BXG - 35

◎ Little Ye ◎

“Still remember how the spring breeze turned for Little Ye,

Her quiet sorrow and tears from that day remain.

The past is clear, yet full of resentment.

Regretting my fickle heart, emotions hard to untangle,

Ten years like a dream, impossible to rely on.

A beauty with a thousand charming faces.”

Ye Liuchun had an exquisite voice, and her moon lute was enchanting. Paired with her graceful and melodious singing, it left listeners entranced.

She rarely sang such melancholic and solitary tunes. In the past, when Qu You heard her at Fanlou Pavilion, the songs were filled with tender affection and intimate love. At the banquet, Gao Yunyue had heard music resonating with the clashing of swords and a biting cold spirit. This sudden change in tone now left them speechless for a long while.

Gao Yunyue wore an expression of deep admiration. After Ye Liuchun finished singing, she lowered her head and noticed a concentratic knot hanging beneath her moon lute. Such moments of casual playing were rare for her, and her eyelashes drooped slightly as if recalling some indescribable memories.

Qu You observed her, feeling somewhat surprised—she could roughly guess what Ye Liuchun was thinking.

Because she had read this poem before—it was an early work by Bai Shating titled Spring Wind Poem .

She remembered the annotations well. “Little Ye” was a woman the poet had known in his youth. Watching her transition from a young girl to a famous courtesan, he penned many poems for her, lamenting her fate while mocking himself as “fickle,” unable to provide her with stability.

But “Little Ye” understood his lack of commitment, treating him like any other guest. Yet he would sigh in frustration: Why must you show me your “thousand charming faces” reserved for guests?

Little Ye…

Seeing the sadness in her eyes, Qu You gently spoke: “This must be Master Shisan’s new poem—it’s beautifully written.”

Gao Yunyue snapped out of her reverie: “So this is Master Shisan’s poem! I’ve long known that Chun Niangzi is close to him, but I’ve never heard this one.”

Though Bai Shating’s behavior was eccentric, every poem he released was secretly circulated among the women of Bian Capital’s inner quarters. Gao Yunyue, who loved poetry and music, wouldn’t have missed them—she’d read quite a few.

“You guessed correctly,” Ye Liuchun regained her composure and smiled. “This one is different—I composed the melody myself without hiring a musician. If you like it, it makes the effort worthwhile. What do you think, Miss Gao?”

“It recalls the spring breeze but carries a sense of solitude.” Gao Yunyue replied earnestly. “The lyrics and melody complement each other harmoniously, evoking deep emotions. Such a song should only be sung for a kindred spirit.”

Ye Liuchun laughed: “Exactly. Today, I sing it for a kindred spirit.”

No sooner had her words ended than a faint cough came from behind a nearby lattice window.

Startled, Gao Yunyue quickly picked up the folding fan she’d been holding casually and hid behind the two women. Qu You stood up, surprised to see Zhou Tan and a man about his height walking around from behind the corridor. To avoid offending anyone, they intentionally stopped at a respectful distance and didn’t approach.

Only then did she realize that the man beside Zhou Tan was Crown Prince Song Shiyan, whom she’d met before.

He was dressed in the common attire of a nobleman, appearing much more approachable than when he wore the pale gold ceremonial robes of the crown prince. Ye Liuchun was the most composed, stepping forward to greet them first. Qu You and Gao Yunyue followed suit, bowing deeply: “Your Highness, may you enjoy ten thousand blessings.”

“The song moved even me to sorrow,” Song Shiyan waved for them to rise, speaking lazily. “You three are excellent company. When you have time, bring Consort Yuanjun to listen to the music as well.”

The “Yuanjun” he referred to was Consort Li Yuanjun, the crown prince’s wife, whom Qu You had seen earlier at the banquet. Li Yuanjun was Song Shiyan’s cousin and the daughter of General Li Wei.

Though born into a military family, Li Yuanjun’s health was frail. Earlier, Qu You had seen the crown princess acting timid and walking on eggshells, confirming the rumors of their strained relationship. The crown prince’s invitation was likely just polite formality.

