Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Chapter 250: Xu Lang at Twenty, Comes of Age (1 / 2)



Chapter 250: Xu Lang at Twenty, Comes of Age (1 / 2)

After the morning court session, Liang Rui completed the attendance check and took leave to return home for half an hour.

To avoid arousing Xu Yanmiao’s suspicion with any abrupt actions, he planned his movements carefully: first, he went to the small dining hall prepared by the emperor for officials to have lunch. Then, as if by accident, someone clumsily spilled sauce on his official robe, giving Liang Rui a legitimate excuse to take leave and return home to change.

Upon arriving home, Liang Rui casually remarked, “I heard that Prime Minister Dou is worried about the Grand Madam feeling lonely, so he wants to find her a companion.”

—Of course, this was completely fabricated.

Before Liang Youwen could react, Liang Rui immediately flew into a furious rage. “What kind of look is that?! You little scoundrel! The Grand Madam is already ninety-five years old—she could be your great-grandmother! And yet, you dare to express feelings for her?! I’ll beat you to death, you disgraceful wretch!”

With that, he grabbed a firewood stick from the corner of the courtyard and began thrashing his eldest son.

Liang Youwen took a deep breath, his pupils quivering in shock.

Had his thoughts really been that obvious?!

Before his mind could even process the situation, the pain spread through his body in an instant. A surge of heat shot to his throat, forcing out a powerful cry:

“AAAH—!”

Liang Rui was not holding back.

He was genuinely furious—and he was also putting on a performance for the emperor, empress, and prime minister.

Liang Youwen dodged to the side, only for the stick to chase after him with relentless force.

“Ah!” he yelped, narrowly avoiding a hit to his leg.

“Ah!” he howled again as the stick smacked his hand precisely.

But Liang Youwen refused to yield!


[Wow!]

Xu Yanmiao was closely following the commotion, unknowingly providing a live broadcast to his colleagues.

[Liang Youwen, I, Xu Yanmiao, acknowledge you as the strongest!]

[Even after such a beating, you can still shout at your father: ‘A fair lady, a gentleman’s pursuit!’And even: ‘A single man, an unmarried woman—what’s wrong with me admiring the Grand Madam?!’]

[Wow, wow!]

Xu Yanmiao clutched his outer robe in excitement.

His colleagues—including, for some unknown reason, officials from Department A, members from Temple B, and personnel from Bureau C—were all gathered in the Ministry of Appointments. Perhaps due to the frequent personnel transfers at the end of the year, they needed the ministry’s approval.

The Minister of Appointments had originally planned to go to the restroom, but at that moment, his plump body tensed, clamping his thighs together, determined to hold his bladder in—ready to stay on duty until the last moment.

[Old Liang goes all in, his words as sharp as ever! Truly a man who once proposed driving all the Wokou onto a single island and letting them kill each other.]

[He stabbed his son right in the heart with his words—‘Your love will affect the Grand Madam. Have you considered that being with you might ruin her reputation in her later years? Have you thought about how others will see her? No, you haven’t. You only think about yourself.’]

[And another thing—]

[The Grand Madam is so old! Have you considered whether she can even handle knowing about this? What if she just keels over on the spot?]

[Every word cuts like a knife!]

[Little Liang is crying!]

The Minister of Appointments nearly let out a cheer.

Though he felt a bit sorry for young Liang, he had to admit that Liang Rui’s words were a textbook example of striking where it hurts most.

He didn’t say, “You can’t do it.”

He didn’t say, “The Grand Madam would never like you.”

He went straight for the kill: “If you truly love her, you should be thinking of her well-being.”

Liang Youwen had walked right into his father’s rhetorical trap!

—Honestly, for a woman with power and influence, keeping a younger lover wasn’t a big deal. Even if they married officially, no one would bat an eye at a sixty-year-old man marrying an eighteen-year-old girl. So why was it unacceptable for a ninety-five-year-old lady to be with a thirty-two-year-old man?!


Liang Rui tossed aside the firewood stick and looked down at his son, who was sitting on the ground, covered in dust and tears. He sighed, patted his son’s head, and asked, “Do you really like her that much?”

Liang Youwen hiccupped but didn’t answer.

Liang Rui spoke calmly, “Have you thought about the fact that even if the Grand Madam likes you back, you’ll face a storm of gossip? And you’re already thirty-two, while she’s still full of vitality. Have you considered that she might live past a hundred?”

Liang Youwen: “That would be great!”

Liang Rui: “Then what about your descendants? There’s only a limited window for a man to have children. Sure, some people father kids in their fifties, but are you really that sure you’ll be one of the lucky ones after the Grand Madam passes?”

Liang Youwen glanced at his father as if looking at an outdated relic.

“Dad, not everyone gets married just for the wedding night or to have kids.”

“The moment I saw the Grand Madam, I had already decided—I don’t need children.”

Liang Rui was momentarily speechless.

Liang Youwen, after successfully stunning his father into silence, blinked back tears. “Father, I understand your meaning. I will hide these improper thoughts from now on…”

Liang Rui instinctively responded, “No need.”

The entire court already knew.

Liang Youwen was bewildered. “What?”

With a sigh, Liang Rui patted his son’s head again. “If you manage to pass the exam this time, you’ll understand.”

Unable to make sense of it, Liang Youwen decided to stop thinking about it and instead tried to ease the tense atmosphere. “Father, I recently learned to make a dish called ‘Steamed Duck Feet with Ham.’ The duck feet have been soaking for a while now—I’ll make it for you.”


Tip: You can use left, right, A and D keyboard keys to browse between chapters.