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

Less than a month before the Chinese New Year, my father's appointment documents finally arrived.

On the day the transfer order came down, there was a heavy snowfall in Kyoto. White snow flakes were scattered everywhere, and the sky and the earth were covered in white.

In the biting cold wind, the second master's face was flushed and his steps were brisk. The first thing he did after receiving the transfer order from the Ministry of Personnel was to return home and report to his mother.

"Mother, my son's transfer order has come." As one foot was about to step into the room, the second master's powerful voice rang out.

"Oh," the old lady happily took the official letter from her youngest son, "Transferred to be the prefect of Huaizhou. Huaizhou is a good place." The old lady's face was full of joy. Even though it was still early for lunch, the old lady had already started to instruct the servants to warm up the wine for the second master, drew up a menu, and personally ordered Dujuan to go to the west wing to invite the second wife over.

Huaizhou, about 400 miles from the capital, was a major producer of official salt, boasting hundreds of thousands of acres of fertile farmland, a prosperous grain transport system, and a prosperous population. Lu Lingcong, barely thirty years old, had risen to become the governor of an important prefecture and county, and with the support of his father-in-law and uncle, his future was, if nothing unexpected happened, a smooth sailing.

The noise from the front was transmitted to the back room. Mao Feng, whose belly was slightly bulging, asked curiously, "What happened in the front?"

The little maid went out for a walk and came back with a happy face and a few copper coins in her hand. "The master of the second house has been promoted to the prefect of Huaizhou. My sisters are giving out wedding money to the servants at home, and they also grabbed a handful for me."

Mao Feng stared at the copper coins in the little girl's hand without saying anything for a while.

Seeing this, the little girl stopped smiling, put the reward money in her arms, said "I'll go and see if the medicine is ready, girl", turned around, lifted the curtain and went out.

"Ugh, ugh!" Mao Feng clutched her chest and retched a few times. She had seen a lot more clearly these days. The master of the first house had a title but no real job. Everything in the harem depended on the mistress and the old lady for food, clothing, and expenses. From the moment she became pregnant until now, the old lady hadn't even glanced at her, and the master was nowhere to be seen. The mistress treated the concubine harshly. If it weren't for the child she was carrying, she would have been tortured to death by the old lady's pressure.

As for that fool Yao, Mao thought of the pain she had endured these days, and she felt both hatred and jealousy. In terms of scheming, tactics, and even the ability to serve a man, how could she compare to her? Yet—she clutched the quilt beneath her tightly, not even noticing it tear through it. She muttered to herself, "Why is she so lucky? Why?"

Zhang came in with her newly dressed children. The old lady personally stepped forward and took her hand. "My heart has been pounding since I woke up this morning. I always feel like something is going to happen."

Du Juan chimed in, "We scared our old lady into staying in the small Buddhist temple for half an hour longer than usual."

Zhang naturally praised her mother-in-law and said with a smile, "Master has such a happy event, and it may be thanks to you, mother." She looked at the people in the hall and said, "This is the blessing accumulated by mother from eating vegetarian food, chanting Buddhist scriptures, and giving alms over the years. Your daughter-in-law would like to thank you in advance, old lady." After saying this, she bowed with a smile.

The old lady picked her up and felt that her daughter-in-law was very considerate. She agreed with her words but said, "If the Buddha heard you say this, he would be angry. You should know that only the most pious can receive the Buddha's grace. It is a rare opportunity."

He pretended to be frightened and said, "Don't ever say that again."

Zhang agreed with a smile.

After a while, several people from the main house arrived.

The eldest master walked in first, wearing casual clothes and with a thin layer of snow on his head and body. The old lady frowned slightly at the sight and said, "Take care of yourself in this heavy snow." After saying that, she handed the hot water bottle in her hand to him and asked the maids to serve the master some hot ginger tea.

The eldest master took off his cloak and handed it to Dujuan without any concern. He strode up to his younger brother with a happy face and said, "I heard the boys outside say that you were promoted to the prefect of Huaizhou, so I rushed back immediately. It's really great!" After saying that, he smiled and patted his younger brother's shoulder heavily.

Following closely behind were Qin and her companions. Qin wore a brand new purple gown embroidered with floral patterns and trimmed with mink fur, with a fiery red fox fur draped around her neck. Her head and ears were adorned with a full set of ruby headpieces, and a pair of translucent jade bracelets peeked through the purple-black mink fur on her wrists, giving her the air of a marquis's wife.

The second lady, Lu Qin, wore a sable cloak, a small jacket with a slanting collar and a butterfly-embroidered pattern, a light purple pleated skirt with flowing gold weave, and a small and exquisite ruby headpiece on her head.

In contrast, the sisters, Lu Ling and Lu Zhen, were dressed more modestly. Both wore a sky-blue, butterfly-patterned, brocade jacket with a double-breasted front, and a moon-white, pleated skirt. Lu Ling wore several jade hairpins and a few aquamarine beads. Because she was still young, she only wore two small buns, each with a pale yellow silk flower. The older one was elegant and charming, the younger one adorable and simple.

In fact, in terms of appearance, the eldest daughter Lu Ling should be the prettiest among the three, followed by the second daughter Lu Qin. However, the second daughter always manages to outshine the eldest daughter with the help of jewelry and clothes, making people see her first and then the eldest daughter.

This time is no exception.

Qin first bowed to the old lady, then spoke to the second master and Zhang, "It's hard for my brother to stay in the capital for so long, and my sister-in-law has also been very hard-working, running around and taking care of the affairs of the mansion. Now, the family is finally seeing the light of day after waiting for so long."

Zhang replied calmly, "I'm unworthy of such praise from my sister-in-law. If anyone's to blame for any hard work, it's the master. When he was in Qingzhou, every flood season, he would live on the embankment with his men, guarding it all night long—" At this point, Zhang wiped her moist eyes and looked at her husband with a distressed face, "Everyone only knows the master's current glory, but who knows the hardships behind it."

The second master patted his wife's hand with a sigh and said, "If it weren't for my wife taking care of the inner quarters, doing the housework, and taking care of the children, I wouldn't be where I am today." The couple held hands and looked at each other affectionately, successfully disgusting someone whose husband's career was predictable and whose relationship with the couple was extremely disharmonious.

Lu Yun munched on the pastry and nodded. "Mother's skill is truly beautiful," she said. "A good blacksmith must be strong himself." She finished one pastry and took another, and soon the plate of pastries beside her was empty.

"You really behave like someone from a poor family. You just keep eating as soon as you get a plate of snacks." A mocking voice sounded in my ears.

Lu Yun followed the sound and met the disgusted look of the eldest wife, Lu Qin. Lu Yun rolled her eyes at her and continued eating with big mouthfuls.

Perhaps because she had never been treated like this before, Lu Qin's face immediately turned red with anger. She walked over in small steps, her almond-shaped eyes wide open, raised her finger and pointed at Lu Yun and shouted, "You, were you scolding me just now?" The tassels in her hair swayed slightly with the owner's movements.

Some people in the hall have begun to pay attention to the two sisters.

Seeing her sister being bullied, Rong Jieer stepped between the two of them. She was a little angry but tried to stay rational and explain for her sister, "Second cousin, Yun'er was eating snacks and didn't say anything just now."

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw the plump girl from the second room tilt her head and smile at her provocatively. "What do you care?" Lu Qin, losing her mind, pushed her cousin away. Fortunately, the room was covered with thick carpet, so Rong Jie'er stumbled and sat on the ground.

Lu Yun cried out "Wow" and sat down crying. Now everyone in the hall focused their attention on her.