Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Xu Yanmiao suddenly heard someone shouting from outside—

“Scrolls can be aged!”

Xu Yanmiao froze for a moment, still processing the words, when three or five Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) had already rushed out.

A while later, they returned, looking uneasy and empty-handed. Clearly, they hadn’t caught anyone.

Meanwhile, the citizens outside the yamen had already been stirred up.

“Is the emperor trying to cover for the princess and her prince consort?”

“After all, he is royal son-in-law. Don’t we always say, ‘A son-in-law is half a son’?”

“That’s true. And His Majesty is the princess’s father! If he wants to help her cover this up, he absolutely can!”

“This feels like that play about Ji Gu! Except Ji Gu had Qi Qingtian, and this guy has nothing! How pitiful!”

In the story, when she sued the prince consort, the princess tried to use her status to shield him, but a righteous official named Qi defied authority and used the imperial sword to execute the prince consort in public.

It was the classic tale of punishing evil and promoting justice, beloved by the masses.

But now that life seemed to be imitating art, it felt like reality was heading toward the opposite conclusion.

—The public, understandably, found this unsettling.

Inside the Jibei Prince’s mansion, there was a deep, tranquil forest. In the middle of the woods stood a wooden house where the Prince of Jibei would retreat whenever he needed to think. Dismissing his attendants, he would sit cross-legged inside, concentrating in solitude.

“High Jianyi?”

The wooden window was half-open, and the rustling leaves cast dappled shadows over the Prince of Jibei’s face, light and shadow intermingling.

“Feeling uneasy now, aren’t you? My kill shot, prepared two years in advance, was specifically designed to strike where it hurts. I even had someone write an opera to spread ahead of time. Now the citizens are furious at the prince consort for being a wife-murdering child-killer. And suddenly realizing that the opera mirrors real life? Let’s see how you’ll protect your daughter and son-in-law now!”

“And that crown prince of yours!”

Just thinking about the crown prince made the Prince of Jibei grind his teeth in anger.

How could someone like Gao Xian exist?! Despite the precariousness of his position, he remained unbothered. Even being provoked into a leg injury, he stayed composed and unfazed. Such deep scheming was something the Prince of Jibei had rarely encountered in his life.

How could High Jianyi deserve such an outstanding son?!

“I refuse to believe it! Your sister has been deceived, and you, who care for her the most, won’t get angry! Won’t be so mad you cough up blood!”

The crown prince, perfectly healthy both physically and mentally, cautiously glanced at the old emperor.

“Father…”

Are you okay?

You haven’t been angered to the point of coughing up blood, have you?

The old emperor inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly: “I…”

Having spent the past two days helping the old emperor review memorials, Xu Yanmiao reflexively thought: [I am fine.]

The old emperor: “…”

His words got stuck in his throat.

Then, irritated, the old emperor said, “I am not fine!”

[The old emperor is so pitiful…]

Xu Yanmiao had no idea why the emperor was so insistent that he wasn’t fine.

Right now, Xu Yanmiao felt nothing but sympathy for the old emperor.

[It’s understandable he’s uneasy, suddenly finding out his son-in-law has a first wife. Though I’m not sure whether it’s worse to mistakenly believe the son-in-law has a first wife or to discover that the daughter is actually the first wife but the son-in-law is secretly a woman.]

The old emperor ground his teeth.

Neither! None of this is okay!

Why couldn’t he have a normal son-in-law?

Why couldn’t his daughters have normal marriages?!

Frowning, he glanced at the courtroom below and suddenly froze.

—Perhaps it was because of his earlier statement, “I am not fine,” but his eldest daughter, sharp and competitive, rarely showing her softer side, was now looking at him with a rare trace of guilt.@@novelbin@@

The old emperor coughed lightly and began, “Fangling…” but faltered halfway.

What was he supposed to say? When did you find out your prince consort was a woman?

Surely, it couldn’t be when you were investigating in his hometown and decided to just go along with it?

“Father…” Princess Fangling’s tone was firm. “The prince consort absolutely did not abandon a wife and children! You can rest assured!”

Rest assured about what? That the prince consort wasn’t second-hand goods?

The old emperor exchanged a look with Princess Fangling and immediately grasped her true meaning—

Father! Don’t worry! I will never let myself—or our family—lose face!

Princess Fangling’s gaze suddenly shifted to the woman below, sharp as a blade. “You’re just a peasant woman, without means or resources. How did you travel all the way from Baoding to Liaodong? Why didn’t you report to the authorities inland but instead crossed the Bohai Sea to Fuzhou City?”

The woman seemed startled by the princess’s stern tone. She swayed and fell to the ground, trembling as she stammered, “I… I…”

She repeated herself but couldn’t manage to say anything coherent.

Xu Yanmiao almost wanted to applaud the princess.

[Exactly, exactly! From Baoding to Fuzhou is nearly two thousand miles! If she wanted to report to the authorities, why not just head to the capital instead of coming all the way here?]

[It really doesn’t make sense!]

[Besides, the prince consort is the governor of Liaodong. Wouldn’t you investigate where your enemy is before reporting them? What if you encountered collusion between officials?]

Your thoughts are excellent, but they’re mine now.

The old emperor gave a meaningful look to one of his ministers, who immediately stood up and echoed the princess’s questioning. “Do you know that the prince consort is the governor of Liaodong? Were you not afraid of him wielding absolute power there?”

The woman hesitated, glancing nervously at the emperor and the princess. Then she lowered her head, staring at her toes, and stammered again, “Yes… yes… the official is right. It’s all my fault for not thinking it through… And as for the princess… since His Majesty says there’s evidence, then there must be evidence. I… I must have wrongly accused the prince consort.”

The crowd, having likened her to the tragic “Ji Gu” from the opera, became even more emotional. Although they dared not voice grievances against the emperor, they shouted passionately that justice would prevail and urged her not to give up.

The woman turned back to face the crowd, her expression full of gratitude. Then she quickly turned away, lowering her head, tears streaming silently.

Xu Yanmiao was in awe.

[What a performance!]

Xu Yanmiao grew anxious.

[Miss Tea, go on! Show her what a real tea master looks like!]

The Vice Minister of Rites: ???

Excuse me?

With a sharp crack of his knuckles, the stern and imposing “Miss Tea” remained expressionless.

The Assistant Minister of the Imperial Clan couldn’t resist nudging the Vice Minister of Rites with his elbow, winking mischievously. “Go on, Miss Tea!”

The Vice Minister of Rites narrowed his eyes, chuckling coldly. “Oh, Assistant Minister, you must be joking. Handling disputes involving one’s lover’s ex-wife… surely, you’re the expert.”

The Assistant Minister of the Imperial Clan, who had recently sworn brotherhood with a wild general, fell silent.

Can’t you keep quiet for once?

The Vice Minister of Rites continued, “Besides, Assistant Minister, jokes aside, who would be foolish enough to fall for this obvious—”

The word “trap” was on the tip of his tongue when a tall, imposing figure stepped forward.

“Your Highness, Princess Fangling!” It was Vice Minister Liu, frowning slightly as he stepped in front of the woman, shielding her from Princess Fangling’s sharp gaze. “She is but a humble peasant woman, incapable of withstanding the princess’s majesty. I humbly ask Your Highness to show more patience and not be overly harsh.”

The Vice Minister of Rites was stunned.

The Assistant Minister of the Imperial Clan was stunned.

The emperor, the other officials, and even the crown prince were all stunned.

And…

[Someone actually fell for that?!]