The moment these words were spoken, before the guards had time to react, the crowd gathered before the drum court burst into an uproar, talking over one another all at once.

“Were not the culprits of the Thorn-the-Begonia Case already put to death long ago? How is it that now…”

“Brother Zhao, I only came to Biandu to sit the examinations, and though I have heard something of it, I don’t know much — what exactly were the circumstances back then?”

“Better not to speak of it, better not to speak of it. That great case implicated so many — Biandu was in a state of constant alarm in those days. In the end it was determined that five princes had conspired in the rebellion. The public executions at the marketplace went on for a full half month. They say the waters of the Bianhe ran red during that time.”

“The Crown Prince Chengming was greatly beloved — naturally the investigation needed to be thorough.”

“With such a definitive verdict, and so many lives already taken, how could the court possibly have made an error? Besides, the current Emperor is benevolent, and had a particularly deep attachment to the late Crown Prince — if the evidence had not been conclusive, he could not have put so many people to death.”

“That argument is flawed, Brother Liu — have you not heard the ‘Song of the False Dragon’ that was circulating a few days ago? Among members of the imperial family, is there anyone with truly uncomplicated motives?”

At that, the crowd became even more agitated. The few who had spoken could not help but lower their voices.

“His Majesty was still a youth when he had not yet taken personal power. Now that he has just assumed the throne, he has first executed the Chief Minister and then imprisoned the Empress — who has not privately marveled at his decisiveness? As for the killing of the cicada and the shattering of jade — though trivial matters in themselves, they do reveal something of his character. In my view…”

“‘The lotus flower has been gone from the kingdom for a thousand years.’ If His Majesty truly had a deep attachment to the late Crown Prince, then who constructed the case of the bronze and copper? These things did not seem worth thinking about at the time, but set against today’s events, they are worth pondering.”

Amid the clamor, Qiu Xueyu slowly stood up and set down the drumstick in her hand.

The censor beside Pei Xi called out sharply: “Enough of this prattle! Do you know that speaking carelessly with no basis in fact will bring charges upon you? First, setting aside whether what is said here is true or false, one who strikes the Petition Drum must submit to the crushing of the fingers by the pressing-stick as punishment!”

Qiu Xueyu showed no fear: “If I may appear before the Son of Heaven, this commoner woman accepts this punishment willingly.”

She looked around her and said calmly: “The imperial boulevard drum court was originally a place to make matters reach the ears of the Son of Heaven. If striking the drum requires punishment, that would fall under the jurisdiction of the Capital Prefecture Magistrate. This court has long been out of use — the instruments of punishment are certainly not here. I must trouble Your Lordship to summon the Magistrate and reopen the drum court. This commoner has no objection to submitting to punishment before filing her complaint — but the morning court will soon be ending, and if things proceed that way, the sacred Son of Heaven will have to wait somewhat longer.”

Pei Xi took the opportunity to tug at his colleague’s sleeve and said quietly: “If we summon the Capital Magistrate and lose more time, not only will His Majesty be kept waiting, but this matter will inevitably become an even bigger scene. His Majesty sent the two of us in the first place simply to hear what the person striking the drum wished to accuse someone of. Now that this matter has become entangled with a major case of national significance, how could the two of us possibly take responsibility for it? I say we bring this woman back to report to His Majesty and wash our hands of it!”

The other censor thought for a moment and gave his tacit agreement. So Pei Xi quickly spoke up: “Though striking the drum carries strict penalties, this dynasty also has a regulation that in cases involving treason and the imperial family — major cases already adjudicated by the Three Judicial Offices — the punishment is waived and the petitioner is exempt. Please, the person who struck the drum, follow the two of us into court to appear before the Son of Heaven.”

Qiu Xueyu lowered her eyes in thanks, then followed the guards out of the drum court in an unhurried manner and made toward the imperial city. The crowd on the imperial boulevard, hearing that the petitioner intended to seek redress in the Thorn-the-Begonia Case, followed for several li before reluctantly stopping just within arrow range of the Mingguang Gate.

“If the person who struck the drum can produce evidence, will the court admit that it issued a wrong verdict four years ago?”

“I don’t think so — who knows if she’ll even come out of that palace again.”

“That’s a strange thing to say — the Thorn-the-Begonia Case is a great case of national significance. How could there have been a miscarriage of justice?”

“If she truly has evidence in hand, the case would be transferred to the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court to be handled jointly — there’s no reason she could not come out of the palace.”

“Matters involving these great figures are not for us to comment on… Let’s wait until noon today, and we’ll know what the outcome of this accusation has been. After the case is transferred, there will certainly be plenty more spectacle to watch.”

Once Qiu Xueyu’s figure had disappeared behind the layered crimson palace walls, the crowd on the imperial boulevard gradually dispersed. Some scholars in their distinctive attire settled nearby in a teahouse, wanting to discuss this matter further.

A young scholar who had been speaking up amid the crowd all along made his way with ease into a tall wine tower just at hand. The tower had not yet opened for the day. He climbed the empty staircase to the very top, where he bowed to a woman who had been standing at the window looking out for quite some time. “My lady.”

