Chapter 4: A Mistake in the Melody (Part Three)

◎ Tending to Wounds ◎

First, Qu You noticed his eyelashes—thick and black like crow feathers.

Almost simultaneously, she quickly recalled her strange dream. The owner of these eyes had once been so close to her, draping a white fox fur cloak over her shoulders. He had also smiled faintly as he gazed at her before quietly passing away beneath a gentle rain of apricot blossoms.

Zhou Tan was only in his early twenties, not yet as gaunt as he appeared in her dream. Yet, even in his unconscious state, Qu You could see traces of the aloof and elegant powerbroker he would later become.

"Arrogant in his beauty, flattering to his sovereign; possessing only an empty shell, cruel and reckless."

In truth, her interest in Zhou Tan had initially been less than her fascination with the laws of the Yin Dynasty. But perhaps because there was so little documentation about him, every word and sentence stuck firmly in her memory.

Now, under the flickering candlelight, she unabashedly studied his face. She couldn’t help but admit that the historical records were accurate—such a handsome man would inevitably be considered a sycophant if he grew close to the emperor.

It was only after Zhou Tan’s hair turned prematurely gray that this particular accusation against him faded.

Nanny Yun leaned closer, concern flashing across her brow. She adjusted the blanket covering Zhou Tan and whispered, “Master Zhou changed his bandages this morning but has remained unconscious ever since. Lady… please don’t take offense.”

Though she didn’t understand the intricacies of court politics, the laughter of those who came and went in recent days told her enough. The emperor had arranged this marriage to bring good fortune to Zhou Tan, implying that Master Zhou wasn’t expected to survive.

This young bride was beautiful and came from a scholarly family. From the moment the bridal sedan chair arrived at the Zhou residence, Nanny Yun worried that the girl might be unable to bear the humiliation and cause trouble at the wedding or refuse to approach Zhou Tan out of disdain.

To her surprise, this new bride didn’t resemble the fragile daughters of noble households she had imagined. Not only had she not uttered a single complaint, but she had also calmly subdued the provocations of Second Young Master Zhou Yang earlier.

Though it was improper for her to reveal her face during the ceremony, given how sparse and somber the wedding feast had been, such minor breaches of etiquette hardly mattered.

Nanny Yun watched as Qu You curiously reached out to check Zhou Tan’s forehead. Turning back in surprise, she asked, “It’s been five days since he was attacked, including today. Why does he still show no sign of recovery?”

Nanny Yun didn’t understand much, only replying, “The imperial physician examined him and said Master Zhou’s injuries were too severe—they could only leave it to fate. After prescribing medicine, they haven’t returned.”

Qu You frowned. “You haven’t called another doctor since then?”

Nanny Yun hesitated. “The imperial physician has already come. Without an imperial order, how can we summon another? I’ve never dealt with civilian doctors. What if we accidentally invited someone with ill intentions who harmed Master Zhou?”

Qu You lifted the blanket covering him.

Zhou Tan’s injury was on his chest. It was said that as he left the Ministry of Justice, he had helped up a fallen youth and was stabbed in the chest as a result.

The wound had been bandaged and treated, but five days later, it should have scabbed over if it weren’t life-threatening. Why was it still seeping blood?

Moreover, someone with severe injuries shouldn’t sleep deeply for long periods, nor should they be weighed down by heavy blankets.

Aside from this nanny, it seemed no one in the Zhou household genuinely cared for him. And the nanny, knowing nothing, wouldn’t dare question the imperial physician’s words.

Qu You sighed, her fingers inadvertently brushing Zhou Tan’s face.

He was breathtakingly beautiful, his complexion as pale as fresh snow. His high nose bridge and thin lips accentuated his sharp features, while even closed eyes revealed upward-slanting corners reminiscent of a sparrow’s tail. A tiny red mole marked the outer corner of his eye, making him look nothing like the cruel and reckless man described in history books.

At this moment, however, he appeared haggard, his hair disheveled. Dressed only in a white undergarment and loosely draped in an ornate ceremonial robe, he exuded a sickly pallor that evoked pity.

Qu You gently loosened his robe and discovered that the area around his wound hadn’t been properly cleaned. Whoever had changed his bandages must have been extremely careless, focusing solely on applying medicine without regard for anything else.

She drew in a sharp breath and immediately asked, “Nanny Yun, can you leave the estate now?”

Nanny Yun froze, unsure how to respond. Before she could answer, Qu You sighed again. “Never mind. It’s late, and there are too many prying eyes tonight. Tomorrow morning, take my token to Twelve Sweetwater Lane. Find the doctor living in the innermost house and bring him here through the side gate. Try not to let anyone see him.”

Adjusting the heavy floral crown atop her head, she added thoughtfully, “Also, please prepare some clean gauze, cotton, scissors, and unopened alcohol if possible. Thank you, Nanny.”

Though unclear about her intentions, Nanny Yun sensed no malice in the young woman toward Zhou Tan and instinctively followed her instructions. Soon, she delivered everything Qu You requested, then closed the door and excused herself.

The room fell silent, illuminated only by the flickering candlelight. Qu You removed her heavy headdress, loosely gathered her hair, and sat beside Zhou Tan to tend to his wound.

If he had survived for three to five days without medical attention, this clearly wasn’t a fatal injury. However, the hastily applied treatment on the first day likely hindered recovery. For now, he was merely clinging to life, slowly enduring.

No wonder rumors spread that Zhou Tan’s injuries were untreatable. Looking at his condition, Emperor De must have been undecided whether to let him live or die, leaving it to fate to determine if he could pull through.

Yet, according to history, Zhou Tan not only survived but thrived. Even after being demoted, he remained a trusted figure of Emperor De, who urgently summoned him back to the capital when he fell ill.

