TGCFNM -Chapter 154 If You Accuse Me, I’ll Accuse You Too

Chen Shi hurried over with his men, desperately squeezing through the crowd of onlookers. The moment he pushed his way inside, he heard waves of wailing cries.

When he finally got a clear look, he froze in shock.

Several young masters of the Gao family were lying on the ground, unable to get up. Even the guards beside them had been beaten down. The surrounding townsfolk kept sneaking glances at the new magistrate’s expression—yet not a single person dared to step forward to help.

Chu Ling tossed aside the whip in her hand and withdrew the foot she had planted on Gao Rong. “This official will reopen and retry this case. If you refuse to accept it, then go to the capital and file a complaint before the emperor.”

“I will definitely sue!” Gao Rong shouted.

Chu Ling looked at him, utterly unconcerned. “If you accuse me, I’ll accuse you too. You have your backing—I have mine. What will you accuse me of? For retrying a case? But when I accuse you, it will be for your Gao family acting like local tyrants in Linzhou. Let’s see who falls first—whether I lose my post, or whether your Gao family is wiped out.”

Wan Sanjin put his hands on his hips and grinned smugly, then signaled Chen Shi to help the orphaned girl onto a horse first. They would deal with everything else once they returned to the yamen.

“Go get a doctor. I’ll pay for the medicine,” Wan Sanjin said.

Gao Rong struggled to his feet, eyes bloodshot. “She still dares to see a doctor?!”

Wan Sanjin looked him up and down. “Even a beast like you deserves medical treatment. She’s a human being—why wouldn’t she?”

Gao Rong, unable to contain his rage, felt his fury surge to his head. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed unconscious.

Chen Shi clutched his violently pounding heart and looked at Wan Sanjin anxiously. “Master Wan… you and the magistrate… you…”

Wan Sanjin understood at once. “You’re wondering how we dare ignore powerful nobles, aren’t you?”

Chen Shi nodded heavily.

Wan Sanjin pondered for a moment. “Probably because if anything happens, our magistrate takes the blow first.”

“Huh?” Chen Shi was stunned. “Then why does the magistrate dare?”

“Well…” Wan Sanjin patted Chen Shi’s shoulder. “Our magistrate has been struck by lightning before. If even lightning doesn’t scare him, why would he be afraid of people?”

Still dazed, Chen Shi pushed his way back through the crowd to fetch a doctor.

After finishing the beating, Chu Ling felt refreshed and invigorated. She called out to Wan Sanjin and prepared to return to the yamen.

“Magistrate, the so-called Great Philanthropist Gao won’t just let this go, will he?”

“Yes… that’s the Gao family.”

The townsfolk’s voices grew lower and lower, their expressions increasingly fearful.

Ghost Scholar let out a mocking laugh. “Seems this ‘Great Philanthropist Gao’ is nothing but a joke.”

Chu Ling swung herself onto her horse and declared loudly, “This official will not let it go either.” With that, she spurred her horse forward and left.

By the time they returned to the yamen, Chen Shi had also arrived with the doctor.

The orphan girl had already been whipped several times by the Gao family’s men earlier and had long since fainted. Her face now flushed with an unnatural redness; her body was burning with fever. The burned flesh on her feet had even begun to emit a foul odor.

The doctor felt her pulse, then sighed helplessly, shaking his head. “What can be done? The high fever won’t subside, and the flesh on both feet has already begun to rot… She should have been treated earlier.”

Chen Shi sighed at his own helplessness. “Who would have dared?”

Chu Ling looked at him. “Are there any maids in the yamen? Wiping her body with alcohol can help reduce the fever. As for the rotten flesh on her feet, it must all be cut away.”

Chen Shi immediately ordered someone to fetch alcohol and summon a few maids.

The doctor looked at Chu Ling in surprise. “Magistrate, can alcohol really dispel the heat?”

“Yes. You may use this method in the future as well,” Chu Ling replied.

The doctor immediately cupped his hands in gratitude. “Thank you for your generosity, Magistrate. You are truly kind-hearted.”

“Doctor, besides the rotten flesh on her feet and the fever, what other problems does she have?” Chu Ling asked.

