BXG - 33

◎ Autumn Banquet ◎

Three days later, Qu You received an invitation from the wife of Chief Minister Gao Ze.

Since she had married Zhou Tan not long ago, she had not yet found the time to attend various banquets—women in the inner quarters of Bian Capital loved lively gatherings and were constantly invited to new banquets.

In fact, it wasn’t that Qu You was completely unavailable; it was just that no one had sent her an invitation, whether because of Zhou Tan’s reputation or her own status.

On the eighth day of the ninth month, the day before Chongyang Festival,

Chongyang Day itself would feature a palace banquet, while in the outskirts of the capital there would be mountain climbing and rituals. Gatherings for the womenfolk were always hard to arrange, so the autumn chrysanthemum banquets were usually held the day before Chongyang. Qu You, accompanied by He Xing and Shui Yue, was led by a maid at the entrance of the Gao residence and seated in a corner of the hall.

The wife of Chief Minister Gao Ze hailed from the Chengping Marquis House. She was cheerful and often organized porridge giveaways to accumulate merit, making her well-liked among the women of Bian Capital. The autumn banquet she hosted included the family members of Fu Qingnian’s trusted officials, as well as nearly all the noble ladies and high-ranking women of Bian Capital. Since Qu You’s mother, Yin Xiangru, rarely attended banquets due to poor health, and Qu You herself was young with little standing, she was temporarily seated at the lower end of the table.

Upon seeing her take her seat, Lady Gao’s expression changed slightly, and she personally came over to greet her: “You haven’t shown your face for a long time. Come here and let me take a look at you.”

Qu You had heard that the original owner of her body often met Lady Gao’s eldest daughter, Gao Yunyue, at previous banquets, so it seemed Lady Gao recognized her too. Qu You bowed and greeted respectfully: “Aunt Gao, I’ve been busy with many things recently and haven’t seen you for a long time. I heard that your sleep has been poor lately, so I brought two jars of mulberry syrup that I personally prepared. I hope you won’t dislike them.”

She had thought long and hard about what to bring, and luckily, she had learned from Zhou Tan that Lady Gao often suffered from headaches and insomnia.

Lady Gao raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised: “You are thoughtful. Last time we met, you were still unmarried, but now you have the bearing of a lady of the house.”

After Qu You gained fame at a banquet by exchanging poems with Gao Yunyue, Lady Gao had seen her twice. In the past, she was talented and beautiful but somewhat lacking in social graces. This time, however, she presented a different demeanor.

With this in mind, Lady Gao asked another question: “You fell into the water before your marriage and were ill for a long time. Are you fully recovered now?”

The “falling into the water” Lady Gao referred to was actually the time when Qu You had transmigrated. Qu You replied: “Thank you for your concern, Aunt. I am fully recovered and even gained some weight.”

Lady Gao was amused by her response and patted her shoulder. Just then, a maid entered the hall, and Lady Gao, seemingly having something to handle, turned around to give a few instructions before leaving with the maid.

At the long tables where dishes flowed like water, a room full of womenfolk remained, casting various appraising looks at Qu You.

Most of these looks carried mockery. Qu You glanced around and thought to herself that in their eyes, her bold presence and association with courtesans were unimaginable acts of defiance. If an ordinary noblewoman behaved in such a way, regardless of the reason, she would become notorious and shunned by all.

However, since Lady Gao had treated her quite kindly just moments ago, everyone had witnessed it. Although Zhou Tan had a bad reputation, he was evidently highly regarded and currently in favor. Lady Gao’s intention to curry favor with him was clear, which was why she had extended an invitation to Qu You.

Thus, although many looked down on her, they simply minded their own conversations, neither approaching nor provoking her.

This suited Qu You just fine. She focused intently on studying the exquisite small dishes at the flowing feast. At the Chongyang chrysanthemum banquet, each person was served a cup of honey chrysanthemum tea. As the banquet had not officially started, only cold dishes were available, such as golden chrysanthemum mixed with fragrant tofu and chrysanthemum-scented rolls. She sampled a few dishes, finding them refreshing and pleasant, and liked them very much.

