Chapter 74

This night is destined to be sleepless.

Just after midnight, the entire camp started moving.

Because Tao Sheng was an imperial official chosen by the emperor to accompany him, she was lucky to have a separate tent, providing a quiet space to rest.

However, Tao Sheng had no plans to sleep tonight. She prepared tea early, sat revising a music score, and listened to the noises outside.

Suddenly, a young eunuch came to deliver the emperor’s decree, announcing new arrangements. Lord Luo would join the last group, traveling with Prince Rui, and they would leave after noon tomorrow.

Though Tao Sheng had an idea of why this was happening, she knew it would seem suspicious if she didn’t ask. Acting surprised, she asked the eunuch, “What happened?”

The eunuch replied, “The emperor isn’t feeling well and must reach the Mountain Resort quickly for treatment. Many people are traveling, including elderly officials, which could cause delays. To avoid this, the emperor is departing tonight. His Royal Highness, the Prince of Chu, will leave at 5 AM, while Prince Rui’s team will depart after noon.”

Tao Sheng thought the schedule was strange.

It made sense for the emperor to rush for medical care, but having the King of Chu leave in the middle of the night and Prince Rui after noon didn’t seem logical.

She also knew that being assigned to follow Prince Rui was probably not a good sign.

Tao Sheng asked, “Was this arrangement approved by His Majesty?”

The eunuch explained, “The emperor instructed several stewards, and after discussing with Steward Gao and Grand Scholar Li, the list was finalized by officials at the Hanlin Academy.”

Since Tao Sheng wasn’t familiar with the eunuch delivering the decree, she hesitated to ask too many questions.

The teams started leaving one after another, leaving only Prince Rui’s team behind.

Tao Sheng began to worry. The camp had been under strict martial law since midnight, restricting movement. She couldn’t give Su Cheng any feedback.

Additionally, there was another issue.

In the past, Tao Sheng traveled with Princess Chu, but now she couldn’t be with Princess Rui, especially since Shen Ruojin was by her side.

Resigned to her situation, Tao Sheng reminded herself that traveling with the emperor meant facing unexpected events. Fortunately, they were only two or three days from the resort. If she could endure riding a horse, she would manage.

Around noon, just as Tao Sheng was preparing to leave, Prince Rui appeared.

Previously, Tao Sheng disliked Prince Rui because of his betrayal of Ji Yanming in the original story. Later, hearing of his bad intentions toward her only made her dislike him more.

Still, as a subject, she had to show respect.

Prince Rui scrutinized Tao Sheng for a moment but seemed uninterested once he saw her in an ordinary official uniform, looking like any other seventh-rank official.

“I noticed Lady Luo is on the list to travel to the resort with me. Since you’re a woman, it might be difficult for you to ride a horse, so I’ve arranged a carriage for you,” Prince Rui said.

Tao Sheng didn’t want to accept any favors from him. “Thank you for your consideration, but I can manage on horseback.”

Secretly, Prince Rui had other reasons for keeping Tao Sheng with his group, and he wasn’t about to let her appear in public.

“The carriage is simple, not as comfortable as my sister-in-law’s, but if you dislike it, you can travel with my princess.”

Tao Sheng knew Princess Rui had Shen Ruojin with her, and both were formidable figures.

“I wouldn’t dare trouble the princess,” Tao Sheng responded.

Prince Rui insisted, “Then take the carriage.”

He introduced a maid standing beside him: “This is Wanxiang. She used to serve in my study. She’s very clever. I trust her to look after you.”

Tao Sheng suspected Wanxiang was sent to spy on her but had no choice but to comply. “Thank you, Your Highness. I know you have many responsibilities, so I won’t keep you.”

Prince Rui noticed Tao Sheng’s coldness but found her defiance intriguing.

“Alright, prepare yourself, I won’t disturb you further,” he said.

There’s still plenty of time. When he finally sits on the throne, Tao Sheng will submit to him.

In a nearby tent, Shen Ruojin was preparing to leave but grew impatient. “Where is Prince Rui? Why hasn’t he come to coordinate with the princess?”

Princess Rui rolled her eyes. “He’s probably visiting the girl from the Luo family.”

Shen Ruojin couldn’t believe Prince Rui still had feelings for Tao Sheng.

Tao Sheng wasn’t even part of the Duke’s Mansion anymore, yet she might soon become Prince Rui’s concubine. This thought frustrated Shen Ruojin.

