Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

When did this man’s temper improve?!

Quan Yizhang waved dismissively, not even looking at him. “I’ll stay a bit longer.”

Meanwhile, Xu Yanmiao had moved on to another tune entirely:

[You carry the load! I lead the horse! Greet the sunrise! Send off the evening glow~!]

The voice was impassioned and full of emotion.

This was far more interesting than other activities could ever be.

Tongxin was baffled, deeply shaken.

Could Xiangpu (Quan Yizhang’s courtesy name) genuinely find the performance under the tree enjoyable?

[Huh?]

Based on past experiences, what followed next would probably be something entirely different.

—In other words, no more songs to hear.

Quan Yizhang stood up as though nothing had happened and fixed his gaze on Gu Xian. “Kid, I have something to say to you.”

Gu Xian stammered, “W-what is it?”

Quan Yizhang tapped his cane twice on the ground.

Surprisingly, instead of flying into a rage over Gu Xian’s improvisation, the famously hot-tempered scholar remained calm. “For a scholar to deceive others with their knowledge is to deceive themselves. Reflect on that carefully.”

Some of the academy students fell into deep thought after hearing this.

Seeing this, Quan Yizhang smiled in satisfaction and nodded toward another esteemed scholar. “Let’s go.”

The old emperor tilted his head slightly, glancing at Gu Xian, who looked visibly displeased and impatient. Unable to hold back, he let out a snort of laughter.@@novelbin@@

Turning his head, he noticed Xu Yanmiao’s confused expression, as if the words “What is the emperor laughing at?” were written all over his face. The emperor chuckled again, this time in genuine amusement. He didn’t bother explaining and simply addressed the ministers, “Let’s head back. There’s nothing much to see here at the academy.”

Back at their lodging in Fuzhou, the emperor dismissed his ministers and summoned four of the crown prince’s illegitimate sons, along with a few of his own grandsons. After recounting the day’s events, he posed a question to them: “Do you know why Master Quan didn’t get angry?”

One answered, “Perhaps the stories of Master Quan’s fiery temper are exaggerated.”

Another said, “Master Quan is kind-hearted and believes in leaving room for redemption.”

A third ventured, “Maybe he was aware of your presence, grandfather, and was putting on a show for you.”

The youngest child, however, glanced around at his elder brothers before lifting his head confidently under the blinding sunlight. “Because he is the leader of the literary world!”

—Quan Yizhang might slam tables over academic disputes or fly into a rage when he felt personally offended. But as a literary leader, seeing a scholar go astray stirred in him a greater desire to guide them back to the right path than to unleash his anger.

The old emperor burst into laughter and pulled the youngest grandson into his arms. “My little qilin child!”

He then asked earnestly, “What do you think? Will that wretched Gu mend his ways?”

The youngest grandson hesitated.

Whether Gu would change or not, the child couldn’t say for sure, but he had certainly noticed his grandfather’s disdain for the man.

The next day.

“What? Reincarnation of Confucius?!”

Xu Yanmiao’s wide eyes were still tinged with confusion as he repeated, “Confucius? Reincarnated?”

A nosy official had invited Xu Yanmiao to a meal. At the table, the man couldn’t wait to spill the news. “That’s right! It’s about Gu Xian. You know, the zither player from yesterday. Today is apparently the full-month celebration for his child. During the banquet, they brought the baby out for the guests to see, and suddenly, a man dressed as a Taoist priest appeared. He laughed and demanded Gu Xian hand over the child, saying the child needed to return to his ‘old path.’”

Xu Yanmiao was even more stunned.

[Gu Xian? Didn’t he leave the academy in disgrace yesterday after Master Quan’s remarks, practically covering his face in shame? How does he still have the mood to pull this stunt today?]

[Do people actually fall for this nonsense?]

The nosy official, as if not hearing Xu Yanmiao’s inner thoughts, took a bite of food and continued, “Of course, Gu Xian tried to drive the man out. But then the baby smiled at him and shook his head. The Taoist sighed and said, ‘Since you have chosen a new life, this lifetime, we shall meet only this once.’”

Xu Yanmiao: “…”

[An infant? Shaking its head?]