Some of the older, more prudent ladies knew better than to speak too much. However, the young woman sitting directly across from Qu You couldn’t contain herself. Seeing Qu You indulging quietly in the food, she sneered audibly enough for Qu You to hear: “Born into a lowly household, indeed ignorant of etiquette.”

A friendly lady beside her hastily tugged at her sleeve and whispered, “That is the wife of Minister Zhou.”

She whispered back, “That Minister Zhou is notoriously dissolute. Haven’t you heard of his recent scandalous affairs? He drove her out onto the streets. Clearly, he doesn’t protect her. Ultimately, her family background is too humble, and Minister Zhou must be deeply dissatisfied with this marriage.”

Her voice hadn’t been loud, and the elder ladies seated at the head of the table couldn’t make out their conversation, thinking it was just casual chatter among the younger ones. Qu You put down her jade chopsticks and looked up, asking, “And who might this be?”

The maid beside the young woman replied, “My mistress is the wife of Left Forest Guard Commander Li, and the daughter of Middle Rank Official Gong.”

Left Forest Guard Commander Li… That surname was rare. Qu You remembered Li Hongyu mentioning it once. This Left Forest Guard Commander must be his elder brother, making the woman before her his sister-in-law.

Li Hongyu had been sent to follow Liang An, indicating that the Li family had good relations with Fu Qingnian. Yet, Gong’s attendance at the Gao family banquet proved they weren’t entirely aligned with the prime minister’s faction. There were many moderates in the current political strife, and the Li family was one of them.

Recalling Li Hongyu, Qu You found it amusing. Among the ladies present, many held higher statuses than this Gong woman, yet they all knew to remain silent. Only this Gong woman and Li Hongyu were equally rash—it truly was a case of birds of a feather flocking together.

Seeing Qu You’s faint smile and ignoring her, Gong Yuying mistook it for ridicule. Her eyes darted, and she suddenly turned to her companion, raising her voice slightly: “Sister wouldn’t know, but our newly hired servants mentioned an unusual incident. I want to ask Lady Zhou—”

Several pairs of eyes turned towards them. After a moment, Qu You realized “Lady Zhou” was referring to her and responded cheerfully, “Feel free to ask.”

“Our servant said that Lady Zhou has instructed the servants in her household to reduce their acts of kneeling and bowing,” Gong Yuying swirled her tea and feigned a smile, “Isn’t that novel? If there’s no distinction between high and low, noble and base within a household, wouldn’t everything fall into chaos? Lady Zhou and I are both daughters of civil officials. How could you be so ignorant of etiquette?”

Her words hinted at the issue of kneeling and bowing, carrying a mocking undertone about Qu You associating with courtesans. Though the banquet proceeded with normal conversation, many subtly set down their wine cups, eager to see how Qu You would respond.

To everyone’s surprise, Qu You gave Gong Yuying a slight smile, showing neither shame nor embarrassment, and instead deflected the topic: “I’ll call you Sister Gong and ask, in your opinion, what is etiquette?”

Gong Yuying paused, then answered earnestly, “Duke Zhou established the Zhou rites to distinguish between high and low, order the noble and base, and clarify morality. Younger sister, surely you are well-read. Don’t you know?”

“Well said. Etiquette represents morality—what is proper and improper. Beyond the words of sages, each person has their own standards. For the country, etiquette ensures orderly operation. For individuals, etiquette allows constant self-reflection.” Qu You looked at her calmly and said, “Sister can criticize me today for not understanding etiquette and causing disorder in my household. But before I called you ‘Sister,’ pointing out the affairs of another household in public, according to your strict moral standards, is that proper or improper?”

Her voice was soft, and her tone gentle. Gong Yuying listened, momentarily speechless: “I…”

“I know Sister genuinely pities me and doesn’t want my reputation to suffer. My actions indeed broke the rules.” Before Gong Yuying could speak, Qu You shifted her tone sincerely, “But even sages have compassion. Everyone finds it difficult. I am merely a woman confined to the inner quarters of a house, unable to benefit the whole world. I do my best, albeit imperfectly. I hope for your understanding.”

