Bai Li’s Dream – Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Chunxiang and Chunhong had returned to the courtyard before they entered the house. Although nervous and apprehensive, they did not forget to ask the kitchen to prepare food.

Zhou Jingyun and Zhuang Li returned to the courtyard, and simple meals were also brought over.

“You may leave,” Zhou Jingyun said.

Chun Yue and the others bowed and retreated.

“It’s Xueliu,” Zhuang Li continued the previous topic, “She saw this silk flower before when she was collecting things in my room.”

Zhou Jingyun took a bite of food and asked, “What’s wrong with the silk flower?”

Zhuang Li glanced at him, holding her chopsticks: “Empress Niangniang’s reward is too precious. I was afraid of damaging it, so I imitated and made one myself, but it didn’t turn out well and got ruined.”

Zhou Jingyun immediately understood: “She saw it and took it?”

Zhuang Li nodded: “I originally threw it into the lake, letting it drift away with the flower petals. She must have seen it and fished it out.”

No wonder she didn’t make a fuss when she left. It turned out she had already made up her mind to seek revenge. Zhou Jingyun put down his bowl and chopsticks, his face slightly gloomy, with a touch of melancholy.

He didn’t have much of an impression of this maid. Back then, when Third Miss Lu first entered the household, she wanted to give him a maid as a companion. He could only use Chunmei as a cover. He had just married his wife and already had a concubine. He didn’t need another one, lest people say he mistreated his wife and was absurdly dissolute.

Then, Third Miss Lu passed away. Because she had no children, everyone around her was sent back to the Duke of Ding’an’s Residence, except for this maid who insisted on staying, saying that she had promised to take care of the Marquis’s Heir for her mistress. Since she didn’t want to leave, then let her stay. Anyway, he was leaving the capital.

Over the years, Madam of Dongyang had mentioned taking Xueliu as a concubine several times, but he refused, thinking that this maid had given up hope.

Thinking of this, he laughed self-deprecatingly.

Give up hope?

A person’s heart is not so easily extinguished.

Even if it seems dead, once there’s a spark, it will reignite, driving them to do crazy things. Wasn’t he the same?

“Eat some more,” Zhuang Li’s voice came, “You need energy.”

Zhou Jingyun came back to his senses and saw that Zhuang Li had already finished a bowl of rice. She was indeed energetic…

Zhou Jingyun paused and asked, “Did you anticipate that she would do this?”

There was another sentence, “Did you deliberately let her do this?” that he didn’t ask.

Zhuang Li looked up at him: “If I had anticipated it, I wouldn’t have done this. It involves an imperial gift.” She said with a wry smile, “With my status, how could I dare to cause such trouble.”

Her eyes didn’t even blink. Zhou Jingyun remained silent for a moment, then lowered his head and took a bite of food.

“The silk flower you made is so realistic? Xueliu couldn’t tell, and even Empress Niangniang couldn’t tell.” He thought of something and added, glancing at Zhuang Li.

Zhuang Li smiled: “I happen to have this skill.”

Zhou Jingyun thought of the dried lotus buds she made, which looked exactly like the real ones.

“Since we have the real one, this matter has nothing to do with us,” he said, “It doesn’t matter where she reports it.”

Zhuang Li put down her bowl and chopsticks, wiping her mouth with a brocade handkerchief: “But the Marquis’s Heir can hold someone accountable.” She smiled again, “Since you married me as an excuse, using it to deal with just a maid is a waste.”

Zhou Jingyun instantly understood what she meant.

How could a mere maid like Xueliu report to the Empress, and so quickly? It must have been the Duke of Ding’an’s Residence that sent her there.

Since they were being unjust, why should he be merciful?

He couldn’t help but think that she was quite… this couldn’t even be described as calm. He didn’t know how to describe it. Zhou Jingyun glanced at her, picked up his bowl, finished the last bite of food, and put down his bowl and chopsticks.

“Someone come,” he called out.

Chun Yue and the other maids hurried in from outside and saw Zhou Jingyun getting up.

“Help me change. I need to go out.”

The maids got busy, helping Zhou Jingyun change his clothes. Zhou Jingyun walked towards the outside, looking at Zhuang Li who followed him out. Although she didn’t need it, as her husband, he should still comfort her.

He said softly, “Wait for me at home. Don’t worry, I’m here.”

Zhuang Li looked at him with gratitude and eagerness: “Okay, I’ll wait for the Marquis’s Heir.”

Zhou Jingyun touched his nose, turned around, and strode away.

Seeing Zhou Jingyun leave, Chun Yue and the other maids couldn’t help but surround Zhuang Li, asking what had happened.

“What’s wrong with the silk flower?”

“Does Empress Niangniang suspect that the silk flower is fake?”

Zhuang Li reassured them: “There’s no problem, it’s real. The Marquis’s Heir is handling it, don’t worry.”

Chun Yue clenched her hands and gritted her teeth: “It was real to begin with, how could it be fake? Who could sneak into our house and switch the silk flower?”

Chunhong and Chunxiang nodded in agreement.

