Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Chapter 245: Shocking! The Castration Bureau Might Be About to Shine! (2 / 2)

Xu Yanmiao quickly finished his business in the restroom using the half-sized paper Gao He had given him. When he returned to the table, the group had grown to three.

As the direct victim of the earlier “incident,” Gao He was vividly recounting the scene:

“That old guy is truly not a man! He wrapped his face in the bedsheet and tried to run, leaving the young lady with nothing to cover herself! I couldn’t stand it, so I grabbed him and made him pay compensation! I even threw my pillowcase to the girl—mind you, it was brand new. I hadn’t even used it yet! Sigh, I hope she remembers to return it. Actually, if she buys me a new one, that’d be even better.”

Gao He continued, “And the money that old guy gave me was nothing compared to what the God of Weal—cough, I mean, he only gave me…”

Before Gao He could finish, a man walked through the door and sat at the table next to them. As soon as he arrived, he ordered a large jar of wine and started drinking heavily.

Xu Yanmiao recognized the man—it was Yang Mengyu, a lecturer from the Hanlin Academy. It was unclear what had happened to him, but he was clearly drowning his sorrows.

Regardless of his troubles…

Xu Yanmiao quickly interrupted Gao He and whispered, “Trust me, we need to change locations to talk.”

At the same time, his inner voice screamed: [Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!]

[I respect people with normal illnesses, but for someone who can’t control their lower half, no thank you.]

Yang Mengyu, who was mid-drink, choked on his wine. “Cough, cough, cough—”

He froze, utterly bewildered.

…Diseases?

…What diseases?!

Weren’t human-animal relations just an ethical issue? How did diseases come into this?!

[Come to think of it, what kind of diseases could result from this? Damn it, my biology knowledge isn’t great.]

Xu Yanmiao seemed to be racking his brain for answers.

[Hmm… maybe schistosomiasis? Transferred from the sheep to a human through close contact?]

“Hiss—”

Lian Hang glanced sympathetically at Yang Mengyu.

Schistosomiasis. Even the name sounded terrifying. Would it suck all the blood out of him?

Yang Mengyu, on the other hand, felt like the world was spinning. His body swayed violently, and the wine in his cup spilled all over the table.

[Wait, wasn’t there another type of parasitic disease? What was it called? Something-something worm? Doesn’t matter. I remember it reproduces inside the body and spreads everywhere.]

Yang Mengyu had barely regained his composure when Xu Yanmiao’s next thought hit him like a hammer. He stared at Xu Yanmiao with a horrified expression, no longer caring if anyone noticed.

Worms… reproducing inside his body?!

That phrase echoed endlessly in his mind. A chill ran down his spine as goosebumps covered his entire body. He suddenly felt an unbearable itch everywhere, and tears streamed down his face.

“Smack—”

He slapped himself hard across the face.

How dare you?!

How could you be so shameless?!

With your rank and position, you could have any man or woman you wanted. Why did you have to pick a fight with a sheep?!

[I vaguely recall there was also some bacterial disease. Didn’t it cause hearing loss… brain swelling… brain necrosis—wait, does that mean he could develop dementia?]

Yang Mengyu’s hands trembled uncontrollably as his imagination spiraled out of control.

Yang Mengyu’s body trembled.

[Hmm, it could also cause festering sores on the skin, abdominal pain, bloody stools, and then rapid poisoning leading to death.]

His mind went blank.

Suddenly, he felt like he was struggling to breathe.

On top of that, his stomach seemed to start aching, his ears were buzzing, and it felt like his brain was about to split open.

Doctor!

He needed a doctor!!!

There was no doctor.

But the Jinyiwei had arrived.

Taking a closer look, they saw Yang Mengyu’s neck drenched in cold sweat. One of them sneered, “So now you’re afraid, Lecturer Yang?”

Yang Mengyu instinctively reached out, trying to grab onto the Jinyiwei officer, but the man swiftly stepped back—who knew if there were parasites in his body? What if they crawled onto his hand?

His cold, piercing gaze locked onto Yang Mengyu. “Lecturer Yang, His Majesty has summoned you. Come with us.”

The old emperor was extremely cautious about his health.

Even though Xu Yanmiao hadn’t explicitly said that Yang Mengyu was diseased, nor that the disease was contagious through close contact, the emperor still refused to meet him face-to-face.

Instead, a eunuch stood in front of Yang Mengyu, with another eunuch stationed outside the room to relay messages. The doors and windows were tightly sealed, reinforced with wooden planks to ensure that even if a fire broke out, Yang Mengyu wouldn’t be able to escape.

The eunuch in front of him spoke in a loud, commanding voice. “Lecturer Yang, His Majesty has a message for you.”

Yang Mengyu could only watch as the tall, muscular eunuch approached him. In the blink of an eye, a massive fist struck his face. Pain exploded in his nose, sending him stumbling backward until he crashed hard against the wall.

A warm liquid seemed to flow from his nostrils. He wiped it with the back of his hand—leaving behind a horrifying smear of red.

The burly eunuch, voice deep and authoritative, relayed the emperor’s words in the exact same tone:

“Yang Fei!”

(Mengyu was his courtesy name; Fei was his given name. Being addressed by his full name by the emperor meant serious trouble. Yang Mengyu didn’t dare take a single deep breath.)

“Was it just one hole you were missing?! If you can’t control that cursed thing, I’ll handle it for you!”

A cold sweat ran down Yang Mengyu’s back. He asked weakly, “H-How would you… handle it?”

The eunuch gave him a slow, deliberate look and smiled.

“The castration chamber.”

“Thud—”

Yang Mengyu collapsed onto the floor.

The eunuch continued, his voice carrying an eerie calmness. “Whether Lecturer Yang is sick or not, this official position of yours… is gone. You may now focus on resting at home. Consider it a special favor from His Majesty.”

Outside the room, the old emperor’s gaze was dark and solemn.

“Issue my decree—”

The chief eunuch immediately bowed in readiness to receive the imperial edict.

“Order the Ministry of Justice to add bestiality to the Summer Laws. Assign heavy punishments!”

Who knew if those parasites, which bred inside human bodies, could be transmitted through sexual relations? What if they entered women’s bodies and, through childbirth, passed into future generations?

It might not be noticeable in one or two generations, but if left unchecked, the entire empire could turn into a nation of diseased, parasite-ridden people!

This must be banned!

At the inn, despite Xu Yanmiao’s mental storm, his actions remained swift—he quickly led Lian Hang and Gao He far away from Yang Mengyu.

Lian Hang understood what was going on, but the still-confused Gao He asked in bewilderment, “What just happened?”

Xu Yanmiao patted his shoulder, his expression difficult to describe. “Listen to me—if you ever come across someone who engages in… intimate relations with animals, stay as far away as possible.”

Gao He’s eyes widened in shock. “There are actually people like that?!”

Xu Yanmiao nodded. “The world is vast, and full of strange things.”

Gao He pondered for a moment before speaking with full confidence, “Once I pass the provincial and imperial exams and become an official, I’ll naturally be able to distance myself from such things. Court officials and common folk rarely interact.”

“Rather than living in constant fear, it’s better to climb to a high position. Only then can one insulate themselves from the chaos of the world.”

Ah… well.

This time, it was Lian Hang’s turn to pat Gao He’s shoulder.

“Gao… Lord Gao…”

His tone was complicated. “Then… I wish you success in the imperial examinations.”

—Once you become an official, you’ll receive a government seal. And then, you’ll truly understand what it means to live in constant fear.