The Concubine's Daughter Travels Through Time and Space and Takes the Road of Confrontation

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you." Before Lu Tongzheng could even kneel, he was helped up by Eunuch Wang. "Lord Lu, His Majesty is waiting for you."

Emperor Longqing smiled and motioned him to come forward.

"Lord Lu, Huaizhou is suffering from a severe drought. I intend to entrust you with the important task of disaster relief. Are you willing to take on this responsibility?"

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. I am willing to sacrifice my life for the country without hesitation!" Lu Lingcong said in a deep voice.

"Good!" Emperor Longqing laughed. "I'll give you three days. Once you're there, go to Huaizhou. In all matters in Huaizhou, I'll allow you to act at your discretion. If necessary, I'll execute first and report later!"

All the civil and military officials in the court looked at each other in confusion and lowered their heads again.

After the court session, Minister Li and Prime Minister Lu walked side by side. Prime Minister Lu narrowed his eyes and said, "It seems that Your Majesty is very concerned about the severe drought in Huaizhou."

Minister Li: "As a subject, I shall serve Your Majesty with all my heart and soul. Lord Lu, if you require anything, our Ministry of Justice will fully cooperate."

Lu Xiang glanced behind him and asked, "Where is Lord Lu?"

Minister Li "was invited away by Eunuch Wang."

Lu Jijiu walked in the crowd in a daze. Several blue-clothed officials who were one step behind him exchanged glances with each other, bowed briefly as they passed by, and left quickly.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see what Your Majesty means.

When Lu Jijiu saw the purple robe, he quickly walked over as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw, with a panicked look on his face, "Third Prince——"

The Third Prince glanced around and saw that someone was looking at him. His impatience grew even stronger. "Lord Lu, I have something else to attend to. I will be leaving first."

Lu Jijiu followed a few steps forward but couldn't catch up. He felt a chill running through the soles of his feet and spreading throughout his body.

Inside the Purple Palace, in the east inner room, Lu Lingping stood facing His Majesty with his head bowed.

Emperor Longqing sat under the south window. "You have raised a good daughter. I asked Ning'an what reward he wanted, but Ning'an said he wanted to ask for your approval. Lord Lu, what do you want?"

Lu Lingcong bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this is all due responsibility. Ning An left home at a young age, and I apologize to Your Majesty on her behalf."

Emperor Longqing smiled and said, "Hey, my dear Lu, I'm not trying to trick you. If you have something to say, just say it directly. If you really don't have any, I can offer you a few options."

"Your Majesty, please make it clear."

"I have just taken away the title of marquis from your Lu family, and I can give you another one. In addition, someone told me that he has taken a fancy to your eldest daughter and wants me to act as a matchmaker to arrange their marriage. This family has no worries about food and clothing. They have some land, houses, and servants. The youngest son is talented, handsome, and has good character. The only bad thing about him is that he is too honest and stubborn. He has no ambition to become an official and only thinks about studying every day. Of these two options, which one do you want, Lord Lu?" Emperor Longqing said with a happy expression.

Lu Lingcong gave a wry smile. "To be honest, my eldest daughter is sweet, innocent and straightforward. We are a perfect match in terms of personality. However, marriages for our children are decided by my wife, and I dare not agree on my own."

Emperor Longqing laughed a few times and said, "You, you, then I will be the bad guy."

This morning, the news of Lord Lu's reinstatement had just come out. Before Lu Lingcong even got home, his colleagues and friends who came to congratulate him had almost broken down the threshold of the Lu family's house.

At the same time, the Marquis Ping'an's Mansion was filled with gloom and sorrow.

Qin was supported by her servants with tears streaming down her face, watching the officers and soldiers rushing around the house like bandits, searching indiscriminately, first taking down the plaques from various places in the mansion, and finally ruthlessly searching the land and farm of the marquis.

"This rebellious son will no longer be part of our Lu family." Master Lu's face was sallow, and he sat weakly in the chair. If he had not been blinded by greed and caused such a disaster, their family would not have suffered such a terrible catastrophe.

