Chapter 53

“Princess Rui did visit here a few times, but she was likely trying to recruit Tao Sheng, not me.”

Ji Yanming’s voice was calm and emotionless, but to the King of Chu, it sounded like disaster was coming.

Not Xiao Tao too! The King of Chu thought desperately; losing Tao Sheng would take away half of his chances for a comeback!

But that’s not the way to say it. The King of Chu tried to stay calm. His fingers shook a little as he held the teacup and said, “But I believe Tao Sheng is not that kind of person.”

“What?” Ji Yanming looked up, confused. “Your Highness, do you also know that Prince Rui wants to take Tao Sheng as his concubine?” 

“Concubine?” Ji Yanming’s words hit the King of Chu like a thunderbolt, leaving him stunned. “Sixth brother? He really thinks he can do that?” 

Who wouldn’t find this shocking?

The King of Chu was worried that Prince Rui was trying to win over Tao Sheng to take her from him. But now he realized Prince Rui wasn’t just trying to take her; he wanted to take her away completely.

Everyone knew Ji Yanming should choose a wife from his own group, so if Prince Rui marries Tao Sheng, he would become Ji Yanming’s family by marriage. If there was a conflict later, Ji Yanming would likely support his family instead of others.

The King of Chu never thought Prince Rui would be so reckless. In the past, Prince Rui would act friendly to gain favor from their father. They usually got along well, but now, at a crucial moment, Prince Rui had betrayed him, almost costing him everything.

Just then, the King of Chu saw his attendant come in with a middle-aged man who looked somewhat familiar and strange.

The King of Chu didn’t lose control in his anger. He remembered that the man was Shen Yu, Marquis of Wenyuan, who had just announced his visit.

The King of Chu had never liked Shen Yu, who was loyal to the Crown Prince. He was also upset about Prince Rui’s actions, so he was not friendly to Shen Yu.

“Marquis Wenyuan Shen Yu? What do you want from me?”

Shen Yu stepped forward and bowed: “I saw Your Highness’ carriage outside and came to pay my respects.”

Ji Yanming interrupted, “I heard from the concierge ^[1]a hotel worker who helps guests. a few days ago that someone outside looked a lot like the Marquis. Does the Marquis have anything else to do today besides greeting His Highness?”

Shen Yu had visited frequently but wasn’t allowed inside Ji’s house. Most of these awkward matters were usually kept hidden, but he didn’t expect Ji Yanming to mention it so openly, which embarrassed him.

Shen Yu cleared his throat and smiled at the King of Chu, saying, “Besides greeting Your Highness, I have something else to discuss with Tao Sheng.”

“Ah Sheng went to the government office and isn’t home today.” Ji Yanming said, “If the Marquis wants to discuss the previous matter, please go back. Only Tao Sheng can decide this; no one else can interfere.”

Seeing Ji Yanming was about to dismiss them, Shen Yu quickly said, “I didn’t come here just for that matter.”

Shen Yu then looked at the King of Chu. He remembered what Shen Ruojin had said about Prince Rui wanting to marry Tao Sheng, and he had heard Ji Yanming and the King of Chu mention “concubine” when he entered. Shen Yu thought the King of Chu and Prince Rui were working together, with the King of Chu acting as a matchmaker.

“Tao Sheng is getting older. I thought she had a stubborn personality, so her elders would worry about her marriage. I didn’t know she had caught Prince Rui’s attention. Originally, the princess asked the Guan family to have Madam act as a matchmaker. Since Madam’s health isn’t good, I came to tell you this. Now that Tao Sheng has found a good match, she can’t be promised to someone else.”

Shen Yu’s words upset the King of Chu even more.

He initially thought this was unbelievable. Ji Yanming, being unmarried, might not see the truth and could misunderstand Prince Rui’s intentions.

But he didn’t expect Princess Rui had already started working on this and had asked Marquis Wenyuan to help with matchmaking through the Guan family. If he hadn’t found out today, he would never have guessed that Prince Rui could be so ruthless.

The King of Chu felt angry and couldn’t accept his brother’s betrayal. In the past, he was the only one who deceived others and wouldn’t allow anyone to deceive him.

