Border Soldiers: My granaries are full of grain and meat, and I guard this region.

When Qi Feng woke up again, it was already the next morning. Sunlight streamed through the window and into the room.

Looking around, there wasn't a soul in sight.

Qi Feng moved his body, and a soreness surged up from deep within his body, spreading throughout his entire body.

"hiss!"

Feeling the excruciating pain, Qi Feng grimaced and gasped for breath. Looking at his body, he saw that his wounds had been cleaned and bandaged again.

Qi Feng lay back down on the bed, staring at the roof beams above his head for a long time, the scenes of the past few days flashing through his mind.

From the initial defeat of the twelve cavalrymen of the Great Rong by his thirty county soldiers, to the subsequent invasion of a 500-strong cavalry army, with dust billowing everywhere.

He was in the first row when the barricade was smashed. He still remembers the thud of the horse's hoof landing less than two steps in front of him, and the dull thud of the rider being thrown off and hitting the earthen wall.

When the south wall collapsed, Qi Daniu led five men to guard the breach, but when he returned, he was the only one left.

He remembered the final battle on the threshing ground, the hilt of the saber being replaced countless times. He also remembered Qi Shitou's blade being chipped but still hacking away, and Qi Xiaoliu, with a limp, dragging his spear and blocking the entrance to the shed.

And those who fell, he remembered every face.

Qi Feng closed his eyes and then opened them again, as if trying to erase the memories from his mind.

But when his gaze fell on the tattered leather armor at the foot of the bed, he couldn't help but sigh.

There was a tear running from left to right on the shoulder of the leather armor, with the edges rolled up to reveal the whitish lining underneath.

He was swept aside by a cavalryman. He only felt a chill on half of his body. When he turned around, the cavalryman had already fallen to the ground, and Qi Daniu's knife was held against his horse's neck.

If Qi Daniu hadn't saved him, the cut wouldn't have been on his leather armor, but on his ribs.

Just as Qi Feng was lying there lost in thought, the door opened.

When Yu Yourong saw that Qi Feng had his eyes open, she was stunned for a moment, then immediately came to Qi Feng's side:

"You're awake? When did you wake up? Why didn't you wake me?"

Her voice was hoarse, her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were bloodshot.

Qi Feng felt a pang of sympathy upon seeing Yu Yourong's state.

"I just woke up, don't rush me. You haven't had enough rest, have you? Why don't you go and get some sleep too?"

Yu Yourong was unwilling to comply. She reached out and touched Qi Feng's forehead, pressed her palm against it to test the temperature, and then lowered her head to check the bandage on Qi Feng's shoulder, pressing her fingers along the edge to see if there was any bleeding. Her movements were so practiced that it seemed like she had done it many times before.

Only after confirming that Qi Feng was not hot did Yu Yourong withdraw her hand.

"The doctor said you need to stay in bed for at least three days. Your fever was really high last night, and Ling Shuang and I were terrified. We stayed up all night watching over you. You can't move around too much today."

Qi Feng tried to sit up by supporting himself on the edge of the bed, enduring the pain in his body. Although his right arm was stiff, he could still exert some strength.

Looking at the bandages wrapped around his body, Qi Feng shook his head.

"I can't lie here. The families of the soldiers who died in battle are still waiting for me. What would it look like to lie here? They are still waiting for an answer."

Yu Yourong pursed her lips, reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder. She wasn't using much force, but Qi Feng didn't lie down with her help. Instead, he continued to sit there.

Yu Yourong looked at Qi Feng for a long while, her eyes gradually reddening, but she didn't cry. She simply suppressed her emotions and said softly:

"Then drink your medicine before you go."

Qi Feng looked into Yu Yourong's eyes, nodded, reached out and pulled her into his arms, gently stroking her back.

"It's alright, don't you trust your husband? It's just that a lot of people did die this time, and I have to go and give them an explanation. The people of Qijia Village are also waiting for me to return."

When Ye Ling Shuang brought the medicine in, she heard Qi Feng say "I can't lie down." She paused for a moment, and only after the room was quiet did she walk in as if nothing had happened and put the medicine on the bedside table.

The medicine in the bowl was dark and steaming, with a bitter smell wafting through the air.

Ye Ling Shuang stood to the side watching Yu You Rong pick up the medicine bowl and feed Qi Feng. Then, she took out a piece of candy wrapped in oil paper from her sleeve and placed it on the bed. The candy was neatly stacked, clearly prepared in advance.

Without saying a word, she turned and left. Yu Yourong unwrapped the candy and held it to Qi Feng's lips. The sweetness of the candy diluted the bitterness of the medicine.

After finishing his medicine, Qi Feng's legs went weak when he stood up, leaning on the edge of the bed. Yu Yourong supported his arm from the side, and the two stood for a while before Qi Feng took his first step after the dizziness subsided.

When Qi Feng came out of Qi Family Restaurant, the streets were already bustling.

Ye Ling Shuang had hired a carriage to be parked at the gate well in advance. She knew Qi Feng's temperament; once he made a decision, he would not change it. That's why she had gone out early to prepare the carriage.

Qi Feng got into the car, gave Yu Yourong a reassuring look, and then headed towards the county government office.

Upon arriving at the county government office, Qi Feng no longer needed to wait for instructions; he could enter directly and head straight for the back hall.

When Zhao Tongchuan saw Qi Feng, he was reviewing official documents. Upon seeing him approach, he paused for a moment, then put down the documents in his hand, got up, and poured Qi Feng a cup of hot tea.

"Why aren't you resting in bed? What are you doing here?"

Zhao Tongchuan's tone carried a hint of reproach.

However, Qi Feng did not answer directly, but instead asked:

"What happened to the soldiers who died in battle? What were the arrangements made for them by the county?"

Zhao Tongchuan was silent for a moment, then opened a booklet beside him, flipped through a couple of pages, and turned to face Qi Feng.

"The list has been compiled. Of the 700 soldiers from Duma Village, 560 were killed in action, and of the remaining 140, 43 were seriously wounded."

"The imperial court's compensation money, five taels for each dead and three taels for each wounded, has already been allocated to the county treasury, but it will take at least half a month to reach the families through the procedures."

"As for the fifty men under your command, those from Qijia Village are not officially employed, so the county can only provide three taels of silver per person. The twenty county soldiers will only receive four taels of silver in compensation each. And the wounded..."

Zhao Tongchuan didn't continue, but Qi Feng already knew the outcome.

Qi Feng looked at the names on the list, his gaze sweeping from the first to the last. He recognized some of them, and had only met them once. All of them had died in Qi Family Village.

He raised his head and looked directly at Zhao Tongchuan.

"What can five taels of silver buy? A bag of rice costs two coins. Five taels is barely enough to feed a family for two months. Even if those seriously injured people recover, they won't be able to do heavy work. What will they do then?"

Zhao Tongchuan looked at Qi Feng calmly, offering no explanation.

"You're right, but the county treasury only has so much money. With the war on the western front, the price of grain is changing every day. I can hardly even pay the wages of the yamen runners. Especially these past few days, when you led the troops out to block the Rong, the price of grain in the city has skyrocketed. Many people feel that they can no longer stay in Fuxing County."