nucmednet Chapter 505 Defeating the Rebels
Chapter 505 Defeating the Rebels
"Your Highness, the rebels on the city wall are almost driven back. General Lin sent someone to report that he will soon be able to take control of Chuzhou City."
A soldier ran over to report, his voice filled with joy.
Shen Yanzhou nodded, but there was little smile in his eyes.
He lowered his head and gently wiped the blood from the corner of Shi Wanxia's mouth. His fingers touched her cold cheek, and his heart ached again: "Wanxia, did you hear that? We won. Chuzhou City is safe. Wake up, okay?"
Shi Wanxia still didn't react, but her breathing seemed to have become lighter.
Shen Yanzhou quickly sent someone to find a doctor, even a physician in the city who knew a little about medicine would do.
The soldiers ran out to search, but Chuzhou City had just experienced war, and the doctors had either been killed by the rebels or gone into hiding, so they couldn't be found in a short time.
Seeing Shen Yanzhou's anxious expression, Lin Yiyu sighed, "Your Highness, I still have some leftover herbs here. Let's apply them to Miss Shi first; they should stop the bleeding."
Shen Yanzhou quickly took the herbs and carefully unwrapped the bandage on Shi Wanxia's arm. The wound was deep and still bleeding.
He crushed the herbs in his mouth and gently applied them to the wound, his movements so light it was as if he were afraid of breaking her.
The bitter smell of herbs spread, and Shi Wanxia frowned again, but still did not wake up.
Wang Ying held Ya Ya in her arms, and Ya Ya looked at Shi Wanxia and asked softly, "Auntie, why isn't Sister Shi awake yet? Does she not like Ya Ya anymore?"
Wang Ying quickly covered her mouth, tears falling again: "No, Sister Shi is just tired. She will wake up and eat candy with Ya Ya."
But everyone knows that these words are more like self-comfort.
Shen Yanzhou held Shi Wanxia in his arms and sat on the steps outside the granary, watching the battle on the city wall gradually subside and the smoke in the night sky gradually dissipate, but his heart was cold.
Victory was achieved, and Chuzhou City was saved, but the person he wanted to protect lay motionless in his arms, barely breathing.
He remembered her smiling and saying to him in the capital, "Your Highness, I want to go to Chuzhou to do something for you," he remembered how she would grit her teeth and say "I'm fine" every time she was injured, and he remembered how she had just told him to "let go" by the trap...
He gripped Shi Wanxia's hand tightly; the coldness in her palm made him panic.
He kept repeating in his heart, "Wanxia, don't sleep, just hold on a little longer, the doctor will be here soon. We haven't gone to eat the sweet cakes you mentioned yet, you can't sleep..."
The people on the city wall were still cheering, and the soldiers were still cleaning up the battlefield, but the joy of victory could not reach Shen Yanzhou's heart.
He simply held the person in his arms, letting the night wind blow, hoping to wait until she opened her eyes and smiled at him again, even if it was just a gentle smile.
In the northwest corner of Chuzhou City, the sound of horses' hooves seemed particularly urgent in the night. Lei Zhao, clutching the reins, his black armor still stained with undried blood, was followed by a dozen or so trusted men, desperately fleeing out of the city.
The firelight on the city wall grew farther and farther away, and he could still faintly hear the screams of the rebels. He gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with resentment.
He had painstakingly built up his power for so long, finally capturing Chuzhou, and was about to gain a foothold in the prince's eyes based on his military achievements, but it was all ruined by Shen Yanzhou and Shi Wanxia!
"General, we're almost at the city gate. Just ahead lies the territory of Wangcheng!"
One of his confidants shouted, his voice filled with panic.
Lei Zhao reined in his horse, glanced back at the direction of Chuzhou City, and clenched his fists so tightly they cracked.