Tao Sheng belongs to everyone now. If she becomes Prince Rui’s, she wouldn’t be able to enjoy her brother’s wife casually playing the zither, and her father wouldn’t either. What would people think if they said she always listened to her daughter-in-law play?

Thinking of this, the King of Chu felt more justified, not only for himself but also for his father. He ignored Ji Yanming and Shen Yu and went straight to confront Prince Rui.

Shen Yu watched the King of Chu leave, sensing something was off. Everything that happened today felt strange, but he couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong.

When he first met Ji Yanming, he couldn’t understand him. Now, even after a few years, he still can’t figure him out.

Ji Yanming didn’t want to keep Shen Yu there, so he stood up and said before leaving: “Tao Sheng hasn’t agreed to come home for years, which is wrong. As a cousin and a subject, you should understand and try to persuade her.”

Ji Yanming didn’t want to continue the discussion but calmly replied: “My Lord, I think it’s been a long time since you saw the Emperor, right?”

Ji Yanming’s words hit hard. Shen Yu didn’t know why Ji Yanming suddenly asked this, but he tried to defend himself, saying it wasn’t that the Emperor didn’t want to see him, but he was just being considerate.

“Your Majesty, don’t worry. If my guess is right, I think Your Majesty will see the Emperor soon.” Ji Yanming said, “If Your Majesty is still safe by then, it won’t be too late to discuss this matter again.”

_

In the Grand Master’s Mansion, Grand Master Luo heard from a servant that Lord Ji from the Hanlin Academy was visiting.

With Grand Master Luo’s many years of experience in the court, he knew this young man was exceptional. With the emperor’s favor, his future was limitless.

This person was also Tao Sheng’s cousin, making him a real relative. Grand Master Luo had invited Ji Yanming to his home several times, but each time, Ji Yanming declined.

Though surprised by Ji Yanming’s unexpected visit, Grand Master Luo welcomed him: “Please come in, Master Ji.”

Grand Master Luo had not appeared in public for a long time. Even though he had served in the court for many years, this was Ji Yanming’s first meeting with the old Grand Master, who once held great power.

Grand Master Luo was not bedridden, as rumors suggested. Instead, he appeared healthy and was in better shape than many of his peers.

The Luo family is a prominent family, and Grand Master Luo understood the politics involved. He knew the emperor’s choice of a prince was only the beginning of a power struggle for the throne. So, pretending to be ill was a way to protect the Luo family.

As soon as Grand Master Luo spoke, he skipped pleasantries: “I’ve always wanted to invite Master Ji to chat, but you always say you are busy. Why have you come to visit today?”

Ji Yanming frowned at the word “expect.” He preferred not to explain his actions. However, since this was Tao Sheng’s grandfather, he kept it cordial: “The old Grand Master avoids the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, so naturally, he doesn’t want to involve himself with the King of Chu. I shouldn’t take your polite words seriously.”

“Then why are you here today?” Grand Master Luo asked.

Ji Yanming replied, “There is something I need to discuss. Last time, the seventh young master Luo was on duty, and he was asked by King Rui to deliver a pulse diagnosis case. It was lost at night. Has the old Grand Master heard about this?”

Young Master Luo Qi and Ji Yanming had taken the same palace examination, so they were in the same field of study. Luo Qi was the best among the Luo family’s grandchildren, so, like Tao Sheng, he was given a house by Grand Master Luo.

On February 17, when Luo Qi and Ji Yanming were on duty together, the imperial physician Xin was ordered to check on the imperial concubine, who had a headache. He left a pulse record behind.

The Crown Prince, Prince Rui, and Prince Qing were all in the palace for this case. They all saw the pulse record that was left behind in haste.

Prince Qing, who usually stayed out of conflicts, quickly found an excuse to leave. The Crown Prince, wanting to avoid suspicion, signaled to Prince Rui with his eyes before leaving.

Whether Prince Rui wanted to see the pulse case himself or to gain favor with the Crown Prince remains unknown. However, after the Crown Prince left, to avoid suspicion, Prince Rui did not use his people or the emperor’s palace staff. Instead, he asked Luo Qi to take the pulse case to Doctor Xin.