Extra 4: Shen Taosheng in the previous life

After being married off to Sichuan by Shen Ruojin’s schemes, Shen Taosheng had been depressed. After marriage, she lived alone in a villa, isolated from her husband’s family.

Yesterday, it rained all night. Shen Taosheng worried about the osmanthus she had tended to, and couldn’t sleep well. The next morning, she woke early to check the flowers but slipped on the wet steps.

Everything went dark, and she felt like her soul left her body.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a mysterious space with a book titled “A Life of Glory.”

Shen Taosheng read it and realized the book was about her world. Shen Ruojin was the protagonist, while she was a supporting character meant to highlight Shen Ruojin’s greatness.

Shen Taosheng read the book multiple times. When she returned it to the shelf, her surroundings changed again. Her soul attached itself to a pearl flower on a young girl’s head.

The girl, Luo Taosheng, was also trapped in this world, just like her. She was also herself in another world.

Luo Taosheng came from a more advanced place, and her ideas were different from everyone else’s.

For instance, when Shen Taosheng’s adoptive parents died, she believed she should stay with the Luo family in Qin County for support. But Luo Taosheng, with her modern thinking, never considered such a step.

Luo Taosheng was different.

First, she observed mourning for her parents for three years, as was the custom. Then, she followed her mother’s instructions to live with her aunt in the capital.

Later, Shen Yu came to the Su family, explained Luo Taosheng’s background to her, and wanted to bring her back home. However, due to Shen Ruojin’s mood and the palace selection process, he had to wait a little before bringing her back.

Luo Taosheng was no longer the carefree girl who just wanted to reunite with her family quickly. Now, she carefully watched how everyone in the Marquis’ Mansion behaved, analyzed the situation, and made a choice. She chose to distance herself from her grandmother, father, and brothers rather than embrace her new identity as the legitimate daughter of the Marquis.

When she returned to the Marquis’ Mansion, her grandmother and the maids around Shen Ruojin criticized her for being uncultured and uneducated. She felt inferior and tried hard to learn music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She wanted to fit in with the noble ladies in the capital and gain approval from her family and even Shen Ruojin’s close circle of friends.

But Luo Taosheng didn’t want to take this path.

Instead of pleasing Shen Ruojin’s circle of fake friends, she wanted to win the favor of the Emperor, the Prince of Chu, and the officials in the capital.

They took very different paths, and their outcomes were different.

Luo Taosheng ended up living happily with her cousin, had a good relationship with the Emperor, and her children had their own wonderful lives. Seeing this, Shen Taosheng’s eyes filled with tears.

Even if she was only a supporting character meant to highlight Shen Ruojin, she didn’t want to be controlled by fate. She had to take care of herself and then compete with Shen Ruojin.

It was the first year of Tonghua. The Guan family helped Xiao Jian, Empress Dowager Guan’s son, become Emperor. Shen Ruojin, the wife of the prince of the Duke’s Mansion, was promoted to Lady of Wu, a first-rank title, marking the peak of her life.

Shen Taosheng had been unhappy ever since she was forced to marry into the Xu family. She always compared herself to Shen Ruojin and her husband Xu Yi to Guan Muyun.

One of these men was from a top aristocratic family, while the other, although wealthy, was only a businessman. After years of being mistreated in the Marquis’ Mansion, Shen Taosheng felt ashamed of being a marquis’s legitimate daughter married to a merchant.

However, after experiencing Luo Taosheng’s life, she let go of this resentment.

Luo Taosheng’s best friend, Zhang Xinyue, also came from a merchant family. Through hard work, she inherited her father’s business and became the most famous female merchant in the Great Zhou Dynasty, even favored by the new Emperor, Xiao Lang.

Shen Taosheng realized that everything depended on one’s own efforts.

She understood that the rivalry with Shen Ruojin was deep-rooted, but she couldn’t let hatred consume her.

Shen Ruojin had royal status and many advantages now. Shen Taosheng had no bargaining chips. Her priority now was to go to Dai State to rescue her father and mother and plan her next steps.

