The young girl had a gloomy look on her face. While those people were laughing heartily, she suddenly flung the pouch in her hand in front of them.
Immediately afterwards, everyone witnessed the pouch somehow bursting open in mid - air, and the powder inside flying everywhere.
They stared blankly, utterly bewildered by Shi Muwǎn's actions.
Some of the officers felt a bit embarrassed and timidly spoke up from the side.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, if you really can't handle this, perhaps you should let us step in. Although we haven't received the same kind of training as those on the border, we have numbers on our side and can hold out for a while."
"Yes, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, it would be wise for you to leave first. We will surely defend these treasures with our lives."
Looking back at their determined expressions, some of them were already over fifty years old. This scene seemed somewhat desolate.
The small county yamen couldn't afford to hire many capable people. These people were only here for a living, but now they were willing to risk their lives for their previous promises. It was truly remarkable.
Before she knew it, the young girl reached up and wiped her face. At some point, her face had been covered with tears.
"Thank you all for your trust. I'm already deeply touched that you can say such things. But I keep my word. I will surely live or die with you today. Actually, what the national advisor said earlier was correct. The pouch did contain something that can deal with insects, but I never said that the stuff inside can only be used against insects."
She winked playfully, leaving everyone around her utterly confused.
Then, before they could react, they were also sprinkled with a bit of powder, which smelled different from the one they had smelled earlier.
Shi Muwǎn specifically explained this.
"To prevent danger when I'm out and unable to defend myself, I asked the divine doctor to make this poison for me. It can not only deal with insects but also humans. The powder you just inhaled is the antidote."
Upon hearing this, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Looking at the changing expressions of those people on the opposite side, they suddenly lost their previous nervousness.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager is truly far - sighted. So we're out of danger today, right?"
Shi Muwǎn glanced over and saw that those people's faces were turning blue. She knew her poison was taking effect, and this was the perfect opportunity.
"To eliminate future troubles, strike while the iron is hot. All of you go together now and send these people on their way."
Although there was a smile on her face, to those people, it was like the Yama calling for their souls.
Those people suddenly felt regretful. They shouldn't have rushed to this in the first place. The young girl seemed so easy to bully at first, and only the national advisor seemed a bit difficult to deal with. But now it turned out that the Empress Dowager was the most troublesome one.
"We, we know we were wrong. Please give us the antidote quickly, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, our ancestor. Please just give us the antidote. We were just after wealth and never intended to kill anyone."
"Humph, if you really never thought of killing, then what about those people who died on the official road?"
Yes, Shi Muwǎn had heard about the deeds of these people before.
Thinking of those innocent commoners and officers who died on the road, for a moment, Shi Muwǎn felt a sense of empathy.
Those people obviously didn't expect Shi Muwǎn to suddenly ask such a question, but they still tried to defend themselves.
"We didn't want to do those things either. Besides, we gave them a quick death and didn't let them die an ugly death. Your Majesty the Empress Dowager should praise us."
Unexpectedly, as they spoke, they even thought they were in the right. Looking at their self - assured expressions, the young girl felt utterly disgusted.
"You all are so disgusting. Go ahead and attack. I never want to see these people again. They're just wasting air while alive and will waste land when dead. Just burn them at last."
After saying that, she was about to leave, but a sudden change occurred in the blink of an eye.
The leader of those people somehow found a sudden burst of strength, broke free from the restraint of the poison, and rushed towards them.
"If I can't live, then none of you will either."
Just as the knife was about to pierce the man's chest, a white figure suddenly rushed out of nowhere. Her silk dress was instantly stained red, and the woman fell into Cui Qizhou's arms.
Shi Muwǎn only heard one sentence.
"Thank goodness, you're okay."
Cui Qizhou's heart ached sharply. Looking at that face, he felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity.
The young girl was the first to react.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and send her to the mansion for treatment. We mustn't let anything happen to her. Otherwise, we'll be indebted to her."
Shi Muwǎn didn't know why, but she always felt that this woman seemed familiar, yet she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
The man responded and used his light - body skill.
...
When Shi Muwǎn had finished dealing with everything and returned to the county yamen, the man and the doctor were already standing at the door.
"Thank goodness the wound didn't hit any vital parts. She just needs to rest and recuperate for a few months, and she'll recover. You mustn't let anything else happen to this young lady. Her body can't take any more hardships."
"Thank you, doctor."
After seeing off the doctor, Shi Muwǎn walked into the room and looked at the woman lying on the bed with her eyes closed.
"Then I'll have to trouble the national advisor to take care of this young lady personally. Anyway, she got injured because of you."
The man never intended to shirk his responsibility.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, please rest assured. I think I should take this young lady back to the National Advisor's Mansion."
The smile on the young girl's lips froze. It was the first time she heard the man speak so seriously about taking a woman back.
For some unknown reason, she seemed to be out of breath.
She suppressed that strange feeling, and the faint smile on her face remained.
"The national advisor can do as he pleases on his own turf. I've already sorted out the matters outside. We'll leave as soon as this young lady gets a bit better."
Just as she finished speaking, a soft groan came from the bed: "What happened to me? Ouch, it hurts so much."
Cui Qizhou was a bit nervous and strode over quickly.
"Don't move around. You're seriously injured. You were lucky to have your life saved. Do you really want to die here?"
"How could I? I just blocked a knife, right?"
"Why haven't you learned to take care of yourself after all these years? If you hadn't come out to save me out of kindness today, I don't know when I would have been able to see you again."
It was the first time the man had spoken with such extreme doting, which made Shi Muwǎn quite uncomfortable.
She was even more curious about who this woman was that could make the man condescend.
"Could it be that you two know each other?"
"I won't hide it from Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. In fact, Meng'er and I were childhood sweethearts. We've known each other for many years. I never thought we'd have the chance to meet again."