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

When the Prince of Huai left Youzhou, he was somewhat flustered!
Especially as Prince Huai stood on his horse, looking at the Lin family banners all around him, he quickened his pace and left from the north.

At this moment, in a camp halfway up the mountain east of Youzhou City, Wu Huan excitedly described the scene he had just witnessed.

"That Prince Huai was practically scared to death!"

"They ran away in a panic as soon as they saw our flag!"

"How ridiculous that someone like him dares to dream of being an emperor!"

Bai Chengdong listened, but unlike Wu Huan, he didn't show excitement; instead, he looked more worried.

Wu Huan nudged Bai Chengdong's shoulder with his elbow. "I'm telling you, you scared away the Prince of Huai's 200,000-strong army with just the song of Chu on all sides!"

"What are you still worried about?"

"Once this battle is over, you will surely be the one to achieve the greatest merit!"

Bai Chengdong turned around and glared at Wu Huan. "What do you mean by 'first merit'? Do you know what my elder sister is about to face when the Prince of Huai launches a counterattack with 200,000 troops?"

How could Wu Huan not know?

The night before they set off, Madam Lin specifically sought him out.

"Young Master Wuhuan, I have a favor to ask!" Bai Wanqing bowed, prompting Wuhuan to quickly stand up and help her up.

"Mrs. Lin, you're too kind. You're Cheng Dong's older sister, which makes you my sister too."

"Just say what you need to say. I will do my best to help you with anything I can!"

"Young Master Wuhuan, I would like to ask you to accompany Cheng Dong on his expedition!" Bai Wanqing looked at Wuhuan expectantly, and a smile once again appeared on Wuhuan's usually serious face.

"Mrs. Lin, you don't need to tell me that!"

“I will definitely accompany Cheng Dong when he goes to Youzhou.”

"Even if you don't let me go, I'll still sneak over there!"

Wu Huan and Bai Chengdong have been inseparable for six years. If there is anyone Wu Huan is close to in this world, it is probably only Bai Chengdong!
How could he let Bai Chengdong go on such a dangerous journey alone!

Bai Wanqing nodded with satisfaction: "Then Wanqing thanks Young Master Wuhuan."

Young Master Wuhuan waved his hand, indicating that she did not need to be so polite.

Bai Wanqing did not leave. She gently raised her eyes, and her gaze towards Young Master Wuhuan showed a newfound determination.

"Mrs. Lin, do you have anything else to say?"

Bai Wanqing nodded, "To be honest, young master, this crisis in the capital and the danger in Youzhou are probably not as easy as you imagine."

"Although I am 90% confident that I can make the Prince of Huai withdraw his troops, man proposes, God disposes!"

"We certainly can't ignore that one-in-a-million possibility!"

Wu Huan knew about Bai Wanqing's plan to force the Prince of Huai to withdraw his troops. When he heard Bai Wanqing say that she still had some worries, he couldn't help but frown.

"Madam Lin, please feel free to give your instructions."

Bai Wanqing paused slightly before continuing, "If the Prince of Huai really withdraws his troops, I have a way to persuade several prefectures in Jiangnan to send troops."

"We are 40% confident that we can resolve this crisis."

"Four out of ten? Didn't you say you were nine out of ten confident?"

Bai Wanqing lowered her head, "Yes! I told Cheng Dong I was nine-tenths right!"

"But upon closer examination, it becomes clear that with 200,000 elite troops facing 100,000 temporary legions, having a 40% chance of victory in this battle is already a stroke of luck!"

"I just didn't want Cheng Dong to worry about me."

Young Master Wuhuan was horrified. He hadn't expected that Bai Wanqing had already resolved to die when she made all these plans.

"Madam Lin, then why do you still want to..." Wu Huan blurted out excitedly, but seeing Bai Wanqing's helpless eyes, she swallowed her words back.

Ha! That's how it should be. When the Emperor issued the decree to appoint generals, he never really intended to give the Lin family a chance.

Let alone the fact that Bai Wanqing has a way to increase the chances of success to 40%, if it were someone else, they probably wouldn't be able to resolve this crisis at all.

