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

The autumn courtyard was desolate, and my heart was filled with sorrow.

Cui took out the secret letter sent by the Northern Dynasty and read it over and over again. She knew every word, but why couldn't she understand it when they were strung together?
"Father, tell me what's written in this letter?" Tears streamed down Cui's face, and her lips trembled slightly.

Lin Feiyun was in no better shape than Cui Shi at this moment. He sat motionless in his chair, the words "Lin Yunche is dead" constantly flashing through his mind, like a thunderbolt striking him, causing him immense heartache.

"I don't believe it! How could Da Tou be dead!" Cui stood up abruptly as if possessed. "This must be a trick by Luan Heng and Feng Huai."

"Yes! Yes! It must be a trick. I'm going to the Northern Dynasty to find Da Tou!"

"I'm going to save him!"

Cui turned around, opened the wardrobe, and began packing her belongings.

Lin Feiyun was finally awakened by the noise beside him. He looked at Cui Yao and slowly walked over. "A Yao! Don't be like this, Da Tou is dead!"

"He is dead!"

"I don't believe it!" Cui shouted hoarsely. "Lin Feiyun, you know those people from the Northern Dynasty are all cunning foxes. This must be their scheme too. Datou won't die!"

As she spoke, Cui took out one piece of clothing after another, mechanically taking them out as if she had no idea what she was doing.

"Ah Yao!" Lin Feiyun called out in a deep voice, and stepped forward to hug Cui Shi.

Cui stopped what she was doing and burst into tears. Lin Feiyun hugged the weeping Cui and his own eyes welled up with tears as well.

It took Cui a long time to gradually accept this reality.

"His father, Da Tou is in trouble, Wan Qing, she..." Cui Shi choked up, feeling heartbroken for Wan Qing.

Lin Feiyun sighed, "Wanqing is a good child, but her life is just unfortunate!"

"The Lin family was perhaps never a good choice for her!"

Madam Cui remained silent. She knew that Lin Feiyun was right. The Lin family was a vortex of thunder and lightning. Those who were drawn into it would suffer ten or a hundred times more than other families.

She just didn't expect it all to happen so quickly.
"Father, when should we inform Wanqing?" Cui Shi thought of this and couldn't bear it.

It would be too cruel to tell Wanqing about this now, since she had just reunited with her brother.

Lin Feiyun said with a solemn expression, "We still have to say it!"

"As for the consequences, we two old folks will bear them!"

After thinking about it, Cui realized there was indeed no other way and nodded slightly.

Just as the two had finished discussing their plan, a commotion suddenly broke out in the courtyard.

Lin Feiyun and Cui Shi exchanged a glance. Lin Feiyun quickly got up, opened the door, and saw Ruixin running hurriedly towards them.

"Ruixin, what's the matter? Why are you in such a hurry?" Lin Feiyun asked in a hoarse voice.

Ruixin had come to see the old master and madam, but she was startled when she saw the old master.

In just one night, the old man looked as if he had aged ten years, his temples were frosted with gray, and his face was weathered.

"Master, what is this?" Ruixin asked hesitantly.

Lin Feiyun was worried about what was happening outside. "Don't worry about me for now. Tell me what's going on outside?"

"Oh, sir! It was Madam who sent me to invite you. Madam is going to the front yard!"

"Receive the imperial edict!"

"Imperial edict?" Lin Feiyun's head buzzed. In this situation, the royal family actually issued an imperial edict to them. Could it be that Da Tou's affairs in the Northern Dynasty have been exposed?
Lin Feiyun dared not delay, and called Cui Shi, and followed Rui Xin to the front yard in a hurry!

By this time, Hai Da had been waiting in the front yard for quite some time and was already getting impatient.

Seeing that there were more and more people in the courtyard, but Lin Yunche was nowhere to be seen, made him even angrier.

This kid is getting more and more arrogant. Not only is he plotting against him in secret, but now he doesn't even show up for such an important matter as an imperial edict.

"Madam Lin, where is Lord Lin? Why hasn't he come out to receive the imperial decree?"

Bai Wanqing paused slightly, then looked up at Hai Chengming.

Seeing the tense expressions on the faces of the Lin and Du families, Hai Chengming was startled. Some things suddenly popped into his memory. "Lord Hai, I'm afraid I'll have to feign illness for a while and go to the Northern Dynasty."

"As for my identity and my family, I hope Lord Hai will take good care of them!"

Hai Chengming suddenly felt his hands and feet turn ice cold, and he slumped to one side.

Fortunately, Lin Feiyun reacted quickly and caught Hai Chengming, preventing him from falling to the ground.

"Lin Yunche, Lin Yunche, he..."

"That son of a bitch, he still hasn't come back!" Hai Chengming cursed inwardly, but upon closer inspection, he realized something was amiss.

He immediately came to his senses and secretly called Bai Wanqing aside.

"Madam Lin, where is Lord Lin right now?!"

