Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

“GAO QISHENG!“ With a loud bang, it was Princess Xiangyang slamming the table, her eyes practically ablaze. “Xu Yanmiao could never have barged into the inner palace! He’s more interested in slightly bland pastries than he could ever be in the inner palace! Where have you taken him?!”

The Crown Grandson folded his arms, his tone dripping with sarcasm: “Aunt, you’re right. Maybe he’s not interested in the palace itself… but what about the palace’s wo—”

Before he could finish, a cup of wine was splashed right onto his face. The Crown Grandson let out a startled cry and turned to see it was Princess Wanshou.

It was her first time doing such a thing, and her hand gripping the cup had turned white with tension. Yet her expression was filled with disgust. “Shameless!”

The Crown Grandson wiped the wine off his face and looked toward the silent Emperor nearby. He pleaded urgently, “Grandfather, believe me! Xu Yanmiao really did force his way into the palace! Several people tried to stop him, but couldn’t! It was only because a young eunuch happened to see it that I found out!”

The Emperor’s face darkened. “Where?”

The Crown Grandson, trembling with excitement, said, “Grandfather! Let me take you!”

The Emperor: “Fine.”

[“Help, help, help!”]

The Emperor quickened his pace.

“My dear minister! Wait for me!”

The other officials all stood up, their steps quick and purposeful.

Princess Xiangyang, lifting her elaborate court dress, charged ahead like a raging bull. As she passed the Crown Grandson, she kicked him hard. “You’d better not try to silence him! Killing him to destroy the evidence will only make things worse!”

The Princess didn’t notice that her words caused the surrounding officials to look horrified, nearly shouting in protest.

Meanwhile, the Commander of the Front Army whispered anxiously, “Xu Yanmiao! Don’t just keep yelling for help! Shout where you are too!”

He was practically pulling his hair out with regret.

Why didn’t he assign someone to keep an eye on Xu Yanmiao during the palace banquet?! He could’ve submitted a request to the Emperor for the Imperial Guards to watch over him!

Wait… the Imperial Guards!

There should be Imperial Guards in the palace, right?

As they approached the dividing line between the inner palace and the court, they saw several Imperial Guards standing nervously, their shadows long and ominous. They craned their necks, not daring to step further into the inner palace.

When questioned, the Emperor learned that two of the guards had gone to report back to him but must have missed him on the way.

“Your Majesty, we followed Xu Yanmiao from a distance, unsure of his intentions. After a conversation with a palace maid, he willingly followed her into the inner palace. We failed to stop him and deserve punishment!”

The Imperial Guards were livid at the Crown Grandson.

If it weren’t for his meddling, would this blame have fallen on them?

But the Crown Grandson remained oblivious, urging the Emperor with desperation:

“Grandfather, I know where he went! Let me lead the way!”

The Emperor nodded. “Run.”

The Crown Grandson: “Huh?”

The Emperor’s tone was cold: “Faster!”

The Emperor added ominously, “If anything happens to Xu Yanmiao, you’ll spend the rest of your life in labor camps.”

Execution? That’d be too easy on this troublesome grandson.

The Crown Grandson: “What?! Why is this happening?!”

The Crown Grandson ran at the front, followed by a massive entourage of officials and servants. He gritted his teeth.

“How could it come to this?!”

He had targeted Xu Yanmiao because his men discovered a note stuck in his uncle’s door lock. The note revealed that A’zheng was his uncle’s granddaughter. ŕÀNôΒËs

Because of that note, his uncle attempted to storm the execution ground. If his uncle hadn’t done that, he wouldn’t have been demoted to a provincial position, and his faction wouldn’t have crumbled.

It was all Xu Yanmiao’s fault!

“Y-You! Stop it!”

Xu Yanmiao clutched his waistband tightly, his face flushed as he whispered nervously, terrified of attracting attention that might harm the palace maid before him. “I won’t tell anyone! Just leave quickly! Otherwise, you’ll be in trouble!”

The palace maid tugged at his hand.

Xu Yanmiao pressed harder on his waistband.

“Whoever sent you, you’d better go now! If we’re discovered, I don’t care what happens to me, but you… it won’t end well for you.” His voice was hushed, barely audible to the maid.

But in his mind:

[“Ahhhhhhh!”]

[“Help! Somebody, help!”]

[“This is terrifying! Who’s trying to hurt me?! Is this what politics is? Is this what court intrigue feels like?!”]

BANG!

The Emperor kicked open the door. “Drop the kni—”

He froze.

It was nothing like what he’d imagined—someone holding a knife, ready to chop off Xu Yanmiao’s fingers. Instead, before him was a plump palace maid holding a torn waistband, while Xu Yanmiao rolled to the ground, clutching his loose clothes tightly and on the verge of tears.

It was the very picture of a virtuous man about to be wronged.

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