BXG - 28

◎ Medicine for Wounds ◎

“Lord Zhou, please wait a moment!”

Before Qu You could tear her gaze away from the historically infamous tower, a hurried voice called out. A young eunuch ran up to them, wiping sweat from his brow.

Upon seeing him, Zhou Tan immediately turned around. Qu You supported him as they both faced the newcomer—a man clad in pale gold brocade embroidered with coiled dragons.

Pale gold… the attire of royalty.

Before Qu You could guess his identity, Zhou Tan clasped his hands and bowed deeply. “Crown Prince, blessings upon you.”

Crown Prince Song Shiyuan.

Realizing who it was, Qu You quickly followed Zhou Tan’s lead and bowed. After receiving his gentle words, she dared to raise her head. The young man’s face was slightly blurred in the sunlight, but she noticed the faint upward curve of his lips.

Though she knew Zhou Tan was a sycophant, she hadn’t felt fear when they first met. He excelled at intrigue but wasn’t prone to wanton killing. The man before her, however, was different.

Sometimes Qu You even wondered if madness ran in the family. Emperor De Di alternated between lucidity and insanity, and the Crown Prince had inherited his penchant for madness. On his deathbed, when De Di suddenly sought to strip him of his position as heir, the Crown Prince went so far as to open Bianjing’s gates, colluding with foreign tribes to murder his father. Ultimately, he didn’t fare well either; after usurping the throne for only six months, he was overthrown by Prince Jing’s grandson.

He died without an official posthumous title, and historians referred to him as Emperor Shang.

At this moment, the Crown Prince appeared perfectly normal. Who could have imagined he would become a deranged killer who delighted in murder? Thinking this, Qu You involuntarily shuddered. Yet the Crown Prince seemed intrigued by her, smiling as he asked, “Xiao Bai, is this your wife?”

Qu You reluctantly bowed again. “Greetings, Your Highness.”

Song Shiyuan took a few steps closer, carefully examining the woman before him.

He had heard of her name before—her beauty was renowned alongside Gao Yunyue, once considered as a potential bride for him. However, Qu You’s father held too low a rank for such a marriage proposal, and the idea was soon forgotten.

In the end, he didn’t marry Gao Yunyue but instead wed his cousin as the Crown Princess.

The sunlight was intense, and Qu You, not having dressed formally for the palace visit, wore a simple peach-colored dress. Her striking beauty stood out even with her hair loosely tied, exuding an air of effortless elegance.

Sensing his gaze, Zhou Tan abruptly stepped in front of Qu You, unhesitatingly taking her hand. “My wife is visiting the palace for the first time. If her etiquette is lacking, I hope Your Highness will forgive her.”

Song Shiyuan snapped out of his thoughts, offering a perfunctory gesture of support. “Xiao Bai, there’s no need for formality. Thanks to the falling case reaching its current resolution, I owe Lady Qu my gratitude. To dare step onto Imperial Street to seek justice for women of ill repute—you are truly extraordinary.”

Zhou Tan’s hand was icy like jade but gripped hers tightly, finally emanating a trace of warmth. Qu You lightly squeezed back, offering a radiant smile without saying much, as if bashfully replying, “Your Highness flatters me.”

“I heard that Father reprimanded you today. Coincidentally, I was in the palace and rushed over to see you off.” Song Shiyuan patted Zhou Tan’s shoulder, and a nearby guard quickly handed over a vial of medicine. “This is the ointment I’ve always used. Have your wife tend to your wounds carefully and rest for a few days.”

Zhou Tan respectfully accepted the vial, his tone neither distant nor overly flattering. “His Majesty scolded me for licentiousness today, not dissatisfaction with the falling case. Rest assured, Your Highness… however…”

Song Shiyuan, satisfied with the answer, raised an eyebrow. “However what?”

“His Majesty places immense trust in Grand Secretary Fu Qingnian. One Peng Yue cannot sway much.” Zhou Tan spoke frankly in front of her. “I will find another way to repay Your Highness.”

On the carriage ride home, Zhou Tan realized he hadn’t let go of her hand.

