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

A carriage sped along the road outside the city. Inside sat a young couple. The man was a calm, elegant, and tall figure, wearing a royal blue satin gown with a round collar. The woman was a beautiful woman, dressed simply, with her hair styled like a woman's, and a half-pink, half-white hibiscus gauze flower pinned to her temples.

We traveled south from Zizhou and it was already the tenth day when a section of green city wall appeared in our sight.

Zhao Qingyu lowered the curtain and took his wife into his arms. "Madam, we have arrived in Dali."

Lu Ling gently pushed him away and said, "Let's find an inn to rest first, and then go to see the princess. We can barely be considered half of her family, and my second aunt also asked me to bring her a letter."

Zhao Qingyu held his wife's soft hand in his palm and said softly, "I will listen to you, Madam."

As the Lunar New Year approaches, street vendors have begun selling peach charms, couplets, cakes printed with auspicious patterns, gold and silver paper, ceramic bowls and plates...

Most of the clothes people wear are brightly colored and they wear all kinds of silver jewelry, which is dazzling.

Fifteen or sixteen-year-old boys and girls walked side by side without restraint, occasionally laughing. There were even a few young couples walking hand in hand.

Lu Ling looked at the scene with curiosity. It was just as her husband said, the people of South Vietnam were open-minded and unlike the people in Kyoto who followed the rules.

A small mahogany box containing a bright red and gold-sprinkled visiting card was brought into Heyue Pavilion by the concierge. Tonghua, curious, couldn't help but take a closer look, remembering Sister Caihe's advice: the value of the visiting card was directly related to the person behind it.

He placed the small box on top of a pile of notes and on the small square table on the low couch in the inner room, leaving it for the princess to read when she returned from the farm.

That evening, Lu Yun returned home, changed into home clothes, and began to read the mail she had received that day. She had already taught Wan Ji how to make MSG from kelp. In ancient times, kelp grew in a relatively clean environment, free of industrial pollutants. A crude version of MSG was already edible, and it wouldn't be long before the MSG, called Baiweixian, would appear on Changfuji's counter.

Every three days, Director Wan would give her a written report on the progress of MSG production and other information.

The people who usually passed her invitations were Jiao, Zhang, and one of the Luo families. But today, there was a strange wooden box. Lu Yun took it out of curiosity. She had seen this style of visiting cards before in Kyoto.

Open the wooden box and you will find two notes inside.

Seeing the words written on the post, Lu Yun stood up straight with an excited look on her face. "Caihe, my eldest cousin has arrived in Dali and will come to visit tomorrow."

Cai He was extremely surprised. "I will first ask someone to prepare a banquet menu, and then prepare a room for the young lady to stay overnight."

Lu Yun nodded and said, "Tonghua, go to Muyangju and tell Liuzi that there will be guests tomorrow. Ask His Royal Highness if he is free tomorrow."

My eldest cousin has already married Lord Zhao, and she must be with Lord Zhao tomorrow.

"Princess, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said he had received the invitation as well. He has already ordered a banquet to be set up at the Spring Forest Waterside Pavilion tomorrow. He has also cleared out several upper rooms in the palace for the guests to stay in."

The next day, at the time of Si, Lu Yun heard someone coming from the front and immediately rushed over with Caihe.

"Big cousin!" Lu Yun smiled and called out. "Sister, you're still as charming as ever."

Today, Lu Ling wore a moon-white, aqua-green, double-breasted, wide-sleeved gown. Her dark hair was tied in a bun at the back of her head, adorned with a pair of jade hairpins and a pink gauze hibiscus flower. Her almond-shaped eyes and rosy cheeks sparkled with a radiant gaze. She possessed a more mature, womanly charm than before.

Lu Ling smiled before she spoke, her pink lips parted slightly, and she knelt down to salute, "I greet Princess Ning'an."

Lu Yun hurriedly helped her up and said with a smile, "Don't worry about that. Come in with me." After taking two steps, she looked back at Master Zhao who was following behind her, with a smile in her eyes, "Master, why don't you go see His Royal Highness first."

Zhao Qingyu had no choice but to turn around and be led to Muyangju by the servant.

Lu Ling looked at the layout of the courtyard curiously along the way. "The Nanyue Palace and the marquis's mansion in Kyoto are surprisingly similar."

"Yes," Lu Yun explained to her, "The prince is originally from the Central Plains. I heard from the queen that the craftsmen who built the palace were hired from Kyoto at a high price. The two places have frequent exchanges, and there are also many Han people living in Nanyue."

Lu Ling nodded. From her appearance to the interior furnishings of the Yue Pavilion, she could tell that Lu Yun was enjoying herself here. Her eyes moistened slightly. "Seeing you happy in Nanyue with our own eyes, we're relieved." When she first learned that Lu Yun was being sent to Nanyue for marriage, she had been deeply worried for a while. She had sent a letter to her second aunt, who simply told her not to worry. But how could she not worry? Lu Yun was the youngest of the Lu family, a nun since childhood. Before she even reached the age of marriage, she had to shoulder the heavy responsibility of her family and country, traveling thousands of miles to Nanyue to marry a stranger.

As the two were talking, Yaochun walked in from outside.

Smiling, she greeted the two of them and said, "Your servant Yaochun, on the orders of the Queen, has come to tell the distinguished guests that they are welcome to stay in the palace and do not need to worry about anything else."

Lu Ling stood up to express her gratitude and handed the gifts to Yao Chun with a humble and submissive expression. "I apologize for interrupting you, Your Majesty. I am in deep mourning and will have to visit you another day. These gifts are just humble things I brought from Kyoto to entertain you. May Your Majesty live a long and healthy life."

After hearing these words, everyone was stunned.

Yaochun returned to Mingdeyuan and informed Princess Gao of all the details. Princess Gao gazed at the arm-high crystal Guanyin statue in the box and marveled, "This is the heritage of a noble lady. The girl from the Gong family tried to emulate her, but her efforts were utterly inadequate. Crystal isn't as valuable as jade, but finding such a large piece of material and such skilled craftsmen is rare. It seems this Lord Zhao also comes from a distinguished background."

Lu Yun knew that her eldest cousin was supporting her as a member of the two families, and she was very touched. "Eldest cousin, are my mother and sister doing well in Kyoto?"

"I'm in Zizhou, so I don't have much information." Lu Ling took out the envelope hidden in her sleeve. "But after Second Aunt knew I was coming to Nanyue, she asked me to bring you a letter."

Lu Yun rubbed her fingers nervously. The envelope was about half an inch thick, and the yellow kraft paper was bulging.

After a stick of incense, Lu Yun put down the letter in her hand.

The Empress Dowager wanted to support her natal family, so she brought her family from her hometown to Kyoto, and asked for the title of First-Class Marquis of Cheng'en. She now lives in the former Prime Minister's Mansion.

Several young ladies were also selected from their natal families and sent to the palace, crammed into the Purple Palace. In just a few months, one of them, Li Yuanyuan, rose from a humble concubine to Xiangpin.

The sons of my mother's family began to behave recklessly in Kyoto, offending many. This led to the submission of impeachment petitions. The first one was suppressed by Emperor Wende, but the next day the author of the impeachment petition was beaten with a club. Public outrage erupted, and impeachment petitions flew into the Purple Palace like snowflakes. Interestingly, Emperor Wende kept them secret.