Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court-Chapter 360: Sacrifice for the Nation! New

After all these chapters, In the Years When I Was a Father—the heartfelt story of Qi Sheng’s journey—has finally been completed today. Thank you for following along through every twist and emotion. Please support on Ko-fi, every bit helps with translation and maintaining this website. Stay tuned for more heartwarming stories ahead!

The Crown Prince was drinking medicine. So was the old Emperor.

It had started snowing. The old man was already in his sixties, close to seventy—an age prone to winter illnesses. His resistance to the cold was no longer what it used to be in his youth.

After taking his medicinal decoction and wiping his mouth, the Emperor gave an order: “Since the first attempt failed… didn’t that Minister of the Imperial Stable Bureau express dissatisfaction with Wei Ren taking the lead, and request a chance to sacrifice for the country? I’ve always been merciful. Go tell him this: Go to Xu Yanmiao, and find a way to direct his attention to the Three-Year Plan. That’s the task I want them to carry out.”

When the message reached the Imperial Stable Bureau via the Jinyiwei, the Minister, Chen Zhonghui, mulled over the imperial command carefully. Tears welled in his eyes, his back hunched under pressure, and he suddenly aged ten years: “My fate is sealed.”

The Deputy Minister, who had overheard everything, was momentarily speechless.

Why did it have to be “my fate is sealed”?

Sure, they had all tacitly agreed not to recklessly appear before little Bai Ze and risk drawing his attention. But that didn’t mean any contact would definitely lead to scandal exposure! As long as one was careful, the chances of surviving were actually pretty good!

Minister Chen saw the dismissive look on the Deputy Minister’s face, sighed heavily, and said in a heartfelt tone: “Your cultivation is still shallow… Do you really think His Majesty’s words are just a simple command? There’s more to it—you must comprehend it!”

The Deputy Minister paused, becoming more serious. “Comprehend what?”

The Minister shook his head in frustration, as if hating iron for not becoming steel: “You, you! His Majesty said ‘since the first attempt failed’ and then immediately followed it with ‘sacrifice for the country.’ Even a passing dog could hear the dissatisfaction he harbors toward Minister Wei. And he’s clearly hinting that if once wasn’t enough, then try a few more times.”

The Deputy Minister was stunned: “How… how did you infer that?”

The Minister explained, “Think about it! If I were simply going to meet Xu Yanmiao, would there be a need to use a weighty phrase like ‘sacrifice for the country’? That kind of language only comes out in moments of extreme anger. If His Majesty could utter such words, imagine how furious he must be! Now, what is he angry about?”

The Deputy Minister, now fully immersed, leaned in eagerly: “What? What is he angry about? Tell me!”

Minister Chen burst out laughing, “You, you! Getting impatient now? Think carefully. The key phrases are ‘first attempt’ and ‘sacrifice for the country.’ His Majesty clearly hinted earlier that if one attempt failed, Wei should have kept trying—try again and again, even if it meant being exposed and dying under public scrutiny, just to extract that Three-Year or even Five-Year Plan!”

“But,” the Minister continued, “Whether Wei truly didn’t understand or pretended not to, he gave up after just one visit. That’s what enraged His Majesty—and allowed me to glimpse his true intentions.”

With a long sigh, Minister Chen appeared deeply regretful on Wei’s behalf.

The Deputy Minister was now in full admiration, bowing inwardly in complete respect. No wonder Minister Chen held the top seat at the bureau while he remained merely the Deputy. He used to think himself no less capable, often holding resentment. But now he understood—the difference was in political insight! The Minister’s vision was simply on another level.

“Minister, such profound insight!”

Minister Chen stroked his beard with dignified restraint and said thoughtfully, “His Majesty is disappointed in Wei now. If I can truly sacrifice for the nation—even if I die under the weight of public gossip but still manage to extract some intel about the Three-Year Plan from Xu Yanmiao—His Majesty will definitely see me in a new light.”

And when that happens—if he catches the Emperor’s eye—won’t promotion be a done deal?

The mere thought of that bright future filled Minister Chen with excitement.

Forget being exposed for a few scandals—even if all his past misdeeds were dug up, he would gladly accept it!

The Deputy Minister couldn’t help but ask, “But what if Xu absolutely refuses to talk about the Three-Year Plan?”

Minister Chen answered firmly, “If I can’t complete the entire mission, then I’ll at least fulfill half!”

Deputy: “Huh?”

Minister Chen declared passionately, “Let him expose all my gossip! Let him dig up everything! Let everyone watch me become the laughingstock, even unto death! That alone shows I’ve done my best—and His Majesty won’t blame me like he blames Wei. In fact, he might even favor me more!”

