Extra 2-2: Nian Sheng (Part 2)

After arriving in the capital, life became peaceful. Even though my sister’s background was exposed and the reputation of Wenyuanhou Mansion and Shen Ruojin was ruined, things were calm.

It was clear that my sister didn’t care about these issues. When she spoke about them, she was calm, as if they didn’t matter. 

She kept a distance from those who didn’t concern her. No matter how wild or ridiculous they were, they could never affect her.

One day, I was eating mung bean cake and reading “Journey to the West” while resting. I thought my sister was like Sun Wukong, drawing a circle around herself, keeping others out.

When I shared this with my mother, she sighed and said, “Your sister had no choice but to do this.”

I nodded. 

No one wants to be apart from their biological parents, but the Shen family acted terribly.

After that, everything was calm. However, the Luo family started to intervene. The eldest uncle of the Luo family, who was a cabinet minister, and his family tried to persuade my sister to change her household registration to Mrs. Luo. This was important since it was hard for a divorced woman to establish a household on her own.

Before my sister could handle this, our peaceful life was interrupted. My cousin got involved in the scandal of abolishing the crown prince and was detained by Dali Temple for investigation.

In my eyes, my sister has always been the calmest person. No matter what happens, she remains composed. I’ve never seen her anxious or angry. She’s like the person in books who stays calm even when faced with great challenges.

But this time, she was visibly worried. She went to see my uncle and grandparents, trying to find a way to help my cousin. Eventually, she reached an agreement with Grand Master Luo to recognize my cousin back into the Luo family to ensure his future.

The Luo family begged my sister to return, promising she could live in the Ji family. 

My father and mother would still be her father and mother, and I would remain her sister.

When I first heard about this, I worried. My sister is soft-hearted. She was cold to the Shen family because they were unreasonable, but the Luo family had always been kind to her. I feared that if she returned to them, she wouldn’t be my sister anymore.

But everything worked out, and everyone was happy.

In the beginning, many thought my sister would care about the Shen family’s identity. Although it was a poor marquisate, it seemed better than our family. But my sister didn’t follow that path. She focused on her own work. Now, she is a powerful official in the court, capable of negotiating with Grand Master Luo and the Luo family.

Even after moving her household registration to the Luo family, she still cared about me and Yu Sheng, especially our studies. She always reminded me not to slack off because I’m a girl. She believed that since the world doesn’t treat girls fairly, we must work even harder.

Later, many noble families in the capital faced problems after several rounds of purges. My father stood out because he stayed neutral and was promoted to the sixth rank.

After my father’s position was promoted, his office moved too.

But my brother and I had grown up, so it was inconvenient for us to live together. So, my mother bought a new house outside the Ji family’s house, and we slowly moved out.

My cousin is working as an inspector and didn’t say much about this matter.

As my father’s career improved, our family started forming its own social circle.

One time, when I went with my mother to Tang Anbo’s house for the old lady’s birthday, I met Tang Yizi, the wife of Wenyuanhou’s son, and the elder sister of the Tang family.

Although my sister didn’t get along with the Shen family, Tang Yizi and my sister had always been close. Seeing I was young and unfamiliar with the capital, she took care of me at events, probably worried I might be mistreated.

But there was no need for her concern.

Since I started going to gatherings with my mother, people treated me well.

Most of this respect came from my sister and cousin, not just my father. Both of them now have a strong presence in court, and with Prince Chu behind them, no one has been rude to me over the years.

It’s also because my sister had already established our family’s name. I heard from sister Xinyue that when my sister first arrived in the capital and attended events as a distant relative of the Luo family, some ladies were rude. But soon, most families had to please her because they needed something from her. They were embarrassed afterward.

Later, people said girls from Qin County were impressive. For example, even though my sister seemed ordinary back then, she had great potential. Luo Niansheng is young now, but who knows, she might be just as good as her sister in the future. So, no one has been rude to me.

Thanks to my sister, Yu Sheng and I have been able to establish ourselves in the capital and are treated with respect. We don’t face discrimination because of our origins in small towns.

But after the death of Old Madam Shen and Madam Luo’s divorce from Marquis Wenyuan, the Shen family started to decline, and most family matters are now handled by the Crown Prince and Tang Yizi.

Seeing how friendly people were to me, Tang Yizi felt relieved. She said she had work waiting at home and soon left.

Recently, there has been a lot of gossip about the Shen family. When the Crown Prince’s wife was around, people didn’t discuss it. But now, after Tang Yizi left, other women started talking about the Shen family’s problems.

Although they were wives of officials, their talk about the Shen family reminded me of old women gossiping in alleys.

