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

Chapter 9

Dou Niang helped Shen Lingjun pack her clothes and said happily, "Madam is so clever! Now they can no longer covet your dowry!"

Shen Lingjun smiled and said, "This is just the beginning."

Shen Lingjun is a disciple of the most renowned physician in the martial arts world, the Old Man of Apricot and Orange.

Her father, Shen Wei, had a deep friendship with the old man Xingju. When she was a child, she was in poor health, and her father sent her to the old man Xingju for treatment. At the age of seven, she showed amazing medical talent.

The old man named Xingju took her in as his last disciple and taught her for eight years, imparting all his medical skills to her.

When Shen Lingjun graduated, he had already surpassed his master.

But she rarely revealed her medical skills after that.

The old man named Xingju was renowned throughout the land for his exceptional medical skills, which saved countless lives and brought blessings to the world. However, he also made many mortal enemies.

He died because his enemies came seeking revenge, and they even threatened to wipe out his entire family.

Therefore, before his death, the old man Xingju repeatedly instructed Shen Lingjun not to reveal her medical skills. If people recognized her as his disciple, her enemies would definitely come after her.

Although it was a pity that his medical skills were lost, he still cared more about the life and safety of his most beloved young disciple.

Shen Lingjun strictly followed her master's last wishes and kept her medical skills well hidden. When she prescribed medicine for Old Madam Qin, she always used the name of Doctor Zhang.

But now, she has to resort to medical skills.

The medicines that Shen Lingjun used to prescribe for Old Mrs. Qin were all very mild. Although they were not very effective, they could maintain Old Mrs. Qin's health to the greatest extent possible.

Now, she no longer cares about Old Madam Qin and prescribes only potent and dangerous medicines. While they may seem to have immediate effects, if Old Madam Qin continues to take them, her health will only deteriorate, and she will likely die at least ten years younger.

And Qin Shaoze.

She is going to lose her husband.

Shen Lingjun picked up his pen and wrote out another list.

He instructed the Bean Sprout: "Go to several pharmacies and buy all the medicines listed here."

She wants to refine the mixed powder.

Huahunsan is a slow-acting drug that weakens a person's constitution, especially martial arts practitioners, causing their skills to gradually become unstable. Those who practice external martial arts will experience stiffness and weakness; those who practice internal martial arts are prone to qi deviation and demonic possession.

Qin Shaoze, as a marquis-level military officer, has a certain status and position, and is not someone that Shen Lingjun can easily resolve.

Moreover, she didn't want to kill anyone herself. Her hands were meant for healing and saving lives; how could she shed blood for someone like Qin Shaoze?

Ideally, it should be done without bloodshed, so that she herself doesn't have to take any lives.

Shen Lingjun's face turned cold.

She has already recouped the principal over the past three years; now it's time to pay the interest.

......

Shen Lingjun took 50,000 taels of silver notes and went to the Shen residence.

The Shen family was small; Shen Wei and his wife, Madam Wen, had one son and two daughters: Shen Jingyang, Shen Lingxia, and Shen Lingjun.

Shen Lingxia, the elder sister, has also married and is no longer in the capital. Shen Wei and Shen Jingyang died on the battlefield in the northwest border region.

Shen Jingyang had already arranged a marriage, and was originally supposed to return to the capital this year to get married, but the marriage has now naturally fallen through.

Now, only Madam Wen remains in the Shen family mansion.

Shen Lingjun led Dou Niang into the Shen residence.

The entire Shen residence was shrouded in a deathly silence. Although servants were still sweeping and cleaning, maintaining cleanliness and order, there was no human warmth. A sense of desolation and decay permeated the very core of the place.

Ms. Wen was sitting in a rocking chair in the backyard garden, covered with a blanket, staring blankly at the lake in the distance.

The sunlight shone on her, but it brought her no warmth.

She seemed even thinner than before, looking gaunt and haggard. She was only in her early thirties, but her hair was already starting to turn gray.

Her eyes were like a stagnant pool, lifeless and still, her expression dull and numb, as if she had no life at all.

The deaths of her husband and son were a huge blow to her.

Alone, guarding this empty Shen mansion, one can only imagine her state of mind.

Shen Lingjun felt a sharp pain in his heart upon seeing this.

She only regretted that she was already a married woman and could not stay by her mother's side to accompany her through this most painful time.

Shen Lingjun stepped forward, and when Madam Wen saw her, the gloomy, lifeless look in her eyes finally faded away.

