Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court-Chapter 338: Sharp-Tongued—Still Not as Sharp as Little Bai Ze New

[I still want to say this—don’t you guys think it’s seriously inappropriate to be doing this kind of thing in a Buddhist temple?]

[Yunqi Temple isn’t some fake temple either. It’s a perfectly proper monastery, the monks were quietly chanting scriptures, bothering no one. What did they ever do to you? Or is it that the more abstinent a place is, the more you all want to violate the rules?]

Xu Lang didn’t understand, so he covered his pure eyes—but secretly peeked at the system.

—After all, the system didn’t come with images.

[Wow! Deserves to be a founding marquis—went in swinging with a punch!]

[Oh ho! Scumbag can’t take a hit. Just one punch and he’s dizzy already! With a constitution like that, and he dares to cheat?]

[Nice hit! Left hook, right hook, uppercut, undercut! AABB combo!]

Just as he was getting into the swing of it, Marquis Ping’en froze for a second.

The first few punches made sense—what the hell was AABB?

The County Magistrate of Luo finally managed to catch his breath between the storm of fists. Looking at his father-in-law, he was full of bitter resentment.

All he did was sneak around a little—did that really warrant such a dramatic arrest? You even brought the emperor and the crown prince with you? Are you trying to ruin my political future?

How ruthless!

After all these years as father- and son-in-law, was there no affection left between them at all?!

If not for the sake of him and his wife, couldn’t he at least spare a thought for the two kids they already had?!

Wait a minute… the kids!!!

The magistrate shivered and instinctively clutched his chest to protect that vital spot—just in case his father-in-law decided to stab him right there.

—He suddenly remembered: his wife was still bearing his child! No wonder his father-in-law was so furious—this had to be part of it too!

“Father-in-law!” He scrambled to throw on some clothes, and while doing so, pinched himself hard. Tears streamed down his face. “Father-in-law! I was wrong! I was just confused for a moment—I’ll never dare do it again! Please, for the sake of your daughter, forgive me this once. I’ll definitely mend my ways and live well with her from now on.”

That mention of “for the sake of your daughter” slowly calmed Marquis Ping’en’s fury.

Of course he was angry. But his daughter liked this damn fool—what could he do?

Besides, seeing him cry like that, and with the pressure from the marquis estate, even if he had to fake it, he’d act the part of a devoted husband, right?

[He really knows how to act.]

Xu Yanmiao covered her eyes and used mental waves to “see” the system’s gossip screen:

[Bet his wrist’s bruised purple by now.]

[After all these years of marriage, and not a single tear in a moment like this? He’s either a fool or just plain evil. Even other scumbags can squeeze out a few crocodile tears at this point.]

[Huh? Why’s Marquis Ping’en gone quiet? Don’t tell me he actually believed it? He’s that easy to fool? No wonder his daughter turned out to be just as gullible.]

[Still has the nerve to say he arranged for his son-in-law to serve in Luo County to make it easy for his daughter to visit home. That way, if she ever got bullied, he could back her up at any time… Back her up? With that brain? Good luck.]

Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.

[Besides, marrying close by doesn’t mean you can actually protect her. Princess Wanshou’s father is the emperor, and her princess residence is right in the capital. But once the doors close, if someone wants to bully her, she still gets bullied. Only by standing up for yourself can you truly avoid being bullied.]

Suddenly being name-dropped, Princess Wanshou gave a dry, awkward laugh—this really was a bit of her dark past.

Now that she was out of that situation, looking back, she couldn’t believe how she had acted like she was possessed. She’d fallen for someone so hard, despite all the obvious disgust and disdain he had for her, and she’d just taken it—crying every day, enduring it all.

She even suspected that perhaps she’d grown too used to a life of luxury and comfort, and now subconsciously wanted to suffer a little.

Marquis Ping’en was silent for a moment. Then he crouched down, looked at his son-in-law with a smile, and said, “Forgive you—for my daughter’s sake?”

The County Magistrate of Luo nodded eagerly. “Father-in-law! I’ll never mess around again! I swear to the heavens!”

Marquis Ping’en reached out and rolled up his sleeve, revealing the clearly visible bruises on his wrist from being pinched.

The County Magistrate tried to explain, “This is just…”

But Marquis Ping’en clamped down on his wrist bone.

The magistrate’s heart skipped a beat. “Father-in-law! I’ll resign immediately and marry into…” He didn’t finish the sentence before the grip on his wrist suddenly tightened. “Aaaaaahhhh—!!”

This time, the scream wasn’t from social death—it was genuine pain.

He cast a pleading look at the emperor, the crown prince, and the gathered court officials, hoping for help. But all he saw was them turning their heads calmly, not moving a muscle.

—It might sound cruel, but just like the former emperor once told Xie Luoshui: “Look, this is power.” When a marquis chooses to use private punishment, it’s one of those unspoken rights—if the people don’t report it, the officials won’t pursue it.

“Crack—”

“Crack, crack—”

The County Magistrate of Luo could hear the brittle sound of his own bones. His left pinky and ring finger began to tremble slightly from the pain.

He heard himself scream, “Father-in-law, I was wrong! Aaaah—I was really wrong—please, forgive me! Have mercy!”

“Crack—”

His left hand suddenly went limp.

Marquis Ping’en dusted off his hands and stood up. “Even after all these years of living in wealth, my old skills from the military haven’t gone rusty.”

