When the general said this, there was a tinge of helplessness in his tone.
He knew that such an outcome might already be doomed. He was unwilling to accept it and didn't dare to watch the sight of the soldiers and commoners falling in front of him.
Shi Muyuan sighed. "Who would be willing to accept this? But you all know about that bug the Western Region King used this time. If it's hopeless, we can let the commoners evacuate first, and we'll fall back to the rear."
"No! I'll live and die with this city."
The general, a man, shed tears for the first time, and in front of so many people.
He had truly developed feelings for this land.
Shi Muyuan least wanted to see such a situation. For the first time, she felt a bit powerless.
"Calm down. No one here wants to see such an outcome."
She slumped wearily into a chair, and the sorrow between her eyebrows couldn't be concealed.
Just when everyone was at a loss, Cui Qizhou suddenly spoke up.
"Have we overlooked someone? In this world, only that person can help us."
"Who?"
"Zhao Jin, the head of the Zhao family."
The general didn't believe it. Although it had been verified that the Zhao family had been forced here by Concubine Rui,
he still thought that the Zhao family were no good.
"They're all in the same league. The Zhao family helped them do a lot of bad things before."
"But we have no other choice now, do we?"
Cui Qizhou's gaze swept across their faces. Everyone looked dejected, and finally they slowly accepted this fact.
When they appeared in the prison, they gave the Zhao family a glimmer of hope.
"The Empress Dowager should have investigated clearly, right?"
Shi Muyuan casually replied, "Alright, let's get straight to the point. You just want to go back to the Western Region and take back the Zhao family?"
"Yes, and after that, we'll never get involved in the disputes between the two countries again."
Zhao Jin had already made up his mind. The Western Region King had played a significant role in the Zhao family's downfall. If it weren't for him, how could Concubine Rui have contacted the court officials? And his younger sister wouldn't have suffered so much.
Shi Muyuan observed him carefully. After confirming that the hatred in his eyes was real, she let out a sigh of relief and told him about the gu worm.
At first, Zhao Jin fell into a long silence after hearing this.
"I've never encountered such a gu worm before. It just sounds a bit familiar. It seems to be an ancient forbidden technique in the Western Region."
"What? The Western Region King actually took out the forbidden technique to deal with the Great Liang. Isn't he afraid of being backfired?"
"Humph, the royal family will stop at nothing to get what they want. Besides, the Western Region King isn't the first one to violate the rules. His father once used the forbidden technique for a brothel girl."
It turned out that the Western Region royal family had a previous record. A look of disdain flashed across the young girl's eyes.
"Do you have the confidence?"
"No."
"Humph, you're quite honest."
"The Zhao family never lies."
"Alright, then I'll trust you for now. Let's see how you perform."
Just like that, the Zhao family was released, and the princess consort gradually recovered under the care of the divine doctor.
Zhao Jin had been nervously preparing with the divine doctor, waiting for the arrival of the Western Region King.
As expected, the two sides fought again. But this time was different. When the general led the soldiers out to fight, he was seriously injured. His face was a sickly pale and green, and it was obvious that he had been poisoned by the gu worm.
The Western Region King had used that bug again. At this time, Zhao Jin hadn't developed the antidote yet. They could only watch helplessly as the general writhed and groaned on the bed.
Shi Muyuan couldn't help but get anxious. "Isn't there any other way to relieve his pain? Zhao Jin, isn't your gu poison technique unrivaled in the world? Why is it useless here?"
She was almost starting to doubt if she had misjudged him.
Zhao Jin pursed his lips, looking a bit guilty.
"I've tried everything, but nothing works. We're just short of the last important medicinal herb. The place where this herb is located is extremely dangerous and hard to find. The general may have to end his life in pain."
He closed his eyes resignedly, which stabbed at Shi Muyuan's eyes.
She sneered. "It seems you still haven't whole - heartedly pledged your allegiance to the Great Liang. Rumor has it that there's no gu poison you can't cure in the world, but now you're telling me you can't cure the forbidden technique? Zhao Jin, do you want your younger sister to die in the Great Liang military camp?"
It was the first time she threatened someone, but she was determined, which shocked those around her. Even the general was silent for a moment.
Shi Muyuan had been at the border for so many days and had long regarded the general as her comrade. As a human being, one would never abandon their comrade at a critical moment.
The general's eyes welled up with tears, and the veins on his forehead bulged.
"Forget it, Empress Dowager. If I die like this, please scatter my ashes at the border. I want to see those beasts get their due punishment with my own eyes."
"Shut up! I've never said you should die. How can you give up?"
"I..." The general was deeply touched and didn't say another word.
Shi Muyuan looked calm. "Since we're just short of the last medicinal herb, I'll go get it myself. Where is it?"
Zhao Jin was truly shocked. It was the first time he had seen a master willing to sacrifice herself for her subordinates.
After hesitating for just a moment, he immediately told her the location.
Actually, the herb wasn't far from here, but the thing guarding it was really intimidating.
Countless people had lusted after that herb and tried to obtain it, but most had returned empty - handed. Some had even stayed there forever.
"Empress Dowager, you'd better think it over before you go."
"What's there to think about? The general has done so much for the Great Liang. If I can really save him, it doesn't matter if it costs me my life."
Her tone was firm. She directly asked other generals to lead her in that direction.
Finally, everyone followed. They were simply worried about Shi Muyuan going alone.
Zhao Jin also followed at the end of the team. Without him, these people might misidentify the herb.
The journey wasn't long, but they could clearly feel that the closer they got to the destination, the more treacherous the terrain became. There wasn't even a living creature in sight. The big trees blocked out the sky and the sun, as if completely isolating this place from the outside world.
Shi Muyuan saw the leading general's legs trembling. She couldn't help but say, "If you're scared, you can go back. I won't blame you. It shouldn't be far from here to our destination. You go back first and take good care of the camp."
Her tone was calm. Knowing that the road ahead was dangerous, she didn't even look back.
Such courage filled the general with a sense of awe, and his legs slowly straightened.
"The Empress Dowager, a woman, isn't wavering. How could I retreat?"