Chapter 25

The Crown Princess takes procedures seriously. She had her official send an invitation today and said she would send a car to pick her up the next morning.

After Wei Siyan left, Su Jia sighed, “Your zither music is now well-known in the capital. I don’t know how the news spread so much.”

Tao Sheng was a quiet person. She could spend a whole day at home with her music scores. She worried that outside opinions might cause her trouble.

Tao Sheng said, “It’s just a passing trend. Eventually, when it fades, things will settle down.”

The biggest topic in the capital right now is the imperial examination. Ji Yanming, who won three top prizes in the exam, is the star. Eventually, when more exciting events happen, like a top talent’s engagement, a prince’s remarriage, or the rise of a powerful official, people will focus on new stories and forget this moment.

After discussing Tao Sheng, Su Jia expressed concerns about her son’s life: “I thought Xiaobai would have a break after passing the exam. Who knew he would be busier after the palace exam?”

The zither store has been flooded with orders lately, and supplies are running low. Su Jia has been busy in the store, dealing with various customer requests and many matchmakers, making her life quite full.

Now, five days have passed since the palace examination, and Tao Sheng has only met the new top scholar once.

On the day of the exam, meeting the emperor and answering questions must have been exhausting. Ji Yanming returned that night and fell asleep immediately, without having a big dinner.

On the second day, Ji Yanming, the runner-up, and the third-place winner participated in the usual event praising officials in the streets, riding on horseback. On the third day, they returned to the palace to meet the emperor, express gratitude, and attend a banquet.

On the fourth day, yesterday, Tao Sheng finally saw Ji Yanming. However, he was in a hurry and quickly packed his things and left.

Seeing he was in such a rush, Tao Sheng was concerned about delaying his work, so she didn’t ask more questions.

Ji Yanming then explained that after seeing the emperor yesterday, he was kept in Hongwen Pavilion. The other candidates left after the banquet, but he and the third-place winner were held back by Li Xueshi.

Tao Sheng had heard that the new top scholar, Xie Huaian, from the Xie family of Jinling, was handsome and charming. She saw him from a distance while he showcased his talent in the streets. Though she couldn’t see his face clearly, he had a striking figure. The audience’s screams suggested he looked good.

Why did Li Xueshi want to keep these two around? Was he obsessed with their looks and wanted to see them up close?

Before she could ask more, Ji Yanming explained.

The Hanlin Academy was tasked with compiling the Complete Book of Agriculture, and the time was approaching for submitting the first draft of the third volume. Unfortunately, the two editors had been working hard and became ill.

The capital had been unstable in recent years, and many civil and military officials had been killed in conflicts. Now, with the loss of those two people, everyone felt the pressure.

As an examiner, Li Hanlin noticed that both candidates had excellent handwriting, performed well in the exam, and were unmarried, meaning they could work full-time. They matched his criteria for selection, so he brought them in to fill the gaps.

Tao Sheng’s cousin in her past life passed the entrance exam for a local public welfare institution. After completing the interview and public announcement period, she was supposed to start work. Normally, there would be a vacation of one to two months before the results were announced.

However, since it was a very busy time for the unit and they were short-staffed, the unit leader contacted the personnel department. After getting the green light that the announcement had passed, he let Tao Sheng’s cousin start working early.

Being a newcomer in the workplace is never easy; that has always been the case.

After discussing Ji Yanming’s tough situation, Tao Sheng and Su Jia turned to the topic of changing houses.

They currently have enough money to buy a new house similar to their current one, but moving to a larger house would be more challenging.

They need to first decide what direction to take—whether to move all at once or gradually.

If they want to buy a bigger and better house right away, should they pawn some household items if they don’t have enough money? Which items would be suitable to pawn?

These are important questions.

Buying a house is a big deal, whether in ancient or modern times. You can’t just make a decision based on excitement; you need to carefully consider your options to find the best solution.

In the end, they didn’t come to a conclusion and agreed to hold off for now and wait.

_

Early the next morning, a car from the Eastern Palace arrived at Tongguang Lane to pick up Tao Sheng and take her to the palace as planned.

From the outside, the car looks simple, but it’s luxurious inside.

Tao Sheng used to think the carriage from Wenyuan Marquis Mansion was fancy, but after seeing the “Eastern Palace,” she learned what true luxury means. This car represents the best craftsmanship from the feudal dynasty and is very different from regular vehicles.

The Eastern Palace is located in the palace city but does not belong to the imperial palace; it is a large, independent palace complex.

Wei Siyan, who had previously visited the Su family to invite Tao Sheng, was already waiting. When he saw her, he smiled and said, “The Crown Princess and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince are waiting for you in the main hall of Zhaoyang Palace. Please follow me, Miss.”

Meanwhile, in the nearby Jinhua Palace, Princess Hui’an was changing her clothes and hurrying out. Shen Ruojin felt jealous: “Why does the cousin of the top scholar bother you so much?”

Princess Hui’an replied, “She is not an ordinary zither player. She doesn’t perform for just anyone. Mother said it’s fate that we can invite her to the palace.”

Shen Ruojin said, “I heard Ji Zhuangyuan’s ^[1]refers to the title for the top scholar in the imperial examination system. family is just ordinary. You could easily invite his cousin to play in the palace, but I didn’t expect the Crown Princess to be so polite.”

Princess Hui’an rolled her eyes and said, “What do you know?”