Luo Xin’s kindness to Tao Sheng was indeed beyond imagination. She had been raised by the old lady since she was a child and didn’t have a close relationship with her mother. Later, when Tao Sheng was found, Luo Xin poured all her love for her daughter into Tao Sheng. This situation was inevitable.

The smile on Shen Ruojin’s face began to feel forced: “Maybe mother thought I would be the princess’s companion in the East Palace and it would be difficult for me to return, so she gave it to Tao Sheng.”

“Miss, I am worried,” Biqin said anxiously. “You know the Madam’s background. If she is truly so biased, I fear that when Miss Luo gets married, she will definitely get more.”

But if Tao Sheng wasn’t there, all these would belong to their girl, Shen Ruojin.

It was only after Shen Ruojin entered the Eastern Palace and heard many conversations among the nobles that she realized the Luo family’s status in the court was higher than she previously thought. She also understood that while she was trying to please the old lady and Shen Yu, she needed to hold on to her mother, the strong support.

So, when she returned from the palace this time, she didn’t stay close to the old lady but chose to come to the farm to accompany her mother.

“Didn’t mother just say she wanted to eat the preserves from Jufangzhai?” ^[1]is a shop known for its delicious preserved fruits. Passive defense was never Ruojin’s style. She quickly decided, “Since I have nothing to do today, I will go buy some this afternoon.”

“Looking at the weather, it might rain this afternoon,” Biqin said worriedly. “Miss, you just arrived. Please rest. I will ask someone to buy it for you to send to Madam.”

Shen Ruojin came here intending to serve Luo Xin well, hoping her mother would see her sincerity and change her mind sooner. A rainy day was undoubtedly the best opportunity.

“How can I let others take care of my mother?” Shen Ruojin insisted. “No need to say more; I will go myself.”

After noon that day, heavy rain began to fall outside.

This was a rare heavy rain in Beijing in recent years. It poured down heavily, creating a spectacular scene.

Luo Xin felt bored staying indoors, so she chose the most comfortable spot in the viewing pavilion and invited Tao Sheng to join her. They ate watermelon and drank iced sour plum soup while enjoying the cool air and watching the rain.

At that moment, Tao Sheng noticed from afar on the high platform that a carriage with the mark of the Marquis’ Mansion had parked outside the gate.

The rain was so heavy that she couldn’t open her eyes to see the road clearly. Shen Ruojin got out of the carriage, holding up her skirt with one hand and an umbrella with the other. She looked like a small flower swaying in the wind and rain, blown about with nowhere to hide. Her slender figure crashed into a young man’s arms.

Tao Sheng didn’t expect to witness the famous scene where the male and female protagonists first met.

The male protagonist, Jiang Muyun, was upset because someone had stolen his fiancée. However, he then ended up stealing someone else’s fiancée. At first, Tao Sheng was confused by this part of the plot. Later, she read a sentence saying that because he had been caught in the rain, he wanted to ruin other people’s umbrellas. This helped her understand Jiang Muyun’s feelings better.

For some time, Jiang Muyun and Shen lived next to each other in a house in the suburbs, which set the stage for their story.

After the male and female protagonists fell in love, the next scene showed the female protagonist breaking off her engagement.

As a “fugitive private property” that Shen Yu always thought about, Tao Sheng felt that her time to confront the Marquis’ Mansion was probably not far off.

_ 

Recently, there was an exciting cockfighting venue in West City. The King of Chu often visited when he had free time.

After exploring for several days, the King of Chu finally found a large colorful rooster with a great fighting record.

The owner claimed this was not just any fighting cock, but a victorious one. It not only had an excellent record but also represented a fighting spirit that never backed down.

After hearing this, the King of Chu felt the spirit of the chicken matched his own, so he bought it immediately and named it “Feng Xiao,” which comes from the phrase “Feng Xiao Jiu Tian”, meaning “The Wind Roars in the Nine Heavens”.

Recently, he heard that the royal family often gathered to fight cocks, so he thought of buying this rooster to give to his son studying in the palace. He wanted his son to keep his spirit high when competing with friends.

Just after buying the rooster and taking it for a stroll, he happened to run into the Emperor.

The Emperor had just returned from touring the capital with relatives and close ministers. Sitting in his sedan chair, he noticed a man in the distance who looked like the King of Chu. He turned to Gao Zhen and asked, “Doesn’t that man resemble the Master?”

Gao Zhen squinted, looked closely, and said, “Your Majesty has good eyesight. He really does look like the Grand Prince.”

The Emperor then signaled a young general to step forward and stop the King of Chu.

Seeing the young deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, the King of Chu shivered, realizing the Emperor must be nearby.

The King of Chu knew the Emperor disliked princes who indulged in pleasure and wasted their ambitions. He often scolded young men who cared only about cockfighting and pleasure as being unpromising.

The King of Chu felt he was having a tough time.

He hadn’t bought a fighting cock in over ten years and felt unlucky that as soon as he did, he caught the Emperor’s attention.

He had to drag the big rooster over to greet the Emperor.

The Emperor glanced at the King of Chu and asked calmly, “Is this the chicken you bought?”

Of course, the King of Chu would not admit it.

He couldn’t compare to the prince now, but he would never let his children fall behind the prince’s children.

He initially wanted to blame someone else, but he remembered this was the west of the city, not a place where dignitaries gathered, and he wouldn’t be able to find someone to blame. Even if he lied and said he bought the chicken for someone else, he couldn’t pass the blame.

Suddenly, he remembered there was someone nearby.

The King of Chu straightened up and said, “This chicken is for Master Ji Yanming.”