Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Meanwhile, Xu Yanmiao had already overtaken them on the curve.

[Me, me, me! I know too!]

[Those two tables of retired officials—there’s one guy with a pale face who speaks with a Tianjin accent! He took some!]

The Jinyiwei guards at the door immediately began writing down notes.

The emperor: “Five.”

Di Wu’ang and the man who rolled forward: “Five?”

Five what?

[And that guy whose head looks like a chisel!]

The emperor: “Four.”

The man who had rolled out nearly jumped to his feet: “Your Majesty! Isn’t this a bit too—”

[Also, that one dressed brighter than a pheasant—even flashier than a brocade rooster!]

The emperor: “Three.”

Di Wu’ang blurted out, “My dear friend, former Hanlin Academy Reader—Zhu Heng!”

Zhu Heng had been sick recently, and all his teeth had fallen out. But in that moment, it was as if a medical miracle had occurred—his jaw trembled as if he were grinding his teeth.

Di Wu’ang! You bastard!

We were brothers, and you betrayed me without a second thought?!

Zhu Heng reluctantly shuffled forward and knelt in the middle of the chamber.

The emperor, calm as ever, remarked, “The Jinyiwei have already reported this one.”

—That was the one with the chisel-shaped head.

The emperor: “Pick another.”

The emperor: “Two.”

The man who had rolled out hurriedly shouted, “Your Majesty! Former Assistant Magistrate of Yingtian Prefecture—Wen Shuzhi! He also seized public land!”

The emperor: “That one is already known as well.”

The other retired officials: “?!”

Since when was the Jinyiwei—an organization only created in the 32nd year of the Tian Tong reign—this omniscient?!

Wen Shuzhi, now furious, snapped back:

“Oh, so you’re accusing me? Don’t think I don’t know—you’re even worse! Under your jurisdiction, a female-led rebellion actually broke out!”

—He had deliberately used the term “rebellion” instead of calling them “female bandits” or “rioters.”

Using harsher language wasn’t just an insult—it was a trap, a way to subtly alarm the emperor. If he had used softer words like “riot” or “unrest,” the impact wouldn’t be nearly as explosive as calling it an “uprising.” ʀ𝐀𝐍օ𝐁ЁS

The others: 😮

Was this guy just saying random nonsense because he knew he wouldn’t survive anyway?!

That was treason! And he just called it an uprising?!

The man who had rolled out gave Wen Shuzhi a glance and gruffly said,

“It’s because of people like you spreading baseless rumors that the saying ‘three men make a tiger’ exists.”

Then, he turned and knelt with a loud thud before the emperor:

“Your Majesty, allow me to report—this matter is not my fault. I am Xu Jingxing, a retired magistrate of Changshu County. As for the so-called ‘rebel woman’—she is Lady Li, a wealthy local landowner who once fought alongside Princess Lihua in the great battle of Hangzhou.”

—This “Princess Lihua” was not an actual princess of the previous dynasty, but rather the younger sister of one of the Eighteen Rebel Kings who rose up during the end of the last reign. She was also one of their most prominent generals. Skilled in wielding the Lihua Spear, she was famously known as “Lady Lihua” or “Princess Lihua.”

Xu Jingxing continued: “The county vice magistrate, Liu Zhi, was corrupt and greedy. He demanded to seize a precious warhorse that Lady Li’s son had accidentally found. When her son refused, Liu framed him as a bandit and sentenced him to death. I failed to see through the lie and wrongfully executed him.”

“Lady Li, filled with grief and resentment, opened a tavern in the countryside. Any young man who came to drink—she let them drink on credit. If they were poor, she gave them grain and money. If they had ambitions, she gifted them gold, silver, and swords. Over the years, she gained countless followers who owed her a great debt of gratitude.”

“The young ruffians in the county, though often reckless, were also fiercely loyal. When they heard of Lady Li’s grievance, they stormed the magistrate’s office and beheaded Liu Zhi. That is how the so-called ‘uprising’ began.”

Wen Shuzhi sneaked a glance at the emperor’s face—and his heart sank instantly.

Oh no!

The emperor might actually think this old bastard was wronged!

So he immediately went into sarcasm mode: *”Ohhh~~ ‘I failed to see through it’~~”

In the corner, Liang Rui quietly explained to his son: “Did you get that? It’s not about what he said. It’s about making sure the emperor immediately understands what you want him to think.”

“I failed to see through it? Failed to see through what? You were the magistrate! A huge scandal happened right under your nose, and all you have to say for yourself is ‘Oops, my bad’?!”

The phrase “I failed to see through it” was just four simple words, but the mockery in them was crystal clear to everyone in the room—

Including the emperor.

The Heavenly Sovereign Emperor smiled graciously:

“So… ‘you failed to see through it’?”

Xu Jingxing, the retired magistrate of Changshu, folded faster than a rabbit: “Your Majesty! I am guilty!”

Wen Shuzhi smirked in victory.

But then, Xu Jingxing shot back: “However! I have never seized even a single acre of public land! True, I was a lazy official who avoided responsibility, but at least I knew which things I could touch, and which things I couldn’t!”

Wen Shuzhi’s face instantly turned livid.

He dropped to his knees and, not daring to meet the emperor’s gaze, crawled forward:@@novelbin@@

“Your Majesty! I… I did take public land! I deserve death a thousand times over—but!!!”

