Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow at the young man who brought the medicine: "Young man, can this medicine really cure all chronic illnesses?"
The young man glanced at the exquisite box containing the porcelain bottle with a troubled expression, hesitated for a moment, and said, "This is something I shouldn't reveal, but since Miss asked, I'll tell you the truth. This medicine was secretly prepared by a divine doctor. It can cure old ailments of the five internal organs. Even if it encounters particularly stubborn cases that cannot be completely cured, it can alleviate the symptoms!"
"Thank you, young man!" Shen Lixue nodded, her gaze falling on the exquisite little box. In ancient times, there were many divine doctors, and many of them were not born into the world, but lived in seclusion in some remote village, practicing medicine and helping people.
Dongfang Heng's illness has been worsening because no skilled doctor has been found to treat it. If this medicine really has such miraculous effects, Dongfang Heng's illness will at least improve by 70-80%, even if it doesn't completely heal.
"Shopkeeper, may I ask if this competition was proposed by the owner of Jiaowei Qinfang?" Almost all the shops on the main streets of the capital are owned by noble families, and Jiaowei Qinfang is no exception. However, some shops are open, while others are secret. For example, no one knows who the owners of Zuixianlou and Jiaowei Qinfang are.
The shopkeeper chuckled: "Naturally, I only follow the master's orders!"
Shen Lixue abruptly changed the subject, subtly probing, "May I ask who the owner of your establishment is?"
"I apologize, young lady, but my master doesn't like others knowing his identity!" The shopkeeper chuckled as usual, his attitude amiable, and his face did not darken at Shen Lixue's question.
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow. The shopkeeper reacted quickly and didn't fall for her trick.
Her cool gaze slowly swept over the wooden sign and the exquisite box. After a moment's thought, Shen Lixue walked slowly to the table, picked up a pen, and solemnly wrote her name on the registration form.
The owner of the Qin Fang is very mysterious and cannot be found, so Shen Lixue cannot discuss the matter of the divine medicine with him. If she wants the divine medicine to save Dongfang Heng, she must participate in the competition and win the championship.
"Sister has decided to participate in the competition?" Su Yuting smiled gently, her smile bright and radiant, yet carrying a deeper meaning: "Back then, Aunt Qingzhu's divine song amazed everyone and she was hailed as the number one talented woman in the capital. Sister, you must be just as good!"
Shen Caiyun's smile froze slightly. With Shen Lixue participating in the competition, she had gained another formidable opponent!
"Thank you for your kind words. Sister Yuting is the most talented woman in the world. She will definitely win the competition. My piano skills are probably only good enough to complement her!" Shen Lixue smiled and replied perfunctorily. Su Yuting was scheming and she had no intention of getting to know her well. Anyone can say polite words on the surface.
Su Yuting, with her pure and elegant demeanor, smiled gently: "Sister, there's no need to be so modest..."
Shen Lixue and Su Yuting praised each other back and forth, completely forgetting about Shen Caiyun. She stood next to the two of them, trying to interject several times, but was interrupted each time. Her expression changed from a smile to stiffness, and then to an ugly look. Her gaze towards the two of them changed from initial politeness to sadness, and then to resentment.
The other young ladies looked at her with a different gaze.
Shen Caiyun's fair hands clenched into fists, trembling slightly, and her face was terribly gloomy. Was Shen Lixue and Su Yuting deliberately trying to embarrass her?
When Shen Lixue and Shen Caiyun returned to the Prime Minister's residence by carriage, it was already lunchtime.
The entire Prime Minister's residence was quiet, bathed in the warm afternoon sun. Shen Lixue glanced at Shen Caiyun's slightly pale face and asked in confusion, "Is Sister Caiyun ill?"
Su Yuting was very clever. When Shen Lixue confronted her, she was focused on her full strength and did not notice that Shen Caiyun was standing right next to her. Naturally, she did not know the reason for her unpleasant expression.
"Thank you for your concern, sister. I'm probably a little tired from standing for so long!" Shen Caiyun curled her lips into a cold smile. She had embarrassed her in front of everyone, and then pretended to be a good person back home. Shen Lixue was utterly shameless.
"Then Sister Caiyun must rest well. You must be in top condition for the competition in three days!" Shen Caiyun is quick-witted and exceptionally talented, but she has always kept her talents hidden. Since she dared to participate in the competition this time, her zither skills must be quite good as well. Shen Lixue wants to see for herself.
"Thank you for your concern, sister. Please take good care of yourself too!" Shen Caiyun replied perfunctorily, a mocking smile playing on her lips. A glint of cunning lurked in her beautiful eyes. She could do the same kind of perfunctory thing as Shen Lixue.
"Sister is not feeling well, go back to Yun Garden to rest!" It was long past lunch break time. Shen Lixue noticed that something was wrong with Shen Caiyun and assumed it was because she was not feeling well, so she didn't investigate further. She asked Shen Caiyun a few words of concern and then helped Qiuhe back to the bamboo garden.
Shen Lixue was not good at playing the zither, and there was no zither in the bamboo garden. Fortunately, the owner of this body was good at playing the zither under the tutelage of Lin Qingzhu. However, Shen Lixue had never tested the owner's zither skills. In order to familiarize herself with the zither, she specially bought a new zither from the zither shop and placed it on the square table.