Though Zhou Tan was recorded as a sycophant in the annals, Qu You approached him objectively, neither loving nor hating him personally. Now that she had crossed into this identity, she saw an opportunity to reassess this historical figure while exploring the origins of the Flower-Cutting Decree .

After all, the joy of history lay in unraveling its mysteries.

Still, as she looked at his battered body and fragile bones, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.

Besides the critical wound on his chest, Zhou Tan’s torso bore numerous old scars—whip marks, bruises from rods, and even lotus-shaped burn marks beneath his ribs, stark and unmistakable.

Based on her knowledge, these likely stemmed from torture during the Candle Tower Incident earlier in the year.

Emperor De was notorious for his unpredictable cruelty. While most implicated in the case endured hunger and cold, Gu Zhiyan’s direct disciples and close friends faced unimaginable torment.

Gu Zhiyan, revered nationwide, was spared physical harm, but forced to watch as his disciples and friends suffered brutal punishments.

Objectively speaking, Qu You understood Zhou Tan’s decision. Fear of death was human nature. In this era, however, the moral integrity of virtuous scholars outweighed life itself, and disdain for betrayal was commonplace.

After writing the “Ode to the Candle Tower,” Gu Zhiyan was released from prison without a scratch. He even received an imperial edict allowing him to visit the ancestral temple and return to his hometown. Five days later, on his journey out of the capital, he drowned himself in Clear Stream River.

During Gu Zhiyan’s funeral rites, Zhou Tan wasn’t permitted to step foot inside the gates.

As Qu You cleaned the blood and debris around Zhou Tan’s wound, she reflected silently. Emperor De was a master falconer, adept at turning wild cranes into obedient dogs.

Perhaps half of Zhou Tan’s later ruthlessness and cruelty stemmed from what he learned under Emperor De.

Choosing to be corrupt or sycophantic wasn’t the only path—it was his choice. Though pitiable, he didn’t deserve sympathy.

Qu You dismissed Zhou Tan’s recorded atrocities, but she admired his later determination to implement reforms. Such matters couldn’t be judged in black and white.

And now, lying half-dead on their wedding bed, she couldn’t bring herself to ignore him.

After cleaning the area around his wound, Qu You replaced the gauze. Though she lacked medical expertise, she knew the injury required continued care. Unsure how to proceed, she focused on clearing away the blood.

Dipping cotton in alcohol, she carefully wiped the wound. Despite her caution, some of the liquid inevitably touched it.

In his unconscious state, Zhou Tan let out a pained hiss.

His hand trembled violently. Qu You dabbed his cold sweat with a handkerchief and lightly patted the back of his hand in reassurance. To her surprise, he wore the same jade thumb ring from her dream, his long fingers tightly gripping it as if holding something precious.

After much effort, she finally finished treating him, dressed him in his undergarments, and covered him with a light blanket.

Reflecting on her restless sleeping habits, Qu You decided against climbing into the large matrimonial bed.

She didn’t want to accidentally kick this dying man off the bed in her sleep.

Thus, the next morning, when Nanny Yun entered upon receiving permission, she found Qu You rubbing her eyes as she rose from the floor. Wrapped in a thin silk robe over her undergarments, she accepted the strong tea Nanny Yun brought and drank an entire cup.

Silently observing the bedding on the floor, Nanny Yun thought to herself: this noblewoman preferred to sleep on the ground rather than share the bed. Though she seemed concerned about her husband’s survival, she likely still harbored disdain.

Nanny Yun brought two young maidservants with downcast eyes—one named Hexing, the other Shuiyue. After tidying the bedding on the floor, they efficiently fetched water to dress and groom Qu You, completing the task swiftly and without a word.

Having never experienced such treatment before, Qu You couldn’t help but feel a sense of novelty.

Shuiyue seemed to specialize in hairdressing, styling it quickly and skillfully. As Qu You admired her reflection in the bronze mirror, Shuiyue’s sleeve accidentally brushed the table, knocking a pearl hairpin to the floor.

Before Qu You could react, Shuiyue turned pale and dropped to her knees, trembling. “Lady, forgive me! I didn’t mean to!”

Nanny Yun hurriedly interjected, “Lady, these two were specially chosen to serve you. They’re young and still learning proper conduct. Please bear with them…”

Qu You sat motionless, her hand frozen mid-air as she reached for the fallen hairpin. After a moment, she placed her hand on Shuiyue’s arm.

Head bowed, Shuiyue trembled as the ethereal-looking lady said firmly, “Stand up.”

Confused, Shuiyue rose. The lady handed her the fallen hairpin, saying, “It’s just a small matter. There’s no need to kneel for such things.”

Patting Shuiyue’s hand, Qu You hesitated before addressing Nanny Yun. “Nanny, if I were to request that everyone in the household refrain from bowing to me, would that be too improper?”

Nanny Yun gasped. “Kneeling signifies respect for rank and status. Etiquette cannot be abandoned.”

But as a modern person, Qu You found it difficult to accept constant kneeling before her. Rubbing her temples, she suggested, “Then how about this: Nanny, inform everyone on my behalf that unless necessary, they may bow instead of kneeling. Let’s avoid… such fearfulness.”

Nanny Yun nodded. “That would still conform to propriety. Lady is kind-hearted and considerate of her servants.”

This new bride showed none of the usual shyness or resentment expected of a newlywed. Nanny Yun felt a growing respect. “Please, Lady, proceed to the main hall for the tea ceremony. Second Young Master awaits to offer you tea.”

Supporting Qu You’s arm, she whispered, “I’ll go to the place you instructed and deliver your token…”

Turning back, Qu You scribbled an incomprehensible symbol with a brush and handed it to her. “Thank you for your efforts.”