Cheng Wenzheng, the top scorer of the 16th year of Xuanren’s reign, was also third place in the imperial court examination held in the same year. He was appointed to the Hanlin Academy as an editor. Through a stroke of luck, he garnered the favor of Emperor Xuanren, becoming the imperial reader for a young prince. This particular title of imperial reader was different from the more prestigious ‘scholar-reader of the court.’ He was only responsible for reading to the prince for one hour a day. Yet, even with such a modest role, it drove many people green with envy.

Three years later, he was assigned outside the capital to serve as a vice magistrate, a sixth-rank official, which coincidentally helped him avoid the coup two years later that led to a change in dynasty.

Of course, the one deposed wasn’t Emperor Xuanren—it was Emperor Chongwen, a ruler who, after less than four years on the throne, was overthrown by his own brothers, a true unfortunate soul.

After spending 17 years in various external official posts, like a man blessed by fortune, Cheng Wenzheng experienced a meteoric rise. He was eventually promoted to the rank of Vice Minister at the Provincial Administration Commissioner office, under the second rank in government hierarchy. In the 15th year of Tianshun, he was transferred back to the capital and directly promoted to Minister of the Treasury, and the following year, he entered the cabinet, becoming the Grand Secretary of Wen Ying Hall with the honorary title of Grand Tutor, the highest official rank, reaching the pinnacle of his career.

And how old was Cheng Wenzheng at that point? Only forty-five!

Meanwhile, Wenren Taibo was forty-four this year!

For a man born into a humble family with no background or powerful connections, Cheng Wenzheng’s path of surpassing those who hailed from established, influential families was nothing short of legendary.

And such a man—devoted to his widowed mother, loving towards his children, kind-hearted to his wife, and maintaining a clean and orderly household, having only one illegitimate daughter—was known for being loyal to his friends and supportive of relatives. He never forgot past benefactors or debts of gratitude.

In fact, before Wenren Ying’s rebirth, she herself had been one of the beneficiaries of Cheng Wenzheng’s help.

This favor stemmed not only from Cheng Wenzheng’s half-apprenticeship to her father—Wenren Taibo had helped him in his early career—but also because her parents had served as his matchmakers.

After Cheng Wenzheng achieved third place in the imperial examination, he was “caught under the examination results” by the Kaiping magistrate as a result of a marriage arrangement proposal. He formally requested Wenren Taibo and his wife to act as intermediaries for his marriage.

Wenren Ying’s own life in the marquis’s residence had been anything but peaceful. However, because of Cheng Wenzheng, his wife, Lady Li, had intentionally drawn close to her, improving her situation somewhat. As a result, Wenren Ying’s own husband had treated her slightly better, possibly extending her life by a few years.

Why was she so familiar with Cheng Wenzheng’s life story? Because she had harbored feelings of envy and jealousy toward Lady Li in her previous life and had subtly pried out information through casual chats. Lady Li had lived a life of triumph, one much more enviable than even Han Shi’s current status.

Though Wenren Ying harbored dark feelings, she was forced to smile and behave cordially with Lady Li.

Some things had become an obsession in Wenren Ying’s heart, and now that life had given her a second chance, Cheng Wenzheng became her ultimate goal.

As for why she didn’t aim higher—she knew very well the identities of the next two emperors—the key reason lay in the influence her family had over her. The life her mother led was the kind of life she longed for and aspired to.

In a sense, the husband she now yearned for met the standard set by her father.

No matter if it was the ill-fated Chongwen Emperor or the wise Emperor Tianshun, both had their harems filled with concubines and wives. Besides, Wenren Ying had her own pride. She was determined to become the legitimate wife, not a mere concubine. The next two emperors already had their own wives and children.

As for scheming to help another prince seize the throne by leveraging her knowledge of the future—she didn’t even want to think about that. The current emperor would pass away next year, leaving her less than a year to rearrange everything, rally forces, and topple prominent princes. Such a monumental task was beyond her capabilities, and she properly acknowledged her limitations.

She had originally thought that as long as she resolved the marriage contract already hanging over her, everything else would be manageable. Even if the Kaiping magistrate soon decided to follow through with the marriage “under the examination results,” she could quietly stir up trouble and disrupt it. But now, her mother was seriously considering marrying her fourth sister off to Cheng Wenzheng?!

