Chapter 57

As time passed, the emperor sensed the prince’s resentment. He saw that his son had not completely lost control and was trying to suppress his feelings, but to no avail.

Facing such a prince, the emperor suddenly thought of the King of Chu.

The Queen had been injured giving birth to a princess and couldn’t have more children. The Prince of Chu was the emperor’s first child, and since there was no legitimate heir, he was naturally the most honored. Everyone believed the eldest prince, the Prince of Chu, would become the crown prince of Great Zhou in the future.

Until the Eight Kings Rebellion…

Among the emperor’s sons, three had the best family background and talents: the son of Depin, the current crown prince; the son of Huifei, Prince Rui; and the son of Shufei, Prince Chu.

The King of Chu was the emperor’s eldest son, raised by his side, and was the emperor’s most favored candidate for succession.

However, this kid was confused and too emotional, even openly pleading for the families of several criminals. As a result, he was punished and demoted, feeling depressed for many years.

Those who had followed the King of Chu in the past either distanced themselves from him or were punished by him. The King of Chu was also affected and spent three whole years confined in his palace.

Even so, the emperor tested the King of Chu yesterday and found that he was still full of fighting spirit and held no resentment towards him.

Although the King of Chu claimed he was naive in the past and sad about not sharing his father’s worries for so many years, he was really just saying this to make excuses. It was a classic case of forgetting the pain after healing from a wound.

The emperor had not thought highly of the King of Chu’s reckless character before, but after experiencing the incident with the crown prince, he realized that the King of Chu’s actions, though not shocking, showed the precious true love between father and son in the royal family.

Therefore, when Tao Sheng was invited to play the zither today, the emperor couldn’t help but sigh. He noted that his eldest child was broad-minded and had never resented him over the years.

After hearing this, Tao Sheng felt grateful to Eunuch Gao. If he hadn’t told her the truth beforehand, she might not have understood what the emperor said and would have struggled to respond appropriately.

As her recent visits to the emperor increased, her relationship with him grew closer. Tao Sheng began to understand why people like Zhao Gao, Liu Jin, and Gao Lishi had so much influence and why Li Yannian could elevate his sister to a favored concubine and his brother to a general just by playing the zither. It was because they were very close to the emperor.

They were the first to know about the emperor’s mood swings, and the emperor, being human, had ordinary emotions and desires. When their presence made him feel comfortable, it became a habit for him, making them almost inseparable.

Tao Sheng realized she knew too much lately. She felt like an important supporting character in the emperor’s story, much like a maid in a romance novel who welcomes the heroine, saying, “You are the first one the master has brought home.” She maintained the story’s continuity.

“I have known His Royal Highness Prince Chu for some time. Over the years, he has cared for the roosters at home and visited more frequently. I believe I have come to know him well,” Tao Sheng said, observing the emperor’s expression. “His Royal Highness Prince Chu is indeed different from other princes. He has a pure heart and is very respectful and filial to you. If he knew you affirmed him so much, I believe he would be very happy.”

As the saying goes, parents tend to favor their youngest child. Youngest sons are usually more perceptive and charming because of their innocence and well-behaved nature around elders.

However, this does not seem to apply to the emperor. He had many children, especially younger princes and princesses, making it hard to distinguish between them. He was often less familiar with them than with a few grandchildren who brought him pride.

Most of the little princes had no real say in front of the emperor. Besides asking about their studies and favorite foods, the emperor had no other topics to discuss with them.

The emperor had the most time and energy decades ago when the King of Chu was born, which is why he showered a lot of affection on this eldest son.

Although the King of Chu was the oldest and most anticipated child, he was not worldly-wise. He spoke openly to the emperor, showing off his colorful clothes to entertain and communicate with him.

The emperor had always liked this kind of child. Now that he had returned to this time, he found the King of Chu’s actions even more touching.

As people age, they often miss the past. The emperor had reminisced recently and said that the King of Chu was one of the children most like him.

The King of Chu today combined the best traits of both the eldest and youngest sons.

Due to the continuous efforts of Prince Rui and the Crown Prince, the Prince of Chu had no job or followers, and his faction couldn’t even find a wife for Lord Ji. Despite this, the emperor felt no threat and grew closer to the Prince of Chu.

As long as the emperor lived long enough, and King Rui and the Crown Prince were both defeated, it was very likely that the King of Chu would emerge as the ultimate winner.

Thinking of this, Tao Sheng chose another newly composed health-preserving song to play.

The emperor needed to stay healthy until the day when His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu made a comeback. This way, it would also reduce any chances for Prince Rui to harm his cousin.

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After Tao Sheng finished her song, the emperor’s mood noticeably improved.

He felt that today his young musician wasn’t just going through the motions as she had before; she was working hard and seriously, which was unusual for her. He thought it might be his charm that had touched her.

He was glad he had rejected Prince Li’s request to marry his daughter to Ji Yanming for her sake.

In this case, it was all worth it.

The emperor didn’t have any special hobbies when he was happy; he just liked to reward people. This time, he asked the kitchen to pack a large box of snacks for Tao Sheng.

The four-layer cloisonné enamel box, decorated with eight treasures, held sixteen freshly baked snacks—half were savory, and half were sweet.

Tao Sheng sincerely thanked the emperor.

It was truly an honor to receive such a splendid food box, reflecting the status of a favorite of the emperor.

This time, the emperor was determined to be generous. Concerned that Tao Sheng would find it difficult to carry the food box, he arranged for two young eunuchs to accompany her out of the palace.

Tao Sheng hadn’t walked far along the palace road when she heard a little boy timidly calling her “Sir” ^[1]is a respectful way to address someone, a little boy calls Tao Sheng “Sir” to show respect, even though she is female. This can happen in formal settings where people might not know the … Continue reading in a childish voice.

Tao Sheng turned around and saw that it was Xiao Ming, the youngest son of the King of Chu.

The five-year-old boy was wearing a heavy dark green auspicious robe ^[2]which is a type of clothing worn for good luck. with a Ruyi cloud pattern ^[3]which is a decorative pattern symbolizing good fortune., and a red gold crown with a large ruby on his head. His neck looked like it might bend under the weight.

As a teacher in the Chu Palace, Tao Sheng had taught the two brothers several etiquette and music classes. She had seen Xiao Ming before but had never seen him dressed in such complicated clothes.

Tao Sheng squatted down, helped Xiao Ming straighten the golden crown on his head, and gently touched his cheek: “Where did you go just now? Why are you dressed so nicely?”

Xiao Ming straightened his head and explained to Tao Sheng that today was the Queen’s birthday, so he had gone with his brother to pay her respects, which is why he was dressed formally.

Tao Sheng nodded. Earlier, when she went to Xuanzheng Hall to play the zither for the emperor, she heard Li Sheng mention that it was the empress’s birthday. Although the empress liked simplicity and didn’t want a big celebration, the emperor still went early in the morning to support her.

Maybe the emperor was really old and got tired easily after doing even the slightest things. He felt a bit tired after just sitting in Weiyang Palace for a while, so he called Tao Sheng to play a song.

Tao Sheng felt sorry for Xiao Ming because he was dressed too formally and would inevitably get tired. Although this was true, she couldn’t directly say it to protect his future.