The rebel army seemed determined to stake everything on one last gamble. They divided up the last of their grain, handing it to every soldier. After a full meal, they announced to the troops: this was the final ration—there was nothing left now, not a single grain.
If you want to survive, if you don’t want to starve, then follow us to attack Jiangnan City. Once we break into the city, there will be food, drink, gold, and beauties—everything you could want.
This method was simple and brutal, but undeniably effective. The moment they betrayed Eastlyn, they had no other choice. Now, with supplies gone, their only option was to fight with their backs to the river.
“Take Jiangnan City, brothers, and you’ll be promoted and ennobled—you’ll be officials, never worrying about food or clothes again, with servants to wait on you. Your sons and mothers will enjoy a life of ease. If we fail, we’ll all starve together.” The rebel leader, once a vice-general by the prince’s side, was still rousing his men at the city walls, hoping every one of them would show some backbone and take Jiangnan in one push.
“I’ve checked—the city only has ten thousand troops left. Everyone else chased us out and won’t be back for three days. If we take the city in three days, Jiangnan City is ours. Once we’re inside, reinforcements won’t matter.”
“His Highness Prince Jason of Zhou has already ascended the throne. Take Jiangnan and you’ll be heroes, officials, your descendants above all others. If you earn enough merit, you could even be made princes or generals. What are you waiting for—attack the city!”
There’s nothing wrong with chasing wealth and status—some people always want shortcuts, blaming the world for not giving them a chance. Hearing this kind of incitement, plenty of hearts were moved. The rebels’ morale surged, and they shouted in unison: “Attack the city!”
“Charge!”
Like a swarm of locusts, they rushed at the city walls in one wave.
“That general of yours is actually quite talented.” The Prince of Jiangnan was in poor health, so Serena Feng and Prince Colin came up to the battlements together.
Prince Colin rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed. “If he didn’t have some ability, I wouldn’t have trusted him.” Everyone knows he’s a traitor—why is Serena even praising him? Seriously.
Fine, Serena dropped the praise.
“Attackers are always at a disadvantage. Even with only ten thousand troops inside, the rebels won’t take the city quickly. There’s not much for me to do here—I’ll go check on Victor Yun and Caleb Wang. I wonder how the Medical Academy students are doing, patching up wounds on the battlefield for the first time.” Serena admitted she knew nothing about warfare; if Prince Colin hadn’t dragged her up here, she wouldn’t have come to the battlements at all.
Jiangnan is Prince Colin’s turf. Serena could complain about their carelessness for getting her trapped here, but she couldn’t interfere in Jiangnan’s affairs.
“Alright. Just be careful—if anything happens to you, I can’t answer to Ninth Royal Uncle.” He meant it. Prince Colin wasn’t worried about Serena getting hurt by stray arrows on the wall, but once the fighting started, he couldn’t guarantee he’d have the energy to protect her.
Inside the field hospital, though no wounded had arrived yet, people were already rushing back and forth, busy as could be.
Today’s students were the first cohort from the Medical Academy. Though they’d been taught by the Valley Master, Dr. Redwater, and Dr. Marcus Guile, they had no practical experience. Facing real patients for the first time, it was natural to be nervous.
“Quick—boil the water! Every thread and needle must be boiled once. When you’re done, boil two more big pots and clean all the used needles and scalpels. Bandages—check them again, make sure everything’s ready. Medicine... how much longer for the anesthetic powder?”
The coordinator was also a Medical Academy student, personally chosen by Victor Yun and Caleb Wang. He was well-known at the Academy and had strong organizational skills, but as a first-timer, he was still a bit green and missed some details.
“These students are impressive.” Though nervous, not a single one was afraid. All were eager, eyes full of anticipation, and they worked earnestly—even when cutting bandages, careful not to waste a scrap.
"Serena, you’re here." Victor Yun and Caleb Wang both stood up when they saw her.
Caleb walked with a slight limp, but it wasn’t obvious unless he moved. In the past, he would have minded, but now there was so much to do that he didn’t have time for self-pity.
“These students are the best in the Medical Academy. They’ve studied for two years, and the Valley Master says they’re ready for hands-on practice and treating external injuries. Senior doctors from the Academy are stationed behind them, so there won’t be any fatalities.” Caleb was brimming with pride in the Academy’s students.
For the first time, he’d stepped out from under the Wang family and his elder brother’s shadow to accomplish something on his own.
“They really do need more practice. The Valley Master and the others won’t have the time or energy to keep teaching forever. If this cohort gets experience early, maybe in twenty years the Academy can hire them as instructors.” Serena gestured for the two to sit down. The three sat together, watching the students work and discussing the Academy’s future.
The Academy now had over twenty instructors, but the Valley Master and his two colleagues rarely lectured—usually only once every ten days. After two years of broad study in medical theory and pharmacology, students would choose a specialty based on their teachers’ advice and their own interests.
Specialization mattered. Serena had once dreamed of training all-around talent, but human energy was limited. Masters like the Valley Master and Dr. Redwater, who knew everything, were rare. Better to train a second-rate or even first-rate specialist in one field than a third-rate generalist who only knew a little of everything.
The Valley Master and the others agreed. They would try out the system for a while and adjust or supplement it if they found shortcomings.
The Academy was a new institution; they all had to feel their way forward and do their best to find a suitable path.
“Serena, seeing how the Academy is developing, I’ve had some new ideas.” Victor Yun hesitated for a moment, but finally spoke up.
Serena asked curiously, “What ideas?”
“The Academy’s recruited a lot of students lately, but I’ve noticed not everyone is suited for medicine. The world needs more than just doctors—it needs all kinds of trades. I want to start some practical schools that teach ordinary people useful skills. Cooking, woodworking, even how to run a shop.”
As soon as Victor finished, Serena understood. In other words, Victor wanted to found a comprehensive academy—to teach people how to fish, not just give them fish.
Serena wholeheartedly agreed, though with war raging, many things couldn’t be fully implemented—only small-scale pilots for now. Jiangnan was a good choice, but for student selection, Serena hoped to prioritize families of fallen soldiers and children orphaned by war.
These two groups needed society’s help the most.
“If possible, open some courses for women too—skills they can learn to support themselves if they can’t rely on parents or husbands.” As a woman, Serena knew all too well how cruel this world was to women.
If she hadn’t mastered medicine, she would have starved or been sold as a slave. This world gave women far too few choices.
“Good—cooking and sewing are trades any diligent woman can master, and they’ll be able to support themselves.” Victor and Caleb shared this idea, but worried the Academy might not attract female students, since respectable women rarely appeared in public. Yet only noble girls could be cloistered in boudoirs; ordinary girls had no such luxury.
It wasn’t the right time or place for details, so the three couldn’t discuss it further. Their conversation ended when a student arrived to report that preparations were complete and asked the doctors to inspect.
Victor and Caleb were about to go with the Academy’s physicians, but after only two steps, the first wounded arrived...
The siege had begun!