Of course, she couldn’t tell the truth. If she lied, she might upset Tao Sheng, who could reveal the truth about her past.

Tao Sheng was speechless as she saw Shen Ruojin turn pale with fear.

At this moment, Shen Ruojin lacked the experience in family rivalries. Her usual tactic was to provoke the original character into making mistakes.

The original character had just returned to the capital from Qin County. She felt insecure and inferior to the fake daughter in the family. Her family only supported Ruojin. Under Shen Ruojin’s constant teasing, she began to doubt herself, close off her feelings, and eventually left her hometown, which was unfortunate.

Tao Sheng couldn’t allow Shen Ruojin to provoke her, for her original self and herself.

Tao Sheng was now strong and her background was Shen Ruojin’s weak spot. As long as her identity remained hidden, it would always be a shock for Ruojin.

Tao Sheng realized that keeping her identity secret had its advantages. With this hidden power, she could handle any challenge Shen Ruojin presented.

Shen Ruojin was clearly shaken by her words, yet she still came with her friends to provoke her. Tao Sheng sighed inwardly, thinking that this Miss Shen was both naive and playful.

Under the urging gazes of several young sisters, Ruojin spoke softly, “What did Miss Luo say about our relationship?”

“We have no relationship to begin with,” Tao Sheng replied calmly. “I’m just a passerby. Why do you have to congratulate Miss Shen on her marriage?”

The little sister who had just teased Tao Sheng felt embarrassed. Tao Sheng’s words suggested that there was nothing wrong with what she said. It seemed the two were not strangers but also not close friends.

She was just a passerby who was stopped by Ruojin to share the marriage news. It was understandable that she didn’t congratulate her.

In this situation, Ruojin seemed overly happy, even confused. Even a passerby was sharing in her joy about marrying into the Duke’s Mansion. She thought Ruojin was acting a bit strange.

When Tao Sheng was about to leave, Ruojin gritted her teeth and whispered in Tao Sheng’s ear, “Luo Tao Sheng, can you try a different approach next time?”

“It doesn’t matter if the approach is new, as long as it works.”

Tao Sheng pretended to be like the King of Chu and started acting playfully, suddenly realizing the advantages of being a bit of a troublemaker.

“The chrysanthemums in the east are in full bloom, perfect for poetry and painting. I think I saw Sister Xu over there. Let’s go check it out.”

Ruojin called out, and all the sisters followed her, no longer caring about who Tao Sheng was.

Watching Ruojin and her sisters walk away, Tao Sheng sighed silently.

Ruojin’s skills ended here. The “grand scenes” of house fighting described in the original story are just the beginning of the power struggles. The exciting process of winning the throne, which is rarely shown, is key to how life will be in the family.

Ji Yanming was linked to the King of Chu by the emperor himself, and the road ahead was full of challenges.

It would be great if court disputes were as simple as talking.

_

Tao Sheng returned to the waterside pavilion and drank two cups of tea. She felt there was no point in staying longer and decided to leave.

Unexpectedly, the Princess of Chu arrived and invited Tao Sheng to the main courtyard to talk.

When Tao Sheng arrived at the main courtyard, she discovered that the visitors today were not only the Princess of Chu but also her husband, His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu.

Tao Sheng was surprised.

Most of the guests at the party were unmarried or newly married young ladies. The King of Chu, a man in his late 40s, seemed a bit out of place.

Looking at His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu, who sat there with a majestic presence, it seemed he was not there to look for a new love.

In recent years, the King of Chu focused almost all his attention on making a comeback and had little time to spend in the harem ^[1]refers to the living quarters for the wives and concubines of a ruler..

It’s well known that the hardworking Yongzheng ^[2]referring to a emperor. only had one child during his ten years in power. This suggests that the King of Chu, focused on his comeback, had no plans to take in new women.

According to the Princess of Chu, there is hardly any competition for favor in the Prince of Chu’s harem because he isn’t interested in that. These strategies don’t matter to him, and whether you compete or not, the result will be the same, allowing a more relaxed life if you don’t compete.

No one wants to work for nothing, and the same goes for the concubines and maids in the household. In such an environment, everyone just relaxes ^[3]which means they don’t put in much effort to compete for attention..

Tao Sheng was curious about the King of Chu’s visit, but it was awkward to ask directly. Instead, he approached her and said, “Now that I think about it, Lord Ji has been away for some time. Has your family heard anything about him recently?”

Tao Sheng shook her head, “Not yet.”

In the past, Ji Yanming would occasionally send letters back to Beijing, usually brought by officials from the Ministry of Justice. But lately, there has been no news.

Xie Huaian had also checked with the Ministry of Justice several times and learned that no one revealed Ji Yanming’s plans. Other investigators like him also lost contact with their families, as if they had disappeared.

Since that time when Tao Sheng almost couldn’t return home after a quarrel in the Marquis’ Mansion, Ji Yanming would always accompany her whenever she went out, unless she was at work. Even if he had things to do, he’d send the family driver to escort her and make sure no outsiders took her away.

Whenever Tao Sheng encountered something confusing while reading, she would immediately ask Ji Yanming, the human encyclopedia. She would even share leftover cakes and snacks from the kitchen with him.

Also, Ji Yanming helped Tao Sheng manage the pressure of entertaining guests. When the King of Chu visited their home, it was usually Ji Yanming who entertained him, which saved Tao Sheng from the trouble of talking with the King about daily life. They would chat for an hour or two and sometimes miss meals.

It must be said that Tao Sheng had gotten used to having Ji Yanming around, and she felt uncomfortable with him being away for such a long time.

Speaking of Ji Yanming, the King of Chu’s eyes brightened. He then said to Tao Sheng that he came to participate in the poetry meeting today and had a mission.

Last night, he was drinking alone under the corridor while looking at the moon and felt uneasy thinking about the top scholar still serving the country far away.

Ji Yanming is not young anymore. By Ji Zhuangyuan’s age, he already had a wife and two concubines. But now Ji Yanming is still single and has no one who understands him. So the King of Chu began to worry about Ji Zhuangyuan’s marriage.

He heard from the Princess of Chu that all the ladies at the poetry meeting today were young, so he thought about finding someone suitable for his beloved general. If he found a good match, it would be wonderful for Ji Zhuangyuan to get married early and have a gentle wife at home.

Tao Sheng remembered that in the original text, Ji Yanming’s Red Luan Star ^[4]a term used to describe romantic prospects. had not moved, and he ended up alone, so she was not optimistic about the King of Chu’s plans.

But after all, he is her current boss, and he helped her get a good job. Tao Sheng felt it was only right to support him.

“How does your highness see it?”

“It’s a bit difficult.”

The King of Chu leaned closer, frowning, and whispered to Tao Sheng. He explained that Ji Yanming, whom he values greatly, needs a suitable girl to marry. He wants her to be beautiful, kind, smart, and come from a good family, with connections to his political group.

However, among the young ladies at the poetry gathering today, while some are beautiful, some come from good families, and some are smart, none belong to his political group. 

Before his troubles began, many of these families were friends of his. But after being confined in the emperor’s mansion for three years, those who once supported him now avoid him, with some joining the Eastern Palace faction, which left him without allies.

Facing this reality, the King of Chu felt sad and lost interest in introducing Ji Zhuangyuan to any young ladies.

Tao Sheng sighed, realizing how difficult it is for the King of Chu to regain power and stability.