Chapter 2 – Rebirth

“Get up! Stop pretending to be dead! We need to reach Hancheng by this afternoon! Damn it, I must’ve used up all my luck to be assigned to escort you to this godforsaken frozen wasteland!”

A soldier hunched his shoulders against the cold, rubbing his hands together while cursing under his breath. He raised a foot and kicked Tang Chaoyang, who had just fainted into the snow.

Just as he was about to kick her again, little Fei An’an threw his small body over his mother’s, shielding her from the blow.

The soldier didn’t hold back—he kicked hard, sending Fei An’an flying.

Clearly, he had used full force.

Fei An’an tumbled to the side, then staggered to his feet and crawled back over, once again covering his mother with his body to protect her.

Even though the little boy was clearly in pain, he stubbornly clung to Tang Chaoyang.

“Enough, stop kicking. Go check if she’s still alive. If she’s dead, it’s trouble for us. After all, she’s Prime Minister Fei’s wife.”

Another soldier, who had just relieved himself not far away, spoke impatiently as he refastened his waistband.

“Fei’s already married the Imperial Tutor’s daughter. He probably doesn’t want her anymore. What wife? She’s a criminal now.”

The soldier who had kicked them roughly yanked the child aside and squatted down to check Tang Chaoyang’s breathing.

When he caught sight of her stunning face, a lecherous idea crept into his mind—she was unconscious, after all.

If it weren’t for fear of Fei Yan, given her delicate skin and gorgeous features, the soldiers definitely would have “sampled” her on the road.

“Don’t touch my mother!” Fei An’an’s frail little voice barked like a puppy. He crawled over on his hands and knees, dragging his weak limbs forward.

The sound of her son’s voice stirred the unconscious Tang Chaoyang.

Her eyelids fluttered open, and she vaguely saw snowflakes drifting from the sky.

She blinked.

When she fully regained consciousness, she was met with a familiar face.

She furrowed her brows, thinking it was a dream.

Hadn’t she already died?

Do people dream after death?

“She’s awake. Hurry up and get moving!”

Frustrated that he couldn’t take advantage of her, the soldier kicked Fei An’an, who had crawled back over again.

“No!” Tang Chaoyang, just barely able to sit up, looked up just in time to see her son get kicked away.

She crawled over and wrapped her arms tightly around him, her eyes filled with venomous fury as she glared at the soldier.

Startled by her expression, the soldier flinched—
But quickly regained his composure and barked, “Stupid woman! You—!”

“Enough! Let’s go already! It’s freezing out here! If we don’t make it to Hancheng before dark, we’ll be stuck out in the wild. And if wolves show up, we’re screwed!”

The other soldier urged impatiently.

But Tang Chaoyang was too focused on her son’s pulse—
It was still there. He was alive.

She burst into laughter and tears all at once, overwhelmed.

In her previous life, her son had died in her arms in a ruined temple.

She had clung to life for twenty more years, consumed by her desire for revenge against Fei Yan.

But just as she was about to succeed, Fei Yan’s guard ran her through with a sword.

Her plan had been perfect. So why had that guard suddenly appeared? She’d died full of regret.

She never imagined—
that after death, she would live again.

Had Heaven finally opened its eyes?

Her son… was still alive.

Tang Chaoyang got to her feet, hoisted Fei An’an onto her back, and forced herself to start walking toward Hancheng.

Fei An’an was running a low-grade fever.

The two soldiers, seeing her move, followed as well.

“Mother, I can walk by myself,” Fei An’an mumbled.

His little legs couldn’t move fast, and he was already sick and weak.

Tang Chaoyang gritted her teeth and kept her head down as she carried him.

“Be good, An’an. Let me carry you.”

By now, Tang Chaoyang could only walk by sheer willpower—her legs were completely numb from the cold.

All she wanted was to get to Hancheng—faster.

Trudging through the snow, she fell several times, but always instinctively protected her son on her back.

By late afternoon, around the hour of Shen (3–5 PM), they finally reached Hancheng.

The two soldiers brought Tang Chaoyang and her son to the county yamen to register their charges. From then on, it was the local officials’ responsibility.

The orders from above were simple: deliver Tang Chaoyang to Hancheng, assign her daily labor, and leave everything else to her.

Food? Shelter? Not their concern. She was to fend for herself.

Clearly, this wasn’t about punishment under the law—it was about making her suffer.

Tang Chaoyang knew from her previous life’s experience—

This arrangement was the Empress Dowager’s way of venting her anger on behalf of Dong Xinrui.

After all, how dare she, Tang Chaoyang, steal Dong Xinrui’s man?

Carrying Fei An’an on her back, Tang Chaoyang left the yamen and followed the path to the medical hall, which she remembered clearly from twenty years ago.

She would never forget that path—it was carved into her heart.

“So pathetic, huh, An’an? Is Mother useless?”
Tang Chaoyang licked her cracked lips and let out a hoarse, bitter laugh.

Her laughter was soft, very soft.

“An’an, Mother’s taking you to the doctor. We’re going to live. I’ll buy you so, so much delicious food.”

Fei An’an had already passed out from his fever. He couldn’t respond.

Hancheng lacked medicinal supplies. This meant that medicine was extremely expensive.

And there was only one medical hall in the entire city.

It took her nearly half an hour to reach it.

She cradled An’an in her arms as she walked inside, and knelt before the physician.

In her past life, she had also knelt here—but still hadn’t been able to get the medicine to save her son.

This time, she knelt not to ask for medicine,
but to borrow something.

A young apprentice saw their tattered clothes and spoke up immediately, trying to drive them away.
“Miss, please leave. If you don’t have money, don’t bother trying to buy medicine or see the doctor.”

“This is life. Just go. Don’t kneel here.”

“We see this all the time. Go on.”

He glanced at the child in her arms and shook his head.
From the half-visible face, he could tell the child was in a bad state.

Tang Chaoyang looked straight at the doctor.
“Doctor, I’m here to borrow something.”

Doctor Li was surprised—this was the first time anyone had come to a medical hall to borrow something.
“What do you want to borrow, miss?”

“I beg you… please lend me a set of acupuncture needles.”

“Acupuncture needles? What for? Do you even know how to use them?” Doctor Li frowned, scrutinizing the woman kneeling on the floor.

Doctors didn’t usually lend out their needles.

“I know how to perform acupuncture on my child.”

After her son’s death in her past life, Tang Chaoyang had spent twenty years immersed in the study of medicine.

Her acupuncture skills were refined and advanced.
Still, she understood—without medication, even excellent acupuncture could only do so much.

“Mother…”
Fei An’an, cradled in her arms, let out a feeble murmur,
“Don’t cry…”

The sound of his young voice made Tang Chaoyang lower her eyes and reply softly,
“Okay, I won’t cry.”

Doctor Li witnessed the exchange. Though he had a hard heart, he wasn’t made of stone.

He had a daughter himself, and couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity.

He sighed.
“I’ll check your son’s pulse first. But that’s all. Without money, we won’t treat him.”

In Hancheng, life was cheap.

This medical hall had survived over a decade—because they never played the Good Samaritan.

Tang Chaoyang gratefully kowtowed in thanks.

Her legs had long since gone numb, and she couldn’t stand.

So she knelt there, clutching her son, and shuffled forward on her knees.

Even though she had to crawl, her eyes shone with hope—
Hope for the future.

Doctor Li sighed again as he watched her inch closer,
placing a hand on the boy’s wrist as he examined his complexion.