Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

“Move the large Huanghuali wood screen inlaid with yellow marble!”

“Take all these bedding and satin pillows and burn them. Who knows if he might have caught the same disease as his uncle!”

“This set of blue-and-white teacups and saucers wasn’t touched by the Prince Consort, right? Alright, keep it.”

When Princess Wanshou entered, she saw the servants here being ordered around by Princess Xiangyang, busily moving or destroying one item after another.

Meanwhile, Princess Xiangyang stood on a swing, rocking back and forth. Below the stone bench nearby lay a pair of exquisitely embroidered shoes, carelessly placed.

“Shengxian, what are you…”

Princess Xiangyang turned her head. “Fifth Sister?”

She made no move to get down, clutching the ropes with one hand and smiling brightly. “Why has Fifth Sister come to see me?”

Princess Wanshou explained her reason for coming.

“They never mistreated me, and their contracts were in Liu Yi’s hands. They were always terrified of being beaten to death or sold off. How could they dare step out of line, let alone treat me kindly?”

Princess Wanshou seemed lost in thought, speaking slowly: “If anyone is to blame, it’s myself for not being able to stand tall back then. How could I fault them for not helping me?”

“Father, in his fury, had them imprisoned and is waiting until the autumn for their execution. At first, I didn’t think much about it. But recently, while visiting the Ministry of Revenue, I overheard clerks discussing the struggles of their families and the humiliations they’ve endured for survival. It made me realize: even those with official positions live with such hardships. What about those whose lives aren’t their own?”

Compared to her emotionally distant, authoritarian father, the Emperor, or her gentle but unfamiliar mother, the Empress, the first person who came to mind as someone to seek help from was the little sister who used to follow her around excitedly, calling her “sister” before her marriage.

Her little sister tilted her head on the swing, watching her.

Princess Xiangyang knew her Fifth Sister’s temperament well. Kind, yes, but only toward “people.” Servants? Naturally excluded.

How many days had she been on duty? And yet she was already sympathizing with the plight of servants.

Becoming an official… could it really change someone so drastically?

Suddenly, Princess Xiangyang became immensely curious about the idea of being an official.

Thus, after easily persuading their father to release the servants, she declared confidently: “Father! I want to be an official too!”

The old Emperor frowned at her. “What kind of official can a young girl like you be? Do you think you’re capable of such work?”

“Fifth Sister is an official. She can manage accounts, and I’m not bad at it either.”

“Not bad, but your Fifth Sister’s appointment is temporary. Besides, she almost got beaten to death by her Prince Consort and needed something to do. Are you in the same position as her?”

Princess Xiangyang began seriously contemplating the possibility of dragging her estranged Prince Consort back and forcing him to beat her.

She then added, “What about the one who struck the Drum of Injustice?”

“I need her to go overseas.”

Princess Xiangyang refused to give up. “Father! I want to be an official!”

But this time, no matter how much she fussed, her usually indulgent father refused to budge.

Princess Xiangyang stormed out of the palace. “I’m never speaking to Father again!”

Five whole days! She had pleaded with him for five days straight, and not only did he refuse, but he also demanded she copy Admonitions for Women!

“I’m so furious!”

“I’m so furious!”

Two voices spoke simultaneously.

Princess Xiangyang froze and looked up, gasping softly.

What a handsome young man!

The man, too, looked at her in astonishment.

“What’s making you angry?”

“What’s making you angry?”

Again, they spoke in unison, then stared at each other before breaking into laughter.

“I’m Gao Xiang. And you?”

“Gao? A royal surname, huh,” the man said with a smile. “I’m Xu Yanmiao.”

The two sat in a bustling teahouse, Xu Yanmiao’s voice lively and animated. “I’ve been house-hunting these past few days—not to buy, just to rent.”

“I listed my requirements to the brokerage, and they promised they’d find me something suitable. But they lied!”

“I said I wanted a landlord who was easy to deal with. They patted their chests and swore the homeowner they chose would be kind and reasonable!”

“Instead, they gave me a landlord who demands advance rent and hikes prices whenever they feel like it. Don’t think I don’t know! Their last tenant had a visiting mother from out of town, and the landlord took advantage of her need for a place to stay by raising the rent by 20%!”

