The eunuch had been with the prince for many years and understood he was serious this time. 

He agreed and cautiously asked, “What if the emperor really returns?”

The prince smiled coldly, “Then I will personally check to see if it’s really my father or someone pretending to be him.”

_

Ling State is in the southeastern part of the northwestern states, not far from where Prince Rui is staying. 

Tao Sheng and Su Cheng only allowed time for sleeping and eating. They traveled day and night, arriving at the capital of Ling State after two days and one night. 

When Tao Sheng saw the city gate, she sighed in relief, feeling a rare sense of security. 

Su Cheng was the escort for the delegation and had a delegation token. Despite any plans by Ling and Dai to oppose Great Zhou, they felt guilty and did not want to turn against them. So, Su Cheng used the token at the city gate, which worked well. He entered the city without hesitation and went to the Qingling Terrace, where the Great Zhou delegation was hosted.

Inside Jiyue Palace, Ji Yanming was looking at a hexagram ^[1]a symbol used in Chinese divination.. Seeing him silent, General Fu An asked anxiously, “Master Ji, please tell me. What does this hexagram mean? Is there any result?”

“What will happen next? Will we get a response from the capital? Can we defend the border of Great Zhou? Please give us a clear answer quickly.”

Ji Yanming made a few notes on paper. Fu An leaned over to look but found what he wrote was too brief and hard to understand. He had no choice but to sit back down.

After finishing his writing, Ji Yanming said slowly, “It looks pretty good.”

Just then, a man strode in and smiled at Ji Yanming, “You, a top scholar who has won three prizes, believe this?” 

It was King Huan, who led the diplomatic envoy to Ling State.

“Su Cheng has been gone for many days without news. Now I can only rely on the hexagrams,” Ji Yanming replied.

Before he could finish, dusty Su Cheng walked in. Though tired, his eyes were bright. “Master Ji, guess who I brought for you!”

Su Cheng stepped aside, revealing Tao Sheng.

Ji Yanming was surprised. 

Tao Sheng usually focused on music and rarely stood out, especially when on business. But now, dressed in riding clothes and looking uneasy, Ji Yanming sensed something had happened.

Fu An, concerned about the delivery of the letter, was the first to ask Su Cheng, “How did it go?”

“Thanks to Lord Luo’s help, I informed His Majesty of the situation in the capital, and he has started to take action. General, you can be assured.” 

Fu An nodded.

Ji Yanming’s divination proved accurate. As long as the emperor knew about the situation, he would not let the prince lose defense.

Before Ji Yanming could speak, King Huan interrupted, “This young man Su Cheng brought back looks familiar.”

King Huan spoke loudly and cheerfully, making Tao Sheng’s ears buzz.

Su Cheng quickly introduced, “This is Lord Luo from the Imperial Music Bureau, Lord Ji’s cousin.”

Prince Huan was happy to hear this: “I wondered why she looked familiar. I heard Lord Luo was with the emperor in Chengde to escape the summer heat. Why is she here in Ling State? Does the emperor have new plans?”

Su Cheng and Tao Sheng exchanged glances.

From their perspective, Su Cheng had injured someone with a vase, and that someone was Prince Rui, while Tao Sheng was almost taken advantage of. This was not something to share openly.

They decided not to mention it.

Tao Sheng thought for a moment and said, “After the emperor learned of the situation, he divided his men into three teams. I was with Prince Rui. Later, I had a serious argument with him, so I came to Ling State with General Su. I can apologize to His Majesty when I return to Beijing.”

King Huan immediately thought this was about political rivalry.

“Since there are no outsiders here today, I’ll be honest. Xiaoliu has always been a bit of a troublemaker, and you are close to the Master. Since you’re in his hands now, he might embarrass you. When you return to the capital to see my brother, I think it will be easy to discuss everything.”

Then, Prince Huan remembered something and smiled at Tao Sheng, “We need a trustworthy girl to talk to the princess. You came at the right time.”

Fu An remembered hearing Tao Sheng play the zither under King Chu’s arrangement. Though King Chu had tricked him back then, he had always thought well of Tao Sheng.

Noticing Tao Sheng’s pale face, Fu An, who had spent much of his life in the military, showed rare kindness and said, “Lord Luo has traveled a long way. I’m afraid you must be tired. Why don’t we let Lord Ji take you to rest, and we can discuss this tomorrow?”

“That sounds good,” King Huan said. “I think the scenery at Qiushuiju is beautiful, and the rooms are nicely decorated. It’s perfect for young ladies to stay in. We can arrange Lord Luo’s accommodations there.”

After saying goodbye, Tao Sheng followed Ji Yanming out. After turning several corners, they finally reached a courtyard.

Ji Yanming stopped and said to Tao Sheng seriously, “Tell me what happened.”