Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

In a spare moment, Xu Yanmiao glanced at what the old emperor was doing.

Then he laughed: [The old emperor is even praising the crown prince as a talented individual!]

Beside him, Princess Xiangyang almost couldn’t hide her shock.

My father? He’s praising my brother because of this?!

Not far away, Elder Quan also raised his eyebrows in confusion.

No way. Based on my observations, His Majesty isn’t that kind of person. If he knew the crown prince was behind this, he’d have already sent him to kneel in the ancestral shrine.

However, the crown prince believed it.

He puffed up his chest.

Aside from my mother, my father truly loves me the most!

[He even said that once they caught the person behind it, they’d exile him to Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, or Liaodong—hahaha! Then, once the crown prince ascended the throne, he could retrieve the guy and grant him a favor.]

“!!!”

The crown prince swiftly deflated.

Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Liaodong… none of these were pleasant places. Going there would mean suffering.

Of course, if his father found out it was him, he wouldn’t be exiled to suffer—he’d simply be strung up and beaten.

Time to run.

His uninjured leg quietly inched away, but before he could escape, a passionate shoemaker threw an arm around his shoulders.

“Come on! Such a good man! Your leg’s already busted, and you’re still here to kick fabric? Your whole family’s livelihood must depend on you! Let’s go watch the guild leaders negotiate our wages with the merchants! That way, you can grab a couple more feet of fabric to make clothes for your wife and kids!”

The crown prince let out two dry chuckles, forcing out a stiff smile.

“No need, I trust the guild leaders won’t shortchange me—suddenly, I just remembered, my wife is giving birth today, so I gotta go!”

With that, he hobbled away on his injured leg, stumbling but determined.

Behind him, the shoemaker was utterly stunned.

“That guy… has he performed on stage before? That fall was beautifully executed!”

“You came.”

“I came.”

“You shouldn’t have come.”

“But I still did.”

The crown prince let out a deep sigh. “Xu Lang, let’s negotiate. Where do you want to go? I’ll make you the regional inspector of that place. Stay there for a year or so, then come back.”

Xu Yanmiao blinked. “What?”

The crown prince had said it offhandedly, but the more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. He suddenly got excited.

“Didn’t I say I’d take you to Yangzhou for fun if I got the chance? No better time than the present! Let’s go now!”

Xu Yanmiao: “???”

How did the topic end up here?

Still, he answered seriously, “Not now.”

Now it was the crown prince’s turn to be confused. “Why not?”

Didn’t Xu Yanmiao always look for chances to slack off? This was basically an all-expenses-paid vacation in his eyes!

Xu Yanmiao replied, “In a few days, the potatoes will sprout. I want to see them with my own eyes. And the sweet potatoes. And the corn.”

Princess Xiangyang: “Pfft—cough!”

The crown prince flicked his sleeve as if it didn’t matter. “Fine, I’ll go by myself. I’m leaving now. Shengxian, tell my parents I won’t be home for dinner.”

With a grand flourish, he turned… and nearly wrenched his back.

“Master Quan?!” The crown prince started coughing violently. “You… why are you here, Grand Tutor?”

Quan Yizhang: “Oh, I saw Xu Yanmiao sneaking around, so I followed him.”

[I wasn’t sneaking around at all!!!]

Xu Yanmiao was indignant.

Quan Yizhang ignored him completely.

He narrowed his eyes at the crown prince. “Your Highness… where exactly are you planning to go?”

The crown prince swallowed hard. “Grand Tutor, I was just—”

[Hahaha! Skipping class to hit the arcade, but the teacher caught you! Hahaha!]

The crown prince’s eyes stung with tears.

You know exactly why I got caught! Instead of helping me, you’re just rubbing salt in the wound!

[What a shame. If I were the crown prince, I’d just tell Master Quan that I finally found the guy who keeps using the Eastern Palace’s latrine without flushing, and I was on my way to catch him.]

Quan Yizhang’s head snapped toward Xu Yanmiao.

Even the crown prince stopped his fake crying and was secretly delighted.

Everyone in the Eastern Palace—officials included—had had enough of that unflushing culprit!

Especially filthy, especially stinky, and especially lacking in decency!

No matter how many times the crown prince emphasized it in the Eastern Palace, the person who refused to flush after using the latrine continued to do as they pleased.

“When I catch them…” The crown prince seethed internally. “I’ll punch them right in the stomach, make them bend over in pain. Then I’ll kick them in the knee, force them to kneel and confess their sins!”

[Huh? Why is everyone staring at me?]

The crown prince shot a look at Princess Xiangyang, but she tilted her head in confusion, pretending not to understand.

The crown prince: “…”

So now that you have a best friend, you don’t need your own brother anymore, huh?!

With a sharp “smack,” the crown prince stepped forward, taking matters into his own hands. He pulled Xu Yanmiao aside and whispered urgently, “Xu Lang, you have to help me this time. If Grand Tutor reports this to my father, I’m done for.”

