Chapter 162: Reprimand
All along, Bai Ying in her impression, was still that sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl.
The sixteen or seventeen-year-old Bai Ying dressed very simply.
Her mother died early, her elder sister married far away, her father and brother were all leading troops in the army, Bai Ying as the mistress had to take care of too many household matters, and could not wear gorgeous clothes.
The most gorgeous time Zhuang Li remembered Bai Ying wearing was when she got married.
That couldn’t be considered a marriage, there was no groom to pick her up, only court officials and eunuchs, Bai Ying put on the new clothes given by the emperor, it was a purple dress, as light as clouds.
She really wanted to touch it at the time, but her father was angry and refused to see Bai Ying, Bai Ying also looked very unhappy, she didn’t dare to approach.
Bai Ying was escorted out of the house by her two brothers.
Her father did not see her off.
She…..
She said she was hiding at the time, but in fact she secretly followed behind the carriage, for a long distance.
The last memory was of Bai Ying disappearing into the horizon like a cloud.
At this moment, Bai Ying’s skin, the jewelry she wore, the dress and cloak she wore, were all sparkling.
She was like a crystal clear snow sculpture.
Her eyebrows and eyes were familiar, but the person was strange.
The Second Miss of the Bai family disappeared into the horizon like a cloud, and now standing in front of her was Consort Bai.
Zhuang Li couldn’t help but smile: “You really look like a Noble now.”
Hearing this, Bai Ying, who was still in shock, frowned.
What do you mean “look like a Noble”! She was already a Noble.
“You are the same as before!” she shouted, “Always making such a ghostly appearance!”
With Bai Ying’s shout, the silence in the room was broken.
Wang Degui seemed to have only noticed the person who came up at this moment, his expression was surprised and a little flustered.
“You, you——who let you come up, how did you come up——” he shouted, “Someone, someone——”
There were guards stationed downstairs, except for the emperor and empress, everyone else was an idler, how could they just walk up!
Although Bai Ying had said before that her younger sister was a bit strange.
He was still wondering how strange?
Strange looking?
So it turned out to be this kind of strange!
A monster!
Only a monster could appear so suddenly!
It was scary!
The guards hidden in the walls of the room instantly rushed over, five surrounded Bai Ying, and five pointed their swords at Zhuang Li.
Zhuang Li didn’t panic and didn’t speak again, she just looked at Bai Ying.
Across the wall of people, Bai Ying was also looking at her, her face full of anger.
Zhuang Li curled her lips: “Actually, it hasn’t changed, it’s still the same, as soon as you see me, you reprimand, reprimand.”
“Reprimand? Shouldn’t I reprimand you?” Bai Ying was even angrier, “Aren’t you just playing tricks!”
Zhuang Li looked at her, her voice also raised: “I almost became a ghost, my whole family became ghosts! Bai Ying, are you so afraid of seeing us ghosts?”
Bai Ying said coldly: “Tie her up.”
The guards in front of Zhuang Li stepped forward, Zhuang Li was not without struggle, but she had no ability to resist in front of these guards.
…….
……
The Linde Hall was surrounded by lanterns in front, back, left, and right, but the palace was too big, layer upon layer, there were always places where lanterns were missed.
Shangguan Yue stood in the shadows of the corridor, looking at the neighboring building in front of him.
Zhuang Li’s figure had already disappeared downstairs.
The palace maid who led the way was still standing there.
“This time it’s not sleeping.”
Earlier in the Marquis of Dongyang’s residence, Bai Li said to him, asking him if he would go to the palace banquet in the evening, and when she heard that he would go, she said that he should watch her this time.
“I’m going to the palace to see someone.”
He understood at that time that she was going to see her elder sister, Consort Bai Ying.
This was her only living relative in the world.
“My elder sister already knows I’m here, she’ll find a way to see me.”
Shangguan Yue looked at the tall building, which was also brightly decorated with lanterns, making it impossible to see what was going on inside. There were eunuchs and guards downstairs. Someone had wanted to go up to the building to enjoy the lanterns before, but they were stopped from afar.
