Chapter 378

In the side hall, Zhu Lingyun clutched the qingci in her hand, meeting Bai Li’s gaze. The nuns had put down their brushes and watched. Bai Li’s eyes were unwavering, while Zhu Lingyun’s gaze gradually darted away. Zhu Lingyun turned her face to the side, gripping the qingci stubbornly. "Sister," she insisted, "when we were having our vegetarian meal earlier, there were clearly seats available, but she deliberately wouldn't let us sit. She made us wait until they had finished eating before we could have our turn. Now that I'm in charge, what's wrong with making her write a qingci for me?"

Bai Li looked intently at Zhu Lingyun. "Father taught us," she said, "do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you."

Zhu Lingyun was momentarily at a loss for a response. Beside her, Du Miao, a female Daoist priest, stood up to support her. "Princess Bai Li, do you know why this nun was exiled to Jingyang Palace?"

Zhu Lingyun looked puzzled. "Why?"

Du Miao glanced at the nun whose qingci had been taken. "This person was formerly one of His Majesty's imperial concubines. The Emperor personally bestowed upon her a silver seal and a stipend of six hundred *shi* of grain—she was very distinguished! But because she struggled to conceive a dragon child, she took out her frustration on the palace servants, beating more than ten people to death each month. Empress Consort held her responsible for her misconduct and exiled her to Jingyang Palace for self-cultivation! Yet, she has shown no repentance and has only gotten worse, seizing our belongings and bullying us!"

Zhu Lingyun turned to Bai Li. "Sister, you see? This kind of person doesn't deserve any kindness!"

On the other side, Liu Pine slammed her hand on a table and pointed at Du Miao's nose. "And what makes you so good? Do you have the nerve to explain how you ended up in Jingyang Palace?"

Du Miao slowly replied, "I was exiled here for offending Consort Xue. But I don't have as many lives on my hands as you do! Liu Pine, don't you hear the cries of those wronged palace servants' spirits every night when you go to bed?"

A nun beside Liu Pine sneered, "Du Miao, do you really want me to expose your dirty deeds?"

Jingyang Palace is divided into the Main Hall and the Rear Hall. The side halls are further divided into East and West. The East Side Hall is named Jingguanzhai, and the West Side Hall is named Gujianzhai. Jingguanzhai is Xuanzhen's residence, while Gujianzhai is where the female Daoist priests write and meditate.

Bai Li stood in Gujianzhai, watching the nuns divided into two factions arguing. She rose and took Zhu Lingyun's wrist, pulling her towards the exit. "Let's go. Don't get involved in their quarrels!"

But as she took a step, she couldn't pull Zhu Lingyun along. Bai Li looked back. Zhu Lingyun had pulled back her arm, lowering her head with a guilty expression. "Sister, I haven't finished writing my qingci yet! I still need to check theirs!"

Bai Li gazed at Zhu Lingyun for a long time, then left Gujianzhai alone, heading directly for Jingguanzhai, where Xuanzhen resided.

She pushed open the two vermilion doors of Jingguanzhai and entered. Xuanzhen, who was sitting cross-legged on an embroidered couch reading a Daoist scripture, looked up at the sound. "Princess, you come to me so aggressively. Is something wrong?"

Bai Li stood at the entrance, her gaze piercing through the swirling incense smoke, fixed on Xuanzhen. "Did you put Lingyun in charge to nurture the demon in her heart, so that she would be forsaken by all and only have your protection?"

Xuanzhen closed her Daoist scripture and said gently, "Princess, you wrong me! Jingyang Palace is a place of pure cultivation. How could it nurture a demon? I gave Xuan Yun the responsibility of managing affairs because I recognized her talent. You see, hasn't she managed things quite well these past few days?"

Bai Li was silent for a long time. "If you wish for me to take charge of affairs, I will. Any issues can be directed at me alone!"

Xuanzhen smiled slightly. "Princess misunderstands me deeply. Others would eagerly seek the position of manager at Jingyang Palace. How is it wrong that I allowed Xuan Yun to manage? Besides," she changed her tone, "I initially wanted the Princess to manage, as I believed you could handle things well. But now that Xuan Yun is managing well, why change? And shouldn't we also ask Xuan Yun for her opinion?"

At this moment, Zhu Lingyun, concerned about Bai Li, had followed her. She came to the door and pulled Bai Li, whispering, "Sister, what are you doing? Don't provoke her!"

Bai Li was unmoved, still staring directly at Xuanzhen.

Xuanzhen said with a smile, "Xuan Yun, your sister says she wants to take over managing Jingyang Palace. Do you agree?"

"Huh?" Zhu Lingyun was startled. She instinctively slowly loosened her grip on Bai Li's hand. "I... I do agree!"

Xuanzhen continued to smile. "Xuan Yun, I observe that you have managed Jingyang Palace in excellent order recently, and no one disturbs my peaceful cultivation anymore. Would you like to continue managing?"

