Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Empress personally escorted Consort Qin out of the palace.

Originally, the Empress intended for Consort Qin to recuperate for another two months after her recent miscarriage before giving her a sum of money to leave the palace in secret. However, Consort Qin insisted on leaving immediately. As a compromise, the Empress arranged for her to recover at an imperial manor under her name.

“This is twelve thousand coins,” Empress said as she handed over an amount sufficient to support a family of five for a year. She accompanied Consort Qin to the carriage, where the interior was padded with thick bedding to shield her from the cold. “Keep it safe. Once you’ve recovered, use some of it to establish a livelihood.”

In the Great Xia Dynasty, women weren’t restricted from earning a living. They could brew wine, run tea houses, sell food on the streets, or work as waitresses in inns. Women were also employed as sedan chair bearers, cooks for banquets, or even as doctors. There were many options, so Consort Qin wouldn’t need to worry about exhausting her savings.

Consort Qin sobbed as she climbed into the carriage but then lifted the curtain and hesitated. “Your Highness… why are you so kind to me?”

Her fingers nervously picked at the wooden frame of the carriage, and she bit her lip lightly. “I… I’ve defied the principles of virtue and disrupted the palace order…” Shouldn’t I have been dragged out and beaten to death by now?

Empress gently pulled her hand down and tucked her into the carriage, wrapping her in blankets. “You mustn’t catch a chill,” she said before continuing, “His Majesty recounted the scene to me. He said…”

The emperor’s account had been laced with anger and disdain, his tone dripping with scorn. “They were cavorting in a cave, with all their ‘You smell so good’ and ‘Your Highness, don’t do this.’ Disgusting, insincere—flirting under the guise of protest.”

But what Empress saw was something different.

The empress looked steadily at Consort Qin. “You said, ‘Don’t do this.’”

Consort Qin trembled all over. Her voice quivered as well. “What if I was being coy?”

The empress’s voice remained warm and composed. “I cannot judge whether every woman who says ‘don’t’ is being coy, but I cannot allow a world where any woman who says ‘don’t’ is presumed to be inviting.”

This is the real empress. Mother of the world.

Tears streamed down Consort Qin’s face.

She cried as she stammered, “I’m sorry, Your Highness. I never intended to disrupt the palace. I know a bit of medicine, and when I entered the palace, His Majesty didn’t force me. I was too cowardly to admit I wasn’t a virgin. When he said he didn’t care, I dared not refuse. After entering the palace, there was fish soup at lunch, and I felt nauseous, so I took my pulse and discovered I was pregnant. I didn’t dare to tell anyone. I’m sorry, Your Highness…”

She knelt on the bedding and sobbed louder. “The Crown Grandson barged in. I told him to leave, but he wouldn’t. He dragged me to a rock garden. I said ‘don’t,’ but he thought I was playing hard to get. Then I thought, if he loves me so much, I might as well give him my life, but I couldn’t bring myself to end it…”

Her voice cracked as she choked out, “In the end, I was too scared to die. I just wanted to live, so I lied and said I was pregnant with the Crown Grandson’s child. Your Highness, I am no virtuous woman. I don’t deserve your kindness. At that moment, I only thought of surviving, not dying for the Crown Grandson…”

How could a virtuous woman think only of self-preservation in such a moment?

Consort Qin cried uncontrollably, feeling unworthy of the empress’s compassion. Then, a warm hand rested gently on her head, evoking memories of her late mother.

She remembered her mother. As a child, she had little interest in silk flowers or hand drums and loved grasping her mother’s fingers. Her mother would stroke her head in this same way, softly and lovingly.

Words weren’t needed. Consort Qin understood.

Empress had never blamed her for revealing her pregnancy to save her life.

“Ah Zhen,” the empress said softly, “the Grand Princess will soon leave for her fief. She’s mentioned several times how beautiful your dancing is. Would you be willing to accompany her after the New Year to teach the princess’s daughter how to dance? The stipend is three thousand coins a month.”

—Would you accept the protection of the princess’s household?

“You saved that rebellious grandson, and he repaid kindness with cruelty. I cannot do the same. If you’re unwilling, I’ll assign a few of the Dou family guards to protect you. How about that?”

Qin Zhen smiled through her tears. “Your Highness,” she said sincerely, “I’d like to earn the stipend.”

—She wanted to support herself.

At the execution ground:

Ji Sui was clutching the supposed granddaughter tightly, deeply moved. “Dear child! I’m your grandfather!”

The female prisoner looked up cautiously. “Grandfather?”

Ji Sui’s heart ached even more. He hugged her tighter. “Yes! I truly am your grandfather! I’ve been searching for your mother for over thirty years!”

The female prisoner, confused, mumbled, “But my grandfather fell into a cesspit and drowned years ago…”

Ji Sui froze.

He resisted the urge to shove her away, despite the goosebumps prickling his skin. Maintaining his composure, he declared passionately, “That was your mother’s adoptive father! I’m your real…”

The execution ground wasn’t far from the prison. Xu Yanmiao arrived, panting, only to be dumbfounded by the scene before him.

[Wrong! Wrong!] he panicked internally.

[That’s not your granddaughter. She’s just a stand-in prisoner!]

Ji Sui shoved the prisoner away, stumbling back three steps, clutching his churning stomach.

The words echoed in his mind: Cesspit… cesspit…

“Ugh—”

He dry-heaved loudly.

Oh ho, he’s throwing up!

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!