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

Chapter 23

Shen Lingjun waited for half a month after returning to the Yongning Marquis's residence.

These past two weeks have felt like an eternity to her.

She tossed and turned all night, her dreams filled with her two children.

But we have no choice but to wait during this period.

The symptoms of tuberculosis will not begin to subside until at least half a month after treatment.

The key to bringing the twins back to the Yongning Marquis's residence undoubtedly lies with that old woman, Li Ma.

She must demonstrate the ability to truly save Li Ma's son's life in order to gain Li Ma's favor.

During this time, she finally finished refining the Huahun Powder, but it's not the right time for Qin Shaoze to use it yet.

She at least needs to reclaim her biological child first, otherwise if Qin Shaoze dies now, the title of Marquis of Yongning will fall to the heir Qin Xuanrui.

Half a month later, Shen Lingjun returned to the manor.

When Li Ma saw her arrive, she practically wanted to kowtow three times and bow nine times, welcoming her in with the utmost enthusiasm.

Shen Lingjun asked, "How is your son now?"

Li Ma was beaming with joy, and her whole demeanor seemed refreshed.

"Much better! I'm not wheezing anymore, and I'm not coughing as much! ...You're a miracle doctor! Thank you so much for your kindness..."

Shen Lingjun examined Li Ma's son again and said, "He has indeed improved. Next, we need to change to a new prescription and continue taking it for another month. This should basically control the condition. He just needs to take care of himself in the future, but he will be a little weaker than the average person."

Tears welled up in Li's eyes. As long as her only son could survive and she wouldn't have to bury him, she was already incredibly grateful.

"Divine doctor, please prescribe a new medicine for my son... I have already enshrined you in my family ancestral hall, burning three sticks of incense every day, praying for your lifelong peace, prosperity, and good fortune..."

Shen Lingjun wrote out the prescription, and Li Ma respectfully tried to come up and take it, but Shen Lingjun took it back and didn't give it to her.

Li Ma's face stiffened for a moment, then she understood and took out a silver note and several silver ingots: "Divine Doctor, I have one hundred and twenty taels of silver here, which is all I have left. If it's not enough, I'll go and get more..."

Shen Lingjun did not take her money, and said leisurely, "I don't need money, but I need you to do something for me."

Li Ma immediately agreed: "As long as my son gets better, I'm willing to do anything for you!"

Shen Lingjun removed the veil from her face.

"I am Shen Lingjun, the wife of the Marquis of Yongning."

Li Ma's expression changed drastically!

She was so frightened that she was speechless and panicked, and she knelt down before Shen Lingjun with a thud.

"I...this servant...this servant did not know you were Madam Shen...how could you...?"

"You want to ask me how I ended up here?" Shen Lingjun continued, "Because the twins on this estate are my biological children."

As if struck by lightning, Li Ma collapsed to the ground with a thud.

She was terrified and desperately kowtowed to Shen Lingjun.

"Madam, spare me! Madam, spare me! ... Punish me as you see fit, but please, save my son!"

Li Ma wasn't stupid. She immediately realized that since Shen Lingjun had managed to get to the manor and knew that the twins were her biological children, she must know about the child swapping incident back then!

She took the lady's own flesh and blood away and hid them on the estate for three years. How could the lady possibly forgive her?

Shen Lingjun looked calmly at Li Ma.

“I know you are acting under the Marquis’s orders, so there’s no point in punishing you. But as I just said, I need you to do something for me.”

Shen Lingjun said, enunciating each word clearly, "Reveal the truth about how the Marquis's mansion switched the legitimate children with the sons of his concubines back then."

She doesn't intend to resolve this behind closed doors.

The bigger the commotion, the more it will ruin Qin Shaoze and Liu Manman's reputation.

Li Ma was terrified, her face turning deathly pale: "But... Madam, I dare not! The Marquis will surely kill me!"

This would be a huge hole!

The entire Yongning Marquis's residence will be in chaos!

Shen Lingjun said calmly, "If you are willing to do as I say, I will not only cure your son's tuberculosis, but also give you a thousand taels of silver and arrange for your family to go to the south and live a long and happy life."

As she said this, her tone changed abruptly and turned cold.

"But if you're unwilling... you can probably guess what will happen. I'll still expose this matter, and when you're held accountable, your son will simply die of illness."

Shen Lingjun looked at Li Ma, who was trembling like a leaf, with a half-smile.

"I'll give you half a day to think it over. I believe you will make the right choice."

......

Kyoto, on the city gate.

Mo Chonggui stood atop the city wall, gazing at the straight official road in front of the city gate, stretching far into the distance until it disappeared into the horizon.

That was the same road Shen Lingjun had taken last time.

Ye Huaichi came up.

"My lord, I have confirmed this repeatedly. The servants in the Yongning Marquis's residence all agree that the Yongning Marquis was heavily intoxicated on his wedding night and did not wake up until very late the next day. He had just gotten up when he received a battle report that a group of generals were needed to reinforce the northwest border. He immediately packed his things and left the capital that same day. He did nothing else."

Mo Zhonggui's tone was heavy: "He's not spending time with Shen Lingjun anymore?"

Ye Huaichi said with certainty, "No, the servants said that Marquis Yongning must have disliked Madam Shen very much at the time, otherwise why would he be in such a hurry to leave on the second day of the wedding?"

Mo Zhonggui fell into a long silence.

Ye Huaichi was completely bewildered. After hesitating for a long time, he mustered his courage and asked, "Chief Supervisor, you asked me to investigate these things, what exactly is it...?"

Mo Zhonggui did not answer him. After a long while, he said, "Which estate does Shen Lingjun's two children live on? Take me there."

The two rode out of the city and arrived at the village in half an hour.

Ye Huaichi, with Mo Zhonggui in tow, hid on the roof. He pointed to the two children in the courtyard below and said, "Master, these are them."

Mo Zhonggui stared intently at the twins, his eyes brimming with countless dark and complex emotions, surging like giant waves rolling in the night.

They all look very much like Shen Lingjun, except for their eyes.

Shen Lingjun's eyes are willow-leaf eyes, with long and sharp lines. They lack the gentle and affectionate look of a typical woman, instead appearing like icicles, exuding a cold and sharp aura.

Both children had large, beautiful almond-shaped eyes with narrow double eyelids, upturned corners, and eyelashes as long as raven feathers.

Her phoenix eyes were almost identical to Mo Zhonggui's.

Ye Huaichi also noticed this, and he finally realized it belatedly.

I gasped.

"Master, could they... be your children?"