Chapter 1

Since winter started, the weather in Beijing has been getting colder each day. After three gloomy days, a sunny day finally arrived.

Tao Sheng had been staying indoors and not going out. She heard some noise outside the curtain, put down the music sheet she was holding, and stood up to look. She saw her aunt Su Jia coming in with a small snack box made of huanghuali wood and inlaid with bamboo.

Su Jia smiled and invited Tao Sheng to sit down. “On my way back from the east side of the city, I saw that Yunxiangju made fresh hawthorn candy cakes. I thought you girls might like them, so I bought some for you to try.”

Yunxiangju’s hawthorn candy cakes are delicious and are only made in winter, making them a seasonal treat.

Tao Sheng took the snack box with a smile and opened it to reveal the treats inside.

Su Jia is very particular about food. In addition to the hawthorn candy cakes, she also packed some peanut butter and pine nut candy.

The peanut butter is sweet and tasty, while the pine nut candy is sweet and crunchy, filling her mouth with flavor with every bite.

Tao Sheng sincerely thanked Su Jia: “When I was at home, I loved buying hawthorn cakes and candied haws in winter. I also enjoyed eating peanut butter and various candies. Thank you, aunt.”

“We’re family, so no need to be polite,” Su Jia replied with a smile, then said, “Your second aunt just sent someone with a letter saying the New Year is coming soon and asked if you want to go back to Qin County to celebrate. If you do, she will arrange for your cousin to come to Beijing to take you home.”

Tao Sheng thought about it and shook her head, saying, “It’s hard to travel in winter. My parents are gone, and there’s nothing I need to deal with back home. Qin County is far away, and it’s freezing cold, so it would be a hassle for my cousin to pick me up. Since there’s nothing important, I won’t go back.”

Ten years ago, Tao Sheng accidentally traveled to this world and was reborn as a little girl who became very sick after falling into the water.

She was originally a child adopted from an orphanage by a couple named Luo. Although her adoptive parents were not wealthy, they treated her very well and did their best to give her a good life.

Three years ago, when her adoptive parents died unexpectedly, Tao Sheng respected local customs and stayed in her hometown to mourn them for three years.

Since she was adopted and not a biological child, when the mourning period ended, the family’s house, land, and shops all belonged to the clan and were taken by her uncle and aunt.

After her mourning period, she followed her mother’s wishes and went to live with her aunt Su Jia in the capital.

Su Jia’s husband died early, and she has been traveling with her cousin Ji Bai to study in recent years. Ji Bai will go to Beijing to take the imperial examination next year, so Su Jia is preparing to return to Beijing to settle down.

Currently, Ji Bai is still studying at an academy in the south. Even though Tao Sheng has been living with her aunt for six months, she has not yet met the cousin who is said to be studying hard.

Although Tao Sheng and Su Jia have not been together long, she has a good impression of her aunt.

Su Jia always wanted a daughter and likes girls but only has one child, her cousin. Since Tao Sheng moved in, Su Jia has placed her hopes and love for a daughter on her, raising her as if she were her own.

Su Jia was pleased with Tao Sheng’s response. “I also think it’s not easy to travel in this cold weather, so there’s no need to trouble your uncle and aunt. I’ll prepare some New Year gifts for the visitors to take back.”

At this point, Su Jia paused, then continued, “The person your second aunt sent to deliver the letter mentioned something else.”

Tao Sheng asked, “What?”

Su Jia replied, “I heard that the Wenyuan Marquis’s Mansion sent people to Qin County to ask about you and your parents several times. Later, Lord Wenyuan even came in person with his wife and two young masters. They wanted to know more about you. Your aunt asked if you know this family and if there’s any connection between your family and the Wenyuan Marquis’s Mansion in the past.”

Tao Sheng wondered what was going on. After thinking, she said, “I’ve never heard my parents mention the Wenyuan Marquis’s Mansion. Maybe they want to learn about something else. But if it involves the Luo family, I don’t think it concerns us.”