The magistrate stared in disbelief, using his right hand to lift his injured left hand. Just the lightest touch sent waves of excruciating pain through him.

Marquis Ping’en said calmly, “Also, no need to call me father-in-law anymore. For the sake of my daughter, I’ll give you one last chance. The position of County Magistrate of Luo—submit your own resignation.”

The County Magistrate hurriedly said, “My wife won’t be willing to let me go!”

Marquis Ping’en nodded. “You’re right.”

The magistrate was just about to say more, overjoyed, when Marquis Ping’en continued: “I’ll tell her the truth. Then I’ll find her some things to do—keep her busy enough that she won’t have time to think about you.”

This was exactly the same approach used for Princess Wanshou.

Xu Yanmiao whispered through the system:

[Actually, people aren’t all the same. Some people get busy and truly don’t have time to feel sad. But others, they keep busy while feeling sad… You really can’t generalize.]

He was genuinely concerned—what if the woman found out and fell into depression or something? But not telling her clearly wasn’t an option either!

Marquis Ping’en: Not gonna lie—I’m at my wit’s end too.

[I wonder if it would work to just let his daughter see her husband rolling in bed with someone else firsthand.]

[But no matter what, it probably still couldn’t break someone’s attachment more than seeing the man during childbirth—now that would be utterly soul-crushing.]

[But here’s the problem: you can’t see anything during childbirth! Plus, it could easily end in both mother and child dying. It’s really not worth risking a life for some scumbag.]

[Now that I think about it… maybe commissioning someone to draw the scene would be more impactful. But… isn’t that a bit too ruthless?]

Marquis Ping’en had originally been considering going all the way—killing the man and lying to his daughter that he died at the hands of mountain bandits. Or maybe he’d say the guy liked older women and ran off with a widow. His daughter might be heartbroken for a while, but time heals all wounds.

However, Xu Yanmiao’s words were like a bolt of lightning that cleaved through his thoughts—showing him a brand new path! Suddenly, everything shifted. A new hope dawned!

Just ask yourself—who wouldn’t feel disgusted seeing two blobs of fat rolling around together?!

Today, he would forever link the word disgusting with this son-in-law in his daughter’s memory! No matter how much she once liked him, from now on, just thinking of the man would bring to mind—two blobs of fat!

So, after his daughter gave birth safely, completed her postpartum recovery, and was in good health again, Marquis Ping’en came to see her.

“Sweetheart, I have to confess—I lied to you. Your husband didn’t leave the capital on an imperial mission. He’s actually been cheating on you for the past twenty years with seventeen or eighteen different women. I found out and kicked him out.”

His daughter was so shocked, she didn’t even hold onto her teacup properly. It fell with a crack, shattering into pieces, and hot tea splashed all over the hem of her skirt.

“Father—what did you say?!”

She was completely stunned.

But Marquis Ping’en wasn’t done.

He immediately unfurled a scroll he’d prepared well in advance—whoosh—right in front of her.

Caught off guard, she found herself staring at two naked figures—one of whom she recognized all too well as the man who’d shared her bed for years—caught mid-act in an utterly humiliating pose. A noblewoman like her had never seen anything like this before: “AHHH!!!”

Marquis Ping’en said, “Look carefully, daughter! This is exactly how I caught them that day!”

“No, I—”

“I know it’s hard for you to accept, but this is reality. I told you he wasn’t a good man. Let’s forget him. Whoever you want in the future, your father will make sure he becomes your live-in husband!”

“I—”

“Sweetheart, I know this hurts, but you must face the pain head-on! Just look at this…”

“Ugh—”

Marquis Ping’en paused in concern: “Sweetheart, are you alright?”

His daughter grabbed the edge of a chair for support. “Ugh—”

It worked—brilliantly.

She didn’t even have time to grieve or wallow in heartbreak. The shock was so overwhelming that she completely shut down and refused to even think about that day afterward.

In fact, it worked too well—she started refusing to eat any dish that resembled fatty meat. And whenever the former County Magistrate of Luo came looking for her and tried to rekindle their relationship, she would dry-heave just at the sight of his face.

Also, Princess Qinghe—the one with a thing for role-playing—played a big role in this too.

—The two were very close friends.

Xu Yanmiao stood in front of a teahouse, reading the sign out loud: “Whispering Words Teahouse?”

Just moments ago, he had seen Princess Qinghe gleefully dragging along the melancholic daughter of Marquis Ping’en. As they entered, two handsome young men greeted them warmly at the door.

Princess Qinghe even playfully brushed her hand across one of their faces.

The whole scene was so shocking that Xu Yanmiao was stunned. “This place is…”

His travel companion, Lian Hang, explained: “Whispering Words Teahouse. It was established after the monks of Yulong Temple were ordered to return to secular life. It now caters specifically to… uh, noble ladies.”

“No way—don’t tell me they—”

“No no no,” Lian Hang interrupted. “According to my father-in-law, His Majesty personally investigated. It’s a legitimate teahouse—nothing indecent goes on. It’s just that… well, the ‘tea masters’ inside can sing, dance, play the zither, recite poetry, paint—basically they’re like living works of art who entertain and comfort noblewomen. Oh, and their clothes are a little… light and revealing. Within boundaries, of course. Enough to show off their toned physiques. You know, the abs, the muscles—all that stuff you mentioned.”

Xu Yanmiao: Σ(っ°Д ° )っ

So this was what people meant by… toeing the edge of something scandalous?