Earlier in the morning, she had been thinking of building a good relationship with this fourth sister. Did she now have to view her as an enemy?

Of course, it wasn’t that serious yet. After all, it wasn’t like her fourth sister had some deep, unbreakable bond with Cheng Wenzheng. Since that wasn’t the case, there was still room to maneuver.

She couldn’t afford to panic now. Maybe this was just her mother’s one-sided wishful thinking. She needed to get a clear sense of the situation before taking any action.

Wenren Ying walked into the room with a bright, innocent smile, completely resembling her childhood self. “Mother, what are you and Fourth Sister talking about?” she asked playfully.

Wenren Ying’s ability to maintain such a flawless façade was due not only to her conscious effort but also to her inherently lively and carefree nature, a characteristic nurtured by Han Shi’s doting from a young age. Even after twenty-plus years of suffering in her husband’s household, some parts of her spirit had remained unscathed. Perhaps it was precisely because she had lived such an unhappy life that she often reminisced about the carefree days of her youth.

Now that she’d been reborn, those aspects of her nature had naturally resurfaced.

However, no matter how well she faked it, a forty-something-year-old mind in the body of a teenage girl would always be different from a true adolescent. In the beginning, she had remained highly tense around her parents to avoid revealing anything unusual. She had even feigned illness for a time. Only after a period of adjustment had she started acting more “normal.” She kept her façade so convincingly that only her closest maids might sense the minor inconsistencies in her behavior, but they knew better than to comment on their mistress’s business.

As time passed, Wenren Ying’s behavior grew more and more in harmony with her youthful appearance.

“I was just talking about Scholar Cheng,” Han Shi said openly, not hiding anything since Wenren Ying was already engaged.

Wenren Ying blinked innocently, “Has that man come to see Father again? He’s pretty diligent, isn’t he?” she said, feigning disdain.

Although Wenren Ying had her sights set on Cheng Wenzheng, she preferred to secure the relationship through ‘normal channels’. She wouldn’t harm her reputation unless absolutely necessary. If something did tarnish her name, she would ensure she appeared a pitiful, unwilling victim of circumstance. Whether it was her parents or Cheng Wenzheng himself, they would all feel sympathy and tenderness towards her. She wouldn’t have to lift a finger—they would make sure everything was perfectly handled.

“You’re spouting nonsense,” Han Shi said sternly, giving her daughter a reproachful look.

On the surface, Wenren Ying grinned brightly, while inwardly she subtly steered the conversation towards Cheng Wenzheng to test the waters regarding her mother’s and Xiao Cao’s attitudes.

Xiao Cao remained indifferent throughout, while Han Shi didn’t appear too invested either. This puzzled Wenren Ying. Something feels off…

—Could it be that Fourth Sister isn’t interested, and Mother has already dropped the idea?

Once Wenren Ying had probed enough, she stopped, knowing any further pushing might raise suspicion.

A steward from the kitchen came to consult with Han Shi, who then dismissed her daughters.

As they left the main courtyard, Wenren Ying suggested, “Fourth Sister, why don’t we walk in the garden? You’ve been busy ever since you returned yesterday and haven’t had any time to relax.”

Xiao Cao thought about it and realized it was true. But surprisingly, she didn’t feel out of place transitioning from a modest courtyard to this grand household. Of course, this was mainly due to the attitude of her family members.

She readily agreed to the walk.

The Wenren family’s residence might not compare to a marquis’s estate, but it was by no means lacking.

While Xiao Cao didn’t harbor any resentment towards wealth, nor did she believe her tastes were that unsophisticated, she could still appreciate the thoughtful design of the place—it was aesthetically pleasing.

The two sisters strolled leisurely, with Wenren Ying occasionally introducing the layout of the house, pointing out who lived in which part and the functions of different rooms.

As they walked, they eventually wandered toward the front courtyard. Since it wasn’t a day for hosting guests and this was their own home, Wenren Ying wasn’t worried about running into any men. The second gate’s function was to prevent concubines and male servants from freely accessing the rear courtyard. Naturally, female maids couldn’t casually move between the different areas either.

Wenren Ying walked confidently, and Xiao Cao, being somewhat aware of the family’s layout, didn’t think much of it either.

Before long, they found themselves looking at a group of men gathered by the pavilion.