Deputy: “Hiss—!!”

The Minister’s ambition was reignited.

And beside him, the Deputy Minister’s eyes shone brightly.

He had understood! He had truly understood! He must remember this well and study it deeply—his path to promotion was right before him!

There was no movement from the Minister of the Imperial Stables for quite a while—so long, in fact, that the news about adding arithmetic to the imperial exam had already spread, and the old emperor had urged him several times. But the Minister remained as steady as an old dog, until…

“Huh? A banquet at Lord Dou’s residence? I didn’t receive an invitation.”

Xu Yanmiao flipped through the mail at his door, confirmed that there was indeed no invitation, and looked at the Minister. “There really isn’t one.”

Of course, the Minister of the Imperial Stables knew he hadn’t received one.

This banquet was organized by former Prime Minister Dou, who intended to scout potential husbands for his legitimate eldest granddaughter. Xu Yanmiao, while around the same age, clearly had no plans to marry and didn’t have any sisters or female relatives to bring along. Naturally, he wasn’t on the guest list.

—Yes, that legitimate granddaughter was the same one who almost got engaged to the former Crown Prince.

The Minister also knew that Xu Yanmiao had no clue about the banquet’s real purpose, so he smiled and asked, “Would Young Master Xu be interested in checking out the fun? I happen to have an extra invitation.”

Xu Yanmiao was about to refuse.

The Minister then casually added, “I heard that one of Lord Dou’s students found a Zouyu in Bashu and plans to present it to him during the banquet—to cleanse the bad luck from the last gathering.”

Zouyu?

Xu Yanmiao blinked—

[A PANDA! AHHHHH! It’s a PANDA!!!]

He cleared his throat. “But since Lord Dou didn’t invite me, wouldn’t it be inappropriate for me to go?”

The Minister chuckled, “The doormen only recognize invitations. You’re not crashing the party. Besides, when throwing banquets, everyone prepares for the possibility that the original guest can’t make it and sends someone in their place.”

In the end, Xu Yanmiao’s desire to see the panda outweighed everything else. He thanked the Minister and showed up at the banquet on the appointed day.

But no official thought he had come for the sake of Prime Minister Dou’s granddaughter.

Instead, everyone was stunned: “Why is he here?!”

Something’s definitely going to happen again, right?! We just want to enjoy a peaceful banquet! We haven’t dared host one for months, and we were hoping to relax with this one!

Former Prime Minister Dou was in the middle of laughing and chatting with his colleagues when he heard the news. His smile immediately froze.

He even started wondering if he should consult someone to check his granddaughter’s birth chart. Last time, her marriage prospects were derailed by the Crown Prince, who had someone else in mind but wouldn’t let her go. And now, this guy shows up uninvited.

Could she be cursed with a “no-marriage fate”?

Upon investigation, they found out it was the Minister of the Imperial Stables who had brought Xu Yanmiao. His reason? He wanted to use the relaxed atmosphere of a banquet to get Xu Yanmiao interested in the Three-Year Plan.

Why Dou’s family? Not because they were unafraid of retaliation—but because they were the only household hosting a banquet this month. With no other options, he had to take the risk.

Prime Minister Dou: “……”

Other officials hoping to relax: “……”

Chen Zhonghui, we urge you—don’t go overboard.

Xu Yanmiao, fully aware that he was mooching off an invitation, tucked himself quietly into a corner the moment he arrived. Even more sensibly, he started amusing himself:

[A banquet… From my experience, these are usually hotspots for incidents!]

As soon as that thought came out, Prime Minister Dou’s palms began to sweat. Scenes of previous disasters revealed by Xu Yanmiao flashed before his eyes.

—His own brother-in-law was still hesitating about taxing local gentry, which is why he hadn’t removed him from his gatekeeper post yet. And Xu Yanmiao could still hear his thoughts.

[Things like poetic duels that end in public shaming—oh, it’s always some poor scholar humiliating someone high-status and good at poetry. Like the student of Court Physician Le, for example.]

The mentioned student and his teacher, Court Physician Le, suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit.

The two exchanged a glance…

The student quickly offered an excuse: “Teacher, I actually caught a cold last night. My throat’s been acting up.”

Physician Le looked at his hand and said meaningfully, “It’s fine. This is a music-and-poetry banquet. If your throat’s not working, your hand is still good. Your poems are beloved across the land—how about writing one for Lord Dou?”

