Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

A large ship sailed across the river. The sailors on board adjusted the sails while singing in their rough, booming voices. Their song roared like a thousand wild horses galloping madly, crashing into each other. The entire Luo River seemed to transform into a massive carriage, surging up and down in response to the raging horses, its waves swelling as if they wanted to charge straight into the sky.

Gao He coughed again. “It’s… rustic charm. Cough, rustic charm.”

Xu Yanmiao glanced at him. Their eyes met, and suddenly, they couldn’t help but laugh at the same time.

This was certainly an unusual way to treat someone to a meal.

[Mmm… time to relax—]

Xu Yanmiao stretched lazily, lay down on the riverbank, and gazed at the sky. The scent of the river breeze filled his nostrils, making him feel utterly relaxed.

While he watched the sky, Gao He grilled the fish, occasionally sneaking glances at Xu Lang.

In just one court session, Xu Lang’s image in Gao He’s mind had completely transformed.

The first time Gao He met Xu Yanmiao, he thought of him as a quiet young man who stood to the side, not saying much. His demeanor was natural, and his face was as exquisite as fine porcelain.

The second time they met, Xu Lang patiently explained important points about the imperial examination and even compiled a handbook to help scholars prepare.

At that moment, Xu Lang seemed like a living Bodhisattva, radiating the compassionate light of salvation.

The third time, Xu Lang transformed into the ultimate nightmare of cheating examinees —merciless and sharp-eyed. Any cheater who came was exposed on the spot!

A few days later, after attending court together, Gao He finally understood…

Xu Lang’s true nature—he was someone who loved to watch the excitement unfold!

Xu Yanmiao: “Why are your legs shaking?”

Gao He wiped the sweat off his forehead. “First day at court… um…”

And then I found out there’s a terrifying force of destruction sitting in the court.

“…I’m nervous.”

“No need to be too nervous. Based on my observations, except for a few individuals, most people are rather friendly. The court atmosphere isn’t that gloomy. Sometimes there are even full-on brawls, but that’s usually over fighting for things, or just out of sheer frustration.”

Xu Yanmiao puffed out his chest like a reliable senior, passing down experience to the new official.

Gao He couldn’t help but laugh. He cupped his hands in thanks. “Many thanks, Attendant Xu, for your guidance—hmm? What’s that?”

Xu Yanmiao instinctively turned his head.

Inside Wuying Hall, the old emperor carefully unwrapped layer upon layer of cloth, revealing a treasured redwood box. The seals on the ropes bore traces of wax, with one seal in the middle and two on each end.

“An imperial dispatch with five seals…”

A genuine smile spread across the old emperor’s face.

The Great Xia Dynasty had a ranking system for dispatches, each with different levels of urgency. From least to most urgent, they were:

• One-seal dispatch: Minor, trivial matters, deliverable by a single horse and carriage.
• Two-seal dispatch: Slightly more important matters, requiring a two-horse carriage.
• Three-seal dispatch: Urgent issues that could not be delayed, requiring a carriage pulled by four lower-grade horses.
• Four-seal dispatch: Time-sensitive matters such as imperial decrees and edicts, requiring a carriage drawn by four mid-grade horses.
• Five-seal dispatch: The highest level—reserved for national emergencies or martial law declarations, requiring a carriage drawn by four top-grade horses.

The emperor had received this five-seal dispatch earlier, read its contents, and immediately issued another edict to put certain cities under martial law.

“Qin Guan, you’re finally back.”

My precious sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn! You’re finally home!

When Xu Yanmiao turned back, he saw a grand, luxurious ship approaching from the distant waters of the Luo River. It was at least two stories high, packed with people, and the river breeze carried their cheers, cries, and shouts.

With a loud whoosh, the sails were lowered to the base of the mast, and the ship came to a halt in the middle of the river.

Soon, a smaller boat was lowered. Several people boarded, and the boat rocked with the waves as it made its way to shore. In the blink of an eye, it arrived.

Xu Yanmiao watched as they threw an iron anchor onto the riverbank, lowered a wooden gangplank, and disembarked.

The people on board wore ragged clothes. The moment they set foot on land, they went wild—some deliberately fell to the ground, clutching the dirt as if embracing a lost lover, while others slapped their own faces repeatedly, exclaiming, “I’m back! I’m back!”

Some tore at their own clothes, yanked their hair, and wept bitterly. Their filthy bodies were covered in grime, making them look like shaggy, black-furred mountain spirits.

From the ship, Xu Yanmiao spotted a familiar face—

Xie Luoshui, and… General Qin Guan.@@novelbin@@

The last person to jump off the ship looked like a savage from a distant tribe—yellow-skinned, barefoot, nearly naked except for a cloth wrapped around his waist. Around his neck, he wore a necklace adorned with bird feathers, and his arms were wrapped with pearl strings.

His eyes were perfectly fine, yet he sniffed the air like a wild beast, as if relying on scent to observe his surroundings.

Xie Luoshui smiled and asked the man, “So, what do you think? Isn’t it skookum (top-notch)?”

The man nodded vigorously, clapping his hands. “Skookum! Skookum!”

Then, in a strange, stilted tone, he shouted:

“Da Xia! Da Xia!”

Then came a string of unfamiliar words, seemingly words of praise.

Xu Yanmiao: “…”

[Hiss—]

Xu Yanmiao’s eyes widened.

[Indi—ugh, I keep calling them that out of habit. I shouldn’t be using that name.]

But for now, he wasn’t sure what to call them. These native people didn’t have a unified name at this time; each tribe had its own designation.

He opened his system and checked the man’s background.

Xu Yanmiao suddenly understood.

[Oh! From the Paraguay tribe! So he should be called a Paraguayan.]

[You guys really went all out, bringing the local tribesmen back too.]