There are always chances in her life that bring her, the supporting character, together with the main characters of the original story.

Tao Sheng didn’t rush to the Duke’s Mansion but sent someone to ask if it was a good time to visit.

This was the emperor’s order, making it a big deal for the Duke’s Mansion.

They quickly replied, saying it was convenient for him to be home for the next two days, and Lord Luo could come by anytime.

Guan Muyun also learned that Tao Sheng was coming as a guest.

That night, he told Shen Ruojin about this and asked her to wait for Tao Sheng to come the next day. He planned to talk to her alone and guide her to a better path.

The most important thing was that the King of Chu had no future, and Tao Sheng was closely related to the Wenyuan Marquis Mansion. Guan Muyun worried his family might be affected by Tao Sheng and the King of Chu’s actions.

Shen Ruojin frowned.

Guan Muyun was a lot like his father, Duke Lingguo. 

Duke Lingguo wanted to be seen as kind and tolerant, acting as a good leader for his family. He always preached harmony and order in the family.

He gathered all his relatives at home but never managed them well; he left it to Mrs. Guan and other female relatives to take care of things.

Guan Muyun was similar. He knew about the awkward relationship between him and Tao Sheng. He could have spoken to her directly but chose not to after being rejected before, instead pretending to be sisterly.

Shen Ruojin was scared to talk to Tao Sheng and didn’t want to bring it up, but to keep up appearances as a perfect wife, she agreed: “Okay, I’ll try to find her tomorrow.”

In her mind, Tao Sheng thought that after getting the ‘Autumn Water’ at Duke Lingguo’s mansion, she could play it for the Emperor and the King of Chu. But she didn’t expect Duke Lingguo to treat her visit seriously due to the emperor’s order. He made it a big event, taking her to tea, appreciating paintings, and hosting banquets, which stressed Tao Sheng out.

Finally, as the banquet ended, Guan Muyun told his father that Miss Luo and Ruojin’s families were connected, and the two sisters needed to talk privately.

Duke Lingguo smiled and said, “I wanted to see Lord Luo off with my wife, but let my second son’s wife do it instead.”

Tao Sheng wanted to argue that she and Shen Ruojin weren’t very close, so the young lady of the mansion didn’t need to escort her. But if she didn’t go with Shen Ruojin, it would seem like she wanted to leave with Duke Lingguo and his wife.

Tao Sheng had already been chatting with the couple for over an hour and wanted to end the conversation. After weighing her options, she chose to go with Ruojin.

Shen Ruojin didn’t take Tao Sheng the way she had entered the mansion but chose a more private route to talk.

As they walked a bit, Shen Ruojin hadn’t even started when a young lady named Li Zhuang approached them.

Li Zhuang was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Duke’s mansion’s eldest son, making her the eldest lady, Fang.

Today, the family held a banquet for important guests. Duke Ling originally wanted all the children to join, but the Duke’s wife and Shen Ruojin persuaded the old Duke to change his mind and only let his wife, Guan Muyun, and his wife stay.

Was this a hint that the couple wasn’t important enough to entertain guests?

Fang was already upset about this unfair treatment. Seeing Shen Ruojin and hearing that the visiting Miss Luo was connected to the Wenyuan Marquis family, Fang felt competitive.

“My sister-in-law is here? I’m glad to find you,” Fang said with a smile. “I’m not as lucky as you, sister-in-law. I have the lady’s protection and the prince’s favor, making me wealthy and idle. I spent the whole morning checking accounts and am dizzy. There are still things that don’t make sense, and I need you to help me look at them closely.”

Shen Ruojin’s face also fell.

She and Fang had always been at odds, often confronting each other in front of others. But today was different because the one being watched was Tao Sheng.

Among all her peers, Tao Sheng was the one Shen Ruojin hated and envied the most. The hardest part for her was admitting defeat to Tao Sheng and showing her helplessness and failure.

“I’m seeing off guests right now, so I’m busy. I’ll talk to my sister-in-law when I’m free later.”

Shen Ruojin just wanted to send Tao Sheng away safely and didn’t accept the challenge.

“Sister-in-law, don’t leave yet.” Fang turned around and blocked Ruojin’s way. “I have something to discuss here. Miss Luo is not an outsider. Just listen to me and leave.”

Blocked from moving forward and seeing Tao Sheng standing by without trying to get around Fang, Ruojin had no choice but to say, “Sister-in-law, please go ahead.”

During the conversation, Tao Sheng experienced the fighting that happened in households.

Fang began by talking about Qin, a concubine in Guan’s household, who had given birth to the eldest son and was now pregnant again. The prince favored Qin, so she could use more supplements, but things like snow clam, peach gum, and bird’s nest weren’t what a concubine should have. Not only did the lady dowager say Qin was extravagant, but the lady also complained after hearing about it.

Fang was exposing Shen Ruojin’s inability to manage the household, trying to show that she couldn’t even handle everyone in the house.

But after Fang said this, she noticed there was no change in Shen Ruojin’s expression, making her feel something was off.

This must have been a trap set by Shen Ruojin! She must have known that Fang wanted to complain to the Madam and purposely set this trap to let her expose herself, causing Qin to lose the favor of the elders and making Ruojin’s position stronger.

Fang was furious. She never expected Shen Ruojin to be so cunning and to have fallen into her trap.

But Fang had some important news that could help her turn the situation around.

She then smiled through gritted teeth and said that Shen Ruojin had handled things poorly before and had allocated too little money, annoying the masters of the other houses. Now everyone in the palace said she was meddling in family matters, and since the Duke was still alive, she had already started preparing for the Crown Prince to inherit the title, acting as if she were the future Duke’s wife.

Shen Ruojin reminded Fang that she had no family education and treated her husband’s concubines and maids poorly. Fang also had a reputation for being jealous, which hurt the reputation of both the Guan and Fang families.

Fang replied that her family wasn’t as wealthy as Ruojin’s, but Ruojin’s family was unwilling to pay a dowry. The idea that the prince would prepare a dowry for his fiancée was laughable, showing that her family wasn’t as harmonious as Fang’s.

Tao Sheng had read about these arguments in the original story. The book mostly discussed the quarrels between Shen Ruojin and Fang, which often escalated over trivial matters. Being in this situation herself made it even more exciting.

In the book, the author included many odd characters and plot twists that targeted the heroine. Shen Ruojin found herself caught in a cycle of being frustrated and facing setbacks, only to have temporary victories before being frustrated again almost every day.

Although it appeared that Shen Ruojin won every argument, for her, it was like a knife cutting into her heart.

If Tao Sheng lived like that, she wouldn’t survive even a single day; she would do everything to escape, regardless of the consequences.

It’s not easy for female protagonists in these household battles.

In comparison, the self-reliant female supporting characters have easier and more fulfilling lives.

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