Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

The Vice Minister of Rites exclaimed with delight, “A thirty-year-old ginseng! Lord Shangguan is truly a good man!”

The General opened another box and called out, “Come look at this bear gall! It’s enormous!”

He gestured roughly with his hand and added, “I wonder how much gall powder this could produce.”

Just as the Vice Minister of Rites was about to respond, a voice suddenly reached their ears:

[“Ah… pretending to be sick, huh?”]

???

Was that person still here?!

The two exchanged glances, and the General jumped up. “Not good!”

If they could hear it, so could the other officials!

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The General’s body jerked with each blow against the gate. Outside, someone was kicking it forcefully. “Qin Guan! If you have the guts to scam medicine, then have the guts to open the door!”

As he held the gate, he noticed from the corner of his eye that someone was trying to climb the wall. Thinking fast, he abandoned the gate and used the time to dash into the bedroom, shutting the doors and windows quickly. He retreated to the Vice Minister of Rites’ side. “What now?”

By now, the mob had made it to the bedroom door. From department heads to third- and fourth-rank officials, some were banging on the door while others called for reinforcements.

The crowd was growing restless and agitated.

The Vice Minister of Rites wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, showing remarkable composure. “What’s there to be afraid of? Are they shameless enough to take back what they’ve already gifted?”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

In the end, the General, now sporting a bruised and battered face, boarded the ship with a pile of supplies meant to cure “water sickness.”

Every time he passed an official, they would snort angrily at him.

The General stared straight ahead, pretending to be both blind and deaf.

The fleet of 200 ships began to board in waves, carrying a total of 30,000 people. In addition to standard crew members such as flag bearers, sailors, and soldiers, the fleet included yin-yang specialists, Jinyiwei guards, craftsmen of all kinds, as well as a team of physicians.

Of these, 15 ships were dedicated to carrying 300,000 stone of grain, with provisions to replenish supplies along the way. Another 30 ships were outfitted to store freshwater.

The fleet unfurled its banners, and the sunlight gleamed off the armor of the soldiers stationed along the decks.

The Emperor of Da Xia, along with his officials, stood on the shore, watching as the fleet slowly sailed into the distance.

It was a remarkable sight—a fleet unlike any other, embarking on a mission for their nation to scour the seas in search of new grain varieties.

“They won’t see their homeland for years…” The old emperor sighed deeply. “Such sons of China deserve to have their names etched in history.”

In Jibei.

Inside the Jibei Prince’s mansion, an enraged voice echoed:

“What?! My chicken farms are gone! How many of them?!”

“Your Highness, all of them.”

“This is outrageous!”

“Your Highness, the fighting cock arena is also…”

“Oh? At least the arena is intact!”

“No, Your Highness, I meant to say the arena is gone as well.”

“…You incompetent fools!!!”

The Jibei Prince’s anger nearly pushed him to the brink of madness. “Five! Five entire chicken farms! And the arena, which brought in over 200,000 teals annually—”

He clenched his teeth and spat out the emperor’s name with venom. “Gao Jianyi! You! Well played!”

His personal guards kept their heads low, not daring to speak.

The moment they received the report, they had immediately presented it to their master, fully anticipating his wrath.

—After all, the chicken farms were secretly funded by the Jibei Prince, and even the leader of the White Sun Cult had no idea that the prince was his true benefactor.

The prince’s expression darkened. “And you! I told you to find someone foolish—not so stupid that they’d print rebellious pamphlets in a royal Press!”

The guards lowered their heads even further.

They hadn’t anticipated this outcome either. They’d tried to dissuade the White Sun Cult leader, but he insisted that the royal factory’s willingness to print meant there was no risk. Not wanting to blow their cover as spies, they had been forced to let it happen.

“Enough. I should’ve handled this myself. This was my oversight,” the prince said, taking a deep breath and regaining his composure. “Still, this blunder of theirs gives me the opportunity to track Gao Jianyi’s movements clearly.”

One of the guards stepped forward. “Our people have been keeping their distance but have tracked him to Shanhai Pass.”

“Shanhai Pass?” The prince stroked his beard and smiled. “Tell the barbarians the terms of the deal have changed. They no longer need to enter the pass.”

The guard caught on quickly. “You plan to lure the emperor out and then have the barbarian king ambush him?”

The prince smiled slyly, his mustache curling upward. “It’s unnecessary to lure him. Gao Jianyi prides himself on his archery and horsemanship. He’s reckless enough to venture out on his own.”

The guard exclaimed, “Brilliant as always, Your Highness!”

Once the fleet had set sail, the imperial entourage began preparations to depart. It was now early spring, and the old emperor decided to travel directly from Tiemen Pass to Shanhai Pass by sea, without any stops.@@novelbin@@

Eleven days later, the entourage disembarked, their faces pale.

—Previously, they had only traveled by sea for a day or two at a time. This uninterrupted eleven-day journey had left everyone seasick and miserable.

The old emperor rubbed his chin, suddenly deciding to take a group of less vocal officials into the mountains for a hunting trip.

Naturally, Little Bai Ze would have to come along. Otherwise, if word got out, the censors would undoubtedly block his plans. But he couldn’t leave right away. He needed to wait a few days until their guard was down.

“No one can stop me from fully embracing the feel of the earth and the scent of the forest!”