and above to the military camps to replenish the troops and serve as soldiers.

Hard work pays off; in just three days, they managed to recruit 50,000 soldiers. Meng Zhuo and the militiamen he trained were among those recruited.

They were armed and, having undergone specialized training, were virtually indistinguishable from soldiers in the army.

Fu Kai was overjoyed to see this and handed over all the new recruits to Meng Zhuo for training.

Shen Man, Lin Yu, and others returned to the military camp to serve as military doctors.