Luowei closed the fan in her hand with a smile. “With a few words you stirred a whole crowd of scholars to take notice — very well done.”

The man gave another word of thanks and turned to take his leave.

Luowei rested her chin in her hand and looked out toward the distant imperial city, which lay wrapped in a layer of morning mist. A faint line of worry crossed her brow; in the end she only let out a quiet sigh.

* * *

When the sound of drumbeats reached the morning court, Song Lan was quite surprised. He assumed it was not a serious matter and dispatched two low-ranking censors to ask about it.

The morning’s memorials were few, and the hour to adjourn had more or less arrived, but by dynastic custom the Son of Heaven was required to be present when the drum was struck. To avoid complications, everyone waited below in the courtyard as the censors brought up the first person to have struck the Petition Drum in this dynasty’s present reign.

Song Lan idly played with the tassel on his robe and turned his head, happening to catch sight of the place where Luowei had once sat behind the curtain.

He remembered that there had once been twelve strands of crystal bead curtains hanging there. Luowei had sat behind the curtains in her deep blue robe embroidered with five-colored pheasant patterns, visible only as a serene and beautiful profile. He had sat on the throne, and every time he found himself at odds with Yu Qiushi, he had looked over like a man seeking help. Luowei would turn her face, her eyes swallowed by the crystalline radiance, appearing unfocused and indistinct.

That one glance suddenly brought him to a moment of clarity.

Of those at court who knew Luowei was not actually at Guyou Mountain, only two men remained — Ye Tingyan and Chang Zhao. Over these past three or four months, she had not left the slightest trace. From Guyou Mountain to Luoyang, Jinling, Lin’an, and Youzhou, his guards had scoured every main road without finding her.

Song Lan was not without the thought that Luowei might still be inside the city of Biandu. But the household registration checks within the city were strict, and the Zhuque had searched again and again — he truly could not imagine where she might be hiding.

He knew she intended to make her move. So was today’s drumbeat her declaration of war?

This thought reached its peak when the person who had struck the drum was brought before the morning court.

Qiu Xueyu had grown considerably thinner. She had already removed her disguise and walked up into the hall wearing her true face.

Song Lan stared at her through the hanging curtain as though he could not quite make her out clearly, and rose from his seat, descending several steps.

Several elder officials at court also seemed to feel this face was somewhat familiar, and furrowed their brows one by one.

Song Lan instinctively looked toward Ye Tingyan. Ye Tingyan looked back at him, raised his jade tablet to half-cover his face, and gave a slight shake of his head, signaling him not to act on impulse.

The two dispatched censors knelt to one side and gave their report. He heard clearly the three characters ‘Qiu Xueyu,’ and a thunderclap went off in his mind.

Qiu Xueyu? Was she not long since dead in…

Song Lan suddenly remembered: in order to make Luowei demonstrate her loyalty, ‘Feng Yanluo’ had been put to death by Luowei’s own hand.

The court at large only knew vaguely that there had been an assassination attempt on the Empress within the inner palace, carried out by a palace maidservant surnamed Feng. He had deliberately taken that opportunity to eliminate Song Zhiyu, yet had not wished to make it public, so he had announced that Song Zhiyu died of illness. Naturally the maidservant surnamed Feng bore no connection whatsoever to the Thorn-the-Begonia Case.

He was not unaware that this matter was riddled with flaws — for example: if one were to speak of motive, the Qiu woman’s hatred for Song Zhiyu ran far deeper than Luowei’s. So her turning on Song Zhiyu in the Zhuque was no surprise to him at all; he had simply felt that afterward compelling Luowei to kill her with her own hand — regardless of the relationship between the two women — would take care of things neatly.

Looking back now, he realized that Luowei had laid a trap for him from that very moment. The inner lady Feng had carried out the assassination and had been executed by the Empress’s own hand. This woman who had returned from the frontier naturally had no connection whatsoever to the Empress — and even if he knew everything, how could he say another word about it in the great hall?

Qiu Xueyu knelt before the hall, trembling hands raising her written petition, looking for all the world as if she had never met him before, as if she had come today in all sincerity to beg the sacred Son of Heaven to redress her grievance.

“Your Majesty, this commoner wishes to…”

Cold sweat dripped from Song Lan’s forehead. He closed his eyes — and still could not restrain himself despite Ye Tingyan’s earlier warning glance.

Before Qiu Xueyu had finished her first sentence, Song Lan said coldly, without warning: “The Supreme Court and the Capital Prefecture — take this person away and hear her complaint, then conduct a joint inquiry. As there is no further business, officials — you are dismissed.”

The officials were taken aback and raised their voices in protest. “Your Majesty!”

Qiu Xueyu, as though she had not heard his words, cried out urgently in a loud voice: “Your Majesty, this commoner has today boldly struck the drum to plead that the great Thorn-the-Begonia Case of the third year of the Tianshuo reign be retried! The three persons alleged to have carried out the assassination — Liu Fuliang, Zuo Chenjian, and Yang Zhong — were not the true perpetrators of the assassination of Crown Prince Chengming! This commoner has spent these years going personally to investigate, and though the three clans have been wiped out, there are still relatives, townspeople, and former classmates — four persons willing to bear witness on behalf of the three men. There is also a physical piece of evidence: a letter in the late Crown Prince’s own hand. I beg Your Majesty to examine it carefully and restore justice to these three men and to the late Crown Prince who died so wrongfully!”

