Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Of course, it wasn’t entirely inappropriate—talent doesn’t depend on rank. But Xu Yanmiao thought about it and realized he hadn’t done anything remarkable to show talent—oh, except for the barbed wire, but that had nothing to do with court affairs.

The Minister of Works suddenly realized he’d asked a pointless question and quickly changed his tone. “Master Xu, would you accompany me for a walk?” He sighed heavily, clearly burdened with some concern.

Xu Yanmiao thought for a moment. Since there was still plenty of time before the East Market closed, he nodded and kindly asked, “Does the minister have a difficult matter to resolve?”

“Of course…”

[Could it be that he’s upset about his daughter catching feelings for a man a few days ago, leaving a father’s heart heavy with nowhere to vent?]

Minister of Works: “…”

He simply wanted to divert attention. If someone casually asked the seamstress about the Minister of Works secretly commissioning undergarments designed for catching urine, it wouldn’t take until tomorrow—by tonight, all the officials in the southern thirty-six districts would be gossiping about it.

But now…

The Minister of Works nearly ground his teeth to dust. “Of course! My daughter—she’s been stolen away by some scoundrel!”

I’ll beat that scoundrel into a butterfly!

The Minister of Works forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Before Xu Yanmiao could respond, he added, “I’ve already investigated. She’s walking with that man by the Luo River.”

In the Da Xia Dynasty, the boundaries between men and women weren’t as rigid. Events like spring outings and sacrificial festivals were essentially matchmaking gatherings. It wasn’t unusual for couples who had already caught each other’s eye to meet privately.

But for the Minister of Works, this was a massive issue.

“Xu Yanmiao, tell me—why wouldn’t she at least inform her father about something this significant?” His initial rage shifted into a hint of sadness as he continued, “If she truly loves him, could I bear to break them apart? Unless…!”

The Minister’s pupils trembled. “She’s chosen someone I cannot accept?!”

Someone in their sixties or seventies? A mere child of six or seven? Or… wait, no need to speculate. From Xu Yanmiao’s inner thoughts, it was clear the person she was secretly meeting was at least a proper human.

Xu Yanmiao carefully chose his words. “This… Lady Jin must have excellent taste. Perhaps she’s simply… a little shy.”

However, the Minister distinctly heard—

[Hmm… probably? After all, you rarely pay attention to her, just give her money…]

The Minister’s eyes widened further in shock.

Giving money isn’t enough to show care? Should I give her land too? Well, her current five hundred acres do seem a bit meager.

Could it be that when setting up her estate, I used purple sandalwood furniture she didn’t like? Perhaps she prefers a different wood? Come to think of it, I don’t even know what kind of wood she likes. I just chose the most expensive. What a failure of a father.

Busy with government affairs and unable to bond with his daughter as casually as he did with his son, he’d opted instead to provide her with more maids, servants, and jewelry… but still, he had neglected her.

[She rarely had companionship. The big house was often just her and the maids.]

The Minister of Works was deeply ashamed.

Indeed, he’d been preoccupied with court matters, his wife engrossed in business (albeit under the guise of a distant relative, as officials’ families were prohibited from trading), and his son sent off to govern elsewhere. Only his beloved daughter remained, often alone…

[So, when a young scholar cooked her a simple bowl of porridge himself, she was so touched that she gifted him a mansion with a hot spring and a rare fox-fur cloak.]

While the family wasn’t short on money, and such gifts didn’t hurt the Minister’s coffers, the underlying sentiment made his blood boil.

Where did this brat come from? A mere bowl of porridge, and he had my daughter worrying about whether he had a roof over his head or warm clothes to wear!

“Xu Yanmiao! Come with me to the Luo River!” The Minister grabbed a thick wooden stick lying by the wall. “Today, I’ll make sure he understands how hard it is to marry the daughter of a Minister of Works!”

Xu Yanmiao followed along, mentally remarking: [Didn’t you just say you wouldn’t break them apart? That’s quite the quick change of heart. Is this what they mean by the inscrutable mind of a man?]

By the Luo River, a young woman and a scholar walked side by side.

The scholar’s eyes were faintly shadowed, and his frame was thin, but his gaze was filled with deep affection as he looked at the woman. “Lady Jin, I will never let you down. Once I pass the imperial exams, I will come to your family to propose.”

The woman gazed at him just as affectionately, her lips parting lightly, “If you live, I live…”

“Live my foot!” A furious shout rang out.

The two turned in surprise to see a strong, imposing man marching toward them, a thick wooden staff in hand.

The woman hurried to him, taking a few steps before reaching his side. “Father, what are you doing here?”

