Chapter 46

After finally sending Fang away, Shen Ruojin carefully said, “My Lord, I heard that you are very close to the King of Chu now. Since we are family, I’m worried you might go astray. Please cut off contact with your cousin and aunt as soon as possible and choose a better path.”

Tao Sheng looked at Shen Ruojin calmly. “This is not something Miss Shen should worry about.”

The crown prince is a shady person. The book says he will be deposed eventually.

King Chu Wenzhong had just fallen off his horse and wasn’t abandoned by the emperor. It’s hard to say who is dark and who is light.

At that moment, the old Duke, who was about to return to his room, overheard the conversation between Shen Ruojin and Tao Sheng. He scolded them: “Second son’s wife, how can you be so ignorant in front of distinguished guests? This is not something for you, a woman, to involve yourself in!”

Although the old Duke was strict with his sons, he was always gentle with the women in the family. This was the first time he spoke harshly to Ruojin. Shocked, she quickly explained, “Father, you know, I didn’t mean that… It was the prince… It was the prince who wanted me to…”

“Just shut up!”

Hearing that Shen was dragging his son into this, the old Duke interrupted her and smiled apologetically at Tao Sheng. “Shen is young and inexperienced, and she speaks without thinking. I hope Lord Luo will be forgiving and not take it to heart.”

Although the Guan family supported the crown prince, they didn’t want to offend the King of Chu.

After all, no one knows how long the emperor will live, and no one knows when the prince will ascend the throne. The King of Chu might take action one day, and the prince could be finished before he even takes the throne.

Tao Sheng understood what Duke Ling was thinking. She wanted to say that these struggles for survival were pointless. The King of Chu had long despised the Duke Ling’s family for being loyal to the Eastern Palace. But she didn’t point it out and just said, “These are all matters of your mansion and have nothing to do with me. It’s better for the Duke to build a fence for himself than anything else.”

The most important thing is to keep an eye on your son and daughter-in-law. It’s better for them to stay away from me so they don’t cause me trouble.

After Tao Sheng left, the Duke called Shen Ruojin with a serious look and said, “Come with me.”

Nervous, Shen Ruojin followed the old Duke to the study.

If my mother-in-law, Mrs. Guan, scolded me, it wouldn’t be too bad. We’re both women in the household, so it’s not embarrassing to get scolded sometimes.

But if the Duke scolds me as a daughter-in-law, it could be hard for me to live in the mansion afterward.

Duke Ling sat at the head of the table, looking at Shen Ruojin, who knelt there feeling cold with fear.

After leaving her alone for about fifteen minutes, Duke Ling spoke calmly, “The girl who just left was quite good. She was sensible and stayed out of other people’s business. I heard that Miss Luo is related to your family, but not closely. She originally came from a small town, but her cousin passed the imperial examination and has a bright future.”

Shen Ruojin looked down and replied, “Yes.”

Duke Ling slammed the table and raised his voice: “You are the daughter of a wealthy family raised in a marquis’s mansion. How can you let a girl from a small town outshine you? Why would you get involved in such matters?”

Shen Ruojin wanted to shout back at the Duke, wondering why she was blamed for just saying a few simple words. Tao Sheng was clearly involved, but the Duke still thought she was at fault.

Do you people have any sense of justice?

Just then, Guan Muyun entered, having heard the commotion. Seeing Shen Ruojin crying while his father scolded her, he felt upset: “Father, what’s going on? What did Ruojin do wrong? Why are you scolding her?”

Seeing that Guan Muyun was about to explode with anger, Shen Ruojin quickly grabbed the edge of his robe and said, “It’s all my fault. I didn’t think carefully and made things difficult for my father and the family.”

Duke Ling replied, “If it’s all your fault, then just deal with it. Who are you crying for?”

Usually, when Shen Ruojin admits her mistakes, it helps her. When she has conflicts with concubines, she cries and takes the blame, making the other party seem innocent. Then she argues a bit and convinces Guan Muyun that the others are at fault, while she is innocent.

But today, Duke Ling directly told her she was wrong.

Duke Ling is the master of this house. He has the final say, and no one can argue with him, even if he is unreasonable.

Shen Ruojin had to accept this unfairness quietly.

She and Tao Sheng just didn’t get along. Every time they met, she ended up losing something.

_ 

The next day, after receiving “Autumn Water,” Tao Sheng brought her zither to the palace to play for the Emperor and the King of Chu.

Both the Emperor and the King wanted music that would make them feel clear-headed.

Tao Sheng played her new song “Morning Morning,” which describes her entire morning after waking up. She talks about seeing the first sunlight, going outside to enjoy spring, blooming pear blossoms, tea-picking girls, and lively schoolchildren. The song feels very engaging, and its lively melody is quite rare for that time.

After the song, the Emperor nodded at Tao Sheng: “Not bad at all.”

The King of Chu insisted that the Emperor know that Lady Luo was a true musical talent and that all the pieces she played were her own compositions. They were unmatched by anyone else in the Imperial Music Bureau. Only Lady Luo could achieve such great results.

The Emperor smiled and nodded. He felt refreshed after listening to the music. Earlier, while reading a report, he had a headache, but now he felt better.

He remembered a report from the Ministry of Rites. Lord Tang, the Left Vice Minister, praised Tao Sheng for her hard work. She had taken over all the tasks since Lord Su fell ill. Most importantly, he noted she had remarkable talent, which is rare in the court.

Thinking of this, the Emperor praised Tao Sheng again. He mentioned that the Imperial College had recently reported needing a suitable music teacher. He felt Tao Sheng would be a great fit, and after finishing her work with the Ministry of Rites, she could teach at the Imperial College.

The King of Chu secretly gave Tao Sheng a thumbs up.
Most teachers at the Imperial College were high-ranking officials from places like the Hanlin Academy, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of War, with ranks no lower than seventh. So, Tao Sheng would get promoted after the Chinese New Year, which was indeed a wonderful opportunity.