Chapter 249: Daylight

Daylight broke. Seeing a carriage parked outside the gate, the gatekeeper of the Marquis of Dongyang’s Residence couldn’t help but turn pale.

The events of yesterday were still spreading like wildfire throughout the city, why had the Prince of Chu come again?!

Fortunately, the Prince of Chu didn’t appear, only a servant ran over, and he didn’t shout or make a scene.

“Ask the Marquis’s Heir, how is the matter we discussed yesterday progressing?” The servant only asked to convey this one sentence.

The gatekeeper didn’t understand the cryptic message, but he didn’t dare to ask further. He hurried inside to relay it. Not long after, he returned and handed over a letter.

“The Marquis’s Heir said, what’s not convenient to say, he has written on paper.” The gatekeeper stammered.

His heart was in turmoil. Oh heavens, what unspeakable things were there?

Inside the dimly lit carriage, Li Yu opened the letter. There was only one sheet of paper inside, with a few hastily written sentences.

“She has woken up, but she is still very weak. I’m hiding her identity from my family. It’s not convenient for you to come in. When she gets better, I will take her to the Prince of Chu’s Residence.”

Li Yu looked at these words, his expression calm, and lowered his eyes to put the letter away.

Cai Songnian, who had been nervously watching from the side, worried that Li Yu would rush in and go mad, was stunned. His Highness was actually so calm?

“I guessed it,” Li Yu said lightly, raising his eyes to look at the gate of the Marquis of Dongyang’s Residence, his eyes deep, “So I’m not surprised.”

Yesterday, they wouldn’t let him see her, which meant there was a problem, so they would definitely find an excuse to continue preventing him from seeing her.

Although his face was calm, the thin letter in his hand was slowly being crushed.

Seeing the shattered letter, Cai Songnian hurriedly changed the subject: “Your Highness, let’s go to the Princess’s Residence.”

Princess Jinyu wanted to marry into the Li family, now that Li Chengyuan was dead, Li Yu had to go, whether to gloat or pretend to be disappointed, to give the Princess a reaction.

Li Yu hummed in agreement: “Let’s go.” He paused again, “Have someone keep an eye on Zhou Jingyun.”

Cai Songnian breathed a sigh of relief, at least His Highness appeared normal on the surface. He hurriedly responded with a “Yes,” urging the coachman to drive and quickly leave the front of the Marquis of Dongyang’s Residence.

Hearing from Jiang Yun that Li Yu’s carriage had left, without even getting out of the carriage, let alone making a fuss, Zhou Jingyun stood in the courtyard, but he didn’t relax.

He hadn’t forgotten the look in the young man’s eyes when he looked at Bai Li, and how he had gone mad yesterday. Today, he had left so obediently.

He didn’t know what Li Yu had misunderstood, or what he was planning.

But no matter what, he couldn’t let Li Yu see her at this moment. The Bai Li who wasn’t Bai Li.

Li Yu was the Emperor’s grandson. Back then, everyone said that the Crown Prince’s death was the Empress Jiang’s doing. To Li Yu, the one who had harmed his parents and caused him to fall to his current state was the Empress Jiang, his sworn enemy.

Although Bai Li looked like Bai Li before, he could recognize that she was the “Empress Jiang.” Li Yu might be able to as well.

If Li Yu discovered that Bai Li was the Empress Jiang, and if he did something harmful to Bai Li…

Zhou Jingyun let out a soft breath. He couldn’t take that risk.

“Zhou Jingyun.”

A voice came from behind him.

Zhou Jingyun turned around and saw the woman standing at the door. She had changed her clothes and was looking down at herself.

“The color is a bit too light,” she said. “That’s how young people are, they don’t wear bright colors.”

Zhou Jingyun walked over: “What kind do you like? I’ll have them make some.”

She looked up: “No need, it’s all the same what I wear, I’m not picky.” She smiled slightly. “Come, tell me about what you’ve been doing outside all these years.”

Zhou Jingyun said: “You knew what I was doing before, right? I also know that all those years, if it weren’t for you protecting me from behind, things wouldn’t have gone so smoothly for me.”

He raised his hand in a salute.

“I thought I wouldn’t be able to thank you in person.”

A hearty laugh rang out beside his ear.

“Zhou Jingyun, you’ve really changed a lot over the years,” she said with a smile.

