Tao Sheng soon finished her meal and was ready to leave for home.

Unexpectedly, upon leaving the palace, she ran into a “familiar” face—Prince Rui.

In the original text, Prince Rui was the eventual winner, not because of extraordinary talent or strategy but due to good luck.

The two strongest contenders ahead of him, the King of Chu and the Crown Prince, both encountered problems: one died, and the other was injured. The remaining princes couldn’t match Prince Rui in tactics, influence, or standing with the emperor, so he ascended to the throne.

This was a major highlight of the original text.

As the plot developed, Guan Muyun and the Eastern Palace came into conflict, and at the same time, Princess Hui’an fell out with Ruojin, forcing the Guan family to shift its allegiance from the Eastern Palace to Prince Rui.

The Duke of Lingguo’s Mansion had a deeper alliance with Prince Rui. Prince Rui’s second wife, the successor princess, was the Duke of Lingguo’s biological sister and Guan Muyun’s aunt. This family connection strengthened their alliance.

Following this, the story focused on the Crown Prince’s fall and Prince Rui’s rise, setting up the main plot for the hero and heroine.

Although Prince Rui emerged victorious, Tao Sheng didn’t want Ji Yanming to align with him again if given the chance.

Looking at the entire narrative, Tao Sheng felt that the one who hurt her cousin, Ji Yanming the most was Prince Rui.

After entering the court, Ji Yanming first worked under the Crown Prince. When the Crown Prince fell, Prince Rui recognized his talent and brought him into his fold.

Ji Yanming, grateful for Prince Rui’s kindness, worked hard for his cause and became a core member of Prince Rui’s think tank. However, despite his efforts, he wasn’t as close to Prince Rui as Guan Muyun, who had a family tie to him.

Guan Muyun and Ji Yanming could be considered opposites here.

No matter how smart or capable Ji Yanming was, or how much he contributed, the person Prince Rui trusted most was still Guan Muyun.

Prince Rui had always been in poor health and later became addicted to spiritual practices and elixirs, which worsened his condition.

After ascending to the throne, Prince Rui’s health continued to deteriorate. Knowing he had little time left, he entrusted the Crown Prince to Ji Yanming, recognizing his abilities. This move helped Ji Yanming rise to the position of Prime Minister.

Guan Muyun’s aunt was Prince Rui’s second wife, while the prince Ji Yanming was entrusted with was the son of the original princess.

The Crown Prince and his stepmother didn’t get along, so when he came to power, he began suppressing his stepbrothers, his stepmother Queen Dowager Guan, and the Guan family who supported them.

Later, Ji Yanming and Guan Muyun entered a long political struggle. Ji Yanming’s main weakness was that the emperor he assisted had poor health and no children, making many officials lose hope.

The emperor’s younger brother, supported by Guan Muyun, was healthy and seemed likely to live a long life. Even if he wasn’t in line for the throne, it was likely that a future emperor would adopt a child from this branch of the family.

Because of this, many in the court were simply waiting and watching.

Ji Yanming, known for his ruthlessness, advised the emperor many times to eliminate the Guan family and Queen Mother Guan’s lineage to avoid future threats.

However, the emperor hesitated, unwilling to see his brothers kill each other. He also feared that history would remember him unfavorably, so he not only prevented Ji Yanming from acting but also limited his control over the imperial guards and military power.

Ji Yanming knew the emperor was too soft-hearted and lacked the capabilities of a strong ruler. He also knew the emperor’s poor health and lack of heirs were weaknesses.

But out of gratitude for Prince Rui’s trust before his death, Ji Yanming couldn’t bring himself to abandon him.

Eventually, the emperor died after falling from his horse on a hunting trip. Ji Yanming wanted to adopt the grandson of the King of Chu as heir, while Guan Muyun pushed for his own cousin to take the throne.

Ji Yanming, holding control of the government and military, could have easily installed the King of Chu’s grandson as emperor.

Just when it seemed the court was leaning toward Ji Yanming, Guan Muyun appeared, claiming he had received a secret edict from Princess Huguo, Prince Rui’s sister. The edict stated that since the Crown Prince was weak, Guan Muyun’s cousin should be the rightful successor.

Tao Sheng had been reading a book when she came across this twist in the plot, and exclaimed, “Wow!”

This was Prince Rui’s final move before his death. He feared that the weak health of the Crown Prince might allow others to seize power, so he left this edict as a backup plan.

This way, if the Crown Prince remained healthy, he would rule. But if he weakened, Guan Muyun’s family would have a legitimate claim to the throne, making Guan Muyun the emperor’s uncle.

Prince Rui’s actions not only preserved his own and the crown prince’s dignity but also paved the way for his youngest son’s future succession, ensuring wealth and glory for his confidant Guan Muyun and the Guan family.

