A lapse through time.

It's morning...

"The sun's rays are illuminating my pale face. I am still in the study room copying the ten rules of virtue as punishment for not attending concubine Qin's birthday (my father's second wife).

By the way, I am Ruo Yi, the daughter of the first wife of minister Yi. Mang Yi, the great minister of war.

The time is up. It's all done, all the pages are ready to be presented to my father."

She rises from the chair and heads out of the room. Ruo Yi passes the first quarters of the mansion, the kitchen and the rooms of the servants and ends up in a beautiful garden full with peach trees. There were the minister's chambers, a huge library and a private meeting room.

When she steps inside his study room, the tall and robust body who was facing the outside view through the huge window turns to confront the intruder.

"It's you? Have you finished? Come closer, let me see it! "

Ruo Yi slowly approaches his father and bows in front of him.

"Greetings to father! Yes, I did. These are the pages you asked me to copy and translate. It's all here!"

"Good job! It's well done. I'm lucky to have such a smart daughter but you're lacking compassion. You must learn to be more kind toward the rest of the family's members. Concubine Qin is your little brother's mother, you must treat her as your own mother. "

"But father....that's too much! She can never replace my mother or compare with her. I'll be respectful to her as long as she doesn't asks me to call her step mother and don't worry, I really love Zishu."

"Fine, fine! Let's not fight over this! You can go now."

"Thank you father!"

She bows again and leaves the room.

The first daughter of the Yi family was a very clever, beautiful and strong young lady. All the servants were respecting her because of her benevolent heart and wise decisions. She was running the residence's internal affairs in her mother's absence. The first lady Yi's health got worse in the last years, so she left the mansion to recuperate. In her absence concubine Qin,the second wife, tried several times to take over the management of the house but her request was rejected by minister Yi. Since then, Ruo's relationship with her became very distant. This was also one of the reasons why Ruo Yi refused to attend the concubine's birthday banquet.

She said that as long as her mother is still safe and sound, no one can take her place as the first lady. This was the first collision between her and concubine Qin, one of her future calamities.

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