What had seemed like a disorganized scattering of soldiers under Zhang Yulin’s command suddenly found themselves near the enemy’s main flag.

Though only a few scattered soldiers, these few clearly had some order.

They stepped on each other’s shoulders to leap down and attempt to cut the flag.

They didn’t succeed, though.

The person who jumped was knocked out by Zeng Yuan, who struck him in the chest and forced him out of the battle.

“…So it was a feint,” Prince Wei Yangwang realized. “They’re too few in number to break through head-on, so they plan to use distractions.”

“That plan might have worked, but there are too many of the enemy, and those guarding the main flag are brave and skilled warriors. It’s unlikely they can take down the flag by surprise.”

He was right.

Zhang Yulin’s tactics were indeed clever, but several attempts were thwarted.

The massive difference in numbers was still difficult to overcome.

Most of the small teams sent out were eliminated, and from the situation on the field, it seemed like they were falling into a disadvantage.

However, what Wei Yangwang didn’t notice was that these small maneuvers, although failing to reach the flag, did succeed in distracting the enemy.

Zeng Yuan had tried several times to capture Zhang Yulin alive, but each time he was interrupted.

In the meantime, Zhang Yulin grew bolder…

With two heavy hammers in hand, he carved a path through the crowd, directly heading towards the flag, but he didn’t strike the flag immediately.

Because…

Wen Yue Sheng had told him not to cut down the flag using strategy but to capture the enemy general alive.

She wanted him to stand in the enemy’s camp and deliver a blow to their leader.

In front of everyone, he would take the enemy’s head!

Suddenly, Zhang Yulin threw down the Purple Gold Heavy Hammers, each weighing several hundred pounds. As soon as they were discarded, the surrounding soldiers quickly scattered.

Unburdened, he marched forward and leaped swiftly to Zeng Yuan’s front.

He raised his hand, knocked Zeng Yuan’s weapon out of his grasp, and grabbed him by the neck.

At the same time…

Snap.

He tore down the fluttering main flag.

The moment the flag collapsed, the entire field fell silent.

Zhang Yulin had indeed used strategy, but more than that, he could directly capture the enemy general and destroy their main flag at the same time.

And he did this after discarding his weapons.

“Zhang Yulin wins—” the running soldiers shouted, waving flags.

The arena erupted into a thunderous cheer.

To win the soldiers’ respect, there was no better way than to let them directly witness Zhang Yulin’s strength.

The soldiers’ emotions were easily ignited compared to the noble officials on the high platform, and they cheered his name enthusiastically.

“Well done!” On the high platform, even the Emperor was affected by the soldiers’ excitement, loudly praising him. “What a Zhang Yulin!”

“Let it be known, from this day forward, Zhang Yulin shall be promoted to the rank of General Dingyuan, overseeing the entire army. In addition, he shall receive further rewards…”

The hall fell silent.

Wen Yue Sheng had only asked for a captain, but now the Emperor had granted him the rank of a fifth-grade military official.

This fool, who had been clueless just a few months ago, had almost jumped straight to the position of a general.

Before Zhang Yulin entered the hall, countless eyes turned to Wen Yue Sheng.

Among them, Wen Xun’s gaze was particularly intense.

The words he had spoken yesterday echoed in his ears.

“A person who loses the protection of their father and brothers can never become the Princess of Yong’an…”

“Relying on your mother’s legacy, you think you can still be arrogant outside?”

Each word seemed to freeze his face in ice-cold water.

But at this moment, Zhang Yulin returned to the high platform.

He already knew about his promotion, but still held the military flag he had torn down, walking up to Wen Yue Sheng and handing it to her, saying:

“Zhang Yulin has fulfilled the order!”

It was only then that many in the hall realized that this newly promoted general still considered himself to be Wen Yue Sheng’s protector.

And every step he had taken, ever since he regained his senses, had been thanks to Wen Yue Sheng.

Zhang Yulin turned and faced the training field, raising his voice: “From today on, if anyone is dissatisfied, come to the Princess’s residence. Zhang Yulin will always be ready!”

Prince Gaoquan:…

What Princess’s residence?

Aren’t you a general?

What are you doing in the Princess’s residence?

“Dawei soldiers, listen to my orders!” Zhang Yulin raised his arm, and the soldiers below shouted in unison:

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

The voices echoed in the sky, shaking the heavens.

Countless eyes turned to him and the person standing behind him, who held prayer beads in hand, standing still with a cold expression, as if indifferent to joy or sorrow.

The night was as cool as water, and the bright moon hung high in the sky.

When Wen Yue’s voice descended from the high platform, the servant of the Lu family had already been waiting nearby.

“Greetings, Princess,” he quickly approached and whispered, “I am Xia Sui, a servant of General Lu.”

The frontier could not be left unguarded, and after the martial arts contest ended, Lu Tingyu left the capital.

Currently remaining in the capital was General Lu, Lu Tingyu’s brother, and the twin brother of Lu Hongying, Lu Qinghuai.

Lu Qinghuai had been severely injured.

Originally, he had planned to stay in the capital and recover before returning to the frontier.

However, after arriving in the capital, his injuries worsened, and by the time Lu Tingyu was leaving the capital, Lu Qinghuai had fallen into a deep coma.

Lu Tingyu had to leave, and the only person who could take charge of the Lu family was Lu Hongying.

Lu Hongying had been by Lu Qinghuai’s side these past few days, with imperial doctors coming one after another, yet they were helpless in treating his condition.

