The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

Hearing her daughter’s emphasis, Yun Shuyao suddenly felt a surge of fear.

Power, of course, is a good thing; who could function properly without it at this time?

With a word from those in power, a life could be lost.

If those above were just and fair, it would be acceptable, but if they were foolish and tyrannical, rivers of blood could flow.

That’s why she often felt unmotivated.

Power is important, but Yun Shuyao didn’t want her daughter to be blinded by it.

“Luoyu, what are you thinking?”

Luoyu lifted her head to look at her aunt. “It’s just a feeling I had.”

She said softly, “Aunt, when do you think that Li Sier will be dealt with? Right now, she’s not pursuing my cousin because our family intervened, but what will happen one day when my father steps down and I lose favor? What will she do then?”

Yun Shuyao was momentarily silent.

For Li Sier to be dealt with, there was a prerequisite: Long Keduo would have to stop favoring her, or in other words, his power would no longer be able to protect Li Sier.

Only then would Li Sier no longer have the capital to act recklessly.

If the situation Luoyu described were to occur, given her temperament, it would be strange if she didn’t give the Lin family a lesson.

Luoyu also knew the answer in her heart, furrowing her brows. “I’ve heard other concubines mention this Li Sier.”

Yun Shuyao was somewhat surprised. “What did they say?”

Luoyu replied, “They sympathize with Long Keduo’s original wife. She hasn’t been seen for a long time, and some people are guessing whether she’s alive or dead. The Tongjia family is really not good people.”

She would say this because Long Keduo’s original wife was the daughter of his uncle. He married into the Hesheli clan, and his mother was also from the Hesheli clan, with a legitimate son named Yue Xinga. Yet, despite this, Li Sier was so arrogant, and his mother didn’t stand up for her niece, while the other elders of the Tong family also did not restrain her.

Yun Shuyao nodded, deep in thought.

Li Sier was indeed very arrogant.

Although this matter seems to have passed now, Li Sier is well-known for holding grudges.

Even if she is in the wrong, she will only push the blame onto others. She has already thought it through—she would first give her a lesson. Now that some time has passed and she has provoked others, as long as it is done discreetly, who would know it was her? Even if someone suspects retaliation, they wouldn’t connect it to her family.

Luoyu sighed, “Forget it, let’s not talk about this. It makes me feel bad.”

Li Sier may be arrogant in the small households, but among the high-ranking families, she hasn’t been so overbearing for now, so there’s no need to worry for the time being.

Yun Shuyao nodded. “Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. Is there a banquet for the Fourth Prince’s birthday?”

The purpose of her visit this time was not only to see her daughter but also to bring her a gift—a potted flower she had nurtured.

This is Luoyu’s birthday gift for the Fourth Prince.

Luoyu also gave her some money. As a mother and daughter, they kept clear accounts; this was the money she spent to buy a gift for the Fourth Prince. “You can’t let my aunt send it for me.”

Yun Shuyao smiled. “As you wish.”

Neither of them was lacking in money for this potted flower.

As Yun Shuyao was leaving, she glanced back to make sure she had brought the talisman she drew with her and didn’t say anything further. “I’ll come to see you again in a while.”

As she walked out, she saw a half-grown girl standing at a distance by the railing, looking down. She must have been watching.

This was probably the only daughter in the Fourth Prince’s residence.

They were some distance apart, and after taking a distant glance, Yun Shuyao withdrew her gaze.

In the carriage, Yun Shuyao was a bit lost in thought. Her spirit mirror’s recovery speed was too slow. Under extremely rare circumstances, she could obtain a piece of heavenly treasure to nourish it, and her own abilities were progressing slowly as well.

During this long period, that monk and Daoist had not appeared again, leading Yun Shuyao to speculate that they either had died or were severely injured and hiding to recover. This was good news for her because the cultivation methods she obtained from the spirit mirror seemed ineffective, either due to her lack of appropriate cultivation abilities or because the environment itself caused her progress to be so slow.

The help she received was minimal; aside from learning those three types of talismans, they had no other effect. If those two came after her, she would still have to rely on her special abilities.

With such a slow cultivation speed, Yun Shuyao also had her suspicions. One reason was that she had missed the golden age for cultivation, and another was that she was not the original host.

She had been reborn only after the original host died.

It was slow, but it was whatever. This life was, after all, a freebie.