Zhu Lingyun secretly glanced at Bai Li, then hesitated before saying, "Ah... that would be good too! My managing and my sister managing are essentially the same. Sister, if you have anything, just tell me, and I'll instruct them to do it!"

Bai Li turned to look at her, as if re-evaluating her completely. "Take good care of yourself!" She turned and walked away. Zhu Lingyun was about to rush after her to explain, but Xuanzhen called out, "Xuan Yun, come here. I have something to tell you!"

Zhu Lingyun was torn, but finally lowered her head and walked into Jingguanzhai. "Alright..."

Bai Li returned directly to the Rear Hall. She sat on the shared bunk, silently hugging her knees, and looked at the sky outside the palace until the sound of the evening drums echoed.

Princess Yongchun came close, giggling, "Bodhisattva, I'm hungry!"

Bai Li did not reply.

Seeing that Bai Li remained silent, Princess Yongchun actually jumped off the bunk barefoot and went outside. She returned with two steamed buns, ate one herself, and offered the other to Bai Li. "Bodhisattva, eat this bun, it's so sweet!"

Bai Li stared at the bun in front of her, and her expression finally changed. She took the bun and bit into it. "Thank you!"

Princess Yongchun tilted her head, watching her. "What are you thinking about, Bodhisattva?"

Bai Li slowly chewed the bun. "I'm thinking about how much longer it will be until we can leave the palace to offer sacrifices to the Silkworm Goddess. I don't want to think about anything else."

Princess Yongchun sat beside her, both gazing blankly at the sky. "Bodhisattva, the sky outside the Forbidden City isn't much different from the one inside the palace."

Bai Li smiled and turned to look at her. "It's different. No one waits for me inside the Forbidden City."

Princess Yongchun was startled, then also smiled. "That's good!"

Looking at Princess Yongchun, Bai Li always felt that the princess didn't seem truly mad, but perhaps it no longer mattered.

She went to a side room, scooped clean water from a large jar, washed her face, untied her hair, and then re-combed it neatly, tidying herself up completely.

She returned to the Rear Hall and reached out to help Princess Yongchun re-tie her hair, revealing her original features and the marks of time on her face. "Don't debase yourself. Your Brother Zhuo Yuan would surely be sad if he saw you like this!"

Princess Yongchun babbled deliriously, "Bodhisattva, you used to be a mud bodhisattva; now you're a living bodhisattva!"

Bai Li inserted a wooden hairpin into Princess Yongchun's hair, then spoke to herself, "It's been fifteen days since he came, but I didn't dare turn back to look at him properly. I wonder how much effort he put in to get here. He must have been very sad that day! But now there's another chance. I wonder if I'll be able to talk to him, even just a word."

Princess Yongchun suddenly reached out and touched Bai Li's cheek. "Don't take the water route!"

Bai Li was surprised. "What do you mean?"

But Princess Yongchun had reverted to her vacant, foolish state and did not reply.

Zhu Lingyun returned to the Rear Hall at night, wanting to find her sister to talk and share the palace secrets she had heard that day. However, she found Bai Li already asleep on her bunk, her back turned to her. She hesitated for a moment, took off her clothes, and slipped under the covers. She quietly called "Sister" twice, but there was no response. Zhu Lingyun pulled the covers tighter and turned to sleep. Just as she turned, Bai Li, still facing away from her, subtly opened her eyes.

In the morning, the sound of the morning bell chimed.

Zhu Lingyun opened her eyes and softly called, "Sister..." She instinctively reached out in Bai Li's direction but found nothing. Zhu Lingyun suddenly sat up, only to see that Bai Li had already gotten out of bed, had just finished tying her hair, and was walking out without looking back.

In the past, Bai Li would always coax her out of bed, or if she wouldn't get up, would physically pull her up. She used to find it annoying, but today, with no one to pull her up, she felt an emptiness in her heart.

Just as she was about to get out of bed to go after Bai Li to say a few words, Du Miao entered carrying a basin of hot water. She knelt by Zhu Lingyun's bed, wrung out a warm cloth, and put it into her hand. "Manager Xuan Yun, wipe your face. We'll help you get dressed and comb your hair!"

Zhu Lingyun looked as if she wanted to say something, then, after a slight pause, instructed, "Use your rhinoceros horn comb. That comb makes hair so smooth."

Du Miao's face lit up. "Right away!"

As the day of the sacrifice to the Silkworm Goddess drew nearer, the nuns grew increasingly excited. Every day they gathered to discuss what light makeup to wear and which hairpins to choose. Some even secretly used needles and thread to narrow the waists of their Daoist robes.

Bai Li's daily routine consisted of morning lessons, meals, writing qingci, and then sitting with her knees hugged, waiting for the eight hundred evening drums to finish beating at sunset. People came and went in the Rear Hall, the sun rose and set, but Bai Li seemed to remain motionless on the shared bunk.

