Bai Li’s Dream – Chapter 169

Chapter 169: Yan Li

More people gathered outside the hall, seemingly everyone had poured out. However, it wasn’t to appreciate the lanterns. Instead, they bypassed the dazzling mountains and seas of lanterns and surged towards the neighboring Jie Lin Tower.

The Imperial Guards at the foot of Jie Lin Tower had increased their ranks, blocking everyone from approaching.

Physicians carrying medicine chests rushed in, eunuchs drew the curtains, blocking the view, but the night, the guards, and the curtains couldn’t block the discussions.

“…Who? Madam of Dongyang?”

“Marchioness of Dongyang.”

“That newly wedded wife?”

“Really? She jumped from the building?”

“Not jumped, she fell from the building!”

The sounds of music and dance had vanished, replaced by a buzz of discussion from all directions.

Held in the Emperor’s arms, Bai Ying continued to tremble uncontrollably.

“I, I invited Marchioness of Dongyang to come upstairs to appreciate the lanterns.” Her voice quivered. “Marquis Zhou also came along… I don’t know what happened, everything was fine, then suddenly Marchioness…”

She couldn’t continue, choking with sobs, her breathing growing rapid as she collapsed weakly.

The Emperor urgently summoned the physicians.

The physicians gathered around.

The Empress watched from the side. Now, she should have stepped forward to express her concern and comfort, personally holding Bai Ying’s hand to soothe her. But somehow, her hands and feet refused to move. In the end, she only walked to the Emperor’s side and tugged at his sleeve.

“Your Majesty, Marchioness of Dongyang…”

Though worried about Bai Ying, the Emperor, thinking of the tragic scene on the other side, hurriedly looked over.

There were physicians there too, but they were no longer huddled around treating, but were talking to the Marquis of Dongyang who stood to the side, their expressions helpless as they shook their heads from time to time.

Even from a distance, the Emperor seemed to hear what the physicians were saying.

Jie Lin Tower was very tall. Falling from up there meant broken bones, a cracked skull, and shattered internal organs.

There was no chance of saving her.

She died instantly.

The Marquis of Dongyang’s face was ashen, his soul seemingly departed.

Madam of Dongyang had collapsed on the ground, Madam Xue crying as she pressed on her philtrum, the physicians rushing back to treat her.

In contrast, Marquis Zhou seemed very calm.

He knelt on the ground, neither crying nor making a fuss. His cloak was already removed, covering his wife on the ground, preventing her bloody form from being exposed to the public.

From the Emperor’s perspective, only strands of disheveled hair could be seen poking out from under the cloak.

Zhou Jingyun reached out and stroked the hair, as if soothing a child to sleep.

The Emperor’s gaze followed the cloak and saw a foot in an embroidered shoe sticking out. The foot was clearly broken, twisted at an unnatural angle.

There was also a deep shadow under the cloak…

It wasn’t a shadow, it was blood…

The Emperor felt a chill and quickly averted his gaze.

At the same time, the Commander of the Imperial City Guards, responsible for the security, hurriedly approached.

“Your Majesty, we have investigated. The railing was broken.” He said in a low voice.

As expected, there was no such thing as a fall without a reason. The Emperor asked in a deep voice, “Was it intentional?”

The Commander hesitated slightly. “Not really, it just seemed to have rotted.”

Perhaps due to years of neglect?

Since his ascension, the Emperor had been busy stabilizing the court and was frugal himself. The palace hadn’t been renovated in five or six years.

“Also,” the Commander remembered something and continued, presenting the Imperial Bell with both hands, “we found it on the ground when we went up.”

The Emperor’s expression turned grim. He had personally seen the Imperial Bell hanging on Jie Lin Tower, otherwise he wouldn’t have been at ease letting Bai Ying stay there alone.

Such a sacred object shouldn’t be touched.

“Who took it down?” He asked in a low voice.

The eunuch Wang Degui was kicked out by Gao Shi’er, landing on his knees with a thud, his soul seemingly departed.