She then smiled and added, “Our family business has been doing well, and we’ve never owed anyone money. I haven’t seen any creditors come to our house. I doubt the Wenyuan Marquis’s Mansion is here to collect debts, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”

Su Jia laughed, surprised that Tao Sheng’s first thought was about creditors. She said, “That’s good. The Wenyuan Marquis family is known for being honest and upright in the capital. Unlike other noble families, their children aren’t known for causing trouble. Plus, their eldest daughter, Shen Ruojin, is talented and well-regarded in the capital. She’s even been praised by Concubine Xu in the palace. They won’t cause you any trouble for no reason.”

Tao Sheng nodded, relieved. “That’s good.”

Since receiving a letter from her Second Aunt, Tao Sheng had spent three peaceful days at the Su residence. The weather was nice, so Su Jia thought of taking her to Sanqing Temple to burn incense.

Tao Sheng, feeling bored, wanted to go out. So, she got ready to leave early in the morning.

When Tao Sheng and Su Jia went outside, they saw a middle-aged man in his forties getting off a luxurious carriage and walking toward the gate of the Su residence. He wore a beautiful brocade robe and a golden longevity crown on his head. The carriage behind him was also very grand, indicating he was from a notable family in the capital.

The man looked at the two women for a moment before asking Tao Sheng, “Are you the girl from the Luo family in Qin County?”

Tao Sheng found this strange and replied, “Excuse me, who are you?”

The man introduced himself, “I am Wenyuan Hou Shen Yu,” which means he was the Marquis Wenyuan from the capital. 

Tao Sheng understood now why he had such a grand arrival and nodded slightly. “What brings you here, my Lord?”

Shen Yu responded, “I came all the way from the capital to Qin County, just to find you.”

After a pause, he added, “You shouldn’t call me Lord Hou, but father.”

_

Wenyuanhou Mansion:

Shen Ruojin was pacing anxiously in her room, waiting for her father and the real “Second Miss Shen” to arrive.

Two years ago, there had been a conflict between two housekeepers in the family, revealing a shocking secret. When Mrs. Shen was pregnant, the emperor had just eliminated the power of Prince Su, securing his throne and starting to purge officials. The Wenyuan Marquis was one of those officials close to Prince Su.

The Wenyuan Marquis Mansion was in a state of panic due to the political instability. To protect his family, Shen Yu sent his wife back to her hometown to give birth.

However, Mrs. Shen went into labor prematurely while traveling and had to stop at an inn to give birth. It was snowing heavily that day, and because they had rushed from the capital, there weren’t enough people to help, creating chaos.

While carrying the newborn downstairs to bathe, a maid named Mother Sang drank too much hot wine and accidentally lost the child. To cover up the mistake, she found another baby in the city to replace the lost child. The baby she found was Shen Ruojin, while the baby that was lost was actually Luo Taosheng.

Now, everyone in the Wenyuan Marquis Mansion knew the truth. They had been tracking down the real second daughter of the Shen family, who had been abducted as a baby and raised in an orphanage by a couple named Luo.

After her adoptive parents passed away, she moved to Beijing to live with her aunt, currently residing in the Su residence.

Shen Ruojin knew her father had left that morning to bring back the real Second Miss Shen, which made her anxious and unsettled.

Although Shen Ruojin was the second daughter of the Shen family, she was now the only legitimate daughter, as the eldest daughter had been married off five years ago. If the real Second Miss Shen was found and acknowledged, it would change everything for her.

Distraught at the thought, Shen Ruojin dropped her teacup, which shattered on the ground.

At that moment, her brothers Shen Yue and Shen Ci entered the room. Shen Yue ordered someone to clean up the broken teacup while Shen Ci asked, “What happened to my sister?”

Shen Ruojin bit her lip and shook her head. “I’m fine. I was just distracted for a moment.”

Understanding her well, Shen Yue asked, “Is it because father went to pick someone up that you’re feeling this way?”

Shen Ruojin’s face paled. “No, I just didn’t sleep well last night. Please don’t say that, brother.”

