Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Chapter 214: Faking a Crippled Leg and Sitting in a Wheelchair for Fifteen Years to Avoid the Emperor’s Suspicion? (1 / 2)

The old emperor summoned the Jinyiwei and quietly instructed, “Act as the situation demands.”

What did “act as the situation demands” mean? It meant that when Xu Yanmiao went around spreading the principle of how hens could turn into roosters, these Jinyiwei—who just “accidentally” discovered this information—were to report it back to him, the emperor!

Then, the emperor would find two men and two women, lock them up separately in two estates, and provide enough food for a year. The goal? To see if men could turn into women and women into men.

If it worked, then in the future, during wartime or when cultivating land, all the women could be turned into men. When population growth was needed, most men could be turned into women, leaving only a few to provide the “seeds.”

Wouldn’t it be perfect? They could get people when needed, grain when needed, and there would never again be a problem of too many men or too many women. Families wouldn’t have to drown their baby girls anymore either!

The old emperor mulled over this scenario and felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck his brain. The nation’s future looked dazzlingly bright.

Thank goodness Xu Yanmiao didn’t know about this; otherwise, he might have fainted on the spot.

Bright future? Seriously? Human and chicken chromosomes aren’t even the same, for heaven’s sake!

But since he didn’t know, he could happily continue to watch the spectacle unfold.

[But with the old emperor’s personality—stubborn when pushed, combative when challenged—forget dealing with the crown prince. Even if you tried to force his hand against someone else, his resistance alone would be enough to turn the situation around.]

The old emperor clicked his tongue lightly.

[Though, does he even know his master, Prince Fu, has already fallen from grace?]

[Probably not. After all, the emperor hasn’t announced it to the world, and the Daoist has been holed up for over a year prepping this “phenomenon” of hens turning into roosters. He hasn’t been back to the Prince Fu residence.]

The officials: Oh, ho!

The old emperor: Oh, ho!

A fish that slipped through the net!

The Daoist, intending to seize the momentum, moved slightly to stretch his stiff arms. But as soon as he moved, countless gazes turned toward him. The mix of surprise and mockery in their eyes made him freeze on the spot, his body feeling even more rigid.

…What on earth was going on?

Ever since the moment he exposed the crown prince as a demonic entity in court, every reaction from the officials had made the Daoist feel increasingly uneasy.

How would this information get out?

Of course, through the ever-reliable Jinyiwei.

As the Daoist stood there in a brief moment of melancholy, he suddenly noticed a Jinyiwei striding quickly from outside the formation. The man glanced at him as he passed.

“…”

Noticing the look, the Daoist’s eyelids twitched imperceptibly.

Shortly after, he heard the emperor, his tone unreadable, ask, “What is it now?”

The Jinyiwei glanced in his direction again, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, as if suppressing a laugh.

The ominous feeling grew stronger.

Then the Jinyiwei spoke: “Your Majesty, I have investigated and confirmed that this man is a remnant of Prince Fu’s faction! His plot against the Crown Prince was meant to pave the way for Prince Fu to take over the Eastern Palace.”

How the Jinyiwei discovered this was unimportant—after all, the Jinyiwei were omnipotent and had their own sources of information.

The Daoist immediately tensed up. “Nonsense—”

They must be trying to trick him!

[Oh ho! As expected, the Jinyiwei exposed him. Prince Fu really brought this on himself. Knowing full well how skilled his father’s Jinyiwei are at gathering information, he still dared to make these little moves.]

The old emperor thought to himself: Not really, no. My Jinyiwei’s methods of gathering intelligence aren’t quite that miraculous.

In truth, he had always been curious about where Xu Yanmiao had gotten the impression that the Jinyiwei were all-knowing.

[So this Daoist was actually raising snakes for Prince Fu!]

[Hiss—what a massive snake! Scared me to death… Wait, is he really the third uncle of my household cook?]

[This won’t implicate my cook, will it? It won’t, right? It shouldn’t…right?]

When it involved someone he knew, Xu Yanmiao couldn’t stay calm anymore.

[Other than having a problematic relative like this, my cook has always been an honest and upright commoner! Let me see… He didn’t get involved in this mess, did he? He only thought his third uncle was down on his luck and came to help him. No, I have to figure out a way to ask Lian Hang if this kind of thing could lead to family members being implicated.]

Lian Hang, hearing his name mentioned, glanced quickly at Xu Yanmiao, thinking: Even if it could have implicated them before, with Xu Lang’s heartfelt interjection now, that cook’s family won’t be dragged into this.

He sighed with a mix of awe and resignation. “Power…”

This was the power Xu Lang wielded.

As Xu Yanmiao’s scattered thoughts revealed bits and pieces of information, the Jinyiwei began piecing together the Daoist’s identity and said, “Your Majesty, this man’s original name is Yang Chao. He is a snake handler from Xinxing County, Zhaoqing Prefecture, Lingxi Circuit, in Guangdong’s Administration.”

