After settling in, Xu Zifan first visited Lord Liang in the capital with a letter. The prefect had already written to his brother, praising Xu Zifan highly, which made Lord Liang feel favorably toward him even before meeting him. After they met, they had a very pleasant conversation.
Whether someone speaks with substance or merely recites from a script, a person with deep experience can see through them in just a few words. Xu Zifan has served as an official more than once, even as a regent and an emperor. Even if he were to tone it down, he would still amaze Lord Liang and make him willing to befriend him.
Making connections is very important when you arrive in an unfamiliar place. Lord Liang gave Xu Zifan two clever servants, two careful and sensible maids, and a cook, which made things much easier for Xu Zifan and Lin Ruonan.
These five servants were all native to the capital and knew the city very well. The couple could simply ask them anything they wanted to know. It would be safer for Lin Ruonan to go out with a maid, and she could also have the two servants run around looking for suitable shops, saving her the trouble of running back and forth herself.
Xu Zifan kept this kindness in his heart, studied at home to learn about the politics of the dynasty, and occasionally went out to attend scholar tea parties in the capital. Before long, he made a name for himself. The scholars all knew that Xu Zifan, who had passed four consecutive imperial examinations, was truly talented. He was likely to win the top three in the upcoming provincial and palace examinations!
Various factions were also observing the situation. For candidates like Xu Zifan, who clearly had a bright future, several princes' retainers and other admirers of talent tentatively sent people to contact him. Xu Zifan used this opportunity to understand the power dynamics within the court, ultimately choosing to befriend a few members of the royalist faction. He maintained a cautious distance from the other factions, neither becoming too close nor offending anyone.
Some discerning people, seeing this, felt that he was even more unfathomable. As the son of a merchant from a small town, he was able to see the distribution of power in the capital in a short period of time and walk steadily across the narrow bridge between the various forces. He was truly extraordinary.
Lin Ruoshan overheard her personal maid mentioning that the imperial examinations were approaching and a particularly talented candidate had arrived in the capital, already passing four exams in a row. She suddenly realized how quickly time had passed; Xu Zifan had already arrived in the capital to participate in the examinations.
In just one year, she grew rapidly in the treacherous world of the palace, where advancement meant certain death. She climbed to the rank of Noble Lady by ingratiating herself with the Emperor and Empress Dowager. Now, three months pregnant, the Empress Dowager has hinted that if the baby is a prince, she will be promoted to the rank of Consort.
This was the greatest affirmation for her; many officials' daughters could only climb to the rank of concubine in their entire lives. However, the higher she climbed, the less satisfied she became, because there was always someone who could step on her head.
From being promoted from a lowly concubine to a Noble Lady, she could finally settle scores with those concubines who had previously tripped her up. One concubine had already been sent to the Cold Palace by her underhanded schemes, never to be released again. This made her realize the benefits of power. If she were to rise to the rank of Consort, or even Imperial Concubine, who in the world would dare to displease her?
She had already sent her two disliked maids to the laundry department. They dared to scheme against her; they could spend their lives washing clothes in the icy well water there. The maids she now knew how to please her, were eloquent, perceptive, and knew how to flatter her, making her feel comfortable and happy.
A few days ago, this palace maid visited her family at the palace gate, chatted with her parents and sisters, exchanged gifts, and upon returning, would occasionally tell her interesting stories about the capital. Lin Ruoshan loved listening to these stories. She had only glimpsed the streets of the capital from the carriage and had no idea what the capital was like, so listening to the palace maid's tales helped her pass the time.
Upon listening, one could hear Xu Zifan's name.
Lin Ruoshan's face slowly darkened, and the palace maid immediately shut her mouth, instinctively tensing her muscles in fear of being slapped. The maid didn't know what she had done to offend Lin Ruoshan, but she knew that if Lin Ruoshan lost her temper, she had to honestly admit her mistakes and completely comply with her wishes; otherwise, she might end up like the previous maid, never able to recover her former status.
Lin Ruoshan didn't hit her this time; instead, she laughed again, "Your sister said that Xu Zifan seems to respect his wife quite a bit?"
The palace maid said tremblingly, "Yes, mistress, that's what my sister said. She saw Xu Zifan and his wife traveling together."
Lin Ruoshan chuckled lightly, fanning herself with her fan. "They're all here. That's wonderful." She glanced at the palace maid and lowered her voice. "You've been in the palace for so long. You must have your own ways of sending things home, right? I want your father to find some scoundrels to break Xu Zifan's hands so he can't enter the examination hall! Also, his wife is incredibly beautiful. If... it would be too good for those scoundrels."
The palace maid's expression changed drastically, and she hurriedly lowered her head to hide her shock. She knew Lin Ruoshan was ruthless, but breaking Xu Zifan's hand and humiliating Xu Zifan's wife was simply too much.
She thought of the concubine who had been banished to the cold palace, and the two palace maids suffering in the laundry department, and suddenly felt a chill. She immediately agreed.