“She’s no ordinary woman,” Shen Ruojin said. “You must persuade His Highness. I’ve dealt with her for years and have never outsmarted her. She’s so cunning that both the emperor and the King of Chu have been manipulated by her. If she becomes part of Prince Rui’s harem, she’ll do everything to control him. It’ll be hard to handle.”

Although Princess Rui did not use the same strategies as Shen Ruojin, she had been with Prince Rui for many years and understood him better than Shen Ruojin, who was skilled at managing household affairs: “He is in a good mood right now, so I can’t persuade him.”

Seeing that Princess Rui didn’t want to get involved, Shen Ruojin stopped talking.

The situation in Prince Rui’s household is already complicated. If Luo Taosheng is added to it, things will likely become even more difficult.

Princess Rui has spent a long time with Prince Rui, and her personality is starting to resemble his. Now that I have helped her resolve an issue, she will be kind to me. But if I can’t handle Tao Sheng and things go wrong, Princess Rui will definitely make me look bad, making my situation worse.

I must find a way to stop Prince Rui from marrying Tao Sheng.

_ 

After the carriage started moving, Wanxiang sat next to Tao Sheng, looking at her calmly.

Prince Rui had already hinted that the “Lord Luo” she was serving might soon become Prince Rui’s concubine. If she served well and was recognized by Miss Luo, she could be promoted to a first-class maidservant beside the concubine, which would bring great honor to her family.

Thinking of this, Wanxiang smiled wider: “Lord Luo, you are so beautiful, and Prince Rui treats you very well. This carriage was originally used by Concubine Dong and Concubine Wang, but they have now been arranged to stay with Concubine Meng, just to make room for you.”

Tao Sheng opened the curtain and saw two identical carriages in front of her own.

The passengers in those carriages were all concubines of Prince Rui. This arrangement made her feel that Prince Rui had ulterior motives and was waiting for her.

The third group of troops led by Prince Rui started their march after noon. Soon after they set out, it became dark, and it was time to set up camp.

Prince Rui did not need to worry about safety like the emperor. He clearly knew how to enjoy life better than the emperor. This time, while camping near a village, he did not stay in a tent with everyone else as he had done in the past few days. Instead, he found a few houses owned by local gentry and moved in with his wives, concubines, and attendants.

Tao Sheng remained in her position, continuing to analyze the situation.

The emperor knows more about the prince than she does and should be able to make a more accurate judgment.

Was the emperor really part of the group that left last night? Was the final destination of these three teams really the Mountain Resort?

The information she had now was not firsthand, making it difficult to guess how things would turn out.

Before dinner started, another eunuch who served Prince Rui came in and said to Tao Sheng respectfully, “This servant greets Lord Luo. His Highness Prince Rui sent me to bring you over.”

Tao Sheng remained seated: “Your Highness Prince Rui, can you tell me why you summoned me?”

The eunuch replied, “His Highness said he has something important to discuss.”

“Don’t try to trick me,” Tao Sheng said, her expression turning serious. “Even Eunuch Gao, who used to serve the emperor, would have clearly stated what the emperor wanted me to do. Is His Royal Highness Prince Rui more important than the emperor? He won’t even mention such a small matter?”

When the emperor sent someone to summon Tao Sheng, he would not disclose everything, but this did not stop Tao Sheng from deceiving the eunuch sent by Prince Rui.

Tao Sheng acted like the emperor’s favorite, which made the eunuch uneasy.

He knew that the emperor wouldn’t inform every minister in advance when summoning them, but since Tao Sheng was genuinely favored by the emperor, she might indeed be an exception.

His Royal Highness Prince Rui is correct; this girl is not easy to deal with, so we must be cautious in front of her.

Fortunately, they had prepared a second explanation.

“His Royal Highness Prince Rui said he was afraid of scaring you, so he wanted to ask you to come over before discussing it.”

“I can handle it,” Tao Sheng replied calmly. “You can say whatever you want, sir.”

“I don’t know much either,” the eunuch said. “I just heard that Eunuch Gao, who was beside the emperor, came to deliver a letter. Something happened in Ling State involving His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu and Deputy Envoy Ji Yanming, so His Royal Highness wanted to invite you to discuss it.”

Tao Sheng was shocked.

Prince Rui’s words didn’t seem to be empty talk; they matched the news from Su Cheng. Could it be that Prince Rui was genuinely concerned about public matters and wanted to talk to her about Ji Yanming’s situation?

No matter what, this invitation from Prince Rui involved serious issues and Ji Yanming, so she was willing to take the risk.

Tao Sheng finally nodded and said, “Okay, I’ll go with you.”