Chapter 379

Zhu Lingyun left Jingguanzhai and walked, step by step, into the back hall, utterly distraught. Nuns spoke to her along the way, but she paid them no heed.

The sun set in the distance.

The moment the sunlight abandoned the Forbidden City, she suddenly shivered and came back to her senses.

Only then did Du Miao's voice penetrate her ears: "Steward Xuanyun, what's wrong? You don't look well."

Zhu Lingyun hesitated, "I... I'm fine."

Du Miao leaned closer and sniffed, "Steward Xuanyun, why do you smell of burnt ashes?"

She instructed a nun nearby, "Go, get a cloth and pat down Steward Xuanyun!"

Zhu Lingyun looked at Baili, and her heart suddenly jumped: Baili, whom she hadn't looked at directly for days, was now turning to look at her!

Feeling suddenly guilty, she pushed Du Miao away and fled from the back hall, "What nonsense are you talking about? I don't smell of anything!"

After leaving the back hall, Zhu Lingyun arrived in front of the Three Pure Ones statues in the main hall, breathing heavily.

She turned her head again and saw Xuanzhen, holding a whisk, standing in the deep shadows of the hall, smiling, "It seems you haven't told the Princess about this!"

Zhu Lingyun rushed up to her and hissed in a low, furious voice, "Are you insane? What good does this do you? What good does tormenting her do you?"

Xuanzhen said calmly, "The Princess constantly acts as if she rises unsullied from the mud, and it truly pains me to see it! But no one in Jingyang Palace can rise unsullied from the mud. Not I, nor she! The Daoist scriptures say: 'Do not welcome, do not send off; respond but do not store; do not welcome, do not refuse; be neither defiled nor pure!'"

She looked up at the Three Pure Ones statues in the main hall: "They say there is no muddy ground in this world, and people should not have notions of good and evil, beauty and ugliness, purity and defilement! But they are too high above; how can they know the suffering of mortals? Who can remain unstained in this mud?"

Zhu Lingyun only partially understood, but she clearly felt the hatred in Xuanzhen's words.

Xuanzhen chuckled lightly and walked deeper into the main hall: "Xuanyun, if you don't tell her, she simply won't be able to go to the Altar of the First Silkworm; she won't lose a piece of flesh! But if you tell her, just think about what Xuansu looks like now! Actually, I'm quite curious how you'll choose, and if your sisterly bond is truly that deep."

She left Zhu Lingyun standing alone. Zhu Lingyun murmured to herself, "Yes, it's just not being able to go to the Altar of the First Silkworm... just not being able to go to the Altar of the First Silkworm..."

Zhu Lingyun suddenly looked up, not daring to meet the gaze of the Three Pure Ones statues, and hurriedly left.

When she returned to the back hall, Baili was already asleep.

She slipped into bed and several times reached out to pat Baili, wanting to tell her the truth, but then pulled her hand back. Baili heard a rustling sound behind her and suddenly asked softly, without turning her head, "What's wrong?"

Zhu Lingyun trembled and replied frantically, "Nothing!"

"Go to sleep!"

"Mmm."

Morning prayers!

Meals!

Writing Taoist verses!

Baili still sat on the communal sleeping platform, hugging her knees, silently watching the sun set. The orange-red evening sun slanted into the back hall, then gradually shifted outward, like a closing door.

Princess Yongchun leaned in close and whispered mysteriously, "Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva, what are you looking at?"

Baili chuckled, "I'm watching how slowly the days pass!"

Princess Yongchun laughed foolishly, "How can they be slow? Look, in the blink of an eye, I've grown old!"

Baili paused slightly. She gently pushed aside the withered hair from Princess Yongchun's forehead, looking at the wrinkles on her face, which resembled ripples created by time passing over her.

Princess Yongchun grasped her wrist and said earnestly, "Bodhisattva, to hurt someone is a kind of power; to whom you give your affection, you give the power to hurt you! Forget emotions to achieve impartiality; attain emotion and then forget it. Those who gain emotion are burdened; obsessions become shackles. Those who forget emotion are enlightened, seeing the primordial without hindrance! The Dao gives birth to all things, with emotion as its root; emotion gives rise to all forms, yet freedom from attachment is truth... Bodhisattva, human affections can all be severed. Each severance opens a new heaven!"

