Bai Li’s Dream – Chapter 78

Chapter 78: No Requests

Unexpectedly, Consort Bai, during her period of favor, didn’t request the restoration of her consort rank, but instead, still bearing the weight of her crime, wanted to send her child away.

The Empress looked at Bai Ying’s belly. The rumor had spread throughout the palace that even the ghost of Empress Jiang was afraid and wanted to harm the child. It must be incredibly precious.

She definitely won’t be able to give birth. The Emperor spends less than one or two nights a month at her place.

If she has a prince under her name, the Empress’s position will be secure, and in the future, the Empress Dowager’s position will also be secure.

The most crucial point is that the child’s mother is a criminal consort, posing no threat.

An arrogant smile appeared on the Empress’s face.

“Alright,” she looked down at Bai Ying and said indifferently, “All the children in the palace are under my care. What’s there to request?”

Bai Ying looked up at her, her eyes filled with joy, and cried, “Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you, Your Majesty.”

The Empress said, “Alright, get up and speak. You’re carrying a child, don’t make His Majesty worry.”

She glanced at the Emperor as she spoke.

The Emperor hurriedly nodded and helped Bai Ying up.

“The Empress is also worried about you and came here specifically to see you,” the Emperor added.

Bai Ying leaned against the Emperor and lifted her sleeve to cover her face. “This criminal consort is ashamed.”

The Empress was too lazy to watch this scene any longer. Anyway, Bai Ying couldn’t regain her status, and once the child was born, she would take it away. As for Bai Ying’s life or death…

Well, of course, it would be better if she died. If she lived, the child would feel awkward seeing their birth mother. If she died, facing a memorial tablet, they could freely express their filial piety. It would be good for both mother and child.

“Everyone in the palace knows that His Majesty is overjoyed and is waiting to congratulate him,” the Empress said with a sardonic smile. “His Majesty hasn’t been to the harem for days, and everyone is blocking my palace gate.”

The Emperor looked at Bai Ying leaning against him. He had just arrived, and they hadn’t even spoken a few words…

“Your Majesty, please go quickly,” Bai Ying straightened up, stepped back a few paces, and bowed.

Alright, leaving the Cold Palace and having a child, living in the Hanliang Palace, coming and going would be much easier. There was no rush to see her now, lest the Empress create trouble out of nothing. The Emperor nodded, then hesitated and said, “About the pardon…”

Bai Ying immediately knelt down again. “Your Majesty, the Son of Heaven, Empress Jiang disrupted the court and her remnants deserve death. Your Majesty must not go back on your word for this criminal consort and leave the court officials in disarray.”

Zhang Ze, who had been quietly standing by the side, also spoke at this moment, “This official also implores Your Majesty to reconsider.”

Since Zhang Ze also said so, the Emperor nodded. Looking at Bai Ying again, he saw her tear-filled eyes full of affection.

“This criminal consort is content to be by Your Majesty’s side.”

Yes, yes, A’ying only wanted to be with him. From the moment he saved her from under the horse’s hooves, she had wholeheartedly rushed towards him, whether it was at Prince Changyang’s Residence, during her exile, or now in the imperial palace.

The Emperor looked deeply at Bai Ying and nodded.

The Empress couldn’t stand it anymore and pulled on the Emperor’s sleeve. “Your Majesty, let’s go.”

The Emperor glanced at Bai Ying again and instructed Zhang Ze, “Inspector General, don’t actually treat Consort Bai as a criminal during interrogation.”

Zhang Ze bowed. “Rest assured, Your Majesty, Madam Bai is not a criminal but someone assisting me in the investigation.”

The Emperor nodded, giving Bai Ying a look that said “I’ll come to you tonight,” then followed the Empress and left.

Wang Degui followed them out and once again stood guard outside the door.

“Madam is tired, please sit down,” Zhang Ze said, extending his hand.

He must be making fun of her for being tired from her crying and kneeling act. Bai Ying smiled faintly and placed her hand on his wrist as she sat back down.

“Madam’s idea is excellent, avoiding the clamor from the court officials,” Zhang Ze said.

“With a child in my womb, no matter how much the court officials clamor, they can’t do anything. But it will still bother His Majesty,” Bai Ying said. “I can’t bear to see His Majesty troubled. I want His Majesty to be with me, carefree and happy.”

She laughed as she spoke.

Zhang Ze also smiled. “May Madam’s wishes come true.” He was about to take his leave.

Bai Ying called him back, using a handkerchief to gently wipe away the remaining tears on her face.

“Also, since I’m still a criminal consort, you must put your heart into capturing my escaped sister.”

Put his heart into it?

Zhang Ze looked at her.

Previously, he had heard that a daughter of Bai Xun’s family had escaped, and he had made a big show of entering the palace to question Bai Ying, but most of it was just an act.

After Bai Ying entered the Cold Palace, although the Emperor was affectionate and didn’t order her death, he hadn’t seen her again.

No matter how affectionate the Emperor was, without seeing each other, the feelings would fade. Moreover, the Emperor was no longer the apprehensive Prince Changyang but the Son of Heaven, surrounded by beautiful women.

This was a perfect opportunity to have Bai Ying appear before the Emperor.

As for the suggestion to draw a portrait based on Bai Ying’s appearance, it was more for the Emperor to see than for capturing her.