In a moment of desperation, Lu Hongying thought of Zhou Manniang and invited her to help.

After examining Lu Qinghuai’s condition, Zhou Manniang suspected he had been poisoned.

However, the poison was strange, and it was her first time encountering it.

With no other options, she began experimenting with antidotes based on the poison’s properties.

But…

Xia Sui whispered, “Miss Zhou said the antidote she concocted contains highly toxic ingredients.”

In the span of just a few days, Zhou Manniang had written numerous prescriptions for antidotes, each one more complicated than the last.

By the time Xia Sui came to find Wen Yue, she had finally found a prescription that seemed to match the poison’s characteristics.

However, just after writing it, Zhou Manniang realized something was wrong.

It was supposed to be an antidote, but the prescription itself was a deadly poison.

The controversy surrounding the antidote was so strong that by the time Wen Yue arrived at the Lu residence, the debate was still ongoing.

“…With General Lu’s current condition, if he takes this medicine, he is likely to die immediately from the poison.”

“But is there another method to cure this poison, from the royal doctors?”

The other person was silent for a long while before responding, “It would be difficult to develop an antidote in the short term.”

“But if we act now and amputate the poisoned area, stopping the spread of the poison, General Lu might still have a slim chance of survival.”

The person debating with the royal doctor immediately turned pale.

“The poisoned area is his right leg! Both legs have lost sensation. Are you suggesting that both legs should be amputated?!”

At these words, even Gao Quan’s face changed drastically.

The Lu family had three generals, and Lu Qinghuai was the most skilled in martial arts.

He had entered the military camp at thirteen, achieved great military feats by sixteen, and at seventeen, he was now facing the possibility of losing both legs.

Not only was he a martial general, but for an ordinary person, this would be a devastating blow.

The room fell into silence. After a long pause, the royal doctor spoke again, “If we don’t make a decision now, after tonight, even this drastic measure might not save General Lu’s life.”

Hearing this, Lu Hongying almost collapsed.

The person arguing with the royal doctor was a military physician from the frontier, the person who knew Lu Qinghuai’s condition best.

It had been nearly two months since Lu Qinghuai was poisoned, and with the help of the military physician’s daily injections, they had managed to keep him alive until now.

But by the time Lu Tingyu left, Lu Qinghuai had fallen into a deep coma.

As they had said, if nothing was done, he would die from the poison.

These two physicians, one a palace doctor with decades of experience and the other a military physician with years of service, both had extensive knowledge.

However, the military physician was more skilled in treating injuries and knew less about poisons, while the royal doctor focused on preserving life above all else.

Only Zhou Manniang, after days and nights without rest, had come up with a deadly antidote.

Yet in this situation, she had no say.

Her experience was not as rich as theirs.

Part of her medical knowledge came from her family’s medical practitioner, and more came from her personal study of medical books.

During the tough days at Zhou’s family, the thing Zhou Manniang spent most of her time doing was organizing her medical books and tending to a small herb garden in the backyard.

She had met Lu Hongying when she was gathering herbs on the mountain and happened upon an injured Lu Hongying.

Compared to these two, Zhou Manniang was a newcomer, her ideas unconventional, and her use of medicine bold.

Therefore, most people had reservations about her antidote.

“How long until the poison completely takes effect?” Wen Yue entered the room and asked.

Her arrival gave Zhou Manniang more confidence.

She paused, then softly answered, “Three days.”

“If we follow the royal doctor’s method and amputate General Lu’s legs, at least two days will be needed for preparation.”

Amputating the legs to save his life—both actions were difficult, and the time required was long.

This meant, realistically, they only had one day left to make a decision.

Lu Hongying sat quietly, her face pale. Her hand, resting on her leg, trembled incessantly.

She and Lu Qinghuai were twins, and he had been born just a moment earlier.

Being twins meant their hearts were connected, and now, her heart was trembling with pain and fear.

She couldn’t imagine how Lu Qinghuai would feel if he woke up and found that his legs were gone.

Even more, she couldn’t imagine what she would do if Lu Qinghuai didn’t wake up at all.

“Use the medicine,” Wen Yuesheng said coldly.

At her words, everyone in the room turned to look at her.

The royal doctor’s expression changed instantly: “Princess, this antidote created by Miss Zhou is not only bold in its use of medicine, but the preparation method is strange, unverified. If General Lu takes it…”

They wouldn’t even have to wait three days; General Lu would likely die immediately.

Lu Hongying’s eyes widened, tears welling up as she turned to look at Wen Yuesheng.

Wen Yuesheng continued, “Amputating the legs—will it guarantee that the poison is fully removed?”

Zhou Manniang shook her head slightly, her voice soft: “The poison has deeply affected him. Even if his legs are amputated, there will still be residual poison in his body.”

The remaining poison wouldn’t be fatal, but it would cause Lu Qinghuai to live in constant, unbearable pain.

Still, no matter what, at least his life would be spared.

Since the onset of the poisoning, this seemed to be the best possible outcome.

But Wen Yuesheng said, “Give me the antidote you made.”

Zhou Manniang hesitated for a moment, then handed over a small familiar porcelain bottle to Wen Yuesheng.

Wen Yuesheng took the bottle, opened it, and the pungent smell of the medicine mixed with a slight hint of blood filled the air.

It was a smell one would never forget.

She stepped forward and entered the room directly.