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

Chapter 211: Finding a Backer

Cui Jingcheng was also momentarily distracted.

“I didn’t say it couldn’t be cured, it’s just that what you have isn’t an illness at all,” Doctor Luo said.

"Not an illness?" Lord Cui was taken aback, and even Cui Jingcheng was stunned.

"Hmm! It's not a disease, it's a poison!"

Upon hearing that it was poison, Cui Jingcheng could no longer sit still. "Father!"

Lord Cui immediately interrupted him, "Don't be nervous. Even if it's poison, this poison has been with me for many years. If someone wanted my life, they would have taken it long ago."

"The fact that I'm still clinging to life means he doesn't intend for me to die," said Lord Cui.

"Hahahaha!" Hearing Lord Cui's calm demeanor, Doctor Luo burst into laughter, disregarding her image.

"You're saying this person doesn't want to kill you?"

"Tsk tsk tsk!"

"I never imagined that just anyone could become a marquis. Is it possible for a marquis to be this foolish?"

Doctor Luo's words were somewhat harsh, but Lord Cui didn't seem to care.

"Miracle doctor, do you mean..."

"The poison in your body is extremely potent; they wanted to kill you back then."

"It seems that someone suppressed the poison in time, which is why you've survived until now."

"You're still feeling grateful to the person who tried to harm you."

"How foolish, utterly foolish."

Lord Cui was somewhat embarrassed by Doctor Luo's words, but fortunately, everyone's attention was focused on the Lord's poisoning.

Lord Cui's thoughts drifted back to the time six years ago when he poisoned someone. Could it have been back then?

Cui Jingcheng was very worried about his father's condition. "Father, do you remember the person who poisoned you?"

Or perhaps you have a suspicion in your mind?

Lord Cui shook his head. "Our Cui family has held high positions for many years. Let alone having enemies, we can say we have enemies everywhere."

"I have no guesses in my mind."

Although Lord Cui said this, one could clearly sense the hesitation in his heart.

Cui Jingcheng was also aware of his family's situation; they held high positions of power, and many people were eyeing the Cui family!
There are indeed many people who want to harm my father, but now is not the time to talk about that.

Cui Jingcheng hurriedly asked Doctor Luo.

"Miracle doctor, is there any way to treat the poison in my father's body?"

"My father's health is clearly deteriorating year by year. Could it really be the death of my father?"

When Lord Cui heard his son ask this question, he also looked at Doctor Luo.

Doctor Luo turned around, put her hands behind her back, and slowly paced around the room.

Everyone watched as Doctor Luo walked back and forth for a quarter of an hour.

"The poison can be neutralized, but it will take a considerable amount of time."

"Would the Marquis be willing to stay in Huaizhou City?"

Lord Cui is the Marquis of Zhaonan. Although he has not been guarding the border for the past few years, it has only been for a year or two. If there is war in the south, we still have to rely on the Marquis of Zhaonan.

"Divine Physician, how long will it take to cure my poison?"

"Not much, not much, just six months."

Lord Cui breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the south was now pacified, unlike the north where the Northern Dynasty was eyeing them covetously. He could spare half a year.

Seeing his father hesitate, Cui Jingcheng hurriedly persuaded him, "Father, nothing is more important than your health right now. If the Emperor does not agree, I will return to the capital now and ask the Empress to plead for us."

The Empress is the niece of Marquis Cui, making her a true member of the royal family.

"Why are you in such a hurry? I didn't say it was impossible," said Lord Cui.

When Cui Jingcheng saw that his father had agreed, a smile finally appeared on his face.

Lord Cui bowed to Physician Luo, saying, "I am deeply grateful to Physician Luo for saving my life this time."

A sly glint flashed in Doctor Luo's eyes as she nodded and said, "It's alright! It's alright!"

"Afterwards, Wanqing, set aside a guest room for the Marquis in our courtyard and let them move in."

Lord Cui wanted to refuse, but when he met Doctor Luo's unyielding gaze, he finally remained silent.

When Cui Jingcheng heard that he could live under the same roof as Bai Wanqing, he was so happy he almost jumped up and clapped his hands.

The father and son had completely different feelings about the same thing.

Bai Wanqing had Ruixin and Fengniang prepare a courtyard next to her and Lin Yunche's courtyard as a place for the Marquis to stay.

Cui Jingcheng moved in with his father almost immediately after finishing packing, without lingering for a moment.

"Jingcheng, you seem to really like Madam Lin." Lord Cui asked, watching his son busily packing his things.

Cui Jingcheng turned around, "Yes! Father, you don't know!"

"Wanqing is the most unique woman I have ever met."

"Her sense of righteousness, her magnanimity, and her willingness to sacrifice."

As Cui Jingcheng praised him, his eyes shone with joy.

Lord Cui asked again, "Is it really just because of these things?"

"What else?" Cui Jingcheng stared wide-eyed at his father, looking at him with disbelief.

Lord Cui then stopped asking questions; if that was the case, then that would be for the best.

Thus, Lord Cui and his entourage settled in the Lin family's residence.

When Lin Yunche returned home after leaving the yamen, he was taken aback when he saw Lord Cui, and then greeted him respectfully.

Lord Cui was deeply moved when he saw Lin Yunche.

The two sat together, and Lord Cui spoke first, "Last year, the moment I saw you become the top scholar, I knew the Lin family was coming back."

