The hustle and bustle of the capital city seemed like a different world compared to this vast mountain forest. At this moment, the mountain forest was shrouded in a thick layer of gloom, and a disaster was raging like a demon, dragging the lives of the common people into an abyss of endless suffering.
A group of bandits had made the mountains their stronghold. Relying on the precipitous terrain that was easy to defend but hard to attack, they ran amok. They frequently descended the mountains and barged into the surrounding villages, snatching the villagers' grain and property like ravenous wolves. They even abducted young men and women, casting a shadow of fear over the entire region. These bandits stopped at nothing, committing all kinds of atrocities such as arson, murder, and looting, bringing extremely adverse effects to the nearby common people. The defenseless villagers dared not voice their anger. Facing these ruthless bandits, they truly felt powerless despite their willingness to fight back! The originally peaceful and tranquil life was completely shattered, countless families were torn apart, and people lived in constant fear. Even going out became an act that required tremendous courage, and they could only endure each day in fear and despair.
When Li Yi heard about this in the palace, he was consumed by towering rage. He was well aware that the common people were the foundation of the country. As long as the bandit menace remained unresolved, the people would have no peace, and the very foundation of the nation would be severely shaken. Without hesitation, he issued an order to dispatch the army to suppress the bandits, vowing to restore peace to the people.
However, reality dealt Li Yi a heavy blow. The mountain forest where the bandits were entrenched was extremely precipitous. Steep cliffs surrounded it on three sides, and only a narrow and rugged mountain path wound through it. This path was littered with traps carefully set by the bandits - sharp bamboo stakes, hidden nooses. One false step could mean instant death. The forest was so dense that the branches and leaves intertwined, blocking out the sunlight and casting the area in darkness. The soldiers struggled to move forward, feeling as if they were trapped in a natural labyrinth. To make matters worse, there were mysterious areas deep in the mountains filled with toxic gas. Once someone strayed into these areas, they would be poisoned, injured, and suffer excruciating pain.
The first batch of soldiers sent to suppress the bandits, completely unfamiliar with the mountain terrain, fell into trouble shortly after entering the forest. First, they triggered the bandits' traps. Sharp weapons pierced their bodies in an instant, and screams echoed everywhere. The formation of the troops immediately fell into chaos. In their panic, some soldiers stumbled into the toxic gas areas. Their faces turned purple - blue, and they collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony. Meanwhile, the bandits, hiding in the shadows and familiar with the terrain, launched surprise attacks on the soldiers. Caught in a pincer attack, the soldiers suffered heavy casualties and had no choice but to retreat in disarray.
When Li Yi learned of the failed suppression, his brows knitted tightly into a deep frown. He realized that these bandits were no ordinary opponents. Without more effective strategies, it would be extremely difficult to wipe them out. Therefore, he dispatched more troops and specifically selected some guides familiar with the mountain terrain, hoping to break through the impasse. But the second suppression attempt also ended in failure. The bandits, relying on the advantageous terrain and their familiarity with the mountains, skillfully evaded the soldiers' attacks and repeated their old tricks, using traps and toxic gas to inflict heavy losses on the soldiers once again.
In the rear, upon learning that a large number of soldiers and common people had been injured due to the bandit troubles, Lin Yue was filled with anxiety. She immediately gathered the capable
doctors she had painstakingly trained on a daily basis and quickly set up various medical supplies such as medicinal herbs, bandages, and scalpels in the makeshift medical hall. Thus, a race against time to save lives began.
When the first batch of wounded was carried in, Lin Yue's eyes were filled with pity and concern. With a quick scan of the scene, she, drawing on her rich experience, efficiently assigned tasks according to the severity of the injuries. She walked over to a soldier whose leg had been pierced by a sharp trap spike, crouched down slowly, and gently held the soldier's trembling hand. "Don't be afraid. I'm here. It'll be over soon," she comforted softly. At this moment, the soldier's face was as pale as paper, cold sweat pouring down, and blood gushed from the wound, quickly staining the ground around. Lin Yue put on gloves and, as if handling a rare treasure, carefully scooped up warm salt water and meticulously cleaned the dirt and blood around the wound. Every wipe was precise, trying to avoid the wound as much as possible to minimize the soldier's pain. After cleaning, she picked up a sharp scalpel, her eyes fixed on the wound, and steadily removed the torn flesh and debris stuck in the leg. Each movement was as precise and controlled as if she were carving a precious artwork. After treating the wound, she personally wrapped it tightly with clean gauze, patted the soldier on the shoulder with an encouraging smile, and instructed the doctor beside her to prepare herbal medicine for internal consumption to promote wound healing.
