Chapter 29

After spring began, the weather grew warmer. The King of Chu noticed the flowers in the Princess of Chu’s garden blooming and the grass turning green. He sighed, “A patch of spring leeks are green, and the farmers are busy with farming and weaving,” and suddenly craved leek dumplings.

Now that he was jobless and the emperor had banished him to the cold palace, he thought about going out for an outing.

Whenever the King of Chu went out, he always brought along the Chief Clerk of the Palace, Zhuang Cheng.

Zhuang Cheng, who was ten years older than the King of Chu, had been a Jinshi in the 20th year of Youde and was betrothed to the King of Chu. 

Since then, Zhuang Cheng had become the King of Chu’s confidant, and the King had grown increasingly dependent on him.

The difference between Zhuang Cheng and Ji Yanming was that Zhuang Cheng was directly part of the Chu Palace, while Ji Yanming’s status was still uncertain. He would likely serve in the Hanlin Academy in the future.

As the King of Chu called Zhuang Cheng to go out, he noticed Zhuang Cheng had a serious expression.

The King of Chu asked, “Sir, you look unhappy. What’s on your mind?”

Or did he simply not want to go out with him?

Zhuang Cheng replied, “I was thinking about Ji Zhuangyuan.”

The King of Chu was puzzled: “What could happen to him?”

Zhuang Cheng continued, “I heard that this season’s top scholar has a beautiful cousin who plays the zither very well.”

The King of Chu said, “I know.”

He had seen her in the zither room earlier and kindly advised her to be more careful not to give her heart too easily.

Noticing the King of Chu’s lack of reaction, Zhuang Cheng elaborated, “I heard she was invited to the Eastern Palace a few days ago. She is a distant relative of Grand Tutor Luo and is close to Marquis Wenyuan’s wife. Marquis Wenyuan’s daughter, Miss Shen Er, is a companion to Princess Hui’an of the Eastern Palace.”

Zhuang Cheng didn’t understand why the King of Chu felt particularly close to Ji Yanming from the beginning and treated him with such sincerity.

The King of Chu was born into a royal family and had been exposed to the political struggles of the palace since childhood. Although he was usually cautious, it was unusual for him to trust Ji Zhuangyuan so easily at that moment.

Zhuang Cheng wanted to subtly warn the King of Chu not to trust others too readily, as it could lead to trouble.

“I understand what you mean, sir,” the King of Chu said, waving his hand with a smile. “It’s fine.”

Gao Zhen had already shared the news. Ji Yanming was loyal to him, and Tao Sheng was devoted to her cousin, so he felt there wouldn’t be any issues.

He could still tell if people were genuinely flattering him or just pretending.

Since Zhuang Cheng couldn’t convince him and had no solid proof that Ji Yanming was untrustworthy, he decided to let it go.

After Tao Sheng had spent several days going through music scores for her own benefit, she figured that the King of Chu would return soon. She started looking for the songs that several gentlemen had chosen for him. However, she was completely shocked when she read them.

The gentlemen were too focused on perfection and overlooked the King of Chu’s basic skills and talent. The pieces they chose were far too difficult for someone like him, who lacked foundational skills.

In a bold move, the King of Chu chose a more challenging piece.

Tao Sheng rubbed her forehead. After practicing for two days, she decided to talk to the King of Chu.

On the first day Tao Sheng came to the palace, the King of Chu mentioned he wanted to go for an outing at the farm. Before leaving, he stopped by the zither room to grab a book to read on the way.

Seeing Tao Sheng in the zither room, the King of Chu called out, “Miss, please be careful.”

He seemed rushed and didn’t explain further. Tao Sheng watched him walk away and felt his advice was wasted.

The King of Chu was gone for a week. Tao Sheng, following his orders, came to the zither room every day to read and find books.

Now that the King of Chu had returned from his outing, Tao Sheng requested to meet him.

Even though she had spent several days with him, this was her first proper visit.

The King of Chu had a comfortable life. Now in his thirties, with his children in school, he competed for favor with the Crown Prince in the palace and still exuded youthful energy.

However, Tao Sheng couldn’t shake the impression of a certain simplicity in his eyes.

She realized she had been too influenced by Ji Yanming, as many of her thoughts mirrored his.

Tao Sheng first bowed to the King of Chu, and after he insisted she not be formal, he invited her to sit and exchanged polite words.

It seemed royal family members were all trained in public speaking; the King of Chu’s manner of speaking reminded her of how the Crown Princess had addressed her during their first meeting.

After the polite conversation and the King of Chu’s praise for Ji Yanming, he asked Tao Sheng what she thought of his performance at the Wanshou Festival ^[1]is a celebration of longevity and is held to honor elders and promote respect for them..

Tao Sheng replied, “Your Highness, I suggest you change the song.”

The teacher who had been teaching the King of Chu to play the zither was moved to tears.

He had hinted multiple times that the King of Chu should switch the tune, but His Highness hadn’t listened. It was hard not to be emotional about someone finally being brave enough to speak up.

When the emperor first became ruler, he valued literature and enjoyed writing poetry and songs. The King of Chu dedicated a lot of time to reciting poems and composing essays. After he made some achievements, the emperor shifted focus to martial arts and military training.

The King of Chu kept up with current affairs, practicing riding and shooting, and he did well in them. However, as the emperor aged, he grew fond of music, proposing to revive the country through rituals and music.

The King of Chu had no choice but to pivot back to focusing on music.

But it was harder to learn later in life, and he found it challenging.

The piece Tao Sheng had recommended was too difficult for him.

Seeing the King of Chu frowning in thought after her suggestion, Tao Sheng asked, “Is it not possible?”

She had heard from palace musicians and Ji Yanming that the King of Chu had only just started learning and couldn’t even play the whole piece. Why was it so hard to switch to a new piece?

The King of Chu cleared his throat and firmly stated that he was loyal and simply liked this piece among many options.

With plenty of time until his father’s birthday, he believed that with perseverance, he could master it. Why couldn’t he play a song he loved for his father?

Tao Sheng then realized she had underestimated the King’s determination to impress his parents.

Fortunately, she had prepared two plans: one to persuade him to change the song, and the other to adjust the score if he disagreed.

After spending two days reviewing the score, she had an idea for how to simplify it.

“Since Your Highness has chosen this piece, please allow me to make some changes to make it easier to play.”

Without waiting for a response, Tao Sheng took pen and paper and began revising.

The King of Chu wanted to ask when the revisions would be done, but the words caught in his throat, and he held back.

After Tao Sheng modified the tune, she played it once, but still felt it needed more changes, so she adjusted a few notes.

The King of Chu was amazed by her actions.

Such a complicated piece of music could be adjusted freely, making it easier while highlighting true emotions. Tao Sheng claimed she was just demonstrating, but the King of Chu felt that her playing captured his feelings, reminding him of many memories with his father.