During the reign of Emperor Wenzong of the Tang Dynasty, there lived a man named Guo Min, whose two daughters were exceptionally beautiful.
Guo Min, a relative of the Empress Dowager, once brought his two elegantly dressed daughters to the palace for an audience, sparking widespread gossip among the court officials.
Soon after, Emperor Wenzong of Tang appointed Guo Min as the governor of Binning, sparking even more heated debate among the court officials.
Emperor Wenzong of Tang seemed to sense something. One day, he summoned Vice Minister of Works Liu Gongquan and asked, "Have you heard any recent court discussions about state affairs?" Liu Gongquan replied, "Your Majesty recently appointed Guo Min as the governor of Binzhou. While some approve, there are also dissenting opinions."
Emperor Wenzong of Tang, somewhat displeased, said, "Guo Min is a relative of the Empress Dowager, serving as the Golden Guard General at court, and has never committed any fault. With such qualifications, it is perfectly normal for him to become the governor of Binzhou!"
Liu Gongquan nodded and said, "Yes. Guo Min is fully qualified to serve as the governor of Binzhou, and sending him there is entirely reasonable. However, court officials have linked this to his two daughters entering the palace, believing he only obtained this external appointment after presenting them to the emperor."
Emperor Wenzong of Tang said, "But his two daughters went to pay respects to the Empress Dowager—it has nothing to do with me!"
Liu Gongquan smiled and said, "An ancient poem goes: 'A gentleman avoids suspicion; he does not bend to tie his shoes in a melon patch, nor adjust his hat under a plum tree.' How can one make everyone understand such suspicions?"
Later, the idiom "Under Melon Fields and Plum Trees" (also known as "Suspicion of Melons and Plums") came to describe being in a position of suspicion or the need to avoid suspicion in certain matters.
Source: *Old Book of Tang*, "Biography of Liu Gongquan"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "瓜田李下" came to describe being in a position of suspicion or the need to avoid suspicion in certain matters.