Bai Li’s Dream – Chapter 96

Chapter 96: Sleepless

Zhou Jingyun watched Concubine Mei’s changing expression, finding it somewhat amusing.

Chunmei used to pretend to be honest too, but she was never afraid of Third Miss Lu. Now she looks truly scared.

He frowned and said, “It’s me who allows you to stay in the house, why are you concerned about whether others are angry?”

Concubine Mei said with a forced smile, “Young Master cherishes Young Madam. If Young Madam dislikes me, Young Master will definitely drive me away for her.”

The way she spoke, was he not cherishing Third Miss Lu?

Although his acquaintance and time with Third Miss Lu were brief, since he married her, he would naturally cherish her.

It’s just that he had a shallow fate with Third Miss Lu.

Of course, he knew Concubine Mei said this because she was frightened by Xueliu being driven away.

He drove Xueliu away because she was making too much of a fuss, and the matter involved the Duke of Ding’an’s Residence. Zhuang Li’s identity was a secret, and it would be troublesome if it attracted trouble.

This had nothing to do with cherishing or not cherishing. But if she wanted to think that way, let her. There was nothing wrong with thinking that way.

If she really did something inappropriate that affected Zhuang Li, he would indeed drive her away.

“Go to sleep,” he said lightly.

Concubine Mei didn’t dare to say more. She went forward and lowered the bed curtains, extinguished the lamp, and lay back down on the small bed on the side.

The night was quiet.

Zhou Jingyun turned over on the big bed, feeling a little unaccustomed to the emptiness beside him. He subconsciously reached out to the pillow and touched it, but didn’t find a book…

These days, although Zhuang Li said she was much better, he would still read to her before bed every night to help her sleep.

Zhou Jingyun sat up: “Bring me a book.”

Concubine Mei hurriedly got up from the bed again, lit the lamp, and said with some difficulty, “Young Master, I don’t have any books here. What do you want to read? I’ll get it for you from the study.”

Zhou Jingyun leaned on the bed, saw the almanac placed on the desk, and pointed to it: “No need, just that.”

Concubine Mei felt baffled. Why would he read an almanac in the middle of the night? But she didn’t dare to disobey, so she had to bring it to Zhou Jingyun.

Zhou Jingyun leaned against the headboard and flipped through it, then looked at Concubine Mei standing by the bed.

“Go to sleep,” Zhou Jingyun said, “I’ll go to sleep after I’m done reading.”

Concubine Mei responded and walked back to her small bed and lay down.

The room fell silent again, with the occasional sound of pages turning.

Sleep? How terrifying! How could she fall asleep?

✿✿✿

✿✿✿

Countless people couldn’t sleep peacefully at night.

Most of the lights in Director Lin’s house were extinguished, but the master bedroom was still lit.

Director Lin, with a gloomy expression, sat by the bed, looking at his wife sleeping on the bed.

Madam Lin hadn’t woken up despite trying every method.

At first, she would fall asleep at random times. After using the incense from the Marchioness of Dongyang, she couldn’t fall asleep after waking up. Now, she had fallen into a deep sleep and wouldn’t wake up.

She was fine yesterday. The maid said that Madam Lin even went out to personally buy fabrics to prepare New Year’s clothes for the family.

But this morning, she wouldn’t wake up.

Doctor Zhang even said after examining her, to be prepared…

He understood what those words meant. Thinking of this, Director Lin covered his face with his hands, blocking the tears that were about to well up. The next moment, he rubbed his face and sat up straight.

Before that moment came, he had to do something.

Director Lin took a deep breath and saw a burner with incense lit on the desk beside the bed.

This was the incense given by the Marchioness of Dongyang.

It was able to wake Madam Lin up last time, so this time, Director Lin was also filled with hope.

Although this incense didn’t smell like medicine, it didn’t have any scent at all.

A booklet was thrown beside the incense burner.

