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Upon returning to the Marquis of Cheng'an's residence from Yangzhou, due to Madam Shen, Rong Shu had once harbored the intention of competing with Rong Wei for prestige.

Back then, everyone praised the second daughter of the Marquis of Cheng'an as well-read and talented.

To avoid others mocking her mother, Rong Shu had diligently studied etiquette, rules, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting in Yangzhou. Upon returning to the capital, she had also made efforts to establish a reputation among the city's young ladies.

However, she later realized that no matter how hard she tried or how skilled she became, as long as she was her mother's daughter, she could never attain the title of a talented woman.

The noble and wealthy families would never acknowledge a merchant's daughter to be on par with their carefully cultivated daughters.

So what if that was the case?

Titles such as the Three Beauties of the Capital or the Capital's First Talented Lady were merely used by prestigious clans to enhance their unmarried young ladies' status.

These empty accolades granted them a slight boost in confidence during marriage negotiations and added prestige to their husbands' families in the future.

Rong Shu found it ironic. Men toiled through years of study, only to achieve success and a promising future. Yet, young ladies spent their days and nights learning various skills, ultimately just to bring honor to their husbands' families at the time of marriage.

Not to mention, after marriage, they would manage household affairs, bear children, and serve their in-laws. The knowledge acquired in their maiden days would gradually fade into obscurity amidst the daily grind, leaving behind no trace of the vibrant colors of their youth.

Rong Shu had never enjoyed playing the zither nor was she fond of chess. She forced herself to learn these unappealing skills merely for the sake of appearances at her wedding. It was truly not worth it.

She might as well use that leisure time to do things that genuinely brought her joy.

After Rong Shu came to this realization, she abandoned all ambitions for empty prestige and no longer compared herself with Rong Woh in terms of their musical or artistic prowess.

Rong Woh believed she had conceded defeat and thus became even more arrogant in Rong Shu's presence.

Yesterday's incident with Jiang Shenglin was the first time Rong Woh had lost face in front of Rong Shu, and today's announcement about marrying from Qingheng Courtyard was also her first act of submission before her elder sister.

Rong Woh expected Rong Shu to mock her when she arrived today. To her surprise, Rong Shu's simple response was just one word: "Agreed."

Looking up at Rong Shu, Rong Woh asked, "Are you laughing at me in your heart?"

Rong Shu replied, puzzled, "What is there to laugh at? You were not in the wrong, so I would have no reason to mock you."

Rong Woh fell silent.

"Don't think that the Jiang family is an ideal place to settle down, nor feel overly grateful to Lord Jiang for his kindness towards you and your mother. When your maternal grandfather was in distress, Lord Jiang, who he had nurtured with great effort, chose self-preservation and eagerly returned your mother's marriage proposal. Had that not happened, your mother likely wouldn't have been sent to the palace as a servant. The Jiang family's esteemed reputation was already tarnished during that turmoil, and their marriage arrangement with you now is not an act of compensation or redemption."

Rong Shu looked at Rong Wan and said solemnly, "He is trying to restore his family's reputation, or perhaps using you to compensate for the Jiang family's past misdeeds. Nowadays, people say that your father was only bound by his father's will and had no choice but to let your mother suffer. You'd better not believe such talk. After marrying into the Jiang family, the blessings accumulated by your Pei family for generations will also be brought into theirs. Think about it, who truly benefits from this marriage?"

Back then, when Prince Qiyuan was misled by a deceitful Taoist, he amassed wealth and built alchemy chambers during Great Yin's tumultuous times, even resorting to sacrificing young girls and boys for his elixirs.

Minister Pei, in anger, directly criticized the prince, but ultimately did not even receive a complete burial.

The Jiang family, fearing Prince Qiyuan's wrath, chose to hide and watch from the sidelines. Now, by marrying Rong Wan, they can portray their past cowardice as being forced by circumstances. What a profitable deal.

Minister Pei had served as the head of the Imperial Academy, a Grand Secretary in the Hanlin Academy, and the Minister of Rites. During the Jiande period, he even presided over three imperial examinations, grooming countless scholars across the land.

Many officials in the court had benefited from Minister Pei's favor.

The Pei and Duke Ying families were old acquaintances, but does the elder lord of the Duke Ying estate truly have a special regard for Pei Yun and Rong Wan out of nostalgia?

The third lady of the Duke Ying family married the crown prince as his princess consort. By showing kindness to Rong Wan and Rong Qing, the elder lord could potentially win back some support from those who were once aligned with Minister Pei.

The emperor had only two sons and one daughter. The crown prince's mother was Concubine Xiaoguang, and her father was Xing Shicong, the prime minister in the Wenyuan Pavilion. The second prince was the only legitimate son of Empress Qi, and his uncle was Qi Heng, the former grand commander and now the left commander of the Central Army.

Emperor Jia'you's smooth ascension to the throne owed much to Xing Shicong and Qi Heng. Now, Xing Shicong led the civil officials, while Qi Heng led the military, making them equally powerful forces.

Scholars and warriors have always been at odds in the court, with the First Prince and Second Prince each holding their own advantages, one as the eldest and the other as the legitimate. The future emperor's selection will determine the distribution of power between these two factions.

Duke Ying is a military general, and Empress Concubine Xing sought the marriage between the First Prince and Song Yingzhen to gain the support of the established martial families, such as Duke Ying, in an attempt to break the Qi family's monopoly on military authority.

Emperor Jiayou has been ill since childhood, and Rong Shu recalls how his health deteriorated significantly over the past two years. By the twenty-third year of Jiayou, he was already in poor condition.

Yet, even on his deathbed, this emperor refused to appoint a crown prince, resulting in a constant stalemate between the First and Second Princes, the Qi and Xing families, and the scholars and warriors.

On the surface, the capital appears tranquil, but beneath lies a treacherous landscape.

The Jiang family likely had long intended to align with the First Prince. Through Rong Wan's marriage, they not only cleansed their reputation of indifference and cowardice but also gained acceptance from the scholarly officials and established ties with Duke Ying's estate, effectively joining the First Prince's faction.

It was Gu Changjin who revealed the intricate connections between the Jiang family and the Cheng'an Marquis Estate in her previous life. It happened three years into their marriage when Emperor Jiayou coughed up blood in the Throne Room, and Gu Changjin occasionally mentioned the court's situation to her.

Understanding the political landscape allowed Rong Shu to comprehend the Jiang family's motives for seeking Rong Wan's hand.

Rong Shu knew that Rong Wan might not heed these words.

Nonetheless, sharing these insights served as a reminder to the Rong Wan from her previous life, who once lowered her head and said, "Sister, I was ignorant back then."