The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

Kangxi was the ruler of a nation, the Son of Heaven, holding the heavenly mandate. Even if he personally had no special abilities, his position allowed his words to reach the heavens easily.

Shortly after calling the abbot of the Protector Temple to the palace, he announced the preparations for an altar; he intended to make a sacrifice to heaven.

With this sacrifice, even if Jing Huan usually concealed her presence well, her trace would still be revealed.

Moreover, just because one is called a fairy, does that truly mean they are immortal?

Many mortals and lower cultivators refer to high-level cultivators as immortals, seeing them as a goal, an ultimate aspiration.

However, the path to becoming an immortal is not something ordinary people can achieve. Countless extraordinarily talented individuals have fallen by the wayside on this journey, leading some to choose the wrong path.

When a certain divine thunder struck a small secret realm, Yun Shuyao felt a sudden awareness and looked up at the sky.

The sky was clear, with not a cloud in sight, a deep blue that seemed to penetrate the heart.

What a wonderful day.

Unknowingly, her mood brightened along with the weather, as if something weighing on her heart had vanished.

“The weather is quite nice today.”

Time to head to the kitchen and prepare something delicious.

At this moment, Aunt Mei was still on the road.

Their destination was correct, but their speed was far from fast.

Throughout the journey, Aunt Mei’s courage was nearly shattered. She regretted setting out soon after leaving, never expecting that the rebels daring to assassinate high-ranking officials would be so audacious.

And they could even target her!

She longed to return safely to the capital but found that the members of the group would not heed her words, forcing her to continue forward in fear.

Along the way, she encountered arrows, water bandits, and poison.

When she first set out, Aunt Mei had complained about the cumbersome nature of the group, but she had not uttered such words since.

As she approached Yangzhou, the assassins suddenly quieted down.

Why?

Were they conserving their strength for a final strike?

In her anxiety, Aunt Mei heard news that some prince in Yangzhou had led troops to raid a certain family, causing panic among the wealthy in the area.

The raid in Yangzhou brought Aunt Mei joy; could it mean she was safe?! She had entered the city through bloodshed at the gates.

This was a bustling city, but the streets were now nearly empty, with only a few hurried passersby keeping their heads down.

Occasionally, armored soldiers could be seen patrolling.

Their large group faced thorough questioning upon entering the city, but since they weren’t leaving, it wasn’t as strict.

Nervously, Aunt Mei entered the Lin residence and soon saw Aunt Yun.

Aunt Yun?!

“Why are you here?!” she blurted out. “I was the only one coming over!”

Yun Shuyao smiled gently, her eyes curving, which made Aunt Mei especially annoyed: “Sister, I set out later; you didn’t know.”

Aunt Mei’s face flickered between anger and fear: “When did you arrive?”

Yun Shuyao replied, “Not long ago.”

Aunt Mei’s expression turned sour: “…”

She nearly spat blood in frustration.

Having gone through such great lengths to take care of the master, Aunt Mei felt disheartened that Aunt Yun had arrived before her. Would the master still remember her contributions?

Her eyes turned red.

“Where is the master?”

“Does the master not know I’ve come?”

Yun Shuyao replied, “The master knows, but he has a guest.”

With the recent purge of salt merchants in Yangzhou, Lin Ruhai could not remain uninvolved.

While the situation seemed severe, it was impossible to capture all the salt merchants; that would truly lead to chaos.

Some would have insider knowledge or would take decisive action, while others would wisely withdraw when they sensed danger.

Even now, some were busy with confiscation tasks.

Assassinating high-ranking officials and driving up salt prices were serious offenses, and if investigated thoroughly, it would be easy for the powerful families to uncover issues, much like finding lice on a cow.

However, these salt merchants often had powerful backing, whether through influential connections or having sons in official positions.

This time, Lin Ruhai had seriously offended these people.

Even if it benefited the state and the people, they didn’t care.

What mattered to them was only their own interests.

Fortunately, Kangxi did not compromise.

Yun Shuyao’s thoughts drifted and then returned: “Sister, you’ve had a long journey and worked hard. I’ve already tidied up the courtyard in advance.”

At that moment, a maid stepped forward to greet Aunt Mei.

Aunt Mei huffed lightly, her eyes narrowing in displeasure; her words implied that the inner quarters were under her management, and she was late.

Unable to hold back, she shot a glare at Yun Shuyao before leaving.

Yun Shuyao’s smile deepened.

The nearby maid thought to herself: “…”

Both of the master’s aunts were beautiful, a feast for the eyes, but their personalities seemed a bit… well, there was an unexplainable deja vu.

In the study, Lin Ruhai discussed matters with a visitor until the lanterns were lit. Only then did the guest take their leave. After seeing them off, Lin Ruhai returned to his study.

He was currently busy; the transfer wouldn’t happen quickly. He needed to finish his current responsibilities before the time came for reassignment.

Lin Ruhai’s injuries had healed quite well.

Yun Shuyao wasn’t sure how much the rejuvenation talisman had contributed, but seeing the color return to his face gave her a sense of accomplishment. He had to attend to official duties, which she didn’t mind, but once he exceeded the time limit, she would remind him to rest.

By the time Lin Ruhai managed to arrange a banquet at home to welcome Aunt Mei, it was already the evening of the second day.