Lin Yunche simply smiled faintly upon hearing this.

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Marquis, but whether I can return or not depends on fate."

Lord Cui sighed softly, "And how are your father and mother now?"

"They've been in this northern region for over twenty years now."

"I've suffered quite a bit here." The Lin family and the Cui family originally belonged to the south and the north respectively. To say that the Cui family and the Lin family were very close would not be an exaggeration, but they were not enemies either.

I can only say that our relationship wasn't very deep.

“My lord, our Lin family has always been stationed in the north, so they are very well adapted to the environment here.”

"To say that I suffered any hardship would be an understatement."

"After all, there was no actual military campaigning; the real hardship was during that time."

Lord Cui nodded. "Lord Lin is right."

"However, the bitterness in my heart is even more bitter than when I was fighting a war."

"Lord Lin, I have never believed that the Lin family army is a rebel army."

Lord Cui's words were truly inappropriate, but he said them anyway.

Lin Yunche merely frowned slightly; he was somewhat puzzled as to why Lord Cui was repeatedly trying to curry favor with the Lin family.

The two families didn't have much of a relationship before!

"Thank you for believing me, Your Excellency!" Lin Yunche said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

Lord Cui nodded slightly, "I'm afraid we'll be troubling you here for a while this time."

Lin Yunche had just heard Wanqing say that Lord Cui had been poisoned.

It will take six months to detoxify.

Lord Cui stayed for another six months.

Lin Yunche was very excited. With the Marquis and Cui Jingcheng around, no one should bully Wanqing, right?

"You flatter me, Your Excellency. With you here, I feel much more at ease."

After exchanging a few more polite words, the two returned to their respective courtyards.

Lin Yunche noticed the look in Doctor Luo's eyes and was taken aback.

"Grandmaster, did you deliberately leave the Marquis here?" Lin Yunche asked.

Doctor Luo glanced around, "What?"

"Wasn't he poisoned?"

“He’ll die if he doesn’t stay here.”

Lin Yunche paused blankly for a moment, then said, "Grandmaster."

Master Luo put his index finger to his lips. "Otherwise, what if you want Wanqing, an official's wife without any official position?"

Lin Yunche bowed deeply to Master Luo.

Although he didn't know how Master Luo knew, he was now genuinely grateful to him.

After returning from Doctor Luo's place, Lin Yunche went straight back to the house to find Bai Wanqing.

"You must be tired these past few days! We just finished the free clinic, and now we have to arrange things for the Marquis!" Lin Yunche felt a lot of apologies, and there were some things he didn't know how to say.

Bai Wanqing turned her head and noticed Lin Yunche's low mood; she seemed to have a guess in her mind.

"Is everything arranged?" Bai Wanqing asked.

Lin Yunche dared not look Bai Wanqing in the eye, because his departure would mean that the Lin family would finally face a conclusion.

If it's good, that's fine, but if it's bad, Bai Wanqing will be implicated, especially now that he's learned about Lin Sishu from those bandits.

It is highly likely that this was a betrayal of the Shang Dynasty.

It would be a lie for Lin Yunche to say he wasn't afraid.

Seeing that Lin Yunche remained silent, Bai Wanqing's gaze returned to the book in her hands.

"Go ahead! Didn't we already discuss this before?"

"I'll stay here and watch over you, nothing will happen."

Lin Yunche was still worried. "Wanqing, what if it's Prince Huai?"

The matter concerning the Prince of Huai has now reached the Emperor's ears. Although Lin Yunche has put Hai Chengming in the lead, he is afraid that the Prince of Huai will hold a grudge against the Fang family.

What if he's not there when we want to settle accounts all at once?

"I was prepared!"

Even though you're gone, your mother and father are still here, and so is Uncle Lin.

"They can't just stand by and watch me get into trouble."

"Besides, I have my grandmaster and the Marquis with me. I will be fine."

Lin Yunche nodded slightly, his eyes full of apology, "Wanqing, I have another favor to ask."

Bai Wanqing finally put down the book in her hand and smiled gently, "Husband, we are husband and wife, you can just say whatever you want."

"What's with all this talk about inviting people? That's making us sound too distant."

Lin Yunche suddenly blushed and felt his throat was a little dry.

After all this time, spending every day with Bai Wanqing, how could he not have any reaction at all?

They are husband and wife, they are husband and wife. Now, whenever Lin Yunche thinks of this, the corners of his mouth involuntarily turn up. Just like now, his face is red and he is smiling, completely forgetting that he still has important things to say.

"Husband! Husband!" Bai Wanqing walked over and called out tentatively twice.

Lin Yunche snapped out of his daze, avoiding Bai Wanqing's gaze, and said, "I want to ask you to act in a play with me."

Lin Yunche told Bai Wanqing his purpose, and Bai Wanqing thought it was indeed a good idea.

"Do you want it to look realistic?" Bai Wanqing asked.

"Of course it has to be realistic, the more realistic the better."

"Okay! So when do you plan to use it?"

Lin Yunche pursed his lips. "The sooner the better!"

"I've been waiting for over twenty years, and I'm getting less and less patient."

Bai Wanqing hummed in agreement. "Alright! Let's do it the day after tomorrow then!"

"I need two days to prepare."

Lin Yunche replied reluctantly, "Okay!"

(End of this chapter)