Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

“Dong dong dong dong dong dong dong—”

The old emperor blurted out, “What’s that noise?”

“It seems…” The grand eunuch tilted his head to listen. “Someone is striking the Drum of Appeals outside the Meridian Gate.”

The Drum of Appeals?

The old emperor stood up solemnly. “Summon the officials!”

…

Xu Yanmiao walked at the very back of the officials’ procession, listening to a Official from the Ministry of War explain.

“When His Majesty first founded the dynasty, he had the Drum of Appeals placed outside the Meridian Gate. If commoners suffer injustice, they may strike the drum to petition directly to the throne.”

“Oh, oh! Does it require crawling over a nail board? I heard they have to do that before presenting grievances.”

That would be as pointless as taking off one’s pants to fart.

Even in previous dynasties, penalties for petitioners usually involved a dozen lashes or canings but never crawling over nail boards.

Xu Yanmiao felt embarrassed. “That was my misunderstanding…”

The moment he stepped into the side hall near the Meridian Gate, an overwhelming stench of blood assaulted him.

[What the—![ Xu Yanmiao’s pupils shook. [Did the old emperor really make petitioners crawl over a nail board?

The other officials: … Thank you. We’re shocked, too.

At the front of the group, the prime minister and the six ministers suddenly looked up at the old emperor.

Your Majesty, this doesn’t seem appropriate!

—Mostly because they could also smell the thick scent of blood, far too heavy to be normal.

A vein throbbed at the old emperor’s temple.

He shot Xu Yanmiao a glare before firmly enunciating: “I’ve already ordered the imperial physician to provide aid. This woman’s body was already covered in wounds before she struck the Drum of Appeals. I do not yet know what grievance drove her to endure such pain.”

His words were crisp and deliberate, as if worried they might mishear. When he said before, he placed special emphasis on it.

The imperial physician approached with his medicine chest, gazing at the blood-soaked figure before him with pity. Years of medical experience told him this patient couldn’t be saved—he could only ease her pain before death.@@novelbin@@

“Sigh…”

The physician reached out to check her pulse.

“Slap!” A blood-streaked hand suddenly grabbed his wrist and pushed it aside.

“Ahhhh!” the physician screamed.

[She’s alive!]

The old emperor gripped the armrest tightly, veins bulging along his arm. If he hadn’t been sitting, he might have staggered back three steps!

“Your Majesty!!!” The bloodied woman spoke, her voice not exactly strong but filled with sorrowful determination. “This humble woman, Xie Luoshui, accuses the Marquis of Kuaiji, his wife, and their heir of grievous crimes!”

The old emperor opened his mouth, about to speak, but Xu Yanmiao’s internal voice had already spoken on his behalf:

[What the heck? What kind of protagonist physique does this woman have? Wounded like that, shouldn’t she at least be on the brink of death? How does she still have the strength to speak so forcefully?]

Xu Yanmiao’s eyes fixed on the system’s gossip feed, gasping. [She had a miscarriage just yesterday!]

The civil and military officials collectively hissed in shock.

[You’d never guess!]

What woman doesn’t need to rest in bed for at least ten days to half a month after a miscarriage?

[Impressive! She took advantage of the Marquis of Kuaiji’s family attending the Prime Minister’s betrothal ceremony to flee, stole a horse, and rode 40 miles straight to the capital to make her case.]

Everyone couldn’t help but glance at the ragged woman’s legs. Her inner thighs were rubbed raw, bleeding profusely.

Yet!

As Xie Luoshui recounted her grievances, she became more impassioned. Her left leg instinctively stepped forward—her tattered clothing shifted, reopening wounds that had only just begun to scab over.

Hiss— Even the Prime Minister couldn’t help wincing on her behalf.

But the fragile-looking woman only furrowed her brow slightly, as if such pain was insignificant to her.

She quickly recounted her ordeal:

She was the daughter of a farming family who recently entered the city with her parents to sell fish. The heir of the Marquis of Kuaiji initially wooed her with sweet words, luring her into the household. But when the family heard the emperor was considering remarrying Princess Xiangyang, they imprisoned her to prevent rumors from spreading. Meanwhile, the heir pretended to be a virtuous man, claiming he had remained single and untouched for years in honor of the princess.

As for the pregnancy—it was the result of the heir’s drunken assault on her.

The old emperor turned his gaze to the Marquis of Kuaiji. “Do you have anything to say?”

Xie Luoshui also prepared herself, expecting the marquis to deny or even counteraccuse her.

To everyone’s surprise, the marquis immediately confessed, admitting he had been blinded by ambition and desperate to have his family marry into the royal lineage.

After confessing, he even apologized to Xie Luoshui with remarkable speed. Everyone, from the emperor to the officials, was stunned. The old emperor, still dazed, delivered the verdict according to the law:

The Marquis of Kuaiji was guilty of causing bodily harm and sentenced to 40 lashes. The heir was guilty of assault and sentenced to two years of labor.

The emperor couldn’t help asking, “Marquis of Kuaiji, do you accept this judgment of 40 lashes for harming another?”

The marquis bowed deeply. “I accept the punishment.”

The emperor asked again, “Your son’s crime of assaulting an unmarried woman warrants two years of labor. Do you accept?”

Once again, the marquis bowed. “I accept on behalf of my unworthy son.”

The emperor turned to Xie Luoshui. “Are you satisfied with this verdict?”

She knelt and replied, “This humble woman is satisfied.”

Since the plaintiff was satisfied, the court session concluded.

Xu Yanmiao, having muddled his way through, remained confused. He began to question why he had even attended this court session.

Looking up, he noticed the Marquis of Kuaiji hastily leaving the hall.