He raised his voice: “The land I leased to farmers was split 40-60—I took 40, they kept 60. And when times were hard, I even let them delay their payments! Unlike certain people in this room—who were cold-blooded and ruthless, squeezing their tenants dry! If the farmers couldn’t pay rent, they charged them usurious interest, a 9-13 compounding rate! Truly shameless!”

“#@×あ…!!”

WEN SHUZHI! YOU SON OF A—!!

Immediately, several more people fell to their knees and crawled forward:

“Your Majesty, I… I only…!”

[Also, that guy in the blue satin fur robe…]

[That’s probably about all of them in the room… Wait, what? Why are more people crawling out?]

Xu Yanmiao, momentarily distracted by the system, turned back—only to find a whole crowd of people lying flat on the ground in the center of the room, like a cluster of little dirt mounds.

He was shocked on the spot.

Then, he flipped through the system records.

[Oh! A dog-eat-dog fight!]

[Let me see what you all have been saying—So, former Assistant Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture, you think you’re any better than the others? Sure, you didn’t grab as much public land as them, but what’s the real difference between a 40-60 split and a 50-50 split? The farmers were already only supposed to pay a thirtieth of their earnings in taxes, and you still squeezed them dry. There’s no such thing as “better” in this kind of exploitation!]

The old emperor sighed in regret once again.

—Such a sharp tongue… If only it could be put to use as a Censorate official!

Unfortunately, the retired officials in the hall couldn’t hear Xu Yanmiao’s inner thoughts—so he had to do it himself.

After another sigh of regret, the emperor finally looked down at Wen Shuzhi, who was still kneeling on the ground.

“A 40-60 split with the common people… you’re proud of that?”

Wen Shuzhi looked up with an awkward chuckle.

“W-well, not exactly…”

The emperor’s tone remained calm.

“So, do you want Me to distinguish you from the others? Instead of having your entire clan executed, should We be merciful and only exterminate three generations of your family? Consider it a reward for at least not chopping off one more limb per farmer?”

Wen Shuzhi: “……”

Tears poured from his eyes.

The emperor: “Touched, aren’t you?”

Wen Shuzhi’s mental defenses completely collapsed.

“But… but I only care about the three generations! The other six I don’t even know that well!!!”

Exterminating three generations vs. exterminating nine generations—what’s the difference?!

The emperor: “…Oh.”

—Actually, he hadn’t thought of that before.

Meanwhile, the retired magistrate of Changshu County stealthily shifted his position, carefully observing the situation with a pleased grin.

Lucky me!

If the emperor was serious about that punishment… then those who took public land only got three generations executed. But since he didn’t steal land—only neglected his duties—wouldn’t that mean only he himself would be executed? His whole clan might be safe!

[Huh? What’s that retired magistrate of Changshu County smiling about?]

The retired magistrate suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

He looked around carefully—only to find that the emperor, along with several others, were all staring directly at him.

Retired magistrate: “……”

His smile instantly froze on his face.

[Wait… could he actually be gloating about getting away with his crimes right in front of the emperor?!]

Xu Yanmiao’s mind went off in an entirely different direction, and under the “farewell” gazes of the other court officials, he instinctively started exposing the former magistrate’s hidden sins.

[What’s he so smug about? Sure, he didn’t take public land—but it’s not like he didn’t commit other crimes. You think the Jinyiwei can’t find out?]

The Jinyiwei Commander’s gaze flickered slightly.

—Oh, they could investigate… just not as fast as this guy.

[Someone blocked your distant nephew’s path, so he had them beaten up.]

[The victim fought back, so your nephew killed them, fed their body to dogs, and still strutted around town without a care?!]

[Tsk, what a truly privileged magistrate. Ruling the county like a personal kingdom.]

[And when it came time for the imperial exams, did students just need to write an essay called “My Uncle the Magistrate” to secure a place on the list?]

“Pfft—!”

A number of court officials nearly burst into laughter, but they held it in with all their might—their throats burning from the effort.

“My Uncle the Magistrate”…

—That was brutal.

He was stabbing straight into the emperor’s lungs with that one.

The old emperor silently glanced sideways at them.

Hah!

Naïve.

They were laughing now—but knowing Xu Yanmiao, he might keep digging and end up exposing a “My Uncle the Minister” or even a “My Father the Imperial Physician”.

Then they’d be the ones crying.

[Speaking of “My Uncle the Magistrate”, I remember seeing some gossip before… Wasn’t there a “My Grandfather the Governor”?]

The other officials: Hahahahahaha!

Wait… he’s actually dragging someone else down with him?!

Who’s the unlucky bastard this time?! Hahahahahaha!

No way it’s us—none of us are local officials!

[Actually, he’s no longer a governor now. He’s been a high-ranking capital official for years… So now it should be “My Grandfather the Provincial Commissioner”.]

The court officials: “……”

Especially those currently holding government positions titled “Commissioner”—who also happened to have grandsons—their faces instantly stiffened.

Their eyes widened so much their wrinkles practically smoothed out.

Which Commissioner?!

Which Provincial Commissioner?!

SAY THE NAME!!

How did this go from a purge of retired officials to dragging capital officials into it too?!