"This is an imperial edict from above. If he doesn't come out to receive it, he'll be beheaded!" Hai Chengming said, making a chop gesture at his own neck.

Seeing this, Bai Wanqing said with an air of "you naturally know the truth," "Lord Hai, my husband told you where he was going when he left!"

"Now that you've come to ask me, I'm afraid I don't know as much as you do."

Hai Chengming's face instantly turned green, and the curses in his heart grew increasingly vile.

“Madam Lin, you must be joking. I might have known where Lin Yunche was before, but I’ve heard that he has already returned to Huaizhou City!”

"I have no idea where he is!"

Want to drag him back into the water? Don't even think about it!

Bai Wanqing smiled gently, "Lord Hai, my husband has never returned to Huaizhou City!"

"Never returned? How is that possible?"

"Then who was responsible for resisting the Huai King's elite troops in Huaizhou?" Hai Chengming asked in shock.

Bai Wanqing took a deep breath and briefly explained the matter of Huaizhou City resisting the enemy.

"My lord, as I just said, my husband's appearance was merely a temporary measure to save the people of Huaizhou!"

"If Lord Hai feels this is inappropriate, he may expose me now. I will take full responsibility and not implicate you or your family!"

Hai Chengming's head buzzed. He realized that he had just picked up a stone and shot himself in the foot. He understood that Lin Yunche's pirate ship was not only under Lin Yunche's control, but also his wife, Bai Shi, was not someone to be trifled with.

"Bai Wanqing, impersonating an official of the imperial court, do you know what crime that is!" Hai Chengming said through gritted teeth.

Bai Wanqing shook her head, "This humble woman does not know!"

"I only know that the Prince of Huai is plotting a rebellion and the people are in danger. If I had to choose again, I would still do the same thing!"

"Lord Hai, if you feel this is inappropriate, then please take Wanqing away!"

After Bai Wanqing finished speaking, she stared at Hai Chengming with neither arrogance nor servility.

Hai Chengming gasped. He felt like he was in a bind. Lin Yunche was bold enough, but Bai Wanqing was even bolder.

Did the couple plan this out beforehand, intending to let him have all the power?

If he were to hand Bai Wanqing over to the Emperor for judgment now, he himself would likely be charged with deceiving the Emperor.

Hai Daren's eyes suddenly reddened, and he wished he could lie on the ground and cry right now.

Fortunately, Lord Hai had spent half his life in officialdom, and he quickly made up his mind on how to choose. "Madam Lin, putting aside the crime of deceiving the emperor, I only want to ask you, was it really you who resisted the Prince of Huai's more than 10,000 elite troops in Huaizhou City?"

Bai Wanqing nodded slightly, "Yes! The others are just following my orders."

"It's none of their business!"

Upon hearing this, Hai Chengming touched the imperial edict in his arms, gritted his teeth, and stamped his foot, "Fine!"

"Then let Lin Yunche, who has returned, receive the imperial decree."

Bai Wanqing was taken aback, and Hai Chengming said smugly, "Madam Lin, didn't you just say that you resorted to this drastic measure for the sake of the people of Huaizhou? Now I am doing this for the sake of the people of Shang Kingdom."

Hai Chengming felt a great sense of satisfaction upon seeing Bai Wanqing's unusually unpredictable expression.

Having been manipulated by this couple for so long, I finally got my revenge.

Moreover, doing so would be extremely advantageous for him, since no matter who wins, he would have a reason to protect himself.

Bai Wanqing hesitated for a moment, then agreed.

She asked Hai Daren to wait in the courtyard, and then called Bai Chengdong into the house. Bai Chengdong seemed to have already sensed something, and he slowly put the mask on his face.

Bai Wanqing looked at Cheng Dong in front of her and smiled with satisfaction.

"Are you scared?" Bai Wanqing asked calmly.

"Not afraid!"

"Once you step out of this door, no one can control what happens next!"

Bai Chengdong laughed and said, "Young Master Lin saved me! This is my home, sister, it's only right that we do this."

The siblings smiled at each other and walked out of the house together.

Hai Chengming could not hide his surprise. He had been skeptical of what Bai Wanqing had said, but he never expected that someone could actually perform such exquisite disguise skills!

"Lord Hai! You may announce the decree now!" Bai Wanqing gently reminded him.

Hai Chengming coughed lightly, glanced down at the people filling the courtyard, and loudly proclaimed: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I, having received the mandate of Heaven, rule over all lands. There is a Lin family who, in the past, betrayed the Emperor's favor and their crimes are unforgivable. However, I am mindful of the suffering of the people, and now, in the northern border region of Youzhou, rebellions are raging, the border people are weeping blood, and the nation is in grave danger."

"As a special favor, I grant you permission to atone for your crimes and perform meritorious service to redeem your past punishment."