She rose and performed a bow. The room fell silent. Gong Yuying was left speechless. Turning her head, she noticed a woman in lake-blue robes standing at the doorway. In her daze, she vaguely recalled this was probably Gao Ze’s eldest daughter, the renowned Gao Yunyue of Bian Capital.

Though Gao Yunyue was famous alongside Qu You, their backgrounds were worlds apart. Wherever she went, she was adored by all. Having listened silently for a long time, Gao Yunyue finally stepped forward and gracefully bowed, her tone proud yet slightly cold: “Greetings to all the elders.”

As the legitimate daughter of Gao Ze, even if she was somewhat arrogant, no one dared to underestimate her. Qu You saw her for the first time, took in her attire, and immediately confirmed this was undoubtedly Gao Yunyue, the woman famed alongside her original self.

How beautiful. Although Ye Liuchun exuded extraordinary grace, her beauty was slightly inferior compared to Gao Yunyue’s. Qu You stared at her unblinkingly. After receiving a few compliments, Gao Yunyue turned her gaze to Qu You: “At our last banquet, I lost to Lady Zhou. We agreed that I would invite her to admire the flowers. Mother will return soon. Please bear with us for a moment.”

“Let’s go.”

Qu You quickly followed.

He Xing and Shui Yue trailed behind. Gao Yunyue walked briskly, paying no attention to them for the moment. Qu You slowed her steps and whispered smugly, “Well, what do you think of what I just said?”

He Xing lowered her head and murmured, “What Lady said, though I didn’t quite understand it, I know Lady cares for us.”

Shui Yue nodded with red eyes beside her.

Qu You patted her shoulder: “You two go ahead. I’ll talk with Miss Gao for a while.”

Gao Yunyue walked along the long corridor. Once He Xing and Shui Yue had left, she turned around and casually plucked a nearly faded rose from a nearby flowerbed. Picking the petals morosely, she finally said after a long pause, “I lost to you.”

She scattered the petals in her hand and clapped her hands: “The incident on Imperial Street has spread far and wide. You certainly made a splash. Upon reflection, I don’t think I could have done it. You… weren’t forced by Lord Zhou, were you?”

Qu You immediately denied it: “No.”

Gao Yunyue sighed in relief: “Considering your nature, if you didn’t want to go, you’d rather die than be coerced by your husband. I’m glad it’s true.”

Judging by her tone, she must have been very close to the original owner.

Qu You had heard this name countless times. She had previously worried that the other party would resent her for stealing the spotlight, but now it seemed she had watched too many palace dramas. With their shared poetic legacy, they likely admired each other.

Lost in thought, Qu You remained silent. Gao Yunyue continued: “When Lord Qu Cheng was implicated, I sent silver to help you. Your mother said that after you fell into the water, you forgot many things. Do you remember our bet?”

She thought for a long time and shook her head ambiguously, then added, “Thank you for your concern, Miss Gao.”

Unexpectedly, Gao Yunyue snorted: “Who’s concerned about you? I was afraid you’d starve to death, and you don’t even remember our bet. Never mind, I’ll have Mother bring the guests over soon. It wouldn’t do to waste the flowers I carefully selected.”

Only then did Qu You realize that Gao Yunyue had already led her through the long corridor, past the front hall where guests were entertained, to a secluded pavilion in the rear garden. Here, nearly a hundred pots of autumn chrysanthemums in various colors were displayed. Some varieties Qu You had never seen before, likely very rare.

“The last time we drew flower lots, you picked ‘When autumn comes on the eighth day of the ninth month, after my flowers bloom, all others will wither.’ I laughed at you for lacking such resolve, and you made a bet with me to prove it.” Seeing her bewildered expression, Gao Yunyue couldn’t help but remind her, sulking as she spoke, “Now you’ve forgotten, yet I’ve still seen it. According to our agreement, I’m giving you these precious autumn chrysanthemums—take them home with you.”

Qu You was slightly surprised: “This… I might not have enough people to carry them.”

Gao Yunyue glared at her again.