Going to Dai State was no small task, and she couldn’t do it alone. She needed her husband Xu Yi’s help.

With this in mind, Shen Taosheng stopped arguing with herself, returned to the Xu family, and found Xu Yi at home.

Xu Yi had gone on a business trip with his third uncle and had just returned. He saw his wife chatting with his mother, looking calm and no longer sad, which surprised him.

“You’re finally back.”

Xu Yi’s father died early, and their family was ignored by the larger Xu family. Although the Xu family was a famous merchant family, Xu Yi’s branch was poorer compared to others. This was why Shen Ruojin and her friends always looked down on them.

Despite this, Xu Yi’s family still owned two houses, three shops, and several hundred acres of farmland. He also had a good temper.

Shen Taosheng used to compare Xu Yi to Guan Muyun.

But now, she appreciated Xu Yi for always caring for her. His family might be small, but they looked out for each other in difficult times, which made her feel secure.

After experiencing Luo Taosheng’s life, Shen Taosheng realized that even as a woman, she didn’t need to rely entirely on her husband or use his status to prove her worth.

She had always been talented in bookkeeping and mental arithmetic. But after entering the Marquis’ Mansion, Shen Ruojin had told her that these were tasks for accountants and servants, not for noblewomen.

Except for her mother, no one in the Marquis’ Mansion treated her sincerely. Everyone was on guard against her. Why should she try to join them?

It was ridiculous.

She hadn’t wanted to marry into the Xu family at first, but after living together for years, she had developed feelings for them.

Shen Taosheng silently made up her mind.

If Xu Yi was willing to sell his property to help her find her parents, she would never leave him and would repay him for the rest of her life.

Shen Taosheng pulled Xu Yi aside and told him about a strange dream where her adoptive parents were building city defenses in the capital of Dai State. Whether the dream was real or not, she had to go and find out.

Xu Yi immediately took out 20,000 silver taels, saying he had saved the money over the years.

Shen Taosheng was shocked and asked, “Why didn’t you tell me about this before?”

“You never asked about family matters before because you were always at the villa.” Xu Yi cautiously replied, “Let’s use this money to search for your parents. If it’s not enough, we can sell our property. Is that alright?”

Shen Taosheng laughed.

This was the first time she truly laughed from the bottom of her heart since she married into the Shu family, and Xu Yi was stunned.

When Shen Taosheng got married, Shen Ruojin specially arranged to meet him in a teahouse in Beijing and said to him in a condescending tone, “My sister has always had a bad reputation in Beijing. She grew up in the countryside, doesn’t know the rules, doesn’t understand etiquette, isn’t liked by nobles, and doesn’t act like the daughter of a wealthy family.”

The elders in my family asked me to tell you that my third sister was just neglected in her childhood and is not bad by nature. Even for the sake of our father and mother, you should treat her well.

It was a mix of compliments and subtle criticism.

Xu Yi understood the hidden meaning in Shen Ruojin’s words but didn’t take it seriously.

It’s not like he hasn’t dealt with people from the capital before. They always thought highly of themselves and looked down on anything outside of it.

Based on this logic, he too grew up in the countryside, no different from Shen Taosheng.

Three years ago, he visited the Marquis’ Mansion and was captivated by Shen Taosheng the moment he saw her.

She was so beautiful, it was no exaggeration to say she looked like a goddess from a dream. Her smile made all the noble ladies in the capital pale in comparison.

He also heard from others that Shen Taosheng was the true daughter the Marquis’ Mansion had found after much difficulty and the only legitimate daughter of Madam Luo. She seemed to belong to a completely different world than him, and no matter how hard he tried, it seemed impossible for him to marry her. He could only protect her from afar.

Who would have thought that by a strange twist of fate, he actually married this “dream goddess”?

In fact, he has always been very happy with his wife Shen Taosheng, but she didn’t show much enthusiasm for him. Her entire heart seemed focused on competing with Shen Ruojin.