Sure enough, as soon as the Emperor saw it, he went to the Cold Palace that night.

What was even more unexpected was that Bai Ying became pregnant that night.

✿✿✿

You know, the Emperor hasn’t had any children for seven or eight years.

“I’m lucky,” Bai Ying sighed again. “I originally planned to endure it in the Cold Palace for a year or two, but I didn’t expect…”

She raised her head, her eyes shining brightly, and repeated once more.

“I’m really lucky, so lucky.”

She looked at Zhang Ze as she spoke.

“So you must capture my sister. She’s a person who brings bad luck.”

She reached out and gently stroked her belly, her voice cold.

“First, my mother was cursed to death by her, and now our whole family has been implicated and died because of her. I don’t want her to bring me any more bad luck.”

Zhang Ze didn’t believe in bad luck, but since Bai Ying said so, and it wasn’t his sister, he naturally didn’t care.

“Since Madam hasn’t been pardoned, the Bai family is still considered criminals, and the fugitive must be captured and executed,” he said, looking at Bai Ying with a slight smile. “This is good. All the guilty and deserving are dead, and only Madam, clean and pure, can make His Majesty feel at ease.”

These words sounded a bit harsh, but Bai Ying’s expression remained calm.

“Don’t think I’m joking, my sister is really unusual,” she said. “People who get close to her will have bad luck, encounter ghosts, and see dirty things, which is why they go mad. Those who go truly mad even commit suicide.”

See ghosts and dirty things?

Zhang Ze glanced at Bai Ying. How could he investigate bad luck? Even he, the most skilled at fabricating charges, wouldn’t use bad luck as a basis for investigation. He asked, “Are there any other characteristics? Who did she like to associate with when she was young?”

Bai Ying’s gaze became distant, and she shook her head. “She didn’t like to talk and had a bad temper. We didn’t let her go out. At most, she was taken to the military camp by my father because the people in the military camp are used to life and death and don’t care about ghosts or bad luck.”

She smiled as she said this.

“Many people in the military camp even liked to gather around her, saying they wanted to see ghosts, to see their deceased comrades.”

Zhang Ze nodded. “I’ll remember that and investigate the soldiers Bai Xun once led again.” He bowed. “I’ll take my leave.”

Bai Ying nodded, not saying anything more, and watched as Zhang Ze walked out.

Wang Degui respectfully entered. “Madam, let the imperial physicians come in for your pulse diagnosis. Have you tired yourself out after talking for so long?”

Bai Ying shook her head. “I’m not tired. Let them check my pulse in the afternoon. There’s no need for three pulse checks a day, as if this child is fragile.”

Wang Degui hurriedly said, “The little prince is strong and healthy, impervious to evil spirits. This was personally confirmed by Taoist Master Xuanyangzi.”

Bai Ying laughed. “Don’t speak nonsense, we don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl yet.”

“It must be a prince,” Wang Degui said. “The Demon Empress hated princes the most. When she was alive, she wanted to kill all the princes, and even after death, she hasn’t given up!”

Bai Ying didn’t speak, looking somewhat weary.

Wang Degui quickly stepped forward. “Madam, please lie down for a while.”

Bai Ying hummed in agreement and was helped to lie down by Wang Degui. As soon as her head touched the pillow, she suddenly sat up again. “I’m not sleeping.”

She blurted out.

Although Xuanyangzi said it was the ghost of Empress Jiang causing trouble, otherwise the Imperial Bell wouldn’t have been activated, she always felt that the sister in her dream wasn’t some illusion conjured by the ghost of Empress Jiang to scare her.

She still remembered that when she scolded her sister as a child, she dreamed of her sister that night, and her sister even splashed water on her in the dream.

After she woke up in shock, the more she thought about it, the more something felt wrong. She dragged her sister, who was sleeping next door, out of bed. The four-year-old child, instead of being confused after being woken up, grinned.

In the dim morning light, it was extremely terrifying.

Thinking back now, Bai Ying couldn’t help but shiver.

That monster! That evil spirit!

But it shouldn’t be possible. They hadn’t seen each other for over ten years, and in the deep palace, she wouldn’t have any contact with her sister. How could she be terrorized by her in her dreams?

Bai Ying couldn’t help but look around.

Wang Degui had personally witnessed Bai Ying’s frantic awakening from her nightmare that night and knew that it wasn’t an act of pretending to be pitiful as the Empress had accused behind her back, but genuine fear.

It had made her sleep restlessly for the past few days.

“Madam, don’t be afraid, there are restrictions in the palace,” he hurriedly said. “This Hanliang Palace is where His Majesty rests, and it has the strongest dragon energy.”

He pointed to the small Three Purities Bell tied to Bai Ying’s waist.

“Madam carries the item given by the Ancestor with you, evil spirits cannot invade.”

Bai Ying’s emotions gradually calmed down. She reached out and gently pinched the small bell. Xuanyangzi had also said that it was just a dream, not to dwell on it too much, otherwise she would fall into a demonic obstacle.

She let out a sigh of relief, lay down, and closed her eyes.

In her dream, her sister was as terrifying as a monster, but in reality, that sister, at this moment, was struggling to survive somewhere, neither human nor ghost.