Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

The Minister of Personnel cleared his throat. “Your Majesty, forcing someone who’s never ridden before onto a horse could lead to a fall.”

Anyone else might be fine, but the delicate Little Bai Ze? He couldn’t afford to fall!

The old emperor fell into deep thought.

Then his eyes lit up.

[Woohoo!]

A bizarre spectacle unfolded in the countryside.

Several swift horses galloped ahead, cutting through the shimmering heat of the afternoon. Their riders’ red embroidered robes fluttered, sleeves and hems dancing in the wind. The gleaming chest plates they wore were eye-catching, but none of that was as striking as the bamboo carriage trailing behind them.

Lightweight and nimble, the bamboo carriage wasn’t bulky in the least, especially with multiple fast horses pulling it. On flat ground, it glided effortlessly, bathed in a warm, indescribable glow that enveloped the young man seated within.

Xu Yanmiao sat in the bamboo carriage, outwardly composed but internally…

[Faster!]

[We’re flying!]

[Charge ahead—!]

Of course, the emperor and the court officials wouldn’t stoop to pulling a carriage themselves, so the ever-reliable Imperial Guards were tasked with the job.

The emperor and the officials rode their horses, far outpacing Xu Yanmiao’s group.

A large eagle soared over their heads. The old emperor pressed his legs to his horse’s sides, loosening his grip on the reins. In an instant, a bow and arrow appeared in his hands. His horse abruptly halted, rearing onto its hind legs. Amidst the rising dust and the long cry of the horse, an arrow streaked through the air, piercing through the eagle’s wing feathers before driving deeply into its body.

The eagle let out a sorrowful cry as it fell. Ministers surrounded the old emperor, showering him with praise: “Your Majesty’s archery is divine!”

The old emperor squinted. “I’m getting old. I was aiming for its neck, but now…”

[Huh? What’s that?]

The old emperor instinctively turned his head, following Xu Yanmiao’s gaze. In the distance, nestled among the hills, stood an academy.

Xu Yanmiao was clearly oblivious to the majestic display of the emperor shooting down the eagle, his attention wholly captivated by the academy in the distance.

“…” The old emperor flicked his sleeves. “‘Majestic archer,’ you say? Look at yourselves, as if you’ve never seen anything before! It’s just an eagle!” Then he ordered the Imperial Guards, “Pick it up and bring it along.”

Grasping the reins, he turned his horse toward Xu Yanmiao. The ministers left behind exchanged bewildered glances.

The Central Military Commissioner clicked his tongue. “His Majesty’s temper is getting stranger and stranger.”

Was this what they meant by living with a tiger?

The tiger ambled over to the Little Bai Ze’s side and lightly tapped on the bamboo carriage with a curled finger. “What’s over there?”

Xu Yanmiao consulted his system.

[Oh, my! An acquaintance!]

[That’s Ji Sui’s post! The gentleman advocating for ‘women’s virtue’ happens to be under his jurisdiction. For months, he’s been targeted and pressured, so he ran far away to Fu Prefecture, where he’s been building a reputation.]

[Quite successfully, too. The people here think he’s a reclusive sage and esteemed scholar. He’s received numerous invitations to literary banquets and garden parties. He’s turned down most of them, only showing up once or twice a month, maintaining the air of a lofty recluse.]

[This time, he was invited by the academy to lecture students. Oh, wow, even renowned scholars like Tong Da Ru are here! And look, Quan Lao is also at the academy now!]

Despite knowing all this, Xu Yanmiao kept his lips sealed. He replied to the emperor, “I wouldn’t know, Your Majesty. It looks like an academy to me.”

The old emperor cast a sideways glance at him and snapped his whip. “Let’s go check it out!”

Horses galloped swiftly until they reached the academy gates.

The academy bore a poetic name: Youyu Academy.

“Youyu?” The Minister of War mulled over the name and chuckled. “Quite elegant.”

The group strolled in leisurely. No one stopped them. Inside, the academy was crowded. Judging by their attire, most were academy students, with a smaller portion being outsiders. Altogether, there were several hundred people present.

In a courtyard, everyone found their seats, gathering around a large locust tree at the center.

The old emperor also chose a spot and sat down, followed by the other officials.

“Let’s see what this Gu Xian has to say,” the old emperor remarked.

—Gu Xian was the gentleman advocating for “women’s virtue.”@@novelbin@@

A student nearby interjected, “Who are you? How dare you address Master Gu by name so casually?”

The emperor’s entourage turned to look at the student, each exuding a commanding presence. Although they weren’t deliberately intimidating, the student still trembled nervously, stuttering as he asked, “W-what do you want?”

The Minister of Personnel, catching the emperor’s silent cue, smiled kindly at the student. “Young scholar, do not fear. We are travelers from afar, curious about this academy after seeing so many people enter. It was our mistake to offend Master Gu earlier.”

The minister, with his benevolent expression, round face, and plump earlobes, resembled the Maitreya Buddha from a temple. The student visibly relaxed, smiling as he replied, “Elder, you overstate the matter. Ignorance is no crime.”

The minister then asked about the so-called “Master Gu.”

At this, the student became enthusiastic.

“Master Gu is a reclusive great scholar. His knowledge, I believe, rivals that of Ji, Quan, and Tong.”

Ji referred to Ji Sui, Quan to Quan Yizhang, and Tong to Tong Xin. One was the leader of the Modernist School, another the head of the Ancient Classics School, and the last a maverick scholar, often called a heretical Confucian.

“Oh?” The minister sounded genuinely intrigued. “What theories does this Master Gu propose?”

“He does!” The student’s face flushed with excitement. “Confucius said: Only the wisest and the most foolish cannot be changed. Master Gu taught us that the mandate of heaven is fixed. The wisest are the highest class, while the foolish are the lowest. Change is impossible. In the vast cosmos, high-born people remain noble, while the lowly are destined to be base. No matter how hard the lowly strive, without the divine mandate, they can never become part of the upper class.”

The old emperor’s thoughts stirred. Before he could delve further into them, Xu Yanmiao’s confused inner voice echoed—

[Let’s set aside for a moment whether Only the wisest and the most foolish cannot be changed means what Gu Xian claims it does. So, according to him… the old emperor is destined to be a beggar? Even if he seizes the throne, his dynasty will perish within one or two generations?]

Several ministers: “???”

Wait, is that the interpretation? Shouldn’t it mean His Majesty carries the mandate of heaven and is destined for greatness?

The old emperor, momentarily led astray by Xu Yanmiao’s interpretation, flew into a rage.

“Good! Gu Xian! So that’s what you mean? Just you wait!!!”

Author’s Note:

The brawl among imperial officials is inspired by real palace infighting:

“Youxing (a eunuch) in the Ministry of Works quarreled with Minister Li Youzhi and Right Vice Minister Li Yong. The Prefect of Shuntian, Jiang Tao, reported misconduct concerning Youzhi and Yong. After court dismissal, they argued with Tao at the Left Arch Gate. When Tao refused their requests, Yong angrily berated him. A heated dispute ensued, causing a commotion and drawing the attention of Censors and Inspectors, who memorialized the matter. The Emperor pardoned them all.”

—Ming Shilu: Yingzong Shilu

Only the wisest and the most foolish cannot be changed.

—The Analects of Confucius

[Confucius’ original meaning differs from what’s claimed in the text. Gu Xian deliberately twisted it.]