Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

“Ah, Empress, this wasn’t our fault. Who could have foreseen such a misjudgment?”

“I’m actually grateful for the Consort Qin’s involvement, which exposed his true nature ahead of time…” The Empress spoke in a calm tone. “The child is too accustomed to smooth sailing, capable only in favorable conditions. The moment something doesn’t go his way, his flaws become apparent.”

The Emperor nodded. Reflecting on the Consort Qin incident, he found her assessment accurate.

The Empress sighed again. “And both of you, grandfather and grandson, are equally stubborn. I worry that if the Consort Qin dies, and he finds out, he’ll end up resenting you.” There was something she didn’t have the heart to say aloud.

—If the Emperor were to know his beloved grandson harbored resentment for him due to his affection for a woman, it would surely break his heart.

The Emperor raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

“If I had told you, you would’ve been even more determined to kill her.”

“Who says so?!”

“Then tell me, what was your first thought when you heard the Crown Grandson declared he would renounce the court?”

The Emperor didn’t hesitate and thundered, “I’d like to see if he has the guts! Empress, I even thought it through. When the time comes, I’ll have that Consort Qin dragged out and executed! I’d like to see if he’ll dare to storm the execution grounds!”

The Empress didn’t respond, merely giving him a long, silent look.

The Emperor paused. “…Alright, fine. If you’d told me this earlier, I probably wouldn’t have listened.”

Not only would he not have listened, but he would have been even more resolute in executing the Consort Qin, just to test whether his grandson would truly resent him for it. His stubborn, contrarian nature was something the Empress had weathered for decades—she knew it all too well.

“Your Majesty” The Empress took his hand gently, speaking softly, “If you want to test Qi Ge’er, I won’t object. But as for the Consort Qin… she’s already had a brush with death today. I’d like her to fake her death and leave the palace.”

The Emperor deliberated for a moment. “Alright.”

Over a month later, his anger had subsided somewhat. “I’ll arrange for a death row inmate to impersonate her at the execution grounds.”

If his grandson cared enough to defy everything for her, then he’d better have the guts to intervene.

---

The Crown Grandson still walked out of the prison with the mark of a slap on his face.

—By imperial decree, the Emperor had granted him an immediate release.

A group of minor officials, who weren’t required to attend court that day, gathered around him and Ji Sui, showering them with flattery.

“Your Highness, your hardship has ended! Surely this was a tribulation destined to pass, and now your path ahead will be smooth and without turbulence!” řÄΝＯΒÊＳ

“We should celebrate your release and recovery! Your Highness must have suffered greatly in prison!”

“Though you’ve suffered, Your Highness still exudes a heroic and dignified aura. No dust can dim your brilliance.”

“Ji Gong’s cleverness is unmatched, devising such an excellent plan to rescue Your Highness.”

“Indeed! And that shameless woman, playing hard to get with Your Highness. Instead of fleeing far away, she hid in the Princess Royal’s residence, just waiting for Your Highness to find her and rekindle your relationship!”

“Without Ji Gong, our faction would have been severely weakened in Your Highness’s absence.”

“The Emperor was furious this time. If Ji Gong hadn’t acted swiftly and made it clear the entire fault lay with that lowly wench, Your Highness might have faced dire consequences.”

“Ji Gong truly possesses extraordinary wisdom!”

Ji Sui accepted these compliments with a faint smile at the corners of his lips.

Then he caught sight of Xu Yanmiao exiting the court, clearly deep in thought and oblivious to him.

…Unlucky.

Still, with his nephew safely released, Ji Sui believed he could tolerate Xu Yanmiao’s presence. No matter what nonsense Xu Yanmiao might be pondering…

[The court drama is way too messy. Let me sort this out… First, although the Crown Grandson is nominally the legitimate eldest grandson, he’s actually not the Princess Consort’s son, but rather a concubine-born child registered under her name.]

Ji Sui froze briefly and turned to glance at the Crown Grandson.

The Crown Grandson had just mounted his horse. Noticing Ji Sui’s gaze, he tilted his head in confusion. “Uncle?”