Only the Young Madam of the Marquis of Dongyang, who was led by the palace maid, went over.
He couldn’t follow.
And Bai Li didn’t ask him to stay close.
“When I’m called away, you follow me, see where I’m going, and then you find a similar place nearby.”
The meaning of a similar place was that if it was a palace building, he would look for flat ground, and if it was a pavilion, he would look for a high place.
Shangguan Yue’s eyes fell on the west pavilion next to the neighboring building.
Although it was not as good as the neighboring building, it was considered a high place.
He turned sideways and ran towards the west pavilion outside the corridor.
The banquet in the hall was in full swing, but there were also many people enjoying the lanterns outside the hall, directly facing the colorful lanterns and admiring them, when they suddenly heard a commotion.
“You can’t go up.”
“Come down quickly.”
The eunuchs surrounded him, trying to stop him, but Shangguan Yue was agile, and in a few moments, he climbed to the top of the pavilion: “Enjoying the lanterns here is also enjoying the lanterns, Your Majesty let us come to enjoy the lanterns, why not?”
These words attracted many people around to follow suit.
The eunuchs were so angry that they jumped, they had never seen such a daring person, this was the imperial city, His Majesty was right in front of them, they were about to call the guards, but they were stopped by the chief eunuch.
“It’s Shangguan Yue.” the chief eunuch whispered.
Shangguan Yue, although it was his first time entering the palace, the eunuchs were no strangers to this name.
“Princess Jinyu and His Majesty are in a good mood.” the chief eunuch whispered, “Don’t go and spoil their fun.”
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After saying that, he looked at the top of the pavilion and saw Shangguan Yue standing there with his hands on his hips, looking around, indeed looking like he was enjoying the lanterns.
“The illegitimate son has finally become an imperial relative, he’s being arrogant, let him be arrogant.”
Zhou Jingyun, who was standing under the corridor, looked at this scene and felt inexplicably envious.
Standing a little higher, could he see more clearly?
He looked away and looked at the neighboring building, clenching his hands hanging by his side.
How was she?
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“Your Ladyship, please sit down.”
Wang Degui helped Bai Ying to sit down on the soft couch on the side, with five guards standing on her left and right.
Another five guarded Zhuang Li.
Zhuang Li was tied up and sitting on the ground, her gorgeous clothes and hair were a little messy, her eyes stared fiercely at Bai Ying.
Bai Ying tightly held the small Three Purities Bell hanging from her waist, glanced at the Imperial Bell hanging in the middle of the room, and then stared at Zhuang Li.
She was indeed tied up.
She did not shatter and transform, nor did she have any other strange appearances.
Only then did she relax a little and look at Zhuang Li’s face.
This face gradually merged with the little girl in her memory, or rather, in the previous dreams.
The once childish eyebrows and eyes had grown, and the small body had also grown taller.
It looked a bit like she did when she was sixteen or seventeen.
However, the clothes and the jewelry on her head made Zhuang Li sparkle.
She was not so noble when she was sixteen or seventeen.
Even after holding the imperial decree of Liangdi and entering Prince Changyang’s residence, she was still a servant girl by the Princess’s side, covered in dust.
“You are quite capable, becoming the Young Madam of the Marquis of Dongyang.” Bai Ying murmured, “And making Zhou Jingyun risk his life for you.”
“I lied to him.” Zhuang Li said, “This matter has nothing to do with him.”
Bai Ying smiled: “If you say it has nothing to do with him, then it has nothing to do with him?” she shook her head, “He knows he can’t escape, he has already sold his life to me.”
Zhuang Li’s expression was a little surprised, she struggled to sit up straight: “What did he tell you?”
Bai Ying smiled: “He asked me to protect you, as long as I can protect you, he is willing to submit to me and be used by me.”
Zhuang Li was stunned for a moment: “I didn’t ask him to do this, I just asked him to hand me over so that he could be cleared of his crime…..”
