Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

[Marquis, I know you mean well, but if I take so much money from you, how will you manage to live?]

[HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!]

[“Marquis, you’re such a good person, but I really can’t just take your money. How about I bring you some tea leaves in return? Otherwise, I’d feel so guilty.”]

[HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!]

[“Marquis, you’re so kind. Without you, I wouldn’t even know what to do!”]

[HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!]

[The Marquis of Yongchang essentially spent a hundred taels of platinum on a warehouse of subpar and overripe tea leaves. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!]

[And he even confided to his son, marveling at how gentle and virtuous Miss Little Tea was. She was so considerate of his finances despite her own grandfather being gravely ill. HAHAHAHAHA!]

Back then, the words had been so sweet, so moving, so heart-fluttering. Now they only made the Marquis grind his teeth, barely holding himself back from vomiting on the spot in front of the Emperor.

The Minister of Rites and the General were “close friends,” and the General… wasn’t he the one who had stolen several of his military accolades in the past? Was this revenge?

The General: “Heh.”

Anyone who tries to steal credit from me deserves to rot in hell! No one is allowed to take credit for my accomplishments!

Meanwhile, the other officials present were utterly stunned.

How could… the Minister of Rites be so skilled? How could he so perfectly balance innocence with coquettish charm? And with such subtle allure, swindle away a hundred taels of platinum? Oh, and likely even more, considering the ten bolts of fine silk and who knows how much else the Marquis must have handed over.

If their internal thoughts could be visualized, the court would resemble a sea in turmoil, with crashing waves and roaring thunder. This wasn’t just an eye-opener—it felt like a spiritual awakening.

The Emperor: “…Perhaps it’s better to avoid any future romantic entanglements altogether. Not only might you risk unknowingly bedding what turns out to be a blood relative, but you could also end up with one of your own ministers instead.”

Truly terrifying.

The Emperor shuddered at the thought of taking a young lady to bed, only for her to suddenly exclaim in a gruff voice, “Your Majesty~ don’t! I’m Minister So-and-So~!” He’d likely drop dead from sheer fright.

By this point, the Crown Grandson had fabricated seventy-four accusations against Xu Yanmiao.

The Crown Grandson declared firmly, “And then there’s Hanlin Scholar Liu Yi! It was evident he feigned drowsiness during his rounds in the examination quarters to give Xu Yanmiao the opportunity to cheat. They must have colluded!”

Hanlin Scholar Liu Yi was utterly dumbfounded.

What grudge did the Crown Grandson hold against him to accuse him so viciously? He had indeed been tired, but only because… well, let’s not talk about why. The point was, he hadn’t actually fallen asleep or neglected his duties, let alone assisted in cheating!

And why drag him into this mess? The Marquis of Yongchang, the Minister of Rites, and the General were already wallowing in embarrassment!

[Claiming Hanlin Scholar Liu pretended to yawn and act drowsy just to give me time to cheat? On the night before the exams, he was in a pigsty tending to a sow. Who wouldn’t be tired after that? And yet, he never fell asleep on duty and diligently patrolled the examination quarters!]

Hanlin Scholar Liu Yi turned pale and rushed forward to exclaim, “Your Majesty!!!”

“I… I agree with the General! Lord Xu could never have cheated in the exams! He… he… he even drank purified water before the exam because he believed only kind-hearted people could consume such a pure substance. How could someone so kind ever engage in malpractice?”

The Crown Grandson was livid.

Liu Yi speaking up wasn’t surprising, given that he’d already been implicated, but this was the reasoning he came up with? Was he mocking him?

And on top of that, he managed to use the opportunity to praise Xu Yanmiao’s virtue? Was there no justice left in the world?

Caught in the heat of the moment, Liu Yi blurted out whatever came to mind.

[Milk… makes one live longer…]@@novelbin@@

The Emperor fell silent, beckoning the Prime Minister forward. “What milk is this?”

The Prime Minister hesitated awkwardly before replying dryly, “…Pig’s milk.”

“Pig’s milk? Longevity?”

“…That’s… what Liu Yi seems to believe.”

Hanlin Scholar Liu Yi: I don’t want to live anymore!

For three years, Liu Yi had snuck into pigsties at night, fully believing in this longevity secret. Now, his secret was exposed to the entire court. Tears streamed down his face.

It wasn’t Little Baize’s fault. It wasn’t intentional! It was all because of this blasted Crown Grandson!

Grinding his teeth so hard it echoed audibly, Liu Yi silently fantasized about uppercuts, jabs, and roundhouse kicks to the Crown Grandson ’s smug face.

The Crown Grandson, summoning some unknown source of strength, cried out, “Your Majesty! Xu Yanmiao has also formed cliques for personal gain! Look at the General and Liu Yi! They’re blatantly lying for him in court!”

[Ah, the Crown Grandson truly has a dirty mind. Everything he sees is tainted. The General and Liu Yi are merely kind-hearted individuals. They’re good people who, despite their lacking intellect, are trying their best to help me with excuses.]

The General and Liu Yi: “…Why does it feel like we just got insulted?”

[But there’s no turning the tide now. Sigh, such a pity. I didn’t even get to finish the drama I was following. Last night, the Emperor angered the Empress and was kicked out of the palace. I didn’t get to see the resolution. He seemed determined to smear ink on his face today and pretend to be a cat to win her back…]

BANG!

The Emperor slammed the table, cutting off the incessant stream of thoughts. “I believe Xu Yanmiao did not cheat in the imperial examinations! He is acquitted of all charges!”

What cat? Never happened!

The court officials hastily echoed, terrified that any delay might allow Xu Yanmiao to reveal more gossip. “Yes, yes! Acquitted of all charges!”

“His Majesty is wise!”

“Your Majesty, let’s adjourn quickly and let Lord Xu rest. He must be exhausted from standing all this time!”

The Crown Grandson: ???

He wanted to question the sanity of the entire court. Had Xu Yanmiao drugged them all?