BXG - 25

◎ Reputation ◎

“You?”

Zhou Tan’s face darkened with anger. He took a step forward, incredulous. “Do you know what you’re saying?”

“Officials of fifth rank or higher and their relatives may strike the Drum of Petition without facing punishment in court,” Qu You replied calmly. “I’ve decided to adopt Zhiling as my sworn sister and speak on behalf of these women. Does Great Yi law forbid it?”

“You are my wife. Do you understand the storm this will bring upon you?” Zhou Tan slammed his hand on the desk beside him. “A noblewoman, a lady of the court—how can you expose yourself like this for…for them? Even if it’s lawful, do you care nothing for your reputation?”

Qu You looked at him, surprised, and slowly said, “I thought Lord Zhou never cared about reputation.”

“You wanted Yan Wuping to accuse Peng Yue to expose his crimes to the heavens above. If Yan cannot proceed, then we must file the accusation directly. The city is already fixated on the falling case. Isn’t this exactly what you wanted?”

“If I intended for you to file the accusation directly, why would I have gone through all this trouble arranging Wuping’s role?” Zhou Tan snapped. “Do you always act on impulse without thinking?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll have Bai Ying spread rumors beforehand, suggesting my actions are meant to embarrass you.” Qu You considered her plan carefully, finding it feasible. “As the descendant of upright officials, lowering myself to seek justice for the people might even earn me a good name. And you can use this to distance yourself from me, ensuring it won’t interfere with your plans.”

Qu You took a few steps forward, plucked the petition paper from Zhou Tan’s hand, and left gracefully. Zhou Tan stood there, watching her retreating figure. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped himself.

A black-clad figure silently appeared behind him, wearing a full copper-gold mask. His voice was rough and raspy, deliberately disguised. “Why didn’t you tell her that when Yan Wuping went missing, I suggested using your wife as the petitioner? She knows the women of Fangxin Pavilion well—it makes perfect sense. Your refusal stemmed from concern for her reputation.”

The sky grew dimmer. Zhou Tan closed his eyes. “A woman’s reputation is fragile. It’s not something easily resolved by claiming to be a descendant of upright officials or fighting for justice. Those noblewomen and ladies of the court will still need to associate with her… Do you know what it feels like to be constantly gossiped about, judged with malice?”

The black-clad figure fell silent, then asked, “Why didn’t you explain this to your wife?”

Zhou Tan shook his head. His body swayed slightly, and he steadied himself against the doorframe. The figure instinctively moved to support him but restrained himself, saying only, “Take care, my lord.”

Zhou Tan didn’t notice the small gesture. Weary, he removed his official hat and moved to the desk. “What’s the point of discussing this?”

The figure replied, “Why isn’t there a point? Take the Ren family, for instance. You sacrificed much and spent every penny to save Ren Pingsheng, yet forbade them from knowing. Had you told their eldest son even a word, would he harbor such resentment toward you now?”

“Enough. Don’t speak of this again.” Zhou Tan looked up at him, his gaze heavy, then sighed in resignation. “Her decision is admirable. The women of Fangxin Pavilion owe much to Boss Ai for their protection. I couldn’t appear openly, but once this matter is settled, I’ll personally thank him.”

The black-clad figure bowed his head and acknowledged softly. He watched as Zhou Tan picked up a brush and began writing. “Now that things have reached this point, Black Cloak, I have another task for you.”

Black Cloak responded, “Your orders, my lord.”

________________________________________

In the fifteenth year of Yongning, Lady Qu, wife of the Vice Minister of Justice and daughter of a historian, struck the Drum of Petition on behalf of an “adopted sister” from a brothel, accusing Peng Yue, Minister of Dianxing Temple, of forcing women into prostitution and other vile acts. Alongside her were forty-one women from Fangxin Pavilion, including Yan Wuping, detained at the Ministry of Justice, and Gu Xianghui, who had died in the falling case. They knelt in rows along the streets leading to the imperial court.

The entire court was shocked, and public discourse erupted like boiling water.

Pedestrians passing by the imperial street that day stopped to listen to Lady Qu’s accusations before the Drum of Petition. Her voice, steady and resolute amidst the rhythmic drumbeats, inexplicably brought tears to many listeners.