But to him, it didn’t matter. Just looking at her face, he could endure all her impatience.

At this time, Shen Taosheng suddenly changed her thinking. She stopped worrying about Shen Ruojin and the people in Beijing. Instead, she decided to start planning trips with him.

Xu Yi was, of course, thrilled.

Not to mention traveling to Dai Kingdom together, even if she asked him to climb a ladder to the sky and pick stars, he’d be happy.

There were some challenges on the way to Dai Kingdom to rescue the adoptive parents, but fortunately, money opened doors, and they were successfully rescued.

Luo Xiu and his wife went through similar hardships as they did in the other world. They had been forced to do labor for the Dai Kingdom for many years and had two children.

However, Shen Taosheng knew these two children were smart and capable, and it wasn’t too late for them to start studying hard and practicing martial arts now.

There is still a long road ahead, and many people achieve success later in life.

In the other world, Luo Xiu followed Luo Taosheng into the Ministry of War, but this Shen Taosheng didn’t have that kind of talent.

The capital wasn’t peaceful. The Guan family and Empress Dowager Guan had taken power, eliminated their enemies, and suppressed the royal family. Shen Ruojin was now at the height of power, so going back would be too dangerous.

Luo Xiu suggested returning to Qin County.

Given the current situation, this seemed like the best plan.

Shen Taosheng also decided to first send them back to Qin County.

On the way back, Su Wan asked Shen Taosheng, “Xiao Sheng, have you met your Aunt Su Jia while in Beijing these past few years?”

Shen Taosheng shook her head.

She had heard about her cousin Ji Yanming. She knew he had faced many difficulties over the years and that, in the end, the late emperor interfered with his career, causing him to fall into disgrace.

She also knew his path was difficult, and perhaps to protect his mother, he let her leave early to travel.

Later, people in the capital didn’t even know that Ji Yanming’s mother was still alive. They thought he was all alone.

With Shen Ruojin holding absolute power in Beijing, there was no point in making a move against her now.

Shen Taosheng wanted to lay low and avoid attention. Although Shen Ruojin seemed to have all the advantages, fate had been kind to Shen Taosheng as well, providing her with guidance from those who came before her, allowing her to catch up in her own way.

After returning from Qin County, Shen Taosheng found Mr. Zhang, who wasn’t doing well in Beijing, and invited him to join her in a business venture at sea.

But Mr. Zhang was concerned about drawing too much attention and suggested they find a strong backer first.

Shen Taosheng couldn’t approach Empress Dowager Guan’s faction. The King of Chu died young, and her cousin Ji Yanming was missing. The only person she could rely on was the former Prince of Chu, now King Xiao Lang, who inherited his father’s title.

In the other world, Shen Taosheng knew that Xiao Lang was more capable than the new king, Xiao Jian. Her husband also had a distant cousin who was close to the daughter of Xiao Lang’s wet nurse.

There weren’t many trustworthy people around Xiao Lang now. Thanks to the wet nurse, Xu Yi and Shen Taosheng soon met the King of Chu.

To Shen Taosheng’s surprise, Ji Yanming was also staying at Xiao Lang’s mansion.

Were these two secretly planning something?

The phrase “make a comeback” quickly came to Shen Taosheng’s mind.

Although she and Ji Yanming had only met a few times in this life, she had grown close to her cousin in the other world.

Shen Taosheng was excited when she saw Ji Yanming. She rushed over to tell him she was his cousin and shared that Luo Xiu and Su Wan had been found. She asked him to write to their aunt with the good news if he had the chance.

Ji Yanming had heard about the real and fake daughters of the Shen family. Since Shen Taosheng returned to the Wenyuan Marquis Mansion and cut ties with the family, he hadn’t paid much attention to her.

But now it seemed that they were both victims of the Guan family and were also relatives. Before his mother left, she kept mentioning her sister Su Wan. He couldn’t help but feel closer to this cousin.

