Chapter 2

Zhao Yanping was the chief constable of Wu’an County.

A-Jiao had been living with her uncle and aunt since she was eight years old. Back then, the house next door wasn’t owned by the Zhao family but by an old constable—an aging man in his forties who lived alone without a wife, children, or even nephews to care for him. Later, after A-Jiao was sent to Huayue Brothel, the old constable passed away, leaving his only property to his apprentice, Zhao Yanping, a man of humble origins. After inheriting the house, Zhao Yanping moved to the county with his grandmother, Old Madam Zhao.

The constables of the county yamen all wore blue uniforms, but only the chief constable was dressed in deep purple official robes with a black brocade belt.

At this moment, Zhao Yanping was clad in a round-collared purple robe, a square-topped black lacquered hat, a black belt around his waist, and black boots on his feet. His tall and upright figure carried an air of elegance, and with his strikingly handsome features, if he ever smiled, he could likely steal the hearts of every maiden in the county.

Yet, Zhao Yanping was the most severe and intimidating man in the county. It was said that when he handled cases and arrested criminals, his cold and expressionless face was enough to terrify offenders into submission. Even innocent children playing on the streets would burst into tears at the sight of him. No matter how handsome he was, young women dared not involve themselves with him.

Zhu Shuangshuang was especially afraid of Zhao Yanping. When she noticed his gaze shift in their direction, her courage faltered, and she quickly hid behind A-Jiao like a frightened eel.

A-Jiao was also a little nervous. She hadn’t even figured out what expression to put on before Zhao Yanping withdrew his gaze, placed his black-booted foot into the stirrup, mounted his horse in one swift motion, and rode off toward the county yamen without a single glance back.

As the sound of hoofbeats faded, Zhu Shuangshuang peeked out from behind A-Jiao. Seeing that Zhao Yanping was already far away, she let out a sigh of relief. She was about to complain about how terrifying he was when she noticed A-Jiao staring intently at his retreating figure. There was no trace of fear on her face—only something inexplicable, something that couldn’t quite be put into words.

Zhu Shuangshuang’s eyes flickered with thought.

A-Jiao snapped out of her daze, only to find her cousin narrowing her eyes in scrutiny. Lowering her gaze, she picked up her water bucket and silently walked forward.

“Cousin, don’t tell me you’ve taken a liking to Officer Zhao?” Zhu Shuangshuang asked, staring at her.

Strictly speaking, a chief constable wasn’t a proper official rank. However, Zhao Yanping had solved several major cases, earning the favor of the newly appointed magistrate. The people of Wu’an County both feared and respected him. Unlike in other counties where constables were merely addressed by their title, here, the townsfolk honored him with the title of “Officer Zhao.”

A-Jiao’s cheeks tinged red. She frowned and replied, “Nonsense. Don’t talk nonsense.”

Zhu Shuangshuang scoffed. “Still pretending? Your face is already red. But let me give you some advice—don’t waste your time dreaming. Officer Zhao may come from a poor family, and he may look fierce, but he’s still a chief constable, a minor official. How could he ever take a woman like you as his wife? Even if you were willing to be his concubine, I doubt he’d be interested.”

A-Jiao’s face turned pale at those words.

Zhu Shuangshuang smirked, lifting her chin with satisfaction.

So what if A-Jiao was beautiful? So what if her father favored her? She had been a courtesan, and she couldn’t even bear children. No matter what, she would never surpass a respectable scholar’s daughter like herself—pure, untainted, and perfectly healthy.

Feeling lighthearted, Zhu Shuangshuang quickened her pace, deliberately distancing herself from A-Jiao.

Her mother had warned her—A-Jiao’s reputation was ruined. If she stayed too close to her, people would gossip about her as well.

A cool autumn breeze swept past, swirling a few withered leaves at the corner of a wall before gently letting them fall to the ground.

A-Jiao looked at those fallen leaves, a bitter smile playing on her lips.