The student understood instantly and quickly made an excuse: “But my right hand is also injured—I bumped it against a table last night, and it feels weak today.”

Le Zui sighed, looking deeply moved: “Then there’s nothing we can do.”

The student smiled and nodded. “Yes, looks like I can’t compose a poem today.”

[Then there’s the classic: someone’s daughter is “accidentally” pushed into the water, ruining her reputation, and she’s forced to marry the scoundrel who rescued her—oh, though I doubt the Dou household would let a true scoundrel in. So maybe it’ll be some morally questionable aristocrat.]

[Like the son of the Marquis of Fengxiang? That famous playboy, always ready to “save” a damsel in distress. He’d probably dive right in if someone fell into water. Oh! And he even knows how to swim!]

[I wonder how couples forced together like that actually fare. Do they still respect their parents… or curse their entire clan? Maybe the playboy reforms and makes a name for himself, then visits his parents’ grave every year in deep regret.]

The Marquis of Fengxiang suddenly turned and shot a fierce glare at his son.

The son: “?”

“…Father?”

“Don’t wander around. Stay by my side the entire time.”

The son looked even more confused. “Wait, no—Father, I’m right by your side, how could I possibly… uh, you know. Even if she might not be interested in me, I still need to make an appearance, right?”

He wasn’t here just to eat and drink—he was here to assess the eldest daughter of the Dou family and see if there was any possibility of a marriage alliance with the Marquis of Fengxiang’s household!

The Marquis of Fengxiang thought it over and said, “That’s true.”

Just as the son was about to smile—

The Marquis added, “Alright then, I’ll help you pick out an outfit. Go get changed quickly.”

Son: “?”

Moments later, the Marquis’s son sat stiffly beside his father. Originally, he had worn a deep sapphire-blue robe that perfectly flattered his figure; with a peach-blossom fan in hand, he’d look every bit the dashing noble son. But now…

The clothes were glittery, gaudy, and excessively colorful—sparkling with pearls and patterned with bright fabrics. It was dazzling. You could spot him from across the crowd in an instant.

He might not have been the most handsome guy there, but he was certainly the one who looked most like a flamboyant peacock.

The old father patiently instructed at his side, “Wearing this, you’ll stand out. You’re not allowed to take it off—understand? The more eye-catching you are, the less likely you are to get dragged into any schemes. If there’s any emergency—like someone needing rescue from drowning, or a fire, or someone stuck on a roof—don’t you go rushing in yourself. Just yank off the pearls and toss them out. With a big enough reward, there’ll definitely be someone eager to help. If you absolutely have to step in, it’s still fine. You’re so blindingly bright right now, and there’s snow on the ground—your clothes will reflect the light so much no one will even be able to make out your face. As long as you deny it was you, no one can prove otherwise.”

Son: “…Setting everything else aside, I do strongly agree with the part about my face not being visible.”

The Marquis beamed proudly. “Of course! This is the brilliant strategy your father came up with after much thought!”

Son: “Right… For example, your son now feels a strong urge to find a mask to cover even more of his face.”

The Marquis felt his son clearly didn’t understand the meaning of “Loving parents make long-term plans for their children.” He’d racked his brains for this strategy—for whose sake, if not his son’s?! It was still better than what the former Prime Minister Dou did—he directly locked his son in the woodshed!

—Yes, Xu Yanmiao’s thoughts had already progressed to: [Aside from the drowning incident, shouldn’t there also be some scoundrel who brings out a lady’s personal handkerchief and claims she had a secret affair with him, forcing her into marriage?]

[Hmm, usually when they get such a handkerchief, it’s either because another woman framed the lady, or because the lady’s annoying scoundrel brother lost it… Oh! If it’s the latter, the scoundrel usually reveals the item, and the idiot brother rushes to admit it: “Why do you have my sister’s handkerchief, you scoundrel?!” The parents would want to claim the handkerchief’s fake, but it’s already too late.]

Upon hearing such speculation, former Prime Minister Dou immediately ordered his youngest son to be locked up—just in case he caused trouble and ruined his granddaughter’s future.

While he was at it, he found an excuse to have the servants fortify the walls with thorns and spikes, block every dog hole, and even set up traps. Anyone trying to sneak in through a dog hole would be instantly sliced by hidden blades.

—He was determined to completely eliminate the possibility of any yellow-haired scoundrel sneaking in with a “personal handkerchief.”

And it wasn’t just Dou; other officials with useless sons also activated their emergency protocols to get their own unreliable brats out of the way.

The extreme ones even force-fed their sons purgatives—now those sons were still stuck in the latrine, unable to get up, ensuring they’d miss the matchmaking banquet.