Her slender fingers touched the white strings of the zither, plucking them gently. The melodious music slowly rose, passing through the high walls and soaring into the sky, resounding throughout half of the Prime Minister's residence.
Shen Caiyun, who was walking on the bluestone path, suddenly stopped and listened carefully for a moment. Her beautiful eyes flashed with a rare seriousness. Shen Lixue's zither skills were indeed remarkable. If she were to participate in the competition, she would be her strongest opponent.
Shen Yingxue, who had been lying in the shade of a tree pretending to doze, suddenly opened her eyes and shouted angrily, "Who's playing the piano?"
"Replying to...Replying to Second Miss...The zither music seems to be coming from the bamboo garden!" The little maid lowered her head and answered tremblingly. Since Second Miss was seriously injured, her temper has become worse and worse.
"You bitch!" Shen Yingxue swept the teacups and teapot off the table, gritting her teeth. Knowing full well that her arm was injured and she couldn't touch the zither, Shen Lixue still played such beautiful music over there, clearly to deliberately provoke her.
Enraged, Shen Yingxue spotted a slender figure in the distance. Her anger intensified, and she strode over: "Shen Caiyun, are you going to register?"
She, the most beautiful woman in the world, is unable to play the zither due to an injured arm, while those despicable men are all perfectly fine, smugly showing off their zither skills in front of her. It's utterly despicable.
"Yes!" Shen Caiyun glanced at Shen Yingxue, whose arm was in a sling, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes, and replied casually.
Shen Yingxue circled around Shen Caiyun, looking her up and down, and said as she walked, "Playing the zither also depends on the person. Those of noble status and good blood will naturally have superb skills. Those daughters of concubines with lowly blood, even if their arms are intact, are still of lowly blood. No matter how hard they try, they can only be supporting characters. If they want to stand out and attract attention, they can wait until their next life!"
Shen Yingxue's words were veiled and sarcastic, making Shen Caiyun's face turn extremely ugly. Her small hands clenched tightly again. Shen Yingxue was going too far, but her father favored her. If she argued with her, her father would definitely lock her up, and she would be unable to participate in the competition three days later. This was exactly what Shen Yingxue wanted. She had to endure it, she absolutely had to endure it.
"Thank you for your guidance, Second Sister. I will remember it!" Shen Caiyun suppressed her anger and replied in a perfunctory manner, trying her best to make her voice sound normal.
Shen Yingxue raised an eyebrow, her gaze towards Shen Caiyun filled with disdain. How pathetic! She had mocked her so much, yet Shen Caiyun hadn't even retorted. "The most valuable thing about a person is self-awareness. It's truly commendable that you have this awareness. When you return to Yun Garden, practice your zither diligently, lest you suffer a crushing defeat and disgrace the Prime Minister's residence!"
"Caiyun has learned a lot!" Shen Caiyun, pale-faced, curtsied and hurried away, rushing back to the bamboo garden.
Watching her flee in disarray, Shen Yingxue sneered. What a useless coward, she would only be defeated in the competition.
As for Shen Lixue from the Bamboo Garden, she is just a wild girl from the countryside. No matter how good her zither skills are, she can't be that great. Let her be proud for a few days, and when she loses and returns to the manor, we will mock her severely!
In the bamboo garden, Shen Lixue, following the original owner's memories, played the guqin with all her heart. The melodious music drifted out, and the servants in the bamboo garden listened with rapt attention. Even after the music stopped for a long time, they were still unable to come back to their senses.
"Why did you suddenly decide to play the zither?" A magnetic male voice suddenly rang out. Shen Lixue was startled and turned around to see Dongfang Heng sitting on the edge of the bed, casually flipping through a book on silver needles. "The zither music is quite beautiful!"
Shen Lixue frowned. When had he arrived? She hadn't noticed at all. "Did you know that Jiaowei Qin Workshop organized a qin (a seven-stringed zither) competition for noble ladies?"
"Is that so?" Dongfang Heng only cared about national affairs and didn't pay much attention to the trivial matters in the neighborhood.
"The news has spread like wildfire, and the whole capital knows about it. How come you haven't heard a thing?" Shen Lixue scolded Dongfang Heng, mimicking Yan Yue's tone.
"I don't care much about the trivial matters in the capital!" Dongfang Heng put down his book, walked over and sat down next to Shen Lixue. The bench was just the right size for the two of them. They sat side by side, their bodies close together, exuding an indescribable ambiguity.
Dongfang Hengruyi's fingers lightly brushed across the fine, white strings of the zither: "You prefer quiet and dislike crowds, so why did you suddenly decide to participate in the competition?"
"Because the champion can get a bottle of a miracle drug that can cure all diseases. Your heart meridian is seriously injured, and you need this drug!" Shen Lixue quietly pressed on Dongfang Heng's pulse. It was strong and steady, but it was also weak. His time was really running out.
"You participated in the competition for my sake?" Dongfang Heng looked at Shen Lixue, a slight smile playing on his lips.