She stood up nervously: "Jun'er, how is it?"

Shen Lingjun had already told Wen Shi the true nature of the Yongning Marquis's mansion and also explained her plans.

After all, it wouldn't be easy for her to deal with the Marquis's mansion all by herself.

Moreover, Wen needed a belief to support her to live on, otherwise Shen Lingjun was very worried that she would become heartbroken and might even commit suicide one day.

She was worried about her daughter being wronged or in danger at the Marquis's mansion, so she naturally wouldn't do anything foolish.

Shen Lingjun took out the 50,000 taels of silver notes: "The dowry has all been collected and converted into cash. Here are the 50,000 taels of silver notes for you."

When Wen wanted to refuse, Shen Lingjun said, "We can't put all our eggs in one basket. If the Marquis's mansion finds out that I have so much money and knows that I've cheated them, then we're finished."

Only then did Ms. Wen accept the silver note.

The farms and shops in Shen Lingjun's dowry were all fertile and prosperous properties with high incomes. Of course, she did not actually sell them at a low price, but secretly transferred them to the Wen family.

With her father and brother defeated and killed, it was already a miracle that the emperor hadn't punished the Shen family. Now, only Madam Wen remained of the Shen family; it existed in name only, and it seemed unlikely they would even survive in the future.

Having more cash and sources of income will allow the Shen family to survive longer.

Wen knew what Shen Lingjun meant, gritted her teeth, and secretly made up her mind.

She chose the Yongning Marquis's mansion for her youngest daughter back then, but little did she know it would turn out to be a hellhole that devours people.

Now that her daughter is trapped in a den of wolves and has to deal with those heartless bastards, she can no longer afford to remain depressed.

We must pull ourselves together and keep the Shen family business running so that we can be a support and backing for our daughter!

......

Shen Lingjun returned to the Yongning Marquis's residence.

When she returned to her parents' home, no one said anything about her, and no one suspected anything.

Firstly, her family only had her widowed mother left, and as a daughter, it was only right for her to visit her mother and fulfill her filial duty.

Secondly, she had just emptied her entire dowry, so in the eyes of Old Madam Qin and others, she had no value left, and they took her even less seriously.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the Shou'an Courtyard of the Yongning Marquis's residence was rather subtle.

For the past few days, Liu Manman had been staying at home, not venturing out, until she heard that Old Madam Qin had met a miracle doctor and her condition had improved. Only then did she come to the Marquis's residence.

"What? The old lady has recovered?"

Liu Manman feigned genuine surprise: "How is it okay?"

When Old Mrs. Qin saw her, her attitude was no longer as warm as before.

"It was a mysterious itinerant doctor who called himself Lady Ghost. He came to my door and prescribed medicine for me."

She didn't dare mention that she had spent 100,000 taels of silver to buy the prescription.

Liu Manman sighed regretfully.

"I had just developed a suitable treatment plan and the medicine was ready, and I was just about to give it to you! I didn't expect you to have improved so much! ... But as long as you are healthy, that's all that matters!"

As she spoke, Liu Manman pretended to take out several kinds of medicine that she had prepared in advance.

Of course, she just grabbed these medicines randomly, just to make an appearance. Anyway, Grandma Qin already had medicine, and she wouldn't actually take it now.

She just wanted to prove that her medical skills were actually quite good, she was just unlucky to be a step too late!

Old Mrs. Qin's confidence in Liu Manman had been somewhat shaken, but after hearing what Liu Manman said, her doubts disappeared.

As for Qin Shaoze, he never suspected Liu Manman at all.

He had seen her unprecedented medical skills and miraculous medicines countless times; there was no way they could be fake.

Qin Shaoze's biggest headache at this moment was that the Marquis's mansion had no money left, so how could he arrange the marriage and marry Liu Manman?

He certainly dared not let Liu Manman know about the Hou family's financial difficulties, for fear that Liu Manman would be unhappy.

Both sides were secretly uneasy. Liu Manman did not stay at the Marquis's residence for long before taking her leave and returning home.

After Liu Manman left, Shen Lingjun came in.

Seeing the troubled expressions on the faces of both Old Madam Qin and Qin Shaoze, she knew what was troubling them, so she also showed a troubled look.

"Mother, Lord Marquis, regarding Miss Liu's marriage... as you know, the Marquis's mansion is truly out of money right now. But the Marquis said before that we must not be stingy and must not mistreat Miss Liu, so I'm thinking that we can only borrow 30,000 taels of usurious money to arrange this marriage?"