Chapter 15

Su Ci was breathless and quickly apologized, “I’m sorry.”

Seeing Yang Yanzong glance at her coldly and then turn his horse around, she panicked and rushed to grab the reins, apologizing repeatedly, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I just don’t want to marry out. You know, my mother only has two daughters…”

Yang Yanzong laughed. That’s why he thought she was a bright girl; without arguing or pretending to be confused, she apologized immediately. His gaze moved from her pale fingers, which tightly gripped the reins to her face. The girl looked flustered and anxious, but he didn’t believe she was genuinely panicked. A girl who had planned to break off the engagement wouldn’t be so easily flustered. He leaned down, pinched her chin, and said, “There’s a saying, ‘Too clever for your own good.'”

Yang Yanzong sneered, released her, and rode away.

Su Ci was left speechless. After a while, she glanced at Ji Chengtan, who was dragged into the bushes by Su Yan, unsure whether to feel relieved or frustrated.

Yang Yanzong kicked open the door, still angry. The study was spacious, with a long desk and a stack of new and old medical books, including rare handwritten copies. These were collected by Yang Yanzong and sent by Yang Yanzhen yesterday. He flipped through the top book, its pages yellowed and worn, and threw it to the ground with a loud “smack.” He had seen Su Ci’s talent and enthusiasm when she talked about her interests, her eyes shining brightly. It made him willing to put in some effort for her. He didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. After all, she would be his wife, his future companion, the mother of his children. Since she caught his eye, why not put in some effort? Unexpectedly, he found himself in a one-sided situation.

Yang Yanzong laughed in anger, feeling humiliated!

The anger of being rejected had nothing to do with love. Yes, he was very satisfied with Su Ci. The fiancée his father had chosen for him was unexpectedly pleasing, with qualities to be admired, not just a vague face among thousands. But did it have to be her? It was utterly ridiculous.

Yang Yanzong decisively eliminated this option. A man should not worry about having no wife. If she was unwilling, there were plenty of others who would be!

He swept all the medical books off the table, the noise prompting A’Kang to push the door open. Inside, Yang Yanzong had already sat back at the desk, his eyes cold as ice, and he said coldly, “Throw them out.”

A’Kang didn’t dare to ask more questions, quickly responded in a low voice, and hurriedly picked up the medical books from the floor and cleared them out.

“And call Yanxin, Yanzhen, Uncle Su, and A’Zhao over.”

The door opened and closed, casting half the room in shadow, contrasting sharply with the bright outside. Yang Yanzong’s sharp eyes narrowed slightly. He was a meticulous person, and today, from Aunt Yan’s sudden move, he glimpsed the attitude of the heir. His trusted aides arrived quickly, and Yang Yanzong coldly lifted his lips, “It seems we need to make other plans.”

…

The relationship between Su Ci and Yang Yanzong had reached a freezing point. No one mentioned the engagement anymore, and Yang Yanzhen dared not call her sister-in-law anymore. He used to announce his arrival loudly before he even got there, and now he still did, but the address had changed, “Second younger sister, second younger sister, come and see what’s wrong with Zhang Wu’s leg?”

A young soldier who had accidentally fallen during training was brought in, his thigh bleeding profusely. Su Ci responded from inside, and the medicine boys outside skillfully carried the person onto the narrow bed in the outer hall, cut open the clothes, and alternately washed the wound with medicinal soup and strong liquor.

Soldiers occasionally got injured during drills, and under Su Ci’s regulations, the medicine boys gradually became proficient in disinfection procedures and techniques.

Su Ci checked the wound, “It’s okay. The bone isn’t hurt, and the wound isn’t deep. Just clean and stitch it up. Carry him in.” She quickly changed clothes, washed her hands, and sat down to select a needle and thread for stitching. Although the wound was long, it wasn’t deep, and the cut was clean without any vascular issues. It was stitched up in half an hour.

Yang Yanzhen peeked in from the door and was again amazed by this surgical stitching technique. When Su Ci removed her apron and washed her hands, he scratched his head, “Well, second younger sister, I’m going back now.”

“Alright, go ahead.”

Then he left. As Yang Yanzhen walked away, he looked back. This enthusiastic and cheerful young man seemed to have something to say but didn’t dare ask, so he ran off awkwardly.

Su Ci understood that with Yang Yanzong’s pride, their marriage was doomed. That wasn’t a problem, but the issue was that she had deeply offended him. In the original book, he was a vengeful character!

Su Ci tried apologizing, but unfortunately, she couldn’t get close to him. There were no major issues in the medical camp, and he would say he didn’t want to see her, leaving her with no options. After all, they weren’t very familiar. She had a headache. Offending a big shot, could she still catch a ride?

Su Ci sighed. There was no other way. Life had to go on. After two unsuccessful attempts to apologize, she decided to go with the flow.
Alright, let’s leave it at that for now. Otherwise, what else could she do? Frowning wouldn’t solve the problem. She should focus on developing penicillin. Once she successfully prepared it, she would have nothing to fear. As for Yang Yanzong, the Su and Yang families were closely connected. With her father around, she could probably still catch a ride, even if it was a bit annoying. Once she developed penicillin, he shouldn’t be a problem anymore.

Su Ci had already made some progress. Yang Yanzong’s people had brought back eleven or twelve jars, expanding the search range to the neighboring province. They also brought back some people. After discussing with them in detail, Su Ci eliminated the unsuitable and unqualified ones, focusing on one jar. The newly cultivated bacteria were growing well, and she began her nth attempt at purification. When she focused, time flew by. The turning point in Su Ci and Yang Yanzong’s relationship occurred seven days later in the trip to Wuchuan.
…

Su Ci gave up after two attempts to apologize because of the tense atmosphere outside. There was an undercurrent between Yang Yanzong and the heir.

