Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Chapter 200: The Boss is Magnanimous! (1 / 2)

The Jinyiwei Commander cast an intrigued glance at Xu Yanmiao. “Why Yangzhou?”

“Because I’ve observed that Yangzhou has many wealthy salt merchants. They’re so rich that I’ve heard they donated 300,000 taels of silver to build the city walls of Yangzhou’s new town. These people, flush with wealth, live decadently. There’s even a saying:

‘Among Yangzhou salt merchants, the one in the sedan is a debt demon,

those carrying the sedan are ox demons,

those accompanying it are fart demons,

the gatekeeper is a lie demon,

and hidden in their homes are spirit demons.’

They’ve always frequented brothels and pleasure houses, indulging in women whom they regard as top-tier beauties. Once they hear of foot binding, how could they resist?”

History also confirms Yangzhou’s trajectory—it became synonymous with beauty, known for “Suzhou faces, Yangzhou feet.”

Xu Yanmiao waved his hand decisively. “In any case, Yangzhou must be a key area for prevention!”

The Jinyiwei Commander nodded thoughtfully.

Xu Yanmiao added, “Moreover, Yangzhou is both prosperous and culturally vibrant. If its people strongly oppose something, the scholars from Yangzhou participating in the imperial exams will undoubtedly support anti-foot-binding policies in the future. As long as enough officials voicing opposition rise through the ranks every three years, the trend of foot binding can be suppressed.”

“But… Yangzhou City is right there. If someone casually goes to check it out, won’t the lie be exposed?”

At this point, Xu Yanmiao, who had experienced the modern world, had a lot to say: “No problem. Given the distance covered by carriages and boats, even if someone specifically goes to investigate and debunk the rumors, it’ll be hard for them to cause much of a stir.”

He thought back to modern times: With a billion internet users, even the smallest rumor could spark nationwide buzz. Local people coming forward to debunk it often didn’t help, and even official clarifications left many clinging to their belief in the falsehoods.

Of course, he couldn’t use modern examples here.

Xu Yanmiao switched to another analogy: “For example… if you say an emperor has a dignified and handsome appearance, no one will care. But if you say an emperor has a face like a shoehorn, the rumor will spread like wildfire—and it’ll persist for hundreds of years, no matter how much debunking you try.”

The Jinyiwei Commander fell silent.

It was difficult to argue with that.

Xu Yanmiao provided another example, this time from The History of Chu: “Take the case of Great Chu after the migration of nobility to the south. You know Emperor Xuan of Chu, right? Official records say this: At the time, Great Chu was controlled by eunuchs. The emperor, at their mercy, feigned madness and stupidity when he was still a prince. He would shout in the marketplace, snatch food from others, sleep in public for days on end, and even warm himself by a fire in summer, claiming he was cold. The eunuchs underestimated him and pushed him to the throne, only for him to secretly seize power and execute them. He then ruled with great diligence, reviving the dying Great Chu for several decades.”

The Jinyiwei Commander nodded. “That’s true. What’s the issue?”

Did the historical records get something wrong? Did Xu Yanmiao know some insider secrets thanks to his mysterious tool?

Xu Yanmiao explained: “The issue is that when people mention this emperor now, their first thought isn’t the official history—it’s the gossip.”

He continued: “The first thing that comes to mind is the tale of how the emperor dared to eat excrement.”

[According to unofficial histories, Emperor Xuan of Chu feigned madness so convincingly that he once slept in a pigsty and ate pig feces.]

Xu Yanmiao added: “The second thought is about how he dared to streak through the streets.”

[Another unofficial account claimed that Emperor Xuan of Chu was so audacious that he ran naked through the capital during broad daylight, with his hair loose and his feet bare, exposing himself to everyone.]

The official record might not always be reliable, but the unofficial stories were undeniably colorful.

The Jinyiwei Commander understood.

So, once rumors about Yangzhou spread, the first association people would have with the city would be: “That place where scholars, merchants, and even commoners enjoy torturing women by making them bind their feet.”

And the people of Yangzhou wouldn’t sit idly by while their reputation was smeared. They would fight back.

And as they fought back, leading a wave of intellectual discourse, the scholars of Yangzhou would further stigmatize the practice of foot binding.

The Jinyiwei Commander’s voice was noticeably more enthusiastic than before: “I’ll write a memorial to the emperor immediately to seek approval!”

Spreading rumors—or rather, fabricating charges—was a core skill of the Jinyiwei!

“Have you heard? Foot binding has been popular in Yangzhou for a long time!”

“I’ve heard that the merchants and wealthy families over there are ridiculously rich. It’s normal for the rich to indulge in extreme practices. The filth and scandal in their households… ugh, it’s just that no one brought it to light before.”

“It’s not just the rich merchants! I’ve heard that even the scholars there are obsessed with women with bound feet. Apparently, they even write poetry about them! Lines like, ‘Don’t spare perfume to anoint the lotus steps, always dreading the silk socks gliding away like ripples.’ Tsk, tsk, you can tell how much they adore them just by that.”

“Ugh—‘perfumed’ feet, really! The rotting flesh and sweat trapped under those bandages during every step—no matter how much perfume you add, how fragrant could it possibly be? These people must have a bizarre taste!”

The rumors spread like wildfire, sparking widespread discussion.

Thanks to previous efforts to discredit foot binding, the practice had already become something frowned upon by the general public. Now, hearing suddenly that Yangzhou residents supposedly adored bound feet, everyone found themselves with a new topic to gossip about.

During tea breaks and meals, it became the talk of the town.

At literary gatherings, someone would always bring it up.

Even in rural areas, during breaks between farming, farmers sitting on the field ridges would wipe their foreheads with sweat cloths and chat with one another. Inevitably, someone would exclaim: “Did you hear? People in Yangzhou are really into bound feet!”

Others would respond with shock and amazement, asking repeatedly if it was true. The farmer would nod emphatically, as if they had personally been to Yangzhou to verify it.

As for the people of Yangzhou: “Who?! Who is spreading these lies?!”

The entire population of Yangzhou was outraged.