Chapter Eleven: A Clever Plan Backfires

“...” Wang Da didn’t know how to respond. Damn it! Why was Chen Jie contradicting him here? Did he really not hold a grudge against Jiang Bai for stealing his family’s medical prescriptions? Or was he simply able to set aside all biases for the sake of the wounded?

Chen Jie looked at his longtime friend, momentarily at a loss for words, feeling somewhat disappointed. He had little connection with Jiang Bai, and Jiang Bai might not even find where he hid the prescriptions. Besides his own disciple, only Chen Jie knew their hiding place... Without waiting for more, Chen Jie took his apprentice away to prepare the medicine.

Wang Da watched Chen Jie’s retreating figure, bitterly regretting being caught off guard by this unexpected turn and failing to continue his argument. Usually, when he spoke, Chen Jie would agree out of habit. He hadn’t seen that as a sign of their close relationship or Chen Jie's loyalty to him, but rather resented Chen Jie for not siding with him, his closest comrade.

Wang Da felt his theft of the prescriptions from Chen Jie had been in vain. Indeed, he never intended to spare Jiang Bai. Unlike Military Doctor Liu, who only wanted to dominate others and gain the upper hand, Wang Da aimed to take Jiang Bai’s life outright! He refused to believe that stealing prescriptions, harming soldiers, forging identities, and boldly treating a general could go unpunished.

Jiang Bai was a rising star; so young yet so accomplished. If she were allowed to live, who knew how far she might rise? As the leader of the military medical team, Wang Da would never tolerate anyone overshadowing him.

Military Doctor Liu glanced disdainfully at his ineffective ally but knew the charade must continue. He stepped forward, “Regardless, even if Jiang Bai can reproduce another prescription, it doesn’t erase the fact that she caused such serious consequences. Deputy Commander Chen, Deputy Commander Yang, she must be dealt with according to military orders.”

Jiang Bai wanted to ask if she should take a test to prove herself, but she wasn’t sure if she or he was the one lacking sense. She stared at Yang Bin, frozen in place. If he didn’t resolve this or was too incompetent to act until she intervened personally, then this army truly was unworthy.

From Wang Da and the others’ perspective, Jiang Bai was just a young woman, overwhelmed by their combined assault, now waiting for Yang Bin’s support.

“What happened here?” Duan Jing was called over by a soldier recently sent out by Yang Bin.

“Advisor, the doctor Yang Bin recruited is a fraud. The wrong prescriptions were used, and our men have been poisoned. He may have fled out of guilt!” Li Yuan quickly interrupted.

“Oh?” Duan Jing feigned curiosity as one of Yang Bin’s subordinates, who had been standing nearby, hurriedly briefed him on the situation. In truth, Duan Jing had been there a while, but he thought this might be a good opportunity to win Jiang Bai’s loyalty quickly.

“Setting aside whether Jiang Bai truly got the prescription wrong, her medical skill is undeniable—after all, she saved so many lives,” Duan Jing remarked.

Jiang Bai nearly rolled her eyes. Wang Da and the others would surely next claim that if the true owner of the prescription were here, none of the soldiers would have lost limbs.

“Advisor, perhaps Jiang Bai learned these prescriptions by sneaking into the clinic. If the rightful owner were present, these men wouldn’t have ended up disabled. He’s playing with their lives,” Military Doctor Liu stirred trouble.

If she guessed right, Duan Jing’s next words would surely mention the general.

“The general has already recovered splendidly. Isn’t that proof enough of Jiang Bai’s skill?” Duan Jing tried to leave a good impression on her.

Jiang Bai thought to herself: The general’s recovery just proves the prescription’s efficacy.

“The general is favored by fortune, and with this miraculous prescription, he will recover even faster. Then, Advisor, we should ask Jiang Bai directly—where is the person who owns this prescription?” Wang Da said.

Duan Jing found it absurd. His own brother was now lively and well, yet they claimed he was healed by a mere apprentice? If apprentices had such skill, everyone should become apprentices, and when seeking doctors, they’d specifically ask for those from the apprentice ranks.

Duan Jing smiled faintly, scanning the crowd before resting his gaze on Jiang Bai. “Doctor Jiang, since everyone doubts your skill, why don’t you explain this prescription yourself?”

Jiang Bai wished Duan Jing would consult a magical conch instead of putting the miraculous prescription through such trouble. Looking him over carefully for the first time, she noted his handsome face but thought this was exactly the cliché late-arriving, domineering CEO hero who saves the heroine from trouble. Tsk, she really wasn’t cut out to be a romance novel heroine.

Her cold glance made Duan Jing suspect she hadn’t been properly trained. “The prescription is my own work. As for why there was a problem, I need to examine the ingredients myself.”

“Examine them personally?” Military Doctor Liu sneered. “Young Jiang, you can’t even distinguish basic herbs, yet you dare claim to write prescriptions? The prescription uses Tian Hua Fen and Bai Zhi, which have conflicting properties. Don’t you know that?”

Jiang Bai frowned lightly but spoke calmly, “Tian Hua Fen and Bai Zhi do conflict, but the problem is I never personally collected the herbs.”

She walked to the desk holding the medication records, picked up the book, and shook it gently. A single sheet documenting the herbs taken for the general slipped out. After admiring the paper briefly, Jiang Bai lifted her eyes and looked mockingly at Military Doctor Liu and Wang Da. “Someone tampered with it.”

“Tampered with it?” Wang Da’s face turned pale. “Jiang Bai, what exactly do you mean by that?”

“Just as you see.” Jiang Bai tapped her foot lightly on the paper. “The medication records are kept in bound volumes without any signs of removal. This sheet must have been inserted later.”

“That’s impossible!” The young herbal assistant’s face changed, and he hurriedly defended himself. “I wrote the records myself; how could there be a mistake?”

“You wrote them yourself?” Jiang Bai sneered. “Prescriptions are recorded by designated personnel. If you wrote it by hand, it looks like you’re framing me.”

The herbal assistant’s face instantly went pale, sweat beading on his forehead. He opened his mouth but couldn’t utter a word.

“What’s going on here?” Yang Bin’s gaze was sharp as a blade, fixed on him.

The assistant lowered his head in panic, voice trembling incoherently, “I... I don’t know. I really saw Doctor Jiang take the herbs, but I swear I didn’t tamper with anything...”

“Enough!” Yang Bin took the record book from Jiang Bai and examined it closely, cutting off the assistant’s excuses. “Look closely at this! If you’re going to frame someone, at least don’t leave evidence in the book. Who do you think you’re insulting by slipping in a forged sheet?”

The assistant’s face drained of color as he stared at the record book. When he tried to protest again, his eyes involuntarily flicked toward Military Doctor Liu for help.

Liu shot him a warning glance and then looked away.

The assistant bent down and knelt, resigned, saying no more.

Duan Jing took the book from Yang Bin, flipped through it briefly, and couldn’t help but smile. Today’s affair hadn’t gone well. It seemed he hadn’t left a good impression on Jiang Bai after all.