Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court-Chapter 346: A Worthy Opponent, a Talented Rival 2.0 New

Looking for your next read? Check out our latest reviews! One features a sharp, determined alpha defying physical limits, and the other dives into a sweetly chaotic story set in a police station. Both are unexpected gems you won’t want to miss. Click through for the full scoop!

This Alpha Is Determined Despite Physical Disability

Eating Melons in the Police Station

It was just… such a mix of feelings.

(complicated.jpg)

The old emperor dragged over a stool and plopped himself down.

He wasn’t here for the drama, no—he was just concerned about the wellbeing of the people.

The little apprentice scratched his head. “This is a pharmacy, not some place for you to just plop down.”

Minister Bing pulled out two hundred wen as a seat fee.

“Please, have a seat!”

The apprentice immediately fetched another stool and, with practiced ease, dragged over a small table, offering delicacies—dried radish for the land’s bounty, and cold-dressed kelp for a taste of the sea.

Minister Bing didn’t bother arguing. He sat down on the new stool, picked up the chopsticks, tried a piece of radish, and commented, “Surprisingly tasty.” Then he sampled the kelp before setting the chopsticks down.

Once he’d tried the food (read: checked for poison), only then did the old emperor pick up his own pair of chopsticks and start eating the radish and kelp.

The apprentice brought over a small bench for himself and sat nearby, craning his neck. “Grandpa, are you seriously planning to stand up for that lady?”

The old emperor didn’t answer directly. Instead, he said meaningfully, “I’ll watch a little longer. If I see it with my own eyes, I’ll help her—though it’s unclear how long until she wakes up.”

The apprentice quickly assured, “Soon! Our shopkeeper’s medical skills are great!”

And the apprentice wasn’t wrong—the woman was quickly resuscitated.

At the same time, Xu Yanmiao’s “commentary system” let out a soft ding:

[Wow! The man’s still unconscious! Congrats to the woman for winning the follow-up strike privilege!]

[Anyone wanna go clue her in? Like, the red string of fate and all—somebody tell her where the other party is!]

The old emperor, Minister Bing, and the imperial guards: Someone wants to say something… but no one dares.

[Ugh, I’m dying of curiosity! Am I seriously gonna have to step in? No way! Spectators never enter the battlefield! No participation from bystanders!]

[Wait a sec!]

[She’s moving, she’s moving!!!]

What!?

Is she really!?

The bored emperor and minister turned their heads with a whoosh, eyes gleaming with the most blinding light of human curiosity.

The woman—Mei Wan—who was just getting up shakily, was nearly frightened back into her seat by their laser-focus stares.

What the heck is up with this group of weirdos?

Muttering to herself, she borrowed a crutch from the shop and, determined despite her injuries, started hobbling outside.

[Whoa!]

[WHOA WHOA WHOA!]

[Is she going in for the finishing blow!?]

The old emperor glanced at the imperial guards, who immediately followed after her.

Before the guards could return, Xu Yanmiao’s mental commentary came through again:

[She actually knows where her husband is! Is this… some twisted kind of domestic abuser’s intuition!?]

[He’s still unconscious. Hiss—Is she seriously going to kill him?]

Kill him!?

The old emperor put down his radish at once and shot to his feet, his chair screeching loudly as it scraped back.

Xu Yanmiao had said the other pharmacy was just across the street—maybe he could still catch the action!

—not that he was worried about a murder or anything. The imperial guards would definitely stop her.

[Eh? She’s walking away? Could it be… she can’t bring herself to do it?]

“Tch.”

The old emperor clicked his tongue, clearly displeased.

He wished he could just talk to that woman: What are you hesitating for!? He beat you half to death! Even if you don’t kill him, can’t you at least slap him a few times? Worst case, slap him awake and argue it out properly!

Minister Bing and the guards were disappointed too—She didn’t even kill him!?

[Wait—she went to the magistrate’s office? Then maybe it’s not sentimentality, just that she doesn’t want a body on her hands.]

[!!!]

[WOW!!!]

[She’s filing charges against her husband—for marriage fraud! And then charging him with fraud too! Brilliant move! If the marriage was a scam, then the relationship shouldn’t exist at all. Following it up with a fraud charge? Perfectly reasonable!]

Indeed—very reasonable.

And rather than taking his life, she was going after his money. Making him hurt in the wallet and giving herself peace of mind—an extremely wise decision!

But what’s this about marriage fraud?

The old emperor nodded, fully immersed in the unfolding drama.

The little apprentice beside him looked at him more and more like he was watching a lunatic—this old man who had randomly stood up so dramatically, then after a while, nodded at thin air like some deranged ghost whisperer.

[Oh ho! She’s suing her husband for marriage fraud, on the grounds that he was an illegitimate son and failed to disclose it beforehand—plus it wasn’t written on the marriage certificate!]

[Lemme check… Yep, looks legit. According to Great Xia law, when a man and woman get engaged, they have to disclose things like physical disabilities, whether they’re too old or too young, and whether they’re born of the main wife or a concubine.]

[If the man didn’t disclose that, then yep—she can sue for marriage fraud.]

