Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Chapter 226: If the lord doesn’t mind, I will pledge as your adopted son… (1 / 2)

Xu Yanmiao swore he hadn’t deliberately run into Ji Sui.

It was really Ji Sui’s grand entrance that caught his attention. From afar, the scene was so extravagant it piqued his curiosity, prompting him to wander over. When he realized it was Ji Sui, he was genuinely surprised—wasn’t this man already banished from the capital?

And then, his curiosity deepened. With a casual glance, he discovered Ji Sui was here to send his adopted son to take the imperial exam.

[Oh ho! A candidate!]

[Isn’t this just perfect? The first unlucky one to be chosen is you, Ji Sui’s adopted son!]

After reading up on his situation, Xu Yanmiao fell into deep thought.

Hmm… kind of hard to judge…

The next day during court, Xu Yanmiao couldn’t hold back and sighed.

[Does Ji Sui have bad eyesight or something?]

As Ji Sui, who had come to court to report on the work of the provincial government, noticed the subtle, peculiar glances being thrown his way, his heart skipped a beat.

Although he couldn’t hear Xu Yanmiao’s inner thoughts now, he could guess that Xu must have said something, which explained the reactions from these court officials.

The question now was… what exactly did Xu Yanmiao say? Was it good or bad?

[He used to protect the Crown Prince’s grandson, only to later find out the child wasn’t even his biological nephew. To top it off, that person ended up bringing harm to the daughter of the girl Ji had spent half his life searching for.]

[And now, after finally picking a seemingly decent scholar to take in as an adopted son, hoping his granddaughter would have someone to rely on after his death, he’s picked someone who… um… how do I even describe this…]

The old emperor rubbed his dark-circled eyes—he hadn’t slept well since appointing Xu Yanmiao as the chief examiner.

He had been lethargic earlier, but upon hearing this inner monologue, he discreetly glanced at Ji Sui.

—To earn a “how do I even describe this” from Xu Yanmiao… just what kind of weirdo did Ji Sui pick?

Curiosity: activated.

Ji Sui felt the gazes on him grow more intense. But in court, he couldn’t outright ask what people had heard. His face grew darker, and his heart sank deeper.

[Tsk tsk, turns out after passing the imperial scholar exams, he didn’t just target Ji Sui. He also set his sights on two other provincial governors from nearby states.]

[What insane luck—he saved the family of the Anqing governor and earned their favor, almost got adopted as a son. Not content with that, he went to Jinling, found a severely ill woman, stayed by her side tirelessly, and after her death, spread their “love story” far and wide. The truth? They barely knew each other for seven days.]

[Honestly, with that kind of hard work, it’s no wonder the Jinling governor didn’t suspect ulterior motives. The man thought this scholar was loyal and sentimental and even wanted to marry his daughter to him.]

[Thank goodness that didn’t happen. All thanks to the scholar having three options and wanting to weigh them out—this is peak dark humor.]

[Laughable, really. So, Ji Sui ended up being the best option, huh? No son, only a granddaughter, and with a sister who’s the Crown Princess, there’s no way she could give Ji Sui an heir. The scholar, upon being adopted, would immediately enjoy the best resources.]

[Poor Ji Sui. He’d die of anger if he knew the scholar wasn’t chosen because he was the most learned or charismatic of the three, but simply because he doesn’t have a son. Hahahaha!]

[Right now, Ji Sui still thinks the scholar admires his intellect!]

[Comparing candidates for adoption… no, wait… comparing dads!]

“Pfft—”

“Cough, cough, cough—”

The faint sound of stifled laughter reached Ji Sui’s ears, and this was clearly the restrained version.

Ji Sui stood tense on the tips of his toes. He couldn’t hear these thoughts himself, but knowing they existed left him with a growing sense of unease.

What exactly did Xu Yanmiao say?! Was it related to him?

One of the officials close to Ji Sui adjusted his robes and tiptoed over, recounting the gist of the inner monologue in his own words.

—Except for the part about “comparing dads.”

That had to be quoted verbatim. Anything less wouldn’t do it justice.