Ji Yanming respectfully greeted Shen Taosheng and said that if she had any difficulties in the future, she could come to him.

Shen Taosheng, feeling there was no need for reservation, responded directly, “Actually, I have one now.”

She wanted to expand her business abroad, so she sought Xiao Lang as her backer and asked her cousin for help with connections.

Ji Yanming agreed.

Shen Taosheng later learned that Xiao Lang approached Ji Yanming to investigate the cause of his father’s death. Though the King of Chu died from a fall off his horse, he had met with King Rui while drinking, which upset him and led to the tragedy.

What Shen Taosheng learned from her “predecessors” wasn’t just about abandoning the plot and staying away from Shen Ruojin but also advanced ideas on purchasing firearms, overseas trade, and the military map of the northwest and various countries…

None of Shen Taosheng, Ji Yanming, or Xiao Lang was willing to accept the outcome where Empress Dowager Guan and Inspector Xiao controlled the government.

In just five years, Xiao Lang organized a firearms battalion, requested orders for an expedition, and pacified the northwest. It was discovered that Empress Dowager Guan had poisoned the young emperor over time, sparking outrage among officials. Ji Yanming launched a palace coup, returned powerfully, and successfully helped Xiao Lang ascend the throne.

After the new emperor took the throne, another wave of purges swept through the capital.

The Shen family of Marquis Wenyuan and the Guan family of Duke Lingguo were naturally on the list.

For Shen Taosheng, the other members of the Shen family were insignificant, having had many conflicts with her. She felt no emotional attachment except for her mother, Luo Xin, and had no objection to Xiao Lang and Ji Yanming’s plan to eliminate them.

Ji Yanming proposed another idea. It wasn’t right for Shen Taosheng to accept the Shen family’s legacy without a cost. After all, the Shen family had always been marginalized. Later, when Shen Ci and others had conflicts with Shen Ruojin and the Guan family, their crimes weren’t severe enough to warrant death. It would be better to strip Shen Yu of his title as marquis and Shen Yue’s position as prince, letting Shen Taosheng inherit the title of Marquis Wenyuan, so everyone in the mansion would be under her control.

Shen Yu felt insulted by the decree and refused to comply but couldn’t resist the persuasion of his relatives.

Now Shen Taosheng was favored by the new emperor and the powerful Ji Yanming, and it was said that sheltering under a big tree only brought benefits, not harm, to the family.

The most ironic part was that those who once said Shen Taosheng was born in the countryside, lacked manners, and wasn’t worthy of the status of a marquis’ daughter, had now become her staunch supporters for their own interests.

That morning, Shen Taosheng accompanied Luo Xin to burn incense at Hanguang Temple and then returned. They passed by Duke Ling’s Mansion, which was closed off and surrounded by guards.

Shen Taosheng’s heart stirred.

Her original goal had been to become stronger and crush Shen Ruojin, but after working toward that goal for years, her mentality had changed. Crushing Shen Ruojin was no longer the core goal.

Luo Xin, always considerate, knew her daughter had faced many injustices over the years, most caused by Shen Ruojin. So she said to Shen Taosheng softly, “I have to visit your grandparents today, so I can’t go back with you. If you have anything to say to her, why not speak now?”

With the current rumors circulating in the court, Shen Ruojin was bound to face imprisonment or exile in the future, and it would be difficult for Shen Taosheng to see her again.

Duke Ling had been prosperous in the court for many years, and his mansion occupied the prime location in the capital. Every flower and tree had been designed by renowned artists. But now it was neglected, and its former splendor had faded, leaving it desolate.

When the guards heard that Shen Taosheng was Lord Ji Yanming’s cousin, they made way for her and directed her to where Shen Ruojin was being held.

Shen Ruojin was cleaning the tea set she had used yesterday. When she saw Shen Taosheng approaching, her eyes widened in hatred, and she asked, “Is it you?”