The Minister of Works stood tall and fierce. “Separate! You must separate! I absolutely forbid you from being together, or I will—”

Before he could finish, Lady Jin interrupted, “Fine.”

“I’ll cut off your allowance—what?” The Minister froze in disbelief.

Lady Jin calmly repeated, “Fine. Father, you want me to separate from him, don’t you?”

The Minister of Works looked suspicious. “Are you serious? This isn’t some trick to protect that boy, is it?”

Lady Jin nodded. “Of course, I’m serious.”

The scholar stood stunned. “Lady Jin! Why…”

She turned to him, looking confused. “My family doesn’t allow it, so of course, I must listen to them.”

The scholar was speechless. “But… but we love each other! Once I pass the imperial exams, I’ll come to marry you! Can’t you wait for just a few more years?”

Xu Yanmiao couldn’t help but mutter inwardly: [Who knows when you’ll pass the exams? At thirty, you’re an old scholar; at fifty, you’re a barely-passed candidate. Though there’s no more ‘mingjing’ exams now.]

The Minister of Works nodded vigorously in agreement.

“If you can’t pass by fifty or sixty, should my daughter wait for you until then?”

The scholar raised his head slightly, a trace of pride in his expression. “That’s not the case! With my talent, how could I waste so many years?”

Xu Yanmiao thought: [So confident? Oh… He must be planning to charm little Jin and have old Jin pull some strings for him.]

The Minister of Works frowned, his face darkening. “You’re a fool. There are countless scholars in the world, and how dare you claim you’re superior to all of them?”

The scholar spoke mildly, “I, though untalented, have been praised by every teacher who has taught me for my cleverness and potential.”

The Minister of Works raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Could it be that you’re actually capable?”

Xu Yanmiao thought: [Huh? He didn’t actually say he was clever… After carefully flipping through the pages, Wait, haha, his teachers said, “You’re talented, but unfortunately lazy and like to take shortcuts. If you worked hard, you would certainly make something of yourself,” hahaha…]

[Isn’t this the classic teacher’s line—“You’re smart, you just don’t study”? Nine and a half out of ten poor students have heard this, and now he’s using it to boast about himself? Oh, dear, old Jin must be too experienced to fall for this!]

The Minister of Works, not sure if he had seen enough to not be fooled, froze and said nothing. “…Thanks, Xu Yanmiao.”

His expression neutral, the Minister of Works replied, “Our son-in-law doesn’t need to be too clever.”

Meanwhile, Lady Jin said earnestly, “It’s not that I can’t wait for a few years, it’s that my family doesn’t allow us to be together, so I must listen to them.”

The scholar glanced at the Minister of Works, then quickly turned his gaze back to Lady Jin. “Lady Jin, you told me that your family dotes on you.”

Xu Yanmiao couldn’t help but mutter: [Is this it? You can’t even handle your own family, and you expect to change her mind and have her go against her family for you? That’s pretty irresponsible.]

The Minister of Works almost clapped in agreement.

Exactly! Thankfully, his daughter wasn’t foolish.

After hearing his daughter’s defense, his doubt turned into relief. He wanted to tell her not to talk to this man anymore and to go straight home. If he dared to persist, he’d break his legs!

Lady Jin, still facing the scholar, continued with clarity, “Yes, my family did dote on me before, but as you heard, if I stay with you, my father will cut off my allowance. This is the first time! It shows how angry my father is. This is serious.”

The scholar’s face was filled with disappointment. “Just money…”

Lady Jin looked confused. “The house you received is from my family, the fox fur you wear is from my family, and all of that is nothing compared to the wealth in my family. If you can’t even resist the house and clothes, why should I suffer with you?”

The scholar was stunned, speechless, his face flushed.

He tried again, “But… why…?”

Lady Jin thought for a moment. “That day it rained heavily, you invited me into your house and cooked me congee. That really moved me. I just thought to be with you for a while…”@@novelbin@@

Before she could finish, Lady Jin saw Xu Yanmiao’s face and paused for a moment.

The scholar, still waiting for her response, watched as the woman who had been so affectionate with him suddenly turned and quickly walked over to a young man, gazing at him deeply. “If you live…”

“Smack—”

The Minister of Works swiftly covered his daughter’s mouth.

Author’s note:

Regarding holding back during the morning court:

Former Criminal Department official Zeng Xuan was appointed as the chief clerk of Lianjiang County, Fujian. During the morning court, he accidentally relieved himself on the imperial steps, and the law office decided he should be punished but allowed to retain his position. The Emperor specially instructed the Ministry of Personnel to demote him.

— Ming Shilu, Emperor Yingzong’s Annals

“At thirty, an old student of the Mingjing; at fifty, a young jinshi.”— Proverb