Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Assistant Minister Liu had his own approach to governance—in modern terms, you could call it “riding the wave.”

Whenever many officials submitted memorials on a particular issue, he would join in.@@novelbin@@

If the suggestion pleased the emperor, rewards often followed. If the idea angered the emperor, Liu never stood out as the scapegoat and rarely faced severe punishment.

Being a government official wasn’t entirely about talent. If one had sufficient seniority, even mediocrity could lead to advancement—provided, of course, they avoided mishaps that could cost them their position or life.

And so, with his knack for hopping on the bandwagon, Liu managed to climb to the rank of Assistant Minister of Rites.

However, mediocrity isn’t terrifying. The truly terrifying part is when someone who has been mediocre all their life suddenly exclaims:

“Eh! A sudden idea! Eh! A spark of inspiration! Eh! I’ve thought of something I can do!”

His grand idea?

Why not become Liu the Incorruptible!

Assistant Minister Liu’s expression shifted drastically.

He could grit his teeth and try, but… Seeing the emperor’s expression, his survival instincts kicked in, and he immediately backed down.

“Your Majesty, this humble servant is dull-witted and unfit to pass judgment.”

The commoners outside the courthouse erupted into murmurs.

In their simple view, how could an “upright official” not know how to handle a case?

The emperor pressed on, knowingly. “Then why did you step forward just now?”

Lowering his gaze submissively, Liu hastened to disown the honor thrust upon him earlier:

“This humble servant may not be able to pass judgment, but I can still flap my gums.”

The murmurs grew louder, and the onlookers’ gazes turned scornful.

Only then did the emperor seem satisfied.

—No one could get away with taking what was his! If they did, they’d have to cough it back up!

Still, he needed to salvage the prince consort while keeping her female identity hidden.

In a situation with irrefutable evidence, who could manage that?

His gaze swept across the courtroom.

Xu Yanmiao stood at the edge of the court hall.

It was the perfect spot for observing the drama unfold—a prime location to watch while staying close to the exit, ready to retreat behind the crowd at the first sign of danger.

Then, he felt the emperor’s gaze land squarely on him.

Xu Yanmiao: “?”

The emperor smiled and beckoned him over.

Xu Yanmiao was taken aback: [What? Is this dynasty doomed? I thought it was absurd enough for the prime minister to send someone from the Ministry of Personnel to investigate a thief. But now the emperor wants someone from Personnel to resolve a case? The Court of Judicial Review isn’t extinct yet, is it?]

People are visual creatures. When a youth as handsome as blooming peach blossoms stepped forward to handle the case, the commoners outside the courthouse cheered.

No one cared anymore about the prince consort’s earlier confession. To them, this was more thrilling than any stage play. They eagerly awaited the outcome, yet wished the show would never end.

Mimicking scenes from television dramas in his memory, Xu Yanmiao slapped the gavel forcefully on the table with a loud “PAH!” Then, putting on a convincing air, he ordered the woman to produce her household registration documents from Liaodong.

The emperor was just about to nod and quietly praise Xu Yanmiao’s quick thinking to the other ministers when he heard Xu Yanmiao’s inner thoughts—

[Hmm… This lady has indeed lived in Liaodong for over twenty years without leaving. The household documents are just a formality. I need to use this time to figure out how to pin this case on the prince consort being framed.]

The court fell silent: “…”

The Minister of Justice gasped sharply, deeply regretful: “Why can’t we transfer Xu Yanmiao out of the Ministry of Personnel?”

What a convenient way of adjudicating! Go straight to the conclusion, ignoring the process, as long as it all connects in the end.

The Minister of Revenue sighed even more deeply. “Exactly.”

The two exchanged glances and sighed in unison.

They knew it was impossible. Whether in Revenue or Justice, Xu Yanmiao’s presence would trigger massive upheaval, leaving everyone trembling in fear.

Xu Yanmiao was a rather laid-back individual who frequently declared in his heart that he wanted to “lie flat” and be a “salted fish.” However, he did have one redeeming quality: he always fulfilled his duties. While serving in the Ministry of Personnel as a clerk, he never shirked his primary responsibilities of handling and distributing official documents.

If he were placed in the Ministry of Revenue or the Ministry of Justice, he would undoubtedly use the powers of his artifact to examine accounts and investigate cases. This would result in countless corrupt officials being exposed and numerous individuals implicated in cases being unraveled.

On the surface, this seemed like a good thing. But…

The two ministers exchanged a look, both filled with helplessness.

Sometimes, being too transparent, too flawless, wouldn’t necessarily lead to a cleaner political system. Instead, it could backfire, leading to collective apathy: “Well, you know I’m not breaking the law. I’m just mediocre at my job, that’s all.”

When the water is too clear, no fish can survive.

Xu Yanmiao was oblivious to the ministers’ myriad thoughts. After the woman’s and her son’s household registration documents were handed to him, he gave them a cursory glance and set them aside.

“In that case, your encounter with the prince consort in Liaodong truly seems like a coincidence.”

The woman forced a bitter smile. “A humble village woman like me wouldn’t dare deceive an official.”

Xu Yanmiao neither confirmed nor denied her claim.

[What a pity. Whoever orchestrated this has been very cautious—always meeting this woman with their face covered. From the gossip she knows, it’s impossible to deduce who the mastermind is.]

The gossip system didn’t require him to know someone’s identity to extract their secrets, but it couldn’t work with such vague input like “the person who instructed the woman to frame the prince consort.”

[Maybe I should try investigating the prince consort and the princess. Let’s see… Hmm… The prince consort was raised as a boy from a young age and would dress in men’s clothing even when traveling with her mother. Wow! Her mother was really impressive—]

The old emperor sat with his arms crossed, unimpressed.

How impressive could she be? More impressive than the female top scorer in the imperial exams? Or more remarkable than Lady Chongyi, who Yan Chun recently petitioned to enshrine?

At most, it’s just a case of raising a daughter as a son…

[The prince consort’s father, while drunk, joked to her mother that since she couldn’t give birth to a son, he’d sell her off and marry someone more fertile…]

The old emperor frowned slightly.

How could someone treat his…

[That very night, her mother suffocated him with a quilt.]

The old emperor: What?

[Oh ho, now that’s what you call a fatal joke.]

[The next day, she reported to the authorities that he’d died of sudden illness. By the third day, he was buried.]

The old emperor: What??

[On the fourth day, she went to the government to update the household registry, claiming that the prince consort, who was only ten at the time, was a son.]

The old emperor: What???

The crown prince’s face was similarly blank with shock.

For a moment, he didn’t know whether he should first express admiration for his brother-in-law’s mother’s decisive actions or…