A Slap in the Face
Everyone turned their heads and saw a slender girl in a plain dress, her expression cool yet affectionate.
"You... are you a doctor?" the woman asked, overjoyed.
"Put him down." Yu Linlang stepped forward, observed the boy's condition, took his pulse, and lifted his eyelids to check his response.
"Just now, that wicked man threw my son out!" The woman choked on her words. "Doctor, my son will be fine, right?"
"The pupils on the right side are slightly dilated, but it's not particularly serious," Yu Linlang murmured, then turned to the woman. "Go and borrow a wooden mortar."
She also instructed Jiujin to fetch some thick cotton cloth and wrap it around the child's head.
The woman hurriedly brought over a wooden mortar, which Yu Linlang turned upside down and pressed tightly onto the child's head.
The surrounding crowd watched with curiosity.
"Just this, doctor?" the woman asked in a trembling voice.
"Pay attention. If the condition worsens at night, repeat this for the child," Yu Linlang said lightly. She then picked up a small wooden stick and demonstrated how to gently tap the bottom of the mortar while instructing the woman.
Moments later, the child woke up, crying.
The woman burst into tears as well. "My son! My son!" she sobbed. "Doctor, is he really okay? Does he need medicine?"
Yu Linlang unwrapped the cloth from the child's head and carefully felt his skull with her fingertips. "It's nothing serious. He can eat as usual. If you're still worried, I'll leave you a prescription for later use."
She recited, "Two cents of calamus, two cents of Liu Jinu, three cents of Sumu…"
Jiujin quickly picked up a brush, wrote down the prescription, and handed it to the woman. "Uh, do you need to bandage your face first?"
The woman had fallen earlier, and because she was focused on her unconscious child, she hadn't tended to herself. Now, half of her face was covered in blood, making for a terrifying sight.
"Then I must thank you, young lady." The woman looked at Yu Linlang gratefully and bowed.
"She's so young, yet her medical skills are impressive," someone in the crowd murmured.
"But is this really effective? The child already hit his head, and she knocked it again with a stick? How does that work?"
"Are you blind? The child is awake!"
Yu Linlang ignored the chatter and turned to leave after completing her task.
Unexpectedly, a disheveled woman named Hongwei rushed over and threw herself at Yu Linlang's feet.
Yu Linlang frowned. Seeing Hongwei's messy state and indecent appearance, she instinctively took three steps back before regaining her composure.
Hongwei noticed her reaction, and a flash of anger crossed her eyes. Still, she crawled forward and wailed, "Miss! Miss! Please save me! Look at my face—it hurts so much!"
"I only know a little about medicine," Yu Linlang replied coldly. "Your face is beyond saving. Doctors are not gods."
Hongwei gritted her teeth in fury, but she still needed Yu Linlang's help, so she suppressed her anger and crawled closer, reaching for Yu Linlang's skirt.
"Miss, please! You just woke that child up in seconds—you must have a way to save my face!"
Yu Linlang stared at her skirt, tightly grasped in Hongwei's hands. Slowly, she crouched down, locking eyes with her.
"Isn't this fitting?" she asked, her voice cold as ice.
Hongwei shuddered. "W-what do you mean?"
Yu Linlang reached out with two slender fingers, gently lifting Hongwei's chin. Her eyes were chillingly sharp, a mocking smile playing at her lips.
"You were already despicable, but now… even humans hate you, and ghosts wouldn't accept you."
As she spoke the last word, she pushed Hongwei's bloodstained face aside. Then, she carefully pried her skirt free from Hongwei's grasp, bit by bit.
Ignoring Hongwei's cries and screams, Yu Linlang turned and walked straight to the young general.
She bowed slightly in greeting, and the general was momentarily stunned before quickly returning the gesture.
"My household failed in discipline, allowing a maid to cause chaos on the streets," she stated calmly. "She stirred up trouble, provoking a food scramble. This matter has nothing to do with others. I entrust her to you for proper handling."
"The young lady is kind and wise, understanding righteousness. We appreciate your assistance."
Yu Linlang nodded slightly and headed for the carriage.
Soldiers stepped forward to seize Hongwei. Panicked, she shrieked, "What are you doing? Let me go! Yu Linlang, I am the maid of the Governor's wife of Weizhou! What right do you have to arrest me?"
Yu Linlang suddenly turned around, a glint of cold amusement flashing in her eyes.
"You? Filthy as you are, you still want to return home with me?" She scoffed. "You might not care about losing face, but the Governor's household certainly does."
"A mere servant dares to challenge the laws of the nation? If your mistress were here, she would have already had you executed for your shameless arrogance and disgraceful behavior."
Hongwei collapsed in fear, her body trembling uncontrollably. If not for a soldier supporting her, she would have fallen completely limp.
Nearby, Madam Hu's face turned deathly pale. She stood frozen, unable to process what had just happened.
Her two personal maids rushed to support her. Just as they called out, "Madam—"
Slap!
Yu Linlang turned and struck Madam Hu across the face. The force sent her head reeling to the side.
"You still want to plead for her?" Yu Linlang snapped coldly. "Look at the kind of servant the Governor's wife raised! Disgraceful!"
Anger burned in her chest as she stormed into the carriage, dropping the curtain with a cold finality.
"Move," she ordered icily.
She had no intention of pleading for Hongwei.
Madam Hu, humiliated and enraged, clutched her throbbing cheek, wishing she could faint on the spot.
She had spent more than a decade in the Governor's household, and never before had she suffered such disgrace.
How dare the legitimate daughter strike her? This was a direct slap in the face of the Governor himself!
Meanwhile, several refugees who had taken advantage of the chaos to steal and loot were apprehended by the soldiers. Soon, the carriage rolled forward through the dispersing crowd.
Inside, Jiujin poured a cup of tea for her mistress and placed a soft pillow behind her back.
Yu Linlang wrapped her fingers around the warm cup, sneering inwardly.
She had planned to deal with that arrogant girl once they returned home, but unexpectedly, Hongwei had dug her own grave.
Look at this—such a fine servant raised by the noble Governor's wife.
A maid who had repeatedly made things difficult for her.
Yu Linlang lifted a corner of the curtain just in time to see someone stepping out of the carriage opposite.
His hair was as white as frost and snow, his eyes like mist over a clear lake. Even in the dust-covered winter landscape, his presence felt like a scene from a painting—flawless, untouchable.
As the two carriages passed, Yu Linlang quietly lowered the curtain and sat up straight.
The young man, riding his horse, glanced at her as they crossed paths.
"Your Highness, why have you stepped out of the carriage? It's cold and damp outside!" a voice chided. "You there! Where is the prince's cloak?"
Jiujin added more hot water to Yu Linlang's cup, lifted a small section of the curtain, and murmured, "Miss, it looks like it's starting to snow again".