“No, no one took it down.” He stammered, his eyes vacant. “I don’t know, I don’t know what happened. Consort Bai suddenly wanted to go outside to look at the lanterns, Marchioness of Dongyang helped her, and then, then, in the blink of an eye, Consort Bai and I were standing in the original spot, the Imperial Bell had fallen to the ground, Marchioness of Dongyang was holding onto the railing, and then she fell — Consort Bai was terrified, she fainted —”

His words were incoherent, and when his gaze landed on Marquis Zhou and the body covered by the cloak, he trembled even more violently, about to faint from fear.

Gao Shi’er raised his foot again to kick him. “You useless—”

The Emperor waved his hand to stop him. “Enough, I know what happened.”

Everyone around couldn’t help but look at him.

What happened?

What else could it be, it must be Empress Jiang’s doing!

The Emperor looked at the Imperial Bell and said in a deep voice, “Quickly summon Xuanyangzi.”

After saying that, he looked at the Marquis of Dongyang’s family again and sighed.

It seemed that Empress Jiang’s ghost wanted to harm Bai Ying. Because of the protection of the Imperial Bell, Bai Ying was spared, but Marchioness of Dongyang…

The Commander of the Imperial City Guards took the order and hurried away.

“Your Majesty.” Zhou Jingyun turned around and kowtowed deeply to the Emperor. “This subject requests to withdraw, I want to take my wife home.”

The Emperor took a step forward and gently persuaded, “Let the physicians…”

Zhou Jingyun shook his head, his face pale, his eyes bloodshot.

“Your Majesty.” He only said, “This subject wants to take his wife home.”

After saying that, he kowtowed heavily, thud, thud, thud, the sound echoing like a drum on the bluestone bricks.

Seeing the blood instantly flowing from Zhou Jingyun’s forehead, the Emperor hurriedly helped him up and said, “Alright, alright, alright, I grant you permission to withdraw, take your wife home.”

Zhou Jingyun bowed his head to the ground, his voice choked with sobs. “This subject thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness.”

After saying that, he knelt and moved to the front of the cloak, looking at the human shape underneath.

“Ah Li, let’s go home.” He said softly, reaching out and wrapping the person in the cloak, then picking her up.

The Marquis of Dongyang moved his lips, but didn’t say anything and followed.

Madam of Dongyang had fainted and was being held by Madam Xue.

The Empress had the eunuchs bring a sedan chair, wanting Zhou Jingyun to place Zhuang Li on it as well. But Zhou Jingyun seemed to not hear, just carrying her as he walked out.

“Let him carry her.” The Emperor said to the Empress, watching Zhou Jingyun’s retreating figure and sighing again.

Behind them, Bai Ying’s cries rang out.

She stood up, pushing away the palace maids who were supporting her, stumbling as if she wanted to chase after Zhou Jingyun.

The Emperor hurriedly reached out, and Bai Ying fell into his arms.

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” The Emperor asked urgently.

Bai Ying looked at Zhou Jingyun’s retreating figure, at the hair swaying under the cloak, her body trembling violently.

“Your Majesty.” She buried her head in the Emperor’s embrace, tears streaming down her face as she cried out loud. “This consort, is afraid.”

The Emperor patted her back comfortingly. “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, I’m here, I’m here.”

The Empress pursed her lips and ordered the eunuchs and palace maids to disperse the onlookers.

There was no need to disperse them. Seeing Zhou Jingyun carrying his wife towards them, the onlookers made way. The timid ones covered their eyes with their hands, the bold ones stretched their necks to look, but Zhou Jingyun’s cloak was wide, only the faint outline of legs and feet, disheveled hair, and blood dripping as he walked could be seen.

It seemed like flesh was falling off too.

Too scary.

Even the bold ones averted their gazes, not daring to look anymore.

Many people were in a daze. Looking at the Marquis of Dongyang’s family walking through the crowd, they seemed to be back at the beginning of the banquet, when Madam of Dongyang was holding her new daughter-in-law’s hand, introducing her to everyone with a smile on her face.

