Chapter 96

After hearing this, Madam Chu joked, “Chu Xun always struggled with studying. His family is known for literature, but he’s the only one who chose martial arts.”

Su Wan smiled. “You’re lucky, Tao Sheng. Your family now has both civil and military talents.”

Chu Xun still looked at Tao Sheng. “I heard you play music that can clear the mind. I heard it helped Lord Ji win top prizes in the imperial exams. I hope I can hear your music someday.”

Everyone laughed. Chu Xun then asked, “I heard this house was given to Lord Ji by His Majesty. We haven’t met Lord Ji yet. Can you introduce me?”

“My cousin has gone out,” Tao Sheng said. “It will probably take some time for him to return.”

Chu Xun wasn’t surprised. “Master Ji is young and capable, so it’s normal for him to be busy. Now that our family has just settled in the capital, we’re still arranging boxes and furniture. Once everything is ready, I’ll invite my sister over for tea.”

While they were talking, Su Jia returned home from the zither store.

When Su Jia was young, he had stayed at his sister’s house in Qin County several times. During that time, the Chu family had also hosted him, so he was familiar with Mrs. Chu.

After Su Jia sat down, the elders exchanged pleasantries again. Chu Xun asked Tao Sheng, “I’ve heard your zither room is full of treasures, including valuable ancient zithers given by the emperor. Is that true?”

“It’s not as exaggerated as that,” Tao Sheng replied. “There are a few music scores that are quite rare. They were given to me by Mr. Qianwei. He said they are the only copies that have been lost for a long time. If you’re interested, I can show them to you someday.”

Chu Xun stood up. “It’s better to do it today than to wait.”

After the two left, Madam Chu said to Su Wan, “Our families have been close friends for generations. I won’t beat around the bush. When my sister told me about the marriage, I was sad for a long time. But the other day, when I visited Grand Master Luo’s house, Madam Luo said the two children seemed compatible and encouraged them to get to know each other. If Sister Su agrees, why not let them give it a try?”

Su Wan had no objections. “Madam Luo has always had good judgment. If she thinks it’s okay, then it’s fine. The two children have known each other since they were young, so they will probably be comfortable with each other.”

As the conversation continued, Su Jia felt a strong sense of crisis.

Tao Sheng had met several young men recently, and they all acted stiff and distant. 

But this Second Young Master Chu was different. Maybe because he was Tao Sheng’s childhood playmate, she felt more relaxed around him. He was the kind of person who could accept and tolerate her.

Su Jia suddenly remembered her conversation with Ji Yanming before he left. She had wanted him to be clear with Tao Sheng through her words.

But Ji Yanming didn’t agree with her view.

Firstly, the position of King Chu wasn’t stable, so it wasn’t the best time. Secondly, he would be absent for at least two years, and he didn’t want her to wait in anxiety.

Su Jia could see his point, but she couldn’t help but joke, “Look at what you’re saying. You’re worrying about these things before even making it clear, as if Xiao Sheng would definitely agree with you.”

Ji Yanming laughed helplessly. “Didn’t you always teach me that a virtuous woman fears a clinging man? If she doesn’t agree, I’ll cling to her for a year after I return.”

Su Jia had a long conversation with Ji Yanming, but she didn’t remember many details. What stuck with her most clearly was that Ji Yanming would probably be gone for another year or two before returning.

Su Jia sighed silently.

She wondered if Tao Sheng could be saved with her efforts to turn the tide.

Because of the Crown Prince’s incident, the Ministry of War had recently placed high demands on military officers, doubling the number of night shifts. Chu Xun also spent most of his time at the yamen ^[1]refers to the official government office..

Tao Sheng had taken on a new task, and with the emperor’s newfound enthusiasm for listening to music, she had even less free time. So, the two didn’t meet often.

The last time the emperor went out to escape the summer heat, he encountered several bad things and nearly lost the throne. However, this incident didn’t leave a psychological scar on the emperor; instead, it fueled his fighting spirit.

In April, the emperor proposed going to Chengde to escape the summer heat again, this time bringing King Chu and Tao Sheng with him.

The King of Chu, having learned from his previous experience, sent someone to protect Tao Sheng. It was clear that His Royal Highness had overreacted this time. With the Crown Prince and King of Rui no longer present, the journey was peaceful.

During the summer break, Tao Sheng also heard that the Ling State and the Dai State —which appeared to be at odds but were secretly joining forces to stir trouble on the Great Zhou’s border—were also facing problems.

The regent of Ling State felt that King Li no longer valued him and began to openly oppose the king. He even had rebellious intentions.