Aunt Mei felt extremely wronged. She had traveled a long distance, endured many dangers, and thought the master would be moved upon her arrival. Instead, he didn’t take her seriously and only saw her the next day.

She had hoped to care for the master and strengthen her position, but now it seemed he was angry with her.

It must be that Yun had whispered something trivial into the master’s ear to make him upset—this was unacceptable!

So when Lin Ruhai finally appeared, the first thing he saw was Aunt Mei, tearful and on the verge of speaking.

Seeing her familiar demeanor, Yun Shuyao couldn’t help but smile to herself.

Lin Ruhai, feeling somewhat helpless, tried to comfort her, asking, “Why are you crying?”

Aunt Mei said, “Master, after suffering such a serious injury, you won’t even allow me to cry? It really scared us!”

“Master, you don’t know that when I first heard the news, I nearly lost my mind. I rushed to confirm it with the matriarch, and then I insisted on coming to Yangzhou to take care of you. If it weren’t for the troubles on the road, I would have arrived much sooner. The matriarch understands my feelings for you; as soon as she knew I wanted to care for you, she immediately agreed.”

“Sister Yun was there at the time and can testify for me.”

She spoke with conviction, and her actions had indeed been as she described; no one could claim she was being deceitful.

It was true that she had not lied, and Yun Shuyao made no attempt to refute her, smiling in agreement, “Sister Mei was indeed very worried.” Yun Shuyao sighed, “Who wouldn’t be worried? The matriarch and the third miss fell ill shortly after hearing the news, and everyone else has lost weight too.”

Lin Ruhai was aware of this; both his mother and Daiyu were ill, and it wasn’t surprising that others had lost weight—especially compared to how they had looked before.

He spoke gently, “I will be careful in the future; this won’t happen again.” His confidence surprised Yun Shuyao, as it seemed a bit strange.

What had he done?

But Lin Ruhai had no intention of elaborating. Instead, he gently inquired about Aunt Mei’s hardships during the journey.

Initially, Aunt Mei was upset by Yun Shuyao’s earlier comments, wanting to take credit for herself. However, after what Yun said, her accomplishments felt diminished, especially with the matriarch and Lin Daiyu both falling ill, making the healthy ones seem less concerned and leaving her feeling defeated.

Unwilling to accept this, she exaggerated the difficulties she faced on the road. Yun Shuyao fell silent; if it were truly that dangerous, only legendary martial experts or immortals could have navigated it safely. The guards of the Lin residence and the hired escorts, while capable, were still far from those two extremes.

Did she not consider that someone would have reported on the journey’s various incidents?

Claiming hardship wasn’t untrue; traveling in ancient times was indeed tough, especially with assassins around, but her exaggerations, even if they moved Lin Ruhai, made him want to laugh and roll his eyes at the same time.

However, it also showed that, over the years, the Lin family’s living conditions had been quite comfortable, allowing her to maintain her original demeanor.

Yun Shuyao thought about her years and nodded; life had indeed been quite comfortable.

This work environment had unknowingly eliminated her thoughts of leaving to work independently, and before she knew it, she had become a seasoned employee.

Aunt Mei had been complaining the entire time, and when the welcome banquet ended and it was time to rest, she expected the master to come to her for comfort. Instead, he unhesitatingly followed Aunt Yun.

Aunt Mei: “…”

Frustrated, she stomped her foot. It was always Yun interfering with her plans; why was she everywhere?

In reality, Lin Ruhai hadn’t considered that aspect. With Shuyao living with him, she had some medical skills, which allowed them to pay more attention to any unexpected situations around their home. Plus, even if they shared a bed, they couldn’t be intimate.

Back in the room, it was time for Lin Ruhai to change his dressing. Yun Shuyao unwrapped the gauze, checked the wound to ensure everything was fine, changed the medication, and rebandaged it. Just as she finished, Dr. Zhou arrived with freshly brewed medicine.

Since he had come here, he had personally been in charge of brewing and prescribing the medicine.

He had heard from the steward about the previous incident where Lin Ruhai’s medicine had been tampered with.

After taking Lin Ruhai’s pulse for a while, he smiled and nodded, “The master’s injury has improved significantly.”

Lin Ruhai smiled back, “Thank you for your hard work, Dr. Zhou.” He then turned to Yun Shuyao and added, “And thank you for your efforts as well.”

Dr. Zhou chuckled, “It is my duty. Aunt Yun has indeed worked hard; I also owe you my thanks.”

Having a woman in the household made a significant difference. Before Aunt Yun arrived, while the essentials were there, once she took over the inner quarters, life became much more comfortable. Even the speed of the master’s recovery from his injury surprised him.

The next day, the Lin residence received an invitation.

It was from the Zhen family.

Yun Shuyao had come quietly, unnoticed by anyone outside the Lin household, but Aunt Mei had arrived with great fanfare.

Since Lin Ruhai’s injury, he had not stepped outside. Any visitors had to go through the guards, making it impossible to see him or plead their cases.

Now that a female relative had finally arrived, people realized their opportunity had come.

Moreover, although this woman was only a concubine, Lin Ruhai’s legitimate wife had passed away, and this concubine had given birth to the Lin family’s eldest daughter, making her no ordinary person.