Chapter 103

King Huan soon noticed something was off with the King of Chu. He seemed to know some great secret, but when asked, the King of Chu only said, “I can’t tell you, but good things are coming.”

This mystery annoyed King Huan. He used to like his nephew, but now found his behavior irritating.

At a banquet hosted by the prefect of Luoyang to welcome the two princes and Lord Luo, King Huan looked at the King of Chu with more disdain.

The King of Chu, however, was focused on the fact that his favored “couple” was finally coming true, which made him overly obsessed.

The local prefect could tell that the King of Chu had suffered from Ji Yanming’s influence, so he arranged the banquet perfectly.

After a few rounds of drinks, Tao Sheng, feeling a bit guilty about all the attention, offered to play the zither for everyone. But the prefect, already tipsy, waved it off.

He had heard rumors about Lady Luo’s zither playing, claiming only the emperor could handle her performance. Even the King Rui had suffered backlash from it, so he wasn’t willing to risk his luck.

Tao Sheng understood the rumors but respected the prefect’s wishes and didn’t press the matter.

After Tao Sheng’s zither offer was declined, Lord Yang, who had been following the prefect, stood up to toast Ji Yanming. Ji Yanming merely nodded in respect, and Lord Yang drank the whole glass.

The King of Chu, watching, noticed Ji Yanming’s calm and effortless way of handling the situation. He admired this control.

Lord Yang, knowing Ji Yanming didn’t like him, was prepared for the cold reception.

Lord Yang then clapped, and two beautiful twin sisters appeared. He had carefully chosen them to win Ji Yanming’s favor, knowing he was single and of age. 

The King of Chu noticed Tao Sheng and Ji Yanming’s reactions and found it amusing.

Ji Yanming’s face darkened, and Lord Yang, confused, wondered why the twins didn’t catch Ji Yanming’s attention.

Tao Sheng, on the way back, wanted to ask Ji Yanming about his past experiences, but seeing how upset he was, decided to change the subject.

“Didn’t my cousin say he wanted to hear my new work? I’ve already told King Huan, and they should be bringing the zither soon.”

“I’ll listen to it later.”

Tao Sheng asked, “What are you doing now?”

“There are some things to handle,” came the reply.

That night, Lord Zhang, the prefect of Luoyang, was pulled into the study by Ji Yanming to work late.

They had already gathered evidence of Lord Yang’s misconduct. Ji Yanming had planned to delay the matter for two more days, but now he decided to act immediately.

_

When Ji Yanming said “closer than ever,” Tao Sheng initially thought his words were awkward. As they spent more time together, she realized Ji Yanming was not just talk; he was efficient and direct in his actions.

In both books and real life, Ji Yanming rarely cared about how others saw him. Tao Sheng often felt that in his eyes, those who were ignorant or foolish might be viewed like lower animals. He followed only the rules that suited him.

This led to an efficient relationship between them. Their actions brought them closer, and Tao Sheng began to believe that “closer than relatives” was not a bad thing.

She still felt she didn’t know Ji Yanming well enough. After all, he was a top scholar in the Zhou Dynasty, and his choice of words might be more accurate than she understood.

_

Soon, it was time to return to the capital. Before they left, Ji Yanming’s promotion had already been announced in Luoyang.

If he returned now, he would be the third-rank Left Vice-Censor-in-Chief.

In the capital, Chu’s residence was busy. During the year Tao Sheng was away, Mrs. Chu had been searching for a suitable wife for her son. But it was only when Tao Sheng was about to return that Mrs. Chu realized how rare it was to find someone like her.

Most girls with equal or lesser backgrounds were rude and difficult to deal with. Unlike them, Tao Sheng was beautiful, humble, and capable.

Mrs. Chu now accepted the idea that Tao Sheng might be the right match for her son. Chu Xun had always thought about her, and he was determined to marry her.

Mrs. Chu decided to visit Tao Sheng’s family the next day to discuss the matter.

_

The day after Ji Yanming and Tao Sheng returned, Ji Yanming spoke to the elders about his recent work.

Su Jia was happy to hear about the progress, while Su Wan was slightly worried that Tao Sheng might feel overwhelmed by Ji Yanming. However, it had already been decided that as long as Tao Sheng agreed, everything was set.

When Tao Sheng returned to the capital, she had to visit the palace and the government office, so she didn’t get to see Mrs. Chu and Chu Xun right away.

Su Jia greeted Mrs. Chu and Chu Xun warmly when they arrived.

“Mrs. Chu, you came at the right time. We have some good news,” said Su Jia.

Mrs. Chu was curious, “What’s the good news?”

“It’s about the children,” Su Jia said with a smile. “It’s a happy event for the family.”

Mrs. Chu smiled and asked, “Has your son’s marriage been arranged?”

“Not just that,” Su Jia replied. “Tao Sheng’s marriage is also arranged, and it will bring our families even closer.”

Mrs. Chu was surprised but said nothing further. She had often spoken to Su Jia and Su Wan about how women should focus on taking care of their families, something Su Jia didn’t agree with but tolerated. Hearing this news, Su Jia felt proud and happy.

The expressions on Mrs. Chu and Chu Xun’s faces changed, but Su Jia wasn’t bothered.

_

When Ji Yanming returned from the government office in the afternoon, he saw his mother happily flipping through the almanac. He asked, “Is Ah Sheng back yet?”

“Yes,” Su Jia replied. “I planned to go with Prince Huan to meet the emperor, but he was resting, so I came back.”

Since returning to the capital, Ji Yanming had been busy with official matters. He hadn’t seen Tao Sheng for a few days because she had been at the palace.

When Ji Yanming heard that Tao Sheng had returned, he went straight to her room to talk. 

Su Jia was surprised. Was her son really so direct? Why go to his niece’s room right away?

_

When Ji Yanming entered, Tao Sheng was composing music at the desk.

Xie Huaian’s wedding is set for next month. As a long-time friend, Ji Yanming wanted to give him a special gift, like composing a few songs for the newlyweds.

Tao Sheng thought about the male characters in the domineering novels she read. They often competed with friends over wedding dates. She asked Ji Yanming, “Xie Huaian got married before us. Do you feel anything about it?”

“What’s wrong with that?” Ji Yanming replied casually.

After all, he already had the best girl in the world, so what did it matter if they got married a few months later?

Tao Sheng had nearly finished the music, so she asked Qing Xing to get the zither and play it for Ji Yanming to hear.

Tao Sheng’s music always made people feel involved. Ji Yanming was mesmerized. “Have you ever thought about composing music for your wedding?”

Tao Sheng had indeed thought about it.

“If I like the other person, I probably will. If not, maybe I won’t.”

“Why would you marry someone you don’t like?”

Tao Sheng wanted to explain that she didn’t dislike him, just maybe not enough.

But seeing Ji Yanming’s warning eyes, Tao Sheng didn’t want to argue. 

“Of course, the person I like is better. So, I choose you,” she said softly, lowering her eyes.