Shen Ruojin glanced at Zhang Xinyue and said calmly, “Father is ill, and the Crown Princess is sympathetic and allowed me to come out to take care of him.”

Shen Ci said, “Since entering the palace, my sister has been very much loved by the Crown Princess. She has received generous rewards every year and during festivals. All the nobles in the palace praise her. Princess Hui’an thinks highly of my sister. They eat and live together on weekdays and have a deep affection for each other. She also takes good care of her.”

Tao Sheng had read about Ruojin’s life in the Eastern Palace in the original text and knew that Princess Hui’an was not easy to get along with. From her previous meetings and conversations with Ruojin, she also knew that Ruojin’s life in the Eastern Palace was not good, so she did not say anything at this time.

Zhang Xinyue, however, was obviously very interested in the life in the Eastern Palace as described by Shen Ci.

Ruojin and Tao Sheng were both silent, but Zhang Xinyue not only listened carefully but also cooperated with them. Shen Ci immediately took a liking to this girl and talked a lot under her praise.

Shen Ci’s bragging material came from Ruojin’s daily life. To give his sister more face, Shen Ci added extra details and made it sound better.

Anyway, these two people would not have the opportunity to go to the East Palace, so he thought it was fine to brag.

Shen Ci recalled and described that the Eastern Palace was beautiful and magnificent, filled with nobility. Anyone who interacted with Ruojin in the palace doted on her and treated her well. Ruojin’s life in the palace was also very pleasant. She met many dignitaries who adored her, and her quality of life improved greatly.

Zhang Xinyue was fascinated by these words and looked at Ruojin with a bit more admiration: “Miss Shen, is what the Third Young Master said true?”

Ruojin, now a young girl of only fifteen or sixteen, could not refuse the high praise in front of her imagined rival, Tao Sheng. She hesitated for a moment but finally responded, “Yes.”

After saying this, Shen Ruojin immediately turned to look at Tao Sheng, wanting to see her admiring and reluctant expression.

Unfortunately, she didn’t get what she wanted. Tao Sheng remained calm, with no trace of emotion in her eyes or expression.

Shen Ruojin frowned again.

_

East Palace.

The prince accompanied the emperor in dining and appreciating paintings until midnight, returning from Xuanzheng Hall with a tired look on his face.

In the past, the emperor’s favorite candidate for the crown prince was the eldest prince, Prince Chu. However, later on, several of his uncles were discovered to be involved in rebellion. Prince Chu had always had a good relationship with these uncles, so he was accused of being too close to them and was ultimately implicated.

Before, the brothers had fought fiercely, and two of them had already fallen from power. After weighing the pros and cons, his father decided to make him the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace.

But the emperor genuinely loved his eldest son, Prince Chu, and had trained him as the crown prince, often saying, “The eldest prince is the one who suits my temperament best.”

The emperor ignored the King of Chu^[1]refers to the Prince Chu. for three years, but now, after three years, he seemed to be gradually softening.

Just a few days ago, the emperor went to the upper study to check the homework of several of his little grandsons. According to feedback from people placed in the upper study by the crown prince, the two sons of the eldest prince performed well, with one even doing better than the crown prince.

When the prince heard this, he felt uneasy.

The emperor went to the study to check on his grandchildren’s homework. The performance of the two children of King Chu impressed the emperor, making him recall the kindness of King Chu. No one could guarantee what might happen next.

The prince recalled the days he was oppressed by the King of Chu, and hatred overwhelmed him.

The emperor could make things happen with a flip of his hand, and the thing that scared him most was the resurgence of the eldest prince.

Now that his status as the crown prince was temporarily stable, his children had to follow suit.

He heard from the palace chief historian two days ago that the new top scholar, Ji Yanming, was a rare genius since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty. He even won the top three prizes at a young age.

Ji Yanming was very popular among the Jinshi in this period. The prince had sent people to inquire about him and also heard that his cousin Tao Sheng played the zither very well, which was said to improve concentration, memory, and studying.

The prince was skeptical, but based on the principle that it is better to believe it than not, he asked the Crown Princess to send a letter inviting her to help the Crown Prince win more favor from the Emperor.

The Crown Princess expressed some doubts about this, thinking that the mysterious matter was probably just rumors and not entirely true. She didn’t know how much basis there was for it.

The prince thought that regardless of whether this was true or not, it wouldn’t hurt to invite the girl to play a piece of music. Even if it had no effect, it wouldn’t be bad to listen to the music enjoyed by the top scholar Lang Su every day.

The Crown Princess nodded and said, “But I heard that the girl is the cousin of the number one scholar. She is very cold and arrogant. Many dignitaries sent invitations to her but failed to get her.”

“A family that can produce a top scholar must have something extraordinary.” The prince expressed his understanding. “After all, you are asking someone to do something for you, so it’s okay to be a little humble. Ask the female official next to you to prepare gifts and go to the house to invite her.”

The emperor has become more and more unpredictable in the past two years. Although he, the crown prince, has tried very hard, there are always some things that he cannot do.

The children have grown up in the past few years and have gradually begun to show their talents. The education of the Crown Prince must not be neglected.

Regardless of whether the method works or not, the prince wants to give it a try.

_

The three-day family visit holiday ended quickly, and Shen Ruojin returned to the East Palace. Princess Hui’an played polo ^[2]refers to a sport played on horseback. outside with several princesses and dukes, and everything went peacefully all day.

On the second day, Princess Hui’an’s cousin, Duke Qiao’s son Jiang Han, came to pay his respects to the Crown Prince and also visited Princess Hui’an’s cousin on the way.

Princess Hui’an was drinking tea and arranging flowers with Ruojin and others in the pavilion. When she saw her cousin, her face immediately fell.

This cousin had been caring and considerate towards her when she first entered the palace, but after Ruojin and others came in, Jiang Han’s attention always focused on others, especially the gentle and docile Ruojin.

As soon as Jiang Han entered the pavilion that day, he first fixed his eyes on Ruojin. Noticing that Ruojin looked a little tired, he began to ask about her sleep and physical condition.

Princess Hui’an couldn’t help but think of the time when she was sick due to the negligence of the Imperial Hospital some time ago.

During that period, she was in poor spirits and was bedridden for nearly half a month.

At that time, her cousin Jiang Han had also come to see her, but it was obvious that he was just visiting her out of obligation, and was far from being as sincere and natural as he was with Guan Ruojin.

And the man that Ruojin attracted was far more than just her cousin. When they attended poetry and polo clubs in the past, they had met many young talents from poetic and cultured families.

Ruojin was obviously not the prettiest among the girls, but she always had a unique temperament. Her few soft words of encouragement and comfort were more powerful than thousands of troops, and her every frown and smile touched these people’s hearts.

As long as Ruojin was there, they were willing to indulge in her gentle and firm gaze, and would no longer see other women in their eyes. All the women around them, no matter how they looked or how talented they were, seemed to have become transparent people in the eyes of those men.

Princess Hui’an is the eldest sister of the Crown Prince. She is always the undisputed protagonist in all occasions where noble ladies gather. Although she knows that she does not need to take Ruojin seriously due to her status, she still cannot help but compete with her secretly sometimes.

Princess Hui’an noticed her cousin’s concern for Ruojin, but she didn’t show it. Instead, she waited until her cousin left before asking Ruojin, “I heard that your second brother also took part in the imperial examination this time. How did he rank? Did he pass?”