The well-prepared ministers all hoped Xu Yanmiao would keep talking, so they could eliminate more risks.

However…

Strange. Were matchmaking banquets always this full of pitfalls? They’d never noticed before.

Thankfully, it wasn’t too late to realize it now! For every loophole Xu Lang pointed out, they’d plug one.

Everyone waited expectantly for Xu Lang to speak again.

Xu Lang rubbed his belly: [I’m hungry. I’ll think more after I’ve eaten.]

Colleagues: ???

Colleagues: !!!

Sure, you can still eat—but we can’t! If you don’t finish what you were saying, nothing will taste right to us!

Also… Xu Lang! Don’t you think using such valuable time to eat is a bit of a waste?!

Meanwhile, Xu Yanmiao was gleefully looking forward to today’s food:

[The food at a matchmaking banquet can’t be bad, right? There should definitely be some pork neck meat—nice balance of fat and lean, super tasty!]

[Crabs caught just before the frost are the fattest—Dou’s household should have plenty, right?]

[Ugh, why doesn’t the menu for the former Prime Minister’s matchmaking banquet count as gossip? I want to know what dishes will be served!]

[Dear heavens, your faithful believer Xu Yanmiao humbly requests fish jelly! Preferably made with crucian carp! Not carp—carp is hard to make tasty!]

Colleagues: “…”

You’re even placing meal orders now?!

Former Prime Minister Dou silently gave instructions to add crucian carp jelly to the menu.

After a while, the food was served. Xu Yanmiao ate with great satisfaction, while the other officials picked at their meals absentmindedly.

Finally, they saw Xu Yanmiao put down his chopsticks.

The officials instantly perked up, ready to hear more explosive gossip.

Xu Lang did not disappoint. His inner voice rang out:

[Excellent! I was actually worried something might go wrong at today’s matchmaking banquet, but I checked the gossip system and found nothing—not from the present or the future!]

[Real life really isn’t like those storybooks—no drowning schemes or public scandal scenes! Lord Dou is a good man. This banquet will definitely end in success!]

“???”

Storybooks?!

The entire room of senior officials was dumbfounded.

So all that you said earlier… was just based on storybook scenarios?! Not because any of it was actually going to happen today?!

Then… everything we just did was for nothing?!

We were stressed out for nothing?!

Some were hit harder than others—

Wait, did I really give my own son laxatives for nothing?!

Xu Yanmiao suddenly looked up, eyes sharp: [There’s killing intent!]

—The system had just pushed a gossip update: [On November 10, Tian Tong Year 35, killing intent suddenly appeared at the matchmaking banquet hosted by Dou Qing for his eldest granddaughter.]

The other officials couldn’t see the gossip interface—only Xu Yanmiao’s reactions. They were shocked: This little Bai Ze is that sensitive?! He could even detect our killing intent toward the Minister of the Imperial Stables?!

—Yes, they didn’t blame Bai Ze for this. But the Minister of the Imperial Stables was absolutely to blame. If he hadn’t brought that guy here, none of them would be so on edge!

Minister of the Imperial Stables: “…”

He felt all the other officials’ quiet, reproachful stares and wiped away cold sweat.

It’s fine, it’s fine… This is just a necessary trial on the road to promotion!

He tried to reassure himself: No big deal! I can handle this!

Then—

Huh? Xu Yanmiao clearly saw something new and looked shocked: [This is too disrespectful to Lord Dou! Everyone told their kids beforehand to act awkward, clumsy, and unimpressive… Wait, everyone said that?!]

Each of them thought it was fine as long as only their own family did it. No one considered that maybe no one actually wanted to marry into the Dou family.

But why? Dou’s eldest Granddaughter is such an excellent young lady—why all the rejection… Oh—sorry, I misjudged. Everyone seems to genuinely admire her.

The real reason is that they all thought Prime Minister Dou’s last “Hongmen Banquet” before retirement was way too dangerous. They respect him, but don’t want to marry into his family—at least for now.

The tense atmosphere in the hall froze for a second—then grew even more intense.

—The officials: If you hadn’t brought Xu Yanmiao here, would all this have been exposed?!

The Minister of the Imperial Stables completely lost it.

Wait a second! Isn’t messing with Bai Ze supposed to reveal your own secrets?

Why is it upgrading now?!

This kind of move—dragging the entire court into shared resentment—is unbearable! Truly unbearable! Any more of this and it’ll be a case of “sacrificing oneself for the nation”!

Your Majesty… maybe this is something you should handle personally after all?

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