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

Chapter 88 Always Have to Take a Gamble

Bai Wanqing looked at the two women in front of her with a shocked expression. Before she could explain, Cheng Susu paid the consultation fee and led Liu'er out of the century-old clinic.

Bai Wanqing took the consultation fee and chased after him, but he had already disappeared.

Shopkeeper Zhou was surprised that the illness was treated so quickly and rushed over to inquire, "Master, what illness does this young lady have?"

Bai Wanqing shook her head and said, "I'm not sick!"

"Not sick?" Manager Zhou became suspicious. Then he thought that perhaps the owner felt it was the girl's privacy and didn't want to tell him, so he didn't ask any further.

Back in the backyard, Master Luo asked about what had happened earlier. Bai Wanqing told him everything. Master Luo was just as confused. In this day and age, aren't there people who come looking for medical help even when they're not sick?
Because it was a minor matter, everyone quickly forgot about it.

However, news came from Lin Yunche's people in the Northern Dynasty. This time, it wasn't a caravan that delivered the message, but rather Lin Yunche's men who directly entered Huai'an City.

Lin Yunche sat in the back office of Magistrate Hu, who paced back and forth in the room.

"Lord Lin, Luan Heng showed absolutely no mercy and actually killed them all?" Although Magistrate Hu had heard of Luan Heng's domineering and powerful nature, he never expected that he would not even give Yang Cong a chance. Wasn't he afraid that his subordinates would be disheartened by Yang Cong's fate?

Lin Yunche nodded slightly, "They killed them! And even earlier than when Yang Cong was killed. My men managed to find their bodies, but they were too conspicuous to be sent back."

Magistrate Hu understood Lin Yunche's meaning. "The death of that family member is actually a good thing for us. I just don't know how Yang Cong will react when he finds out, or whether he will still be willing to serve anyone!"

Lin Yunche also thought of this, "By the way, how is Yang Cong's injury lately!"

After all, he had to tell Yang Cong about this so that his condition wouldn't worsen. Yang Cong had been running a high fever recently, and Wanqing said it was because his wound was infected. He had been in contact with people from the Northern Dynasty these days and hadn't had time to ask about it.

"Don't worry! He was indeed not very cooperative with the treatment at first, probably because he had something on his mind! However, I don't know what Dr. Bai said to him, but he has been very cooperative these days, and his injury has almost healed," Magistrate Hu replied.

"Then why don't we go to the prison now?" Lin Yunche got up and went to the county prison with Magistrate Hu.

Because of Yang Cong's special status, he was imprisoned in the most remote location, where there were no other cells, which made it convenient for Bai Wanqing to come in and treat him.

Yang Cong assumed it was Bai Wanqing coming to take his pulse again, so he didn't even raise his head until Magistrate Hu and Lin Yunche entered the cell.

Yang Cong stared intently at Lin Yunche, who didn't beat around the bush, as beating around the bush was never in his nature. "We have already found your wife and children."

Yang Cong read the coldness in Lin Yunche's eyes and saw the regret on Magistrate Hu's face. "I knew it! I knew it! That guy Luan Heng is so ruthless that he can send people to hunt me down. How could he possibly let my family go?"

Yang Cong suddenly burst into laughter and tears, but still looked at Lin Yunche to confirm, "They're all dead? Not a single one was left?"

Lin Yunche had someone bring up the clothes that Yang Cong's family members, whom he had brought from the Northern Dynasty. Yang Cong recognized these clothes; he knew every single one of them, yet each one felt unfamiliar because they were all stained with blood.

"They've all been killed! They've all been killed!" Yang Cong shouted, clutching his blood-stained clothes.

Magistrate Hu wanted to stop him, but Lin Yunche stopped him. "Yang Cong, I'll give you one night to think it over. Your family has already been killed by Luan Heng. If you're still a man, tell me about Luan Heng's plans in the Shang Kingdom. That will be a way to avenge your wife and children."

But Yang Cong couldn't hear Lin Yunche's words at all. He had stopped crying and sat there blankly, holding his clothes, not knowing what he was thinking.

Upon seeing this, Magistrate Hu instructed the jailers, "Keep a close eye on him and make sure nothing happens to him."

He then walked out of the prison with Lin Yunche. Lin Yunche also bid farewell to Magistrate Hu. He couldn't rely entirely on Yang Cong's side; he still needed to find out the spies in the caravan as soon as possible.

Magistrate Hu naturally didn't stay. He only hoped that this matter would be resolved as soon as possible. He was just an ordinary local official. As for the important matter of recovering the frontier, he couldn't and dared not interfere, for fear that one day he would be too deeply involved and wouldn't even be able to retire.

However, Yang Cong in prison did not give the two men any peace of mind. That very night, a jailer came to report that Yang Cong had hit his head against the wall and was trying to commit suicide. Fortunately, he did not use much force and they discovered him in time, thus preventing a fatality.

"Quickly go to the century-old medical clinic and invite Doctor Luo!" Magistrate Hu gave the order almost without thinking. "Wait! Also invite Doctor Bai; she knows Yang Cong's condition best."

