Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

When Xu Yanmiao realized he had once again gone off track, he skillfully forgave himself.

[But honestly, how could anyone not get distracted when two high-ranking officials are competing to curry favor with a widow? It’s just too eye-catching.]

He kept flipping through the pages.

[Found it!]

Xu Yanmiao was utterly shocked.

[Wait, this whole thing was actually organized by a bunch of local thugs?!]

The Crown Prince: “What?!”

The Old Emperor: “What?!”

Jiao Cai and Jiang Weizhong: “What?!”

[Tsk tsk, it turns out that rich widows aren’t just popular with high-ranking officials—even the local thugs are into them!]

[So, because they found out that officials were pursuing the widow, they got furious? Thought that these big shots already had everything and yet were still trying to steal the widow from them? And in their anger, they gathered their gang to block them off?]

[Look at how ridiculous this is… Even if there were no officials involved, do you really think the widow would choose a bunch of thugs like you?]

Jiao Cai and Jiang Weizhong were completely numb.

They had considered countless possibilities—political rivals, past enemies, even the wild theory that one of them had secretly hired people to attack himself, only for it to backfire and hit them both.

And now you’re telling us… it was really just a bunch of random thugs?!

They must be out of their minds!

The Old Emperor suddenly said, “I still don’t believe you two are the type to repay grievances with virtue. You will remain here while the Five City Patrols capture and interrogate the culprits to uncover the truth.”

The two newly appointed Ministers paled, their backs breaking out in cold sweat.

Y-Y-Your Majesty…

Actually, if the victims don’t mind… maybe we don’t need to dig too deep into this?

Half a day later, the Five City Patrols had rounded up all the thugs. According to the law:

• Those who didn’t participate in the fight were detained for a few days before release.
• Anyone who had hit an official was sentenced to three years of hard labor.
• Those who injured an official were exiled two thousand li away.
• And anyone who broke an official’s teeth—or caused any injury worse than that—was sentenced to death by strangulation.

Then came the official report.

The reason behind the attack was exactly the same as what Xu Yanmiao had speculated in his inner thoughts.

And just like that, the two newly appointed Ministers were dismissed.

—Because the Old Emperor found their public squabble over a widow far too disgraceful.

One was demoted to Governor of Guide, the other to Governor of Puzhou.

History would remember them as the Half-Day Ministers.

“Everything else aside,” Xu Yanmiao secretly whispered to Lian Hang, “don’t you think the Left Censor-in-Chief’s position is cursed? Ever since Ji Gong, each one has been dismissed faster than the last.”

Lian Hang thought about it carefully and was startled. “That’s true! Could there really be something supernatural at play?”

Isn’t it said that divine beasts can sense evil spirits?

This thought was rather unsettling.

When the rumors finally reached Xie Huai, the newly appointed Left Censor-in-Chief, he gasped loudly. Upon returning home, he immediately placed a Shigandang stone outside his residence to ward off evil spirits. To further rid himself of bad luck, he also bought a bundle of pomelo leaves for a cleansing bath.

Xu Yanmiao had no idea that his casual gossip with his good friend had spread and caused such a dramatic reaction from the current Left Censor-in-Chief.

With enthusiasm, he invited Lian Hang, “It’s been a while since we had a haircut. Want to find a bitou master?”

In this dynasty, bitou masters—barbers—mostly roamed the streets, offering door-to-door services. Only the wealthy could afford to own a permanent barbershop.

Lian Hang nodded. “Let’s go to my place. I know a skilled bitou master. Whether it’s trimming eyebrows, shaving beards, or even cutting nose hair, he does it all neatly and precisely. He can also help you with qu’er.”

—Which was just a fancy way of saying earwax removal.

After a moment of thought, Lian Hang added, “He can also nie your body.”

—Which meant a massage.

“His massages feel really good.”

Xu Yanmiao’s eyes lit up. “That sounds great! Let’s go!”

Lian Hang grinned. “Let’s go!”

It was just around the time the government offices were locking up for the day. The two walked out of the inner city, discussing work as they went. They talked about the ongoing entanglements between the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War—complaining about how certain generals were incredibly difficult to deal with. The generals didn’t want the Ministry of War interfering with their military affairs, yet when it came to selecting officers, they also didn’t want the Ministry of Personnel making the decisions.