Still, she had a lingering ambition to cultivate, and since she didn’t lack time now, she would continue to cultivate; every bit of strength gained was still strength.

It was just too slow. Heavenly treasures could help her speed up, but only those with fate could obtain them. Unfortunately, her opportunities were… limited, which left her feeling a bit regretful.

On her way back, it was quite coincidental that her carriage crossed paths with a carriage belonging to the Tongjia clan, and seated inside was none other than Li Sier.

Yun Shuyao’s heart stirred, and her thoughts became clearer.

If the people above did not punish her, did that mean others couldn’t teach her a lesson?

Of course not.

It just couldn’t be done openly.

She would find someone to inquire about when she would next go out.

She wouldn’t resort to outright killing, but her methods were not limited to that.

Upon returning, the old lady asked about Luoyu’s situation before instructing her on the arrangements for the next day.

Tomorrow, Dachun and Yingyu would return; Dachun was coming to report on his studies, and Yingyu would take the opportunity to visit her family.

Additionally, tomorrow the old lady’s niece-in-law, Mrs. Wu, would also be bringing her cousin over.

She had an uncle who was an official in the capital. When the old lady and the others first entered the city, they had a chance encounter at an inn, and after the assassination incident, they entered the capital together.

On the way, the two daughters of Lord Wu, who were born from concubines and were of similar ages, became friends with Yingyu and Luoyu.

Now both of them were already married, and Mrs. Wu was bringing along her unmarried legitimate cousin, who had not yet been engaged, likely related to marriage matters.

The old lady asked Yun Shuyao to make arrangements, which had become common since she received her official title.

Unlike her previous unofficial roles, this was equivalent to having an additional layer of identity, making her work more proactive and legitimate.

Yun Shuyao had someone send a menu to Concubine Mei for her confirmation, knowing that Yingyu’s return would surely require her input.

Sure enough, after Concubine Mei received the menu that Yun Shuyao sent, she proposed modifications, listing the dishes her daughter and son-in-law liked and requesting the kitchen staff to make changes.

Yun Shuyao glanced at it and decided to leave it be as long as nothing was out of line; these were minor matters.

The next day, when Yun Shuyao saw Yingyu, she was momentarily taken aback because it had been a while since they last met. Yingyu had changed; she looked even more radiant and no longer had to conceal her beauty, making her appearance even more pleasing to the eye.

Yun Shuyao looked at her and smiled, “Yingyu, you’re becoming more and more beautiful.”

Yingyu’s face flushed with embarrassment, and Concubine Mei cast a sideways glance at Aunt Yun with a hint of pride. Of course, her daughter was beautiful!

The old lady saw Yingyu’s appearance and smiled, feeling that such days were truly comforting.

However, after Concubine Mei expressed her joy at seeing her daughter, she quickly asked, “Do you have any good news?”

Luoyu is already pregnant! Her daughter has been out for an even shorter time!

The old lady glared at Concubine Mei, saying, “She has only been married for less than a year. What are you in such a hurry for?”

“If there’s good news, it will be shared naturally.”

She was afraid that her eldest granddaughter would feel anxious.

Concubine Mei said, “…… It’s almost been a year, which isn’t too early; many people have already been blessed with good news.”

However, under the old lady’s watchful eye, she dared not say more.

Yingyu understood her aunt well; she wasn’t saying it with bad intentions, but it indeed put some pressure on her.

Yun Shuyou changed the topic, praising the cousin brought by Mrs. Wu, “Jingying has grown increasingly outstanding.”

Mrs. Wu smiled and said, “Madam is overly kind. This child is great in many ways, but she is a bit shy.”

The old lady said, “Being shy isn’t that common. Daiyu, take your sister for a walk. Our garden is still worth a visit.”

Then Mrs. Wu mentioned that she brought Jingying along to ask Yun Shuyou for a favor, hoping she could introduce her younger sister-in-law, Chen.

Her cousin was interested in a younger member of the Chen family, but since there was no direct relationship between the two families, it wasn’t easy to discuss marriage. After looking into it, they discovered that this Chen family was related to Yun Shuyou’s sister-in-law from the Chen family.

Yun Shuyou figured out the connections and thought it was impressive that they could clarify this.

She readily replied, “I’ll send you invitations to come admire the flowers later.”

Whether it would work out depended on fate; she was merely a tool for introducing them.