Zhu Lingyun stood outside the hall, watching Bai Li secretly with worry. "What's wrong with my sister?"

Du Miao whispered beside her, "Princess Yongchun was just like this when she first arrived. Slowly, she went mad!"

Zhu Lingyun abruptly turned, looking at her fiercely. "Shut up! My sister won't."

Du Miao quickly changed the subject. "Manager Xuan Yun, it's only a few more days until the Silkworm Goddess ceremony, and you still don't have a suitable hairpin!"

Zhu Lingyun didn't seem to care. "I think your plain silver hairpin is good enough. Just lend it to me."

Du Miao was startled, then lowered her voice. "I know Liu Pine has a kingfisher feather hairpin. Her *diancui* is made from the downy feathers of eighteen hundred kingfishers' necks—it's incredibly precious! And the color of her *diancui* is elegant, perfect for your brand-new Daoist robe!"

Zhu Lingyun shook her head. "*Diancui* is too luxurious, not suitable for a female Daoist priest."

Du Miao covered her mouth and chuckled. "On the day of the Silkworm Goddess ceremony, all the women from the capital will attend. Everyone will be vying for attention with their splendor. Who will care whether what we wear is luxurious or not? Besides, there will be magnificent Imperial Forest Army guards escorting us, and scholars will also be present!"

Zhu Lingyun felt a slight stir of temptation. Du Miao didn't wait for her to refuse. She walked directly into the Rear Hall and stood before Liu Pine. "Bring out your *diancui*!"

Liu Pine's face twitched. "Why should I?"

Du Miao smiled. "The manager needs a hairpin. She just arrived at Jingyang Palace not long ago and hasn't accumulated much. Just let her borrow yours! Don't worry, she'll return it to you after the Silkworm Goddess ceremony!"

Liu Pine retorted furiously, "Dream on."

Du Miao looked at a nearby nun. "Hold her down on the bed." The Rear Hall erupted in commotion. Zhu Lingyun, frightened, quickly looked at Bai Li, who was sitting with her knees hugged, gazing fixedly out the door, completely ignoring the noise.

A trace of hurt rose in Zhu Lingyun's heart; Bai Li hadn't spoken to her in over ten days.

Just then, a nun ran in from outside and whispered in her ear, "Manager Xuan Yun, Xuanzhen wants you to bring all the completed qingci. She wants to inspect them!"

Zhu Lingyun pushed her thoughts aside, retrieved the thick stack of qingci from Gujianzhai, and hurried to Jingguanzhai.

As she entered, Xuanzhen was taking candied fruits from a cabinet, smiling, and placed them on the table. "Have some!"

Zhu Lingyun sat on the embroidered couch, picked up a sugar-preserved plum, and put it in her mouth. She casually handed the qingci to Xuanzhen. "Xuanzhen, all the qingci are here. I supervised them writing every day, not a single one is missing!"

Xuanzhen hummed by the incense burner, silently flipping through the qingci. She casually pulled out each qingci written by Bai Li, then lifted the lid of the incense burner and threw all of Bai Li's qingci into the red coals within. Only after Xuanzhen re-covered the incense burner did Zhu Lingyun realize what had happened.

She frantically lunged forward, trying to pull the qingci out of the censer. "What are you doing?! You burned all the qingci! My sister will be punished by the Superintendent of the Divine Palace Bureau! How can she offer sacrifices to the Silkworm Goddess if she can't produce the qingci? Are you mad?!"

Xuanzhen gently pressed Zhu Lingyun's shoulder with one hand. That hand seemed to possess immense strength, rendering her unable to move.

Xuanzhen smiled faintly. "Your sister harbors great evil. It's as if an external demon's root has entered her body. How could she leave Jingyang Palace so casually? Without this statue of the Three Pure Ones, she couldn't be restrained outside!"

Zhu Lingyun's eyes turned red. "You're the demon! Let me go!"

Flames gradually ignited in the censer, engulfing each written qingci.

Xuanzhen calmly said, "There are three days left until the sacrifice to the Silkworm Goddess. You have two choices. One, keep silent and don't let her know about this, and you can continue to be the manager. The other choice is to go tell her now. With her talent, she will surely be able to rewrite the qingci within three days, and then both of you can leave the palace together!"

She released Zhu Lingyun's hand and stepped back.

Zhu Lingyun rose and ran towards the exit. "I'll go tell her right now."

Xuanzhen smiled. "Go ahead. If you tell her about this, I will replace you as manager tomorrow! Who should I choose? I think Liu Pine would be good. She used to be an imperial concubine in the palace and managed hundreds of people, and she's killed even more!"

Zhu Lingyun's footsteps slowly faltered, gradually stopping at the entrance of Jingguanzhai. Her body trembled slightly, but she hesitated to open the hall doors. Xuanzhen burst into laughter. "You see, who truly has the demon in their heart?"