The Lucky Heiress

“To my knowledge, Madame Yuan had accompanied Minister Yuan to the capital to report to the emperor and to visit her father, Prince Huai. They should’ve had ample time to return for her childbirth, but an unexpected event delayed them for over a month on their way back. The child was born prematurely, which forced her to give birth on the road. Fortunately, some benefactor appeared to ensure the safety of both mother and child.” said

Madame Yun.

Then, she continued, “However, all of these details are not important. We should remember that Madame Yuan is still frail and susceptible to cold and shock. We need to be cautious in our actions.”

“Understood, mother,” Wei Qingwan replied. She is usually gentle and soft-spoken, which puts Madame Yun at ease.

Wei Ruo, on the other hand, tends to be a bit impulsive and carefree, which makes one worry that she may behave inappropriately.

But at this point, there was nothing much Madame Yun could do besides waiting to see how things turn out.

An hour later, the three women from the Yun family arrived at Tianqin Garden

on time.

This auxiliary residence of the Prefect is a garden built by the command of Prince Huai for his daughter, Princess Jingmin. Therefore, it’s more expansive and luxurious than the chief magistrate’s main residence.

The Wei family, hailing from the residence of the Loyal and Righteous Duke, was not overwhelmed by the opulence.

Madame Yun took a quick glance at Wei Ruo following behind her. Seeing her keeping her composure and showing no sign of fear, she felt slightly relieved.

Wei Qingwan also instinctively glanced at Wei Ruo.

Upon seeing that Wei Ruo showed no sign of fear, Wei Qingwan felt a pang of disappointment.

Wei Ruo, though simply dressed, appeared remarkably stunning that day. Regardless of how well she was dressed, if she appeared rattled, it would be of no avail. But with her calm composure and burgeoning confidence, she overshadowed Wei Qingwan.

Upon entering the garden, lush foliage and sprawling flowerbeds greeted them -the lotus pond, in particular, offered a special aura. Even without blossoming lotus flowers at this season, the swaying dried lotus seeds in the wind nonetheless represented a different kind of charm.

Several pairs of mandarin ducks frolicked in the water, accompanied by goldfish of various colors like red, gold, and black.

The osmanthus and chrysanthemum bushes, now in full bloom, were definitely the garden’s most attractive sight.

The density of osmanthus trees and the sweet aroma permeating the air suggested the Prefect’s wife’s fondness for osmanthus flowers. The decision to host the garden party during this time of the year was likely due to this fondness.

When Wei Ruo entered the garden, there were already many people there. These people seemed to know each other and were mainly from the Government City. They were chatting leisurely.

The Yun family, being new arrivals, were left standing awkwardly to one side, unattended.

Both Madame Yun and Wei Qingwan appeared a bit uneasy, only Wei Ruo seemed at ease, admiring the flowers and paying no attention to others’ conversations.

The garden was filled with a variety of flowers, many of which were rare. Just on her right, there were several precious camellia plants. Alas, it was not the season for appreciating camellias, otherwise, this corner would be an explosion of colors.

Toward the front were a patch of roses. Single-season roses usually bloom in spring and summer, while multiple-season roses bloom in autumn as well. Yet this year’s lower temperatures probably prevented them from blossoming, thus only green leaves were visible without any buds.

As Wei Ruo casually strolled along, admiring the scenery, she found herself standing by the Lotus Pond.

Looking at the pond, Wei Ruo mused, “There must be quite a few lotus roots underneath. In one or two months, they will ripen. If one stuffed them with corn and then boiled them, they would smell divine.”

At that moment, one of the noble ladies approached Madame Yun: “Madame Wei.”

Madame Yun responded with a smile, “May I know your name, madam?” Though Madame Yun didn’t know who this lady was, the latter’s eloquent speech and lavish attire hinted at her exceptional status.

“My husband, Mr. Xu, is the current chief of the prefecture of LmHai,” the woman introduced herself.

A Chief of a Prefecture. A Fifth-rank official.

Madam Xu then inquired, “Is the lady in the light-blue dress by the lotus pond your daughter?”

“Yes, she is my eldest daughter.” Madam Yun confirmed.

“I’ve heard about how your eldest daughter rehabilitated barren lands, paving the way for communal prosperity,” said Madam Xu.

“You flatter me, madam. The farmlands have yet to be harvested, so we don’t know if they will truly benefit the local community,” Madam Yun replied modestly.

“Madam Wei, you’re too modest. Miss Wei’s achievements in Taizhou Prefecture are unrivaled. Moreover, your daughter is not only virtuous and beautiful but also uniquely outstanding among the daughters of distinguished families that I’ve seen in recent years.”

Upon hearing the praise, joy filled Madame Yun’s heart. She never thought that the work her daughter had done in the southern part of Xingshan County City would grant her such recognition and praise in the prefecture city.

Wei Qingwan, standing behind Madam Yun, grew increasingly uncomfortable with each compliment Madam Xu lavished upon Wei Ruo.

Wei Qingwan was right there, yet Madam Xu didn’t think of asking her even a single question. It was as if there was only one heiress in the Wei family. Wei Qingwan couldn’t help feeling resentful. Why should she be overshadowed by Wei Ruo’s achievements in the south of the city, or even her looks.

Wei Qingwan looked from a distance at Wei Ruo, who stood by the pond. Wei Ruo was plainly dressed with minimal accessories, yet for some reason, she looked extraordinarily stunning.

Shifting her gaze down to her own attire, Wei Qingwan felt a pang of dissatisfaction. She had put great effort into her outfit, from her hair ornaments to her clothes, which were the best she could afford. But Wei Ruo, even with her simple attire, looked far better than she did.

If only she had been wearing a dress made from the same Yun brocade as Wei Ruo’s, she would have looked no less outstanding.

The difference in their appearance was definitely something Wei Ruo had intentionally created. Had Wei Ruo shared the Yun brocade with her, Wei Qingwan wouldn’t find herself in this predicament!

At that moment, Wei Qingwan felt a surge of resentment towards Wei Ruo. Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. If Wei Ruo took one more step forward, she would step into the pond. Her skirt would be soiled by the muddy water.

All she needed was that one step. Wei Ruo didn’t have to fall into the water – she just wanted to spoil Wei Ruo’s dress a little, so she wouldn’t appear so superior.

With this thought, Wei Qingwan started approaching Wei Ruo.

At that moment, Wei Ruo was leaning over, picking a withered lotus seed pod near the pondshore.

Hearing the footsteps from behind, Wei Ruo turned to look back.

Wei Qingwan feigned tripping and stumbled forward a few steps, then gently bumped into Wei Ruo.

Wei Ruo Stepped forward, and her right foot sunk into the shallow mud beside the pond.

In order to stabilize herself, Wei Ruo swiftly grabbed a bush’s branch and, using it for leverage, flung herself back to solid ground.

However, she used a little too much force and ended up vaulting a few steps forward.

When she managed to stop, she was just inches away from colliding with a dignified and lavish lady.

Seeing this incident, Madame Yun’s heart leaped to her throat.

She quickly stepped forward and apologized, “I am sorry, Madame Yuan. My daughter was being careless and nearly bumped into you.”

Instead of responding to Madame Yun, Madame Yuan stared at Wei Ruo….