The crowd looked up at the sound and saw Han Jingyu returning with soldiers.
Unlike when they had left, Han Jingyu and the other soldiers now had plague victims bound and struggling like wild beasts on their horses, their limbs tied and faces contorted in terrifying grimaces!
In an instant, the townspeople on the street retreated several steps, as if facing a great enemy.
Mu Shizhen, though frightened, gathered his courage and said, "What, did I hit a nerve? Is Yu Lin so enraged that he intends to let the plague victims continue to harm the people of Luoyi?"
The panicked townspeople, hearing this, immediately descended into chaos.
In the blink of an eye, the people who had been standing on both sides of the street scrambled to escape.
Mu Shizhen smirked triumphantly, but before he could even laugh, he saw Ji Zizhao, holding a freshly brewed medicinal soup, approach Han Jingyu's horse.
With slender fingers, she removed the gag from the plague victim's mouth and poured the entire bowl of medicine into it.
Every movement was swift and steady, instilling a sense of calm just by watching.
As the soup slowly flowed into their internal organs, the struggling plague victims gradually became still. After an unknown period, the plague victim opened their eyes again, but this time, their once murky gaze was crystal clear.
Ji Zizhao silently continued to fetch more medicinal soup and administer it to the other plague victims.
She didn't utter a single word throughout the entire process, simply moving back and forth in the middle of the street.
At some point, the people who had been fleeing everywhere stopped in their tracks, staring at the scene on the street, unable to snap out of their daze.
"It... it really worked!" Amidst the silence, someone finally spoke, and the other townspeople erupted into cheers.
They were saved! Luoyi was truly saved!
This time, they didn't even wait for Uncle Zhang Shu to start promoting the medicine. The townspeople, who had previously avoided the soup as if it were venom, rushed towards Zhang Shu Zhong, each grabbing medicine from the wooden chests.
All rumors and instigations were, at this moment, self-defeating.
Ji Zizhao had not wasted even a single drop of the medicine.
The Turkic soldiers, seeing this situation, had no choice but to ask Mu Shizhen again, "Young General, this..."
Mu Shizhen glared fiercely in Ji Zizhao's direction, his gaze as venomous as poison.
He had barely spoken when Han Jingyu arrived with the plague victims. Could it really be such a coincidence?
Or had Ji Zizhao already predicted his every move!
Ji Zizhao glanced over, a smile on her face as she looked at Mu Shizhen, "Please trouble the young Turkic general to send my thanks to the Turkic general upon his return."
Mu Shizhen felt a surge of anger block his throat. After a long moment, he signaled the Turkic soldiers behind him, "Let's go!"
As the Turkic soldiers departed, the medicinal soup in the wooden chests was also snatched away by the townspeople.
Zhang Shu Zhong felt both relief and a pang of melancholy, "Luoyi has hundreds of thousands of people. Even after the war, there should be at least tens of thousands left. Now, even with the fastest production, I fear we won't be able to meet the demand."
Ji Zizhao smiled and said, "Qingzhu, go and call everyone over."
As Qingzhu took her orders and left, Mu Shizhen returned to the inn, crestfallen.
General Mu Man, who was waiting on the third floor, saw his son's darkened face and his heart tightened. "What happened?"
Mu Shizhen, grinding his teeth throughout, recounted the entire incident.
After hearing it, General Mu Man felt his throat constrict, rendering him temporarily speechless.
He had thought he was sending his son to fan the flames, but it turned out he was merely paving the way for that girl.
The people of Luoyi were now in a state of panic due to the plague. If a cure were suddenly presented, no one would believe it, and even if a prince were to test it himself, the people would likely remain suspicious.
However, if someone were to counter their moves step by step, allowing the people to gradually regain trust in the Yu Lin army, everything would be different.
Now, not only had the Turkic soldiers lost the trust of the Luoyi people, but the Yu Lin soldiers had also re-established their faith in the hearts of the Luoyi people!
After a long while, General Mu Man finally managed to let out a hoarse sound, "Are you sure that medicine really works?"
Mu Shizhen nodded unwillingly, "My son saw with his own eyes that all the plague victims recovered completely. When I was leaving, that Princess Rong He arrogantly told me to send her regards to Abu."
Amidst his rage, General Mu Man smashed the red sandalwood round table in front of him.
He had believed he had the upper hand, only to find himself completely manipulated.
He suspected that Ji Zizhao had deliberately leaked the information that the Yu Lin had developed an antidote while his soldiers were in the inn.
After all, only by tearing off the Turks' hypocritical disguise would it be easier for the Luoyi people to regain confidence in Yu Lin.
Well done, Ji family!
Well done, eldest daughter of the Ji family!!
Mu Shizhen anxiously helped his father, "Abu, what do we do now?"
Taking a deep breath, General Mu Man managed to revive himself, "Even if Yu Lin has truly developed an antidote, so what? The doctors in the city have already been killed by our Turkic blades. When the last wave of the surprise attack comes, and the city is once again plagued, the hearts of the people in Luoyi will surely waver again!"
"General, General!"
A soldier suddenly rushed in, "The patrolling soldiers just discovered that dozens of men have suddenly appeared on the northwest street. They claim to be doctors from the imperial city and are now working with the Yu Lin military doctors to brew medicinal soup!"
Doctors from the imperial city...
General Mu Man could no longer bear it and stumbled back. If Mu Shizhen hadn't supported him, he would have collapsed on the ground.
In a flash, he looked towards the northwest street where smoke was rising. General Mu Man felt his breathing become difficult, "I thought that girl was just taking things one step at a time. I never imagined she would plan a hundred steps ahead. However, she has underestimated me. Does she really think I'm at my wit's end now?"
General Mu Man seemed to have made up his mind. He roughly pushed Mu Shizhen's hand away and strode out the door.
Mu Shizhen knew that Abu was going to negotiate with that person again and waited patiently in the room.
An hour later, General Mu Man returned, his face even more grim.
Mu Shizhen quickly approached him, asking, "Did Abu and that person discuss a countermeasure?"
General Mu Man looked at his son, whom he had doted on since childhood. "That person also does not wish for Luoyi to be at peace. So, the only way now is to send over the last batch of plague victims before the city can stockpile the antidote. However, before that, we must find a way to delay the production of the medicine."
Mu Shizhen still didn't quite understand. "What exactly does Abu want to say?"
General Mu Man placed a hand on his son's shoulder, hardening his heart. "If we want to delay the production of medicine, there is only one method left..."