The battle at the south gate had been the most ferocious.

It was only with the timely arrival of Feng Jiu’er and Nanmen Zhuo that the fighting finally ceased.

Looking out at the wounded men scattered across the ground, Feng Jiu’er’s heart was heavy.

After parting ways with Nanmen Zhuo, Feng Jiu’er and Jian Yi immediately made their way to their own brothers.

Zhao Yusheng and Qi Yizhou — the commanding general dispatched by the Ninth Prince — rode in on horseback, approaching from two different directions.

“Jiu’er, how did it go?” Zhao Yusheng came to a stop before Feng Jiu’er and asked quietly.

“Are you hurt?” Feng Jiu’er moved closer and gently tugged at Zhao Yusheng’s robe, which was splattered with blood.

Zhao Yusheng lowered his gaze to look, then shook his head.

“Not mine — blood from the brothers.”

“What are the casualties?” Feng Jiu’er’s expression turned grave as she turned to take in the scene around her.

“In reply to Miss Jiu’er — our army’s casualties are not overly severe,” said Qi Yizhou, who had just ridden up.

“If this battle continues for another two days, we are certain to achieve a decisive victory.”

“That will not be necessary.” Feng Jiu’er turned back to look at him. “Nanmen Yan is dead, and the eldest young master of the Nanmen family has signed a letter of surrender.”

“The two of you — go immediately and assess the casualty situation. Have the brothers make camp on the spot and attend to the wounded.”

“Yes.” Zhao Yusheng and Qi Yizhou both nodded in acknowledgment and turned to leave.

Looking toward a brother lying collapsed on the ground not far away, Feng Jiu’er dismounted and rushed over at a run.

Jian Yi also dismounted and followed.

“What happened? Where are you hurt?” Feng Jiu’er crouched down before the injured brother and began examining his wounds.

“Miss Jiu’er, I… I’m fine.” The brother, who had taken a blade to the shoulder, looked at Feng Jiu’er and managed a faint upward curve of his lips.

“Good — don’t speak!” After pressing the acupuncture points around the area of the injury, Feng Jiu’er immediately drew out a packet of medicinal powder and applied it to the wound.

“Jian Yi — go find Nanmen Zhuo and have him give word to get all the usable medicines in Yamu City sent to the three city gates.”

“And have every physician in the city come out. Make sure every injured person is attended to.”

Before Jian Yi could respond, there was the sharp sound of tearing — Feng Jiu’er had ripped a strip of cloth from her own robe.

“I also need high-quality silk and clean strips of cloth — quickly, go and have him prepare them.”

Jian Yi had recognized the familiar motion and wanted to stop her, but it was already too late.

He removed his own robe and placed it on the grass beside Feng Jiu’er.

“Use mine — don’t catch a chill.”

Leaving those words behind, he turned, mounted his horse, and rode toward the opposing army’s encampment.

Feng Jiu’er used the strips of cloth to bandage the injured brother’s wound, and only then let out a breath of relief.

“Rest for a few days — once the wound closes up, there should be no lasting problem. You’ve worked hard!”

She gave the brother a nod, then turned and walked elsewhere, Jian Yi’s robe tucked in her arms.

All along the way, Feng Jiu’er kept scanning in every direction; whenever she spotted a brother with particularly severe injuries, she would break into a run toward him like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Cleaning, applying medicine, needles, bandaging — the whole sequence of movements was fast and precise, and she allowed herself not a single wasted second.

Watching their Miss Jiu’er attend to them with such genuine concern and care on her face — even those who were injured felt a warmth spread through them.

Under the orders of Zhao Yusheng and Qi Yizhou, tents gradually rose from the grass one by one.

Injured brothers were carried into the tents one by one by those who had come through unharmed.

Zhao Yusheng looked back at the small figure weaving through the crowd with unmistakable urgency, and walked over toward her.

“Jiu’er.”

When he got close enough to make out the expression on Feng Jiu’er’s face, the words Zhao Yusheng had been about to say caught in his throat.