[Who would’ve thought! She actually knows her way around the law.]

The old emperor dragged his chair back over and sat down again.

Indeed.

So… did the court rule for annulment?

[Mhm! If the capital magistrate rules in her favor, then the fraud charge can also go through—Whoa! She’s accusing him of swindling her dowry!]

[Completely reasonable!]

[One step leads to another—flawless logic chain!]

[Brilliant!!!]

Minister Bing nodded in approval.

Not bad. The woman actually knows the law—maybe that’s how she managed to escape that earlier domestic abuse incident unharmed?

[Ohhh wait, turns out it’s not the woman who’s brilliant. It’s Minister Bing’s son who’s the genius here.]

Minister Bing: “???”

What’s this got to do with my precious son?

[Because he’s recently been studying Great Xia law and wanted someone to practice on—but didn’t want to harm innocent people. So he figured: find a bad guy instead. That way, even if he messes up, he won’t feel guilty.]

[That’s how he found this Madam Mei.]

Oh… so that’s how it is…

Those words slowly floated through Minister Bing’s mind—and then, realization struck him like lightning. He leapt to his feet in shock.

He rushed toward the door, but after just a few steps, he turned back and bowed to the old emperor. “My lord! I need to excuse myself for a moment—”

“Why are you running?” the old emperor asked, a little surprised, a little wistful. “That child is wonderful. He thinks of something and goes and does it. As his father, you ought to be proud.”

Minister Bing quickly said, “But, but—if that one notices even the tiniest thing, it’s never good! My son is only ten years old, my lord! He can’t be involved in this!”

The old emperor calmly picked up another piece of radish. “No rush, this matter—”

[Oh ho!]

[The man just woke up too!]

[A match made in heaven indeed—he’s also here to file a lawsuit! Incredible. And he’s suing her for marriage fraud first—claiming she was previously sued by her former in-laws for assault, ran away, and married him without telling him. So he says this marriage isn’t valid either.]

[And then… he can sue her for unpaid debts. Hm. If he denies the marriage altogether, then all her financial contributions could be labeled as ‘borrowed,’ right? So he could reclaim them?]

[They’re both horrible people, but wow, you’re really shameless, man.]

[So in the end, neither of them could beat the other, so now they’re both going after each other’s wallets?]

[Wait a sec—he’s got someone brilliant backing him too. 666. Old emperor, is that your granddaughter!?]

“Pfft! Cough cough cough cough—”

The old emperor nearly choked to death on the chili oil coating the dried radish.

Who?!

Which granddaughter of his?!

[How odd—why is the Princess of Fangling’s youngest daughter in the capital? And if she is here, why didn’t she come visit the emperor? …Ah, whatever.]

[Whoa! So while staying in the capital these past few days, she happened to run into Mei Wan and her husband. After learning what was going on, she wanted to test her understanding of Great Xia law… Uh… well, the guy is a bad person, so even if she gets it wrong, it’s fine… Wait, why does that sound so familiar?]

The old emperor and the others froze.

Mei Wan? Then realization hit: Oh! The woman who beat her husband until his head was split open—and was also beaten bloody by him in return!

[Ohh! Isn’t that exactly what Minister Bing’s son was thinking too?!]

[Wait a second—if the woman has Minister Bing’s son behind her, and the man has the old emperor’s granddaughter… then isn’t this basically a battle of legal wits between two kids?!]

Who cares about some legal duel?!

The old emperor jumped to his feet and briskly walked out of the pharmacy.

He had to drag his granddaughter out of this mess—no way she could be allowed to get involved! Ordinary matters were one thing, they could count as “life experience,” but this case had Xu Yanmiao paying attention to it! Who knew what kind of crazy, shocking details might pop up next—like “the woman and a dog,” or “the man and a sheep”—stuff that would absolutely taint his granddaughter’s pure little ears.

His granddaughter was only eight years old!

Minister Bing: “…”

So when it was my son, you weren’t worried at all. But now that it’s your granddaughter, you’re panicking?

Little Bai Ze wasn’t wrong about what he said in his thoughts…

—Not that Minister Bing dared to recall those thoughts too clearly. He just bolted out of the pharmacy too—he had to find his son before things went off the rails!

Behind them, the apprentice shouted at the top of his lungs, “Your tea fee! No refunds if you leave!”

No one responded.

The little apprentice stared after them, then began counting down: “Nineteen, eight… six, five… two, one…”

Still no one came back.

“YES! Two hundred wen for free!”

The kid jumped three feet high with joy.

The old emperor and Minister Bing didn’t wander aimlessly. They headed straight to the capital’s magistrate’s office, planning to play it by ear.

As soon as they arrived, they saw Mei Wan glance down at a slip of paper in her hand, then shout at the top of her lungs: “Official! I accuse him of harboring loyalties to the previous dynasty!”

Minister Bing, already out of breath from running, nearly collapsed at the gate when he heard that—especially when he saw that she was holding a written note.

His heart clenched in dread: You foolish child! How could you teach her something like that?! Even if the false charge isn’t against you, if she claims you instigated it, you’ll be finished!

The capital magistrate wiped his brow and coughed. “Ahem, Madam Mei, you mustn’t make such reckless accusations.”

