Baoxia came in with a medicine box. Shaoyao took it and opened it while saying, "Your method of using wine to clean wounds is very good. Later, I used it on my companions, and the fever and suppuration were much less, but it was a little painful."
Although she said it hurt a bit, her movements did not slow down at all. Unlike Hua Zhi who used a mixture of wine and water to wipe the wound, she directly poured wine on a clean soft cloth and applied it to the wound.
The child opened his mouth and screamed silently in pain, and his body instinctively tensed up to avoid being hit, but he held on to the edge of the bed tightly and forced his body back into Shaoyao's hands. He could see that this was a doctor.
Shaoyao looked at him with appreciation and moved more efficiently.
After rubbing the child with wine, his whole body turned red, and some parts were even swollen. Shaoyao took out medicine powder from the medicine box and sprinkled it all over his body, then wrapped him up with a soft cloth and told him, "Bear with it whether it hurts or itches."
Ah Jian nodded, his eyes were red and he looked extremely pitiful, but he never shed a tear.
Fudong brought in the porridge. Huazhi took Shaoyao to the study room next door and asked the unhappy person, "Did you find out anything?"
Shaoyao shook her head, leaned over the table and tilted her head to look at Huahua, "Brother Yan has been gone for two months."
Hua Zhi looked at the mist rising above the teacup. In three days, it would be two months. It was much longer than the one month he had mentioned when he left. It was not that she didn't worry about it, but she just couldn't ask.
"Come on, can you get me the most complete map?"
"Yes." The map in the prince's hand is the same as the one in the palace. It is the most complete and perfect one in Daqing Dynasty. "I will go get it now."
Shaoyao was about to stand up when Hua Zhi stopped her, "Don't rush. I promised Mr. Lu that I would not let you leave the house. Today is already a violation of the agreement. We can't make the same mistake again."
Shaoyao suddenly became extremely happy. She had her brother who cared about her and Huahua, a friend who always cared about her. This was already very good. The past, those definitely unhappy times, were not important at all.
She shook Hua Zhi's hand and finally smiled happily, "I'll have someone bring it over."
Wang Rong made the trip for her, and she did not hesitate at all knowing that she had to go to the prince's study to get the map. Before the prince left, he left a message that he would give her anything the eldest daughter of the Hua family wanted.
The map was very large, and when it was spread out it took up the entire room. Hua Zhi cleared the table and spread the one on the south side on the table.
Shaoyao was also watching there, pointing to a high mountain and saying, "My master and I have been here before. There are many good things in there, but ordinary people will die if they go in."
"miasma?"
"Yes." Shaoyao was not surprised at all that Huahua knew about miasma. Huahua knew everything.
"Do you have the corresponding medicine?"
"Of course, this is not a problem for me. Don't worry, Brother Yan will definitely bring it."
Hua Zhi looked at the map and ran her fingers over it. She was not a general and had never commanded troops. What she had learned and knew never involved this field. She was not born into a family of military generals in her life. She did not have the convenience of picking out a servant to deal with three or five ordinary people. She could not organize a team with high enough military strength. She even had to rely on external help for a military master.
What she has is a vision that is many years ahead of her time, as well as a fairly good eye honed from years of experience in the business world.
But based on these and a map alone, she couldn't tell what Yan Kingdom wanted to do.
To the Yan State, the Daqing Dynasty was a behemoth. Even if they were extremely ambitious, they would not think of annexing the Daqing Dynasty before it declined, unless they were sure that the Daqing Dynasty's national strength would decline, and plummet.
But the decline of a country will not be sudden. From a historical perspective, each dynasty needs several generations of people making trouble before it will be destroyed. Although the national strength of the Daqing Dynasty is not as good as it was in its heyday, it is by no means comparable to a small Yan Kingdom.
So, where does the problem lie
The Chaoli Kingdom in the east? The nomadic people in the north? Or the country in China
The thoughts of those mischievous princes flashed through Hua Zhi’s mind. No, it shouldn’t be like that. No matter how much they fight and grab, this country must be here and have the surname Gu!
Where does Yan Country’s confidence come from
Hua Zhi felt that she was overthinking and that these were not things she should consider at all. However, ever since Mr. Lu had overdue returns, she had been feeling uneasy.
Perhaps because she was too afraid of war, she was always worried that the things she least wanted to happen were more likely to happen.
After folding the map layer by layer and placing it gently on the table, Hua Zhi looked up with a clear expression, without any sign of worry in her heart.
No matter what era, beneath the peaceful appearance there are always people who bear the unspeakable suffering and hardships with blood. As long as there are people like Mr. Lu, soldiers guarding the border, and ministers who are dedicated to the country, the sky above her head will not fall.
"Flower?"
Hua Zhi smiled at her, "If this child causes trouble, the Hua family can't keep him. No one can afford to offend the Hua family now."
"Don't worry, I can handle the small troubles, and Brother Yan will handle the big troubles. Besides, I also want to know whose child this is." Shaoyao sneered, "If he was kidnapped, it would be fine, I would just consider it a good deed. If he was tortured like this by his own family..."
That means even God couldn't stand this and wanted to let her know about it and enforce justice on him!
There was a gentle knock on the door, "Miss, someone wants to see Miss Shaoyao."
"You came so quickly." Shaoyao walked out, and Huazhi quickly held her back, "Mr. Lu said you can't go out."
"I won't go. I'll ask Wang Rong to pass the message to me."
Hua Zhi then let the person go and walked to the door, watching Shaoyao being blocked by Wang Rong just as she reached the gate of the courtyard.
Shaoyao looked back at Huahua and lowered her voice, "Go tell the people who are coming that if I don't go, their master can still live until the day when the King of Hell summons him. If I go, I guarantee that he won't see the sun tomorrow. Not a single word can be missed. If they come to invite me again, I'll go."
"Peony..."
Shaoyao smiled, "They are all looking for death, so what if I go to see them off? Go quickly. By the way, if Wu Bi comes, tell me immediately."
Wang Rong had no choice but to go run errands, and Shaoyao ran back to Huahua, "Huahua, I'm hungry."
"Go find Fu Dong. I can't make you anything to eat."
"Yes, sir."
Hua Zhi gradually stopped smiling. It was not that she could not see that Shaoyao avoided talking about the topic, but because she could see it, she did not ask many questions. She did not complain about the pain that could be expressed, and only those pains that were truly heartbreaking could not be touched or talked about. She would rather let them rot and fester in her heart than say a word about them.
She just hoped that Shaoyao would never have to think about this past.
Glancing at the maps on the table and the floor, Hua Zhi couldn't help but think of Mr. Lu, who had no news now. She wondered what had happened to him that had delayed his return. She only hoped that he was safe.
PS: I took a half-day break today, so I’m posting both chapters together.