Chapter 52

Ever since the emperor summoned Ji Yanming temporarily, Ji Yanming had returned to his life of working at night and hiding during the day, while Tao Sheng was about to finish her training period and start her career as a teacher at the Imperial College.

The day before she officially went to the Imperial College, Tao Sheng received a summons from the Grand Music Officer Qiu, who said that the emperor appreciated the hard work and dedication of the Grand Music Officer during this time and had prepared a feast for him.

The dishes rewarded by the emperor were not just meals anymore; they were a sign of honor from the court and recognition from the emperor.

Everyone remembered Tao Sheng’s hard work in the Ministry of Rites and invited her back to enjoy the dishes given by the emperor.

Tao Sheng thought it would be a grand banquet, but when she returned to the Imperial Music Bureau, she learned that the rewards were not just for her department. All the participating departments received rewards, and for the Imperial Music Bureau, the emperor only provided eight side dishes—four cold and four hot, along with four types of dried fruits and four kinds of snacks. This was far from the grand banquet Tao Sheng had imagined.

However, it was better to receive something than nothing. If other departments received rewards and hers did not, she would feel embarrassed in the entire court.

Although the emperor only gave these small rewards, it was a gathering for the whole department. Lord Qiu decided not to limit them to just the small dishes and snacks. Instead, he ordered the kitchen to prepare a meal that matched the imperial rewards, turning it into an important dinner and team-building event for the department.

Tao Sheng had only been in the department for a short time and was still young, so she didn’t want to interrupt the conversations. She quietly sat aside and enjoyed her food.

She hoped for a quiet meal, but her colleagues had other plans for her.

Master Qiu was the first to speak up: “Have you heard the recent rumor?”

Everyone turned to Tai Le Ling and asked, “What rumor?”

Lord Qiu looked at Tao Sheng and said, “I heard that General Fu was injured years ago and has been bedridden for some time. It was Lord Luo’s zither music that helped him regain his strength after losing all his martial arts skills. Now he can serve the country again in military uniform. Is this true?”

Tao Sheng was surprised that this rumor had reached her department.

She cleared her throat: “Actually, that’s a misunderstanding.”

Master Qiu insisted, “So your cousin winning the top three prizes after hearing your zither music was also a misunderstanding?”

“It’s a long story,” Tao Sheng replied, her smile becoming forced. “But it really was a misunderstanding.”

Mr. Qiu shook his head and remembered what Su Heng had said before—that he often felt overwhelmed at work, but after listening to Tao Sheng’s zither music, he felt much better.

“Xiao Tao!” Lord Qiu said earnestly, “It’s good to be modest, but you’re too modest. We in the Imperial Music Bureau understand music. Others may not recognize your talent, but we do. There’s no need to be so humble in front of us.”

Tao Sheng was taken aback, beginning to doubt her colleagues’ professionalism.

Oblivious to her doubts, Lord Qiu raised his wine glass and said, “On this beautiful day, why don’t you play a song for us, Lord Luo?”

Tao Sheng’s zither music was precious, and she had just started teaching at the Imperial College. It would be good for her to showcase her talent.

After Lord Qiu’s request, everyone at the banquet turned to look at Tao Sheng, their eyes full of expectation. Even some of the most serious gentlemen took out paper and pen to take notes.

Tao Sheng swallowed a jujube blossom pastry given by the emperor, wishing they would stop talking so she could play.

_ 

After returning home from the emperor’s meal, Tao Sheng found her aunt Su Jia greeting her happily. Su Jia mentioned that there were guests at the house and that Zhang Xinyue had been waiting for her in the reception room for over two hours.

Su Jia had a good impression of Zhang Xinyue. Initially, she was the most supportive customer of her zither store, and later, her father, Mr. Zhang, helped a lot with the store’s operations. He was practically the technical advisor of the Oriental zither Store.

Therefore, Zhang Xinyue was one of Su Jia’s most welcome guests.

Tao Sheng happily held Zhang Xinyue’s hand and said, “I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t had a chance to talk to you. How have you been?”

“I’m fine,” Zhang Xinyue smiled. “My father has been busy with several businesses recently. Since I have some free time now, I’ve taken on more work. By the way, have you heard any rumors about yourself?”

When she heard the word “rumor,” Tao Sheng immediately thought of the recent rumors causing her embarrassment.

Su Jia asked curiously, “Is it the rumor that after listening to our Tao Sheng’s zither, sick people can regain their martial arts skills and strength?”

Tao Sheng lowered her head to drink tea, not wanting to discuss this topic.

“I’ve heard that before, but that’s not what I want to talk about today,” Zhang Xinyue said, smiling at Tao Sheng. “Actually, this rumor seems related to my father.”

Zhang Xinyue explained that Mr. Zhang had been doing well in his business and mentioned Tao Sheng during a gathering.

Because Tao Sheng was popular in the capital, someone asked, “Zhang Yuanwai’s family knows Lord Luo? They must have heard Lord Luo’s music?”

Mr. Zhang replied that he had indeed heard of her.

Although Tao Sheng had never played for him, he and his daughter were friends, and he had listened to her play before, when she performed for Zhang Xinyue.

The looks that everyone at the table gave Mr. Zhang began to change.

It became clear why Mr. Zhang was successful in business and made a lot of money: he had heard Miss Luo’s zither playing.

Before, they thought Mr. Zhang was just very lucky in everything he did. Now, it seemed he was getting special treatment at home, and only important people like the emperor, top scholars, and generals could hear the rare sound of the zither.

Mr. Zhang is truly fortunate.

Over time, a rumor spread among the business people in the capital. They said that after listening to Tao Sheng’s music, people could think clearly, attract wealth, and have a good sense of which investments would make money.

Tao Sheng: …

The first two claims were outrageous enough, but the idea that there was a third effect surprised me.

Mr. Zhang really is a business genius. After hearing this rumor, he got the idea to turn Tao Sheng’s personal music into a business brand. He thought marketing could work well for this.

This is why the rumors kept growing.

Tao Sheng: …

This isn’t marketing; it’s MLM ^[1]multi-level marketing, a strategy where salespeople earn commissions not only for their sales but also for the sales made by people they recruit.!

Mr. Zhang is very bold.

_

After getting another call from the emperor, Ji Yanming went to the Xuanzheng Hall and found the group there was a bit unusual.

The emperor was present, looking happy, along with General Fu An, who had just recovered from an illness, and His Royal Highness the King of Chu.

Whether they were discussing military matters or having tea, it didn’t make sense for Ji Yanming to be there, and he wondered why they called him.

The emperor was speaking with Fu An. When he saw Ji Yanming, he turned and said, “Give your Excellency Ji a seat,” then went back to his conversation.

The focus of this meeting was on the recent popularity of Tao Sheng’s zither music.

The emperor said that every time he listened to Tao Sheng’s music, he felt happy and less tired. Even after reviewing memorials all day, he felt relaxed. The royal doctors noted that the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine ^[2]is an ancient Chinese medical text. mentioned that zither music could be used for healing, so it could indeed relieve fatigue and extend life.

Fu An learned later that the King of Chu had tricked Tao Sheng into playing the zither at home. It wasn’t the emperor’s order; the King of Chu had persuaded her to come because of their friendship.