Marrying a concubine and swallowing her dowry? The mistress turns around and marries a high-ranking

Chapter 153

Qin Shaoze lowered his head and said with shame, "It is my incompetence. I suffered internal injuries on the Northwest battlefield years ago and was unaware that my body had been harboring hidden dangers all along. That day, while suppressing bandits, my old injuries suddenly flared up, causing me to fall from my horse... I have disgraced the court and failed Your Majesty's expectations. I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"

His reasoning was quite good. When the emperor heard that it was an old wound from the battlefield years ago that had flared up, he immediately found it difficult to punish Qin Shaoze.

The soldiers wounded on the battlefield have all sacrificed themselves for the country. Now that the bandits have been wiped out and no major consequences have occurred, severely punishing Qin Shaoze for this would inevitably discourage the soldiers.

The emperor coughed and said, "In that case, I will punish you for negligence and deduct half a year's salary. How can you not even understand your own body? Do you need the imperial physician to examine you?"

Upon hearing that he would be fined half a year's salary, Qin Shaoze felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

For an average official, a six-month salary deduction is the least severe punishment, practically negligible.

But for the not-so-wealthy Marquis's household, this money was also very important. His own daily allowance came entirely from his salary.

Then he heard the emperor say that he would send the imperial physician to him. He was startled: "Thank you, Your Majesty. I have already consulted a doctor. Once the old injury has healed, there is no serious problem. There is no need to trouble the imperial physician."

The emperor followed his lead and waved for him to leave.

Qin Shaoze returned with lingering fear, his resolve only growing stronger in his heart.

He must keep the secret that his martial arts skills have been lost, or he'll be truly finished!

......

The Yongning Marquis's Residence.

As Shen Lingjun helped Qin Jianxi choose summer clothes, he listened to Dou Niang recount the uproar about Qin Shaoze that had been circulating outside the city that day.

"...They all say that the Marquis was captured by bandits yesterday and suffered a great humiliation! I won't go into the filthy and vulgar things they said, but I heard that the bandits urinated on him... Haha, I think that must be true!"

Shen Lingjun laughed as he listened.

Just as she had planned, Qin Shaoze was caught off guard and fell off his horse when he started fighting the bandits. He was captured by the bandits and taken hostage.

Unfortunately, he wasn't injured or anything, but he was humiliated by the bandits, which is why he was so angry when he returned home last night.

Qin Shaoze invited Doctor Jiang to the Marquis's residence last night, presumably to check on his health, but Doctor Jiang clearly couldn't find anything wrong with him.

Huahunsan was developed by Shen Lingjun's master, Elder Xingju, and it is not something that ordinary doctors can recognize.

Qin Shaoze is now a half-crippled man who has lost all his martial arts skills. He is trying his best to hide this fact from the outside world, and still hopes to hold on to the position of general and make merit on the battlefield.

Although he wasn't punished by the emperor this time, if he were to actually go to the battlefield in this condition, he would definitely be even more anticipated.

The day she dies, a day of great joy, is probably not too far away.

Shen Lingjun picked out a few designs and gave them to Dou Niang, saying, "These will do for now. Have the shop make them."

Qin Jianxi and Qin Chuyao only returned to the Yongning Marquis's residence last autumn, and they didn't have any summer clothes. Shen Lingjun is now procuring summer clothes for them in advance.

It's fine if Qin Chuyao is a boy, but Qin Jianxi is a four-year-old girl. She should be at the age where she cares about her appearance, so we need to pay special attention to her.

Just as Dou Niang was about to leave, she turned around and bumped into Mo Zhonggui, who was walking in.

He quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Chief Supervisor Mo!"

Shen Lingjun turned her head upon hearing the sound, and upon seeing Mo Zhonggui's expression, her heart skipped a beat, as if it had been gripped tightly by a large hand.

The last time he came, when he told her that her father and brothers might not be dead, he had the same solemn expression, without the slightest hint of jest.

Suppressing his nervousness, Shen Lingjun asked in a hoarse voice, "Is there any news about my father and brothers?"

Mo Zhonggui nodded: "They are indeed not dead. My people have found them and brought them back to Kyoto, but their journey is slow and it will take more than a month for them to arrive."

Shen Lingjun felt dizzy, and a huge wave of emotions surged towards her, almost knocking her over.