It was another full moon night. The Vice Minister of Justice, Lord Qin, was hosting a banquet for friends at Zhongji Restaurant, and Ling'er, as the owner, naturally came to greet him personally. After a busy day, she finally had a moment to catch her breath.
She went into the courtyard and looked up at the bright moon in the sky. The moonlight shone on her like water, and her thoughts drifted to Tang Luoheng again. His image had been frequently appearing in her mind lately.
"Master." A gentle voice interrupted her thoughts.
Ling'er turned around abruptly and saw Tang Luoheng standing not far away. In the moonlight, his figure appeared exceptionally tall and gentle.
Ling'er's heart skipped a beat, and a blush crept onto her face as she whispered, "You, why haven't you rested yet?"
Tang Luoheng smiled gently, a smile that appeared even more tender in the moonlight. He slowly approached and said, "The moonlight is so beautiful, how could I bear to miss it? Besides, with something on my mind, it's natural to find it hard to fall asleep."
Upon hearing this, Ling'er's heart fluttered even more. She lowered her head, not daring to meet Tang Luoheng's affectionate gaze.
"May I call you Ling'er?" he asked tentatively. After speaking with General Li a couple of days ago, he decided to bravely pursue the love in his heart.
Ling'er didn't know how to answer for a moment, and nodded blankly.
"I wish to find one heart to share with me, and stay together until our hair turns white. Would you be willing to spend this life with me?" Tang Luoheng gazed at Ling'er with deep affection. Under the moonlight, his eyes were sincere and firm.
Ling'er's heart pounded even harder, and she felt her cheeks burning hot, as if they could boil an egg.
She slightly raised her head, revealing only a pair of bright eyes, which held both shyness and anticipation. "I...I..."
She stammered, unable to utter a complete sentence for a moment.
Seeing this, Tang Luoheng's heart softened even more. He gently took Ling'er's hand and said tenderly, "Ling'er, you don't need to answer in a hurry. I'm willing to wait for you until you're willing to give me your heart."
Ling'er felt the warmth of Tang Luoheng's palm, and an unprecedented sense of security welled up in her heart.
She took a deep breath and mustered her courage to say, "I do."
······
Tang Luoheng originally thought that his marriage to Ling'er would require a long negotiation with his elders, but things went much more smoothly than he expected.
With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, Kyoto is bustling again, as the trade fair started three days ago.
As usual, Ling'er had the venue set up well in advance. Although there were enough people and everything was proceeding in an orderly manner, she was the kind of person who couldn't sit still and would come to help whenever she had time.
According to Chairman Wang, this trade fair is very likely to undergo a major transformation in the next two years—evolving from a temporary event into a permanent, fixed trading venue that can operate for a long time.
This is why diplomats from various countries have recently engaged in heated discussions on this issue. Their weighing of pros and cons, or their active pursuit of their own interests, have made the situation increasingly complex and attention-grabbing.
Ling'er is also making preparations in this regard, so she has been investigating and trying to find the most suitable location to open a shop.
"Ling'er, take a rest." Tang Luoheng finished his work and saw her in a daze, so he thought she was tired.
"I'm fine, I was just thinking about some things." She had some ideas. "Oh, right! You should go back first. I need to go to the General's Mansion later to take care of some things."
When Ling'er returned to Zhong's shop, before she could even stand still, the waiter rushed over, looking anxious, and said, "Master, something terrible has happened! Something's happened at Plum Blossom Hall!"
Upon hearing this, Ling'er's heart tightened, and her brows involuntarily furrowed. Without time to think further, she hurried towards the Plum Blossom Hall.
As soon as they entered, they heard a man's anxious voice: "Where's the doctor? Why hasn't he come yet!"
Ling'er quickly reassured him, "Sir, please don't worry, we've already sent someone to fetch a doctor. We've dispatched someone on horseback to bring a doctor. May I ask, madam, what exactly happened?"
As she spoke, Ling'er looked past the man and toward the couch behind the screen, where she saw a haggard-looking lady lying quietly.
Could it be that there's something wrong with the food provided by the restaurant? But upon closer inspection, that seems unlikely.
After all, my shop has always paid great attention to food hygiene and quality control, and such a thing should never have happened. But in any case, since this happened in the shop, as the owner, I should handle this matter properly, regardless of my motives.
At this moment, the man gently shook his head and sighed, saying, "You don't need to be afraid. This matter has nothing to do with the food. My wife has never been in good health. It's quite strange, though. She doesn't seem to have any major problems most of the time, but she occasionally falls into a coma without any warning."
After hearing the man's explanation, Ling'er finally felt relieved, but she was still heartbroken to see the unconscious man.
However, perhaps we could ask Lan'er to come and take a look.
