After being forced to leave the marriage, I became the wife of a top scholar.

Chapter 163: In the end, it was all heartbreaking.
In the prison of Huai'an County, Bai Qinglian and her daughter, who had been waiting all night, were now experiencing the peak of their fear.

"Mother, why hasn't Father sent anyone to rescue us yet? Is Father abandoning us?" Bai Qinglian barely slept a wink all night because of the rats in the cell.

Chen was also very tired, but she still comforted Bai Qinglian, "No, your father will always find a way to save us."

Bai Qinglian felt that Chen was comforting her. She hadn't figured it out yesterday, but a whole night had passed. How could she not figure it out now?
The Hai family's official rank is higher than the Lin family's. Even if the Lin family wanted to save him, they could only agree to let Hai Shengyang enter the Lin family.

Would Lin Yunche agree? Would Bai Wanqing agree?

If Bai Wanqing cannot persuade the Lin family, then the Huang and Bai families will have no way to get the two of them out of the country.

Last night's events clearly showed that even though Father knew they had been arrested and imprisoned, he couldn't bring himself to see them. What does this mean? It means that Bai Wanqing didn't agree, and neither did the Lin family!

She and her mother are doomed; they'll be locked up in this prison for the rest of their lives.

Just as Bai Qinglian was pondering this, a commotion suddenly came from the prison door.

A fierce-looking constable opened their cell doors.

Chen and Bai Qinglian exchanged a glance; they were about to be interrogated.

Chen pulled Bai Qinglian to her feet, but then heard the jailer and a constable say, "These two won't survive after they get out. Prepare some food for them so they can die well before they go."

Chen and Bai Qinglian were both shocked. How could they be sentenced to death for beating an official's wife before even being interrogated?

The constable at the gate, seeing the two men standing still, growled, "What are you all standing there for? Get out here right now!"

Get out! Getting out means death!
Chen's legs went weak, and Bai Qinglian collapsed to the ground, unable to even stand up.

Just as the constables were about to enter to help her up, Bai Qinglian crawled back a few steps, saying, "Sir, please don't arrest me! I wasn't the one who hit Miss Hai, it was my mother! If you don't believe me, ask my mother."

"If you're going to kill me, don't kill me. I'm innocent. It was my mother who beat me."

"Please speak to Lord Meng, please speak to Miss Hai!"

Bai Qinglian screamed almost hysterically, waving her hands as if afraid of being arrested by the constables in front of her.

Mrs. Chen stared blankly at her daughter, who was yelling on the ground, speechless for a moment.

Is her daughter now trying to shift all the blame onto her just so she can live?
"Lian'er! How could you say such a thing?" Madam Chen had originally intended to take the blame herself, fearing that her daughter would be punished by the Huang family.

Unexpectedly, when faced with a life-or-death situation, her daughter pushed her out, completely disregarding her life or death.

Bai Qinglian looked at Chen Shi with teary eyes, "Mother, isn't it better for one of us to die than for both of us to die together?"

"Mother, you love Lian'er, don't you!"

"As long as Mother admits to this crime, Lian'er will be fine!"

"Mother," Bai Qinglian pleaded, clutching Chen's trouser leg.

After staring blankly at her daughter who was pleading with her for a long time, Mrs. Chen suddenly burst out laughing.

"Good! Good! Good!" Chen said with a smile, tears streaming down her face.

Bai Qinglian was startled by Chen's reaction. She had never seen her mother show such an expression before. Wasn't her mother always obliging to her every request?

"Mother, have you agreed?" Bai Qinglian asked to confirm.

She needed to make sure that Chen would take all the blame in front of the court later.

"I agree!" Chen's smile vanished, and she said resolutely, "But you won't have a mother anymore."

Bai Qinglian was taken aback, but she couldn't care less about that at the moment.

If Chen was indeed sentenced to death, she would indeed have no mother.

"Mother, rest assured, I will not forget everything you have done today. I will burn paper money for you on time and will not let you suffer in the underworld."

Bai Qinglian's words completely chilled Chen's heart.

The fierce constable looked on, bewildered, as the mother and daughter put on their act in front of him.

"What are you two doing? Get up and come out with me right now!" The bailiff had lost his patience.

This time, Chen ignored Bai Qinglian and walked straight out of the prison.

The bailiff yelled at Bai Qinglian, who was still inside the cell, "And you, get out here right now!"

"Why are you dawdling like this even though we've let you out one by one?"

Bai Qinglian had originally intended to hide in a corner, but when she heard the constable say they were being released, she was taken aback at first, then immediately stood up and ran over to ask, "Sir, what did you just say?"

"Weren't we supposed to be dragged out and beheaded?"

The fierce-looking constable glared at her angrily, "Who said you were going to be beheaded?"

"The two murderers next to you are the ones to be beheaded. You two are innocent now, so get out of here."

Bai Qinglian was overjoyed upon hearing this. She grabbed Chen's arm and said, "Mother, we're alright now. Let's go out quickly."

Instead of responding as usual, Chen slowly pulled her arm out of Bai Qinglian's hand and walked out without saying a word.

Bai Qinglian was still immersed in excitement and did not notice anything amiss. She followed the yamen runner out.

