Xuanzheng Hall.

Li Sheng stepped forward and changed the Emperor’s tea, then reported: “Your Majesty, the Duke of Lingguo requests an audience.”

The Emperor frowned at the mention of Duke Ling and asked, “Did he say what it’s about?”

Li Sheng replied, “He said it’s important.”

Usually, when officials request an audience, they don’t give a specific reason unless it’s something serious.

The emperor immediately understood that Duke Ling was trying to use emotional appeals to beg for his son’s sake.

“Just say I’m busy and won’t see him,” he ordered.

After sending Duke Ling away, the emperor reviewed a few more memorials. Feeling bored, he asked Gao Zhen to invite Tao Sheng for a chat.

This meant listening to Lord Luo playing the zither. Gao Zhen quickly sent his disciple to find Tao Sheng.

At that time, Tao Sheng was enjoying tea with Princess Chu at a teahouse. Ever since Princess Chu pinched Tao Sheng’s waist at the hot spring outside Beijing, their relationship had gotten closer.

Tao Sheng had a day off, and Princess Chu invited her to a teahouse that was known for its excellent tea.

Tao Sheng was surprised when Gao Zhen’s apprentice came to visit: “The emperor summoned me to the Xuanzheng Hall to talk? Should I change my clothes first?”

“No time, Lord Luo,” the apprentice urged. “You must hurry now.”

It had taken the apprentice nearly an hour to travel from the palace, find the prince’s mansion, and then reach the teahouse. If Tao Sheng went back to change into her official uniform, the emperor would likely be annoyed.

Not wanting to cause trouble for the palace staff, Tao Sheng agreed: “Alright, I’ll go with you.”

Tao Sheng had just finished playing the song “Southern Wind” when Prince Rui walked in.

As soon as Prince Rui entered, he noticed Tao Sheng’s different appearance. Today, she was dressed in a wide-sleeved Liuxian gown with magnolia patterns, her hair styled in an elegant Yaotai bun. A silver-red lotus flower was painted on her forehead, and her slender waist made her even more charming. Prince Rui had always known she was beautiful, but now she looked like a goddess from his dreams.

Prince Rui couldn’t take his eyes off Tao Sheng. The emperor grew more displeased, seeing his son’s disrespectful behavior.

The emperor knew that Prince Rui, whose eldest daughter was about Tao Sheng’s age, should know better than to behave like this.

The emperor calmly asked his son why he had come.

Prince Rui quickly composed himself and respectfully presented two paintings: “I recently acquired these paintings from the previous dynasty and brought them for you to view, Father.”

The emperor nodded and said, “Present them.”

Although the emperor liked this particular painter, known for his detailed pavilion scenes, Prince Rui had brought freehand landscapes instead. It showed that Prince Rui’s appreciation skills were lacking.

Before the emperor could study the paintings, the crown prince entered.

The crown prince didn’t come empty-handed. He presented several potted plants in white jade pots: “These plants weren’t cultivated by the inner court but were trimmed by my own hands. I brought them to you for a change of taste.”

The emperor glanced at the crooked potted plants and thought that the crown prince wasn’t lying this time. Only he could create such poorly pruned plants; they couldn’t have been made by the palace craftsmen.

The crown prince was clearly not good at such work, and his recent troubled thoughts had affected his focus, so the plants lacked any artistic value.

He claimed he wanted to improve his taste, but the results weren’t very convincing.

Both men were oblivious to the emperor’s inner thoughts as they continued trying to please him.

Tao Sheng felt awkward listening to the overly flattering tone of the two men, but since the emperor hadn’t dismissed her, she remained seated, unable to leave.

Prince Rui had an agenda today. Seeing that the emperor seemed to be in a good mood, he mentioned that Prince Chu harbored prejudice against Guan Muyun, and it seemed that Guan Muyun’s dismissal was out of revenge.

In the past, if someone accused Prince Chu, the crown prince would have jumped at the opportunity to confirm his brother’s guilt.

However, Prince Chu now only supervised Shanglin Garden, while Prince Rui was overseeing the Ministry of Revenue’s outstanding funds. It was clear who held more influence with the emperor.

The crown prince coolly responded: “Father said that elder brother has improved and no longer engages in such conduct. As for Guan Muyun, Duke Ling expelled him. He is clearly a man without talent or virtue. A man like him, with a wife like that, could never amount to anything.”

Prince Rui countered: “Didn’t you, Third Brother, once say that you liked Shen Ruojin’s character and even allowed her to enter the East Palace as a companion? Why is it suddenly her fault now?”

The crown prince paused but quickly replied: “People change. She was a good woman before, but after marrying Guan Muyun, she changed. That means Guan Muyun’s character is problematic. Shen Ruojin simply married the wrong man.”

The two brothers argued for so long that they forgot their original intention—to figure out where the emperor’s loyalties lay if a conflict arose between them.

They didn’t realize that the King of Chu had already seen the emperor earlier, and it was the emperor who had terminated Guan Muyun’s post. Of course, the emperor wasn’t about to contradict himself now, so it seemed like he was siding with the crown prince.

However, Tao Sheng sensed that the emperor’s attitude toward the crown prince was strange. Even though the emperor agreed with the prince’s point, his words carried a tone of suppression.

After witnessing the entire exchange, Tao Sheng realized that the emperor’s true affection was reserved for the King of Chu.

The emperor’s face only truly lit up with joy when he dealt with the King of Chu.

Once the dispute ended, the emperor dismissed his sons, and both the crown prince and Prince Rui left the Xuanzheng Hall.

After his sons left, the emperor asked Tao Sheng to play a song called “Qingning” for him.

This showed that the emperor was weary.

When the song ended, the emperor suddenly mentioned to Tao Sheng that he planned to go to Chengde next month to escape the summer heat.

Tao Sheng remembered a part from the original story. The emperor had planned to go to Chengde to escape the summer heat, but because the King of Chu got sick after an accident, the trip was canceled.

In the original story, the King of Chu was sad and frustrated. He drank a lot to forget his worries. One day, while out riding, he fell off his horse and died at a young age.

However, the King of Chu was currently alive and happy. Every day he played tricks on people at work and enjoyed singing and storytelling after. No other prince in the entire Great Zhou was as happy as he was, and he didn’t seem sad at all.

Since the emperor wasn’t sick, he planned to go ahead with the trip to escape the heat.

The emperor invited Tao Sheng: “I’ve added your name to the list. Prepare to go north with me.”

Princess Chu also told Tao Sheng that many people would be joining the trip. The list was very long, including the Crown Prince, several other princes, and the King of Chu.

Tao Sheng agreed.

According to the original story, the showdown between the Crown Prince and the Emperor was coming soon.

Tao Sheng had a feeling that something important would happen during this trip north, and that the time for everything to be settled was near.