She was well aware that she was unworthy of Zhao Yanping. In fact, she was unworthy of many people.

Ever since she entered Huayue Brothel and endured the madam’s harsh training—something even respectable women would struggle to bear—she had long abandoned any fantasies of marriage and children. Even if fate had somehow granted her the chance to regain her good standing, even if her uncle was determined to find her a decent husband, she dared not entertain such dreams.

She had only looked at Zhao Yanping a moment longer because she was grateful to him.

No one knew what had truly happened when Huayue Brothel was raided last year.

It had been broad daylight, and the courtesans were resting in their rooms, conserving their energy to entertain guests later that night.

A-Jiao hadn’t been asleep. In just five days, it would have been the night of her deflowering, and the madam had ordered her to practice dancing endlessly to ensure there were no mistakes. The dresses worn by songstresses were always light and revealing, barely covering anything. But after four years in the brothel, A-Jiao no longer felt shame wearing such clothing—after all, those who saw her in it were never respectable people to begin with.

The practice room was in the back courtyard of Huayue Brothel, a secluded spot.

When sudden screams erupted from the front hall, the madam’s expression changed drastically. Without a word, she abandoned A-Jiao and rushed out.

A-Jiao had no idea what was happening, but with the madam gone, she too was overcome with panic and wanted to escape. However, the moment she stepped out of the practice room, a chilling scream rang out from the second floor of the brothel. Looking up, she saw a blue-uniformed constable pressing a famous courtesan against the railing. Ignoring her desperate struggles, he lifted her skirt and molested her wantonly.

The courtesan’s face—filled with agony and despair—was something A-Jiao would never forget for the rest of her life.

Having lived in Huayue Brothel, A-Jiao knew all too well the misery of these women. They smiled for men by day and wept alone by night. They were not willing participants in their own suffering—just unfortunate souls who had been dealt cruel fates.

She didn’t know why so many constables had stormed the brothel that day, but she knew she couldn’t allow herself to be assaulted.

Lifting the hem of her intricate dress, she bolted toward the rock garden in the back.

Hiding in the shadows of an artificial cave, she trembled, more afraid than she had ever been in her life.

Two blue-clad constables approached the rock garden, searching for any fleeing women. One of them found a courtesan who had also been hiding among the rocks and immediately forced her to the ground, violating her on the spot.

The other constable turned his sights toward A-Jiao’s hiding place. His face was flushed with excitement, and the predatory gleam in his eyes made her blood run ice-cold.
A-Jiao didn’t dare stay where she was. She hurriedly ran farther away, glancing back in panic as she fled. Suddenly, she crashed into something, her body tilting before she fell to the ground.

The first thing she saw was a pair of black boots, followed by the hem of a deep purple robe and the glint of a blade at his waist.

That was enough to make her soul tremble. She clutched at the flimsy fabric barely covering her, curling up in the corner of the rockery as she sobbed and pleaded, “Don’t touch me, don’t touch me…”

Just then, the blue-clad constable who had been chasing her caught up. Upon seeing the man in purple, he grinned and said, “Master Zhao, this courtesan is fresh and delicate. If you don’t want her, why not grant her to me?”

A-Jiao’s sobs grew even louder. Finally, she lifted her tear-filled eyes to look at the man in the purple robe.

Unlike the beasts in blue who had been violating the courtesans, the man before her had a face as cold as an ice mountain. His sword-like brows were tightly furrowed, and his voice was stern as he rebuked the blue-clad constable, “Pass down my order—apprehending the suspects is the priority. If anyone dares to neglect his duty and takes advantage of the women in this establishment, he will be charged with defiling respectable women!”

He drew his blade, its cold gleam flashing. The constable stiffened, shrinking back before reluctantly casting one last regretful glance at A-Jiao and retreating to deliver the command.

The man in purple turned to leave as well. But after a few steps, he suddenly came back.

A-Jiao thought he had succumbed to his desires and was about to attack her. She let out a sharp scream and tried to flee.

