Chapter 18

After waking up early, Tao Sheng went to the main courtyard for breakfast as usual.

Su Jia had worked late last night and hadn’t woken up yet. Ji Yanming, who rarely showed up in the main courtyard, was absent as well.

Tao Sheng quietly finished her breakfast, then asked Mother Tang to instruct the kitchen to prepare a light breakfast for Ji Yanming, who had fallen asleep without drinking the sobering soup. She requested porridge and some side dishes for him.

“The young lady is very thoughtful,” Mother Tang said with a smile. “I passed by the yard last night while you were playing the zither for the young master. Your zither playing is truly beautiful. My lady always said your music was like the sound of nature. Now that I’ve heard it, I understand what she meant.”

Tao Sheng wasn’t a zither specialist, so she quickly waved her hands modestly, “Mother, you’re too kind.”

Mother Tang sighed, “To be honest, young lady, our young master has had a hard life. He was talented and liked by his teachers, but others envied him. During his first attempt at the college entrance exam, a classmate tampered with his carriage. Not only did he miss the exam, but he almost lost his life.”

This was different from what Tao Sheng had heard before. “Didn’t they say it was just bad luck? How could a classmate be involved?”

“How could it just be bad luck?” Mother Tang said bitterly. “There was trouble during the first exam, and during the second, his carriage had another accident. Fortunately, Mr. Lin had his servants send him home. We asked the constable to investigate, and it turned out a classmate was indeed behind it. But that student’s family was influential, so we couldn’t do anything.”

“And what happened after that?” Tao Sheng asked.

“That student didn’t have a good ending,” Mother Tang said cheerfully. “A few years later, his father was demoted from local prefect to prisoner. Their family couldn’t recover. It was karma.”

After finishing the story, Mother Tang returned to the main topic, “Yesterday, the zither shop had some accounting issues. I was just as anxious as my lady, but after hearing your zither, I felt much better. Preparing for the imperial exams is tough, so if you have time, could you play a few more songs to help him relax?”

Tao Sheng thought about how upset Ji Yanming looked while he was sleeping and realized that this situation wouldn’t be resolved so easily. In the original story, Ji Yanming also struggled with sadness for a long time because of this incident, and it even affected his future autumn exam.

But this cousin rarely appeared around her and seldom spoke. He was always absorbed in his studies, so it seemed a bit strange for her to suddenly offer to play the zither to help calm his mind. 

After thinking for a moment, Tao Sheng said, “My cousin is about to take the imperial examination and is quite busy. I can’t disturb him rashly. But if he needs anything, I will do my best to assist him.”

After breakfast, Tao Sheng returned to the zither room, remembering how some of the notes from last night’s performance sounded too desolate in the cold winter night. She thought she could make some adjustments. So, she took out the zither again, tuned it slightly, and started recording the new version.

Just then, Liu Mian opened the curtain and reported: “The young master is here.”

Tao Sheng looked up and met Ji Yanming’s eyes.

Ji Yanming appeared very composed today, just as usual, as though the events from the previous night hadn’t affected him at all.

However, Tao Sheng, having read Ji Yanming’s backstory and knowing how he gradually turned to the dark side, understood that this calmness was not truly reflective of his inner state.

As serene as Ji Yanming seemed now, his future methods of dealing with political opponents would be extremely ruthless and merciless.

But at this moment, Ji Yanming was not the villainous prime minister of the future. Standing there, he was cool and dignified, with an upright figure, and even his shadow cast by the sun looked tall and slender.

Tao Sheng stood up and greeted him with a smile, “Cousin, you’re here.”

Ji Yanming nodded slightly in response and handed her a box.

When Tao Sheng opened it, she found her pearl flower hairpin, which she often used.

Seeing the hairpin, Tao Sheng remembered that she had removed it the previous night while playing the zither in Ji Yanming’s study because she was worried that the sound of the pearls clinking might interfere with the zither music.

She hadn’t expected that Ji Yanming would notice and instantly recognize that the hairpin belonged to her.

Ji Yanming had gone to the main courtyard to find Tao Sheng after waking up and overheard Mother Tang talking to Tao Sheng. Mother Tang had mentioned that she had been in a bad mood but felt much better after listening to Tao Sheng’s zither music. Ji Yanming immediately recalled how his dream the night before had been dark and full of thorns, but he gradually felt a sense of calm and tranquility thanks to the sound of Tao Sheng’s zither.

At first, Ji Yanming thought it was just a coincidence. But when he heard Tao Sheng playing again just now, the clear-mindedness he experienced confirmed it wasn’t mere chance. Despite his frustration over his teacher and senior’s troubles in the morning, his mood had shifted to clarity.

