Iron Bones, Scrap Beast Tamer

In a parallel world, in the Great Qing Empire, Yang Hao, the second son of the General's residence, killed the Xiongnu but was framed, leading to the defeat of his troops and countless soldiers killed or wounded. The emperor of Great Qing flew into a rage and threw Yang Hao in prison. Fearing he would implicate the General's household, Yang Hao severed ties with General Hu and declared himself expelled from the family. On the day the General's residence was confiscated, his younger brother was only thirteen. He and their mother were exiled to the bitterly cold northern frontier. Yang Hao had no idea whether they were alive or dead. After months in prison, someone poisoned him and broke all four of his limbs. The emperor of Great Qing later took pity on him, stripped him of his status, and condemned him to slavery. He endured endless torment in prison and humiliation at the auction. When no one bid on him, he was left on the street to be sold like a dog or a pig. A kind but poor woman, Madam Zhou (Zhou Mengyue), bought him for five taels of silver and carried him back to her impoverished home. Zhou Mengyue was originally from an official's family, but concealed her identity. After an argument with her father over his marriage, she ran away from home and had been gone for several years. During that time, she had taken in three orphans and raised them as her own children. Why did she spend her entire fortune of five taels of silver to buy Yang Hao? A few years earlier, when Zhou Mengyue had left home, bandits had attacked her, and Yang Hao, the second son of the General's household, had rescued her. She had developed feelings for him. She would save him first, then offer herself to him and make him her husband. Wouldn't that be wonderful?