Thinking of this, Ling'er cautiously asked, "Esteemed sir, if you don't mind, I happen to know a highly skilled doctor who specializes in treating all kinds of difficult and complicated diseases. Would you be willing to bring your wife along for a visit?"
Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in the man's eyes, and he hurriedly said, "If that's really the case, then that would be wonderful."
Ling'er immediately ordered someone to prepare a carriage and headed to Prince An's residence.
······
"Lan'er, how is this lady?" Ling'er asked anxiously, noticing Meng Zhelan's furrowed brows.
Meng Zhelan took the pulse for a long time before slowly withdrawing her hand. "This illness is quite peculiar; it's not an ordinary ailment."
Ling'er's heart jumped. "Is there any hope?"
The man also looked at Meng Zhelan with a worried expression.
After a moment of contemplation, Meng Zhelan said, "If this elder brother trusts me, then let your wife stay here for a few days. Once I have investigated your wife's condition, I will definitely find a way to remove the lesions."
The man hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. "Then I'll leave it to the Princess."
As soon as he got off the carriage, he realized that the doctor they were talking about was Princess An. Although they were not from the capital, they had heard of Princess An's great name, and her deeds had spread throughout Jingyuan.
Meng Zhelan: "Don't worry. Why don't you go back and pack your things and come back? You can stay in this room for now."
"Thank you, Your Highness." The man left with the coachman.
After he left, Ling'er finally breathed a sigh of relief and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Lan'er, thank you for your help."
"Silly girl, why are we talking about this?" Meng Zhelan pulled her down to sit and asked her about her relationship with Tang Luoheng.
Several days later, Tang Luoheng found it strange that his family had not arrived.
He had already written to his family to inform them that he would propose to his sweetheart after the imperial examinations next spring. However, his family did not say anything, only mentioning in the letter that he was going to Kyoto.
He was about to leave when he ran into Ling'er returning with her entourage.
Upon seeing who it was, Tang Luoheng's expression changed. It turned out that the people following behind Ling'er were his parents.
"Father, Mother, why...why did you all come together?" He was very puzzled.
Parents? Ling'er didn't react for a moment. Brother Tang and sister-in-law were Tang Luoheng's parents?! Her heart was filled with doubt and uncertainty, her gaze shifting back and forth between Tang Luoheng and his parents. "Brother Tang, how come you and sister-in-law..."
These past few days, she's been going to Prince An's residence every day to see the two of them. Over time, the three of them have gradually become familiar with each other.
Lan'er cured Madam Tang's illness, so she planned to host a banquet for them today to celebrate, but unexpectedly, this scene unfolded.
Seeing the three people staring in disbelief, Madam Tang couldn't help but laugh. She had originally intended to scare Tang Luoheng. "Alright, as the saying goes, 'Birds of a feather flock together,' let's sit down and have a good chat."
After a flurry of activity, Ling'er finally calmed down.
Madam Tang pulled Ling'er down to sit. She was naturally very happy with this future daughter-in-law. "Ling'er, don't blame your brother Tang and me. We really didn't want to hide it from you at first."
"Yes, Ling'er. Your sister-in-law and I want to apologize to you. It's all thanks to you these past few days that your sister-in-law has recovered so well." The man was also overjoyed, not expecting his rascal to have such good taste.
Tang Luoheng sat to the side, listening to the three chatting and laughing, but couldn't get a word in edgewise. He timidly said, "Father, Mother, why are you treating Ling'er as an equal? How am I supposed to address her? Wouldn't that mess up the generational hierarchy?"
Madam Tang gave a light snort, her face showing displeasure, and said coquettishly, "Oh dear! You child, you keep saying you're a scholar, how can you be so pedantic! Just do what you think is right, let's each do our own thing and not interfere with each other!"
Tang Luoheng stood to the side, a helpless and bitter smile on his face.
The Tang family has passed down their knowledge of poetry and literature for generations, making them a true family of scholars and literary giants.
Most of the children in the family are devoted to literature and art, and pursue an elegant and refined lifestyle.
However, his parents were different; they had a particular fondness for business. As a result, their daily speech and behavior were quite worldly and pragmatic compared to other family members, lacking some of the refined and aloof air expected of scholars and intellectuals.
When the moon was high in the sky, Ling'er finally had a chance to tell Tang Luoheng about what had happened in the past few days.
Upon hearing this, he took her hand and said gratefully, "Thank you, Ling'er. Meeting you is the greatest blessing of my life."
Ling'er: "Silly boy, there's no need for thanks between us. But it's settled then, if you do anything to wrong me, I'll leave immediately."
Tang Luoheng quickly covered her mouth, "Don't talk nonsense, such a thing will never happen."
The two looked at each other and smiled...
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