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

Just one month after the funeral of the Marquis of Dingyuan, the Empress in the palace sent out a message to select concubines for the third and fourth princes.

Mrs. Ma was determined to get the Third Prince, and she immediately wrote to the Imperial Concubine to discuss the details. No one knew what they talked about. Only the Second Miss said, "Mother looks like she's found a fortune every day. Why don't you tell us what's so exciting?"

Three days later, Zhang noticed that Xiefang Pavilion's recent business was unusually brisk, and she had a hunch that something was amiss. She sent her maid to her uncle's house to inquire, and learned that the Empress Dowager was hosting a banquet at the palace garden west of the city to select concubines for the third and fourth princes.

Zhang immediately called Yuan Caohua and asked her to make a few new-style gauze flowers within three days, and then brought the news to Yannian Hall.

The old lady took her eldest granddaughter's hand and patted it again and again, her face full of smiles. "It just so happened that your mother wanted to have some clothes made a few days ago. I looked at it at that time and thought it was okay. Now I think it's a little bit off."

Lu Ling had other things on her mind, and she was afraid that others would notice, so she had to keep her head down and remain silent.

Qin arrived late, holding a card in her hand. "Old Madam, Lady Wan from the Dingyuan Marquis's residence invites you to tea." She handed the card to Du Juan and then looked at Lu Ling with a forced smile. "Good child, Lady Wan specifically asked you to come too. I think your good fortune is yet to come."

Lu Yun's mind moved, and she thought of the young man with pear blossoms that day. Then she realized that he was the young man she met when she first went to Dingyuan Earl's Mansion. Her cheeks became hot and she drooped her head even more.

The old lady smiled and said, "Everyone, everyone, go tomorrow. We also have to go to the Empress Dowager's banquet in a few days."

Zhang pulled Lingjie'er to her side and said with a smile, "Old lady, please stop talking. Lingjie'er is shy."

Qin adjusted the gold hairpin on her temples with an unnatural look, as if to explain, "The old lady is well-informed. My daughter-in-law sent letters to the wife of the Dingyuan Earl several times, but she didn't reply."

The old lady ignored her and looked at her daughter-in-law and said, "I know you have several clothing stores. I think the clothes made in the mansion are not up to standard. As an aunt, you should take the trouble to make a few clothes for Lingjieer, just as a practice."

After saying that, he looked at his eldest daughter-in-law and said in a flat tone, "You should also pay attention. How many words are there in the Diamond Sutra? You also let Lingjie embroider it. The poor child works day and night by burning the midnight oil. Her eyes are black and blue. The little girl, who looks like a water chestnut, looks like she has wilted."

Qin's face turned pale and she responded softly.

Zhang smiled and took Lu Ling back to the west wing. She asked Jin He to memorize the measurements and asked her about her preferences. Before leaving, she stuffed a large bag of pastries into her hand and said softly, "This is my sister Yun's favorite, the red date and almond pastry with silk wrapping. The kitchen made too much and I'm afraid it will go bad. Could you share some with us?"

Lu Ling took the snack and bowed to her second aunt.

The next day, the old lady took Lu Ling to the Dingyuan Earl's Mansion by car. Considering that there had been a recent funeral in the Earl's Mansion, Lu Ling dressed rather simply, wearing a lake green top with a white folded skirt. She only pinned a few pink flowers the size of a fingernail on her head, and a few pearl hairpins, looking fresh and lovely.

When Lu Ling appeared, everyone in the hall's eyes lit up. Mrs. Ma also nodded and praised, "Old lady, your sister Ling really lives up to the poem 'Heavy makeup and light makeup are always suitable'"

Old Lady Wan asked her eldest granddaughter to bring the person to her and took a closer look. Mrs. Ma, who was standing by, curled her lips. As long as the old lady agreed to this matter, everything would be settled when Cui came out of the ancestral hall in three months.

Xu Shiyun had arrived long ago and was now sitting downstairs, chatting with Qinglu. Perhaps because she usually dressed simply, she was dressed even more plainly today. In Mrs. Si's words, "Why would someone so young dress so plainly? Are you visiting someone or attending a funeral?"

Before leaving, he pinned a blue gauze flower in her hair before letting her go out.

Xu Shiyun saw that Old Lady Wan was praising Lu Ling highly, and the fingertips of her hand holding the teacup turned white from the force.

Zhao Qinglu saw that she seemed to be in a daze and couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong with you today? You look uneasy."

Xu Shiyun felt like she was about to lose her composure. She put down her teacup, tucked her hands into her sleeves, and wiped the tea from the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief before saying, "I suddenly thought of Zhaoye. Your old lady loves her the most." As soon as she said that, Xu Shiyun knew she had said the wrong thing, so she joked, "If another sister from the Lu family comes along, I'm afraid you won't even have a place to stand."

Zhao Qinglu didn't care and continued to smile, "That's great. From now on, Zhaoye will accompany me to drink, and Sister Lu will accompany me to talk. Even if she doesn't speak, she will be like a painting wherever she stands, which is pleasing to the eyes."

Xu Shiyun was at a loss for words when she heard this. "Your sister said you were like a mountain king, but I didn't believe her. Now I hear that it's true."

During the feast, everyone only drank a little light wine. Xu Shiyun excused herself as feeling a little hot and sent her servant out. Zhao Qingbo noticed her departure and, thinking that she didn't often come to the main room, which was closer to the front yard, he turned aside, said a few words to his mother, and followed her out.

After walking around the garden for a few times without seeing anyone, Zhao Qingbo stopped and listened carefully when he suddenly heard some noise coming from inside Lanxia Pavilion.

"I haven't seen you for a long time. The prince looks much thinner." It was Xu Shiyun whom she had been looking for. Zhao Qingbo, frightened, covered her mouth suddenly, her thoughts flooding her mind.

A moment later, a man's voice echoed. "Haha, even after singing, the autumn soul's dust hasn't settled yet; in the spring bushes, I recognize the twin butterflies. Miss Xu, I'm not interested in this right now. Since Minghui arranged everything before her death, I will cooperate." The voice sounded exhausted. Zhao Qingbo's heart was in turmoil. She returned to the house, sat down next to Qinglu, drank a glass of wine, and suppressed her complex emotions.

The mother at the next table was chatting and laughing with Mrs. Si, making my grandmother laugh so hard that she couldn't stop.

After seeing off the guests, Zhao Qingbo returned to Hanshan Pavilion. Thinking of the backlog of posts over the past month, he sat down under the south window in the west room and read through them carefully, hoping to divert his attention.

They were all ordinary banquets. When Zhao Qingbo saw a yellow envelope, he pulled it out. The envelope was not signed and looked like it had been there for a while.

Pulling out the paper, Zhao Qingbo looked at it carefully, his expression becoming increasingly grim.

It turned out that when Zhaoye was out in Taoyuan that day, he had bumped into Xu Shiyun and his eldest cousin Zhao Mingyuan having a private conversation. No wonder she looked uneasy after returning and kept an eye on Zhaoye's words and actions. It turned out that before his cousin's wife passed away, the two of them had -

The thought of it was simply sickening, Zhao Qingbo felt both wronged and sad. Her mother said that Hanlin was noble, and she was the daughter of a Hanlin who was well-read in poetry and literature. How ironic.

After calming down, Zhao Qingbo thought it over again and again and decided to keep the matter secret.

Under the relentless licking of the candlelight, the white paper turned into black ash, and the remaining piece of paper in his hand was thrown into the teacup. Zhao Qingbo looked out the window. Without Xu Shiyun, his mother might reconsider his brother's marriage to Lu Ling.