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

Chapter 524

The majority of the territory of the Western Qi state lay within a vast, shallow basin. Unlike the desolate and barren border regions, the basin was not filled with sandstorms; its climate was relatively humid and pleasant.

Ancheng, the capital of the Western Qi Kingdom, is located in the central-eastern part of the basin. It is a large city comparable to that of the Northern Yi Kingdom.

Many of the people in the original Western Qi delegation had seen Shen Lingjun before. Fearing that she would be recognized here, Shen Lingjun changed her clothes again before going to the Seventh Prince's residence.

Although Huo Jinghuai left the palace and established his own residence after coming of age, the Seventh Prince's residence was extremely shabby. It could only be said to barely meet the regulations for a prince's residence. In reality, the building was old, dilapidated, and covered in dust, a broken house that had been passed down from who-knows-when.

Shen Lingjun went inside, and soon Huo Jinghuai came out to greet her.

After arriving in Western Qi, Mo Chonggui adopted Huo Jinghuai's appearance.

He and Huo Jinghuai were born of the same father, so they naturally looked somewhat alike. Disguising themselves wasn't difficult; a thin mask would suffice.

After Huo Jinghuai's death, the disguise expert by Mo Zhonggui's side used Huo Jinghuai's face as a mold to create an identical mask. It was breathable, fit the face well, and was easy to wear.

These masks have a limited lifespan; they typically harden and age after a month or two. However, Mo Zhonggui brought this master of disguise directly to Xiqi, allowing for the continuous creation of new masks.

Huo Jinghuai was slightly shorter and thinner than Mo Zhonggui. But Huo Jinghuai had been away from Ancheng for several months, and upon his return, this subtle difference was generally imperceptible to most people.

Shen Lingjun was stunned for a moment when she saw the flawless "Huo Jinghuai" before she realized that it was Mo Zhonggui.

Mo Zhonggui's acting was so convincing. His timid, dejected, and utterly lifeless demeanor perfectly captured the essence of an unfavored prince with an awkward social status, practically invisible.

Qin Chuyao stared at Mo Zhonggui for a long time, then asked, "You...you're my godfather?"

Mo Zhonggui smiled: "It's good that you don't recognize me."

He looked at Shen Lingjun: "How was the journey?"

Shen Lingjun replied, "It went fairly smoothly."

Mo Zhonggui: "You've come all this way, so settle down and rest first. We can talk about it later."

Mo Zhonggui led Shen Lingjun and the others to the accommodations that had been prepared for them long ago.

There were only a few servants in the Seventh Prince's residence. Shen Lingjun and Qin Chuyao, a woman and a child, definitely couldn't live there; it would be too suspicious.

Mo Chonggui bought them a small courtyard house with two sections next to the Seventh Prince's residence, and opened a small gate so they could come and go directly from there.

Shen Lingjun went inside and found it spacious, clean, bright and pleasant. It was winter now, and most of the plants had withered, but there was a flourishing red plum tree and several pots of camellias of various colors in the courtyard, which were still blooming in the cold and still looked full of vitality.

The room was fully furnished, and the servants were all ready.

A stewardess-like woman came forward and said, "Madam, I am the steward of this house, my surname is Liu. The hot water is ready, would you and the young master like to take a bath and change clothes first? I will have the kitchen prepare dinner in a moment."

Shen Lingjun looked at Mo Zhonggui, knowing that this was all prepared on his orders, and a complicated feeling arose in his heart.

She only glanced at it once, but it was as if she had been burned by fire; she immediately looked away.

He replied absentmindedly, "Okay."

Shen Lingjun had traveled from the capital of Beiyi to Xiqi'an City, and was exhausted from the long journey.