Gu Xianghui, who had died in the falling incident, was born in the first year of Yongning, the daughter of a farming family near the capital. After refusing Peng Yue’s advances, her parents were killed overnight. She was forcibly taken, abused, and abandoned in Fangxin Pavilion. Threatened with her brother’s life, she endured humiliation at the hands of officials and coarse men from North Street, living a fate worse than death before taking her own life at Fanlou.

The woman Qu You adopted as her sister was originally from a noble family. After being implicated and sold into servitude, she suffered a fate similar to Gu Xianghui’s. Due to her fierce and unyielding nature, her left leg was injured, leaving her with a permanent limp.

________________________________________

Qu You stood before the Drum of Petition, almost serene as she read aloud the words she had painstakingly recorded days earlier. Behind her, Zhiling struck the drum forcefully, as if venting years of grievances and hatred.

The raw power of the words needed no embellishment from her emotions—they bled conviction.

Today, she stood here to sound a thunderclap for these humble women, whose voices were seldom heard, and ask: Where is justice?

Among the tearful pedestrians, some impassioned scholars even bit their fingers to write poems on their clothes, vowing to see the matter through to its conclusion.

Of course, this was orchestrated by Bai Sha Ting, whom Qu You had specifically invited.

News of the event spread throughout the court. Memorials from the Censorate flooded the palace gates like paper scraps. Though the emperor did not summon anyone directly, he issued an edict within half a day, ordering the Three Departments to thoroughly investigate the case and provide answers.

The Ministry of Justice and the Censorate acted swiftly, uncovering clear evidence of Peng Yue’s collusion with officials to conduct illicit transactions at Fangxin Pavilion. Sixty-one officials were implicated. Peng Yue was imprisoned, awaiting sentencing.

Qu You invited Yan Wuping to dine at the noodle shop where she and Bai Ying had eaten previously. Yan was released the same day Peng Yue was taken into custody. For convenience, they both dressed as men.

Storytellers composed new verses praising Qu You’s courageous act of seeking justice for the women of Fangxin Pavilion. The audience listened with great interest, frequently cheering.

Yan Wuping raised her head and smiled at Qu You. “Lord Zhou has been busy lately. Why aren’t you at home taking care of him?”

“He… doesn’t need my care,” Qu You hesitated, biting off a strand of noodles. “Speaking of which, were you hurt while in the Ministry? I worried that once your identity was exposed, you’d become useless to him, and he wouldn’t treat you kindly in prison.”

“Lady… why would you think that?” Yan Wuping was startled, looking at her with a strange expression. “This whole matter began because I sought out Lord Zhou…”

Before she could finish, nearby chatter drowned out their conversation. While many scholars praised Qu You’s righteous act, others criticized it as unbefitting a noblewoman’s dignity: “Isn’t the Vice Minister’s wife a descendant of upright officials? How could she disregard propriety so brazenly?”

Such remarks circulated widely, especially among women of the inner quarters. Qu You’s predecessor had once enjoyed a pristine reputation, and those who envied her seized this opportunity to gossip.

But Qu You didn’t care. She wasn’t of this era—why should she concern herself with reputation?

Qu Jiaxi secretly visited her, saying that Qu Cheng had been furious at home, calling her actions disgraceful and dishonorable to the Qu family. He advised her not to return home for a while.

How laughable—a reputation shared with those who colluded with Peng Yue. Many so-called upright officials were hardly better.

Lost in thought, Qu You reflected on this era, where scholar-officials prized moral integrity above all else. Yet the so-called upright officials she’d seen were often hypocrites chasing empty fame. At least Zhou Tan, though cold and calculating, had done real work—even if it was underhanded, it was done openly.

“What propriety? In the end, she’s just a woman. How dare she act so boldly? My brothers who’ve stayed at the Zhou residence told me everything! Apparently, it was the Vice Minister who was lured to Fangxin Pavilion by Peng Yue and became entangled with a woman there. When Peng Yue refused to release her, he resorted to underhanded tactics, forcing his wife to act on her behalf!”

“What nonsense is this? Is this really true?”

“It’s absolutely true! No woman would willingly expose herself like this unless forced by her husband.”

“So the lady is pitiable after all. I’ve heard the Vice Minister betrayed his teacher and friends. It’s no surprise he’s hypocritical and lustful.”

Yan Wuping turned back, her face flushed with anger. Qu You, however, was completely stunned. Her hand trembled, and the thick white porcelain teacup beside her slipped and shattered into pieces.

What absurd slander… Was this how Zhou Tan’s infamous reputation had been forged?