Bai Li’s Dream – Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Reading the Letter

Zhuang Li didn’t remember much about her childhood.

Firstly, she was too young then. Secondly, she couldn’t remember too many things. Her soul was always scattered, so remembering too many things was not good for her. It was easy for her to be unable to distinguish reality from illusion.

She did remember going out with Bai Ying and almost getting trampled to death by a horse on the street.

Because after returning home, Bai Ying scolded her for two days and never took her out again.

But she couldn’t recall what happened or how she escaped death.

Later, Bai Ying was willing to take her out again to watch a beheading.

When she was a child, she didn’t know who was being killed. She only knew that many people were killed, and it was said that the Empress had ordered it. The Empress was really cruel.

Who lived, who died, who was cruel, a four-year-old child couldn’t understand and wouldn’t care.

The scene of death was not a pleasant memory for her, and she quickly forgot about it.

Until she stood on the execution ground again and watched her father and family members being beheaded.

Her father also mentioned this incident.

In the dim world, her father was wearing prison clothes, his beard and hair were blown by the strong wind. Because of the torture and beatings, his eyes could no longer see.

However, this was also good. If he couldn’t see the real world, he could see her in the illusion.

What was he saying when he mentioned this incident? Her father seemed to be saying that he wasn’t worried about her.

“Ah Li is a person with her own ideas and her own way of living.” Her father said, and chuckled. Then, he said, “I’m not worried about A’ying either. She is very capable.”

She was very unhappy at that time and asked, “How is she capable?”

How was Bai Ying capable? When the Emperor’s edict came, bestowing her marriage to Prince Changyang, everyone in the family objected. Her father had already chosen a fiancé for her, a promising young general in the army. Staying at home and being the principal wife was a good life. How could she go to the Prince’s Residence and be a concubine?

Her father was going to meet the Emperor and refuse.

But Bai Ying insisted on going.

“I don’t want to live a hard life. I want to be a Noble in the Prince’s Residence and enjoy wealth and honor. I’m willing to be a concubine.”

What was capable about that? She was greedy for life and afraid of death, single-mindedly wanting to enjoy happiness.

Her father snorted, “Do you remember the beheading we saw when you were young? The Song Family in Fengzhou, their property was confiscated, their clan was exterminated, and they were beheaded.”

She responded with an “Oh”, pretending to remember the events of her childhood.

She couldn’t let her father know that she had a bad memory. They were all dead, and she would forget them. It would be too heartbreaking.

“Do you know who caused them to be beheaded?” Her father lowered his voice.

Who? She looked at her father.

Her father’s eyes flickered with a faint light, “It was your sister.”

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Bai Ying unfolded the letter in her hand, and the blurry handwriting gradually became clear.

The Song Clan in Fengzhou, prodigal sons, fond of riding horses in the bustling city, injuring countless people, yet no one dared to control them. I implore the Empress to eliminate this harm for the people.

“So it was my sister who eliminated harm for the people.”

The voice of a young girl sounded in her ear.

It seemed clear, yet also seemed distant.

Eliminating harm for the people.

Yes, it was she who eliminated harm for the people.

A smile appeared on the corner of Bai Ying’s mouth. She watched the people around her dancing and cheering, as groups of gorgeously dressed men, women, old and young, were pulled out from a tall and grand gate in front of them.

The Song Clan in Fengzhou, a prestigious family for centuries, even their dogs walked with their heads held high. This was the first time they saw the Song Clan crying and looking so miserable.

The Song Clan, who had never been investigated or questioned even if they killed people or set fires, were just like that, their property was confiscated.

The Imperial Guards who escorted them were all from the capital.

In addition to the Song Clan, many officials in Fengzhou were also chained together.

These people weren’t even sent to prison. The official with a dark complexion said that the Empress had ordered that since the border was unstable, it was a waste of resources to detain and guard so many people. So she ordered them to be beheaded and their heads piled up, and the case would be tried slowly.