Shortly after, another batch of poisoned villagers was brought in. Their faces were purple - blue, their breathing rapid, and they coughed violently. Some had even fallen into a coma. Looking at these suffering villagers, Lin Yue's eyes showed determination and compassion. She knew that detoxification could not wait. Drawing on her profound medical knowledge and rich experience accumulated over years of studying medicine, she quickly determined that it was caused by a mixture of toxic gases. She immediately arranged for some doctors to gather herbal medicines with detoxifying properties from the nearby mountains, while others used silver needles to stimulate the acupoints of the less severely poisoned villagers to slow down the spread of the poison. For those villagers who were unconscious, Lin Yue stayed by their side without leaving for a moment. She fed them her specially made antidote bit by bit, carefully observing their reactions after each dose. While waiting for the herbal medicines to be collected, she constantly shuttled between the beds, adjusting the posture of one villager, wiping the sweat from another's forehead, and whispering words of encouragement. When the herbal medicines were brought back, she personally crushed and decocted them. Despite her exhaustion, she fed the medicine to each poisoned villager. After several hours of unremitting efforts, the symptoms of the poisoned villagers finally began to ease. Their complexions gradually returned to normal, and their breathing stabilized. Only then did Lin Yue relax her tightly - strung nerves and a relieved smile crossed her face.
In the following days, Lin Yue stayed by the side of the wounded day and night, closely monitoring their conditions. She regularly changed the bandages on the soldiers' wounds, carefully examined the healing progress. She treated every wounded person, whether a soldier or an ordinary villager, equally, patiently asking about their feelings and adjusting the treatment methods according to their different recovery situations. For those wounded who had psychological shadows due to their injuries and fears, Lin Yue would sit by their beds, hold their hands, and patiently listen to their pain and worries. She comforted and encouraged them with warm words, helping them regain their confidence. Even when she was extremely exhausted and her voice became hoarse, whenever there were wounded in need, she would rush to the front without hesitation.
But Lin Yue knew clearly that merely treating the wounded was far from enough. The root cause of the bandit problem had to be resolved. So, she began to discuss countermeasures with Li Yi. Li Yi summoned the court ministers, hoping they could offer strategies. However, faced with such a formidable bandit problem, the ministers looked at each other, at a loss for what to do.
Just when everyone was at a loss, Lin Yue had an idea. Perhaps they could gather the extraordinary talents and odd geniuses from the folk and draw on their wisdom and strength to solve the problem. After hearing this, Li Yi thought it was a viable plan and immediately ordered the posting of announcements across the country, calling on those with the ability and means to come and assist in suppressing the bandits. As soon as the announcements were posted, extraordinary talents from all over the country responded enthusiastically.
Among them was an elderly man named Zhang Qi, who was proficient in the art of mechanism - making. Upon hearing about this, he volunteered to offer his advice. Zhang Qi proposed that he could make special mechanisms to break the bandits' traps and help the soldiers open up a safe path in the mountain forest. There was also a hunter named Zhao Yong, who had grown up in the mountains and was extremely familiar with the mountain terrain and all kinds of dangers. He could lead the soldiers to avoid the toxic gas areas and locate the bandits' hideouts.
Lin Yue and Li Yi were overjoyed at the arrival of these extraordinary talents. They carefully listened to each person's suggestions and formulated a brand - new plan to suppress the bandits. After thorough preparations, Li Yi dispatched the army to suppress the bandits once again.
This time, with the mechanisms made by Zhang Qi, the soldiers successfully cracked the bandits' traps and entered the mountain forest safely. Zhao Yong led the soldiers, skillfully avoiding the toxic gas areas, and marched towards the bandits' hiding place. When the bandits discovered that the soldiers had actually broken through their numerous defenses, they were panic - stricken. However, they still put up a desperate resistance, relying on the favorable terrain in the mountains to engage in a fierce battle with the soldiers.
For a time, the shouts of battle shook the sky, and the glint of swords and spears flashed. The soldiers, wielding long spears and big swords, charged forward bravely, each strike filled with the determination to defeat the enemy. The bandits, using trees and huge rocks as cover, constantly hurled stones and hidden weapons at the soldiers. Some soldiers, although hit by hidden weapons, simply bandaged their wounds and then rejoined the battle. During the battle, Lin Yue was also kept busy. She led a group of doctors to follow behind the army, ready to treat the wounded soldiers at any moment. Whenever a soldier was injured, she would rush over immediately to give emergency treatment, ensuring that they could regain their combat effectiveness as soon as possible.
After a fierce battle, the soldiers finally found the bandits' lair. Some bandits, cornered by the soldiers, still fought desperately. With the concerted efforts of everyone, the bandits' resistance was gradually broken. In the end, most of the bandits were wiped out, and the remaining ones surrendered one after another. The mountain bandit trouble that had plagued the common people for so long was finally successfully quelled.
When the common people heard the news, they cheered with joy. They came out of their homes one after another, expressing endless gratitude to Li Yi and Lin Yue. Looking at this scene, Lin Yue felt a flood of emotions. She knew that although the bandit problem had been solved this time, there were still many challenges facing the country. The road ahead remained arduous, but as long as she and Li Yi could stand together, they would surely be able to safeguard the country and ensure that the people could lead peaceful lives.
Li Yi also understood that governing the country was no easy task and that he needed to constantly face various difficulties and challenges. But he firmly believed that as long as he could widely recruit talented people and pool their wisdom, there would be no insurmountable difficulties. The success of this bandit suppression had further strengthened his belief. Through this incident, the tacit understanding between Li Yi and Lin Yue deepened even more. They knew that in the days to come, no matter what difficulties they encountered, they would fight side by side to jointly protect the country and its people. And the quelling of this mountain bandit trouble had become an important milestone in their shared journey of struggle.