When they confront the enemy head-on in Youzhou City, they will meet their maker alongside the emperor in the capital.

"Bang!" Wu Huan slammed his fist on the corner of the table, knocking it to the ground.

"This is simply outrageous!"

Bai Wanqing shook her head, "Whether we're being bullied or not, we had no other choice!"

"The Lin family doesn't have it! The people of Huaizhou City don't have it! The people of Beifeng City don't have it either!"

"I've said so much today because I want to ask Young Master Wuhuan, if the Prince of Huai's army retreats, please hold Cheng Dong back and don't send reinforcements!"

Wu Huan was taken aback, but realizing he didn't have any better ideas, he could only nod slowly.

"But if the Prince of Huai's army attacks the capital directly."

"Young Master Wushuang, you should take Cheng Dong and escape!"

"Escape to anywhere, just don't let him hold on!"

Wu Huan looked at Bai Wanqing in astonishment, knowing that giving up the opportunity to defend the capital meant the fall of the country.

At that time, not only the Lin family and Huaizhou, but the entire Shang Kingdom will probably be plunged into turmoil.

"Madam Lin, doing this will likely bring shame upon the Lin family for life!"

"Do you really want to do this?"

Bai Wanqing nodded, and casually took out a suicide note from her sleeve. "Yes, I've made up my mind, this is what I want!"

With that, he handed the suicide note to Wuhuan, saying, "With this letter, the Lin family will not be stigmatized!"

"Cheng Dong can also conceal his identity!"

"You two should go into hiding among the common people and live a good life!"

Wu Huan stared at the suicide note in his hand, his mind racing. But when he looked up and met Bai Wanqing's expectant gaze, Wu Huan nodded and said, "Alright! Madam Lin, I promise you, I will definitely do it!"

He was indeed overjoyed when he watched the Prince of Huai retreat.

After all, this situation has changed from a certain death to a situation where there is still a 40% chance of survival.

But Cheng Dong's worries weren't unfounded; Madam Lin and the others might not come out alive. Seeing Wu Huan deep in thought, Bai Cheng Dong turned to ask, "Wu Huan, do you also think that your eldest sister and the others are in danger?"

Wu Huan suddenly snapped out of her daze, looked at Cheng Dong's worried expression, and suddenly laughed: "Cheng Dong, I don't think so. I think you're just overthinking it."

"I'm overthinking it?" A rare look of doubt appeared on Bai Chengdong's usually calm face. "How could I be overthinking it?"

"An army of two hundred thousand!"

"Even if the eldest sister has stone cannons and divine rockets, it's still like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, or an egg trying to break a rock!"

Thinking of this, Bai Chengdong could no longer sit still. "No, I'll take my men back to Beifeng right now!"

"Stop!" Wu Huan stepped forward and blocked Bai Chengdong's path.

"How many soldiers do you have? Are you going back to Beifeng City?" The smile that Wu Huan usually wore on his face vanished at this moment.

Bai Chengdong ignored all warnings and shouted, "Twenty thousand troops!"

"Yes, 20,000. You should have had 30,000 troops, so why are there only 20,000 left!"

Bai Chengdong's mind went blank. According to the imperial decree, Bai Chengdong should have 30,000 elite troops, but when he actually took a count, he found that the emperor had only given him 20,000.

Thirty thousand elite troops were reduced to twenty thousand in the blink of an eye; this was clearly the result of a decision made privately by the general in the outskirts of the capital.

Wanqing once said that once the Prince of Huai withdrew his troops to attack the city, she would persuade Jiangnan, Xianzhou and Langzhou to send troops!

Of the 100,000 troops, only 70,000 would remain if they were embezzled.
Bai Chengdong felt his blood freeze, and he trembled with anger. That's right, even if he led his 20,000 troops to Beifeng City now, he probably wouldn't be able to save his eldest sister and the others.

For now, Bai Chengdong can only pin his hopes on the reinforcements from Jiangnan and other regions.

"Wuhuan, you stay here and guard the place. I'm going to the palace to see the Emperor right away!"