Lian Hang sighed. “Speaking of which, why has your ministry been sitting on our memorial for so many days without signing it?”

—Any interdepartmental memorials had to be approved by the Ministry of Personnel before being submitted to the emperor.

Xu Yanmiao blinked. “What memorial?”

Lian Hang explained, “Isn’t the Department of Vehicle and Waterways in charge of naval routes? After the Grand General and the Marquis of Xie County returned from their voyage, they drafted nautical charts. Our department wants to manage and preserve these charts. But for some reason, your ministry just won’t sign off on it.”

Xu Yanmiao quickly checked the system but couldn’t find the reason right away. “I’ll ask about it.”

Lian Hang waved it off. “No need. If I really want answers, I can just ask my father-in-law directly. I was just venting to you. Your ministry probably has its own reasons. My father-in-law wouldn’t make things difficult for me over this.”

Xu Yanmiao asked, “The Marquis of Xie County?”

Lian Hang: “Huh? You mean ask her? But I’m not really close to her…”

Xu Yanmiao: “No, I mean—Isn’t that the Marquis of Xie County over there?”

Lian Hang turned his head and immediately widened his eyes. “The Marquis of Xie County? Why is she with the Princess of Xiangyang…?”

Not far ahead, Xie Luoshui seemed to be speaking with the Princess of Xiangyang. Her expression was slightly awkward and uneasy. The princess, on the other hand, responded with a single sentence, her sharp, radiant eyes gleaming as she raised an arrogant brow.

Xu Yanmiao suggested, “Probably a personal matter. Let’s take another route so they don’t see us and make things awkward.”

Lian Hang agreed, “Good idea.”

They turned away and had barely walked a few steps when a voice suddenly rang out behind them—

“Xu Yan Miao!!!”

Turning back, they saw the Princess of Xiangyang sprinting toward them, her official robes billowing, her dark shadow gliding swiftly over the ground.

Xu Yanmiao immediately hurried toward her. “Slow down! If you run that fast, you might trip!”

The princess clearly had something on her mind. When she reached him, she locked eyes with him and said in frustration, “The Marquis of Xie County’s household had a problem with their pigs, and Lin Zhi cured them. To thank him, the marquis asked what he wanted in return. Lin Zhi requested that the marquis deliver a poem he wrote for me.

“But I don’t like Lin Zhi. I don’t want to get married. And now, I’m really annoyed about this whole situation.”

Xu Yanmiao blinked blankly. “Okay, I got it…”

[Lin Zhi? Who was that again?]

[Oh, oh! That guy who likes Gao Xiang! The one who wrote poetry for her!]

The Princess of Xiangyang, speaking quickly, continued, “So just now, I wasn’t intentionally giving the Marquis of Xie County a bad attitude.”

Xu Yanmiao nodded. “I believe you. By the way, Lian Lang and I are heading to his place for a grooming session. Want to join us for dinner afterward?”

The Princess of Xiangyang was momentarily stunned but then burst into laughter, raising her head high once more. “Since you are so sincerely inviting this princess, this princess shall reluctantly accept your offer!”

After a pause, she blinked and added, “Let’s go to Yuan Garden. My treat.”

Yuan Garden was the finest restaurant in the capital. The food was exquisite, but the prices were equally astonishing. Whenever Xu Yanmiao came here before, he only dared to order a single dish each time.

But today, the princess was treating…

“I want the peony swallow dish!”

The Princess of Xiangyang snapped her fingers. “Order it!”

“Sweet beef soup!”

“Order it!”

“And lamb liver cakes!”

“Order it!”

Xu Yanmiao clapped his hands together in admiration. “Your Highness is so generous! I am endlessly grateful!”

The Princess of Xiangyang pulled off her gold bracelet and smacked it onto the table. “Order whatever you like! I have plenty of money!”

[Wuhu! Thank you, rich lady!!!]

The princess’s eyes curved into a smile.

There was something she didn’t want to tell Xu Yanmiao—she was afraid it would make him feel pressured.