But the man grabbed her wrist. She was yanked around and collided with his chest.

She cried and struggled, but he firmly restrained both her wrists. His voice was icy as he interrogated her, “Do you know where the madam has gone?”

A-Jiao hated the madam—hated her even more than she hated her aunt!

Realizing that this official was only after the madam and had no intention of harming her, A-Jiao’s tears rolled down as she clung to a sliver of hope and begged, “Sir, if I lead you to her, will you protect me? Sir, you may not know this, but I am the niece of Zhu Chang, a scholar of this county. Four years ago, my aunt heartlessly sold me here. I am still untouched—I beg for your mercy!”

The man fell silent for a moment before finally giving his word.

Clinging to this chance at survival, A-Jiao led him in pursuit of the madam. In the end, it was his sharp eyes that spotted a hidden mechanism, dragging the madam out of her hiding place alive.

The moment she saw A-Jiao, the madam cursed her viciously, but the man gagged her with a rag.

Afraid of the other constables who were abusing their power, A-Jiao stayed close to this seemingly upright official.

He was meticulous. Just before leaving, he suddenly stopped in front of a room and reminded A-Jiao, “Go inside and change your clothes.”

Because of that simple reminder, A-Jiao became the most properly dressed woman in the brothel that day.

When more than twenty constables escorted dozens of courtesans to the county prison, the streets were packed with onlookers. The other courtesans, their clothes in disarray, desperately tried to cover themselves, but A-Jiao—apart from her face—had nothing exposed for others to see.

After being locked up, many of the courtesans were taken away at night by the prison guards and violated.

But not a single guard dared to lay a finger on A-Jiao.

It wasn’t until she was released and returned to her uncle’s home that she learned her neighbor was none other than Officer Zhao.

In that moment, she finally understood—it was Zhao Yanping who had secretly ensured her protection, sparing her the suffering of prison.

And so, A-Jiao was grateful to Zhao Yanping.

To her, he was a second father who had given her a new life.

======

A street away was Qinghe River.

Along the riverbank was a row of stone piers, used for docking boats when they arrived and for washing clothes when they didn’t.

It had been raining for days, but today, the sun finally shone. Women had come early to claim spots for washing clothes. As they worked, they chattered about all sorts of household gossip, passing the time and making the labor feel less tiresome.

Zhu Shuangshuang joined a familiar mother-daughter pair, Fang and her mother, at the river. There was still space beside them, but Zhu Shuangshuang’s pointed glare made it clear—A-Jiao was not welcome.

No matter how clean her body was, her reputation was ruined. Aside from her uncle, no one was willing to accept her.

A-Jiao lowered her gaze, carrying her wooden bucket as she walked along the riverbank.

Wherever she passed, whispers followed.

“Look, the scholar Zhu’s niece is here again.”

“How does she even have the face to go out? If it were me, I’d just hang myself. Imagine being from a place like that and still daring to show up in public.”

“Don’t say that. I heard when the brothel was raided, she hadn’t entertained a single customer—still a virgin.”

“Pfft, and you believe that? Listen, brothels have all kinds of ways to train their girls. New ones cry and refuse to undress at first, so the madam sends in a few brutes to strip them bare. Inside and out, everything is exposed. By then, even the most stubborn ones lose their will. After that, they do whatever they’re told. She’s no exception.”

“Is that so? Then why is Zhu Chang still saying he’ll find her a good marriage? Who would be foolish enough to marry a woman like that?”

“He’s guilty, obviously. His niece came to him for refuge, and his cruel wife sold her off. If he doesn’t arrange a good future for her, how will he face his late sister and brother-in-law?”

…

The gossip continued endlessly, mixing truth with lies, hearsay with invention.

A-Jiao had heard it so much she was becoming numb to it.

At last, she reached a stone pier in a less favorable spot.

She crouched by the water, pulling out her uncle and aunt’s bedding, and began scrubbing with all her strength.

The river’s surface was as clear as a mirror, reflecting a face as delicate as a blooming flower.