He recalled seeing Shi Wanxia covered in wounds yet still daring to stand in front of the rebels at the granary, and the anxious look on Shen Yanzhou's face as he held her. Hatred gnawed at his heart like a poisonous vine: "Shen Yanzhou! Shi Wanxia! I, Lei Zhao, will remember this grudge! One day I will make you pay for this in blood, and make you pay the price for what happened today!"
With that, he lashed out with his whip, and the horse, in pain, neighed and charged forward.
Night swallowed their figures, leaving only the dust that rose and the lingering stench of blood in the air.
This escape became a thorn in his side and sowed the seeds for future troubles.
As dawn broke, soldiers were already clearing the battlefield from the streets of Chuzhou City. Broken arrows, rubble, and corpses that hadn't been buried were being carried away one by one. Several old women squatted by the roadside, looking at their burned-down houses, and wept softly.
Lin Yongnan, dressed in armor, walked down the street with a furrowed brow.
The victory came at a terrible cost, with countless civilians killed or wounded, and the city and its surroundings devastated.
"General, the rebels on the city wall have been cleared out. The remaining remnants either surrendered or fled. Only Lei Zhao is missing; he must have fled to avoid punishment."
The lieutenant followed behind, handing over a list.
"This is the casualty count. More than 3,000 soldiers were lost, and nearly 5,000 civilians also died."
Lin Yongnan took the list, his finger tracing the numbers, a heavy feeling settling in his heart. He sighed and ordered, "Have the soldiers guard all the city gates and carefully check everyone entering and leaving. If they find any trace of Lei Zhao, report it immediately."
"Also, be careful when cleaning up the battlefield, so as not to disturb the people. If any people need help, lend a hand if you can."
"Yes!"
The lieutenant bowed in agreement and turned to make the arrangements.
Lin Yongnan then remembered Cui Zhihao, Shi Wanxia, and the others, and hurried towards the government office.
As soon as the battle ended last night, he had the seriously wounded carried to the government office and invited the only two remaining doctors in the city to treat them, but so far, he has not heard any good news.
As soon as they arrived at the entrance of the government office, they saw Shen Yanzhou standing on the steps, his face pale and his eyes bloodshot.
He had long since changed out of his night clothes into regular clothes, but there were still some bloodstains on his collar, indicating that he hadn't slept all night.
"Your Highness, why aren't you resting?"
Lin Yongnan stepped forward, lowering his voice.
Shen Yanzhou shook his head, his gaze falling on the direction of the inner courtyard of the government office, his voice hoarse: "There is still no movement inside. Wanxia and Lin Yiyu have been unconscious for a day and a night. Cui Zhihao did wake up once, but he coughed up blood as soon as he opened his eyes and then fainted again."
Lin Yongnan's heart sank as he followed Shen Yanzhou into the inner courtyard. Upon entering the room, they were met with a strong, pungent smell of herbs that made their noses sting. Shi Wanxia lay on the bed, her face as white as paper, covered by a thick quilt, but her exposed wrists were still icy cold.
The doctor was changing her dressing and untying the bandages.
When you look at her, you can see that the wound on her arm has become infected and is severely swollen, and the wound on her chest is so deep that you can see the bone. Even her breathing is weak and uneven.
“Your Highness, Miss Shi’s injuries were all caused by her enduring them. They weren’t treated in time, and now the wounds are severely infected. Whether she can pull through depends on her own will.”
As the doctor applied medicine to the wound, he sighed, "Even if she pulls through, she'll probably need at least half a year to recover, and she probably won't be able to take on any more strenuous work in the future."
Shen Yanzhou stood by the bed, looking at Shi Wanxia's furrowed brows, as if she was still suffering in her unconscious state, and his heart ached as if it were being cut by a knife.
He reached out to touch her face, but was afraid of hurting her, so he could only gently hold her cold hand. The chill from her fingertips made his heart pound: "Wanxia, you must pull through. There's still your favorite sweet cake shop in the capital, and the book you haven't finished reading. You can't just fall asleep like this..."