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

Chapter 252 Do you believe me?

Cao Zhe stiffened for a moment, feeling a cool breeze blow across his neck.

Pan Hu jokingly placed the food on the table, then turned and strode away.

Seeing that Pan Hu had left, Ma Yu plopped down at the table, picked up his chopsticks, and started eating.

Cao Zhe glanced at Ma Yu and asked, "Pan Hu was bullying people so much just now, why didn't you say a word?"

With his mouth full of steamed buns, Ma Yu mumbled, "Hmph! What's there to say!"

"This is the consequence of betraying the prince."

Cao Zhe's eyes widened immediately, and he almost choked on his own spit. This brute really knew nothing!
But can Cao Zhe say it now? Of course he can't. But now that he has led Lin Yunche to Xiao City, he has to find a way to send this message to the prince.

So he picked up his chopsticks and put a chicken leg on Ma Yu's plate. Ma Yu loves any kind of meat, so he happily accepted it.

"Ma Yu, have you never thought about leaving the group and returning to the Prince's side?" Cao Zhe asked in a low voice.

Ma Yu looked at Cao Zhe in horror and asked, "Sir, what do you mean by this?"

"Are you trying to kill me?"

Ma Yu felt a chill run down her spine. Putting everything else aside, the prince hated those who betrayed him the most.

The number of traitors who had died at Ma Yu's hands was already no less than several dozen. When Ma Yu went back to the prince, he thought about his own fate and couldn't help but feel terrified.

Cao Zhe waved his hand gently and whispered, "What are you saying! How could I harm you?"

"You brute! Don't you even think about what benefit I would gain from harming you?"

Ma Yu rolled her eyes and thought it made sense. Cao Zhe's situation in Lin Yunche's team was much more difficult than his.

If it weren't for him, Cao Zhe would probably have been bullied by Pan Hu and his gang.

"Sir, what do you mean?"

Cao Zhe whispered a few words in Ma Yu's ear, and Ma Yu became more and more excited as she listened.

"Sir, is what you said true? Can I also perform meritorious service?"

"Yes, of course you can! As long as you can accomplish this, the prince will not only spare your life, but will also reward you."

After a moment's thought, Ma Yu nodded in agreement, "Alright! Sir, I'll do it!"

That evening, Cao Zhe told Ma Yu about his plan and handed her a brocade pouch.

"You must personally deliver this brocade pouch to the Prince," Cao Zhe said solemnly.

Ma Yu took the brocade pouch and tucked it into his chest. "Don't worry, sir. As long as I'm alive, I will personally deliver this pouch to the Prince."

After Ma Yu finished speaking, Cao Zhe handed him another medicine bottle.

The two exchanged a glance, and Ma Yu swallowed the medicine in the bottle without saying a word.

The next morning, Cao Zhe tearfully went to Lin Yunche to tell him that Ma Yu had fallen ill and passed away that evening.

Lin Yunche led everyone to Ma Yu's room, where they found Ma Yu lying on the bed with a distorted expression, and the stools beside the bed were overturned.

It's clear that Ma Yu seemed to have struggled for a period of time before this.

Yang Cong stepped forward, checked Ma Yu's breath, and then turned to shake his head at Lin Yunche.

He's dead! He died so suddenly?

Lin Yunche turned his gaze to Cao Zhe, who was still wiping his nose and said intermittently, "Lord Lin, I really don't know what happened!"

“I’m usually the one who invites Ma Yu to have dinner together, but he didn’t show up in my room this morning.”

"I found it strange, so I came looking for it, but who knew..."

“Lord Lin, someone must have poisoned him here. We cannot let this shopkeeper get away with this,” Cao Zhe said righteously.

Lin Yunche did not respond, but stared straight at Cao Zhe.

Cao Zhe remained calm and composed, crying when he felt like it and cursing when he felt like it!
Yang Cong frowned slightly and whispered to Lin Yunche, "Sir, it's not appropriate for us to reveal our identities right now."

"Let's put this matter aside for now and bury the person first."

Upon hearing Yang Cong's words, Cao Zhe immediately objected, but Pan Hu stepped forward and silenced him.

Lin Yunche instructed Yang Cong to dispose of Ma Yu's body, and then did not inquire about it further.

Cao Zhe looked utterly grief-stricken and speechless, and Lin Yunche saw all of this.

Stepping out of the room, Pan Hu quickly went to Lin Yunche's side and said, "Lord Lin, I have a feeling that there's something wrong with Cao Zhe."

"Since we arrived in the Northern Dynasty, he hasn't provided us with any useful information."

"But that doesn't stop us from coming to Xiaocheng."

"Be careful of fraud."

"Lord Lin, how about I go and scare this kid a bit, and see what kind of words he can utter from that dog's mouth?"

Lin Yunche frowned and said, "Alright!"

"This will also put him at ease, but be careful not to be too rough and scare him to death."

"Keeping him around might still be useful."

Pan Hu nodded slightly, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

After Pan Hu left, Yang Cong also made arrangements for Ma Yu's burial.

Lin Yunche and Yang Cong returned to their room, and Lin Yunche asked, "How is it? Is there any news from Princess Yunni's residence?"

Yang Cong shook his head. "No, but it's strange."