“I’m not making it up!”

Mei Wan glanced down at the slip of paper again. When she raised her head, her eyes were blank—it was obvious she was reciting something: “In the previous dynasty, there was a ritual law that said a wife could not dodge if her husband struck her.”

She paused, then hurriedly added, “Though he tricked me into marrying him, at the time, he still regarded me as his wife! When he beat me, he told me not to dodge—wasn’t that precisely in line with the ritual laws of the former dynasty?! He wanted me to follow outdated rites—he has ill intent, my lord!”

The magistrate of the capital was stunned and blurted out, “You can twist it like that?!”

Mei Wan looked at the note again, then said, “Back then, Attendant Xu cited the Book of Rites—‘Though a concubine is old, if not yet fifty, she must fulfill her bedroom duties every five days’—to impeach the Marquis of Yingcheng for neglecting his obligations to his concubines. The marquis was later forced to make it up by attending to one hundred concubines and satisfying twenty per day. Only once he fulfilled his duties would he be allowed to return to court… I’ve heard he’s still holed up in his own manor. Word is a physician visited him recently and came back saying the man’s nearly dried into a corpse.”

[Huh?!] Xu Yanmiao popped his head in, eyes wide.

Minister Bing spotted him immediately and nearly lost it.

Xu Lang! I beg you—stop paying attention to this! I’ll treat you to dinner, okay?!

And that brat of his! Just because he has a little brains, he dared to drag a favored court official into this mess?! He’s utterly lawless now!

Meanwhile, inside the court hall, Mei Wan was still going: “If the Book of Rites is applicable, then isn’t it possible my husband was using former-dynasty rituals against me?!”

Mei Wan’s husband shouted, “Stop spouting nonsense!”

Mei Wan snapped back, “What nonsense? Didn’t you say I was your wife and I couldn’t dodge when you hit me? Isn’t that exactly like the former dynasty’s rule, ‘though she shares the household with her husband, she mustn’t react with anger’? You demanded I follow old rites—how is that not disloyalty to the current dynasty?!”

Her husband was dumbstruck.

Who doesn’t say stuff like that when hitting their wife?! But this is insane…

He couldn’t help glancing at the crowd outside.

After a moment, a gray-clad servant—clearly from some household—brought in a new note. Mei Wan’s husband snatched it, took a glance, then yelled, “My lord! I want to sue her! As a wife, she lacks the ‘Three Obediences and Four Virtues’! If she doesn’t uphold them, that’s a crime—so if she’s guilty and I hit her and told her not to dodge, that’s perfectly reasonable! What does that have to do with former dynasty rituals?”

Mei Wan was momentarily stunned. She looked down at her note—seemed to be out of counters. She also turned toward the crowd. Another servant soon came in and handed her a note.

The magistrate’s mouth twitched, but he said nothing.

One was a minister’s son, the other the emperor’s granddaughter. He’d rather play dumb.

—As the magistrate of the capital, he was both a local administrator and a central government official, able to attend court discussions. His role leaned more toward central authority, so the divine artifact had categorized him as a capital official—which meant he could hear Xu Lang’s inner thoughts.

Mei Wan took the note and read with delight: “My lord, the ‘Three Obediences and Four Virtues’ comes from the Etiquette and Ceremonial. The ‘Three Obediences’ are: obey your father at home, obey your husband when married, and obey your son after your husband’s death. ‘Obey your father’ means if a woman’s father dies before she marries, she mourns him with the deepest mourning attire. ‘Obey your husband’ means if her husband dies, she mourns him likewise. ‘Obey your son’ means if she remarries, and the son from the previous marriage mourns her new husband as a stepfather, then she too wears mourning for a year, according to his standard.”

“So these Three Obediences—my father isn’t dead, my current husband isn’t dead, and I have no children with my ex-husband—what do I need to obey? And if there’s no need, how can you say I won’t obey in the future? As for the Four Virtues—morality, speech, appearance, and skills—how do I lack any of them? Take morality, for instance: he beat me, and I didn’t report him for it. Isn’t that virtuous enough?”

Another servant in gray brought in another note.

Mei Wan’s husband glanced at it and quickly recited, “My lord, I’m just a rough commoner. I really don’t understand these rites—I never went to school, so I misunderstood what the Three Obediences meant. But if I didn’t even understand that, how could I possibly know anything about former dynasty rituals?”

[Wow!!]

A certain boy surnamed Bing: “Brilliant!”

A certain girl surnamed Yan: “Hmph!”

Then—both of them were yanked up by the collar.

Minister Bing grabbed his son with a stone-cold face. “Yes. Brilliant, indeed.”

The old emperor grabbed his granddaughter. “Let’s go! Stay out of this nonsense!”

Bing Yan: “???”

Yan Linghui: “!!!”

Weren’t you supposed to be at court today? Father / Grandpa—how did you find us?!

If you'd like bonus updates or early access, you can support me over on Ko-fi! Every bit helps me keep translating and bringing you more stories to enjoy.

👉 Support me on Ko-fi

Thanks for reading and being here~ 💕

Happy reading!