Baili's pupils suddenly constricted. She had thought this scripture's meaning was known only to her!

Just as she was about to ask something, Princess Yongchun's face reverted to its vacant, foolish expression, and she mumbled to herself as she huddled back into the corner, pulling her blanket tightly around her. "Not the Celestial Venerable, that's not the Celestial Venerable..."

Every one of Baili's questions was destined to remain unanswered by Princess Yongchun.

The first day of the third month!

Before the morning bell rang, Baili got out of bed alone.

She went to the side room, scooped water from the vat and washed her face thoroughly, then meticulously wiped her hair with a cloth until her dark hair cascaded like a waterfall.

Baili raised her hands to tie up her hair, securing it with her only wooden hairpin. As she lowered her head, she noticed dust on the hem of her Taoist robe, so she dampened it and scrubbed the dust clean.

Only after she finished everything did the morning bell echo from a distance.

The nuns streamed out from the back hall, each one radiating joy. After decades of confinement here, there was nothing happier than leaving.

Outside Jingyang Palace, there were bustling footsteps. The Empress was going out of the palace to offer sacrifices to the Silkworm Goddess, meaning even more busy preparations for the palace.

While the nuns were washing up, Baili returned to the back hall to tidy her bed and gather her belongings.

She looked up at Princess Yongchun, seeing her sitting disheveled. Baili knelt on the bed and helped her comb her hair.

Princess Yongchun looked up at her, "Bodhisattva, are you going to meet the person from your dreams?"

Baili's lips curved into a smile, and she softly hummed in affirmation.

Princess Yongchun clapped her hands, laughing foolishly, "Go, go!"

When Baili arrived at the gate of Jingyang Palace, the Supervisor of the Imperial Palace Bureau was meticulously instructing Xuanzhen, "Remember, keep the nuns in Jingyang Palace well-restrained. They are not allowed to talk to outsiders, nor are they allowed to walk around freely. If I discover any transgression, a beating with a rod will be absolutely unavoidable!"

Xuanzhen assented, then turned to give Baili a meaningful look, "The Princess looks quite spirited today after getting ready!"

Baili ignored her.

When the nuns arrived at the palace gate, the Supervisor of the Imperial Palace Bureau raised his voice, "Bring out all your Taoist verses! We must examine them carefully; they are to be presented to the Daoist Ancestors during the Three Offerings Ceremony! Guards, collect the verses according to the roster, seventeen sheets per person, not one sheet less!"

Xuanzhen looked at Zhu Lingyun, "Xuanyun, give the Taoist verses to the eunuch official from the Imperial Palace Bureau!"

Zhu Lingyun held a thick stack of Taoist verses. A young eunuch held a roster, marking a circle next to each name as he verified them.

As he was marking names, the young eunuch suddenly asked, "Zhu Baili, Zhu Baili's... where are her Taoist verses?"

Everyone instantly looked at Baili, while Baili looked at Zhu Lingyun, her posture rigid, her gaze like a sword.

The nuns exchanged bewildered glances. Everyone knew Baili had woken up early to wash and prepare for her departure today, and she was always diligent in writing her Taoist verses. But now her verses were nowhere to be found!

No one spoke.

The silence was like a chasm tearing apart the bluestone bricks between Baili and Zhu Lingyun. Zhu Lingyun looked at Baili, but saw a deep, sorrowful pool of black water in her eyes.

The Supervisor of the Imperial Palace Bureau frowned, urging, "Where are Zhu Baili's Taoist verses?"

Zhu Lingyun guiltily lowered her head, "Zhu Baili didn't write them!"

Xuanzhen, not holding her whisk, said indifferently, "Wasn't it your job to supervise them daily? If she didn't write, why didn't you urge her? I guaranteed this to the Supervisor earlier; now aren't I breaking my word?"

The Supervisor of the Imperial Palace Bureau glanced at a few people, then chuckled, "There's always a bad apple, isn't there? This can't be blamed on the Venerable Master; blame it on the subordinates who are truly lazy!"