The Shen family’s story is long and fascinating. Some of their former servants became storytellers, telling all they knew. Their stories became very popular, even praised by the King of Chu and others, sparking a craze for storytelling in the capital.

One story said that when Shen Ruojin was still the Crown Prince’s wife, her biological parents had considered recognizing her. But when they heard she was involved in a serious crime, they severed ties with her, afraid of being implicated.

I once met Shen Ruojin in Beijing.

Aside from her personality, Shen Ruojin had good conditions. She grew up in the Shen family instead of her sister, so she was lucky.

She was smart and hardworking, and good-looking, but too narrow-minded. She always argued about small things, and her life was messy, which was sad.

Most of the talk focused on how unlucky the Shen family was. They had a good daughter like my sister but favored someone else. Then, they started talking about my father and how lucky he was. He had quickly risen in ranks thanks to his good deeds and his kindness to my sister.

Someone else added that now that the Crown Prince and Prince Rui had fallen, the most powerful person in court was Prince Chu. Prince Chu listens to my cousin Lord Ji, and the Emperor listens to my sister, Luo Taosheng. Now, the Emperor is preparing to give Prince Chu control of the Ministry of War, so my father is likely to be promoted too.

The Shen family used to beg my sister to return, promising to add her name to their family records if she came back. But when they found out she chose to stay with the Luo family, they started asking for her help, but she never responded.

While my father was doing well in court, the Shen family was being ignored by the Emperor and Prince Chu. Their situations were so different that the Shen family became jealous of us. They always felt we took away their daughter and their family’s glory, but never thought about their own actions.

After the banquet, when my mother and I were about to leave, we bumped into Shen Ci, the third son of the Shen family.

When he saw us, his expression was complicated, but he still came over and greeted us.

It’s said that Shen Ci used to be worried about his sister coming from a small place, fearing she would embarrass their family. He also often found fault with her because of Shen Ruojin.

Though Shen Ci looked unwilling to see us, and spoke with some bitterness, he still awkwardly greeted us politely.

The third son of the Shen family had been acting very politely lately, likely because his family had faced difficulties recently. Experiencing the hardships of life may have changed him.

When my sister took me out before, I had met Shen Ci a few times.

He saw how my sister treated Yu Sheng and me with great care and tenderness, while he, her biological brother, couldn’t even get a simple greeting. He looked so upset that it seemed like water could drip from his face.

After that, every time he saw me, he had the same sour look. It caused me to have toothaches after meeting him a few times, and I almost called the doctor.

Even with the toothache, I enjoyed seeing his regret. It felt refreshing, almost cooling the hot summer air.

It’s easy to enjoy playing with someone’s feelings.

After the Crown Prince fell from power, my cousin was appointed as an inspector, and my sister entered her prime time for finding a husband.

From that point, the elders, colleagues, and even the Emperor began introducing various young men to her.

My mother often asked my sister what kind of man she preferred: a civil servant, a military man, elegant, or strong?

At that time, my sister was working on a document for applying for funding from the Taiyue Bureau. She paused and said that she didn’t have many special requirements for her future husband, but it would be best if he was kind, came from a good family, and grew up in a warm household.

My aunt, who was present, interpreted this to mean my sister wanted to marry an honest man.

Considering how outstanding my sister is, it shouldn’t be difficult for her to find a suitable match. But for some reason, my aunt seemed worried.

Maybe she had a young man in mind for my sister, but he didn’t fit the description of an “honest man.”

This has become a big topic in our family, and it has affected me as well. I suddenly became well-known in the capital.

Young men in the capital tried to get close to me, hoping I could help them gain my sister’s favor. They even asked my mother what kind of son-in-law she preferred.

I told them that my mother had said she wouldn’t interfere with my sister’s decision, as long as she liked the person.

One elegant young man sighed and said, “That’s too difficult! Winning your sister’s favor is harder than winning the Emperor’s favor.”

These people mostly came and went quickly. The best one managed to have three dinners with my sister, but he also failed in the end.

Then, someone appeared whom the elders believed to be “very well-suited” for my sister. His name was Chu Xun, the second son of an old family friend.

The second young master Chu is a fine young man, and he had been engaged to my sister in the past.

Back then, Lord Chu rose through the ranks too quickly, and my mother thought he wasn’t a good match for my sister. She didn’t want to put him in an awkward situation, so she wrote a letter breaking off the engagement.

Though Chu Xun isn’t as outstanding as my sister, he’s still one of the rare unmarried young talents in the capital. He’s also connected to my sister’s grandfather, Grand Master Luo, which made it easier for them to meet again.

