Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

The Prefect of Xinghua naturally knew that the locals revered Mazu.

But he hadn’t anticipated this much devotion.

Even as he was crammed into a prisoner’s cart and sent off to the capital to await execution after the autumn trials, he babbled incoherently like a madman: “Praying is normal! I pray to Wenchang Emperor during New Year’s, to the God of Literature before the imperial examinations. I donate a ton of incense money with utmost sincerity! If you asked me to swear that I didn’t lie and that I’d never rise in rank again if I lied, I’d swear it without hesitation!”

The Prefect of Xinghua couldn’t understand.

But it didn’t matter anymore.

Xu Yanmiao noticed Liang Rui drafting a memorial, likely reporting on the incident.

Liang Rui, aware of Xu’s presence, broke the silence first: “As an official of the court, you were nearly harmed. Now that you’re safe, it’s only natural to report it.”

Xu Yanmiao muttered a low “Ah,” before adding, “It was reckless of me at the time. I caused trouble for everyone, even forcing troops to come to my rescue.”

Liang Rui shook his head. “You only wanted to save people.”

Just then, a Ministry of War clerk entered. “Lord Xu! The woman you rescued is asking for you.”

Xu Yanmiao immediately stepped out. As soon as he left, the clerk turned to Liang Rui. “Shall I send this by 600-li urgent courier as well?”

Liang Rui paused, set down his brush, and blew on the ink to dry it. “When Xu Yanmiao first encountered trouble, I already sent someone to report it to the capital. By now, that courier should have covered over a hundred li and switched to a second horse. In just a few days, the message will reach the capital. If this second memorial were sent via regular horses, it might arrive to find His Majesty already on his way to Fujian in a panic.”

This, of course, was an exaggerated joke, but Liang Rui dared not take any risks.@@novelbin@@

Thus, even the peace-reporting memorial was dispatched via 600-li urgent courier. The two would likely arrive in the capital only a few hours apart.

Exiting the yamen, Xu Yanmiao saw the woman standing beneath the eaves of a street corner. She wore no makeup. Although there had been no rain in Fujian, a breeze stirred the air. Under the eaves, the homeowner had thoughtfully hung a string of wind chimes that jingled melodiously.

The woman’s voice of gratitude soon drowned out the wind chimes. Seeing that she might go on forever, Xu Yanmiao quickly interrupted her.

“Now that this matter is over, where do you plan to go? As I recall, your contract of servitude has already been taken from the brothel keeper and handed to the Prefect of Xinghua?”

Otherwise, the prefect wouldn’t have dared escalate things to such a dangerous extent.

Now that the Prefect of Xinghua had nearly cost himself his life, Liang Rui had stepped in, annulled the woman’s servitude contract through the government, and granted her freedom.

“I plan to head to the capital,” the woman said softly. “To visit the sisters I once knew in the brothel and secretly bring them some medicine. After that… perhaps I’ll look for a household hiring female workers without requiring a servitude contract. I could stay there for a while.”

Listening to her story, Xu Yanmiao learned that she wasn’t a native of Fujian. The Prefect of Xinghua, wary of disputes with local prostitutes, had specifically redeemed a woman from the capital. The distance and isolation ensured that even if something happened to her, no one would ever know.

The woman before him, stripped of makeup, had a pale face devoid of color. Her wrists, visible under her sleeves, were alarmingly thin. Though still a minor, her demeanor exuded an aged and weary air, a stark contrast to her youth.

Thinking of where she’d come from, Xu Yanmiao was blunt: “As a young woman, it’s not safe for you to enter a brothel alone. I’ll go with you when the time comes to make sure they don’t detain you.”

Caught off guard by his words, the woman froze. Once she processed what he’d said, tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks. She bowed deeply to Xu Yanmiao and said, “Thank you, my lord. Your great kindness is something I can never repay. In the next life, I shall bind grass and carry rings to repay you.”

Five days later, two couriers arrived at the capital, their deliveries separated by only half a day.

This allowed the court of Da Xia to experience the extremes of sorrow and joy in quick succession. Though they had speculated that Xu Yanmiao was unharmed—after all, five days was enough time for him to have succumbed if he were gravely injured—there was always that lingering what if.

What if Xiaobaize (Xu Yanmiao’s nickname) had suffered severe injuries and had been clinging to life these past few days?

“Thank goodness…”

The elderly emperor repeatedly reviewed the second memorial, his worry and anger dissipating into laughter despite being in the midst of a grand court assembly. “Ministers, look here! This Xu Yanmiao truly is a blessing to the nation. On a mere trip to Fujian, he uncovered a significant threat to the local populace!”

He then had the memorial passed down by a eunuch for others to read.

However, when the emperor said “ministers,” only the top-ranking officials of the second and third ranks could actually see the document. Many local officials were left scratching their heads, craning their necks to catch a glimpse while quietly speculating.

Who exactly was this Xu Yanmiao to be called a national blessing? He must be exceptionally favored by the emperor!

When these officials eventually left the capital and returned to their posts, they hadn’t even caught a glimpse of the legendary Xu Yanmiao. This sparked exaggerated rumors in the provinces, and centuries later, it became fodder for bizarre historical anecdotes.