After saying that, Bai Chengdong tidied his clothes and headed straight for the capital city without delay.

Wu Huan watched Bai Chengdong's figure disappear into the distance, finally letting out a sigh of relief. He turned to look north and began reciting scriptures in his heart.

"The Prince of Huai's 190,000-strong army has left Youzhou and is heading north!"

Lin Xiaoyong, who had just received the news from the post station, ran into the doorway, panting.

Lin Feiyun and Cheng Kailin exchanged a glance, then stood up and went to the map behind them.

Lin Feiyun had just pointed to the location of the Prince of Huai when he frowned. "Xiao Yong, is there any other news from the post station?"

"For example, from Jiangnan, Xianzhou, or Langzhou?"

Lin Xiaoyong shook his head, "No!"

Lin Feiyun and Cheng Kailin's faces darkened, and disappointment was evident in their eyes, especially in Lord Cheng's.

"Unbelievable! Unbelievable! Not only has our mighty Shang Dynasty produced a traitor, but now even the suppression of the rebellion is dragging on for so long!"

"Is it because the Prince of Huai has too much power, or because there are too many parasites in the Shang Dynasty!"

Hearing Lord Cheng's lament, Lin Feiyun sighed softly, "Alas! Lord Cheng, things have come to this, we can only accept it!"

"Accept? Ten thousand men against an army of nineteen thousand!"

"His Majesty is clearly trying to drain the Lin family army of its last drop of blood."

Lin Feiyun shook his head, "No way!"

"Lord Cui would not do such a thing, nor would Prime Minister Wei!"

"You! You still harbor illusions. No matter how much Lord Cui planned, could he have imagined that Jiangnan would not send troops?"

"Do you really think that Prime Minister Wei only wants to use the Lin family's name to entangle Prince Huai? He's just giving the Lin family a chance."

Lin Feiyun remained silent, and Cheng Kailin, helpless, stomped his foot and left.

Bai Wanqing, along with Cheng Susu and Cui Jingcheng, stood in front of the city gate, directing the soldiers to assemble several more stone cannon carts.

The number 190,000 troops was like a huge stone weighing on everyone's hearts.

Cheng Susu wiped the dust off her face and said with a smile to Wanqing and Cui Jingcheng, "Well, I've lived in Kyoto for so long, I've seen all sorts of new and interesting things!"

"But I've never seen so many people, 190,000, gathered together before."

Cui Jingcheng rolled his eyes and continued, "Yes, such a scene is indeed rare."

"If that's the case, then our lives have been worthwhile!"

Cheng Susu pouted, "To be honest, I still have some regrets!"

“I’m nineteen years old this year. Most of the daughters of officials around me who are my age are already married.”

"Actually, in the past, I never intended to get married."

"But now that it's almost here, I still have a tiny bit of regret."

"I regret that I never got to see my husband's face."

Cui Jingcheng glanced at Wanqing furtively, coughed twice, and said, "Then I'm luckier than you."

"I have no regrets in my life for now. If I had to say, it would be why I didn't come to Huaizhou City sooner!"

Bai Wanqing's mood grew even heavier as she listened to the two chattering beside her.

Cui Jingcheng and Cheng Susu noticed Bai Wanqing's thoughts and said with a smile, "Wanqing, don't be scared by us!"

"The regrets we're talking about are the ones we'll make up for in the future!"

"Don't be intimidated by the number of 190,000 troops. You've forgotten that we took Wang Jin's head without losing a single soldier."

"Yes, yes! Speaking of which, I wrote quite a few letters home that day!"

"We've sent them out early this time! Maybe by the time Prince Huai returns to Beifeng City, he'll only have a few dozen shrimp soldiers left!"

"Where are they still our opponents!"

Cui Jingcheng nodded repeatedly, and the two successfully made Bai Wanqing laugh.

Bai Wanqing stood up, looked towards the snow-capped mountain peak to the north, and hoped for a miracle. If it happened, she could increase her chances of winning by another 20%.

Su Su and Jing Cheng, she couldn't just watch them die with her! (End of Chapter)