Chapter 54

Perhaps the incident with Prince Rui stimulated the emperor. In the following days, he summoned Tao Sheng to the palace to play the zither for three consecutive days, as if declaring his sovereignty. As long as someone did not say they didn’t want his possessions, he would not allow anyone to covet them.

Tao Sheng had a very peaceful mindset. After all, working in the Imperial Music Bureau was still a job, teaching in the Imperial College was teaching, and playing the zither for the emperor was like a customized service. It was all work, and she could do anything as long as she was paid.

The needs of workers are simple and plain.

The fact that Tao Sheng had been absent from classes for three consecutive days was a significant disappointment to the students who had chosen her courses. Today was no different. Tao Sheng had just arrived at her workstation and hadn’t even had time to sit down when palace eunuchs called for her. She left with tears in her eyes, leaving behind a young man who had come to ask her questions with a textbook.

Tao Sheng felt a pang of heartache.

Today, someone from the palace invited her too early, so she hadn’t prepared anything. The emperor told her to just play a random song, so she casually played ‘Peach Blossom’.

However, the emperor seemed worried about something today. After listening to her song, he found the lingering and sad tunes somewhat dull and asked her to play two more songs that could calm his mind.

Tao Sheng readily played two pieces of ‘Elegant Orchid Melody’. After hearing them, the emperor relaxed a bit and ordered tea and snacks for her.

Tao Sheng knew the emperor had something to discuss.

“I’ve been feeling a bit unwell these past few days.” The emperor, perhaps inspired by the music, wanted to talk to her. “I thought everything would stabilize after appointing a crown prince and deciding on a successor, but I didn’t expect it to stir up so much trouble.”

Tao Sheng smiled and said nothing.

Although the emperor claimed he thought the matter was settled after appointing the crown prince, he did not trust him completely or show any sign of handing over the country to him. Therefore, his words were just talk.

If the emperor genuinely believed what he said, he wouldn’t think so highly of Grand Master Luo and others who remained neutral.

Tao Sheng suddenly recalled when she was in Qin County, where the elderly in town would sit together in the sun and discuss similar issues.

Although these elders could no longer work and relied on their children for support in old age, they still held onto their last trump card, refusing to give all their money and property to their children too early. It’s easy to give money but difficult to take it back.

Waiting until you have no bargaining chips left makes you vulnerable to others.

This was just an ordinary family in a small town, without immense power or wealth, possessing only some savings and a house.

The emperor had far more at stake. After ruling Great Zhou for many years, he was used to having the final say and wielding absolute power to suppress everyone. He did not want to relinquish control before everything settled, even if he was reluctant.

Thus, before the emperor became exhausted, every crown prince of the Eastern Palace was viewed as an enemy, not an heir.

The emperor looked at Tao Sheng. Her features were bright and dazzling, a rare beauty among the ladies in Beijing. If her family background were stronger, she could easily succeed based on her looks, and a girl wouldn’t have to work so hard.

But Tao Sheng was from an ordinary family and did not enjoy a leisurely life.

She acted steadily, neither aggressive nor ostentatious. Her well-behaved nature showed a rare toughness and tact that many girls her age lacked. Her zither playing was sincere without excessive techniques.

No wonder King Rui liked her.

The emperor, now old, had little time to focus on the harem’s affairs. He hadn’t summoned his concubines in over half a month. His sons were grown and had their own ambitions, while his daughters worried about their husbands and children. Seeing him would only frustrate them.

When the ministers arrived, they talked about official matters, making the emperor even more reluctant to see them.

Considering everything, apart from servants like Li Sheng and Gao Zhen, the person he interacted with most was Tao Sheng.

Tao Sheng came to play the zither daily to get by. She never spoke out of turn, nor did she make any unreasonable requests, and she had never asked for favors.

If the emperor were younger, he might prefer young girls who flattered him and would not appreciate a zither player like Tao Sheng, who treated her role as a job.

But as he aged, having seen many people trying to gain more through flattery and rhetoric, he found Tao Sheng’s commitment to her principles especially valuable.

Thinking about this, the emperor wanted to know more about this young girl.

“I heard from Gao Zhen that you and Master Ji are cousins?”

“Yes.”

The emperor looked puzzled: “Though you and Lord Ji are both attractive, you seem a bit different.”

Tao Sheng wasn’t sure why the emperor suddenly took interest in her personal life, but since it was mentioned, she thought it was okay to share a bit more: “I was kidnapped when my mother was giving birth. Later, when the local government solved the case, they placed me in an orphanage near Qin County. My adoptive parents took me in and raised me.”

At this point, Tao Sheng smiled calmly: “Your Majesty knows that Lord Ji’s mother is my adoptive mother’s sister, so we don’t look alike.”

The emperor had never considered Tao Sheng’s background. He was taken aback and then asked, “How did your adoptive parents treat you?”

“They were both very good people,” Tao Sheng said. “But they had an accident a few years ago and are no longer with us. After the mourning period, I left my uncle and aunt’s house and came to Beijing to live with my aunt, so Lord Ji is now my cousin.”

The emperor remembered that the King of Chu had said Tao Sheng lived with her aunt and cousin. Today, he learned she was originally an adopted daughter and that her uncle and aunt had abandoned her. This loss placed her below her aunt’s status in Beijing, and given that her cousin, Ji Yanming, was cold-hearted, it seemed her life under someone else’s roof would be challenging.

After the emperor heard this, he imagined a small plum blossom that grew bravely on a steep cliff, standing proudly in the ice despite being blown by the wind and snow.

If Tao Sheng could marry Prince Rui, be with him, and become a concubine, she could escape her difficult life. However, this idea touched her sensitive side ^[1]referring to a topic she dislikes., and she quickly stopped it from happening.

When the emperor saw Tao Sheng coming to play the zither for him every day, he suddenly felt guilty.

Soon, news spread that the emperor had unexpectedly rewarded his personal zither player, Tao Sheng, with two estates from his own money, not from the royal treasury.

This was unusual.

Tao Sheng had served the emperor for a long time, but this was the first time he had given her such a big reward.

Lately, the emperor had been moody, punishing the crown prince and scolding Prince Rui. He even affected Prince Qing, who usually tried to keep a low profile. Old Grand Master Luo, who hadn’t been in court for a long time, also faced serious consequences.

Many people were curious about what the emperor and Tao Sheng talked about that day, hoping to find a clue or learn something they could use.

The emperor had openly discussed his life with Tao Sheng, and those who had paid to find out about their meeting received a consistent answer.

It seemed that the emperor talked about her life experiences with Grand Master Luo and was quite moved.

Two new rumors soon spread in the capital.

One rumor suggested that Tao Sheng’s background was connected to the royal family. Recently, many princes and royal heirs had disappeared. Some believed that Tao Sheng might be like Liu Xun, a known figure from the Han Dynasty, and that the emperor wanted to reward her for her hardships.

However, this idea was weak since if Tao Sheng were truly royal, she could easily prove it without needing the emperor’s personal money.

The second rumor was that Tao Sheng had a distant cousin who was beautiful and talented. It was said that when she played for the emperor, she composed a song about her family, similar to how a famous musician presented his sister to Emperor Wu of Han.

Ji Yanming, who was gaining popularity in court, rose to prominence due to such favoritism.