Princess Wen Yi persuaded Lord Li to assassinate the Regent, but the Regent narrowly escaped death after being injured. He then used his previous influence in the royal city to take several cities and form the “New Dynasty.”

As is known, Ling State was originally independent from Dai State, and this regent’s “Xin Dynasty” was independent from Ling State. After experiencing “independence” time and time again like a nesting doll, one can imagine the strength of the country.

The regent was ambitious, but his reckless actions soon stirred hostility from surrounding nations, particularly Dai State.

Now, the countries on the northern border were like rivals, and small local conflicts occurred often. They no longer had the energy to trouble Great Zhou.

There was only good news along the way, and the return to the city was particularly smooth.

This trip lasted for half a year. Afterward, the capital remained the same as before. It had been like this for thousands of years.

After all the previous turmoil, the emperor sighed to King Chu and Tao Sheng, saying that peace and stability in the capital were the most precious things.

Tao Sheng agreed.

Although it was nice to travel and see new places, it was still most reassuring to live at home.

Luo Xin’s third brother’s second son is getting married next month. Luo Xin has been busy at home lately, so Tao Sheng decided to stay with the Ji family for a few days.

Su Jia went to the music store early in the morning and hadn’t come back yet. Su Wan was home and, after serving Tao Sheng some fruits and snacks, started talking about a piece of gossip in the capital.

Recently, Princess Rui has been more worried and anxious than before, ever since Prince Rui was demoted. She can’t sleep, which has caused her to become emotionally unstable. For several months, Princess Rui couldn’t sleep well, and the usual medical methods didn’t help. So, she started consulting with Taoist priests.

The priests said that someone around her might be draining her luck, which made her feel down and contributed to Prince Rui’s downfall. After investigating, Princess Rui believed that Shen Ruojin was the one causing the bad luck.

She thought this because Shen Ruojin’s family, the Guan and Shen families, had been in trouble recently. They were nearly destroyed, and she believed it had something to do with Shen Ruojin.

Princess Rui became more distracted lately and said things without thinking, even forcing Guan Muyun to divorce his wife to restore the Guan family’s status. This caused a lot of trouble and led to Prince Rui and Guan Muyun trying to resolve the matter.

Shen Ruojin and Princess Rui became enemies. Shen Ruojin told Guan Muyun and Prince Rui everything Princess Rui had done, including replacing the spices in Prince Rui’s room with something that caused him to be bedridden for days.

If Prince Rui hadn’t been drugged, he wouldn’t have become weak. Shen Ruojin also thought if he had made better plans, things wouldn’t have gotten so bad for him, and he would still be a respected Prince Rui.

Recently, the imperial doctor discovered that Princess Rui had been secretly sending stews containing ginseng, deer antlers, and cordyceps to Prince Rui, claiming they were for his health. However, Prince Rui, still young, was weakened by all this extra nourishment.

In the end, it wasn’t Guan Muyun who divorced his wife, but Prince Rui.

Tao Sheng was shocked by the story, thinking how complicated it was.

Wherever people are, there are power struggles, like in the Rui Wang Mansion now. Shen Ruojin’s life is still full of intrigue, but as long as it doesn’t harm others, it’s contributing to the stability of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

After discussing this, Su Wan moved on to talk about the Chu family.

Mrs. Chu had visited several times recently but was disappointed that Tao Sheng didn’t come back. Mrs. Chu praised Tao Sheng, saying she was unique among the younger generation, unlike her sons, who were away serving as officials.

Mrs. Chu, like Mrs. Luo, was optimistic about Tao Sheng and Chu Xun’s future together. However, both Tao Sheng and Chu Xun had their own ideas about marriage, which is why they hadn’t married yet. There was no rush as long as they were attracted to each other.

Tao Sheng nodded and said, “Since the Chu family came to Beijing, I’ve been busy and haven’t had time to visit. I should go tomorrow when I’m free.”

Su Wan waved her hand, saying, “Mrs. Chu must be busy, so it’s fine if you go later.”

Tao Sheng asked, “Why is that?”

Su Wan explained, “Chu Xun’s aunt has been sick recently, and the family was anxious. But her condition has stabilized now, so it’s fine to wait a few days before visiting.”

Tao Sheng thought for a moment and said, “I remember that after the Chu family split when I was about eight, why is my aunt still living in their house?”

Su Wan replied, “I heard from Mrs. Chu that her sister-in-law was married before, but couldn’t have children, so she returned to the Chu family. The Chu family takes care of their elders, especially the childless ones.”

Tao Sheng thought about this.