Xuanzhen said earnestly, "Since she didn't write them, let's not have her attend the Three Offerings Ceremony today!"

The Supervisor of the Imperial Palace Bureau said unhurriedly, "Is it that simple? We clearly instructed everyone to write one Taoist verse, and yet someone didn't write it. What exactly is the meaning of this? Our Imperial Palace Bureau is a quiet office, so we don't usually have many rules, and we don't want to restrict you. But these Taoist verses are not for us; they are for His Majesty. Guards, forty strokes with the rod, to give her a long-lasting memory!"

Several eunuchs who had been waiting stepped forward. Zhu Lingyun's breathing became ragged.

The Supervisor of the Imperial Palace Bureau said gravely, "Take Zhu Baili back to Jingyang Palace and give her forty strokes with the rod!"

Zhu Lingyun took a step forward. "Wait."

The Supervisor of the Imperial Palace Bureau eyed her askance. "What is it?"

Xuanzhen said casually from the side, "Xuanyun, what do you have to say that can't wait? If you delay the Supervisor, those strokes might just fall on you!"

Zhu Lingyun trembled and stepped back, "No, nothing!"

Baili watched her quietly, without a word.

The Supervisor of the Imperial Palace Bureau urged, "What are you waiting for? Drag Zhu Baili inside! Don't delay; Her Majesty the Empress is about to depart!"

Baili was about to speak, when she heard a commotion in the distance.

Everyone turned to look and clearly saw a small black cat darting incredibly fast along the path of the Eastern Six Palaces, weaving among the palace attendants and Imperial Guards.

An Imperial Guard bent down to catch it, but missed.

The small black cat ran through the path of the Eastern Six Palaces and into Jingyang Palace, then leaped into Baili's arms. Baili lowered her head, cradling it, and murmured softly, "Wuyun, is that you, Wuyun?"

Wuyun looked up and nudged Baili's nose with its own. "Meow."

"Where did this little beast come from?" Xuanzhen swept her whisk towards Wuyun in Baili's arms. Baili instinctively turned her back, firmly shielding Wuyun in her embrace.

A sharp slap echoed through Jingyang Palace, but Xuanzhen's whisk never landed.

Baili turned back hesitantly, only to see a woman in a purple high-collared, wide-sleeved robe standing behind her, shielding her. A clear red palm print was visible on Xuanzhen's face.

Xuanzhen stumbled back a few steps, feeling her molars loosen. Half of her face quickly became red and swollen, with blood seeping from her delicate skin.

She had tried to dodge, but the woman was too fast; she couldn't escape.

Grand Official of the Pathfinding Realm.

The woman said calmly, "It bears the name 'Mountain Lord' bestowed by His Majesty, so it is not some mere beast!"

The Supervisor of the Imperial Palace Bureau hastily bowed in salute, "Aunt Yuanjin!"

Xuanzhen's face stung painfully, her cheek twitching uncontrollably, but she could only bow hastily, "Greetings, Aunt Yuanjin."

The nuns fell silent, intimidated. They had all seen Yuanjin before and knew her status, so they quickly saluted in unison, "Greetings, Aunt Yuanjin!"

Yuanjin looked coldly at Xuanzhen. "Lift your head!"

Xuanzhen suppressed the fierce look in her eyes, slowly lifted her head, and forced a smile, "Yes, Aunt Yuanjin?"

Yuanjin smiled, "You've put away that look, very good!"

Only then did several palace maids, lifting their skirts, awkwardly rush over.

One of them bowed to Aunt Yuanjin and apologized, "Aunt Yuanjin, we usually watch it well, but just now, as you went to inspect Her Majesty's imperial procession, Mountain Lord seized the opportunity to leap over the Kunning Palace wall. We couldn't catch it at all!"

Aunt Yuanjin glanced at Wuyun in Baili's arms. "Never mind, it's as clever as a ghost. It can't be left unsupervised by me. It's perfectly normal that you couldn't keep an eye on it!"

Having said that, she reached out to lift Wuyun by the scruff of its neck, but Wuyun's claws were firmly clutching Baili's lapel.