Outside the prison, Bai Chenming, Cui Shi, and Bai Wanqing had been waiting for a while.

Bai Chenming paced anxiously, "Why haven't they come out yet?"

Bai Wanqing stood beside Bai Chenming and comforted him, "It should be soon, Father, don't worry."

Cui also said, "Yes! Since Lord Meng has already spoken, he certainly won't make any mistakes. Let's wait here." Just as Cui finished speaking, Chen and Bai Qinglian stepped out.

When Chen saw Bai Chenming, her eyes were still a little red, but when she saw Bai Wanqing and Cui Shi were also there, she held back and did not cry on the spot.

Bai Chenming looked Chen Shi and Bai Qinglian up and down, and only felt relieved when he saw that neither of them was injured.

"This time, we have Wanqing and Madam Lin to thank, otherwise you would have been in real trouble."

Bai Qinglian stiffened her neck and snorted softly. It was clearly because of them that she was arrested, so why should she thank them now?
Instead of making sarcastic remarks, Ms. Chen sincerely thanked the two of them.

"Mrs. Lin, Wanqing, thank you so much this time. We were too rash back then."

"I've caused you two trouble."

Bai Chenming was surprised that Chen would say such a thing, and couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

Both Cui and Bai Wanqing smiled slightly, indicating that they accepted the gratitude.

The person has now been brought out, and Cui is planning to return to Linjia Village.

Cui asked Bai Wanqing for a horse and rode away on her own.

Bai Chenming and Chen tried to persuade Bai Wanqing to go home and rest. Bai Qinglian also wanted to go with them, but Chen scolded her.

"Qinglian, it's time for you to go back to the Huang family!"

"They don't know you've already been released yet, and they're probably still worried."

Bai Qinglian pouted, "Mother, why would the Huang family care whether I go back or not!"

Bai Chenming's heart softened, and he planned to let Bai Qinglian go home with him, but unexpectedly, Madam Chen directly rejected Bai Qinglian's idea.

"How could the Huang family not care? Don't say such things again!"

"Let's go back now!"

Bai Qinglian finally realized that something was wrong with Chen Shi.

"Mother, are you angry with your daughter? I was just acting out of necessity."

"Mother, you've misunderstood your daughter."

But at this point, Madam Chen was too lazy to listen to what Bai Qinglian had to say anymore, and instead pulled Bai Wanqing straight into the carriage.

Bai Chenming was a little stunned, but seeing that Chen Shi and Bai Wanqing had already left, he didn't bother to ask any more questions. He gave Bai Qinglian a few instructions and then followed them.

Bai Qinglian stomped her foot angrily, never expecting her mother to be so heartless as to leave her alone on the road.

Bai Qinglian had nowhere to go. She was hungry, cold, and very sleepy, so she could only go back to the Huang family first.

But no one from the Huang family came to pick her up, so she walked home step by step.

Upon returning to the Huang family, Bai Qinglian was dragged to the flower hall for trial by Madam Huang before she could even have a hot meal.

Bai Qinglian was furious. "Even the county magistrate didn't say he would interrogate me, so why are you interrogating me?"

“When I was in prison, you didn’t come out to help me. Now that I’m out, you’re making things difficult for me.”

"Your Huang family truly has a superior family tradition."

Because of her hunger, Bai Qinglian didn't care about anything else and said all sorts of hurtful things.

This time, however, Madam Huang and Master Huang were no longer ambiguous.

They had just left the Bai family, and Master Huang already had a good idea of ​​the Bai family's attitude, especially since Madam Chen had said those things.
It seems the Bai family is truly going to abandon this white lotus.

"Alright, alright! I'm not going to interrogate you anymore." Master Huang had a headache from Bai Qinglian's nagging. He rubbed his eyes and said, "You're not allowed to leave Qinglan Pavilion anymore."

Bai Qinglian was taken aback. What did that mean? What did it mean to no longer leave Qinglan Pavilion?
"Sir, are you trying to put me under house arrest?"

"What terrible mistake did I make that you want to put me under house arrest?"

"Aren't you afraid of offending both the Bai and Lin families?"

Master Huang was no longer afraid. "Yes! I'm going to put you under house arrest. Today you can call yourself Madam Huang on the street, and tomorrow you can beat Miss Hai at the Lin family's house."

"Who knows what you might do in the future!"

"Putting you in your home is already being lenient with you."

Bai Qinglian got up, wanting to return to the Bai family. She wanted her mother to stand up for her. So what if it was the Huang family? With the top scholar as their backer, how could they let the Huang family bully her like this?

But after taking only two steps, a sentence Chen had said in the prison cell suddenly flashed through her mind.

"But you won't have a mother anymore from now on."

Is that so? Is that why even her mother doesn't want her anymore?

Bai Qinglian felt no regret whatsoever. It was her mother who was too petty! She was not wrong; it was her mother's fault!

Seeing Bai Qinglian standing there dumbfounded, Master Huang was furious.

"Someone come quickly! Help Bai Xiaoniang back to Qinglan Pavilion!"

"From now on, without my order, Bai Xiaoniang is not allowed to step out of Qinglan Pavilion."

(End of this chapter)