"You, you are truly shameless," Qiu Ye cursed loudly again, but was met with the soldiers' heartless laughter.
Seeing the soldiers starting to undress, Luo Yue's mind suddenly stirred. She changed her expression and said, "No, no, I'll talk, I'll talk. I'm willing to hand over the antidote."
Upon hearing her words, the soldiers seemed a bit disappointed, perhaps they had expected some enjoyment.
However, given the urgency of the matter, someone quickly turned to inform Zhou Quan outside.
Soon, Zhou Quan walked in again.
Zhou Quan approached Qiu Ye, smiled slightly, and said, "You've finally come to your senses. Tell me, where is the antidote?"
"It's in my clothes, a small green porcelain bottle. It's inside." A soldier quickly stepped forward and found the mentioned bottle from Qiu Ye's clothes.
The bottle was only about the size of a thumb. Zhou Quan took it, weighed it, and opened the lid. A fresh fragrance wafted out.
"Is this really the antidote?"
Qiu Ye looked at him and said, "Why don't you try it and find out?"
Zhou Quan nodded and gestured to someone beside him. This person immediately stepped forward and opened his palm.
Zhou Quan poured two pills into the soldier's palm. "Go find a dog and try it."
The soldier turned and left. After about half an incense stick's time, he returned. "Captain, we tried it on the dog, and there were no problems!"
A smile appeared on Zhou Quan's face as he looked at Qiu Ye and said, "I keep my word. I will spare your life!" Su Dan Novel Network
With that, Zhou Quan turned and left.
Zhou Quan met Liu Xiangnan and explained the situation. Liu Xiangnan frowned, "One should not trust the words of villains completely. First, let's try it on General Du Bai. If General Du Bai is fine, then give it to the Crown Prince!"
Zhou Quan secretly admired him, thinking that having an elder at home was indeed a treasure. If it were him, he would have given it to both the Crown Prince and Du Bai without hesitation.
Zhou Quan brought the antidote to Du Bai's residence. Du Shun also rushed over upon hearing the news.
"This is the antidote found on that female thief. We've tested it on a dog, and it should be safe."
Hearing Zhou Quan's words, Du Shun nodded. "Then quickly give it to General Du to take."
Zhou Quan poured two pills from the small bottle and carefully fed them into Du Bai's mouth. Then, the two stood by the bedside, watching quietly.
After about a few dozen finger snaps, Du Bai's body suddenly convulsed. His originally ashen face suddenly began to turn black.
"Oh no." Zhou Quan's heart tightened. Although he didn't understand medicine, he could see that the man's face was turning black. How could that be good?
Soon, Du Bai's body convulsed twice more and then became still. He tested his breath; there was no sign of life.
"Ah, you female thief, how dare you deceive me!" Only then did Zhou Quan realize he had been tricked. Without delay, he turned and rushed back to the dungeon of Liu Mansion.
As soon as Zhou Quan entered the dungeon, he immediately pointed his sword at Qiu Ye's neck. "How dare you deceive me."
Seeing this, Qiu Ye burst into laughter. "If I'm not mistaken, they've all died of poison, haven't they?"
"You are quite cautious, but unfortunately as stupid as a pig. You used a dog for the experiment. The dog wasn't poisoned, so the medicine is naturally harmless. But if this medicine is given to a poisoned person, it's like giving them a death warrant."
"Hahaha, I have no regrets. I'll tell you my true identity. I am Qiu Ye, the personal maidservant of Crown Prince Qiao Na of the Great Tu Kingdom. I also hold the position of commander of the Black Wolf Guard of the Great Tu Kingdom."
"Now that your people are dead, my mission is complete."
After speaking, she looked at Qiu Ye, her expression froze, and then she forcefully bit off her own tongue.
Watching the resolute Qiu Ye, Zhou Quan stabbed her with his sword more than a dozen times, hacking her into a bloody mess. But none of this could bring back the life of Du Bai.
At this time, someone also delivered the news of Du Bai's death by poisoning to Liu Xiangnan.
Liu Xiangnan sighed when he heard the news, "Alas, Du Bai, it seems it was his fate. Very well, we'll bury him after the war is over."
With that, he looked up at the sky and said, "It's almost dawn. Go and sleep."
Liu Kai stepped forward and supported Liu Xiangnan. "Marquis, you should rest as well."
Liu Xiangnan waved his hand. "Alas, how can I sleep? The city is in such chaos. Now we can only rely on Ru Mei."
At this moment, Liu Rumei had already gathered the three armies in Shuozhou.
The Lotus Flower Cult Leader and Shen Ziyan had also arrived.
Liu Rumei summoned everyone to discuss countermeasures.
The one left to guard Jizhou was named Zhao Guangzong.
He was also the highest-ranking officer among these three armies.
Zhao Guangzong bowed to Liu Rumei, "Miss, I believe the Marquis's plan is correct. We will claim to have a thirty-thousand-strong army and push forward. The Great Tu Kingdom will surely take action, and perhaps this will relieve the siege of Wannian City."
Upon hearing this, Liu Rumei's brows furrowed. "Although my father's idea is good, think about it. If we claim to have thirty thousand troops, the enemy will surely take us seriously. If they track us closely, it will be easy for them to discover our true strength."
Chen Xiaobei, standing nearby, agreed with Liu Rumei's view. They could claim to have thirty thousand troops, but it depended on when. If they declared it as soon as they entered the Great Tu Kingdom, the enemy would surely mobilize a large army to prepare. These tens of thousands of soldiers would likely be exposed quickly.
"Yes, Rumei is right. I think it's better for us to first capture a few cities to boost our morale. Then, when we are approaching Wannian City, we can spread the rumor of thirty thousand troops. Only then will it have a deterrent effect."
Chen Xiaobei's words made Liu Rumei nod.
Just as she was about to speak, the Lotus Flower Cult Leader next to her spoke.
"Oh, there's no need for so much trouble. Tell me where to attack, and my junior sister Ziyan and I will go and chop off the heads of their generals."
Hearing this, Chen Xiaobei and Liu Rumei exchanged a glance and couldn't help but smile.
This was exactly what Liu Rumei had hoped for, as it would achieve the goal of rapid advancement.
"The Ping Province of the Great Tu Kingdom is facing our Shuozhou. Our first stop will be to capture Ping Province."
The Lotus Flower Cult Leader chuckled, "Alright, this is simple. Tonight, my junior sister Ziyan and I will infiltrate Ping Province and decapitate the defending general. Tomorrow, we will open the city gates to welcome you."
With that, the Lotus Flower Cult Leader beckoned Shen Ziyan, and they left. They returned to their camp, rested briefly, and then began their preparations.
The Lotus Flower Cult Leader only brought her personal maidservant, Jasmine. Shen Ziyan had no choice but to bring her maidservant, Xiao Hua.
As for Chu Han and the others, they were arranged outside the city for support.
As night fell, the Lotus Flower Cult Leader and Shen Ziyan quietly appeared within Ping Province.
Ping Province was a border town of the Great Tu Kingdom, only about twenty miles from Shuozhou of the Great Cang Kingdom.
This was a border city, so there were not many civilians inside, only stationed troops. Finding the commander's residence was very simple; one just needed to look for the most magnificent building.