“You first persuaded my grandmother and father to give me the marriage contract with the troublesome Marquis of Changxing. Then, when I broke off the engagement, you made trouble and ruined my reputation. After that, you sabotaged the marriage my mother had chosen for me… In the end, it was because you lacked confidence. You feared I might have a better life and one day stand shoulder to shoulder with you, leaving you, the ‘fake daughter,’ with no place in the family.”

Since she was five, Shen Ruojin had known she wasn’t the biological child of Shen Yu and Luo Xin. She had lived in fear all these years. Her shoulders trembled slightly, but her tone remained as condescending as ever: “I was born in the Shen family. I’ve seen all sorts of inner court methods. How could I fear a country girl from a small town? What a joke!”

Shen Taosheng hadn’t expected things to develop this way, and yet Shen Ruojin was still using her house-fighting tactics as a proud bargaining chip.

Shen Taosheng’s look of contempt and pity hurt Shen Ruojin. She had been winning for years. All who had hindered her rise had been defeated and powerless. Shen Taosheng was just lucky, having Xiao Lang’s support, and today she even dared to show off in front of her.

Shen Ruojin talked about how she had defeated the housekeeper who disliked her when she was a child, recounting her triumphs in family politics.

After entering Duke Ling’s Mansion, she had first tamed Guan Muyun’s concubines, then helped her mother-in-law suppress the other concubines and illegitimate sons, controlling the aunts and facilitating the divorce of the eldest son, who had been favored by the old Duke.

Later, she distanced herself from the Crown Prince before his downfall and testified in court, exposing Princess Hui’an and the Crown Princess’s secrets, ensuring the former Crown Prince’s line couldn’t rise again. She, on the other hand, became a prominent figure among the noble ladies of the capital, thanks to her long-term friendship with Princess Rui. Eventually, she helped Empress Dowager Guan defeat the young emperor’s faction, leading to her current status.

In both the circle of noble ladies and the Guan family, everyone had to act according to her will.

Shen Taosheng, who had been full of resentment toward Shen Ruojin, now felt only sadness when seeing her. 

Shen Ruojin had always taken both internal and external medicine and paid attention to her appearance, but no matter how hard she tried, the weariness in her eyes and the lines around her face couldn’t be hidden. She was far from the vibrant Shen Ruojin that Shen Taosheng remembered from when she first married into Duke Lingguo’s Mansion.

The real outcome has now been decided. Shen Taosheng calmly listened to Shen Ruojin’s words, realizing she no longer felt the need to overpower the other with every statement.

Shen Taosheng stood up slowly. “You’ve always been arrogant in the household, and now these are the only things you can boast about. You’re probably the only one who knows the hardships you’ve faced over the years. I heard from Doctor Wang that you’ve overworked yourself and used too much energy, relying on nourishing medicine for years to stay healthy. But I doubt these herbs will be available in the house in the future.”

When Shen Ruojin heard this, fear flashed in her eyes, but she still refused to let Shen Taosheng take advantage of her: “The Guan family has been loyal to the court for generations, protected by the Queen Mother. No matter how wild Xiao Lang and Ji Yanming are, they can’t destroy the Guan family.”

“It’s strange that the major incident of Empress Dowager Guan’s suicide hasn’t been reported to your family.” Shen Taosheng said slowly. “Xiao Lang and Empress Dowager Guan have been eliminating opposition and suppressing voices, silencing those who opposed her rule and causing many deaths. Now, with the clan members and court officials having regained power, even if the emperor shows leniency, the clan won’t let it go.”

When Empress Dowager Guan and the Guan family were in power, they thought they were untouchable and refused to share any authority. They suppressed dissent with brute force, without considering the balance of court politics. How high they rose then, is how hard they fall now.

Shen Taosheng felt she and Shen Ruojin were simply incompatible. She had been in the same room with Shen Ruojin for less than an hour, but already felt suffocated by her arrogance and pettiness.

Shen Taosheng said no more, turned, and walked towards the light at the gate of Duke Lingguo’s Mansion, ignoring Shen Ruojin’s angry shouts, never looking back.