Really? Didn’t the husband and wife discuss it well? One for him, one for her? Bai Ying thought of that day when Zhou Jingyun clearly came for Bai Li, but he didn’t mention Bai Li at all, only talking about himself, only saying that he had no choice.
The Marquis of Dongyang’s Heir, was he really devoted to her? The annoying child from childhood, could he be so likable when he grew up?
It was those tricks.
Bai Ying slowly shook her head: “When you were young, you scared people into madness, now you confuse people’s hearts, making them give up their families and lives, you are really a scourge.”
Zhuang Li tugged at the corner of her mouth: “I can’t compare to Second Sister, you want your own family’s lives.”
Bai Ying’s eyes narrowed, and she shouted: “What nonsense are you talking about!”
Zhuang Li also raised her voice: “Don’t you want to kill me?”
Bai Ying stood up, gritted her teeth and whispered: “You are asking for death! Since Father chose a hiding place for you, why did you have to come to the capital?”
She sneered as she said this.
“You have always been like this since you were a child, it’s always others who harm you, haven’t you harmed anyone? Why are you pretending to be innocent? You came to the capital and made me have nightmares again and again, scaring me in my dreams, what are you up to?”
Zhuang Li looked at her: “You have always been like this since you were a child, you only know how to blame me. You think about things during the day and dream about them at night, it’s you who are dreaming, it’s you who are dreaming, not me, you should ask yourself what you are thinking.”
“What do you mean you think about things during the day and dream about them at night, this can fool others, but it can’t fool me.” Bai Ying sneered, “I never thought about splashing water on my face or burning myself with fire during the day, but I have these dreams at night, aren’t they all your doing?”
Wang Degui supported her from the side and advised in a low voice: “Your Ladyship, don’t be angry, don’t get angry and affect the baby, let’s talk nicely.”
Looking at the two of them like this, he couldn’t help but think of his childhood, his family was poor, he had many siblings, his sisters were also like this, they would quarrel at every turn.
“That’s because you bullied me and have a guilty conscience.” Zhuang Li said.
Bai Ying gritted her teeth and looked around, as if looking for something to hit someone with.
“Your Ladyship, make a long story short.” Wang Degui hurriedly reminded, now was not the time for sisters to quarrel, “The banquet has been going on for a while, His Majesty and the Empress may be worried and come over to see you.”
Bai Ying’s chest heaved violently, she suppressed her anger.
“I’m telling you, I know your tricks, I made preparations in advance.” she said, revealing the small Three Purities Bell in her hand, “This was given to me by the Temple of the Holy Ancestor, your tricks are useless, don’t even think about intimidating or deceiving me.”
Zhuang Li glanced at her palm: “I know, I’ve seen it.” she smiled as she said this.
Bai Ying gritted her teeth again, this was undoubtedly an admission that she had caused those nightmares before.
She took a deep breath and only asked: “If you don’t want to live, just die far away, why did you run to me, what do you want to do?”
Zhuang Li looked at her: “What do I want to do? You know it in your heart, Father is not a member of Empress Jiang’s faction, Father was wrongly accused.”
“He said that Empress Jiang was a hero!” Bai Ying gritted her teeth and whispered, “Whether he is a member of Empress Jiang’s faction or not, he is! It’s just so cruel!”
“Then are you?” Zhuang Li looked at her and suddenly asked.
Bai Ying looked at her, as if she didn’t understand.
“I don’t need those tricks.” Zhuang Li said, “I used those tricks before because I couldn’t see you, now I see you, I’ll just ask you like this.”
As she said this, she struggled to stand up, the guards on both sides instantly pointed their swords at her.
Zhuang Li ignored the swords in front of her neck and looked at Bai Ying.
“Second Sister, are you a member of Empress Jiang’s faction?”
Bai Ying looked at her, her expression did not become more angry, her heaving chest actually became calmer.
“Me?” she said, nodded, “I am.”