As she thought this, she glanced up and met Song Shiyan’s deeply meaningful gaze. His smile was ambiguous, and upon seeing her look up, he didn’t conceal it, narrowing his eyes and saying: “Chun Niangzi, sing it again for me.”

“Yes,” Ye Liuchun cradled her moon lute, squeezed Qu You’s hand briefly, then followed the crown prince.

Zhou Tan approached, explaining: “Earlier, I accompanied His Highness and a group of talented individuals past the wall. We walked faster than the others and heard the singing, so we intruded unintentionally. However, Lord Gao will soon pass by here as well…”

At the mention of “Lord Gao” and “talented individuals,” Gao Yunyue made a quick decision, immediately grabbing Qu You’s hand and saying: “I’ll help Mother distribute chrysanthemum cakes. You stay with Lord Zhou.”

Watching her disappear quickly down the corridor, lifting her skirts, Qu You couldn’t help but laugh: “Why tease her? Look how scared she is.”

“The word ‘tease’ isn’t appropriate,” Zhou Tan walked over, joining her as they strolled along the corridor. “What I said was true.”

“Mm-hmm, true indeed—let’s talk about something serious. As we discussed earlier, I’ve already met Lady Liu.” Qu You said. “Du Gaojun’s reputation is no exaggeration—Liu Lianxi was frequently abused by him.”

“This matter damages the Liu family’s reputation. Presumably, Lady Liu wouldn’t dare speak much during the interrogation,” Zhou Tan also hummed in agreement. “Did she say anything else?”

“Lady Liu said that Lianxi always went to bed early and would grow tired after curfew. It’s impossible for her to have encountered someone stealing at midnight. The capital prefecture’s investigation was vague, lacking sufficient witnesses, and she hadn’t even seen the body.” Qu You recalled.

Zhou Tan frowned: “Ordinarily, bodies in homicide cases are kept at the capital prefecture for seven days. They didn’t pay much attention initially and didn’t handle it prematurely. Now that the emperor’s decree has been issued, they won’t dare act rashly. Tomorrow, I’ll take people to examine the body, then seek out any servants or maids in the Du household who might have witnessed something. Lianxi’s body is in the rear garden—if she died at home, there must be someone who knows something.”

Qu You nodded: “I’ll ask Ding Xiangzhi and Ling to find Boss Ai for help. Since the incident happened suddenly, the Du household can’t possibly eliminate everyone who knows something. Some might have been sold off or escaped—we should be able to find clues.”

“Thank you for your efforts,” the two walked toward the front hall together. As they crossed a stone bridge, Zhou Tan suddenly spoke: “It’s a pity you’re already married and a noblewoman—you can’t enter the Ministry of Justice directly. When you come, you’ll need to disguise yourself as a man and register under a false name. Have you thought of one yet?”

“Not yet.”

Qu You chuckled softly at Zhou Tan’s amusing tone. “Already married,” he said it as if she had married someone else. She shook her head and asked curiously: “Didn’t Xiao Li mention to me before that the Ministry of Justice has female officials?”

“Very few,” Zhou Tan replied tersely. “They only recruit women to guard female prisoners; they don’t accept women as armed guards. There are two women working on legal texts and case files.”

“Oh…” Qu You responded slowly and asked, “Is there anything else I can do?”

“For now, no. Rest for now. If I find anything, I’ll inform you. I notice you’ve read quite a bit of the penal code commentaries in the study. If you’re interested, I’ll have someone gather more for you.”

Qu You immediately became excited: “That would be wonderful.”

Her dissertation was shaping up nicely!

Though she probably didn’t need to worry about her dissertation anymore…

The next morning, Qu You woke up early. Recently, her schedule had gradually aligned with the ancient practice of going to bed early and waking up early. Even Aunt Yun praised her for eating breakfast more regularly.

After finishing the red bean paste rolls and mung bean ice cream on the table, she suddenly thought of Qu Jiaxi’s pitiful expression when eating sweets in the past. Sighing inwardly, she called for a carriage, planning to return home.

