Princess Hui’an suddenly asked this question, obviously with some ill intentions. Ruojin lowered her eyes and said, “My second brother didn’t study hard enough, and he was still a little lacking in skills, so he failed to pass the imperial examination.”

Princess Hui’an couldn’t find anything to criticize Ruojin’s words, so she continued to attack: “I heard that the Shen brothers were good at studying, so my mother was optimistic about your entry into the palace. If my mother knew that your brother failed the exam, I don’t know how she would feel.”

Ruojin has always known that Hui’an has a hidden dislike for her. The position of companion in the Eastern Palace sounds good, but it is not as glamorous as outsiders imagine. Now she has the idea of leaving early and does not want to stay in the palace and continue to be manipulated by others.

But at the moment, her marriage with Wu Zhen, the son of Marquis Changxing, was only a verbal agreement and had not yet been finalized. There was also the threat of Tao Sheng, and her position in the Marquis’s mansion was not stable. Therefore, it was not appropriate for her to fall out with Princess Hui’an. She still had to rely on her status as the princess’s companion to consolidate her family’s status.

Shen Ruojin is not liked by Princess Hui’an, but she is still able to gain a foothold in the Eastern Palace and has not been sent back home by the princess. Naturally, she has some abilities.

She took a deep breath and greeted Princess Hui’an with a smile: “Brother, you are not good at studying, so it’s a good thing that you didn’t pass the autumn examination this time. Otherwise, when the crown prince succeeds to the throne and recruits talents, brother will serve in the court with his current talents, but he will definitely not be able to share the worries and serve the emperor. It’s better for you to study hard at home now, and it won’t be too late to serve the country when you are more capable.”

Princess Hui’an was delighted by Shen Ruojin’s words. She felt that although Shen Ruojin was a little annoying, she was very considerate, so she let go of her unhappiness.

Since we are talking about this imperial examination, we have to mention Ji Yanming, the new number one scholar who won three prizes in a row.

Princess Hui’an recalled what the Crown Princess had said to her that morning and started chatting with Ruojin: “I heard that the number one scholar from the Ji family not only writes beautiful essays but is also very handsome, which is why he was chosen by the Emperor as the number one scholar in the palace examination. But the palace examination is such a big event that the women in the harem ^[1]refers to the emperor’s wives and female relatives. are not allowed to watch, so I didn’t have a chance to see the style of the number one scholar.”

At this point, Hui’an’s tone was a little melancholy, but then she became happy again: “But it doesn’t matter, mother has already told me that the cousin of the No. 1 scholar is talented and beautiful. She plans to invite her to the palace as a guest someday. Maybe she can play a song for us, and you can enjoy it with her.”

Ji Yanming’s cousin? That’s Tao Sheng.

Ruojin’s smile froze immediately.

That night, Shen Ruojin tossed and turned and couldn’t fall asleep. In a half-awake state, she saw Tao Sheng arrive at the East Palace in gorgeous attire.

The Crown Princess liked Tao Sheng very much when she saw her. She asked her who her family was and whether there was any secret about her life. She looked so elegant and did not seem to be from a small family like the Su family.

Tao Sheng in the dream had a rare easy-going smile. She told the Crown Princess that she was actually the daughter of the Shen family in Wenyuan Marquis’s mansion, and that she had usurped the magpie’s nest ^[2]phrase used to describe someone taking over or claiming something that belongs to someone else., leaving her unable to return home and having to stay at the Su family.

After hearing this, the usually loving Crown Princess looked at her differently, while Princess Hui’an had a mocking expression…

Shen Ruojin woke up from her sleep.

Tao Sheng always does things her own way and doesn’t prioritize her family’s interests. No one knows what she’ll say in front of the Crown Princess.

Everything she has now is because she took Tao Sheng’s identity. If Tao Sheng tells the truth without caring about anything…

When Shen Ruojin thought about this, she felt cold all over and couldn’t sleep.

She tossed and turned until dawn.

_

When a female official from the Crown Princess came to invite her, Tao Sheng was at home going over accounts with Su Jia.

Ji Yanming hadn’t received an official position after the palace exam, but his teachers believed he would likely join the Hanlin Academy as a Shujishi.

Because of this, the Su family is now far from Ji Yanming’s office, taking more than half an hour to travel there in the morning.

Su Jia and Tao Sheng talked about pooling their money to buy a new house closer to the government office and the music store.

The female official sent by the Crown Princess is named Wei. She has worked in the palace for several years and is currently a sixth-rank official in the Eastern Palace.

After Wei Siyan revealed she was from the Eastern Palace, she told them the Crown Princess invited Tao Sheng to the palace.

Tao Sheng was very surprised.

When the rumor spread that “Ji Yanming’s cousin Qin Yinyin can help people study for exams,” Tao Sheng thought Ji Yanming’s success in the imperial examination was just luck. She figured when someone else did well in the exam later, the rumor would fade away.

Surprisingly, Ji Yanming performed well beyond her expectations, confirming the rumor.

Now, more people are inviting her to be friends. Even the Crown Princess sent a female official to invite her.

Tao Sheng sincerely told the female official, “The Crown Princess thinks too highly of me. My cousin’s achievements are due to his hard work. I didn’t help him.”

“Young lady, you are too modest,” Wei Siyan replied with a smile. “The Crown Princess believes someone like you, even if not a music saint ^[3]refers to a person exceptionally skilled in music., is a lucky star. Your Highness sincerely invites you, so please don’t refuse.”

Tao Sheng felt…

She underestimated how superstitious and trend-focused people in the past could be.

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Don’t look at the advertisement, look at the efficacy?