Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Badnews:XuYanmiaotraveledbacktoancienttimes,buthehimselfislazyanduninterestedinanythingbutinternetcybersecurity,whichisuselessinancienttimes.Goodnews:He’sboundtoasystem.Badnews:ThesystemiscalledtheGossipSystem,notthefortune-tellingkind,butthekindthatcontainsotherpeople’sprivateinformationandscandals.Utterlyuseless.Morebadnews:Thissystemisalsoglitchy,andtheextentofthebugsisunknown.Evenmorebadnews:Thisbodyisthatofaminorofficialwhocanattendcourtmeetings,whileXu,thetimetraveler…doesn’tunderstandtheclassics,can’twritewithabrush,andisatriskofbeingexposedforcheatingintheimperialexams.XuYanmiao:“…”Forgetit,justlielow,waittodie,maybedyingquicklycouldleadtoanothertimetravel.…Inthecourt,theemperorwasfuriousaboutstateaffairs,andthecourtierstrembledinfear.XuYanmiaopretendedtolistenattentivelybutwasactuallyfocusedonbrowsingtheGossipSystem.[Wow,theemperorjusttookina16-year-oldnoblewomanyesterday!Abeautifuladdition!He’sgettingstrongerwithage!Andhewastossingandturninginbedallnight,butstillhassuchapowerfulvoicenow!Amazing!][Thisnoblewomanusedtobethecrownprince’sconcubine!Andthecrownprinceevenknowshowtowritepassionateloveletters!][Wowwowwow!Thecrownprincesneakedintothegrandpa’sharem…hiss—gotintimatewhiletheoldemperorwasattendingcourt!Doitquickly!Whyisn’tthereanyvideo…][Huh?Whyistherenosound?]XuYanmiaocautiouslyraisedhisheadandglancedaround.[Whathappened?Whyiseveryonekneeling?Where’stheemperor?]—Theemperorwenttocatchadulteryintheharem.*The“imperialexamcheating”bombfinallyexploded.XuYanmiaocouldn’texplainwhyhishandwritingontheexampaperdidn’tmatchhisusualhandwriting,norcouldheanswerwhyhedidn’tunderstandtheclassics.Theevidencepreparedbytheoustedcrownprinceoftheemperorhitthenailonthehead,andhispersonalbodyguardwasreadytodragXuYanmiaoawaytotheprison,awaitingexecutionintheautumn.XuYanmiaoheldontothegossipthatprovedhisinnocence,butwasinaquandary:HowdoIexplainthesourceofmyinformation…[SaythatIsecretlymetwiththeChiefExaminer,theMinisterofRites,threenightsbeforetheexam?Impossible,thatnight,theMinisterofRiteswasdressedasawoman,spentthenightattheGeneral’sMansion,withthegeneral…]Thegeneral’sbodyshook,andheinterjected:“YourMajesty!!!!”“Althoughtheevidenceofexamcheatingissolid,Ibelievethere’sstillsomethingfishyaboutthis.Itshouldbere-investigated!EspeciallyXu…Xu…XuYanmiao’sattireisneatandtidy!Someonewhocaressomuchabouttheirappearance,howcouldtheytarnishtheirreputation!”Thecrownprince,whocouldn’thearhisthoughts:“???”[Also,what’swithsayingthattheexaminerfakingyawningandtirednesswasintentionallyleavingmeagapforcheating?Hespentthenightbeforetheexaminthepigstywithoutsleeping,howcouldhenotbetiredthenextday?But,surprisingly,theImperialAcademylectureractuallybelievedinpig’smilk…]TheImperialAcademylecturer’sfacewentpale,andheburstout:“YourMajesty!!!!”“I…IagreewiththeGeneral’swords!HowcouldXuLangcheatintheexam!He…he…hedeliberatelydrankaglassofpurewaterbeforetheexam,believingthatonlygood-heartedpeoplecanusepurethings,suchakind-heartedperson,howcouldhecheatintheexam!”Thinkinghehadeverythingundercontrol,thecrownprince:“???”XuYanmiaowasdeeplymoved.[They’reallgoodpeople,eveniftheirbrainsdon’tworkwell,they’retryingtheirbesttofindreasonsandexcusesforme.][ButIreallyhavenowaytoturnthetables,alas,it’sapitythatIhaven’tfinishedwatchingtheTVseriesI’vebeenfollowing.Theoldemperorangeredtheempresslastnightandgotkickedoutofthebedchamber,andnowI’mgoingtodiebeforeseeingtheending.Heseemstobeplanningtopainthisfacewithinkandpretendtobeacattocheeruptheempress…]“Bang—”Theoldemperorslammedthetable,forciblyinterruptingthecontinuousstreamofthoughts:“IbelieveXuYanmiaodidnotcheatintheexam!Releasehim,innocent!”Thecivilandmilitaryofficialscouldn’twaittoecho,fearingthatiftheyweretooslow,XuYanmiaomightspillmoregossip.“Yes,yes,yes!Releasehiminnocent!”“LongliveYourMajesty!”“YourMajesty,pleaseendthecourtsession!LetXuLanggohomeandrest!You’vetiredhimoutbymakinghimstandforsolong!”Thecrownprince:“???”DidXuYanmiaodrugthemwithhallucinogensorsomething?

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