Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Before Ji Sui even had a chance to warm his seat, the old emperor summoned him again.

The emperor cared little for Ji Sui’s emotional turmoil—having just reunited with his granddaughter and learning about his daughter’s death. Instead, concerned Ji Sui might faint from the shock, the emperor had a bowl of blood-red bird’s nest soup brought from the small kitchen to steady him.

Then, with a displeased expression, the emperor bluntly asked, “What exactly happened back then?”

Ji Sui forced himself to take a few bites of the bird’s nest soup, but it tasted like ash in his mouth. “Back then…”

Ji Sui still remembered that it was during the final battle before the founding of the nation. He had the fortune of being appointed rear commander, overseeing logistics for the campaign. It was an exhausting task, with hardly a moment to rest. His first wife had accompanied him, claiming she wanted to care for him so he wouldn’t fall ill from overwork.

“My wife… stole intelligence I had kept in my study, including military deployment orders and the locations of our food supplies.”

The emperor frowned deeply, recalling fragments of the past. “But at the time…”

“Your Majesty, you are correct. The information she stole was deliberately discarded plans. I habitually keep the actual strategies in my mind,” Ji Sui explained, his tone devoid of pride. Instead, sitting there, he seemed almost to punish himself by recounting the story.

“My wife was not the orphan she claimed to be. In reality, she was the daughter of the Grand Chancellor of the Zhou Dynasty. Separated during the war, she later chose to steal intelligence to return to her homeland as an unswerving patriot. On the day Zhou fell, I went to see her. Right before my eyes… she took her own life to remain loyal to her country.”

Her blood had sprayed all over him, leaving him covered and sticky. He had felt unclean ever since, no matter how much he washed.

“Before that, she was with child. After returning home, the baby was taken away as soon as it was born. All I learned was that it was a girl.” Ji Sui’s voice trembled slightly as he concluded, “That’s how it was, Your Majesty.”

He hesitated, then knelt before the emperor, his forehead striking the ground with a loud “thud.”

“I failed as a commander for not discovering the plot in time. I failed as a husband for not noticing my wife’s inner turmoil. And I failed as a father, driving my daughter’s mother’s family to ruin, leaving my daughter alone in the world with her fate unknown.”

“I have since deemed myself unworthy of marriage or fatherhood. All I want is to find my daughter.”

“Qin Zheng knows nothing of this,” Ji Sui implored, his voice raw. “She has no idea she carries the bloodline of the Zhou Chancellor. I beg Your Majesty to show mercy and spare her life! I am willing to exchange my life for hers!”

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“Wow, the old emperor really holds a grudge against the Zhou Chancellor,” Xu Yanmiao remarked to himself, clicking his tongue. “Back then, that chancellor pretended to surrender, nearly pulling off a successful betrayal. He even caused the emperor to lose an entire vanguard unit, enraging him to the point where he vowed to leave the man’s body exposed to the wild.”

“…Though in the end, the emperor let it go and gave the chancellor and his family proper burials,” Xu mused. “Still, it’s no wonder Ji Sui has always been hesitant to reveal the truth. To protect his daughter’s identity as the Zhou Chancellor’s daughter, he even made a deal with the Qinghe Princess. He agreed not to interfere with her keeping male companions in exchange for her granting his daughter a title as a Junzhu—an honor for the legitimate granddaughter of the Grand Princess of Daxia.”

He muttered a few more things before turning to a street vendor. In one breath and without pausing, he rattled off a long list of food items: “I’ll take one of everything! Thanks!”

The steaming snacks smelled heavenly, and Xu Yanmiao’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. “Extra spice on all of it! Make it fiery!” Daxia’s night markets were full of delicious treats, and the best part was being able to add as much spice as you liked!

When he turned around, he spotted Ji Sui wandering aimlessly through the bustling East Market. His distracted demeanor was evident, and a young attendant trailing behind him appeared visibly anxious.

“Hmm…” Xu Yanmiao glanced between Ji Sui and the sizzling fried snacks, hesitating three or four times before finally stepping forward. “Lord Ji?”

Ji Sui started at the sound, snapping out of his reverie to look at Xu. “…It’s you?”

Xu Yanmiao blinked innocently.

Ji Sui studied him for a moment, then abruptly asked, “Do you remember the great famine in Henan two years ago?”

Xu’s eyes flickered briefly. Two years ago? He hadn’t even transmigrated then.

“Of course I remember such a major disaster!” Xu declared, feigning certainty.

Ji Sui fell silent.

He doesn’t know.

Now that Ji Sui was no longer a court official, he could no longer hear Xu Yanmiao’s thoughts and thus couldn’t fathom his ignorance.

After a pause, Ji Sui began, “When I was overseeing relief efforts, I discovered collusion between local officials and those in the Ministry of Revenue. They embezzled grain meant for disaster relief, which prevented us from addressing the drought in time. That failure led to the famine, even to the point of cannibalism.”

Xu Yanmiao was stunned. “Why… are you telling me this?”

Ji Sui hesitated, carefully choosing his words. “Now that I am no longer in office, I wish to present the evidence I’ve gathered. However, I fear interference from others. Since you are acquainted with the Wanshou Princess…”

Ji Sui explained his reasoning at length, and Xu Yanmiao listened quietly. Whatever thoughts were running through his mind remained a mystery. Finally, he nodded. “Alright. If I meet the Wanshou Princess, I’ll make sure to hand her the evidence.”

With that, Xu Yanmiao left.

After he departed, Ji Sui remained motionless for a long time. Long enough that the attendant behind him eventually broke the silence. “Master?”

“…I can’t hear it anymore…”

“Hear… what?”

Under the flickering lights of the night market, Ji Sui’s shadow stretched long and thin. His voice, tinged with melancholy, drifted softly into the air.

“I can’t hear him anymore.”

When he could hear Xu Yanmiao’s inner voice, it had been infuriating and exasperating. But now that it was gone, it felt as though a massive door had slammed shut in front of him, leaving him adrift.

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