“Go ahead and speak — what are the casualties?” Feng Jiu’er, occupied as she was, already knew Zhao Yusheng had come.

“In war, casualties are always inevitable. You need to learn to accept that reality.”

Zhao Yusheng had not expected to find himself on the receiving end of Jiu’er’s words of comfort instead.

Even if she looked no different from any ordinary physician, Zhao Yusheng could still see the ache she carried clearly.

“Jiu’er, I’m not…” Zhao Yusheng crouched down beside her and helped her press down on the injured brother’s wound.

“How many?” Feng Jiu’er held silver needles in her hand and began inserting them into the injured brother’s acupuncture points.

After three or four needles had gone in, the injured brother was still drawing deep breaths — but at least he was no longer crying out against his will.

“Miss — Miss Jiu’er, I… feel much better.”

“Save your strength — don’t speak.” Without even lifting her head, Feng Jiu’er spoke as if the previous words had never come from her lips at all.

When Zhao Yusheng raised his gaze, he could still make out the blood smeared on her fair, pale face.

The two of them worked together to finish bandaging the brother’s wound and handed him over to the care of another brother before Feng Jiu’er and Zhao Yusheng both finally stood.

“Jiu’er, the physicians are here.” Jian Yi, who had been gone for quite some time, came hurrying back with several physicians in tow.

“Nanmen Zhuo has also dispatched physicians to the other two camps.”

Feng Jiu’er looked the physicians Jian Yi had brought over up and down with a careful eye, her expression carrying a trace of gravity.

“Heal my people well, and your compensation will certainly be more than fair. But if I learn that any of you have your own ideas — I will not show leniency either.”

“My brothers are my life. You had all best take that into account first.”

“Young lady, we have all come under orders from the Eldest Young Master of the Nanmen family, and of course we would not attempt anything underhanded,” one physician said.

“The Eldest Young Master said — had it not been for young lady’s benevolence and mercy, Yamu City would likely have become a city of the dead.”

“From this day forward, we are also young lady’s people. When it comes to healing our own brothers, how could we possibly be unwilling to give everything we have?”

“I hope that is so.” Feng Jiu’er responded with quiet restraint, drew her gaze back, and swept a look around.

Turning back to face the several physicians, she assigned each of them their tasks one by one.

The physicians nodded in acknowledgment and, medicine boxes on their backs, dispersed in different directions.

“Zhao Yusheng — have a few brothers follow along with them. I’m still not entirely at ease,” Feng Jiu’er said in a low voice.

One could never be too cautious with people. She had just seized someone else’s territory, and before everyone’s lives had improved, who could say with certainty whether these people were truly willing to submit?

Especially since the physicians were going to treat injured brothers — if they meant to act, her brothers might not even grasp what was happening before something went terribly wrong.

“Understood.” Zhao Yusheng gave a nod.

“Jian Yi — take a few brothers and make a round of the perimeter. If anything urgent comes up, make sure to come inform me at once.” Feng Jiu’er’s voice sounded again.

“Noted.” Jian Yi nodded and departed with his brothers.

As long as the girl did not leave their own encampment, he could feel at ease.

The injured among the brothers made up less than one-tenth in total — though there were naturally those who had fallen in battle as well.

Qi Yizhou was at the rear dealing with the bodies of fallen brothers together with the others, and for now he had no wish for Miss Jiu’er to see all of that.

Everyone else had joined in the effort to tend to the wounded, and the whole scene carried an air of pressing urgency.

Under the blazing sun, the slender figure of the young woman moved ceaselessly through the crowd.

Several brothers whose vital signs had been nearly imperceptible were brought back from the brink by her sheer determination and refusal to give up.

Watching Feng Jiu’er’s tireless figure, every last one of the brothers felt a deep and abiding warmth.

A commanding leader who could personally and wholeheartedly treat her brothers with her own hands — perhaps Feng Jiu’er was the very first of her kind.