In the blink of an eye, Madam of Dongyang was being carried away unconscious in a sedan chair, while the well-behaved daughter-in-law was lifeless.

It was like a dream.

✿✿✿

✿✿✿

Was the dream over?

Shangguan Yue stood on the pavilion roof. After a moment of darkness, he regained his sight and saw that there were no two moons in the sky.

There was a commotion all around. Many people poured out of Linde Hall, the Emperor, the Empress, Princess Jinyu, the Imperial Consort’s Husband, and others all rushed out, hurrying towards Jie Lin Tower.

Besides them, physicians and eunuchs were running about.

Standing on the pavilion roof, Shangguan Yue heard countless buzzing voices, echoing a single sentence.

Marchioness of Dongyang had fallen from the building and died.

Shangguan Yue reached out and pressed his hand against his chest, feeling his heart beating rapidly.

Marchioness of Dongyang was dead?

How did she die?

“If you hear someone died, don’t panic.” Early this morning at the Marquis of Dongyang’s residence, Bai Li had said to him after handing him the lotus root. “The death you see may not be death, there is life in death, and death in life.”

Life in death, death in life, Shangguan Yue repeated silently. The buzzing voices surrounded him, loud yet distant, as if separated by a barrier.

✿✿✿

He saw the gentle moonlight, the swaying lanterns, and the people talking with blank, dull expressions.

He looked down and saw a lotus root lying on the ground.

That’s right, he had just thrown the lotus root down.

As the lantern light flickered, the lotus root on the ground seemed to stretch its body, growing legs, arms, and a head.

Shangguan Yue’s eyes widened in an instant.

What did he see?

The lotus root had turned into a person!

He must be dreaming!

…

✿✿✿

Was he dreaming? Zhou Jingyun felt a little dazed. He couldn’t remember how long he had been walking, the people around him had all disappeared.

Until he saw a maid coming towards him.

Chun Yue.

Seeing him approaching, Chun Yue was delighted, but then her expression turned tense as she saw the person covered by the cloak in Zhou Jingyun’s arms.

Chun Yue’s face instantly turned pale.

“Marchioness, Marchioness, what happened to Marchioness!”

Zhou Jingyun heard the maid’s panicked cries, the cries gradually turning into sobs. The maid’s face was contorted with grief.

“This can’t be, this can’t be, I must be dreaming—”

The maid raised her hand to slap her own face, as if trying to wake herself up.

Zhou Jingyun looked at her, his expression blank.

“Is your wife dead?” A voice suddenly asked beside his ear.

Zhou Jingyun looked past Chun Yue, who was kneeling on the ground, and saw an old Taoist standing by the carriage not far away.

The old Taoist was wearing a Taoist robe, his hair a little messy. When he looked over, he yawned and rubbed the corner of his eye.

“Is your wife dead?” He asked again, looking at Zhou Jingyun.

Zhou Jingyun’s blank gaze focused.

“Dead.” He said.

This wasn’t a dream.

His wife, Zhuang Li, was dead.

He had personally thrown her off the building.

He had personally watched her fall, watched her hit the ground, watched her broken and shattered, blood staining the ground.

He had done what he promised her.

Zhou Jingyun smiled.

But tears streamed down his face, blurring his vision.

He heard the old Taoist’s voice beside his ear. “Since you believe your wife is dead, then she is dead.”

The next moment, cries erupted, chaos and confusion reigned.

Zhou Jingyun’s blurred vision saw a chaotic scene, filled with people. The old Taoist was gone from the front of the carriage, only his own servants, other people’s servants, eunuchs, and palace maids remained.

At the same time, the Marquis of Dongyang, Madam of Dongyang, and Madam Xue all came over.

Everyone was crying.

Zhou Jingyun raised his head to let the tears flow back, then lowered his head to look at the person in his arms.

“Ah Li, let’s go home.” He said softly, stepping onto the carriage.

…

…

The Marquis of Dongyang’s carriage departed. The eunuchs who came to see them off looked at the empty sedan chair and sighed again.