As his indignation grew, he rapped his knuckles twice on the table like a drumbeat.

Princess Xiangyang’s eyes widened. “Unbelievable! You can’t live in a place like that!”

“Exactly! That’s what I thought too!”

“And then there was the time I said I didn’t want a house next to a ditch because, during the rainy season, sewage would overflow into the yard. Even if there wasn’t any sewage, I didn’t like damp houses. They agreed and showed me a place far from any ditch. But it turned out to be a leaky hut in the middle of nowhere! They even swore the roof wouldn’t leak!”

“As if! I could tell just by looking—it leaks! Previous tenants told me they had to use every pot and pan during storms!”

“And then, there was another time…”

Xu Yanmiao’s complaints continued, leaving Princess Xiangyang marveling at his seemingly endless stream of information. She couldn’t help but wonder where he got all this—his intelligence network seemed better than the beggars in popular tales!

His stories made her want to vent as well.

So, after Xu Yanmiao finished ranting about his housing woes, Princess Xiangyang began complaining about her father: “My dad is so stubborn. I told him I wanted to work at our family’s tavern, but he refused, saying it’s unbecoming for a girl to show her face in public.”

“He even claimed I was spoiled and wouldn’t last. Fine, maybe I don’t know how to manage a tavern yet, but I could at least greet customers at the door! And I’m good at accounting. If he wanted to, he could find me a position to start, and I could work my way up!”

“He just doesn’t want to let me!”

Xu Yanmiao thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. “I have an idea—it might be a bit underhanded.”

“That’s fine! Tell me!”

“Does your dad have something he cherishes or someone he cares about deeply?”

“My mom.”

“Perfect! Here’s what you do…”

Xu Yanmiao leaned closer, whispering his plan. The more Princess Xiangyang listened, the brighter her eyes grew.

That night.

In the Jiao Fang Palace, the Emperor enthusiastically held a spoonful of soup. “Dearest, you love this chicken soup. Let me feed you. Open wide…”

Empress Dou blushed. “You’re too old for this!”

The Emperor chuckled. “No matter how old we are, you’re still my dearest. Come on, open up…”

“Ahhh—”

“AHHH—”

Now I know where title comes from. Hahahahah

The Emperor froze.

The Empress froze.

“GAO SHENGXIAN! What are you doing here?”

Princess Xiangyang clasped her hands to her cheeks. “I came to visit Mother.”

The Empress quickly stood, her neck flushed. “You two eat. I still have palace affairs to handle!”

The Emperor reached out, but the Empress walked away briskly as though something was chasing her.

…

The Emperor and Empress strolled in the imperial garden.

As they climbed the stone steps, the Emperor pushed aside the palace attendants. “Dearest, let me help you.”

The Empress extended her hand.

They leaned close, and the Empress softly said, “Do you remember back then…”

The Emperor, in perfect sync, began to respond—only to freeze when his instincts, honed from countless crises, screamed a warning. He barked sharply, “Who’s there?”

The bushes rustled.

The Emperor nearly kicked them when Princess Xiangyang emerged. “Father! Mother! What a coincidence!”

“…”

“…”

“By the way, Mother, how did you and Father meet…”

The Empress coughed lightly and quickly recounted their story. All romance was thoroughly drained.

The Emperor: 🙁

After enduring this several more times, the Emperor lost patience and finally gave Princess Xiangyang an official position. “The New Year is approaching, so it’s busy. You can take office after the holiday!”

“Great! Father, you’re the best! I’m staying outside the palace for the next few days!”

The Emperor: “…”

The next morning, the Emperor attended court and heard Xu Yanmiao’s cheerful voice.@@novelbin@@

[“Finally found a place with a good landlord, no flooding, no leaks, and nice neighbors!”]

[“See? Good deeds get rewarded!”]

[“This must be Heaven’s way of thanking me for helping Gao Xiang! Although she says her father’s stingy and is making her work three months without pay… Tsk, stingy like the old Emperor.”]

The Emperor, seated on his throne, clenched his fists.

Xu Yanmiao. So it was you.