That one sentence caused the Daoist, who called himself Changqingzi, to clench his fingers tightly as his heart pounded violently.

Jinyiwei… How could their intelligence be so accurate?!

He had only appeared two days ago, and they already knew his original name, his birthplace, and even his connection to Prince Fu?

Then, as the Jinyiwei continued to expose more truths, each one undeniable, the Daoist began to sweat profusely. A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes—

Since escape was no longer an option, he might as well drag more people down with him!

During his time wandering the streets, training snakes, and gathering intelligence for Prince Fu, he had stumbled upon something important, though he hadn’t had the chance to inform his master yet. “Your Majesty, are you aware that Prince Jin and Prince Jibei have a secret connection? They once conspired with Prince Fu in a rebellion.”

The atmosphere seemed to darken instantly.

“What—”

Prince Jin?

That was the emperor’s most cherished younger brother. A family member he held dear.

He had even given him the prestigious title of “Jin” and the land that came with it!

Sensing the brewing storm, many officials exhaled heavily and cast discreet glances toward Emperor Tiantong.

The emperor turned to Xu Yanmiao, his gaze carrying a faint trace of hope.

Some ministers suddenly realized that, faced with such an explosive accusation, Xu Yanmiao was bound to reveal something.

What the Daoist said might not even be true!

[Uh… this…]

Then they saw Xu Yanmiao’s face show an awkward expression.

[So, Prince Jin has been exposed after all.]

“Hiss—”

The ministers’ pupils shook in shock.

You really did conspire to rebel?!

What were you even thinking?

The emperor also wanted to know what his younger brother was thinking.

Wasn’t the title of “Prince Jin” good enough?

Hadn’t he been indulgent enough over the years?

The emperor sat silently on the throne for a long time, his face dark. A few strands of gray and white beard floated down, seemingly torn off in anger and shock.

“Summon—” He paused, his voice hoarse. “Prince Jin.”

“Why has Imperial Brother suddenly thought to summon me?”

Prince Jin arrived, pushing his wheelchair, completely unaware of what had happened. He appeared relaxed and indifferent, saying, “Imperial Brother knows well that I’ve never meddled in affairs. If this is about state matters, I may not be of much help.”

Whether out of sincerity or an attempt to cover up, a faint smile appeared on the uncovered half of his face. “Before I came, Yong’er and Hua’er were still asleep. I’d like to return before they wake, or they’ll cry and fuss again.”

—The Princess Consort of Jin had given birth to twins, a boy and a girl.

The old emperor squinted at him for a moment before suddenly standing up. He extended his hand, and a nearby Jinyiwei handed him a stick.

Prince Jin: “?”

Before he could react, he saw his brother striding toward him, stick in hand.

“Imperial Brother!”

“What are you doing, Imperi—”

“Ah—”

“Wait, just a moment, I—”

“Ah—”

The stick landed with resounding thuds.

Xu Lang, being soft-hearted, couldn’t bear to watch. He turned his head away in a show of “discomfort.”

The old emperor’s furious voice roared through the hall.

“You little bastard! Of all things to covet, you covet the throne?! And you even conspired with Prince Jibei? Are you stupid, or is he? Once you kill me, do you think he’ll resist taking the throne for himself?”

“With your stupidity, do you think you can outmaneuver Prince Jibei?”

“Do you think your crippled legs can outrun him?”

“Idiot! Absolute idiot!”

“You’re going to be the death of me!”

“Mother, on her deathbed, told me to take care of you. Which prince in history has lived as comfortably as you? Jin—my own son didn’t even get Jin, but I gave it to you! And this is how you repay me, you damned fool!”

“And besides! Prince Jibei has land and private troops! That useless pig of a Prince Fu may be my son, but at least he has the claim of royal blood! What do you have? Nothing! You’re over thirty and still not steady, yet you think you can mimic others and rebel!”

The old emperor grew angrier as he spoke, punctuating his words with a flurry of blows.

At first, Prince Jin gritted his teeth and endured in silence. Soon, he was wailing and screaming, and by the end, his cries were broken and uneven. Yet the stick continued to rain down on him like a relentless storm.

The old emperor, having fought wars, knew exactly where to strike to avoid fatal injuries. His blows would only leave Prince Jin with torn muscles and broken bones at most.

—After all, beating him to death outright wouldn’t be as satisfying.

[Wow!] Xu Yanmiao marveled. [His vigor hasn’t diminished since back in the day! This strength wasn’t much different from when he crippled the crown prince.]

Standing beside Xu Yanmiao, Lian Hang felt his legs buckle at the memory. He was on the verge of tears.

Xu Lang! This is such a serious moment! Can you stop adding fuel to the fire? And why bring up the crown prince now???