Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

But no matter how skilled they were, they couldn’t do anything about a disinterested Xu Yanmiao. Subtle hints went over his head, and when the topic shifted to the temple, he’d only give a nonchalant “Oh,” showing no real interest. His thoughts drifted elsewhere: [What’s so entertaining about a temple of cuckolds? I’ve seen plenty of that. This isn’t nearly as interesting as…]

We don’t care about your ‘as’!

We just want to finish the gossip!

Halfway through spilling the tea, they were left high and dry, feeling like eunuchs unable to consummate a marriage.

The next day was a rare day of rest, and the court assembly wasn’t until the day after. However, many officials arrived that morning visibly deflated, with dull expressions and lethargy weighing them down.

When asked what was wrong, they’d only offer a bitter smile and mutter, “Don’t ask.” Which, of course, only made people more curious!

The officials who had visited the Yulong Temple were too consumed by their own thoughts to notice the murderous glares of their colleagues.

—They had murder on their minds too! Two whole days without being able to eat or sleep properly, too scared to ask their wives or concubines whether they’d been unfaithful.

They were certain that if they did, Xu Yanmiao would inevitably notice. Regardless of the truth, the moment he fixated on it in court, their reputations would be utterly ruined!

At least, they thought, they’d wait until Xu Yanmiao finished spilling all the tea about Yulong Temple before they acted.

This court session passed without Xu Yanmiao causing any outrageous incidents. He attended the assembly properly for once.

The emperor and his ministers, torn between relief and disappointment, thought: Why couldn’t something exciting (ahem) catastrophic happen?

When the session ended…

“Your Majesty!” someone called out.

The emperor turned, surprised, but upon recognizing the voice of Marquis Ji’an, he maintained a polite demeanor. “What is it, Lord Ji’an?”

The marquises and dukes of this generation were mostly men who had fought alongside him in founding the empire or the descendants of such men. The emperor treated these old comrades and their families with great favor—so long as they didn’t cross the line.

However, Marquis Ji’an’s title was not hereditary, making his standing slightly lower in the emperor’s eyes.

Marquis Ji’an, his face glowing with pride, declared, “Your Majesty! My ninth son is celebrating his first full month today. I humbly invite Your Majesty and all my esteemed colleagues to grace us with your presence!”

The emperor, surprised, asked, “Your legitimate son?”

“Indeed!” Marquis Ji’an practically shouted, brimming with pride. “Born to my wife, a healthy baby boy!”

Who wouldn’t be proud? Eight legitimate children already raised to adulthood, and now, in his fifties, another child! Proof of his virility and vitality!

The other nobles were green with envy.

Outwardly, they congratulated him. “Congratulations! What a blessing!” “Marquis Ji’an, you’re truly still in your prime!” “A big, healthy boy—how wonderful!”

Inwardly, they were seething.

“Damn it! We fought alongside His Majesty just like him, yet he has so many sons! Me? I don’t even have three!”

“I only have one daughter!”

“Exactly! Why is it that despite similar circumstances, I only have two children? He has nine legitimate sons!”

“Unfair! Life is so unfair!”

“And it’s not like his concubines are fertile—five of them, yet barely two children combined.”

As they stewed in bitterness, Xu Yanmiao’s inner thoughts floated into their minds with a tone of confusion, bewilderment, and curiosity.

[Why’s he so happy? It’s not even his kid.]

“!!!”

They knew it was wrong, but many officials felt a spark of schadenfreude light up inside.

Oh? Nine sons? All legitimate? Oh, sure—he’s still so virile, isn’t he?

One general, who had just been lamenting his own meager offspring, couldn’t resist snickering. “I told you something was fishy about his concubines’ lack of children. Turns out, he’s not as virile as he pretends to be.”

The emperor coughed lightly, trying to keep a solemn face.

—After all, being cuckolded by one’s wife was… well… tragic.

“Lord Ji’an, this matter…”

Marquis Ji’an, who had been basking in his glory, turned red with rage.

At this point, the Jinyiwei commander stepped forward and quickly whispered Xu Yanmiao’s revelation into the marquis’s ear. Otherwise, how could they explain his sudden change from jubilation to fury, storming off to catch the culprits?

Once the Jinyiwei finished, Marquis Ji’an’s eyes bulged blood-red, and he charged out of the hall, cursing, “Wretched woman!”

The emperor, watching him go, sighed. “Truly unfortunate…”

Should I follow him? Would that be too obvious?

Then he noticed the wife’s family also rushing out, fists clenched, shouting, “That old dog! Still has the nerve to act outraged? Fetch me my sword!”

The crown prince glanced at his hesitant father and sneered, striding off confidently to join the spectacle.

If there’s gossip, why hold back?

The emperor still hesitated, caught between propriety and curiosity.

Just then, Xu Yanmiao’s sympathetic thoughts resounded in his mind:

[Marquis Ji’an is something else. His wife is the sister of the Marquis of Pengcheng, their family’s only treasure. Back then, they even considered making her the head of the family if they couldn’t find her a suitable husband. The Marquis Ji’an had to swear an oath never to take concubines—ironclad proof! Otherwise, the Marquis of Pengcheng’s sister wouldn’t have married him.]

[And now he’s mad? If he hadn’t taken concubines first, she wouldn’t have sought out that handsome monk!]

The emperor, originally frowning at Xu Yanmiao’s commentary, perked up at the latter part.

A handsome monk? What handsome monk?

[Oh, my! And it’s someone we know!] Xu Yanmiao’s inner voice grew excited. [It’s that same beauty who tried to flirt with the emperor back at the temple!]

Uninformed officials: “!!!”

What?! A temple?! Scandalous! Is this how His Majesty rolls?!

The emperor’s temple pulsed with irritation.

There’s no need to bring up unnecessary details!

[So she’s the one who cuckolded Marquis Ji’an!]

[Wait, the lover is… the abbot of that temple?!]

The emperor shouted, “Prepare my sedan chair!”

This was a drama starring people he knew! He wouldn’t miss it for the world!

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