If she were from an ordinary family, she would be punished in the palace. But being the cousin of the top scholar means her future has great potential. Since everything is uncertain, it’s better to treat her with respect.

Princess Hui’an and Ruojin hurried to Zhaoyang Palace and ran into Wei Siyan and Tao Sheng on the way.

When Shen Ruojin saw Tao Sheng, her heart raced.

She knew that it had been a long time since the Marquis’ Mansion found Tao Sheng. During this time, Tao Sheng hadn’t shared anything about her life. She wouldn’t talk about her background in front of the Crown Princess when they first met.

Still, Shen Ruojin felt nervous when she saw Tao Sheng heading to the East Palace. This secret felt like a heavy burden on her heart, making her anxious.

Princess Hui’an asked Wei Siyan, “Who is this girl? Is she Ji Zhuangyuan’s cousin?”

Wei Siyan replied, “Your Highness, you have good eyesight. This is Miss Luo.”

Princess Hui’an nodded at Tao Sheng and said, “I heard Miss Luo is a student of Master Wei from the Imperial Music Bureau. She is kind and elegant, with great musical skills, but I didn’t expect her to be so beautiful. Ji Zhuangyuan is also handsome and talented, so they must come from the same family.”

Ji Yanming doesn’t look like Tao Sheng at all, and this princess is just saying irrelevant things.

Shen Ruojin clenched her fists, worried that Tao Sheng might say, “Actually, we are not related by blood.”

“You flatter me, Princess,” Tao Sheng said. “You are the one with beautiful skin and a graceful demeanor; you are the one people can’t take their eyes off.”

At that moment, Shen Ruojin realized Tao Sheng was good at conversation.

Shen Ruojin had always thought that Tao Sheng didn’t have a good education growing up, wouldn’t know how to interact with others, and wouldn’t succeed in noble society.

She thought that when Tao Sheng met the princess, she would act recklessly, like she did in the Marquis’ Mansion. But after seeing it for herself, she realized that wasn’t the case.

Even while complimenting the princess, Tao Sheng appeared comfortable. She wasn’t trying to flatter; it was just a polite conversation that didn’t seem arrogant.

When Shen Ruojin first heard that her parents found Tao Sheng, she worried that Tao Sheng would return to Wenyuan Marquis Mansion and become the legitimate Second Miss Shen, taking her parents’ attention and her grandmother’s love.

Later, through several interactions, she confirmed her place in everyone’s hearts. Especially after she became the companion of Princess Hui’an, Ruojin felt relieved, thinking that even if Tao Sheng came back, she wouldn’t threaten her position.

Instead, Tao Sheng chose not to return to the Marquis’ Mansion.

This shift meant that not only did Shen Yu and his wife pay more attention to her, but Tao Sheng’s presence became a source of anxiety.

If they had announced that they were twin sisters, their identities would be settled, and there would be no turning back. But as long as Tao Sheng didn’t return, the situation remained unclear, leaving Shen Ruojin with a sense of unease.

It would be better to admit it early.

As they were about to enter Zhaoyang Palace, Aunt Zhen, who was with the Crown Princess, said, “The Empress Defei is visiting the East Palace and is talking to the Crown Princess. The Crown Princess wants you to come in and see her. Wei Siyan should wait in the side hall for a while.”

Tao Sheng understood what Aunt Zhen was really saying. 

Wei Siyan was a lady-in-waiting in the Eastern Palace, so it wasn’t a shameful position. She and Tao Sheng were from the same background. However, the Crown Princess asked Wei Siyan to wait in the side hall, which meant she wanted her to stay there until Concubine De left.

The Crown Princess probably didn’t want anyone to know she had invited Tao Sheng.

Everyone is having a tough time these days, including the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace. 

Tao Sheng felt sorry for them.

Princess Hui’an remembered that last time Concubine De visited, she praised Shen Ruojin for being pretty and smart. The Eastern Palace had a lot of talented people. 

Although Concubine De’s words were mostly polite, Princess Hui’an felt upset because she had not received much attention but instead praised Ruojin.

She told Ruojin firmly, “This is the palace. Everyone here is a concubine. You must respect your family. Be more obedient in the future and don’t show off.”

Tao Sheng knew Princess Hui’an wasn’t sincere to Ruojin. After hearing Shen Ci say they could at least pretend to get along, she was surprised that Princess Hui’an could be so direct in front of guests; she probably spoke without thinking.

After Princess Hui’an finished lecturing Ruojin, she calmly told Tao Sheng, “Mother has guests today, so we need to ask Miss Luo to wait in the side hall for a while.”

The Crown Princess had reminded her that Miss Luo was the cousin of the top scholar. Top scholars in the Great Zhou Dynasty often had bright futures, especially those who had won three top prizes in a row.

With this in mind, Princess Hui’an had a new idea. She said to Ruojin, “You don’t have good judgment, so you don’t need to go in now. Go to the side hall and talk to Miss Luo for a while. I also have Yuye Changqing ^[1]is a type of green tea. that the Sichuan Governor just brought. You can bring it for her to taste.”

Princess Hui’an hadn’t opened the tea leaves yet, but she wanted to give them to Tao Sheng. Ruojin wanted to say she didn’t know how to taste tea, but she held back and joked, “Miss Luo doesn’t seem like someone who knows tea, so she probably can’t appreciate the sweet, fresh, and mellow taste of Yuye Changqing. No need to waste the princess’s good tea.”

Ruojin usually spoke like this to Tao Sheng at the Marquis’ Mansion. No one in her family ever corrected her, but it sounded rude to Princess Hui’an.

Ruojin usually acted respectfully with nobles, but today she was disrespectful to Tao Sheng. If they were really old friends, it would be fine to joke like that, but it was unusual for someone to be sarcastic to a guest so quickly.

Princess Hui’an quickly judged Ruojin. First, she thought Tao Sheng came from a poor family and was taking advantage of her. Second, she felt Ruojin lacked insight and couldn’t see the value of the top scholar. Third, she saw Ruojin as ignorant and making foolish comments. Ruojin clearly didn’t know her place.

In summary, Princess Hui’an thought Ruojin seemed petty and short-sighted.

“How do you speak to guests? Is this how your family taught you?” Princess Hui’an took the chance to criticize her. She smiled at Tao Sheng and said, “Ruojin is ignorant. I apologize for her behavior.”

Ruojin realized that although her family bragged about her living in the Eastern Palace and being Princess Hui’an’s companion, her status was more like that of a servant. Even facing Tao Sheng, an outsider, she couldn’t act like she was in charge.

Even though Tao Sheng’s official status wasn’t as high as Ruojin’s, she was a guest invited by the Eastern Palace and received respect from Princess Hui’an that Ruojin had never experienced.

Princess Hui’an had always been bossy. It wasn’t the first time she embarrassed herself in front of guests, but this time it was particularly uncomfortable with Tao Sheng.

She remembered the dinner in Guangjuzhai when Shen Ci boasted about how popular he was in the Eastern Palace. The contrast with this moment was strong.

But I agreed to that back then.

Shen Ruojin felt a burning shame.

If she could go back in time, she would hide when she saw Tao Sheng in Guangjuzhai and would never go in, no matter what.

***

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