Six months ago, Her Majesty the Empress could no longer tolerate the Xiongnu's constant harassment of the people along the border. After eight years of peace and recovery, the Empress issued an edict to subdue the Xiongnu.
Just a few days ago, they had heard that today would be the day of the army's triumphant return.
The sound of hooves echoed as the messenger rode ahead to return to the capital.
People had already gathered voluntarily on both sides of the street, clearing the way for the messenger to pass unhindered.
"The army is just ten miles away!"
"The Xiongnu have surrendered and will now acknowledge our country as their overlord!"
The messenger rode on, shouting these words all the way to the imperial palace.
The citizens who had been waiting for their husbands, sons, and daughters to return erupted in cheers and jubilation upon hearing this news.
They're back!
The ones they had been longing for day and night have returned!
The Central Plains are victorious!
Never again will the Xiongnu harass the people at the borders!
"Long live Her Majesty the Empress, may she reign for ten thousand years!"
"Long live Miss Gu!"
"The prosperous era we live in now is surely as Miss Gu wished, if only she could have lived to see it."
The people spontaneously shouted towards the direction of the palace, their words coming from the bottom of their hearts.
The wait was undoubtedly excruciating, but knowing it would bring good news, time passed with joyful conversations among the crowd.
Finally, they heard the rhythmic hoofbeats of the returning army.
First, one face appeared from the east, then a second, a third...
"My husband! That's my husband!"
"Look, that's my daughter walking over there."
"Son..."
"Father..."
The Central Plains citizens' faces were full of excitement, their voices filled with genuine emotion as they called out to their loved ones amidst the commotion.
"Oh, careful there."
A man's voice rang out as a woman nearly stumbled into someone. The man beside her reached out to steady her.
Once the woman regained her footing, they both realized that in the urgency of the moment, the man had grasped the woman's hand.
Some bystanders witnessed this scene.
Strangely, no one rebuked them or called for punishment. Instead, they offered words of comfort: "You must be more careful when walking in the future. It's fortunate this young master was here."
"The young master has quick reflexes. Otherwise, this miss would have taken a nasty fall."
Hearing the citizens' words, a woman in green clothing suddenly turned around. She looked at the scene with a dazed and stunned expression.
She glanced at the steadied woman's hand, then at her own severed hand.
Her memory seemed to transport her back to a day ten years ago.
A pretty young woman in blue sat in a carriage. As she fell from it, a scholar on his way to the capital for the imperial examinations caught her hand.
From that moment on...
One was beaten half to death and lost his chance to take the exam.
The other, for merely having her hand touched by a man, was forced by her family and mother to cut off that hand to prove her purity and chastity.
This scene was so similar to the one from ten years ago!
But the abuse hurled by people then would never happen in such a terrible way now.
She never thought she'd see the day when she could stand openly in the street, watching a man and woman smile, thank each other, and walk away...
"This afternoon is Teacher Xue's special class. Let's go listen together and learn how to do business."
"I want to study medicine. My mother died in childbirth, and in the future, I want all the women here to give birth safely. I'm going to become the most skilled female doctor! Xiaoyu, hurry up!"
Someone called out to the woman, pulling her from her memories of the past.
The bloody scenes before her eyes gradually transformed into something beautiful and warm.
Xiaoyu looked down at her severed hand, tears suddenly falling uncontrollably. She quickly wiped them away and smiled faintly. "Coming!"
She hurried to catch up with her companions.
The sunlight was perfect.
It shone upon her.
Her right hand had been cut off by a long sword, leaving an empty space. That cut had severed the constraints on women and ended an era.
— Miss Gu, can you see? Women have finally risen, and the world has prospered as you wished.
— Freedom, long may it live.
— Freedom, may it live for ten thousand years.