Maybe because they’ve known each other since childhood, my sister seems quite satisfied with Second Young Master Chu. They’ve had at least five meals together, and he’s become a frequent guest at our home.

Over the past few years, many talented young men have been introduced to my sister, most of them in their 30s or even 50s. Chu Xun is the only one who has received this level of attention.

Everyone thinks things are progressing smoothly between them, but I feel like something is missing between my sister and Second Young Master Chu.

He’s a nice person, with the straightforwardness typical of martial artists. Yu Sheng, who quickly became familiar with him, liked him and was excited about the idea of him becoming her brother-in-law.

But I have a strong feeling that my sister won’t end up choosing him.

When Yu Sheng and I discussed my sister’s future, I shared my thoughts, saying it might not be the Chu family’s young master. Yu Sheng disagreed, saying they were a great match and even suggested a bet. The wager was his favorite topaz Chihu paperweight ^[1]a type of paperweight made from precious stone..

I happily accepted.

I thought the outcome would be decided soon, but then my sister was sent on a diplomatic mission to the Kingdom of Dai and became the deputy envoy, putting all marriage matters on hold.

The lead envoy for the mission was King Huan again. Last time, his cousin from the Ji family served as his deputy, but this time, it was my sister.

Our family has strong ties with His Highness, Prince Huan.

After my sister left, she often wrote letters to me, and I shared updates about my life in the Kingdom of Dai.

In one letter, she asked if I wanted to return to the capital city of Dai State, where I had lived as a child. I replied that I did.

I thought she was asking casually, but she later arranged for my father, who was traveling north on business, to take me along.

Standing on the city walls of Dai once again, I felt very different from how I did before.

I told my sister that those were tough times and that I never imagined I could live such a good life now.

My sister smiled and said that even though it sounded like “chicken soup for the soul” ^[2]a phrase used to describe inspirational or comforting words., hardship can indeed be valuable. She added that Yu Sheng and I had become more resilient and better able to endure difficulties than most aristocratic children in the capital, which was a good thing.

My sister speaks in such a soothing way. Her simple words sound like a story, warm and pleasant, like a March breeze.

Since I was a little scared of the night in a foreign place, my sister let me sleep in her room.

After I bathed and changed clothes with the help of the palace maid, I returned to the bedroom to rest. My sister was writing a letter, and at the top of the paper, I saw Chu Xun’s name. It seemed she was planning to write to him.

My sister gently shook her head and said, “It has nothing to do with these things. It’s mainly to prepare for explaining certain reasons.”

I couldn’t help but feel curious and asked, “What reasons?”

My sister sighed and said, “You’re still young and don’t understand. I just think that if you have a goal when entering a relationship, to avoid more mistakes, it’s better to talk about many things in advance and prevent more harm in time.”

I really didn’t understand what she meant and thought about it for a long time.

My sister was amused by my frowning and deep thinking. She tapped my head with a pen and said, “Nian Nian, you’re still growing up. You should go to bed early. I’ll be there soon.”

After hearing that, I obediently lay down on the bed and didn’t disturb her while she was writing her letter.

Having my sister nearby made me feel at ease, and I soon fell asleep.

After a nap, in a half-asleep state, I vaguely saw that she hadn’t gone to bed yet but was reading under the lamp.

The next day, I checked to see what kind of book could keep her up all night.

But when I opened the book, I was surprised.

It wasn’t some irresistible storybook or music score, but a newly published policy paper written by my cousin.

I’ve spent more time with my sister lately than in the past years, and I’ve noticed many new things.

For example, before going out, she always pays special attention to her personal bag, which contains the amulet that our cousin specially got for her.

She often reads and rereads the policy papers written by my cousin until she knows them almost by heart.

Once, she went to the home of the local Grand Commandant Ji for a banquet. When she got out of the car, she stared at the word “Ji” on the gate for a long time.

And today, when King Huan invited us on an outing, she opened the jewelry box on her dressing table but stopped while choosing.

In the brocade box in front of her was a pair of jade bracelets with excellent quality. These were obviously hers, but she seemed afraid to touch them. She quickly closed the box, and in her eyes was a fragility I had never seen before.

I recognize these bracelets—they were a gift from my cousin.

It seemed like my sister was reminded of someone by these things, but she was afraid of missing him too much, so she quickly hid her feelings.

No wonder she’s unimpressed by the young men she’s met.

Although they come from good families and have nice appearances and personalities, none of them can compare to my cousin, who’s both talented and handsome.

Thinking of this, my confidence grew, and I almost wanted to write to Yu Sheng right away—

I’m confident I’ll win this bet.