Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

The term “official courtesan” refers to courtesans sanctioned by the state rather than government officials. Any entity or individual could apply to hire official courtesans, provided their application was approved by the government. Taverns could hire them to pour drinks and sell alcohol, literary gatherings could employ them for singing, dancing, and reciting poetry, and private residences could invite them to attend banquets and events. Even their family members could…

The emperor continued, “The remaining civilians only need to pay their owed taxes and serve their sentences before being released.”

As for the noblewomen involved, the emperor didn’t mention them at all. That was the end of the discussion. The officials, knowing the timing, promptly echoed in unison, “Your Majesty is wise!”

Following that, the customary session began: “Present your concerns; if there are none, court is adjourned.” The emperor addressed a few more state affairs before impatiently summoning Princess Qinghe and Ji Sui to Wuying Hall. Clearly agitated, he reprimanded them, “What on earth is going on with you two? Qinghe, especially you!”

The emperor was furious. “What’s the deal with that so-called Prime Minister? You’re a grown woman—how could you engage in such things?”

A sudden thought struck him, and his face turned pale. “Could it be… you have improper feelings for Dou Qing?!”

His shout echoed through the hall, shaking the ground. Princess Qinghe, who had been nervously fiddling with her fingers, immediately raised her head upon hearing this and nearly sprained her neck. “Father! Prime Minister Dou is 77 years old!”

But the emperor, consumed by his own train of thought, became increasingly convinced of his suspicion. After all, why else would she be playing these role-playing games?

As an old-fashioned individual, the emperor had no concept of “don’t mix fantasy with reality.” He simply lamented, “Exactly! My dear daughter, he’s 77 years old!”

Feeling like she was suffocating, Princess Qinghe quickly explained, “Father, you’re overthinking this. At this point, I might as well tell you everything.”

The emperor said, “Go on.”

“I did, indeed, enter into a contractual marriage with Ji Sui before our wedding. I didn’t want to marry, but you wouldn’t have allowed me to stay unmarried. Ji Sui, on the other hand, didn’t mind if I pursued my own life, so I married him.”

“Oh, so you two just do your own thing.” The emperor nodded but then frowned. “What about that missing granddaughter of mine?”

The emperor rarely used “I” or “me” in casual conversation, opting for “we” or “us” instead. But when things got serious, his imperial pronoun “we” immediately slipped out. He turned his sharp gaze to Ji Sui and narrowed his eyes. “She’s not… the daughter of you and your ex-wife, is she?”

Before Ji Sui could respond, Princess Qinghe angrily retorted, “What nonsense are you saying? That’s my child, whom I carried for ten months! Father, just because you were away at war doesn’t mean I wouldn’t know if I were pregnant.”

Moved to tears, she continued passionately, “She was lost when she was just a baby. Ji Sui has searched for her for over thirty years, and I have often inquired about her whereabouts as well. You’ve seen this yourself—how could there be any doubt?”

The emperor remained wary. “But some say that after your marriage, you and Ji Sui have never shared a bed.”

Princess Qinghe: “… Actually, Ji Sui and I had… a fling at first. When I found out I was pregnant, Ji Sui proposed marriage to you.”

Ji Sui fell into a strange silence.

The emperor was utterly stunned. “Ji Sui? A fling? Wasn’t he bothered by the dirt?”

“…” Princess Qinghe held onto Ji Sui’s arm, leaned against him with an air of shyness, and said, “Love conquers all.”

The emperor: “…”

Ji Sui: “…”

Ji Sui said firmly, “Indeed, Your Majesty, that is how it was.”

The emperor pressed, “Then why haven’t you…”

Princess Qinghe hadn’t expected the emperor to think so quickly on his feet and was caught off guard.

Ji Sui, however, closed his eyes briefly and then resolutely declared, “After losing my daughter, I found it impossible to engage with women anymore!”

The emperor breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, so it’s my granddaughter, and the problem is just you being… incapable.”

Recalling how upset Princess Qinghe had been earlier, the emperor felt a little guilty. To make amends, he bestowed treasures upon her and promised her several favors, finally cheering her up. ℝå₦ŐBƐ𐌔

Satisfied with the answers, the emperor picked up his pen. “Fine, a contractual marriage it is.” … After all, his daughter wasn’t the one being wronged.

“You may leave now.”

“Yes, father/Your Majesty. Your daughter/subject takes her leave.”

As the emperor bent down to review his memorials, he completely missed the look of relief on his daughter’s face as she left.

Outside the palace gates, Princess Qinghe gave Ji Sui a sidelong glance. “You’d better be careful.”

Ji Sui paused for a moment, bowed, and said, “Thank you, Princess.”

Princess Qinghe raised an eyebrow. “Thank me? It’s mutual benefit.”

She turned and climbed into her carriage. Without waiting for Ji Sui, the carriage began to roll away. Ji Sui suddenly stepped forward, lifted the curtain, and said, “I plan to request a transfer soon to serve as a magistrate in a remote region.”

He continued, “Once I’ve rescued Qier, I’ll host a private banquet and invite Xu Yan to discuss the matter of my daughter. Princess, could you avoid attending on that day?”

Princess Qinghe looked at him curiously and nodded.

The carriage moved slowly away.

Ji Sui turned and returned to the palace.

The emperor was surprised. “Why are you back?”

Ji Sui said, “Your Majesty, do you recall Lessons for Women?”

The emperor rubbed his pen contemplatively and suddenly exclaimed, “Ah! I knew I forgot something—the author of that book is still in the custody of the Imperial Guard!”

“That’s not a concern, Your Majesty. But I must tell you…”

★

Xu Yanmiao was stunned. “The Young Prince is being released?!”

The Princess Xiangyang, who had come to show off, nodded vigorously, looking pleased with herself. “How about that! You’ve always been ahead of me in everything, but this time, you didn’t know, did you?”

Indeed, Xu Yanmiao hadn’t known.

The gossip system was vast and overwhelming, and he couldn’t catch every piece of news in time. Curious, he asked, “How did you manage this?”

The Princess of Xiangyang bit her thumbnail and carefully phrased her response. “Well, my second brother-in-law… I heard Ji Gong sat with the emperor to debate this matter, arguing that the Young Prince shouldn’t be blamed. Instead, the fault lay with Consort Qin for her lack of virtue. He even referenced some points from Lessons for Women to shift all the blame onto her. Eventually, the emperor decided to release the Young Prince on New Year’s Eve.”

“Oh…” Xu Yanmiao blinked. “But…”

Just last night, he’d stumbled upon a piece of gossip he’d been pondering how to discreetly share with Ji Sui without revealing his source.

The Princess Xiangyang was puzzled. “But what?”

Xu Yan scratched his head, feeling troubled. The thing was… Consort Qin was actually Ji Sui’s granddaughter.

OH MY GOD!! That’s the biggest gossip so far in this novel. He pitted his own daughter for his nephew, granted he did not know, but he still did. What’s the point of doing so many things for women and servants outside when you can’t start from the royal family. Shame

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