However, he never imagined that his decisions would push Ji Yanming into complete ruin.

In other words, Ji Yanming assisted the crown prince in building his career, gaining a stable position, and recovering over the years, only to realize that the prince he served was not a true emperor, but merely an illegitimate heir.

No matter how smart Ji Yanming was, he never expected to be betrayed by the late Prince Rui.

Tao Sheng sighed as she read the book, commenting that no one could come up with such a twist without having suffered from cerebral thrombosis for ten years ^[1]phrase used to describe an absurd situation or decision..

Prince Rui considered his step-wife, his children, Guan Muyun, and the Guan family, but neglected to think about how Ji Yanming would cope.

Originally, the author likely intended for Ji Yanming to meet a disgraceful and angry end, but the character became so popular with readers that they protested strongly. Many readers left threats in the comments, saying that if the author killed Ji Yanming, they would send razor blades to the author.

In the end, the author compromised and allowed Ji Yanming to take the Silk Road again, traveling from the Western Regions Protectorate ^[2]refers to a historic term for regions guarded by the empire. to overseas lands, never returning to disturb the lives of the male and female leads.

Thus, Prince Rui’s betrayal of Ji Yanming remains undeniable.

Prince Rui noticed Tao Sheng before entering the venue.

The girl had a unique presence and beauty that easily drew his attention.

Meeting Tao Sheng in person, Prince Rui clearly did not want to miss the chance to speak.

He smiled and said to Tao Sheng, “When I was drinking with my elder brother a few days ago, he constantly praised your qualities. I didn’t expect to meet you today.”

Tao Sheng then remembered that at this time, Prince Rui and Prince Chu still maintained a good relationship and were quite close among their many brothers.

Prince Rui was smart. He knew that even though Prince Chu was suppressed by the emperor, the emperor still held a soft spot for him and wouldn’t dismiss him easily. So, Prince Rui was willing to maintain a friendly appearance with Prince Chu.

Tao Sheng greeted Prince Rui according to the rules and calmly said, “Your Highness Prince Chu is kind-hearted and has always treated us subordinates with tolerance, so I cannot bring myself to mention any of his faults.”

After she spoke, Prince Rui remained silent for a while. When she looked up, she saw him looking her up and down. It was already cold on this night after the beginning of winter, and Tao Sheng felt goosebumps as Prince Rui stared at her like that.

After a long moment, Prince Rui chuckled and said, “Miss Luo, you are too modest. I’ve heard that you are skilled at playing the zither. Though I am not particularly talented, I know a thing or two about music. I’ll send you an invitation to discuss it another day, and I hope you will not refuse.”

Tao Sheng felt uncomfortable. Prince Rui, a man in his 30s, seemed improper, not only with his wandering gaze but also with his drawn-out, frivolous tone.

Moreover, the way he addressed her was wrong. Everyone in the palace today had called her “Lord Luo” out of politeness and recognition of her official status. In official circles, titles like “Miss” or “Young Master” weren’t used.

Yet, Prince Rui kept calling her “Miss Luo,” as if emphasizing that she was not a properly appointed official of the Great Zhou, but an unmarried young woman, which felt particularly disrespectful.

Regardless of the original story or after this meeting, Tao Sheng had no positive impression of Prince Rui. After exchanging pleasantries, she excused herself, saying it was late and not wishing to waste His Highness’ time.

Watching her leave, the chief clerk asked Prince Rui, “Your Highness, are you interested in Lord Luo?”

Prince Rui narrowed his eyes and replied, “She is a clever woman.”

He wondered if this clever person understood the importance of choosing the right master.

After leaving the palace, Tao Sheng finally relaxed her tense nerves. Today had been exhausting.

There were so many guests at the banquet that a long line of carriages had formed outside the palace gate. Tao Sheng parked hers at the Taiyue Office and walked back before taking the carriage home.

The carriage moved slowly through the straight alleys of the inner city. Although she had felt sleepy in Liuyun Palace, the sight of the lights of thousands of homes woke her up.

The carriage rolled forward slowly. Suddenly, she spotted a familiar figure.

Tao Sheng was delighted and asked the driver to stop. She jumped out to confirm that it was indeed her cousin Ji Yanming.

The capital was bustling during the Winter Solstice Festival, with people crowding the streets. As night deepened and the lights shone, a young man stood in the dim light, his facial features looking even more distinct.

Tao Sheng immediately noticed that Ji Yanming’s temperament had changed significantly.

Once aloof and lonely, Ji Yanming, now a scholar drafting imperial edicts beside the emperor, was one of the most admired young talents at court. He now seemed even gloomier on top of his cold exterior, as if suppressing some deep emotion.

As soon as Tao Sheng approached him, she sensed the air around him settle, and even the wind seemed to still in the quiet night.

Tao Sheng felt a sudden heartache.

What had happened while he was away?