Xu Yanmiao gave a guilty chuckle. “Alright, what do you need me to do?”

—After all, he had been the one to lure the “ghost” here.

The crown prince lowered his voice. “Tonight, I’m hosting a banquet in the Eastern Palace for all the palace officials. You come too. Help me plead with the Grand Tutor, okay?”

Xu Yanmiao cautiously glanced at the crown prince, thought it over, then nodded. “I can try, but I can’t guarantee it’ll work.”

“No worries, just give it a shot.”

That evening, the Eastern Palace was brightly lit.

Carriages lined up outside the imperial city gates as ministers disembarked and walked toward the palace.

—Unlike other dynasties, where Eastern Palace officials were specifically appointed, in the Great Xia dynasty, these positions were held by senior ministers from the main court.

Xu Yanmiao didn’t make any exceptions for himself this time—he obediently walked to the Eastern Palace, casually eavesdropping on the ministers’ conversations along the way.

He overheard one discussion:

“Even animals understand human nature. That big black dog I raised—ever since my fifth sister was born, it’s guarded her crib every day. If anyone unfamiliar comes close, it barks non-stop. Even the family cat isn’t allowed near her. And if a sparrow flies in through the window, it chases it right out.”

Xu Yanmiao let out a knowing [Oh-ho! in his mind. This guy’s probably from Guangxi. People from that region often called their daughters “sister” with a ranking before it.]

Then, another conversation caught his ear:

“That Cui fellow? He’s nothing compared to Meng Su, the Left Spring Chamber’s Meng Ziping—that guy has truly lost all authority at home! Not only does he do all the servant work himself, but his wife beats and scolds him all the time. I heard he even personally cooked a bowl of egg porridge for her once. She took one sip, said it was too hot, and slapped him across the face! The next morning, he attended court with a red handprint on his cheek!”

Xu Yanmiao’s already wide eyes widened even further.

[For real?! That’s brutal!]

Eastern Palace Official #1: “It’s true! I remember he married the daughter of Jinan’s Assistant Magistrate, right? Wasn’t she supposed to be famous for her quiet and gentle demeanor?”

[False advertising? Like someone who’s 5’7″ claiming they’re almost 5’10”?]

Eastern Palace Official #2: “Oh wow! So it was all fake! And Meng Ziping just takes it? He’s not even considering divorce?”

[Maybe he enjoys it? One willing to hit, one willing to take it?]

Eastern Palace Official #1: “Brother, you must be joking, this—”

Suddenly, they all slammed the brakes on the conversation.

Wait a minute—who had they been talking to just now?!

[Huh? Why’d they stop? Guess I’ll go eavesdrop somewhere else!]

Eastern Palace Officials #1 and #2 exchanged glances, sweat pouring down their faces like a heavenly rift had torn open, unleashing a flood greater than the Milky Way.

Whew, close call! By sheer luck, they hadn’t accidentally said anything that would cause Little Bai Ze to misunderstand.

Xu Yanmiao floated behind Eastern Palace Official #3, listening as the man excitedly recalled how delicious the pickled cabbage dumplings were at the last banquet. This time, he was determined to eat three whole bowls!

[Wow! Are they really that good? Noted!]

Official #3 was about to nod in agreement when, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Xu Lang walking past him—heading straight for Official #4.

He froze in place, utterly terrified.

That was close!

Official #3’s fear was practically tangible.

If he had nodded just a fraction of a second sooner, the fact that someone could hear inner thoughts would have been exposed.

He wanted to warn Official #4, but given the distance, he could only watch helplessly and silently pray that nothing would go wrong.

Official #4 was speaking with Official #5. “I feel like my memory isn’t as sharp as before. After tonight’s banquet, I plan to submit my resignation to His Majesty.”

Official #5: “Huh? But, Lord Shaoqing, you’re not even fifty yet…”

Official #4: “It’s not that I want to. But if I don’t retire early and make a mistake in my duties later on…”

[The old emperor will never let it slide!]

Official #5: “Why are you also—”

[Huh? Also what? Also unable to handle pressure?]

“……”

Of course, he was referring to how to properly address His Majesty.

Official #5 and Official #4 exchanged a glance. From then on, their conversation became much more cautious, carefully selecting every word—just in case they accidentally aligned with Xu Yanmiao’s inner thoughts. That way, they could still find a way to backtrack.

Why was the banquet held in the Eastern Palace?

Because if it were at a restaurant, what if the culprit who never flushed the latrine turned out to be a palace servant? The palace servants couldn’t all be summoned outside the palace.

Even though the chances of that happening were about as slim as his father suddenly discovering a true love among the common folk… still!

What if?!

The crown prince’s expression was solemn.

Then, he clenched his fists, gearing up for action.

“Don’t let me catch you! Even if you’re the Minister of War, I’ll still beat you up without hesitation!”

