Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Li Shihu’s anxious heart finally settled.

“Peace is good! Peace is good!”

He exhaled a long breath and couldn’t help but sigh. “I wonder how my father is doing.”@@novelbin@@

[“Your emperor dug up your late emperor’s corpse, threw it in sewage, and then cursed at the remains. Your father tried to remonstrate but ended up vomiting blood and dying in rage.”]

The court of Da Xia: “!!!”

They all straightened their backs and perked up their ears.

The last emperor of Zhou had done something like this?!

The historian at the table twitched his fingers, resisting the urge to take out his pen and paper. But mentally, he was already preparing to record it.

[“Let me think, what were the exact words?”]

Hiss—

Wow—

What a fine display of filial piety!

The court of Da Xia was astounded.

And this loyal subject had a blood feud with the last emperor of Zhou!

The old emperor was overjoyed—no, deeply saddened.

Looking at Li Shihu, he slowly and sorrowfully said, “My loyal subject, your father… passed away less than five years after you left.”

Why say less than five years? Because the last emperor only reigned for four.

Li Shihu fell silent, taking a swig of his homemade wine before forcing a smile. “My father was already eighty-one when I left. I hadn’t expected him to still be alive. To pass away in his eighties, peacefully, is a blessing in itself. The only regret is that I couldn’t fulfill my filial duties.”

Unable to resist, he asked again, “Your Majesty, and my other family members…?”

Since they knew about his father, maybe they also knew about his mother, his wife, or his son? Even if His Majesty didn’t know, there were so many officials present who might.

Li Shihu’s hopeful gaze swept over everyone in the room, one by one. Those caught under his gaze lowered their heads in turn.

[Your son? Isn’t he right here? He’s the Guozijian scholar seated next to me. Then again, after being away for over thirty years, it’s understandable you wouldn’t recognize him.]

Among those present, there was only one Guozijian scholar, Li Ying. Startled, he raised his head and looked at Li Shihu with growing uncertainty. Carefully observing the man, he… couldn’t recognize him.

When his father had left, Li Ying had been only five years old. His mother had mentioned his father’s name, but after so many decades, who could remember?

“…Father!” Li Ying stood abruptly, pulling out the longevity lock pendant he always carried, engraved with his single-character name. “Father! I am your son, Ying’er!”

Li Shihu whipped his head around like a sunflower following the sun.

“Ying’er!!!”

He didn’t even look at the pendant. Instead, overwhelmed, he gestured with his hands to indicate height, “Back then, you were only this tall, and now you’ve grown—” He raised his hand above Li Ying’s head, “—this tall!”

Li Ying felt a wave of warmth and was about to respond when—

[“Dear brother! I’m your son Ying’er’s stepfather!”]

Xu Yanmiao mentally exclaimed in a falsetto voice.

Li Ying: “…”

Li Ying’s stepfather, who was also present: “…”

Enough already!!!

Li Shihu, still ecstatic, suddenly thought of something that made him even more thrilled. “My son! You’ve made something of yourself! You’re even serving by His Majesty’s side now!”

[Sigh, in this day and age, what official’s child doesn’t rely on their father’s connections? Oh, Commander Li, you’re too naïve! It’s not your son’s accomplishments but his stepfather’s. His stepfather was part of the first wave of founding officials, a close confidant of the Emperor! He’s now the Shaoqing of the Taichang Temple. As for your son, before he became a Guozijian scholar, he held a position as a Hanlin Academy editor—another role he got because the old emperor honored his stepfather’s face. Usually, that post requires being a second-place or third-place imperial exam laureate!]

The Shaoqing of the Taichang Temple forced a stiff smile, trying to laugh but failing miserably.

At that moment, he felt endlessly grateful that Li Shihu couldn’t hear inner thoughts; otherwise, things would be unbearably awkward.

—Though Li Shihu would find out eventually, at least by then, they wouldn’t have to worry about being tossed into a stew pot.

Li Ying coughed, trying to redirect the conversation, “Father, that’s not important—”

“Oh, oh, right, something more important. How’s your mother?”

“Mother… Mother is doing well…”

[She’s doing very well! She remarried!]

Li Ying: “…”

Completely oblivious, Li Shihu, who had always been deeply attached to his mother, hesitated, fearing bad news. He cautiously asked, “And your grandmother…?”

“Grandmother… Grandmother is well too!”

[Your wife took your mother and remarried. Your wife, bless her, is truly a good person. Back in the Yongbao fourth year, during the chaos when it seemed the country wouldn’t survive, she saw how infatuated the Shaoqing of the Taichang Temple was with her and…]

The old emperor noticed the Shaoqing was now mimicking Xu Yanmiao by pressing his hands against his face. Surprised, the emperor raised an eyebrow.

Who would have thought? The Shaoqing of the Taichang Temple was unexpectedly quite shy, so mortified by his romantic history being exposed that he couldn’t handle it.

The emperor sipped his tea thoughtfully.

[…She told him, “If I remarry, I must bring my mother-in-law along.” So, he persuaded his widowed father to marry her former mother-in-law.]

“Pfft—” The emperor sprayed his tea everywhere.

Xu Yanmiao, oblivious, kept narrating: [Your ex-wife is truly commendable. To this day, she and your mother get along like real mother and daughter.]

—Li Shihu’s mother was his father’s second wife, forty years his junior.

The Shaoqing of the Taichang Temple pressed his hands harder against his face, determined not to lift his head.

Li Ying coughed again, saying stiffly, “My mother… my mother is doing well. She… remarried…”

“Remarried?” Li Shihu paused, then smiled warmly. “That’s good. It would’ve been too hard for her to raise children and care for my parents all on her own.”

Li Shihu asked again, “And your grandmother?”

“Grandmother… Grandmother is also doing well…” Li Ying smiled awkwardly. “When Mother remarried… she brought Grandmother along.”

Li Shihu was first surprised but then became teary-eyed. “Your mother is such a good person… Your stepfather must be a good man too, willing to care for his wife’s former mother-in-law.”

Li Ying lowered his head, nervously scraping the floor with his shoe.