By the time she was born, her father was already the emperor. As a child, she had playmates, mostly daughters of officials, but they were all afraid of her. Behind her back, they whispered about how fierce she was. But in truth, she simply refused to be taken advantage of.

Like the time when a noodle shop opened in the capital. They advertised themselves as a century-old establishment, claiming that a past zhuangyuan (top scholar) had once eaten there, and so they named it the Zhuangyuan Pavilion. The price of the noodles was standard, but the place was always packed.

When the Princess of Xiangyang went to try it, she took one bite and immediately noticed—the broth was yellowed, the noodles were bitter. Clearly, it was a scam targeting scholars visiting the capital for the first time, tricking them into paying for “good luck” before their exams. Most people, upon realizing they’d been cheated, just left cursing.

But not her.

She ordered another bowl, slammed the table, and forced the shop owner—who was sobbing and sniffling—to eat the entire disgusting bowl of noodles himself. Then she made him refund her money.

It had nothing to do with standing up for scholars. She was simply pissed that she had been scammed.

Her so-called “playmates” tried to dissuade her. “Just let it go. They didn’t overcharge you. If the food is bad, just don’t come back next time. There’s no need to bully people like this.”

The Princess of Xiangyang ignored them, keeping a cold expression as she finished her business, took her money, and walked away. The next day, the Five City Patrol Guards came and shut the shop down.

To those “playmates,” the princess was too ruthless. Sure, the noodles were bad, but the shop could have just been ordered to improve. Shutting it down completely—how would the owner’s family survive?

After that, they distanced themselves from her, maintaining only the level of courtesy required between a minister’s daughter and a princess.

The Princess of Xiangyang didn’t care in the slightest. She was a princess—people should flatter her. Let them misunderstand; she had no interest in explaining herself.

But Xu Yanmiao was different.

She saw him as a real friend. She didn’t want him to think she was someone who abused her royal status to bully others.

Of course, Xu Yanmiao didn’t misunderstand.

In fact, he was more interested in something else. “So, what does the poem say? Is it any good?”

The Princess of Xiangyang replied, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“Mm. I haven’t read it.”

Xu Yanmiao was terribly curious. Sneaking a peek at his system, he took a glance at the poem. [Hmm… I can’t tell if it is good or bad. It had been ages since I last did literary analysis. If I didn’t already know the poem was meant for Gao Xiang, I might have mistaken it for something expressing homesickness.]

The Princess of Xiangyang secretly laughed but kept a straight face, pretending not to hear his inner thoughts. She suppressed her smile and asked, “I haven’t been out much lately. Anything new happening in the capital?”

Xu Yanmiao held up three fingers. “Three things! One is about your brother, the crown prince. One is about Elder Quan. And one is about the great scholar Tong Xin. Which one do you want to hear first?”

Then, lowering his voice mysteriously, he added, “I’m telling you, the story about the crown prince—no one else knows about it! I accidentally overheard it. It’s exclusive news!”

The Princess of Xiangyang considered. “Then I’ll…”

Xu Yanmiao looked at her eagerly.

She grinned. “I’ll hear about Elder Quan first.”

Xu Yanmiao’s eyes widened. “You’re not going to ask about your own brother first?”

She waved dismissively. “What’s there to ask? He’s probably just hanging around the street corners watching excitement, as usual. But Elder Quan is ninety years old! Whatever’s happening with him is definitely more interesting!”

Xu Yanmiao was exasperated. “But this time, the crown prince did something that completely shocked me! And I bet you’ll never guess what it is!”

The Princess of Xiangyang remained indifferent. “It’s fine, it’s fine. I’m not really intere—”

She paused.

Xu Yanmiao had gripped the edge of the table, leaning forward eagerly, his whole body tensed as if someone had just tickled his ribs.

The princess couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing.

And that was a mistake.

Xu Yanmiao immediately realized she had been teasing him. He slapped the table and stood up, pretending to be angry. “I’m the one with the news—I get to decide which one we talk about first! And we’re starting with Elder Quan!”

“Ah?” This time, it was the princess’s turn to sulk.

In truth, the thing she most wanted to hear about… was the crown prince’s latest antics.

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