[…A ghost story?]

The nosy official nearly choked on a piece of peppery fish and quickly sipped some warm water. “That Gu Xian pressed the Taoist for an explanation. At first, the Taoist wouldn’t speak, but after being pushed, he reluctantly revealed that the Gu family’s child is the reincarnation of Confucius.”

The official kept talking while secretly observing Xu Yanmiao’s expression.

—With Baize reincarnated, who’s to say this couldn’t be true?

Finally, the truth emerged, and he began testing the waters.

“Who knows if it’s true or not?”

“They say quite a few people believed it.”

This piqued Xu Yanmiao’s curiosity. While he humored the official with a few noncommittal responses, he opened his system.

[It can’t actually be a reincarnation, right?!]

[Oh, thank goodness, it’s not. Turns out that Taoist was hired by Gu Xian for a hefty price. Tsk tsk, after disgracing himself in the literary world yesterday and ruining half his reputation, now he’s resorting to such ridiculous schemes.]

[Even if it were Confucius, would you dare to raise him? Considering how you twisted his words yesterday, when he grows up, Confucius would absolutely beat you to a pulp for it.]

The nosy official let out a satisfied burp.

He knew he’d be able to dig something out! Sure enough, it was Gu Xian’s doing!

“Master Xu! I just remembered I have something urgent to attend to! I’ll take my leave now!”

“Oh, okay.”

Xu Yanmiao watched the official’s retreating figure, blinking in confusion.

[Leaving in such a hurry…]

[Could it be the spicy fish triggered a hemorrhoid flare-up?]

The nosy official stumbled slightly.

He overheard the suppressed laughter of his colleagues, who had all come to eavesdrop on Xu Yanmiao’s reaction but refrained from approaching directly.

One of them hesitated before stepping forward to help him, casually offering a remark. “Do you know why everyone only seeks him out when there’s an ‘urgent matter’? Why no one actively tries to lead Xu Yanmiao into investigating rumors like Confucius’ reincarnation? Instead, they wait for him to take an interest on his own?”

The nosy official froze, his face turning pale.

“Because…”

His colleague continued, patting his shoulder with mock sympathy, “Because Baize is not a tool for anyone to use as they please.”

—Disrespect him, and you will face consequences.

Just like…

After exhausting his limited goodwill, the colleague couldn’t hold back anymore. His gaze dropped to the official’s lower back.

This man really does have hemorrhoids!

—It didn’t take half a day before the entire court knew that a certain official suffered from hemorrhoids.

The river flows east! The stars in the sky align with the Big Dipper!

—From “The Song of the Gallant Men”

Quietly ask the holy monk: Is the maiden beautiful? Is the maiden beautiful?

—From “Daughter’s Love”

You carry the burden, I lead the horse; welcoming the sunrise, bidding farewell to the sunset.

—From “Dare to Ask Where the Path Is”

Referenced from The Chronicle of the Dark Chamber:

“During the Tang Dynasty, the late Governor of Jiannan, Grand Commandant Wei Gao, had a son born one month prior. His family held a feast with many monks invited. An unattractive foreign monk arrived uninvited. Angered, the family sat him on a worn mat in the courtyard. After the meal, the wet nurse brought out the infant for the monks to bless. The foreign monk ascended the steps and said to the baby, ‘Have you been well since we last parted?’ The baby showed signs of joy, astonishing everyone.

The family patriarch questioned, ‘This child is only a month old; why do you say you’ve been apart long?’

The monk replied, ‘This is not something you would understand.’

Pressed further, he explained, ‘This child is the reincarnation of Zhuge Wuhou. During the late Eastern Han, he served as Chancellor of Shu. The people of Shu greatly benefited from him. Now reborn, he is destined to become the commander of Shu and bring blessings once more. I once befriended him at Jianmen Pass and came here upon hearing of his birth.’

The family marveled at his words and nicknamed the child Wuhou. Later, Wei Gao rose to become Grand Commandant and Commander of Jiannan, governing Shu for eighteen years, fulfilling the monk’s prophecy.”—Translation: “My son, Wei Gao, is Zhuge Liang reborn.”