Chapter 30

Wenyuanhou Mansion.

Today, Madam Shen’s nephew came to visit the mansion, and the old lady set up a banquet in De Shou Hall. Shen Yue, as the eldest son of the Marquis’s Mansion and Madam Shen’s most proud grandson, naturally accompanied him throughout the process.

It was already dusk when Shen Yue returned to his courtyard, bringing Tang Yizi a bombshell piece of news.

“Princess Hui’an went to the garden with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess to escape the summer heat. Ruojin heard that her mother was not feeling well, and thinking that she had not been able to serve her in the palace before, she asked for leave from the Crown Princess to come back and take care of her mother. My father told me that Ruojin would be able to come back early tomorrow morning, and my grandmother would hold a family banquet in De Shou Hall, and we would go there together then…”

Tang Yizi was overwhelmed at the thought of having dinner with this family and Shen Ruojin. She quickly interrupted her husband and said, “Mother said Tao Sheng also went to stay at the manor and asked if I wanted to go there. But was I free? I was thinking of going there to see my sister tomorrow morning.”

Shen Yue frowned and said, “Ruojin is serving the nobles in the palace and has no free time. It’s rare for her to come back this time. As the eldest sister-in-law, you should wait for her to return.”

With Luo Xin’s words in mind, Tang Yizi said confidently: “Mother specially sent someone to invite me over. As children, we should not disobey our elders. Isn’t this what your father taught us? Or do you think that in your heart, Ruojin is more important than mother?”

Shen Yue was stunned for a moment.

It has to be said that there is nothing wrong with what Tang Yizi said. As a young man who grew up reading the Four Books and Five Classics, no matter how much he values his sister Ruojin, he can never say that his sister is more important than his mother.

Tang Yizi’s arrival not only gave Tao Sheng an extra playmate but also brought some explosive gossip to Beijing.

Guan Muyun, the son of Duke Lingguo, is a young man of good family background. At a young age, he has become the head of the Ministry of Works. The year before last, he went to Henan to repair the river embankment. After completing the task last month, he just returned to Beijing with the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works.

Just a month before he came back, his originally engaged fiancée, also the daughter of the Prince of Korea, fell in love with her cousin who came to Beijing to take the imperial examinations. Especially after her cousin passed the imperial examinations twice, she was determined to marry no one else.

In this way, the marriage turned into an enmity, and the Duke of Korea had no choice but to cancel the marriage, no matter how reluctant they were to part with the prospective son-in-law.

“The two families used to have a good relationship, but this time it became very strained.” Tang Yizi said slowly, “I heard from my father that both families are well-known in the capital, and this incident caused quite a stir. Even the emperor heard about it. 

This time, several officials from the Ministry of Works returned to the capital to meet the emperor, and when the emperor saw Guan Shizi, he joked that he was only in his twenties and came back so listless like a frost-bitten eggplant. When his parents saw this, they couldn’t help but feel distressed, so they promised him a month’s vacation on the spot, letting him rest at home.”

Normally, when returning from a long mission abroad, superiors would give vacations. Two or three months were common, but the vacation Prince Guan received this time was granted by the Emperor, making it especially significant. This vacation also embarrassed the Korean Mansion and supported the Guan family.

The name Guan Muyun is well-known to Tao Sheng. After all, he is the male protagonist of the original novel, and his name appears second only to Shen Ruojin’s, making it hard to overlook him.

Luo Xin sighed after hearing this: “I’ve heard that Prince Guan is good-looking and ambitious. Duke Ling’s father, the old Duke Ling, has known the emperor since childhood. Duke Ling must feel proud in front of the emperor now. He was raised with great care and, after much consideration, chose such a marriage at 18. Who would have thought it would end like this?”

Mother Zheng said, “I heard from Manager Zhao that Duke Ling’s mansion has a farm nearby. The house was empty a few days ago, but it’s been cleaned up recently. Someone might be moving in—maybe that young master.”

Tao Sheng’s eyes sparkled: “Then there might be something exciting to watch.”

_  

Ruojin returned this time pretending to serve her mother, so after leaving the palace, she didn’t stay in the mansion long and went directly to the manor to attend to her mother.

Currently, there is no mistress in the mansion. The old lady is aging and prefers a quiet life, no longer managing family affairs. Tang Yizi can’t stay at the manor for long; she only spends one day with Tao Sheng and informs her that Shen Ruojin is coming, asking if she wants to return with her.

Tao Sheng had already agreed with Luo Xin to stay a few days, but when she heard Shen Ruojin was coming, she decided to leave early, which weakened her resolve.

She believed all the family troubles were caused by Shen Yu, Madam Shen, and the three Shen brothers. Shen Ruojin was clever and would seek to maximize her benefits. Although she was an imagined enemy, her life experience hadn’t been revealed yet. Ruojin might be afraid to say anything, especially in front of Luo Xin. Most of the time, she was polite and cautious.

Tao Sheng thought it wouldn’t be too late to stay for two days before leaving to make her mother happy.

Not long after Tang Yizi left the next morning, Shen Ruojin arrived.

She first went to the main room to serve Luo Xin meals and medicine. Seeing that her mother seemed a bit lazy after taking her medicine and wasn’t talking much, Shen Ruojin gave a few instructions to the maids and servants serving Luo Xin, then left the main courtyard, saying she didn’t want to disturb her mother’s rest.

After Shen Ruojin came out, her maid Biqin couldn’t help but complain: “Madam is not in good health right now, so it’s okay that she doesn’t want to talk to you. I heard Miss Luo has been here for two days but hasn’t come to see you. What does she think of herself?”

They were in Luo Xin’s house, where most of the servants were Luo Xin’s maids. Ruojin didn’t know if there were spies around, so she gently scolded Biqin, saying, “Don’t say that again.”

If Tao Sheng returned to the Marquis’ Mansion now, she would be the second young lady, and Tao Sheng would be the third young lady, so she should visit her elder sister.

But now that this awkward situation had occurred, it confirmed that she had been usurped. Ruojin really didn’t want to provoke Tao Sheng.

Biqin ignored her master and continued to complain: “In the past, the best house in the family was reserved for the young lady, but now it is given to her. Last year, the lady even hired someone to renovate the whole house for her.”

Shen Ruojin frowned.