A small-minded person is not a gentleman, and a man without poison is not a real man. Since there was disloyalty, the more capable he was, the greater the hidden danger. Ji Yan coldly asserted, “Yang Yanzong cannot be kept.”

In the face of great undertakings and the throne, all blood ties were insignificant.

Ji Yan’s eyes flashed with cold light and killing intent. Shi Shikun and his brother exchanged glances and bowed, “The heir is wise.”

The decision was made, but how to deal with Yang Yanzong smoothly? He was known as the heir’s blood-related cousin and had a title in front of the Sixth Prince. The Sixth Prince was still dealing with the military town’s return, and Yang Yanzong was the central figure in the military town incident. Dealing with him was very tricky. If the snake wasn’t killed, it could easily retaliate.

Shi Shiqian pondered for a while, “The heir might as well retreat to advance.”

“Retreat to advance?”

Shi Shiqian nodded, “Isn’t the military pay case at a critical point? It’s heard that the heir is selecting someone to go to Wuchuan.”

The Silver Sand military pay case was the key reason the heir had to sacrifice Yang Yanzong. The matter wasn’t over yet. After the emperor recovered, he would use this case to make trouble, aiming to eliminate at least one of the Fourth, Sixth, and Seventh Princes. The key figures, the Liu brothers, fled to Wuchuan, and all forces closely watched the place. The trip to Wuchuan was dangerous, and the Sixth Prince was disadvantaged. The difficulty was no less than retrieving a chestnut from the fire.

Ji Yan smiled, “Excellent.”

This was a life-threatening task. Even if they found the people, bringing them back alive was a problem. It was essential. A single mistake could bear unbearable responsibility. Didn’t you see that none of the heir’s men dared to volunteer?

Ji Yan didn’t think much of the trip to Wuchuan, believing the success rate was nearly zero. Instead of wasting effort on the Liu brothers, it was better to work on the Great Soldier. But that didn’t stop him from pushing Yang Yanzong into it!

It would be best if Yang Yanzong died in Wuchuan. If he didn’t die and the mission failed, Ji Yan could “reluctantly” deal with him! Killing two birds with one stone!
…

Yang Yanzong guessed Ji Yan’s thoughts and plans perfectly.

“If you want to get rid of me openly, the trip to Wuchuan is necessary.” Yang Yanzong coldly lifted his lips. However, his view was completely different from that of Ji Yan. The Silver Sand military pay case had reached a point where a few Great Soldiers couldn’t solve it. If the Sixth Prince’s mansion wanted to extricate itself from this whirlpool and even rise higher, one must first find the Liu brothers and the hidden silver mine. Otherwise, even if the Sixth Prince’s mansion survived, it would be severely weakened. In the current situation, once severely weakened, it would completely lose the chance for the throne. The Sixth Prince must have seen this clearly, so he insisted on selecting someone to go to Wuchuan immediately.

The heir’s plan perfectly aligned with Yang Yanzong’s intentions.

Wealth and honor are sought in danger. One must carve a bloody path to break through and win on the battlefield!

Su Ci was absolutely right; this was a man walking on a knife’s edge. Seeing that the heir was incapable, Yang Yanzong immediately focused his attention elsewhere, quickly setting his sights on the true master of the Sixth Prince’s mansion.

Yang Yanzong squinted. If this succeeded, he would smoothly transition under the Sixth Prince’s command. All current difficulties will be immediately resolved!

Therefore, Yang Yanzong did not stop the heir’s instigation but watched coldly. This matter was urgent, and by the following evening, there was a result. The Sixth Prince had heard of Yang Yanzong’s name; his son’s subordinate was known for his competence.

As dusk fell, the front courtyard study of the Sixth Prince’s mansion was brightly lit. The Sixth Prince, in his forties, with silver strands at his temples and bright eyes, listened to the strategist’s recommendation and pondered for a while. He then ordered Yang Yanzong to be called and asked, “Are you willing to go to Wuchuan?”

Yang Yanzong quickly glanced at the highest power center of the Sixth Prince’s mansion. His eyes were deep, and at that moment, everyone’s gaze was on him, especially the one to the left of the Sixth Prince.

Yang Yanzong did not hesitate for a moment. He swept his robe, knelt on one knee, and shouted, “I accept the order. Please rest assured, Your Highness!”

“Good!”

The Sixth Prince was greatly pleased. He personally helped Yang Yanzong up, patted his shoulder, and gave a few instructions, “This matter is urgent. You and Zhao Yuan will go separately and set off tonight.”

Yang Yanzong did not hesitate, “Yes!”

…

That evening, Su Ci was about to pack up and go home when she suddenly heard the sound of urgent horse hooves.

Yang Yanzhen dismounted and rushed in, “Second younger sister, quickly prepare. We are leaving for Wuchuan immediately!”

Due to a certain person’s injury, which might have worsened, they needed to bring a trusted doctor. Although the Sixth Prince had his own, having their own was essential.

Su Ci was stunned, “Oh, oh.”

Su Yan quickly asked, “Can I go?”

“At this critical time, don’t cause trouble!”

Su Ci quickly turned to pack up, urged by Yang Yanzhen and swiftly mounted the horse. They left the medical camp that day and embarked on the journey to Wuchuan.