After giving his instructions, Magistrate Hu sent a message to Lin Yunche. He thought that a traitor who had betrayed the Shang Kingdom was no big deal, but Lin Yunche insisted on using him. He originally thought that Lin Yunche was just talking, until he went to great lengths to bring back news of Yang Cong's family from the Northern Dynasty, and realized that Lin Yunche genuinely wanted to win over Yang Cong.

He couldn't let Yang Cong die so easily.

When the officials went to the century-old clinic, both Doctor Luo and Doctor Chang were out on house calls, and Bai Wanqing was the only one who was free at the clinic.

Seeing this, the officials figured that since the magistrate had already said he wanted Doctor Bai to go, they simply invited Bai Wanqing to the county office instead.

Bai Wanqing followed the officer with her medicine box. When she saw that they were going to the prison, she knew that something must have happened to Yang Cong. When she arrived at the prison, she was still shocked.

Yang Cong's face, which was already disfigured, was now covered in blood, as if he had returned to the first time he was seen. Because Yang Cong had been hit quite hard, he was still a little dizzy. It wasn't until Bai Wanqing was about to clean his wounds that he turned his head and moved slightly.

"No need. Go away." Yang Cong's whole body was resisting treatment.

Bai Wanqing was somewhat puzzled, but Magistrate Hu sighed and said, "Young Master Lin has already received news from the Northern Dynasty that Yang Cong's family has been killed by Luan Heng. Yang Cong couldn't think straight after finding out."

Bai Wanqing frowned and nodded slightly. She asked the jailer to help her hold Yang Cong's head still and carefully cleaned his wounds, regardless of whether he was still struggling.

Perhaps because the medicine stung the wound, Yang Cong gradually regained consciousness, and tears streamed down his face.

"Dr. Bai, why do you have to go to the trouble of saving me? I am a traitor."

Yang Cong was already eager to die at this point, and he readily put such a big label on himself.

Bai Wanqing raised her eyelids slightly, without stopping what she was doing. "Healing your injuries is my duty now. As for whether you are a traitor or a hero avenging your family, that's for you to decide."

Bai Wanqing's words were soft, but they made Yang Cong's body tremble, and he instantly burst into tears like a child.

"Can I still avenge them? Do I even have that chance?" In Yang Cong's view, he didn't have that chance. After all, treason is a crime that cannot be tolerated in any country.

So when Yang Cong tearfully asked Magistrate Hu for confirmation, Magistrate Hu was not very confident, and the light in Yang Cong's eyes immediately dimmed.

"Of course there's a chance!" Lin Yunche's voice came from outside the prison at that moment.

Bai Wanqing and Yang Cong glanced at Magistrate Hu, and seeing that he did not refute them, they looked back at Lin Yunche.

Bai Wanqing didn't know Lin Yunche's current position, but it seemed to be higher than Magistrate Hu's. Yang Cong had always thought Lin Yunche was Magistrate Hu's spy contacting the Northern Dynasty, but now it seemed that wasn't the case.

"If you are willing to serve the Shang Kingdom again, I will find a way to report your past betrayal to the emperor," Lin Yunche said with certainty.

Yang Cong's eyes flickered, and he lowered his head. "You're not trying to fool me here to find out information about the Northern Dynasty, are you?"

“Of course not,” Lin Yunche said.

Yang Cong, of course, didn't believe it. He pursed his lips, closed his eyes, and felt his mind was a jumbled mess.

It was Bai Wanqing who spoke up at this moment, "President Yang, you've already resolved to die, what else is there that you can't let go of?"

Yang Cong's eyelids twitched at this moment, and Bai Wanqing continued, "Even if Young Master Lin is deceiving you, from the perspective of interests, Young Master Lin and the Northern Dynasty are enemies, and what he does must be detrimental to the Northern Dynasty."

"How does this conflict with what you want to do?"

Yang Cong shook his head slightly and said, "It's different! It's different! You still can't hurt Luan Heng."

"How can I call it revenge if I can't kill Luan Heng!"

Bai Wanqing sighed and said, "But if we do nothing and are treated as traitors by the Shang Kingdom, will we be able to get revenge?"

"Since you don't trust Young Master Lin and are unwilling to give yourself a chance, and are only focused on dying, do you think your family, Chairman Yang, will approve of your actions in the afterlife?"

Bai Wanqing's expression remained calm, but her words were full of wisdom.

Yang Cong stopped talking, and Bai Wanqing finished bandaging his wound. Lin Yunche and Magistrate Hu also exchanged a few words, but Yang Cong did not respond. He could only sigh and return to the county office.

When Lin Yunche saw Bai Wanqing come out, he offered to take her back. Magistrate Hu could only sigh as he looked at the two of them.

If Hu Tao and Bai Wanqing had been engaged back then, it wouldn't have been so bad. This child is calm and composed, yet she is also measured and sharp, possessing a certain masculine spirit. Magistrate Hu suddenly felt a pang of regret.

Lin Yunche's eyes were also sparkling as he looked at Bai Wanqing.

"Thank you!" Lin Yunche said this in a rare serious tone.

Bai Wanqing turned her head and looked at Lin Yunche, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter. "I'm just glad you don't mind my abruptness!"

(End of this chapter)