Zhao Luoning tossed and turned on the soft couch, torn between the pressure on Ji Shisu and Liu Qingyun's situation.
Two guards walked past the window.
Thinking that Zhao Luoning was already asleep, they chatted as they walked.
"I heard Yu Chi was injured on the front line. I wonder how he's doing."
"With Yu Chi and the third young master injured, the master is under a lot of pressure. I heard he's already preparing to lead the army in person. We may have to take the lady away soon. I don't know if the master can win."
If the troops of the Sima Manor really launched a life - and - death counterattack, it would be extremely difficult to hold them off.
The other one asked, "Should we take out the sleeping incense?"
Before his words faded, Jing Su interrupted him.
"Gossiping here. If the lady hears you, be careful the master will skin you alive."
Only then did they shut up and quickly walked away.
Jing Su didn't know that Zhao Luoning had heard their conversation.
Hearing the words "lead the army in person", Zhao Luoning's heart tightened instantly.
The terrifying dream of that night played over and over in her mind.
Moreover, Ji Shisu actually wanted to leave her behind!
Zhao Luoning of course understood Ji Shisu's intention and knew she shouldn't cause trouble at this moment.
But if something really happened to him, how could she live in peace and苟且偷生?
Moreover, even if they really had to leave, he couldn't just send her away without an explanation.
What if... this was the last time they saw each other!
...
"Lady?"
Gui Su carried some snacks and pushed open the door. The room was in full view, and there was no trace of Zhao Luoning at all.
The window beside the table was wide open, and a stool was lying crookedly in front of the window, in sharp contrast to the neatness of the room.
The lady had actually climbed out of the window!
Before Gui Su could recover, there was a shout of "Giddy - up!" Zhao Luoning had mounted the warhorse that Ji Shisu usually kept in the yard for traveling between the villa and the military camp, and was galloping towards the gate.
Gui Su was a step too late to stop her. Everyone could only watch helplessly as Zhao Luoning rode a maroon horse, kicked open the gate of the west wing, and rode away.
"Lady!"
This wasn't Zhao Luoning's first time in the military camp.
She had stayed here for Princess Nobu back then.
The Budda Kingdom refused to take the princess back, and the princess couldn't bear to part with Zhao Luoning, so she asked Zhao Luoning to stay with her.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Luoning's stay brought a lot of surprises to everyone.
She not only donated money and supplies to improve the soldiers' rations but also provided General Lian with many unexpected good strategies.
So everyone respected this general's wife very much.
Zhao Luoning made her way straight to Ji Shisu's tent with ease.
Once in the military camp, one could clearly feel the intensity of the war. Rows of wounded soldiers were being carried into the doctors' tents.
Zhao Luoning kept making way for the injured all the way.
Finally, she reached Ji Shisu's tent.
"Lady!"
Standing one on each side of the tent entrance were Ji Shisu's trusted subordinates.
"Is the general here?"
"The general has gone to inspect the troops."
With the great battle imminent, Zhao Luoning knew that it would be very difficult for her to see Ji Shisu again.
All she could do now was take a distant look.
Thinking this way, Zhao Luoning turned around and rushed towards the reviewing stand.
Not far away, the earth - shaking shouts of the Sima troops came.
"Return our princess! Return our land!"
The earth seemed to tremble with each roar.
The enemy's high morale was really disturbing.
Just then, she suddenly saw a familiar face.
This person seemed to be the servant beside Ji Shijian.
He was in a hurry to find a medical clinic. After Zhao Luoning asked, she learned that Ji Shijian had been withdrawn from the battlefield due to his injury, but just now, he had fainted for no apparent reason.
There were too many wounded soldiers, and the military doctors were too busy to spare. Since Zhao Luoning had learned some medical skills from the doctor in the pharmacy, she turned to check on Ji Shijian's condition first.
"Ji Shijian!"
As soon as she reached the tent, she heard someone anxiously calling Ji Shijian's name.
Listening carefully, she realized it was Liu Qingyun.
The tent looked ordinary on the outside, but once inside, one would find that it was divided into two layers, both heavily guarded.
Ji Shijian was foaming at the mouth and lying unconscious at Liu Qingyun's feet.
Ji Shijian's injury wasn't serious, but seeing so many people seriously injured and lying on the front line, he had come to Liu Qingyun's tent to persuade her to step forward and make the Sima Manor surrender.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he sat down, he fainted.
Liu Qingyun was dressed in plain clothes, with tears in the corners of her eyes. Seeing someone come in, she quickly asked for help.
"He must be poisoned. Please save him quickly."
Zhao Luoning knew a little about medicine. She squatted on the ground, picked up Ji Shijian's hand, and felt his pulse.
His pulse was chaotic, and his face was bluish.
Zhao Luoning couldn't help but exclaim, "What a powerful poison!"
"Is there an antidote?"
Zhao Luoning had no time to waste words. She tried to tear a strip of cloth from her skirt, but the skirt was of such good quality that she couldn't tear it.
It was Liu Qingyun who noticed her intention and quickly found a towel and handed it to Zhao Luoning.
Zhao Luoning used the towel to tie up Ji Shijian's injured calf to prevent the toxin from spreading further, and at the same time ordered,
"My medical skills are still shallow. I only know that he has been poisoned by a very powerful poison. Quickly carry him to the military doctor. Getting the military doctor to force out the toxin is the most important thing."
The people of the Sima Manor were really cruel. They had even poisoned their arrows.
Zhao Luoning knew this kind of poison because she had accidentally eaten it when testing medicine for the pharmacy before and almost lost her life.
Zhao Luoning thought for a while. While ordering people to quickly carry Ji Shijian out, she grabbed the pen and paper on the table and briefly wrote down several medicinal herbs.
These were all antidotes.
With so many people injured now, a large amount of these medicinal herbs would surely be needed to detoxify.
Zhao Luoning gave instructions to Ji Shijian's servant.
"Go and prepare these medicinal herbs quickly. I'll take as much as the pharmacy has. I'll pay for them. Also, send someone to deliver a message to the Zhao family's pharmacy and ask them to prepare these medicinal herbs and send them over."
Just as the soldiers carried Ji Shijian out on a stretcher, the bugle sounded from the front line. Ji Shisu was already preparing to lead the troops out of the city to fight.
Scenes from the dream flooded into Zhao Luoning's mind, and she couldn't help but worry.
The people of the Sima Manor had poisoned their arrows, but obviously, Ji Shisu was still unaware.
If something happened to him... Zhao Luoning didn't even dare to think about it.
Just as the military camp was in a state of chaos, there were sounds of fighting outside the door.
The death - warriors of the Sima Manor had come to rescue Liu Qingyun.
They really knew how to pick the right time.
Fortunately, the people Ji Shisu had arranged were also good at martial arts. The two sides were wrestling with each other.
But with the urgent war situation, there was no way to dispatch other people to deal with them. The two sides were locked in a stalemate.
Liu Qingyun and Zhao Luoning, trapped in the room, were extremely anxious.
"There's no other way! He left me no choice."
"What?"
Before Zhao Luoning could react, Liu Qingyun had stuffed a delicate small dagger into her hand.
"What is this for?"
Before Zhao Luoning could understand, Liu Qingyun drew out the scabbard, lifted Zhao Luoning's hand holding the knife, and let Zhao Luoning put her arms around her from behind, with the blade pointing at her slender, fair neck.
This was...