The prince realized the emperor was becoming unhappy, so he became more cautious: “I also think that ‘promoting rituals and music’ is a good thing, but father, you seem to have praised the Imperial Music Bureau and those actors too highly.”

The emperor was too tired to engage further and said, “Go consult the Minister of the Honglu Temple and review the documents I’ve approved over the years before speaking again.”

This was clearly a dismissal.

The prince responded, “Yes,” took his leave, and left Xuanzheng Hall, but he was still a bit puzzled.

The situation inside and outside the court was unstable, and neighboring countries were watching closely. The emperor’s call to promote rituals and music might seem like a simple social endeavor, but it was actually a political strategy.

However, this was something that could only be understood but not easily expressed.

The prince didn’t grasp this point, which is why he questioned it.

The King of Chu also didn’t fully understand, but he had one advantage over the prince: obedience.

When the King of Chu didn’t understand, he was honest about it and willing to follow instructions. In the emperor’s eyes, this was better than the prince, who wasn’t up to standard yet acted self-righteous.

Comparing the crown prince to the King of Chu, the emperor suddenly realized that the latter’s simplicity wasn’t entirely a bad thing.

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Tao Sheng never expected that the first person to react to her appointment as the eighth-grade music director of the Imperial Music Bureau would be her maternal grandfather, Old Master Luo.

Old Master Luo was very generous. After hearing the news, he immediately gifted Tao Sheng a valuable house.

When Tao Sheng received the deed and keys from the Luo family steward, she thought it was some ancient scam. Only when she went to the Luo family to express her gratitude did she realize it was real.

Old Master Luo was kind and spoke gently: “Every younger family member who passes the imperial examination receives a house. Although you are a girl and cannot take the exam, being appointed as an eighth-grade official in the Imperial Music Bureau is higher than what they start with. This is a gift from your elders, and you should not refuse it. Since it is what you deserve, just accept it.”

Today, the Luo family held significant positions in court, had disciples, and wielded real power. The only thing they lacked was someone close to the emperor.

Tao Sheng’s appointment filled this gap perfectly.

After hearing that the emperor granted Tao Sheng the position of eighth-grade music director, Old Grand Tutor Luo summoned Luo Xin for a long talk.

Previously, Old Master Luo had been very dissatisfied with the Wenyuan Marquis’ Mansion for wanting only Ruojin while refusing to acknowledge Tao Sheng. This time, he didn’t hide his feelings. He made it clear that the Shen family had rejected a real gem and embraced a flawed substitute. The true treasure, however, shines everywhere. If the Shen family doesn’t want Tao Sheng, she can return to the Luo family. Unlike the Shen family, who rely on titles to earn the emperor’s favor, the Luo family values capable and promising young people like Tao Sheng.

The news of Old Master Luo giving Tao Sheng a mansion soon reached the Shen family.

After Shen Yu investigated, he learned that Tao Sheng, at just sixteen years old, had been appointed an eighth-grade official by the emperor.

Several titled families, keen to gain the emperor’s favor, had begun sending their sons to court. The most notable was Prince Guan Muyun, who had already achieved a sixth-grade official position.

Since Shen Huan’s status was not high and Shen Ci was still young, Shen Yu had hoped to use his connections to secure a position for Shen Yue to gain experience. He wasn’t aiming for him to be as successful as Prince Guan, but a seventh or eighth-grade position would suffice.

However, the second generation in Beijing was growing up, and a group of scholars had passed the imperial examinations this year. As a result, the positions in the six ministries were already full, and the Shen family had to wait for opportunities.

With the Luo family’s help, Shen Yue finally found a position. But somehow, it was taken by someone from the Changxing Marquis’ Mansion.

At the same time, Tao Sheng had secured her eighth-grade position in the Taiyue Bureau.

Shen Yu was frustrated. He could understand Ji Yanming becoming the top scholar, but why Tao Sheng? She was given a better position than all their children, making them seem less capable.

When Shen Ruojin heard about this, she was so upset that she couldn’t eat or sleep for two days.

The last time she and his father visited the Luo family and were turned away still weighed heavily on her. The Luo family looked down on the Shen family, blaming them for Tao Sheng’s inability to return. Since she was to marry into the Duke’s Mansion, he didn’t want to add anything to her dowry, but he was eager to give Tao Sheng a house instead.

Shen Ruojin was confused. She was marrying into the Duke’s Mansion, where both the Duke and Crown Prince Guan Muyun were favorites of the Emperor. Tao Sheng was just a small eighth-rank musician. This low status did not earn respect in the capital, which had many powerful people. Why did her grandfather rush to give her a house but not treat her better?

Was it only because they were related by blood?

If so, that meant Old Lady Luo wasn’t suitable for her position and couldn’t judge people well. It would be hard for her to keep the Luo family’s power.

While Shen Ruojin was troubled by the Luo family’s actions, her maid Biqin came in and said that Xu Xiang, a servant of Guan Muyun, had arrived.

Shen Ruojin welcomed Xu Xiang excitedly: “Did the prince send me new instructions?”

Xu Xiang looked uncomfortable: “The prince said he helped with the dowry yesterday, which upset the lady and master. He’s been stuck at home for two days and can’t come out.”

Guan Muyun had offered to help her with the dowry when he learned about her troubles. Shen Ruojin was touched and grateful, even though she knew the Guan family might look down on her if this was discovered. She felt she had no choice since the wedding date was coming soon.

After hearing Xu Xiang, Ruojin was alarmed: “Did the prince say anything else? Will our wedding still happen as planned?”

“That’s no problem, don’t worry, young lady.” Xu Xiang said, “The prince wants you to know that if love lasts, it doesn’t matter if you are together every day. You’ll have time to see each other again after marriage.”

Shen Ruojin felt relieved.

The Duke Ling’s Mansion cared about its reputation. After the Duke Han’s Mansion broke off an engagement, Duke Ling and his wife wouldn’t end their engagement unless there was a serious issue with the Guan family.