Several elders of the Lu family stood at the door, shaking their heads and sighing. Old Master Lu San arrived late and said, "Lingping, when Lingcong was kicked out of the house, did you and your wife ever think of this day?"

Lu Lingping trembled and bowed, "Third Uncle, it was Mother who insisted on having Ling Cong kicked out the family. It was not my wish."

Old Master Lu San shook his head. "There's a type of man in this world who always likes to hide behind his mother or wife to pick up ready-made favors." He ignored Lu Lingping's increasingly grim expression and continued, "As the head of the family, no one can go beyond the decisions you make. I'll let those who benefit me do what they want, and I'll hate and abandon those who don't."

"Master, master, the second master has been reinstated!" The servant crawled in and reported loudly with a look of surprise.

Qin immediately perked up when she heard this, and looked at the master eagerly, "Quick, send someone to send a letter to my uncle and ask him to help."

Lu Lingping's face turned pale and blue, and he muttered to himself, "After all, we are brothers from the same family. Broken bones are connected by tendons. It is impossible for Ling to stand by and watch someone die." He turned around and left in a hurry.

After a while, the servant came back and took out a box to the expectation of the master and mistress. Inside the box was a silver note worth four thousand taels.

"The second master said, 'Please take care of yourselves, Master and Madam. The other four thousand taels of silver are for you and Madam to buy a courtyard.'"

There was silence in the room.

Qin gnashed her teeth and cursed loudly, "You still say we're brothers, but when you're in trouble, he won't care about you anymore. In my opinion, I shouldn't have given him even a tael of silver in the first place. So much money has been wasted. What a heartless bastard."

Lu Lingping's eyes were red. "If you want this money, take it. If you don't want it, return it. Pack up and prepare to move in the next few days."

"Why move? I won't move!" Qin sat down on the ground and cried loudly. "Even if we move, I don't want that old woman. Why should we, the eldest wife, serve her? Now that they are rich, they should let the second wife serve them!"

Hu San and Xiaoyu looked at Ping'an Marquis Mansion from a distance. "That's it, you still want to go back?"

Xiaoyu's eyes were slightly red. "If it weren't for me, the old lady would have been ruined. I have to go back."

Hu San was puzzled. "Aren't you afraid that the couple will take out their anger on you?"

Xiaoyu forced an ugly smile. "What can I do? I'm a slave in the Marquis' Mansion. My indenture is still in the Madam's hands. Isn't it normal for a slave to be scolded? At most, I'll get a few more slaps with the stick. As long as I'm still useful, Madam won't sell me off." After saying this, she gave Hu San a sincere smile. "Thank you, Brother Hu, for these past few days."

Hu San kept watching until her figure disappeared behind the door, then he turned and left.

"You little slut, how dare you come back?" Qin came up and slapped Xiaoyu twice. "If it weren't for you, would our family have been stripped of their title?"

Xiaoyu knelt on the ground and cried softly. Her ears and cheeks immediately swelled up. Seeing that everyone in the hall was looking at her with hatred, she shuddered and shook her head. "Madam, the master said that if this servant had not been alive, the eldest master would never have come back in this lifetime."

Qin pulled out the hairpin in anger and said, "You lowly slave, it would have been fine if you had just paid a few taels of silver for a wrapped straw mat, but you even dared to go to the government to file a complaint against your masters." After saying that, she stabbed Xiaoyu a few times viciously, and Xiaoyu screamed in pain.

"Come here! Lock this little bitch up for me. When I'm done—" Qin said viciously, "Our family is poor, so I'll find you a good place to live."

Aunt Sun ran in in a panic, "Madam, the old lady is not well!"

Xiaoyu knelt a few steps and begged, "Madam, please let me take care of the old lady. I beg you."

Qin snorted coldly, "I'll spare you for a few days. It won't be too late to sell you after the old man dies!"