She dared not refuse; if she didn't handle this matter well, those cruel methods would surely fall upon her. When the previous concubine was banished to the cold palace, a guilty maid tried to inform on her, and she died of illness without anyone noticing. After this, she absolutely had to find a way to leave. Following Lin Ruoshan might allow her to climb the ranks, but she'd have to be alive. She truly didn't understand what the Emperor and Empress Dowager liked about Lin Ruoshan.
By this year, Lin Ruoshan's words and actions had completely matched her status, even though she was still illiterate and lacked depth.
But the palace was not lacking in talented women. Her appearance and figure far surpassed others. As a concubine, one outstanding quality was enough. She got rid of her bad habits, and the emperor spent more time with her.
The emperor was happier with her than with others, so he naturally preferred to see her more often. The things she made with the sacred spring water were auspicious symbols to the emperor, and after she became pregnant, he eagerly anticipated whether she would give birth to a special son, elevating her status to that of a concubine.
She was at the height of her power in the harem, and no one dared to bully her anymore. Two concubines even tried to curry favor with her, teaching her things she didn't understand about palace life and reminding her of things to watch out for. However, she scoffed at this. Why hadn't they stood up for her when she was bullied before? Now that she was established, they were jumping out to become her sworn sisters. If they wanted to protect themselves, they should stop bothering others. She would climb higher than them sooner or later.
Lin Ruoshan gave the palace maid a series of instructions, repeatedly telling her father to be careful and not to be discovered, otherwise, her whole family would be killed!
The palace maid obsequiously agreed, then excused herself and anxiously tried to find a solution.
Now in the capital, Shaohua could scan Lin Ruoshan's situation. Somewhat annoyed, it said, "[Lin Ruoshan is such a waste of her rebirth opportunity. Wouldn't it be better if she lived a good life enjoying wealth and luxury after having a dragon prince? Instead, she chose to harm you. Host, you absolutely cannot let her go this time!]"
Xu Zifan leaned back in his chair in the study, reading a book, and chuckled softly: [What's there to be angry about? That's just her personality. As the saying goes, 'It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature.' It's precisely because she has a son and has caught the eye of the Emperor and Empress Dowager that she feels so superior, able to control the fate of ordinary people. In her eyes, we are just ordinary people, nothing special. We've wronged her, so naturally she'll retaliate effortlessly; otherwise, this matter will stay with her forever.]
[Shaohua: Host, in the original owner's life, wasn't Lin Ruoshan a heroine who grew and matured? She caused the Xu family to be destroyed and ruined Lin Ruonan's reputation, but she later grew step by step, married into a high-ranking family, helped the Lin family become imperial merchants, and got along well with both her husband's and her own families. She even lamented that she was naive and made mistakes when she was young. Why is she becoming more and more cold-blooded and ruthless now?]
When Xu Zifan upgraded Shaohua, he deliberately added human emotions, but the system is not human after all, and even with its vast amount of data, it cannot understand the complexities of human nature.
Xu Zifan said calmly, "[No one is absolutely good or absolutely bad. Lin Ruoshan is a growth type, which is why she changed the Emperor and Empress Dowager's opinion of her in just one year and gained a firm foothold in the palace. But in fact, in the original owner's life, she wasn't necessarily kind and repentant. She harmed the Xu family and her own sister, and in the end, she only sighed about it when she was bored. She never did any good deeds, never searched for her sister's whereabouts, and never even built a tomb for the Xu family. That's not repentance. As for her good relationship with her husband's family and her own family...]"
Xu Zifan smiled. "[She gets along well with the Emperor and Empress Dowager now, simply because no conflict has been stirred up. When she was first reborn, she got along well with the Lin family, but she looked down on them and disliked them. However, if it weren't for her repeated failures in scheming against me, which caused her to turn against the Lin family, she could have maintained a good relationship with them, cultivated a good reputation, and had a family that liked her."
As she climbs the social ladder and marries into a wealthy family, she will naturally have to get along well with her husband's family to please them. At that time, the Lin family will have to fawn over her. She will look down on the Lin family without a care in the world. Making the Lin family a royal merchant will also improve her status and position. Why not?
Her personality has always been the same, never changing. Sometimes, the apparent goodness of humanity is merely a facade under calm conditions; true human nature only reveals itself when there is a conflict of interest.
[Shaohua: If she takes her revenge and makes things difficult for the Xu and Lin families, she'll be free from her obsession. Then she can peacefully enjoy the emperor's favor in the palace.]
[Xu Zifan: That's right. Surviving in the palace is her pride, and failing to outmaneuver us is her shame. This obsession is more serious to her than anything else; she must wash away this shame. But in truth, she has never truly matured. She has always relied on the magic spring. The emperor and empress dowager's favor towards her is mostly due to her beauty and auspicious omens, like a castle in the air. Once she loses these, all her glory and favor will collapse.]
Hearing their conversation, Changsheng interjected, "Master, can I make the Spirit Spring acknowledge me as its master? The Spirit Spring has a spirit; I've been here with it for so long, and it's already willing to acknowledge me as its master!"
Xu Zifan closed his book, stretched, and said, "No rush, let's wait a few more days for the best opportunity."
It's one thing to scheme against him, but to actually hire scoundrels to humiliate his wife? This time, Lin Ruoshan will definitely know what it means to be in unbearable pain!