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

It was almost noon. Lu Ling took the children for a stroll, and Jin He led them to a shady spot not far from Xiama Lake. From a distance, they could see several pleasure boats on the lake, and laughter could be heard from time to time on the surface.

The March sunshine felt warm on her body. Lu Yun lay on the mat and looked around. Young ladies and wives were sitting on the mats in groups of three or five. Some of them had built a simple shed to avoid the sun.

Soon Lu Ling and her companions attracted the attention of the ladies and wives nearby. Some of them started pointing at them and talking as if they were discussing which family these ladies were from.

Lu Ling remained calm. She knew that this was her first appearance and would definitely arouse the curiosity of the ladies.

Soon, a little girl, about ten years old, wearing a lilac-colored short coat and a light green folded skirt, came running over and asked shyly, "Excuse me, sister, which family are you from?"

Lu Ling's black hair was like clouds, her cheeks were like rosy clouds, and the pink peony on her head trembled, shining brightly like colorful glass. She stood up and bowed to the little girl as if she were her equal, saying softly, "We are from the Marquis of Ping'an's mansion."

But she only heard the little girl scream "Ah!", and when she looked up, she had already run away. Lu Ling had no choice but to sit back and quietly admire the scenery of the lake.

Lu Yun had noticed quite a few people watching them. Rong Jie'er had switched from sitting cross-legged to kneeling sideways. Even Hui Ge'er, usually carefree, had calmed down considerably and sat obediently on the side. Only she was still sprawled on the mat. It couldn't be helped. She was only four years old. Lu Yun rolled over comfortably. Being small was good; there weren't so many rules and regulations.

Suddenly, the sounds of drums and music came from the lake. Lu Yun climbed up from the mat and looked over curiously. Suddenly, an exquisite flower boat decorated with colorful silk and flowers appeared on the lake. Several women in palace costumes stood at the bow of the boat. The sounds of drums and music came from the cabin of the flower boat.

Seeing the bewildered expressions on the faces of her brothers and sisters, Jin He couldn't help but explain with a smile, "This is the Shengri Xunfang boat that's used every year during the outing. Every year on the third day of the third lunar month, the Empress Dowager sends a group of ladies-in-waiting to ride on this Shengri Xunfang boat. As the boat circles the lake, the ladies-in-waiting invite the young ladies with outstanding looks to take a ride on the boat to add to the fun of the outing." She paused and chuckled softly, "Similarly, there's also a Shengri Fenghua boat. Putting aside other things, those who get to ride on it are the most handsome young men in Kyoto."

After hearing this, Lu Ling's cheeks flushed slightly, and she looked at the lake with a hint of joy in her eyes.

The boat moved slowly from east to north, and every time it stopped, a young lady would board. The sound of drums and music was getting closer and closer, and Lu Ling saw from the corner of her eyes that many young ladies had stood up. Jin He smiled and pulled her up, and she stood up from the mat half-heartedly, her earlobe

Her face was already flushed, and her eyes were shining as she watched the approaching ship.

In full view of the crowd, the big ship stopped, and the crowd on the shore who were watching the movement of the ship let out exclamations one after another.

A red wooden board wide enough for one person to pass extended from the boat to the shore. A woman in dark blue palace dress stepped onto the board and slowly walked to the shore. Seeing the woman in palace dress looking in her direction with a smile, Lu Ling nervously clenched her hands.

The crowd around them followed the woman in palace dress. Lu Ling watched her approaching, smiled, and stopped in front of her, extending a hand to her. "Miss, please follow me aboard."

There was a commotion among the crowd. Lu Ling nodded stiffly and followed the woman in palace dress step by step onto the exquisite and magnificent ship.

Lu Yun glanced at Jin He, doubting her mother had done this. Qin Shi was wary of her eldest cousin's beauty, and her mother had given her a direct push from behind, sending her aboard the boat that her second cousin was destined to miss. The palace ladies had seen every beauty, and the sight of the boat filled with unmarried women of marriageable age and no wives suggested just how venomous their gazes were.

After Lu Ling boarded the ship, she tried to calm herself down and followed the woman's instructions to sit in the cabin. She discovered that there were already three or four other young ladies, each with their own distinct appearance. Among them, the one being surrounded and talked to was the sister she had met at the Dingyuan Marquis's residence.

Zhao Qingbo wore a long, wide-sleeved, double-breasted gown embroidered with large patches of peony flowers in faded red. He wore a gleaming pearl crown, its base adorned with a circle of red and pink velvet flowers. Her skin was as white as cream, her eyebrows were as dark as distant black, her eyes were as clear as autumn water, and a faint smile played upon her pale pink lips. She seemed to have an aura around her, drawing one glance and drawing closer.

Zhao Qingbo looked at Lu Ling, smiled brightly, took a few steps forward, pulled her to sit next to him, and introduced her to everyone, "This is the eldest daughter of the Lu family of the Marquis of Ping'an Mansion. Her maiden name is Ling."

Lu Ling stood up and greeted them. Several girls looked at her curiously. One of them, dressed in purple, smiled and said, "Sister, you are so beautiful! I can't help but want to take you home."

Zhao Qingbo tapped her head with his finger in amusement when he heard that, "Look at what you're saying. You're still acting crazy after not seeing you for a few months." Then he turned to look at Lu Ling and introduced, "The one who just spoke is the fourth daughter of the general's family, her surname is Lin and her name is Zhaoye." Then he pointed to a young lady wearing a pink dress embroidered with light green magnolia flowers and said, "This is Miss Cui." The last person he introduced was a woman wearing a light-colored, double-breasted, narrow-sleeved long gown, with small and delicate features and a scholarly air. "This is the daughter of Xu Hanlin, the second Miss Xu Shiyun." Xu Shiyun smiled at her and nodded.

Lu Ling silently memorized everyone's name and sat aside to listen to them talk. Miss Lin Si said something very interesting. She was afraid of laughing out loud, so Lu Ling had to cover half of her face with a handkerchief.

Suddenly, the ship swayed slightly and stopped moving. A woman in a dark purple palace dress walked into the cabin and said with a smile, "The two ships have met. Ladies, please follow me to the deck to have a look."

After hearing this, Miss Lin Si was overwhelmed with excitement and immediately stood up, her face full of anticipation. Zhao Qingbo was half a head taller than her and helplessly held her shoulders to signal her not to lose her feminine dignity.

Lu Ling was confused as to what was going on when she suddenly heard a voice beside her ear, "This is Fenghuazhou inviting us to the deck. Don't worry, they will just show up and come back." Lu Ling looked at Miss Xu Er gratefully and said softly, "Thank you for your advice, sister." Then she followed the nanny and walked out one by one.

When I came to the deck, I saw a flower boat decorated with ribbons parked on the opposite side, with five or six tall and straight young men standing on the bow.

Seeing the figures on the deck of the Xunfang ship, the young men saluted from a distance. Zhao Qingbo and others also returned the salute, stood for a while, and then returned to the cabin.