Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Chapter 276: I Only Want You to Treat Me Well for a Lifetime—I Don’t Care If You Have Money or a Betrothal Gift (1 / 2)

The emperor was getting increasingly fed up with the family of the second-place scholar.

Three able-bodied men in their prime, yet they still managed to be bullied by others? Back in his day, when his family had three strong men, they practically dominated their entire village!

A family like this—one that willingly allowed themselves to fall into such a state, combined with an oblivious mother—was absolutely out of the question!

—Though, in the eyes of many, this wasn’t seen as self-inflicted failure but rather a testament to the idea that “All pursuits are inferior to scholarly success.”

But for a man like Gao Tie Zhu, who had survived by tilling the land, if his own son ever behaved this way, he’d make sure to discipline him thoroughly—nine beatings every three days!

The old emperor discreetly glanced at the list in Xu Yan Miao’s hands.

Well, there were still plenty of candidates left… Surely one of them would be suitable… right?

[Hmm, so the second-place scholar is a mama’s boy. His two brothers are probably the same. The old emperor definitely won’t pick any of them as Princess Gao Xiang’s consort, right?]

As soon as Xu Yan Miao’s inner thoughts surfaced, many officials were utterly stunned.

Could it be that he had actually developed feelings for Princess Xiangyang? Otherwise, why would he go out of his way to sabotage her marriage prospects?

[Hmm, let’s check the next candidate.]

[Damn it, this is such a hassle! I should have charged Gao Xiang two months’ worth of cleaning fees for this! What a miscalculation!]

The court officials collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

—So the princess had asked Bai Ze for help first? In that case, there was no issue.

[The second candidate is… the 13th ranking scholar of the second tier.]

Xu Yan Miao looked over, and several others followed his gaze.

What they saw was a middle-aged man in his thirties—overweight, with a particularly large belly.

But he was fat from overeating, unlike the second-place scholar, who was naturally chubby due to his body type.

The officials, who were scouting for suitable sons-in-law, hesitated momentarily before deciding to give him some attention.

Of course, not because they wanted him as a son-in-law, but rather to check if he had any promising young men in his family.

[Let’s see… Oh~ He’s actually a descendant of a renowned general! Though the general was from Eastern Chu, that still makes him part of a prestigious family. No wonder his food supply was so good.]

The old emperor’s fake smile faded into a more genuine and pleased expression.

Of course! He wasn’t at odds with his own daughter—he was going to choose carefully.

[And his family situation seems simple. A quick look shows no history of mother-in-law tormenting her daughters-in-law.]

[Much better than the second-place scholar’s family. That one… Did the old emperor really just glance at the fact that the three brothers supported each other and were filial to their mother, then assume that because one of them passed the imperial exam, they were worth considering?]

The old emperor shot Xu Yan Miao a glare.

Why must you always point out the most inconvenient details?!

And besides, just because a name made it onto the shortlist didn’t mean his daughter would be married off immediately! He was obviously going to send the Jinyiwei to conduct a thorough investigation first! Once they confirmed those three men were lazy bums, there was no way he’d marry Sheng Xian to one of them!

Moreover… Ha! As if those officials had scrutinized things any better than he did! At the very least, he planned to wait until after the Qionglin Banquet to investigate properly. Those officials—especially that Cui Yi fellow—were practically ready to finalize the marriage on the spot!

The other officials quietly lowered their heads.

And in their minds, they muttered: But weren’t we just trusting your wisdom, Your Majesty? If it were an ordinary day, of course, we’d investigate too!

Xu Yan Miao was different—he didn’t trust the emperor’s judgment.

He trusted the system.

[Ah, wait a minute…]

Xu Yan Miao’s eyes widened in surprise.

A nearby official, who had been relaxing on a bamboo lounge chair, noticed this reaction and immediately sat up halfway, his curiosity piqued.

Could there be something even more ridiculous than “a mother-in-law sneaking into her son and daughter-in-law’s bedroom at night to tuck him in”?

“Xu Yan Miao!” Quan Yizhang called out in a loud and hearty voice, “Come over here! There’s meat and fruit on this side!”

The surrounding officials: “!!!”

Well done, Lord Quan!!!

Xu Yan Miao didn’t think much of it. The moment he heard there was fruit and meat, he happily made his way over. A skilled palace attendant immediately prepared a small bowl of seasoned lamb tripe for him, and he dug in so eagerly that he didn’t even bother speaking.

However, his inner thoughts were as lively as ever.

[Mmm mmm mmm! So good! It’s not tough at all, and it’s easy to chew!]

[Old Master Quan really knows how to eat—he sat himself right where all the good food is.]

Old Master Quan scoffed.

Knowing how to eat just because of a bowl of lamb tripe? The group by the stream was just messing around.

Fish in March weren’t even fat. Now, when September came around, and the fish were plump and the crabs were fresh—that was true gourmet.

Of course…

Quan Yingzhang tapped his cane on the ground, getting impatient.

I called you over here—not just to eat!

But Xu Yan Miao paid him no mind. He happily ate for nearly half a stick of incense’s time, then wiped his mouth and reclined on the bamboo lounge chair, feeling even more content…

Or perhaps… not quite.

[…Does the old emperor know that this so-called noble family descendant is actually a Wuhu Yi tribesman?]

“And here I thought it was something serious!”

The old emperor scoffed.

So what if he was a tribesman? If he learned Han etiquette and lived in a Han county, then he was Han.

The Gao family wasn’t that exclusionary.

But Quan Yizhang’s expression shifted slightly.

Xu Yan Miao didn’t seem like the type to care about someone’s ethnicity.

Wuhu people… Was there something different about them?

Not far away, Liang Rui suddenly recalled something, and his pupils trembled slightly.

Meanwhile, a nearby official muttered, “That’s not really a big deal.”

Forget about marrying a tribesman—there were already non-Han officials serving in the imperial court!

Liang Rui: “…”

Sometimes, it was best not to speak too soon.