And thus she managed to speak those words in full, after all.

Song Lan raised his hand to strike the gilded armrest and was about to speak when Ye Tingyan suddenly raised his voice in rebuke: “From ancient times to the present, there has never been a rule that one can beat the drum to plead on behalf of a mere chance acquaintance. What is your connection to these three people?”

Qiu Xueyu’s gaze swept over him in an instant. “This commoner’s father was the former Censor-in-Chief Qiu Fang. Liu Fuliang — whose statue stands at the Tinga Terrace where he was honored as a martyr who died unjustly — was this commoner’s betrothed. Though the official wedding documentation had not yet been drawn up, the betrothal gifts and the dowry list both exist and can be provided for Your Lordship’s verification.”

“Oh,” said Ye Tingyan flatly. “Then you fall within the three degrees of kin of Liu Fuliang. Why did you not suffer execution together with your father?”

What he had raised was precisely the key point. Song Lan let out a brief breath of relief, and the whispered discussions in the hall gradually quieted. Qiu Xueyu gave a slight smile and acknowledged the fact without changing her expression: “This commoner received the grace of a benefactor and survived against all odds. The claim at the drum court that I was conscripted into the entertainment quarters is untrue. I can never reveal the identity of the one who saved my life, not even to repay a debt of salvation. I came today to strike the drum having already accepted that I would not leave alive!”

She suddenly shoved Ye Tingyan, who stood before her, aside, and ran forward several steps. The palace guards in the hall drew their swords all at once, and only sheathed them again when they saw she was not charging directly at the golden throne. Qiu Xueyu knelt at the foot of the steps and continued: “I only beg for the sacred Son of Heaven’s benevolence — that you witness and then retry this case! On the day this case is vindicated, this commoner will submit herself for punishment for having escaped back then, and will accept death by slow dismemberment!”

She kowtowed heavily on the golden steps. Blood immediately stained them. The attendants and eunuchs in a panic had guards drag her back several steps.

What Ye Tingyan had brought up was originally a very pressing point — if the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court were to take her into custody today and then discover that matter, Song Lan could find any pretext to have her put to death in prison.

But now that she had confessed it publicly in the hall, with such fierce and desolate composure, it would be very difficult to use that matter against her.

After Qiu Xueyu spoke, scholars who had previously received Song Ling’s beneficence and were also displeased with the handling of the Jingqiu Remonstrance immediately knelt alongside her: “Your Majesty, what this woman says is shocking to hear, and moreover involves a great case of national significance. This subject begs Your Majesty to weigh and reconsider carefully, and to thoroughly investigate the matter so as not to leave any pretext for further criticism!”

Someone seconded this: “Indeed — Your Majesty’s attachment to the late Crown Prince runs deep. With the Thorn-the-Begonia Case involved, how can one be anything but prudent?”

Others objected: “The Thorn-the-Begonia Case was investigated from start to finish over more than four months with complete thoroughness. How can one simply retry it on the strength of a single person of unclear identity? This subject submits that the more pressing matter is to verify this woman’s identity and investigate whether she is a spy of the Ezhen faction sent to throw the court into chaos. This subject has heard that the Ezhen faction has in recent years sent many spies to infiltrate our dynasty, only waiting for…”

The voices talked over each other. Song Lan sat on the dragon throne and understood only one thing.

Regardless of whether the Thorn-the-Begonia Case needed to be retried, and regardless of whether she was an ‘Ezhen spy,’ the drum had already been struck in public before the court had convened — this person, he could not kill today.

The assembled officials below had all knelt down. Some argued for retrying the case, others agreed with the spy theory. The newly appointed Chief Minister was the most slippery of men, ordinarily doing nothing but following the Emperor’s wishes, letting Chang Zhao and Ye Tingyan fight it out between them without ever taking sides.

Today even he could not preserve his neutrality and was pulled down to his knees along with the others.

Song Lan thought to himself: Qiu Xueyu’s drum-striking must have alarmed the common people; public opinion was already erupting like a cauldron of boiling water. He could only appease her for now and look for an opportunity to act later.

Why else had he to be the man of ‘deep attachment’ to Song Ling?

He composed himself, deliberated for a moment, and managed to cobble together a way of handling things, then spoke: “Since Miss Qiu has struck the drum, the matter must certainly be investigated. The Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, and the Censorate shall each discharge their respective duties, receive and examine the evidence, and conduct their inquiry. Furthermore —”

His gaze passed between Ye Tingyan and Chang Zhao. In the end he could not make an immediate decision, and only said ambiguously: “This is a matter of great importance. We will certainly dispatch someone to jointly oversee the inquiry and ensure fairness. All parties, inside and outside the court, shall proceed with due care and without negligence. The sun is already high — officials… you are dismissed.”