“We’ve been observing for so long, and apart from daily shopping, there are very few people coming and going in and out of the princess’s residence.”

"It's quite quiet."

"But it's precisely because it's so quiet that it's difficult for our people to get any information from inside."

"Not to mention meeting the princess and her husband."

Lin Yunche sighed softly, "Is there really no chance at all?" Yang Cong thought for a moment and said, "Not necessarily!"

"I've heard that the fifteenth of this month is the birthday of the Northern Dynasty's ruler."

"All the royal relatives and nobles in Xiao City must enter the palace for a banquet."

"Even the seemingly impregnable Princess Yunni's residence will surely make a move at that time."

Lin Yunche nodded. "It seems we'll only have a chance to see the Prince Consort on that day."

Thinking of this, Lin Yunche couldn't hide his excitement. He was both looking forward to Princess Yunni's husband being his uncle and feeling a little scared.

If he really is his uncle, why has he lived in the Northern Dynasty for so long, and why has he become Princess Yunni's consort?

Did the Lin family really betray the Shang Kingdom, just as they were falsely accused back then?

Lin Yunche dared not think any further. He slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the panic and confusion in his eyes had all disappeared.

Regardless of whether this person was his uncle or not, he believed that the Lin family was still the Lin family.

Ma Yu was escorted out of the city by the funeral procession arranged by Yang Cong, with Xu Long and his brothers following beside him, watching Ma Yu being buried.

"Brother, I never imagined that such a young and strong man could be gone so suddenly!" A young man in the funeral procession couldn't help but sigh to Xu Long.

Xu Long replied coldly, "Yes! Fate is unpredictable."

The young man in the funeral procession was intimidated by Xu Long's imposing presence and dared not utter another word.

After they buried Ma Yu, Xu Long and the others left.

At night, the soil around the new grave began to loosen, and Ma Yu used almost all his strength to push away the wooden coffin pressing down on him.

"Pah! Didn't the sir say he'd already arranged a funeral procession for me?"

"If it weren't for my immense strength, I would be dead in this coffin today."

Ma Yu patted the dirt off his clothes, touched the brocade pouch on his chest, and then ran back the way he came.

Like Ma Yu, Cheng Susu was also busy on her journey.

Cheng Susu left Wanqing's place in such a hurry that she forgot to bring any money with her.

Without a horse, how long will it take her to reach Northwind City on foot?
Cheng Susu patted her head in frustration, "You still have to save Dad? In your condition, who can you possibly save!"

She walked from the north to the south of the city, and her stomach started to rumble.

To be honest, what she wants most right now is to eat a bowl of vegetable noodles made by Wanqing, but she doesn't even have money for food.

Cheng Susu could only stand in front of a small stall and swallow her saliva.

"Are you hungry?" a voice asked beside her.

Cheng Susu nodded hurriedly, "Hungry!"

After she finished speaking, she realized what she had said and turned to look at her. At that moment, Steward Du was looking at her with a smile.

"Ah!" Cheng Susu turned around and tried to run away.

Manager Du suddenly broke open a meat bun and caught up with Cheng Susu, eating it heartily beside her.

Cheng Susu was really hungry at this moment, and seeing Steward Du eating so deliciously, she couldn't resist the temptation.

She stopped and extended her hand to Steward Du.

"I also want!"

Manager Du smiled slightly and took out a freshly steamed meat bun from the oil-wrapped paper in his sleeve.

Cheng Susu took it and started eating it in big mouthfuls.

After finishing her meal, Cheng Susu wiped her mouth. "Did Wanqing send you to find me?"

Manager Du nodded.

“I almost cost her her life, how could she possibly want to keep me as a burden?”

Steward Du laughed and said, "That's what you think, not what Madam thinks."

"So what exactly is Wanqing thinking?"

"If you want to know, why don't you ask Madam yourself?" Steward Du said.

Cheng Susu suddenly felt that she was being a bit pretentious. Wanqing had already sent someone to find her, so she certainly wouldn't look down on her.

just
“Miss Cheng, Madam is always very prudent in her actions. Since she sent me to find you, she must have a way to protect you and herself.”

Why don't you trust her just this once?

"But last time we almost... just a little bit more," Cheng Susu said, trembling with lingering fear.

Manager Du knew the danger of that night, and in his position, he didn't want Miss Cheng to follow them at all.

Who knows if we'll run into those men in black again.

But the lady had already made up her mind to see things through to the end, and there was nothing he could do.

Manager Du said helplessly, "Madam is a lucky person and Heaven will always protect her."

"Miss Cheng, why don't you come back with me?"

Cheng Susu knew that Steward Du was quite skilled, and that he could take her back by force, though it might not look very good.

Moreover, since Wanqing had come to her, she couldn't refuse Wanqing's kind intentions.

The main problem is that she has no money.

Cheng Susu obediently followed Steward Du back to the mansion.

As soon as she entered the room, she saw Bai Wanqing sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for her.

"Wanqing, don't blame me. I was just afraid of implicating you." This was the first time Cheng Susu had seen Bai Wanqing so dignified, and she suddenly felt a little uneasy.

Bai Wanqing stood up, faced Cheng Susu, and asked, "Then do you believe me?"

(End of this chapter)