Outsiders couldn’t get in, so it must have been someone from the household who switched it. Zhuang Li looked at the maids and said with a smile: “Whether it’s real or fake, there are people who make silk flowers to verify it.”

✿✿✿

She looked towards the door.

Take a good look, examine it carefully.

✿✿✿

✿✿✿

This was Xueliu’s first time entering the imperial palace.

Although she was brought in through a small side gate, walked through several passageways, and was taken to a hidden chamber in a corner of the Empress’s Palace, she didn’t get to see the grandeur of the imperial city.

But just this hidden chamber in the Empress’s Palace was enough to shock her.

The shelves were made of rosewood inlaid with ivory, filled with jade ornaments, porcelain vases, and golden flowers, dazzling to the eye. On the soft couch were colorful cushions and pillows embroidered with gold and silver threads, making the chamber glow with brilliance.

Xueliu knelt on the ground, slightly dazed. Wasn’t it said that the Empress was frugal? It seemed that the frugality of the royal family was different from that of ordinary people.

There were soft footsteps outside the door. Xueliu followed the sound and saw a maid in her forties enter, wearing a Shangyi token on her waist.

This was a distant relative of Madam of Ding’an, currently serving as a Sibin in the Shangyi Bureau. It was through her connections that they were able to report to Empress Niangniang so quickly.

Xueliu called out softly, “Aunt Qin.”

Qin Sibin glanced at her: “The people who went to the Marquis of Dongyang’s Residence are coming back soon. You better not lie. Niangniang is in a bad mood.”

Xueliu shook her head vigorously: “This servant is not lying. Niangniang’s palace flower was personally retrieved from the water by this servant.”

Qin Sibin was about to say something when a young palace maid’s voice came from outside: “Aunt Qin, Aunt Huang and Eunuch Li are back.”

Qin Sibin turned and hurried out, seeing two people entering the main hall ahead. She quickly straightened her clothes and followed.

Empress Niangniang sat on a chair, seemingly having just had a fit of anger, her chest heaving violently.

Three young palace maids knelt on the ground, silently cleaning up the shattered porcelain pieces.

“A Cold Palace, in the past, it was enough to have crazy palace maids guarding it. Now there are Imperial Guards. Are they afraid that the criminal woman will escape? Are they guarding against me?!” the Empress scolded, slamming her hand on the table, “And that bold eunuch, does he have any respect for me? What’s the need for an eunuch to serve a criminal woman! Insubordination! If I can’t beat that criminal woman to death, can’t I beat a eunuch to death?”

Two palace maids knelt down and hugged the Empress’s arms, “Niangniang, calm down.” “Niangniang, don’t hurt yourself.”

The senior palace maid persuaded, “I heard that someone from Bai Xun’s family escaped. His Majesty is furious, so he wants to take precautions to prevent that criminal woman from causing more trouble.”

The Empress gritted her teeth: “Wouldn’t everything be fine if that criminal woman was put to death? He just can’t bear to do it.”

Saying this, she looked at the maids and eunuchs who entered the hall, shifting her anger.

“How was the investigation!” She sat up straight and shouted, “Is it that even a Marquis’s young wife dares to defy me now!”

Qin Sibin, who was walking behind, lowered her head. Empress Niangniang was in a bad mood, which was a good time to make accusations.

The Empress couldn’t do anything to the Emperor, so she had to vent her anger somewhere.

At this time, those who offended the Empress would either die or lose half their lives.

Even the Marquis’s Heir’s young wife couldn’t escape.

Qin Sibin clenched her wrist. The new gold bracelet felt heavy, even heavier was the deed to a piece of land that Madam of Ding’an had stuffed into her hand.

“Niangniang, the palace flower is still at the Marquis of Dongyang’s Residence.”

The eunuch’s voice came, and Qin Sibin froze, raising her head.

The Empress frowned, looking at the small box held by the eunuch, inside which a silk flower lay neatly.

She then turned to look at the cut-up silk flower on the table.

“What’s going on?” she asked, then raised her eyebrows, “A mere maid dares to play me for a fool—”

Qin Sibin hurriedly stepped forward: “Niangniang, it might be fake. Since the Marquis’s Heir’s young wife damaged the silk flower, she must have forged one just in case.”

The maid who went to the Marquis of Dongyang’s Residence thought about the tea she had brought back, especially the smile on the Marquis’s Heir’s face when he offered her tea. She hesitated for a moment and said, “The young madam seemed very calm, not flustered at all when questioned. We personally retrieved the silk flower, there was no opportunity for forgery…”

Qin Sibin hurriedly said: “You can never truly know a person’s heart. Niangniang, it’s better to verify the authenticity of the silk flower.”

The Empress looked irritated: “How would I know if it’s real or fake?” Then, she thought of something, her eyes lit up, and she sat up straight, “Someone, bring that criminal woman Bai over here. She made the silk flower, let her identify the real one.”

Saying this, she sneered.

“The Emperor wants to investigate, and so do I! Let’s see who dares to stop me!”