"By imperial decree, Lin Yunche, the eldest son of the Lin family, is appointed as the Protector of the Nation General, in charge of all military affairs in Huaizhou, and commanding 30,000 elite troops. He is to set out within three days to quell the bandits, eliminate the rebels, and pacify the border."

"If the bandit leader is not captured within three months, both crimes will be punished. This is the imperial decree."

After Hai Chengming finished reading, he gestured for Lin Yunche to step forward and receive the decree.

Bai Chengdong hesitated slightly. He looked at Lin Feiyun and Cui Shi, whose faces were pale and their foreheads were sweaty. He wondered if they felt that this matter was inappropriate.

"General Lin, what are you waiting for! Hurry up and receive the imperial decree!" Hai Chengming urged.

Lin Feiyun noticed Bai Chengdong's gaze and thought to himself: It seems that the news of Da Tou's death cannot be revealed for the time being.

Otherwise, not only the Lin family, but also the Du family, Bai family, and others who are receiving the imperial decree here today, will likely be implicated.

Lin Feiyun nodded slightly to Bai Chengdong.

Bai Chengdong took a deep breath, bent down, and accepted the imperial edict with both hands.

"General Lin, I wish you a swift success in quelling the rebellion!" Hai Chengming said with a smile, then hurriedly left without looking back.

After Hai Daren left, the Du family's courtyard became lively.

Those unaware of the inside story rushed up to congratulate Bai Chengdong and Lin Feiyun.

This naturally includes the Lin family members in Linjia Village.
"Brother Yun, are we finally about to get through this difficult time?" Uncle Lin walked over and said to Lin Feiyun with red eyes.

Lin Feiyun pursed his lips tightly and clenched his fist slightly.

Uncle Lin thought Lin Feiyun was worried that they wouldn't be able to take down the rebel Prince Huai, so he patted Lin Feiyun on the shoulder and said, "Others may not know how capable Prince Huai is, but our Lin family army certainly does."

"Moreover, all these years, the calamities that have befallen our Lin family are none other than the gift of the Prince of Huai."

"Now that we have a chance to take revenge, our Lin family army has finally found a place to vent the anger that has been building up for more than 20 years."

"Losing? Impossible! It's death, not defeat!"

The other villagers of Linjia Village also expressed their determination, and Lin Feiyun and Cui Shi had no choice but to swallow their anger and keep Lin Yunche's matter to themselves.

Bai Wanqing noticed that her father and mother's expressions were off, so she brought Cheng Dong over.

"Father, Mother, this was Wanqing's own decision." Bai Wanqing bowed and apologized to Lin Feiyun and Cui Shi.

When Cui saw Wanqing, who was still completely unaware of the situation, her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

Lin Feiyun immediately helped Bai Wanqing up, saying, "Child, what are you saying!"

"If we don't accept this imperial decree, the Lin family will also face certain death."

"We had no other choice to begin with! It's just that now we've dragged Cheng Dong into this too."

"It is our Lin family that has wronged you and the Bai family."

"But Wanqing, have you thought about how to handle this if Datou doesn't come back?"

Bai Wanqing paused, turned her head to look at Cui Shi's tears streaming down her face, and felt a slight stirring in her heart.

"Father, Mother, why do you say that!"

"Did my husband send back some news?"

Cui hurriedly wiped away her tears and forced a smile, saying, "No, there's no news."

"Wanqing, you misunderstood. I just cried tears of joy because I thought the Lin family had finally waited for this day."

"As for why your father said that, it's understandable! After all, the Northern Dynasty is fraught with danger, and it's normal for something unexpected to happen!"

We should always plan ahead!

"What if Da Tou can't come back after this?"

“Mother, no! My husband knows what he’s doing, he’ll definitely come back before then!” Bai Wanqing said calmly.

"Until then, I'll take the blame for him!" Bai Wanqing's expression remained calm, but the determination in her eyes was unwavering.

“Yes! You’re right!” Cui suddenly felt that she was not as good as the girl in front of her. She was also from a military family, so how could she lose to a younger generation?

"We must hold on, hold on for Da Tou, hold on for the Lin family, and hold on for the people!"

Looking at the two strong women before him, Lin Feiyun was filled with emotion.

After receiving the imperial decree, the crowd in the courtyard gradually dispersed, and Bai Wanqing and Bai Chengdong, along with Lin Feiyun and others, discussed the upcoming expedition in the house.

"Suppressing the rebels, such a momentous task, and His Majesty only gave him 30,000 elite troops?" Lord Cheng spoke first, his worry evident.

After the initial excitement subsided, Uncle Lin's expression turned serious. "Yes! We only have these 30,000 elite troops!"

"I just read the handwritten note left by Lord Hai, which states that these 30,000 elite troops are still divided among different prefectures and counties."

"Even if we were to temporarily allocate them now, it would probably take some time."

"In that case, let alone us going to Youzhou to repel the Prince of Huai, by the time we gather our troops, the Prince of Huai will probably have already marched into the capital and become emperor!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed drastically! (End of Chapter)