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

"Excuse me, who are you, Miss Cui Lanxi?" In the middle of the garden stood a female official in red palace robes, holding a purse in her hand.

Cui Lanxi stepped forward from the crowd and saluted. "I am."

The red-robed female official smiled and said, "Miss Cui, please follow me."

Zhao Qingbo stood in the crowd, frowning slightly. Xu Shiyun smiled and said, "It seems your family is going to have a queen."

Zhao Qinglu hurriedly denied it, "What do you mean by 'our family'? That's the Cui family. I don't care."

"Qinglu, be careful with your words." Zhao Qingbo scolded in a low voice.

The noise here naturally could not be hidden from the ladies sitting in another courtyard. Cui glanced at Ma, who had an unhappy expression, with a smug look on her face, and acted modest in the face of everyone's compliments.

Mrs. Ma didn't show any panic on her face. Although the Empress had given the message, there was no clear way out after all. What would happen to her Qingbo if something really went wrong?

In Shouchun Pavilion, the Queen Mother looked at Cui Lanxi, who was kneeling in the hall, with a very intriguing expression. "Your embroidery of this purse is very good."

Cui Lanxi was uneasy, not knowing why her purse ended up in the hands of the Empress Dowager. But her intuition told her that this might be an opportunity, so she carefully replied, "This is skipped stitch embroidery, a unique embroidery method of Boling."

The Queen Mother nodded and asked her to stand and answer, "Have you read books? Do you have any writing materials?"

"I went to school for a few years and can recognize a few words." Cui Lanxi said and handed the large characters he brought to the female official beside him.

The Queen Mother took a look and nodded, letting her go out.

A young man in purple came out from behind the screen. He smiled and bowed to the Queen Mother, "Grandson thanks you, Grandmother."

The Queen Mother smiled and said, "This Miss Cui is from the Cui family of Boling. They are quite good, but the Cui family has been declining in recent years. Your wife has always been virtuous. A few days ago, she sent me a letter asking for a new member to your family."

The prince said calmly, "She is indeed virtuous, but it's a pity that after so many years, my grandson only has two children, Chao Ge'er and Ying Jie'er."

The Queen Mother sighed slightly. "You are still young, so you will always have it. Leave these small matters to me. Don't let them cause any grudges. Go ahead."

After everyone left, the Queen Mother looked at Nanny Guizhi and said thoughtfully, "Go to the East Palace in person later and answer whatever the Crown Princess asks. I'm afraid this Miss Cui is not a good person."

Zhao Qinglu looked at Cui Lanxi, who was surrounded by people in the distance, and chuckled, "Finally, she's climbed up the ladder. She doesn't have to hang around our house all day."

Zhao Qingbo was helpless. "Just say less."

Xu Shiyun said softly, "Qingbo is right. When she becomes the prince's consort, your family will probably be even more powerful than it is now."

Zhao Qingbo looked at Xu Shiyun with a serious expression and said, "Shiyun, don't say these things anymore. She is a member of the Cui family, and there is no one with the last name Cui in our second branch."

Xu Shiyun lowered her eyes and said nothing more.

Zhao Qingbo was annoyed but did not show it. He sat upright and looked very calm.

Because Lu Ling was the youngest, her mind was not on this, so she did not care about Cui Lanxi's affairs. Instead, she was very interested in the landscaping in the garden. From time to time, she looked at the rockery in the distance, looking very gentle and quiet.

The female official hiding in the dark nodded secretly and filled in a few words on the booklet.

Cui Lanxi braved the envious gazes of the crowd and sauntered to Zhao Qingbo's side, her slightly raised lips revealing her current good mood. Zhao Qingbo was already seventeen, and had attended the outings year after year, yet she still hadn't met him. Wasn't it all about marrying into the royal family? What a pity! Cui Lanxi's lips curled even further. She looked at the group and said softly, "I didn't expect the Queen Mother to be so easygoing."

Xu Shiyun nodded without saying anything.

Zhao Qinglu pretended to be surprised. "Hey, sister, did you ask her or did Sister Lu ask her? Anyway, I didn't ask."