Aunt Yuanjin said gravely, "Let go."

Wuyun paid no attention.

Aunt Yuanjin took a deep breath, "Mountain Lord, please let go!"

Wuyun still paid no attention.

Aunt Yuanjin saw that a trick that had always worked before was now useless, and she was about to pull Wuyun off Baili.

At this moment, a gentle voice came from the palace path, "What's going on here?"

Hearing the voice, everyone turned to look again.

They saw a dignified woman wearing a dark blue *Zhaifu* (phoenix robe). On the *Zhaifu* were woven twelve rows of pheasant patterns, adorned with clouds and mist. On her head, she wore a crown decorated with twelve golden silkworms, with pearls forming cocoons.

In front of her, two female officials from the Bureau of Ceremonial Affairs led the way, carrying golden incense burners.

Behind her, an envoy holding a staff raised the Empress's golden ceremonial staff high, warning everyone not to look directly at the Empress's palanquin.

Everyone was startled and immediately knelt down, "Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress!"

Aunt Yuanjin released Wuyun, stepped forward, and bowed with cupped hands, "Your Majesty, Mountain Lord suddenly ran into Jingyang Palace and won't let go of one of the nuns!"

"Oh?" The Empress's gaze swept over everyone, "What's going on? Why is everyone gathered here?"

The Supervisor of the Imperial Palace Bureau hurriedly replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this servant was ordered by the Imperial Chancellor today to lead the nuns of Jingyang Palace to the Altar of the First Silkworm for the Three Offerings Ceremony! However, His Majesty instructed them to write one Taoist verse daily as a sign of piety, but this Miss Baili has not written a single one. This servant was just about to punish her..."

The Empress nodded, "Since it was His Majesty's instruction, punishment is indeed warranted. You are not wrong; there is no need to panic!"

Both the Supervisor of the Imperial Palace Bureau and Xuanzhen breathed a sigh of relief.

But before they had fully exhaled, Baili pulled a stack of green vine paper from her sleeve. "Reporting to Your Majesty, this humble woman has written all the Taoist verses, not one less! It was just a rush earlier, and I haven't yet submitted them to the Supervisor for review!"

Zhu Lingyun was stunned. Xuanzhen had clearly burned the Taoist verses, so how could Baili have prepared an extra set?

The Empress looked at Baili, then at Xuanzhen and the others, and smiled knowingly, "Very well, if they are written, then there is no issue! It's rare to see Mountain Lord take such a liking to someone. What is your name?"

Baili, cradling Wuyun, knelt on the bluestone bricks, "Reporting to Your Majesty the Empress, this humble woman is Zhu Baili!"

"Zhu Baili?" The Empress was astonished, "You are Baili?"

Aunt Yuanjin reminded softly, "Your Majesty, it's time to go!"

The Empress, ignoring the reminder, smiled at Baili and said, "So it's you! I didn't realize you've grown so big! I remember your father bringing you to the palace in the nineteenth year of Jianing!"

Aunt Yuanjin's voice became serious. "Your Majesty."

Baili said softly, "This humble woman was still young then; I don't remember."

"Oh," the Empress said, "Then it's a coincidence! Since Mountain Lord doesn't want to leave Miss Baili, let her carry Mountain Lord and stay by my side, accompanying me to the Altar of the First Silkworm!"

The Supervisor of the Imperial Palace Bureau was startled, "Your Majesty, you must not! How can the daughter of a criminal official follow by your side? If anything goes wrong, this servant wouldn't be able to pay with ten lives!"

The Empress's smile gradually faded. "Mountain Lord is very clever; it knows who is good and who is bad!"

Aunt Yuanjin quietly reminded, "Your Majesty, Prince Jing was condemned by His Majesty for treason!"

The Empress remained silent for a long time. "What crime has his daughter committed?"

Aunt Yuanjin's expression changed. "Your Majesty, please mind your words."

The Empress glanced at her, then slowly said, "Then let Miss Baili hold Mountain Lord for now. When Mountain Lord tires of playing, Yuanjin, you can bring it back! Yuanjin, you too, why are you always quarreling with this little creature?"