Former Minister of War, now Left Chancellor, Li Qian: “Achoo!”

He rubbed his nose.

Weird. He hadn’t caught a cold recently, had he?

At the crown prince’s signal, Xu Yanmiao’s table was flooded with fruit, cold drinks, soups, and every other diuretic item imaginable.

Finally, after three rounds of wine and five flavorful dishes, Xu Yanmiao could no longer hold it in—he had to visit the latrine.

And then… he triggered a keyword.

[Damn, I kinda don’t wanna go…]

[Didn’t someone use the toilet multiple times before and never flush? That person hasn’t gone to the latrine tonight, right…?]

He’s here!!!

The Crown Prince instantly became as restless as an ant on a hot stone, unable to sit still.

Quan Yizhang gripped his cane tightly.

—He had specifically switched to an iron-cast one! Just walking here had exhausted his hands, forcing him to switch between them. If he didn’t get his money’s worth tonight, he’d feel sorry for these hands that usually only held a brush!

The other Eastern Palace officials also tensed, eyes burning as they fixed their gazes on the latrine.

They were all long-suffering victims of the unflushed latrine.

Tonight, would the truth finally be revealed?

[Let me check… Wow, the guy who never flushes is really good at making excuses. He claims it’s because he rushes back to work, dedicating his life to his duties? Come on, even workaholics should flush!]

Immediately, all eyes turned to the one known as the “Desperate Workhorse”—the man who stayed at the ministry until late every night and was currently sweating the most out of everyone present: Minister of Personnel and Crown Prince’s Consultant, Zhou Chun.

Zhou Chun was sweating buckets, frantically trying to recall if he had ever done such a thing.

He was sure he hadn’t!

But Xu Yanmiao sounded so certain… Could it be that he actually had, but had forgotten?!

T-this…

The more Zhou Chun thought about it, the less sure he became. His anxiety grew.

Then, Xu Yanmiao huffed indignantly:

[What shameless nonsense! Look at Zhou Chun, the Minister of Personnel—he works way more overtime, but he always flushes properly!]

The Minister of Personnel nearly twisted his chopsticks into a pretzel.

So this is what it feels like to have one’s name cleared!

Even though it was Xu Yanmiao who had sparked this crisis, at this moment, all Zhou Chun wanted to do was grab his hands and, with tears in his eyes, declare:

“Justice Xu, my innocence has been restored at last!”

[Oh, oh, but maybe it’s just old age affecting his memory, so he tried to cover it up. Still, every time he goes in, he brings a book and stays for ages. At his age, that’s a sure way to get hemorrhoids.]

Xu Yanmiao suddenly recoiled in shock:

[And he claims to love books, but when there’s no toilet paper, he doesn’t even ring the bell for help—he just tears up books to wipe himself?! And not just any books, but rare, treasured ones! What kind of twisted “I love you so I must humiliate you” logic is this?!]

Scholar Le—actually, he should be called Physician Le now—had been transferred to the Ministry of War in a recent reshuffle and now held the title of Langzhong (Physician).

And he did have a habit of bringing books to the latrine, staying in there for at least a quarter of an hour every time.

Physician Le was shaken to the core.

Under the weight of the entire hall’s death stares, he wished Xu Yanmiao weren’t here so he could yell out in rage:

“I DID NOT!!!”

Sure, he couldn’t argue against the possibility that old age had made him forget to flush.

But using rare books as toilet paper?!

Absolutely impossible!!!

Back in his youth, when he was caught in the wild without paper and couldn’t call for help, he’d rather sacrifice his underclothes than defile a book!

He would never…

…Wait.

Would he really never?

Last time, Xu Lang had mentioned dementia, saying it didn’t just make people forget things—it also changed their personalities.

Physician Le sat stiffly, cold sweat pouring down his back.

[Found him!]

Xu Yanmiao exclaimed happily:

[The Deputy Minister of Agriculture who never flushes! He hasn’t used the latrine tonight!]

[This is great! Since he hasn’t gone near the Eastern Palace latrines, I can finally have peace of mind!]

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Imperial Censor Han Yi froze, cold sweat instantly dripping down his forehead.

He looked up—only to see the Crown Prince staring at him expressionlessly, radiating the same imposing aura as his father.

To his left, Zhou Chun, who had barely avoided wrongful accusation, had veins bulging on the back of his hands, looking ready to beat someone up at any moment.

To his right, Physician Le, his expression dark and stormy, suddenly shot him a fierce glare before nervously hugging the book he had brought to the banquet.

“Hiss—”

At this moment, every muscle in Han Yi’s body tensed.

Meanwhile, Xu Yanmiao waltzed off to the latrine without a care in the world.

Han Yi slowly put down his chopsticks, raised both hands, and covered his head.

“Can you at least hit me lightly?”

If you like our translations, please support us on kofi -