Momentarily flustered, he attempted to withdraw his hand, thinking Qu You was resting her eyes. Unexpectedly, she opened her eyes and caught his hand. “The ‘important person’ at Fanlou that day—it was him, wasn’t it?”

Zhou Tan hesitated, trying to ignore their intertwined hands. “Mm.”

“You work for him?”

“No,” Zhou Tan denied. “We merely share a common enemy for now.”

Recalling Song Shiyuan’s earlier praise, Qu You roughly understood his meaning.

Fu Qingnian, the Grand Secretary, had a daughter, Consort Fu, favored by the emperor. Naturally, he hoped for her ninth son, still a child, to ascend the throne, ensuring the Fu family’s prominence for generations. High officials like Gao Ze, who had taught the Crown Prince, were staunch supporters of the prince. Gao Ze’s attempts to win Zhou Tan’s favor likely stemmed from the Crown Prince’s intentions. Peng Yue, Fu Qingnian’s pawn in Dianxing Temple, fell victim to Zhou Tan’s scheme. Whether or not this signified accepting the Crown Prince’s goodwill, it greatly benefited Zhou Tan.

As for Emperor De Di punishing Zhou Tan, it likely wasn’t due to rumors of his licentiousness but rather suspicion of his allegiance to the Crown Prince. To demonstrate loyalty, Zhou Tan endured the beating without complaint.

Thinking this, Qu You gently released his hand. After a brief hesitation, Zhou Tan withdrew his hand into the folds of his wide sleeves.

“What were you about to say earlier, before we saw the Rancui Pavilion?” Qu You recalled his earlier expression and asked. “You said, ‘It was my unrealistic expectations of him.’”

The sentence was cryptic, leaving Qu You confused. Before she could ask, Zhou Tan spoke. “Once my wounds heal, accompany me to thank Boss Ai.”

After the beating, Zhou Tan was excused from morning court for five days. Hei San delivered urgent documents daily, though the Ministry of Justice had little pressing business. The falling case, now under joint review by the Three Departments, was handed to someone other than Liang An, awaiting sentencing.

Bai Ying visited briefly, stating that the Crown Prince’s ointment was effective, eliminating the need for additional prescriptions. Busy with his medicinal cuisine shop, he couldn’t stay long.

Neither Hei San nor Uncle De were skilled at applying medicine, so the task fell to Qu You. After a few half-hearted attempts to decline, Zhou Tan stopped resisting.

The women of Fangxin Pavilion couldn’t visit personally. Qu You went once, giving them money and arranging for those with living parents to return home. Those without parents chose to work under Boss Ai’s arrangements. Zhiling and Dingxiang joined Bai Ying’s new shop, and all three reportedly got along well.

These days were among the most relaxed since Qu You’s arrival in this era. She had almost no worries or stress, save for being barred from entering the Qu residence by Qu Cheng. Otherwise, everything was smooth sailing.

Only Zhou Tan remained unchanged, speaking little even during wound care. Having grown accustomed to his suspicious and moody nature, Qu You grew indifferent—if he suspected her intentions in applying medicine, so be it. Let him suffer on his own.

In early autumn of the fifteenth year of Yongning, Dianxing Temple, the Censorate, and the Ministry of Justice concluded the highly publicized falling case, submitting their findings to the emperor. Peng Yue, Minister of Dianxing Temple, was found guilty of licentiousness, forcing women into prostitution, imprisoning them in Fangxin Pavilion for abuse, and engaging in illicit transactions involving power and sex. Sixty-one officials were implicated. His crimes were severe, and Peng Yue was stripped of his position and exiled to the borderlands, departing immediately.

Disguised as a man, Qu You mingled with the crowd reading the notice outside the Ministry of Justice, feeling her hands tremble.

Years of humiliation endured by countless women, Gu Xianghui’s desperate leap, Yan Wuping’s two years of meticulous planning, and her own disregard for propriety in filing charges—all culminated in this light punishment of exile.

She had come to the Ministry today to retrieve Yan Wuping, detained as a witness, but left the crowd in a daze. Arriving at the rear hall, she found Yan already gone.

A single note remained on the table, bearing only four words—

Do not look for me.