A good person, gone just like that.

Life was truly unpredictable.

This banquet must be weighing heavily on His Majesty’s mind.

Thinking of this, the eunuchs hurried back inside.

“Be careful, don’t get too close.”

“Be sharp, I think the people from the Censorate have already gone in, who knows how many people are going to be in trouble.”

They whispered amongst themselves as they entered the palace gate, suddenly seeing someone walking towards them.

In the dim light, the brocade clothes were particularly eye-catching. It was the illegitimate son of the Imperial Consort’s Husband, the one who had just been acknowledged by the Emperor tonight.

However, Young Master Shangguan, who was arrogant enough to climb onto the pavilion roof in the Imperial City, seemed a little stiff. When the eunuchs looked over, he abruptly stopped.

Both sides fell into a strange silence.

“Young Master Shangguan, are you leaving?” One eunuch asked proactively.

Shangguan Yue looked at them and slowly hummed in agreement, then curled his lip. “It’s too scary, I’m timid, I better go back early.”

Marchioness of Dongyang falling from the building was indeed scary, but him being timid… Although this was the first time the eunuchs had met Young Master Shangguan, they had heard a lot about him. He ran a gambling boat, indulged in food, drink, women, and gambling, and even Grand General Li’s grandson had died on his pleasure boat…

They couldn’t see where he was timid.

However, they couldn’t stop him if he wanted to leave, so they hurriedly made way, watching Shangguan Yue slowly walk past.

“Princess Jinyu is still in the palace.”

“He’s not going to care?”

“Care about what? Does he really think of him as his own son?”

“Hey, Young Master Shangguan looks…”

The eunuchs whispered amongst themselves. When they reached this point, one eunuch turned his head to look back and said something.

The others also looked back. “What about the way he looks?”

They all looked at Shangguan Yue’s retreating figure.

The young man’s back was straight. Although he acted like a wastrel, he was still the son of the Imperial Consort’s Husband, his manners and behavior had been disciplined.

“He seems to be holding something?” The eunuch murmured.

They felt that Young Master Shangguan’s arms were stiffly holding something.

Another eunuch said, “He is holding something, didn’t you notice earlier?”

Holding what? They really didn’t notice earlier, the light tonight was particularly dim.

“Holding a lotus root.” The eunuch said. “It should be a lantern he picked off.”

Lanterns came in all shapes and sizes, flowers, birds, insects, fish. Although a lotus root was a bit strange, it could be a decoration for a lotus flower lantern.

With lotus leaves and lotus roots, it would be realistic and complete.

The other eunuchs suddenly understood, as if they had all remembered.

“Right, right, I saw it, it was a lotus root.”

“Sigh, this Young Master Shangguan, really knows how to tear things apart.”

They muttered to themselves and went back inside.

The gazes behind him disappeared, Shangguan Yue’s tense shoulders slowly relaxed. That eunuch had indeed seen it, but as expected, he couldn’t see it clearly.

What he was holding in his arms was a lotus root, but not a lotus root, but a lotus root person.

Shangguan Yue didn’t know if he should call it that, because he didn’t know what to call it.

Just now, taking advantage of the chaos, he had picked up what was originally a lotus root on the ground, but had turned into a person.

Earlier this morning, when she handed him the lotus root, Bai Li had instructed him to pick it up and take it away after throwing it down.

He reached out and picked up the “lotus root”, feeling the delicate body, and it was much heavier than a lotus root…

It wasn’t his imagination, the lotus root had really turned into a person.

He walked out step by step, his body stiff. Even more bizarre was that everyone who saw him thought he was holding a lotus root in his arms.

Shangguan Yue lowered his head, looking at the “lotus root person” in his arms.

The night was dark, he couldn’t see the person’s face clearly.

Or rather, this person seemed to have no facial features.

He must be dreaming.

Only in a dream could he see such a bizarre scene!

He looked back. The Imperial Palace was still dazzling, but it was now shrouded in a layer of gauze, dreamlike and unreal.