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

Chapter 690

Qi Xuan thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I'll wait until you're completely cured of the poison before we talk about it."

Qi Xuan settled down in the East Palace.

He traveled for more than ten years and wrote many notebooks and medical books, all of which were copied by Shen Lingjun.

Shen Lingjun plundered Naihe Mountain and the Western Qi treasury, reaping a great harvest. He also shared the ancient books and prescriptions he obtained with Qi Xuan.

On the other side, Mo Zhonggui ordered a thorough search of the entire city of An, but still could not find the nine-flowered rat that bit Shen Lingjun.

These little mice might bite someone and then be killed by their owners, who might bury them anywhere and never find them again.

Furthermore, since it can find targets a dozen or twenty miles away, it can simply place them on the ground in some corner outside; there's no need to bring them into the Eastern Palace and then release them. This further increases the difficulty of the investigation.

Although this nine-spotted mouse is tiny, it's clear that the person behind it is very clever.

Even if the assassination fails, the mastermind behind it is difficult to find out, which is something that even many assassins may not be able to do.

However, Mo Zhonggui found several kinds of rat repellent and sprinkled them layer upon layer around the East Palace and Shen Lingjun's residence.

They also made some sachets and pouches for Shen Lingjun to carry with him at all times.

Because it's hard to say whether the other party has other spotted rats, or whether they will release them again. These small animals are much harder to guard against than humans.

A few days later, Shen Lingjun's health gradually recovered, and at the same time, it was the Mid-Autumn Festival, August 15th.

On the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival, a palace banquet was to be held as usual, but Emperor Huo Tingsheng was unwell, so the banquet was naturally canceled.

Shen Lingjun had been cooped up in the East Palace for so long that he was about to go crazy, so he decided to go out for a trip with Mo Chonggui, Qin Jianxi, and Qin Chuyao as a family.

In Ancheng, moon-viewing and moon-appreciation are very popular during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The wealthy often build decorated pavilions, while the poor gather in restaurants. Those who enjoy traveling either climb to the top of a mountain or go boating on the water. Scholars compose poems, artists tell stories, drink and sing, and engage in entertainment, often continuing all night long, fully enjoying the moon-viewing experience. The market on the main street continues until dawn, and moon-viewing enthusiasts linger in the market until daybreak.

On such a festive occasion, Shen Lingjun felt it wouldn't be right to leave Qi Xuan alone in the East Palace while the whole family was out, so he sent someone to invite him as well, only to receive a two-word reply: "Not going."

Shen Lingjun went to invite him personally, only to find Qi Xuan in his room, completely oblivious to the festive atmosphere outside, engrossed in studying medical books.

She found it both funny and helpless. Qi Xuan was still the same as he was in his youth; back then, he didn't even want to celebrate the New Year.

"Senior brother, it's the Mid-Autumn Festival, don't stay cooped up in your room alone, go out for a walk."

After struggling for a long time, it was finally possible to pull Qi Xuan out.

But he was reluctant and distracted the whole way.

Shen Lingjun booked a private room on the second floor of a large riverside restaurant in Ancheng. It had the best spot for moon viewing and could also see the performances on the busiest street below.

Qin Jianxi and Qin Chuyao were extremely grateful to Qi Xuan for saving their mother's life, and they pulled him back to the world of normal people, one on each side.

Qin Jianxi: "Uncle-Master, how old are you?"

Qi Xuan: "Twenty-eight."

Qin Jianxi: "Do you have a girl you like?"

Qi Xuan: "...No."

Qin Jianxi: "So what kind of girl do you like?"

Qi Xuan: "I don't like girls!"

Qin Jianxi asked in surprise, "You don't like girls, so you like gentlemen? ...Okay, I don't discriminate against you. So what kind of gentleman do you like?"

Qi Xuan: "..."

Shen Lingjun laughed from the side, "Xi'er, stop teasing your uncle. He just doesn't like humans. In ancient times, people took plum blossoms as wives and cranes as children. His wife would probably only be his medical books."

Qin Jianxi was very open-minded: "Oh, you're a single person? That's fine too. Spending your life dealing with knowledge is also a way of life. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."

Qi Xuan: "......" How come this eight-year-old child talks like an eighty-year-old ancestor who has seen through everything?

The restaurant staff brought out drinks and snacks, and the family chatted and enjoyed the moon while drinking.

Just then, a melodious and pleasant sound of a zither suddenly came from across the river.

Everyone looked in that direction and saw a stunningly beautiful woman dressed in white sitting gracefully on the terrace of another restaurant across the river, playing the zither under the moon.

She wore no extra jewelry, and her silky black hair cascaded over her shoulders, tied only with a white ribbon.

She wore a wide-sleeved robe, the plain white fabric of which seemed to be woven with silver threads, shimmering under the moonlight. The threads flowed and changed with her movements, shining as coolly as moonlight, yet even more ethereal than moonlight.

A gentle night breeze stirred, lifting her long hair and wide sleeves, making her look like a fairy descended from the moon to earth, ethereal and otherworldly.

The music was ethereal and melodious, drifting gently across the river. For a moment, it was impossible to tell whether the moonlight was brighter or the music was more serene.

In an instant, the noise in the restaurants and teahouses on both sides of the river all quieted down.

Almost everyone watched the woman from a distance, listening to the continuous melody of her zither, afraid of disturbing this scene that seemed like a fairy descending to earth.

Because she was closer, Shen Lingjun recognized the stunning woman at a glance as Sheng Qiongluo, the famous beauty of Ancheng.

Only a woman of such exceptional talent and beauty could deliver such a stunning performance.

It seems Sheng Qiongluo is in a good mood tonight. After this night, her reputation in Ancheng will probably rise to another level.

Beside him, Qi Xuan stared blankly at the woman playing the zither under the moon on the distant balcony, as if his heart had been struck hard.

Immersed in this picturesque scene, I was unable to come back to my senses for a long time.

He used to regard women as mere skeletons, never showing any interest in any woman in the world. Now he suddenly realized that perhaps it was simply because the women he had met before were not the ones he was with now.

He had been waiting for her to appear all these years.