Mrs. Wu smiled and bowed slightly, saying, “Thank you very much, Madam.”

Meanwhile, Dachun was in the study with his father-in-law. This time, he had made ample preparations for his studies and was very diligent. Lin Ruhai’s attitude wasn’t too strict, but there was still a sense of trepidation in Dachun’s demeanor when facing his father-in-law.

This year, Dachun participated in the provincial examination and passed, albeit at the bottom of the list. Nevertheless, he had passed and was now a Xiucai.

He felt proud in the Xilin Jueluo family for being able to achieve this at his age, even if he was at the tail end of the list; it was still a sign of talent. However, upon coming to his in-laws’ family… well, he found it hard to hold his head high.

His father-in-law, looking all smiles, was really not a good person.

He had impeached quite a few people in the court.

Every time, he wore that same smile.

The more Dachun thought about it, the tenser his posture became.

Lin Ruhai’s smile deepened as he observed Dachun.

—

News reached Yun Shuyou that Li Sier had gone out.

She was someone who loved to show off and flaunt her power.

So, Yun Shuyou decided to go out as well: “I have some matters to attend to; I need to visit the Yun family.”

The old lady recalled what Mrs. Wu had mentioned before and thought she was going to discuss that matter, so she nodded and said, “Go ahead.”

On the way to the Yun family, her carriage passed closely by Li Sier’s.

The two were headed in different directions, and as they brushed past each other, a gust of wind lifted the curtain of Li Sier’s carriage. Neither party paid much attention to it, nor did they notice that something mixed with the wind was blown into the carriage.

They didn’t realize anything was amiss.

Li Sier continued her usual routine of going out to shop for jewelry. She didn’t lack for jewelry but often went out because she enjoyed seeing the angry yet helpless gazes of others every time she stepped outside.

In the past, everyone looked down on me; now, you can only look up at me.

What can your anger do to me?

In most places in this capital city, she could act with impunity.

She had even greater ambitions.

When her son grew up, and when her husband rose to even higher power and status, she would stand even taller!

Today, her outing went quite smoothly; nothing occurred to affect her mood, and she happily returned to the residence with a carriage full of items.

After taking a nap and waking up, she first went to the Hesheliri’s room to admire her sickly appearance in bed, and then she strolled through the garden. At first, everything was fine, but soon she began to feel increasingly itchy.

Her maid’s expression grew progressively terrified.

“Madam, your… your body…”

Li Sier frowned and scratched her arm through her clothes. “What’s wrong? You can’t even speak clearly! What good are you?!”

“Madam has developed rashes!”

Red spots were appearing on her neck and face, one after another!

Under her gaze, Li Sier touched her own face, then let out a piercing scream—her face! Her face!

“Imperial physician! Useless fool, hurry and summon the imperial physician!”

A commotion ensued.

When the imperial physician arrived, he diagnosed her with rubella.

She needed to rest in her room for a period of time, apply medication, avoid the wind, and no matter how itchy the rashes were, she must not scratch them, as it could lead to scarring.

Li Sier: “!!!”

Her face turned ashen, and after a long moment, she asked, “How long will it take to heal?”

The imperial physician replied, “About seven to fifteen days.”

Li Sier screamed, “I have to be confined for that long? Aren’t you a physician? How can you be so useless? I order you to cure me within three days!”

The imperial physician: “…”

He picked up his medicine box and turned to leave. “I lack skill; Madam, please consult a more capable physician.”

Long Keguo quickly stopped him. “Physician Zhao is being modest; even the palace ladies rely on Physician Zhao. She’s just sick and in a bad mood, not intentionally causing trouble. Please don’t take offense, Physician Zhao…”

Li Sier: “!!!”

This was actually not a quack doctor. What was she supposed to do? Did she really have to be confined for so long and endure this itchiness?!

She was forced to stay confined for half a month. During this time, her room was in chaos; almost everything was thrown around and replaced, and she was extremely irritable.

Long Keguo truly loved her; seeing her like this made him feel nothing but pity for her. No matter how good the things were, he had them sent in to her for her to vent her frustrations.

After more than half a month, the rashes on her body finally disappeared.

Li Sier was in a great mood and went out again. After taking a nap, she woke up and looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes widening in disbelief: “Ah!”

“Come here! Quickly, go summon the doctor!”