The medicinal soup brewed by Su Wan was very effective. After the team had been traveling for just over an hour, Su Yuze's fever gradually subsided.
The carriage was surrounded by guards with scimitars, heading towards Youzhou. Su Wan and Meng Ruliu sat facing each other in the carriage, just as they had when they first arrived, but now Su Yuze was lying between them, and Lao Qi sat next to Meng Ruliu.
This was at Su Wan's insistence, because the seventh prince's injuries had stabilized, and being able to ride in the carriage was already a privilege. Su Yuze, on the other hand, was sick and still a child.
Captain Ning was even more eager to do so, as they had always been traveling on horseback with Su Yuze. Now that a carriage had appeared out of nowhere, it was perfect for transporting the wounded, so he readily agreed on the spot.
Su Wan held Su Yuze's small hand and looked at him with concern. Su Yuze's breathing was no longer as rapid as before, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He was probably too exhausted and had been sleeping soundly.
She reached into her bosom for a handkerchief, and Meng Ruliu, sitting opposite her, handed it to her: "Here you go."
Su Wan took the handkerchief and smiled at Meng Ruliu.
“Sister-in-law, you’ve been so good to your brother,” Meng Ruliu said softly. “Why did he stay in the south all by himself?”
In winter, carriages are covered with very thick blankets to keep them warm. As long as the people inside don't speak loudly, those outside can't hear them at all.
Su Wan gently wiped the sweat from Su Yuze's forehead with a handkerchief and said, "My second aunt once used him to threaten me. I felt I couldn't protect him myself, so I asked Ajin to send him to study in the south. Later, everything was fine, and I wanted to bring him back, but..."
Meng Ruliu turned and glared at Lao Qi, saying, "You still have the nerve to listen! Tell me, why did you kidnap a child?"
The seventh prince was listening intently when Meng Ruliu startled him. He said, "This was all the goddess's idea. She ordered His Highness to ambush this young master's convoy."
Su Wan said, "Bai Zhiyi is doing this to use my younger brother to blackmail me."
Thinking of Bai Zhiyi's past misdeeds, she felt that Bai Zhiyi now seemed like a completely different person, acting ruthlessly in everything she did. Not only did she get Chu Yi to kidnap Su Yuze, but even the Emperor and Consort Li suffered. Whether such a woman being with Chu Yi would be a blessing or a curse remained to be seen.
Bai Zhiyi is a fake goddess; how did she manage to deceive Chu Yi? Chu Yi mentioned that the goddess possesses a jade pendant; does Bai Zhiyi also have one?
As she was deep in thought, Meng Ruliu said to the seventh brother, "You are, after all, royal warriors of the Southern Chu Kingdom, yet you lay a hand on a child. Where is your dignity?"
The seventh brother blushed and said, "Actually, we didn't want to do this either."
Meng Ruliu said, "Still dare to argue!"
Su Wan reached out and blocked Meng Ruliu's fist, saying, "Sister-in-law, they are just following orders. Don't get angry yet, and don't let the people outside hear."
Meng Ruliu angrily withdrew her fist: "It's only because my sworn sister is kind-hearted. If it were me, I would have strangled you to death right here at the inn."
The seventh brother couldn't help but touch his throat, his face contorted in pain. "I'm not much better now. By tonight, the poison I ingested will take effect, and I'll still die."
Su Wan said, "Yes, not only will they die, they will die a terrible death."
Actually, she didn't give Lao Qi any poison; she just slipped him a Wuji Baifeng Wan (a traditional Chinese medicine) and tricked him into thinking it was poison. Lao Qi, not understanding pharmacology, was naturally terrified.
Seeing that Lao Qi was pale with fright, Su Wan said to him, "Don't panic. As long as you cooperate with us, I will definitely give you the antidote."
The seventh brother said, "I understand. I'll find a chance to drug you when we get to the campsite."
Su Wan said, "It's a deal. I'll give you the antidote before we leave, once everyone is asleep."
Captain Ning was very cautious and didn't allow anyone other than the Curved Blade Guards to approach the food. She had no chance to poison it. Old Seven, however, could approach the food freely. She gave the drug to Old Seven and told him to do it.
The carriage fell silent, with only the monotonous sounds of wheels and hooves echoing outside.
Su Wan had been on edge the whole way, and feeling a little sleepy, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.
She repeatedly considered her plan in her mind, looking for any areas she might have overlooked.
She shouldn't have been in this role of strategist, but Meng Ruliu and Lin Qingfeng were both too straightforward; to put it bluntly, they only knew how to charge into battle and didn't understand strategy. She had no choice but to reluctantly play the role of a cunning strategist.
From the meeting point to the Southern Chu army camp in Youzhou, it will take at least until noon tomorrow. It's so cold tonight, there's no way to continue the journey; we must camp overnight.
She gave the seventh son a packet of sleeping pills, with effects similar to the one Yang's maid had given her when she first transmigrated. Once ingested, it would quickly induce drowsiness and induce a deep sleep.
The reason for not using poison was that the people eating might have different mealtimes. Post-meal drowsiness wouldn't easily arouse suspicion; if someone died from poisoning first, then it would be disastrous.
The guards with curved swords had no suspicion of the seventh brother and did not search him, so there was no need to worry about them being exposed.
While camping for the night, Lao Qi secretly slipped a sleeping potion into the soup pot. Once the scimitar guards were asleep, they killed the extra horses. Lin Qingfeng rode a horse with Su Yuze, and Meng Ruliu rode a horse with her, escaping to Xiping Pass to meet up with Wei Jingzhuo.
Without horses, even if those people woke up, they wouldn't be able to catch up with them.
After thinking for a long time, her final conclusion was: absolutely foolproof.
Everything was taken into consideration, from the effects of the drug to the control of the drug's location and the escape plan.
When she revealed her plan, Lin Qingfeng and Meng Ruliu both gave her a thumbs up, their faces full of admiration. Meng Ruliu even praised her, saying, "I never expected my sworn sister to be so cunning."
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