She arrived at a perfect time—Qu Cheng was still at court and hadn’t returned yet. When Yin Xiangru heard she had come, she was overjoyed and quickly called her in.

Qu You distributed the red bean paste rolls and mung bean ice cream she brought to her two younger sisters and personally prepared a bowl of lean meat congee. Just as she set it on the table, Qu Cheng entered, still wearing his official robes. Seeing her there, he snorted coldly.

But he didn’t order her to leave.

The family gathered around the table. As usual, the concubine wasn’t allowed to sit at the table. Qu Xiangwen had gone to school, and Qu Jiaxi and Qu Jiayu, sensing Qu Cheng’s displeasure, dared not speak much and focused on eating. As soon as they finished, Qu Cheng coldly ordered them to leave.

Qu You exchanged a glance with her mother, saying she would visit her room later, then dismissed the servants. Only father and daughter remained in the vast hall.

“Kneel.”

Qu Cheng looked at her coldly and said impassively. Qu You sat at the table without moving and asked: “Father, why do you want me to kneel?”

“Beating the Drum of Appeals on Imperial Street, exposing yourself publicly, pleading for courtesans—do you still feel proud of what you’ve done?” Qu Cheng slammed the table. “Zhou Tan wants to stand up for his lover—why are you rushing to be his pawn? If he forced you to this point, why didn’t you come back and tell your father?!”

His words greatly surprised Qu You. She stood up and knelt before Qu Cheng—she had never been accustomed to kneeling, except before Qu Cheng and Yin Xiangru, where she felt no psychological burden.

Qu You whispered: “Father misunderstands. Actually… I went there voluntarily.”

Qu Cheng froze: “What did you say?”

Qu You continued defiantly: “I befriended courtesans, moved by their stories, and willingly beat the drum for them. Unless you’re a noblewoman, women who beat the drum must first endure twenty strokes of the cane. Their delicate bodies can’t withstand it. Father, if you want to punish me today, I don’t regret it. This has nothing to do with Zhou Tan—it’s just idle gossip that he spread to protect my reputation.”

Qu You bowed her head. Qu Cheng remained silent for a long time. Staring at his official boots, she suddenly felt a bittersweet emotion—her biological father had passed away early, and she had never even seen him. Qu Cheng’s slight concern moved her deeply.

“Stand up.”

After a while, she heard Qu Cheng say.

“What you did was reckless, but it carried a hint of chivalry. Though it deserves punishment, it’s also commendable.” Qu Cheng sighed, then scolded her bitterly: “How did I never know you had such courage? Did you not consider how this would affect your reputation in the future?”

Qu You let out a breath of relief. Qu Cheng was, after all, a true scholar-official.

She had violated feminine virtue but acted with righteousness. The rigid old men of the Censorate despised her, and the women of the capital mocked her. But among the young scholars and upright officials, some still admired her actions.

Qu Cheng was no exception when it came to his own daughter.

After scolding her for a while, he let her stand: “…Enough. Besides what I just told you, there’s one more thing. Though I misunderstood this time, you should still keep your distance from that Vice Minister Zhou in the future. His mind is unfathomable, and harming you would be effortless for him. He doesn’t care, nor does he resort to violence. Be polite but cautious in dealing with him and see how things develop.”

He didn’t continue, but Qu You understood the underlying meaning. In Qu Cheng’s eyes, Zhou Tan’s reputation was tarnished. Though he was currently favored, it wouldn’t last. If she gave her heart to him, it might bring disaster upon herself.

“When you returned home, you even dared to defy me for him!” Qu Cheng suddenly remembered, angrily saying, “Do you remember what I just told you?”

“Father—”

Qu You pushed the bowl of lean meat porridge forward. Qu Cheng calmed down slightly, picked up a spoon, and took a sip, finding it fragrant and delicious.

Qu You asked him seriously: “I have a question I’d like to ask. In your opinion, what is ‘the truth of a person’?”

Qu Cheng held the spoon, stiffening for a moment.