Tao Sheng’s zither playing was clearly skillful, though not perfect. However, the sound harmonized beautifully with the music she performed, creating an unmatched experience.

“I’ve never heard the piece my cousin played before. It’s a little different from yesterday. I heard from my mother that you are very skilled in music. Did you compose it yourself?” Ji Yanming asked.

Tao Sheng hadn’t expected Ji Yanming to remember the song from his dream so well, nor that he would be able to pick up on the small changes between the two performances. It seemed that becoming the story’s main villain indeed required exceptional intelligence.

“I did compose the song, but there are still some areas that need improvement,” Tao Sheng replied. “Since you still recall the tune from yesterday, cousin, why not offer some feedback on it?”

Since Mr. Wei left, few people had given Tao Sheng constructive criticism on her music. Whether it was the Zhou family or Aunt Tang Mama and others, they always gave her polite praise after listening to her zither, which sometimes left Tao Sheng feeling unsure of her progress.

But Ji Yanming had refined tastes. Anything he liked—whether poetry, calligraphy, or painting—would become highly sought after and set trends in the imperial court. Clearly, he had excellent taste.

Seeing that Tao Sheng had already prepared paper and a brush and placed them in front of him, Ji Yanming couldn’t refuse. He sat down, thought carefully about the music, and soon wrote down his feedback.

Tao Sheng took the notes Ji Yanming had written and read them. Although the words were somewhat formal and the sentences complex, it became clear that beneath the surface, there was sincere praise. His feedback was filled with subtle compliments, indicating he was very satisfied with her music.

Tao Sheng felt delighted after reading his review.

“Since you enjoyed it, cousin, I’ll compose a new piece for you to listen to when you’re free,” Tao Sheng said.

Ji Yanming had been happy to write a review for her this time, and if she could catch his attention with other songs in the future, maybe he would provide more feedback. When Ji Yanming became influential in the future, Tao Sheng thought she could post his reviews in her music shop. That way, people would see how a capital city’s notable figure had praised her work, ensuring her shop’s success!

_

Two months later, preparations for the music shop’s opening were progressing smoothly. During this time, Tao Sheng became fully focused on her shop and lost contact with the Marquis of Wenyuan’s Mansion.

One morning, after Tao Sheng had finished washing and changing her clothes, her wet nurse, Madam Zhou, reported that Madam Hou, Luo Xin, had come.

Tao Sheng hadn’t seen Luo Xin for some time. Upon hearing that her biological mother had arrived, she asked Madam Zhou to invite her in.

Luo Xin appeared slightly thinner than the last time Tao Sheng saw her, but her complexion was still good, and she seemed to be in good health.

Luo Xin came this time to inform Tao Sheng: “Your elder brother’s marriage has been arranged for the eighth day of next month.”

Tao Sheng was surprised. “Last time I heard, Madam said the wedding would likely be held next year. Why is it happening now?”

“We had indeed agreed with the Tang family to hold the wedding next year,” Luo Xin explained, “but after the New Year, Miss Tang’s father was transferred back to the capital and appointed as the third-rank Minister of Rites. Since the family had returned to the capital, they decided it would be more convenient to hold the wedding earlier. I’ve been busy preparing for your elder brother’s wedding recently and haven’t had much time to check in on you. How have you been? Have you encountered any difficulties?”

Tao Sheng smiled slightly.

No wonder she felt her life had been so peaceful recently. It turned out everyone in Marquis Wenyuan’s mansion was busy with the prince’s marriage and had no time to bother her.

“I’m doing well, Madam, don’t worry.” Tao Sheng reassured Luo Xin. “I seem to remember the Marquis mentioning the prince’s marriage once. Is the young mistress still the fourth daughter of the Tang family, the one originally chosen?”

“That’s right,” Luo Xin replied.

Tao Sheng nodded slightly.

In the original novel *A Life of Glory*, Shen Yue and his wife had similar personalities and a good relationship, but as a husband, Shen Yue had a major flaw. He always got confused when it came to matters related to Shen Ruojin.

Whenever his wife and sister argued, Shen Yue would always take Ruojin’s side without thinking it through, which led to problems between Tang Yizi and Ruojin. Eventually, this even led to tension with this sister-in-law.

Facing a female lead like Ruojin in a family drama, an elder sister-in-law like Tang Yizi naturally didn’t have a good ending. In the end, she was disgraced, and the careers of her father and brother suffered too.

There were quite a few female villains in this old family drama novel. Less than one-tenth of the plot had unfolded so far, but the number of characters serving as “cannon fodder” had already piled up. Even the heroine in a family drama novel like Ruojin had a long way to go.

Tao Sheng thought so.