Shen Ci was always straightforward. Hearing that his second sister hadn’t eaten much for two days, he said, “I just heard from Biqin that my sister isn’t well. Why should she suffer for someone she doesn’t even know?” 

Shen Yue added, “I went to the study last night to check on our father’s thoughts. He has no plans to abandon you. Our parents and grandmother are sensible people. They’ll find a way to make everyone happy. Ah Ci is right; you shouldn’t harm your health over this.” 

Seeing that Shen Ruojin still looked worried, Shen Ci encouraged her, “Don’t worry, second sister. I’ve only recognized you as my sister since we were children. I heard that father gave you two pieces of high-quality Hui ink ^[1]is a type of ink made from pine soot, known for its quality in calligraphy. yesterday. He received them from the Governor-General of Liangjiang, and he only got two. He knew you liked to write, so he gave both to you.”

“And our mother, who loves you most, always shares her best gifts with you. Grandmother praises you as the most filial and polite among us. Over the years, you’ve been by her side when she was bedridden, and everyone noticed.”

Ruojin felt relieved after hearing her third brother’s words. She even teased him: “The girl father went to pick up today is your biological sister. Aren’t you going to support her?” 

This annoyed Shen Ci. A few years ago, the Yongchang Marquis family recognized an illegitimate daughter. They had three sons and no daughters, so they welcomed this late-comer.

But she grew up in a small town and wanted to fit into the elite society of the capital. She tried to outshine her cousins and impress young masters to find a good husband, but she became a laughingstock.

People joked about her lack of experience and ambitions, causing the young masters of the Yongchang Marquis family to lose face. Shen Ci couldn’t help but think of this situation.

If he accepted this sister, would he face the same ridicule as the young masters? This thought made him uncomfortable and resistant, so he didn’t have kind words to say.

“She is just a sister I’ve never met. She hasn’t taken care of her siblings or shown respect to her parents. What is there to be proud of?” 

Shen Yue frowned and replied, “Ah Ci, don’t say that. She is our mother’s daughter. She is family, just like us and Ruojin.” 

Shen Ci waved his hand and said, “Big brother should go and convince this new ‘second sister.’ If she wants to be part of our family, she must respect our rules and not bring shame to us.”

_

In the Su residence in Tongguang Lane, Tao Sheng and her aunt Su Jia were shocked by a story from Shen Yu.

Everyone initially thought Tao Sheng was an abandoned baby from an orphanage, but she was actually the beloved eldest daughter of Marquis Wenyuan and the second daughter of the Shen family.

Tao Sheng never expected such a surprising revelation.

Compared to Su Jia’s shock, Tao Sheng was more interested in Shen Yu’s story.

The story resembled the novel “A Life of Glory,” which she had read before. 

This novel is about family rivalries, featuring Shen Ruojin as the main character. Although Shen Ruojin wasn’t the true daughter of the Shen family, she was clever, independent, and received much love from her family. She eventually married into the Duke of Lingguo’s family and became the prince’s consort.

As a character in this story, Shen Ruojin fought hard, and her son became the crown prince. She reached the height of success.

In contrast, Shen Taosheng, the real daughter of the Shen family, played a minor role. She faced many challenges and lost repeatedly, eventually marrying into a merchant family and fading away from the capital.

Now, with Shen Yu’s^[2]refers to Marquis Wenyuan. arrival, Tao Sheng felt her peaceful life was over. She was dragged into the conflicts of the story.

Tao Sheng glanced at Shen Yu warily.

Shen Yu observed her as well. He noticed the child’s features resembled those of the old lady at home and inherited the best traits from himself and his wife. Although she was young, she was a rare beauty among the ladies in Beijing.

He didn’t need further confirmation; he recognized her as the adopted daughter of the Luo family and his own child.

Shen Yu knew her life story, so he spoke directly, “Your mother has been ill and is too weak to go out, but she’s overjoyed to know you’ve been found. Your grandmother, brothers, and sisters are all waiting to meet you at the mansion. The carriage is outside; I will take you back to meet them.”