How cruel.

Beheadings continued for three days outside Fengzhou City, and blood flowed like a river. Even a month later, people passing by would still get blood on their feet.

Bai Ying looked down at her feet. She had even deliberately walked over there to see if she had gotten any blood on them.

She couldn’t help but laugh. From now on, she wouldn’t be afraid of being hit and killed by a horse.

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“No wonder Father said that you are very capable, Sister.” The voice of the young girl sounded beside her.

Yes, she was very capable. What her father couldn’t do, she did.

Bai Ying turned her head and looked at the young girl standing beside her. Perhaps her vision was blurry, or perhaps it was because the girl was too short, she couldn’t see her face clearly. She could only see her three small buns and a silk flower pinned to her hair.

Anger rose in her heart again, and she reached out to pull off the silk flower.

“How many times have I told you, you are not allowed to wear this!” She shouted, “If I see it again, I’ll break your legs!”

The young girl seemed to grit her teeth, about to get angry, but then she looked at her hand and her voice was a little surprised.

“There’s another letter.” She asked, “Sister, did you send two letters?”

Bai Ying lowered her head and saw that she was holding a letter in each hand. The one in her right hand had been opened, and the handwriting was still visible. The letter in her left hand had not yet been unfolded.

Two letters?

Yes, she had sent one letter, and seeing such powerful results, she naturally had to send another one.

“What’s written in this letter?” The young girl asked.

But this time Bai Ying didn’t speak, and she clenched the letter tightly, as if afraid of it being opened.

This letter, she couldn’t let anyone see it.

Bai Ying turned and walked towards home, but the young girl who was originally behind her appeared in front of her again, blocking her way.

This time the young girl raised her head, and the red gauze covering her eyes was also removed, revealing a pair of eyes that stared at her faintly.

“Bai Ying, what else did you write to the Empress? What’s written in the letter?”

This was not the voice of a child, and the voice seemed to come from behind those eyes, distant and gentle, like a pair of hands caressing her shoulders.

Like her mother’s hands.

Mother.

Bai Ying only felt a sourness in her nose and an immense sense of grievance.

“I, I want to be a Noble, I don’t want to be someone who is not even as good as a horse…”

“So?” The voice asked softly.

So, Bai Ying’s eyes became a little excited, “So, I wrote to the Empress, I hope she will fulfill my wish, I want to become like her…”

When she said this, her expression became distorted, with fear, confusion, and resistance, as if she knew her words were not appropriate to say, but she still wanted to say them.

“Like her, a hero?” The voice picked up her words, as if helping her to say them. “So, it was you who wrote that letter to Empress Jiang, praising her as a hero?”

Empress Jiang!

Empress Jiang was a demon, Empress Jiang was executed. Bai Ying began to tremble all over, her trembling vision began to blur, and her eyes became dim. She saw a pair of hands resting on her shoulders—

And these hands were stretching out from the eyes of the young girl standing in front of her.

It was like a bolt from the blue had struck her head, Bai Ying screamed and dodged backwards.

But those hands were long and winding, and she couldn’t dodge them no matter what. Not only that, but those hands also tore open the young girl’s eyes, and a figure crawled out from behind—

What was this, what was this, a monster!—

Bai Ying screamed frantically.

At this moment, a clear bell sound suddenly rang out between heaven and earth.

Accompanied by the bell sound, everything around her began to distort.

Zhuang Li stood in the palace city, raised her head, and saw bright red ripples spreading across the night sky. The originally swaying silk flowers were enveloped by the ripples, layer by layer.

Then, with a buzzing sound, the silk flowers exploded and disappeared. In their place, four bright red characters tumbled overhead.

Tao, follows, Nature.

Zhuang Li abruptly stepped back, and her surroundings rapidly crumbled and collapsed like a sandpile.

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At the Temple of the Holy Ancestor outside the capital city, the sleeping Taoist priest suddenly opened his eyes and tilted his head slightly to listen.