He didn’t resemble Ji Sui’s sister much, though his features bore some resemblance to the Crown Prince. Ji Sui hadn’t thought much of it before, but now…

Thinking of their years together, Ji Sui felt a moment of awkwardness before brushing it off. He truly regarded the Crown Grandson as a nephew, and his sister had always treated the boy as her own, even supplementing his needs with her dowry. As long as the bond existed, what did biological ties matter?

[Hmm… Next… Ji Gong has a missing daughter, but not one born to his wife, Princess Qinghe.]

Ji Sui’s brows furrowed slightly, but it wasn’t particularly distressing. As long as he could keep things under wraps for a few more days until he left the capital…

[Finally, that missing daughter had a daughter of her own—none other than the Consort Qin entangled with the Crown Grandson!]

…Who?!

Ji Sui suddenly felt the world spinning. He staggered, clutching the prison’s iron gate for support, as though struck by a deafening slap. His mouth tasted of blood.

Meanwhile, Xu Yanmiao clapped his hands in his mind, delighted. [Finally! I’ve figured it out! So the Consort Qin has no blood ties to either the Crown Grandson or the Emperor! Phew, what a relief!]

Elated at his revelation, Xu Yanmiao strolled away toward home. Ji Sui, his vision swimming, tried to reach out to stop him. But the world tilted further, and his legs buckled, sending him crashing to the ground.

“Wait… come back… explain…”

At that moment, a herald arrived in haste. “Your Highness! The Consort Qin has been taken to the execution grounds—she’s set to be executed at the third hour of noon!”

The Crown Grandson froze. “What? Ah Zheng is still alive—ouch!”

He was yanked off his feet before he could react. Just as he was about to erupt in anger, he saw Ji Sui mount a horse and gallop away at full speed.

“Uncle! Uncle! You don’t even know how to ride a horse! Be careful! Watch out—you’re going to hit something—Uncle! Right! No, left!”

Ji Sui quickly vanished from sight. The Crown Grandson muttered, “What’s the rush? He suddenly knows how to ride?”

The herald hesitated. “Your Highness, Consort Qin… Please, Your Highness, don’t do anything rash!”

The Crown Grandson took a hesitant step forward before pulling back. “…Alright.” Gritting his teeth, he closed his eyes and growled, “I will act prudently.”

---

At the execution grounds, in a pavilion overlooking the scene, the Emperor sat with a commanding presence, staring coldly out the window. “I’ll see if that insolent grandson dares to show up!”

Below, the executioner sprayed wine over his gleaming blade, preparing for the strike. A woman knelt on the ground, her black hair obscuring her face.

The blade rose high, catching the sunlight, as the sound of frantic hoofbeats echoed from the distance.

As the blade hovered mid-air, a desperate male voice, cracking with emotion, rang out: “Stay the blade!!!”

The Emperor’s face darkened, his expression thunderous. He grabbed the blade lying on the table before him, radiating murderous intent.

“Insolent—”

Ji Sui burst into the scene, throwing himself forward to embrace the kneeling woman as though reuniting with a long-lost family member. “My child! I’m your grandfather!”

The Emperor: “…?”

Why was it Ji Sui? Where was that insolent grandson?

Wait… What did he just say? Grandfather? Ji Sui’s granddaughter was… his…

The Emperor sank back into his seat with a thud, clutching his chest, his expression twisted with disbelief.

[Wrong! Wrong!] Xu Yanmiao’s voice chimed in soon after. [That’s not your daughter’s daughter—it’s a fake! A death row inmate!]

The Emperor: “…”

So, not the daughter of his ex-wife? Not Qinghe’s child? The Emperor barely had time to feel deceived before relief washed over him in a cold sweat.

All the gathered imperial guards witnessed the Emperor sit in silence for a moment before suddenly standing and erupting, “Xu Yanmiao! You little scoundrel!”

—It had to be that troublemaker’s thoughts that sent Ji Sui rushing in like this!

—That word, “grandfather”… it nearly stopped his heart!

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