When Zhang Xinyue heard that Tao Sheng had become an eighth-rank musician and went to Ruiyun Villa for a poetry reading, she was shocked and kept asking questions.

“Did the emperor send someone to announce this appointment? Or did you go to the palace to see the emperor?”

“They just sent someone to deliver the imperial edict ^[1]refers to a formal announcement or command from the emperor..” Tao Sheng replied, “Since it happened so suddenly, we didn’t even have time to set up the incense table ^[2]refers to a table used for religious offerings.. The palace servant who announced it just left right after.”

“As for Ruiyun Villa, the buildings are designed by famous artists, and the scenery is beautiful. The Princess of Chu is very kind, and Miss Wen Shuwen is cute and funny. I’ll take you there next time!”

Zhang Xinyue shook her head: “Forget it. I can’t attend these poetry gatherings, so I won’t force myself. By the way, are you going out in this outfit? Am I bothering you today?”

Tao Sheng wanted to go out and see the house given to her by the Luo family.

“Are you going to buy a new house?” Zhang Xinyue asked. “It’s not easy to buy a house in Beijing now. We’re just a merchant family. When my father came to Beijing, he was restricted in buying a house. In the end, he had to pay twice the price to buy the current house from an official. But your family has a top scholar, so that’s different.”

At this point, Zhang Xinyue suddenly remembered something: “I heard the house you live in now was given by the emperor. You don’t even live in the house given by the emperor. Do you want to go out and buy a house somewhere else?”

After all, the emperor’s house is in the inner city, where land is very valuable. Even if their family were as rich as a country, they couldn’t afford even a brick of the house.

Tao Sheng carefully thought about her words and said, “It’s not about looking at the house.”

She suddenly felt she couldn’t explain this to Zhang Xinyue. After all, she was now a distant relative of the Luo family. Even a fool wouldn’t believe that the Luo family would give such a big house to a distant relative.

“The Luo family probably thought it was inconvenient for me to go to the zither store in West City on weekdays, so they gave me a house to live in for a while.”

Zhang Xinyue naturally thought that it was Luo Xin who gave her the house: “Mrs. Luo is such a nice person! I’ll go with you!”

The Luo family is indeed rich. They have a three-story house in a prime location. What they gave away was not only the house but also a housekeeper who takes care of the garden and related staff.

The steward smiled brightly when he saw Tao Sheng and said respectfully, “The girl is here.”

Then the steward took Tao Sheng on a tour of the house, introduced the furniture, and pointed out that many things were newly added by the old master. If the girl had any other needs, she could arrange them herself.

Zhang Xinyue noticed that the relationship between Tao Sheng and the Luo family was not as simple as it seemed. Since her good friend didn’t want to say more, and it wasn’t a matter of principle, she didn’t ask further.

They enjoyed afternoon tea and snacks together. Zhang Xinyue propped her cheek up, feeling envious. Then she remembered something her father asked her to do and asked Tao Sheng: “By the way, Ah Sheng, do you have any spare money now?”

“A little.”

Some came from her earnings teaching at General Lu’s mansion, some from silver notes given by Luo Xin for her safety, and some from rewards from other nobles and compensation from the King of Chu.

Zhang Xinyue said, “My father is planning to start a new timber venture^[3]refers to wood business. Should we invest some money in it together?”

Tao Sheng knew that Mr. Zhang was a business genius. It wasn’t uncommon for him to turn a small amount into a lot. To Tao Sheng, Zhang Xinyue’s words felt like “Tao Sheng, I’m offering you money for free, and it’s legal and reasonable. Do you want it?”

Tao Sheng stroked her forehead, realizing it was hard to refuse!

On this beautiful afternoon, with sunny weather, Tao Sheng and Zhang Xinyue agreed to invest in the timber industry.

_

In the following time, Tao Sheng and Xiao Feng grew closer and learned to handle the King of Chu’s strange questions and demands.

A month passed quickly, and soon it was the day for Tao Sheng to report for work.

Ji Yanming is still unreachable, and his aunt has been traveling and hasn’t returned.

Tao Sheng sighed to herself; this is what it’s like to have fewer people at home. On her first day at work, there was no one to even see her off.

The next morning, Tao Sheng first received the clothes and jewelry sent by Su Jia. Then, King Chu, Xie Huaian, and Zhang Xinyue came to Ji’s house to send her off. Xie Huaian took half a morning off for this purpose, and Zhang Xinyue also prepared gifts and lunch boxes.

Tao Sheng felt warmth in her heart. Even though she lost her adoptive parents early and had not returned to the Marquis’s Mansion, she still had friends and relatives who treated her sincerely in this world, and she was no longer alone.

On the day Tao Sheng reported to the Taiyue Office, the first person she wanted to meet was Shi Guan. 

She heard that this man was the reason she got into the Taiyue Bureau after arguing with King Chu. Tao Sheng felt that although this man was annoying, he was indeed useful.

Shi Guan was the third in command in the Taiyue Bureau, one of the two fifth-rank Taiyue Chengs (officials), in charge of personnel and various affairs of other institutions. There was probably something urgent that day, so he didn’t bother to embarrass Tao Sheng. He simply asked Li Lezheng, who was beside him, to help Tao Sheng complete the report.

When Tao Sheng learned that King Chu didn’t have a faction that day, she became deeply worried about her future. However, when she actually arrived at the Taiyue Bureau, she found it wasn’t so bad.

Master Qiu, the Minister of Music, was twenty years older than her mentor, Mr. Wei, and was now seventy years old. He was originally a sixth-rank official under the Taichang Temple, but after reform, he became a fourth-rank official.

Lord Qiu, who was struggling over whether to return to his hometown to spend his remaining years in peace, decided not to retire. He said he had received the emperor’s grace and must serve the emperor and the Great Zhou with all his heart and soul until his death.