Chapter 51

Tao Sheng quickly realized that Ji Yanming had not been well these past few days.

Firstly, Ji Yanming was in a bad mood, and his spirits were low. Tao Sheng no longer dared to speak loudly in front of her cousin, and Xiao Feng began to avoid Ji Yanming when he saw him.

Secondly, Ji Yanming started caring too much about her. The coachman had to ask for permission before taking her out and had to wait for him to pick her up after work. She was never allowed to act alone. He was even more controlling than her adoptive parents in Qin County.

Because of this, the plan to go to Liulichang to buy books that Tao Sheng originally agreed on with Su Heng also fell through.

As soon as Tao Sheng finished work, Ji Yanming put her in the car heading back to Ji’s house.

Tao Sheng sat in the car, bored, playing with the jade belt around her waist. Ji Yanming seemed a bit tired today; he leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes quietly, and didn’t give her a chance to talk.

As a result, Ji Yanming’s cold and unfriendly appearance felt even more distant and mysterious.

Tao Sheng suddenly remembered a novel she had read about a paranoid yandere who imprisoned his stepsister. She couldn’t help but shudder.

But then she thought that Ji Yanming in the book didn’t seem to have that kind of hobby. This should just be a cousin caring for his cousin after bandits appeared in Beijing.

It must be an illusion!

The emperor had previously said that he wanted Tao Sheng to teach at the Imperial Academy, specifically in “ritual and music” among the six arts.

Because of this royal order, Tao Sheng was promoted to the seventh-rank music director of the Taiyue Bureau. She was undergoing a half-month training at the Imperial Academy. After the training, she would officially take up her position.

During her training, Tao Sheng felt like she was back in school. Without work and life pressures, her daily routine included attending lectures, doing homework, and there wasn’t even a final exam. Her life was rare and comfortable.

While Tao Sheng’s work and life were progressing smoothly, the King of Chu faced a problem.

The northwestern border had become somewhat unstable recently, so the emperor wanted to send more troops there. The first step was to invite General Fu An, who knew the military situation in the northwest best, to help with future tasks.

General Fu had been in a bad mood since last autumn. He wrote to the emperor, stating he was in poor health and couldn’t serve. He begged to retire and go home. However, the emperor ignored him and just let him rest at home.

The reason General Fu was angry was simple. In the past, he led soldiers to fight a small country in the northwest. Although Great Zhou won and the other side ceded land and paid compensation, General Fu felt it was unacceptable that only a few years later, the emperor allowed them to pay homage and even treated them to wine and food. He felt he couldn’t swallow his anger.

The emperor believed that restoring exchanges would help the country’s long-term development. If conflicts and wars escalated, unarmed people at the border would suffer.

Besides, as the emperor, the most honorable person in Great Zhou, he believed that rewards were due for all soldiers involved in that battle, and General Fu had been promoted. The emperor couldn’t understand why Fu An was being so stubborn now.

The emperor remembered that the King of Chu had some skill in dealing with people and had once been kind to Fu An. So he assigned him the task of bringing General Fu back to the court.

After four years of idleness, the King of Chu finally got an official job: to visit General Fu, learn about his needs, and persuade him to return to his post as soon as possible.

The border situation was tense again, so asking General Fu to come out of retirement was not just about serving the country, but also had symbolic importance for boosting morale.

Thus, the emperor’s request was clear. He wanted the King of Chu to find Fu An and persuade him to stop staying home and start working again.

The King of Chu sighed helplessly. He knew he wouldn’t get an easy task from his father, but he was the first one thought of for this difficult job.

Even with many complaints in his heart, the emperor’s order was an imperial edict, and since it had been given, the King of Chu had no choice but to obey.

Most soldiers who achieved victories in battles had strong personalities, and Fu An was no exception.

After being rejected twice, the King of Chu acted recklessly. He caught Fu An, who was out for a walk, outside the general’s mansion. After pestering him for a long time, he finally convinced him.

After the King of Chu pointed out his problem, Fu An realized he had been too proud and couldn’t face the emperor.

Seeing that 90% of the task was done, the King of Chu thought the last part could be handled once the emperor stepped in. He gritted his teeth and returned to the Xuanzheng Hall.

The emperor had just finished reviewing memorials ^[1]refers to official documents. and was tasting new snacks from the imperial kitchen. When he saw the King of Chu, he invited him to sit down and join him in tasting the kitchen’s latest creations.

The King of Chu sat down with a heavy heart, took a piece of chicken bean cake and stuffed it into his mouth, thinking about how to persuade the emperor without angering him and complete the task quickly.

The emperor noticed the King of Chu seemed to have come with more than just a friendly visit, so he signaled Li Sheng to serve him a cup of new tea: “You have never been good at sitting or eating since you were young. Be careful not to choke on those snacks.”

The King of Chu lowered his head, took a sip of tea, and replied “yes” in a dull tone.

The emperor asked again: “You came so early today. Have you resolved Fu An’s issue?”

The King of Chu sighed secretly, knowing the emperor was asking for trouble. But he had to bite the bullet and said, “General Fu now understands your good intentions and feels regretful, but he is stubborn and refuses to yield. The emperor has always respected wise and humble people. When General Fu will return to serve the country is probably up to you.”

The King of Chu came to gamble his luck and was prepared for scolding after saying this.