Chapter 37

After chatting with Tao Sheng for a bit longer, Xie Huaian was about to say goodbye. Xiao Feng stood in front of the chicken coop, eyeing Xie Huaian warily.

Tao Sheng comforted Xiao Feng, “It’s okay. Mr. Xie is a good person.”

Then she turned to Xie Huaian and said, “Xiao Feng isn’t usually like this. Maybe he’s just shy since you don’t come here often. He’ll be fine once he gets to know you.”

Xie Huaian cleared his throat awkwardly, “It’s alright.”

He had heard from Guan Muyun that the chicken at Lord Ji’s house was very fierce. If one wasn’t careful, they could get pecked all over. Meeting acquaintances after such an encounter would be quite embarrassing. So, it was better to avoid visiting Lord Ji’s house.

After they walked out of the Ji house and were at a safe distance from Xiao Feng, Xie Huaian mentioned to Tao Sheng that the upcoming poetry gathering at Qingping Villa was going to be special. It was said that Old Master Luo’s two grandsons would attend, especially the fourth young master, who was very knowledgeable and talented in writing.

In addition, the second young lady from the Wenyuan Marquis family would also be there. This Second Young Lady Shen had just gotten engaged to Prince Guan from Lingguo Mansion. She would probably be the center of attention.

When Xie Huaian mentioned Guan Muyun’s marriage and the attendance of both Luo family’s young master and Shen Ruojin at the poetry gathering, Tao Sheng realized She was being tested.

Xie Huaian often visited the Ji house and was familiar with Guan Muyun since childhood. Interacting with both sides, he must have figured something out.

Tao Sheng calmly said, “In my hometown in Qin County, there was an old man who lived longer than anyone else. He was over 90 but still strong, with a voice like a bell. He could eat a plate of braised pork and two bowls of rice at one meal. Everyone admired his health. Do you know why?”

Xie Huaian, confused by Tao Sheng’s words, couldn’t help but follow her lead, “Why?”

Tao Sheng replied, “Because he never meddled in other people’s affairs.”

Xie Huaian smiled, his peach blossom-shaped eyes narrowing slightly. His smile was gentle and charming, making it hard for Tao Sheng to stay upset. No wonder kings in stories were always swayed by beauty. Facing such beauty, it was easy to be enchanted.

“This story is very interesting,” Xie Huaian said with a smile. He raised his hand as if to pat Tao Sheng’s head, like he would do with his sister at home, but then thought better of it. Since this was someone else’s sister, and her brother was not an easy person, he finally withdrew his hand. “I’ll leave now. When your brother returns, take good care of her for me.”

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The prince was also shocked to hear that Tao Sheng had joined the Imperial Music Bureau. While it wasn’t uncommon for the emperor to recruit talented people, the fact that this person was Lord Ji’s sister from the King of Chu’s camp meant she was part of the King of Chu’s faction.

The prince was annoyed. His eldest brother had always been good at flattering others. With the help of an expert, he had once accurately diagnosed their father’s pulse, which made the emperor remember his kindness. Because of this, their father had allowed his eldest brother to visit the palace and had rewarded his followers with houses and positions.

The Crown Prince mentioned this to Lord Huo, the Secretary of the Eastern Palace. Lord Huo disagreed, saying that the King of Chu’s tactics were just clever tricks, and the emperor might lose interest.

However, Lord Huo warned that the rise of the Prince of Chu required caution. It wasn’t alarming that the emperor liked him; the real issue was the emperor’s purposeful mention of the Prince of Chu. This could mean the emperor was using him to check the Crown Prince, suggesting that many of the Crown Prince’s actions had made the emperor wary.

Seeing the prince’s increasingly gloomy expression, Huo Zhanshi concluded, “But since this has already happened, the court is watching your response. Do you plan to react?”

The prince replied, “Of course.”

Even if the emperor gave his eldest brother some favor, he couldn’t let it go unchallenged. The court was watching the East Palace, and he had to maintain his dignity.

At Xuanzheng Hall, a few days ago, the emperor had discussed the establishment of the Taiyue Bureau with the Minister of Taichang Temple. The minister submitted a report stating that although the Taiyue Bureau now operated independently, it hadn’t yet shed its old working model. There were still many vacancies, and the bureau lacked talent.

The report also emphasized that humans have “five sounds” and “five constants”, and that harmony in music and life was important.

The emperor agreed and even extended this idea to include talented women in the court, referencing the powerful female official during Emperor Taizong’s reign, who was skilled in designing ceremonial attire and helping compile the “Qingli Ceremony”.

Moreover, the Ministry of Rites and Shenleguan Department both mentioned that without Mr. Wei, the former Taiyue Ling, the bureau was like a building missing its pillar. Tao Sheng, being Mr. Wei’s last disciple, seemed to be the perfect solution.

The emperor was pleased with this coincidence and remarked to Li Sheng and Gao Zhen, “Maybe it’s because I’m the emperor that things work out so smoothly.”

This type of flattery is the easiest to respond to. All you have to do is try your best to respond. They both did their best to say: “Your Majesty, you are absolutely right.”

Who can refuse to be the favorite of heaven?

The emperor was very pleased with this and ate two extra bowls of rice at lunch.

After lunch and a nap, the emperor received the prince in Xuanzheng Hall when he came to pay his respects.

The prince came with a purpose. After chatting with the emperor for a few moments, he mentioned that he had heard about the appointment of his father’s new music director at the Imperial Music Bureau. However, Luo was originally a commoner. Just because of his musical talent, he was suddenly promoted to the rank of eighth-grade official in the Imperial Music Bureau. Isn’t that a bit sudden?

The emperor found the prince’s remarks contradictory. No matter what the prince truly thought, his dissatisfaction seemed to be with the idea that “he became an eighth-grade official just because he had ability.” This sounded like he was suggesting that no one should become an official, even if they have ability, and should only serve symbolically.

Besides, the lowest official rank in the Imperial Music Bureau is the eighth grade. We can’t let such a talented female musician be reduced to a regular performer and be compared with the palace maids in Jiaofangsi ^[1]refers to an ancient Chinese entertainment bureau where palace maids and performers worked..

Anyone feeling good would be upset by such criticism. The emperor’s face darkened immediately: “Is that all you wanted to say? Anything else?”

It was obvious that he didn’t want to continue this discussion.