The doctor stroked his beard and sighed. “Her pulse is weak. Her qi and blood are depleted. She hasn’t eaten for many days, and because of the high fever, acupuncture with silver needles isn’t possible. We can only sustain her with medicinal decoctions for now. I still have half a ginseng root at my pharmacy—slice it into thin pieces and let her hold them in her mouth. When she wakes up, we’ll supplement it with gentle medicinal soups to nourish her.”

Chu Ling looked at Wan Sanjin. “Have Young Master Fu accompany the old gentleman back to his pharmacy. He is the number one young master under heaven and the grandson of Grand Tutor Fu. The Gao family wouldn’t dare act rashly.”

She wasn’t afraid of the Gao family—but she couldn’t allow others to be dragged into trouble because of her. At a time like this, Fu Qingyu’s name carried the most weight. Even the Gao family had to avoid confronting him head-on.

After all, he was someone even the Emperor valued highly.

Wan Sanjin nodded to show he understood. He personally escorted the old doctor back to the pharmacy and sent someone to inform Qingyu Bookshop.

Lowering her voice, Chu Ling asked, “Aunt Su, can you remove the rotten flesh?”

Bai Su shook her head. “It looks simple, but there’s no guarantee we won’t damage the tendons or bones. If we do, this girl’s feet will be ruined.”

Chu Ling grew anxious. The necrotic flesh was clearly inflamed. If it wasn’t removed, the recurring high fever would eventually take the woman’s life.

Ghost Scholar suddenly asked, “What about a coroner? Their techniques should be the most meticulous.”

Chu Ling gritted her teeth. “We’ll treat a dead horse as if it’s alive.” There was no other choice.

Su He had just returned after finding the corpse when Chu Ling summoned him into the room. After hearing her request, he immediately had someone boil water.

“Nervous?” Chu Ling asked. “Are you confident?”

Su He opened his tools and turned to her. “My Lord, you can trust me.”

Miraculously, Chu Ling calmed at once. She ordered the water to be boiled quickly and had a small brazier lit nearby.

After soaking the blade in hot water, Su He passed it through the fire. Staring at the woman’s foot, he tightened his grip on the handle and began.

Even in her unconscious state, the woman trembled violently in pain. Large beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, all color drained from her face, and she had to be forcibly restrained.

Chu Ling couldn’t bear to watch and turned her back.

Ghost Scholar’s face was livid with anger. “If one serves as an official, one should stand up for the common people—not act as a lapdog for the powerful!”

“Some people refuse to be human and insist on being beasts,” Chu Ling said through tightly pressed lips. “How has Great Zhou fallen into such chaos? Is there not a single person willing to open their eyes and truly look?”

“There was!” Ghost Scholar bit out through clenched teeth. “But that person is dead.”

A dull ache spread through Chu Ling’s chest, leaving her at a loss for words.

About a quarter of an hour later—

“My Lord.” Su He stood up, wiping the sweat from his brow. “It needs medicine and bandaging.”

Chu Ling said, “Wan Sanjin has gone back to the inn to fetch the hemostatic medicine. He’ll return with the old doctor shortly.”

Su He sighed, inexplicably saddened. “All the necrotic flesh has been removed. But her foot… it’s ruined. The wound was neglected too long—the bone was already exposed.”

Chu Ling closed her eyes, unable to look.

Soon, Wan Sanjin returned, and the old doctor brought ginseng slices. They applied medicine and bandaged the wound. Afterward, they placed a slice of ginseng in the woman’s mouth and had someone wipe her down with wine to reduce the fever.

Once everything was handled, the group stepped out of the room.

“My Lord’s hemostatic medicine is truly miraculous,” the old doctor praised.

After a moment’s thought, Chu Ling glanced at Wan Sanjin. He immediately understood.

“Doctor, tomorrow I’ll have someone deliver the prescription to you.”

The old doctor waved his hands at once. “That won’t do, that won’t do.”

“A prescription exists to save lives,” Chu Ling said. “Should it be hidden away until it gathers dust? It would be better in your hands, so you can save more people.”

The old doctor sighed with emotion. “My Lord is kind-hearted.”

Chu Ling gave a faint smile.

Uprooting the Gao family completely—that would be true kindness.