Gao Yunyue was half a year younger than the original owner. Qu You reached out and looped her arm through Gao Yunyue’s, affectionately admiring the flowers in front of the building and lavishing praise. Gao Yunyue visibly softened and relaxed, walking together with her through the rear garden back to the earlier hall.

Qu You pinched a piece of her lake-blue sleeve and smiled, “Blue suits you so well. Is this the popular gauze with ripple patterns in Bian Capital? I haven’t seen anyone wear it better than you.”

Gao Yunyue replied, “You’ve forgotten many things, but you’re much more likable than before.”

Fragments of memory suddenly flashed through Qu You’s mind. The other woman, clad in light blue gauze, fluttered in the wind, her eyes conveying admiration and appreciation. She vaguely remembered that Gao Yunyue disliked wearing gold and silver jewelry, preferring a long jade hairpin. Then, in her blurred recollection, the hairpin abruptly shattered.

Startled, Qu You instinctively looked up. Sure enough, Gao Yunyue was wearing a long jade hairpin.

Gao Yunyue asked in surprise, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Still shaken, Qu You linked arms with her.

Somewhat satisfied, Gao Yunyue walked awkwardly beside her, muttering, “It feels strange to see you married so quickly—I’m still not used to it. Does Lord Zhou treat you well?”

“Yes,” Qu You replied swiftly.

“That’s good,” Gao Yunyue, without suspicion, continued chatting, “Father has always wanted me to marry early. Not marrying into the crown prince’s household means he’s looking for other royal relatives… What’s so great about marrying into such families? One day, you’ll watch your husband take concubines and have no say. Recently, I’ve been sulking with him and can’t sleep well.”

Qu You observed her slightly haggard appearance: “I brought mulberry syrup for your mother. When you have time, you can drink some too. Another day, I’ll invite you out. I have a friend who runs a medicinal cuisine shop. I’ll have him send over some recipes to help you recuperate.”

Gao Yunyue happily agreed, “Very good.”

She paused for a moment and suddenly asked, “Do you know about the thorny case your husband is handling?”

“You mean the Liu case involving the well?”

“Yes.”

Qu You gave an ambiguous response and cautiously asked, “Did you know Liu?”

Gao Yunyue softly exclaimed, “Ah,” then fell silent, “You might not remember. Liu Lianxi… she was once a friend of ours.”

“She didn’t enjoy gatherings. We crossed paths with her at a game of cuju a year ago. She wrote beautiful poetry and was the gentlest person. She married into the Du family and passed away less than a year later.”

Qu You also fell silent. They passed under several maple trees in the garden. The autumn wind was desolate, and a crimson maple leaf brushed past her shoulder.

The case she referred to was the urgent matter He San had mentioned to Zhou Tan three days prior. Du Gaojun, the son of Left Censor Du Hui, reported to the capital prefecture that his wife, Madam Liu, had been found dead in the backyard well. At the time, Zhou Tan was preoccupied with a falling-from-height case. Fu Qingnian made an additional comment, and the case was not transferred to the Ministry of Justice.

The capital prefecture investigated for three days and arrested a guard from the Du household. The guard confessed that he had stolen from the master’s house and was caught by Madam Liu. In a panic, he strangled her and threw her into the well. Both witness and physical evidence were complete, and the guard even committed suicide in prison before the trial.

The case was riddled with doubts. Madam Liu’s mother refused to believe it and petitioned the capital prefecture three times but to no avail. Finally, she reluctantly accepted it.

It wasn’t until Qu You struck the Drum of Appeals that Madam Liu’s mother was inspired to submit a blood-written petition to the Ministry of Justice, claiming the previous verdict was rushed. Although the Ministry of Justice was technically part of the penal system, the request for a retrial was justified. The matter escalated, and during the early court session, Emperor De ordered Zhou Tan to personally handle the case. Gao Yunyue had also heard about it.

“Helplessly, the flowers fall…”

Qu You murmured a line, lost in thought: “Women are even more fragile than flowers. Without being plucked, they fall from the branch to be slaughtered at will. I think of how the people from Fangxin Pavilion also drifted away, their lives beyond their control…”