Cui Lanxi's face froze slightly. She coughed lightly and found an excuse for herself. "I was just speaking from my heart."

Zhao Qinglu said "Oh" and turned to look at Lu Ling. "Sister Ling, hasn't your little sister lived in the Empress's palace for almost a month? Has she told you about the Empress?"

Cui Lanxi was stunned and turned to look at Lu Ling.

Lu Ling whispered, "Sister Yun was favored by the Queen Mother and was kept in the palace to accompany Princess Yuanfu. And..." She paused and looked at Cui Lanxi, "the elders in the mansion have taught us not to talk about palace affairs casually."

"These are the unwritten rules of our family. It's not surprising that Miss Cui came all the way from Boling, so she doesn't know these." Zhao Qingbo said in a gentle voice.

Zhao Qinglu acted as if she suddenly understood something. "So that's how it is. It's not Miss Cui's fault."

Cui Lanxi's face turned pale and blue, and she forced a smile. "Lanxi, I've learned your lesson."

Xu Shiyun coughed lightly and said, "Although there is indeed such a rule, the Queen is kind and never cares about these quarrels. Miss Cui, don't worry." Cui Lanxi looked at Xu Shiyun gratefully.

Zhao Qingbo looked at Qinglu and Lu Ling and said, "I feel a little bored. I've heard that the gardens in the palace are very beautiful. I finally have the chance to come here today. Why don't you two accompany me to take a walk?"

Xu Shiyun paused while drinking her tea. She watched the three people leave quietly, wondering what she was thinking. Just after a cup of tea, she saw Zhao Qinglu coming back alone. Xu Shiyun couldn't help but wonder, "Where are they?"

Zhao Qinglu glanced at Cui Lanxi and raised her voice, "She had only been strolling for a short while when she was taken away by the female official beside the Empress." Cui Lanxi's face darkened slightly and she did not respond.

Xu Shiyun was surprised and said, "They all took it away, including Sister Lu..." Zhao Qinglu looked at her strangely. If Cui Lanxi could do it, why couldn't the eldest sister of the Lu family? "Of course they went together."

"Sister Lu is too young." Xu Shiyun explained. Zhao Qinglu thought for a moment and slowly shook her head, "It takes at least a year to prepare for the prince's marriage. In a year, Sister Lu will be fourteen." The Empress Dowager's health has been getting worse over the years. If she passes away, her grandchildren will have to observe mourning for thirteen months. It's hard to say how long it will take.

Because there were few people around when they were taken away by the female official, when they came back they did not attract as much attention as Cui Lanxi did.

Zhao Qingbo still had a smile on her face, but anyone who knew her knew she wasn't truly happy. Lu Ling smiled, but not as cheerfully as before. Both of them seemed preoccupied, each holding a red sachet.

Xu Shiyun sensed something was wrong and looked at Cui Lanxi thoughtfully.

The only one who was truly happy was Zhao Qinglu. She proudly walked over, holding one of them by the hand and pulling them to sit beside her. "I was really scared when you two were taken away." After saying that, she looked at the sachets in their hands curiously, and said with a tut-tut sound, "Usually, I dislike red the most, but today I find it particularly pleasing to the eye."

Zhao Qingbo smiled and slapped her. "You're the only one who talks too much."

"Oh, that's not right." Zhao Qinglu reacted and looked up at Cui Lanxi's seat. She found that she had already left. She couldn't help but curl her lips and said, "She ran fast."

Lu Ling held the sachet in her hand and looked at Zhao Qingbo with hope in her eyes. "Sister, there should be many young ladies who can get the sachets given by the Queen today, right?"

Xu Shiyun looked at him as if he was a fool when she heard that. "What nonsense are you talking about? Receiving this sachet means you have been selected. A eunuch will come to your house to announce the decree in three days at most." As for whether it would be three or four, she glanced at Zhao Qingbo and had a guess in her mind.

The light in Lu Ling's eyes gradually dimmed, and her smile was very forced. "I see."

The atmosphere among the crowd gradually became subtle.