It was given by the Marchioness of Dongyang when she gave him the prescription. She said it was a collection of supernatural stories that could be read to calm the mind.

How could such absurd tales from the countryside calm the mind?

Director Lin stared blankly for a moment, then reached out and picked it up. There was nothing else to do now, so he might as well read it.

He opened it under the lamplight. The thin booklet didn’t have many words. Director Lin glanced at it and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Rou Niang,” he said to Madam Lin on the bed, “This story is quite interesting. It’s about a person who turns into a cricket in his sleep…”

…

…

The night was cold and quiet in late autumn and early winter.

Insects burrowed into the ground, and birds hid away.

The streets under curfew were even more deserted.

A group of people suddenly appeared, the sound of horses’ hooves and torches making the streets noisy.

More than a dozen soldiers surrounded Zhu Shan, galloping in from outside the city.

The night watchmen stood quietly against the wall, shivering involuntarily as they smelled the blood in the night wind.

The group quickly crossed the street and entered a residence.

This residence was a bit shabby compared to the houses of other directors.

“Boss, you really should change this house,” said one of the attendants, looking around, “It’s too small.”

Zhu Shan said lazily, “It’s enough to live in. What do you need such a big house for?”

Another attendant chuckled, “Of course, it’s to hold many women and raise many children.”

“The boss isn’t interested in women he brings home,” another attendant muttered, holding up a pouch and offering it to Zhu Shan. He whispered, “This is the seventeenth one given to you.”

Zhu Shan thought for a moment, “The one from the Lin family?”

He liked to number the women he captured.

There were too many people, Zhu Shan might not remember them all. The attendant remembered for him and nodded, “Yes, that’s her.”

Zhu Shan chuckled, “This woman from a scholarly family is the most arrogant. She always keeps silent in front of me. How could she offer me something on her own initiative?”

He motioned for the attendant to open it, and a lock of black hair was poured out from inside.

✿✿✿

Zhu Shan held the black hair in his palm and sniffed it hard, closing his eyes as if imagining the woman’s appearance: “It’s the scent of Lady Lin—” he said, laughing heartily.

The attendant whispered, “She seems to be sick. I even saw Director Lin go to the Zhang Family Medical Clinic to make a scene. Doctor Zhang said there was nothing he could do. The old woman from the Ma family on the street even stopped Director Lin and talked about making a coffin, and Director Lin scolded her.”

Zhu Shan frowned: “She’s actually sick and dying? What a pity, this woman tastes quite good.”

The attendant said flatteringly, “Don’t be sad, Boss. There are plenty of good women in the capital.”

Zhu Shan laughed heartily, then put on a sad expression. This laughter and sadness made his scarred face even more hideous and terrifying.

“Yes, yes, I’m so sad to have lost my beloved,” he said, drawing out his words, stuffing the pouch into his chest and pressing it.

The attendants burst into laughter, pretending to cry along with him. In the darkness, the room was like a gathering of demons dancing wildly.

“Alright, enough fooling around,” Zhu Shan said, throwing a few pieces of paper on the table.

Several names were written on the paper.

Zhu Shan tapped on it with his hand.

“The investigation is almost complete. Arrest these people tomorrow and pry their mouths open.”

The attendants laughed heartily, “Alright, let them have a good sleep.” “Have a good dream.”

It wasn’t until the night deepened and the laughing attendants dispersed that Zhu Shan also fell asleep in the residence.

The pitch-black room gradually turned white, as if moonlight was shining in. The moonlight inch by inch stained the ground, brushed over the tables and chairs, and landed on the bed.

Zhu Shan’s snoring in the bed curtains stopped, and he opened his eyes.

The moonlight receded like water, condensing in front of the desk, slowly rising to outline the figure of a woman.

The woman sat in the moonlight, covering her face and sobbing.

The woman’s cries echoed through the room, pleasant to the ear, but also irritating.

“What are you crying for?” Zhu Shan pulled open the bed curtains impatiently, “It’s your blessing to be favored by me.”

