Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Xu Yanmiao was feeling quite troubled.

After parting ways with Princess Xiangyang, he wandered to the East Market, gloomily munching on a bag of sweet and sour snails.

“Delicious!”

As expected, eating brought him joy again!

While devouring the snails, his mind wandered, his face lighting up with contentment.

As for Ji Sui losing his daughter—who left behind a granddaughter—it was something Xu Yanmiao could accept. If worst came to worst, he could just write a note and toss it into Ji Sui’s residence anonymously.

“This pickled cabbage? I’ll take a jar.”

“These duck feet? A bag, please.”

“And this roasted watermelon seeds? A pack.”

By the time he was leaving the East Market, passersby stared in concern at the young man struggling under a pile of purchases, a bag of sweet and sour snails still clamped between his teeth.

Their main worry? That he’d trip and fall flat on his face.

As he passed a cosmetics shop, a booming, familiar voice rang out, as if amplified:

“Six boxes of Jade Blossom Face Powder, please!”

“Six boxes of Maiden Peach Blossom Powder!”

“Six sticks of sandalwood charcoal!”

“And also…”

Wait a second—why did that phrasing sound so familiar?

Xu Yanmiao poked his head into the shop and saw none other than the Young Prince himself!

Perhaps sensing someone watching him, the Crown Prince turned around. He locked eyes with Xu Yanmiao, who wore a strange, almost amused expression. Inside, his thoughts screamed:

[Wow! Buying six of everything—living life to the fullest, huh?!]

…Absolutely lethal.

The Crown Prince, visibly trying to hold it together, explained, “These are for my mother. Those are for my wife. And those are for my four daughters.”

Xu Yanmiao blinked. “…Oh.”

[So that’s what it’s for…]

Why did his inner thoughts sound so disappointed? Sorry for not being the kind of Crown Prince you were imagining, okay?!

After realizing he had misunderstood, Xu Yanmiao promptly made his exit, beating a hasty retreat.

[Thank goodness I only thought about it silently!]

The next day at court, Xu Yanmiao continued his internal musings:

[Why isn’t it New Year’s Eve yet? When can we have the sealing ceremony for officials? When can I finally sleep in—wait, let’s see what Consort Qin is up to!]

The sudden shift almost broke the collective composure of the officials.

The Emperor’s face turned green.

It had been nearly two months since the incident, yet Xu Yanmiao still brought up Consort Qin? Couldn’t he just forget about her already?

The Emperor himself had worked hard to put the whole “cuckolded by his grandson” ordeal out of his mind. The court officials nodded internally, vigorously.

Forget about her! We don’t want to die over this scandal involving the Emperor’s Grandson and the Consort!

Also…

Was Noble Consort Qin even still alive? With no updates, many assumed the Emperor had quietly executed her.

[!!!]

[Why did she throw herself down the stairs on purpose?! Is she trying to miscarry?!]

The Minister of Revenue yanked out a strand of his beard in shock, stealing a quick glance at the Emperor’s dais.

He suspected that Consort Qin was alive because she was still pregnant with the Emperor’s Grandson’s child. Even if it was an illegitimate child, the Emperor valued his bloodline too much to act rashly—especially since it was the Emperor’s Grandson’s first offspring.

But now…

The Emperor stood abruptly.

Once again, he left the court.

Once again, abandoning the officials.

Once again, dashing off urgently!

[Huh…] Xu Yanmiao mused cluelessly. [Why is the court session interrupted again?]

The officials: … What do you think?!

That’s the Emperor’s great-grandchild! The first child of the Emperor’s beloved grandson! How could he not be worried? Surely even the Crown Prince would—

“This… Consort Qin is kind of pitiful,” someone murmured.

Indeed… Prime Minister Dou nodded slightly.

She had been alive and well but now sought to end her pregnancy and life over rumors that she seduced the Emperor’s Grandson and lacked virtue.

“If only my good-for-nothing son had properly compensated his savior, either with money or status, things wouldn’t have escalated like this.”

The Minister of Rites nodded. True, if the Emperor’s Grandson had conducted himself with propriety, this wouldn’t have—wait, what? “Good-for-nothing son”?

The Prime Minister and six ministers all turned their heads in unison: “Your Highness?!”

The Crown Prince looked contemplative, even sympathetic toward Consort Qin. When he noticed their shocked expressions, he seemed genuinely puzzled. “What’s with those looks?”

Your Highness…

The Minister of Rites was struck like lightning. “Your Highness, that’s the Emperor’s Grandson! Consort Qin is carrying your eldest grandson!”

Why was the Crown Prince more concerned about the consort than his direct descendant?!

“So?”

The Crown Prince sincerely explained, “Minister, I come from a farming family. We were slaves, beggars, refugees, soldiers, and soldiers’ families…”

The surrounding officials wanted to cover their ears.

The Crown Prince could afford to say such things—they couldn’t afford to hear them!

Earnestly, the Crown Prince continued, “So my family isn’t all that particular about rules. You all know Lady Zhang, right?”

The officials nodded reflexively.

The first concubine the Emperor took after rising to power—they knew.

“And Lady Zhang’s daughter, the County Lady of Wanquan? You’re aware of her too, right?”

Again, the officials nodded.

Lady Zhang had a daughter with her previous husband, who wasn’t considered part of the imperial lineage. She was raised as a noblewoman and given a title—though not Princess status, she was granted a County Lady’s rank.

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