“What? You want to marry Master Shen!”
With a *swish*, Lin Fang’s hand trembled, and the entire bag of fish food fell into the fish tank. Xian’er quickly scooped the goldfish into a basin, changed the water in the tank, and then returned the fish. If she had been any slower, the goldfish would surely have overeaten to death.
“Yes, Sixth Miss. Please grant me your blessing.”
“But—Master Shen’s age… Forget being your father, he could even pass as your grandfather! Why would you want to marry him? The age gap is just too vast.”
“When I was on a mission before, I once took care of Master Shen. Even then, I deeply admired him. After the mission ended, I never saw him again. I thought I’d never meet him in this lifetime, but now he’s come to Lin Manor. This must be fate. I don’t want to miss this chance.”
“Sure, it’s fate. You admire him, you respect him—there are plenty of ways to show your regard. But you don’t have to marry him!”
“Forgive my boldness, Sixth Miss, but my feelings for Master Shen are romantic. Back then, I was still a covert guard and couldn’t marry. Now I’m just an ordinary servant, and you’ve said before that if any of us fancy someone, we should speak up. So I’m shamelessly begging you to grant me this wish.”
Lin Fang, usually quick with words, found herself speechless as she looked at Qi Shi kneeling before her.
She wasn’t unfamiliar with May-December marriages—in her past life, eighty-year-old men marrying teenage girls wasn’t unheard of. But this was a patriarchal world where old men paired with young women either as second wives or concubines. Though she knew Master Shen had never married and Qi Shi would be his first wife, it still felt wrong to her.
Chen Dong sat silently, expressionless, as Lin Fang and Qi Shi exchanged words. Frustrated, Lin Fang snapped, “Why aren’t you saying anything? Qi Shi is your master! How can you stand by and watch such a fresh flower get stuck in… *that*?”
“What’s so strange about it?” Chen Dong replied coldly. “You might not understand—a woman in her twenties forced to become one of many lovers for an old man, living in constant fear of being framed by his other concubines. Do you know how terrifying that is? My master is marrying someone older, yes, but he’s the man she loves. Given Master Shen’s circumstances, he’ll surely remain monogamous. My master is lucky.”
Lin Fang fell silent. Chen Dong was speaking from experience—the man who’d forced her into being his concubine was the thief lord who’d caught her stealing. He was nearly seventy, older than Master Shen now, and Chen Dong had been around Qi Shi’s current age when it happened.
After a pause, Chen Dong added, “My master isn’t young anymore, and she was once a covert guard. Now she’s still a servant—what options does she have? She refuses to be a concubine. To marry as a wife to someone her age from a decent family? Men like that, even the ugliest ones, are already married. Even if they weren’t, would they accept someone of her background? Poor families with men nearing thirty who can’t afford marriage are either ignorant or incompetent—would she even want them? Master Shen has never married, is capable, and has traveled widely. For my master, he’s the best match she could hope for.”
Lin Fang listened quietly. She understood the logic, but having grown attached to Qi Shi, she couldn’t bear the thought of her marrying an old man. Yet Chen Dong’s reasoning was undeniable—Lin Fang had to admit she still hadn’t fully adapted to this world.
With a sigh, Lin Fang resigned herself to reality. She helped Qi Shi up and asked, “You said you took care of Master Shen before, but since he arrived, he hasn’t shown any recognition of you. Could it be he doesn’t remember you?”
Qi Shi shook her head. “When I cared for him, I was undercover. I could only appear if he was in danger, and by then, he was usually unconscious. Even if he was awake, covert guards never reveal their faces. So I don’t know if he ever knew me.”
So it was all one-sided—Master Shen might not even know Qi Shi existed. Lin Fang pressed, “What if Master Shen refuses? He’s never married at his age—there must be a reason.”
Qi Shi remained calm. “If he refuses, I’ll accept it. I’ll speak to him myself. What Chen Dong said is true, but my reason for wanting to marry him isn’t just practicality. I’ve longed for him for ten years. I truly wish to marry him, care for him, and be his companion. If he won’t have me, I’ll never marry.”
Lin Fang was stunned. Women in ancient times matured early—ten years ago, Qi Shi had been a teenager pining for a man in his fifties, who might not even know her, yet she was already vowing lifelong chastity for him.
The rest of the Lin family, though surprised by Qi Shi’s request, weren’t as bothered as Lin Fang. Lady Tong even rushed up the mountain and dragged a bewildered Master Shen down to propose to Qi Shi.
Master Shen truly didn’t recognize Qi Shi, but Lady Tong didn’t care. She was determined to see her junior brother married so he wouldn’t grow old alone.
When Qi Shi confessed her feelings, Master Shen was moved but not overjoyed. He explained that he’d avoided marriage because his life revolved around poisons—he feared harming a wife or child. His work also required constant travel, leaving no time for family. He urged Qi Shi to reconsider.
But Qi Shi insisted. She vowed to follow him wherever he went and declared that if he refused her, she’d remain unmarried forever.
Before Lin Zhongsi left for Baishui Town, he’d grumbled about Master Shen’s bachelorhood. By the time he returned, Lady Tong was already preparing for the wedding. Lin Zhongsi was relieved his wife wouldn’t have to deliver meals to Master Shen anymore, but he couldn’t help remarking how quickly fate had smiled on the old man.
The Lin family celebrated the wedding joyfully, but in the military camp, Qi Biao’s face darkened further. Ever since learning that Master Shen had diagnosed Lin Fang with a rare, life-threatening poison even he couldn’t identify, Qi Biao had ordered an investigation—yet no leads had surfaced.
Abbot Zixing’s spiritual probing revealed the poison had arrived with Lin Fang’s soul, making it untraceable. But another piece of news reached Qi Biao: the woman who’d poisoned him and his eighth sister at birth had been provided the toxin by the mother of the girl his father once tried to arrange for him to marry. After Qi Biao refused, his father had taken the girl as a concubine, and she’d since borne him a son.
With many women in his father’s household, children were born yearly—though few survived past infancy. Only five of Qi Biao’s siblings had reached adulthood, and three had already fled the capital to escape the concubine’s poisoning schemes.
Qi Biao opened an ornate box, carefully lifting small wooden carvings one by one. When he reached the last, he drew a dagger from his boot—nearly identical to Lin Fang’s pendant dagger, save for the blue gem on its sheath instead of red.
After finalizing the carving, he placed it back in the box, his expression calm once more. “Send word,” he ordered.
A figure seemingly woven from the tent’s fabric materialized before him. “Yes, Young Master.”
“Let my father know of this news. We’ll observe how things unfold.”
“Yes.”
“And inform Qi Shi—whatever medicinal ingredients Master Shen needs, ensure he gets them.”
“Yes.”
After the wedding, Qi Shi moved up the mountain with Master Shen, devoting herself to his care.
Freed from tending to her junior brother, Lin Fang and Chen Dong gradually recovered. Yuan Li’s pregnancy symptoms eased, and Lady Tong resumed her medical practice, specializing in women’s health alongside Abbot Zixing.
With more free time, Lin Zhongsi took over training Chen Shiyuan from Qi Shi. The energetic boy thrived under rigorous drills, his hyperactivity fading as his martial talent emerged. Though Lin Zhongsi wanted him to move into the Lin household, Chen Shiyuan refused—once night fell, he clung to Chen Dong, terrified she’d vanish as Lady Tong had once teased.
By winter break, Lin Fang had fully recovered—though every few days, she still sneaked up the mountain to let Master Shen draw blood for his research, keeping it secret from her parents.
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