The woman sitting in front of the desk stopped crying, but her shoulders continued to shake as she covered her face.

The crying, timid, yet not daring to avoid women, were like lambs waiting to be slaughtered, making one excited.

Zhu Shan walked over and put his arm around the woman’s delicate shoulder. The woman’s body trembled even more violently, but this made Zhu Shan exert even more force.

“What if someone finds out?” the woman raised her head and said tearfully, “My lord, you’re going to force me to my death.”

Just die then, Zhu Shan thought, looking at the woman’s face. Her features were blurred under the moonlight, seeming familiar yet strange, as if her name was Rou Niang.

But it didn’t matter, he couldn’t remember the appearances of these women very well.

“What are you afraid of? If your husband finds out, just tell him my name,” Zhu Shan said with a smile, reaching out and pinching the woman’s small chin, “Let’s see if he dares to do anything.”

No matter what family or who it was, they couldn’t withstand a thorough investigation. Even if no problems were found, he could fabricate some.

Whether it was Zhang Ze or the Emperor, they would be happy to catch one more remnant of Empress Jiang’s faction.

He didn’t love money, he just liked to see these men and women trembling beneath him.

When he worked under Empress Jiang, although he had the same power, he didn’t dare to do these things.

If he was reported, it would be a dead end.

Empress Jiang was ruthless to others, and she was equally ruthless to them.

He reached out and stroked the scar on his face.

This was from a time when he was raiding a house. He had merely enjoyed these women who were going to be sent to the Court Entertainment Bureau sooner or later, and the leader at the time slashed at him with a knife.

He almost died on the spot.

“Considering you’re my fellow countryman, I’ll spare your life. If you report this to Her Majesty, you’re dead.”

He was unconvinced. What was wrong with what he did? Wasn’t it just the right way to intimidate those who dared to profane and despise Her Majesty?

“What kind of intimidation is it to violate other men’s wives and daughters? Her Majesty disdains such behavior. We kill, but we don’t torture.”

Disdains? Haha, disdains. She, Empress Jiang, had killed countless people, indiscriminately, framing and slandering. Who was she pretending to be noble for?

Pretending to be noble, let’s see how many good days she could have.

Sure enough, as the Emperor’s illness worsened, the court became more and more turbulent, finally setting off a monstrous wave that engulfed Empress Jiang and her group.

As for him, he wouldn’t die with them.

He killed his fellow countryman leader with one slash and became an insider for the Censorate.

Moreover, after killing the leader, he also added a few more slashes to his face.

Thinking of that time, and then thinking of now, Zhu Shan couldn’t help but raise his head and let out a long breath.

It was really good now.

Someone like Zhang Ze, who didn’t care about trivial matters, was much more tolerant of them.

“You’re not allowed to commit suicide,” Zhu Shan lowered his head and warned the woman again, “If you dare to commit suicide, I’ll kill your whole family.”

The woman’s face became even paler, her eyes blank and helpless, her body shaking like a sieve.

Zhu Shan was about to say something with a hint of pride when the woman suddenly reached out and hugged his neck.

“My lord, you, you mustn’t abandon me,” she said tremblingly. There was still fear on her face, but her eyes held a hint of shyness.

He knew that these women, dignified on the outside, were actually wanton in their bones. Zhu Shan laughed loudly and picked her up.

“How could I abandon you? Be obedient and follow me. You’ll have a good life.”

The woman became even more shy, her arms around Zhu Shan tightening.

Zhu Shan felt as if this woman was about to embed herself into his body. At first, he was happy, but he became more and more breathless.

“You…” he opened his mouth to stop her.

But he found that he could no longer make a sound, his entire neck was being strangled.

He lowered his head to look at the woman in front of him. The woman’s face was delicate, her eyes still gazing at him with lingering affection, but only her head remained.

What he held in his arms was not a delicate body, but a skeleton, the skeleton’s hands tightly clasped around his neck.