Zhou Jingyun didn’t respond to her teasing words and continued: “Later, when you were gone, I started doing some of the things you had planned, like strictly investigating the provincial examinations and strictly adhering to the five-grade evaluation system.”

She let out an “Oh”: “Wouldn’t that be difficult? When I was around, I relied on severe punishments to implement them. Now that I’m gone, things have changed.”

Zhou Jingyun looked at her: “People are not stupid. As long as they know that some things are right, good, and beneficial, they will willingly follow them. In this way, everyone will see Your Majesty’s wisdom.”

She looked at him and smiled slightly: “Is this what you plan to do in the future?”

Zhou Jingyun nodded: “Yes.”

“Well said.” She smiled and nodded, then raised an eyebrow. “But are you also telling me that there’s someone to carry on my work, so I can die in peace, leave quickly, and not occupy someone else’s body?”

Zhou Jingyun suddenly laughed, neither admitting nor denying, and said: “Your Majesty is wise.”

She laughed heartily again.

The laughter stopped again.

“Go and call Zhang Ze,” she said. “I have something to ask him.”

Zhou Jingyun’s expression stiffened slightly: “Tell me what you want to ask, and I’ll tell him.”

“What? Are you afraid he’ll find out who I am?” she asked, then smiled. “Let him see. He can’t just know the older sister and not be familiar with the younger sister.”

With that, her face darkened.

“Zhou Jingyun, I’m just informing you. Whether you go or not, it won’t affect what I do.”

If she wanted to walk out by herself, there was no way he could stop her, not to mention she had the ability to do things without even walking out. Zhou Jingyun lowered his head and replied, “Yes.”

“What other delicacies does your Marquis’s Residence have? Bring them out for me to try,” she suddenly said, looking at Zhou Jingyun. “You never used to invite me to feasts before. Now that I can eat and drink at your house, it seems that death also has its benefits.”

Zhou Jingyun seemed to be both amused and exasperated: “We used to offer tributes, but you didn’t think much of them.”

“You didn’t put your heart into those tributes before,” she said, smiling slightly. “Now I’m giving you a chance to do so.”

✿✿✿

Zhou Jingyun looked at her and nodded: “Alright.”

Watching the woman enter the room, Zhou Jingyun also went outside. Madam Zhuang stood by the window of the side room and couldn’t help but sigh softly.

The bond between the Marquis’s Heir and that person was also extraordinary.

Yes, the reason Zhou Jingyun had taken the initiative to take Ah Li away was for the Empress Jiang. He couldn’t bear to see her bear a bad name and wanted to save those who had suffered because of it.

So now, was the Marquis’s Heir treating this person this way because of Ah Li? Or was it his own will?

After such a long time, could he still tell who he was doing it for? Who he wanted to stay?

The sound of a child’s laughter rang out from the Hanliang Palace. The Emperor carried the child inside.

“Your Majesty, don’t always spoil him. Just let the wet nurses hold him and coax him to sleep.” Bai Ying advised, rubbing her arms. “He’s getting harder and harder to handle.”

The Emperor tossed the child up, causing him to giggle again.

“What’s so hard about handling him? Our Precious Boy is so obedient. You just don’t know how to coax him, always making him cry.” The Emperor laughed along, then looked at Bai Ying. “You don’t have to come, in case he gets fussy and won’t sleep.”

Bai Ying’s face was filled with shame: “I’ve been taking care of children since I was young, but I’m not as good as Your Majesty. Why am I so clumsy?” She said, looking at the desk beside her, where memorials were scattered. “And I’m delaying Your Majesty’s state affairs.”

Speaking of which, the Emperor looked at the desk.

“What state affairs? It’s all absurd.” He said. “Li Chengyuan killed himself, and the Li family still has the nerve to ask for a posthumous title.”

He gestured to Bai Ying.

“You refuse them on my behalf.”

Bai Ying’s expression was panicked, and she was about to kneel: “Your Majesty, I wouldn’t dare.”

The Emperor laughed: “What are you afraid of? Look, there are all sorts of previous examples over there. You just need to pick a few nice words and write them down. It’s not a big deal.”

Bai Ying shook her head repeatedly: “It’s against etiquette, I can’t be so presumptuous.” She covered her face. “Because I kept Your Majesty in the Hanliang Palace, the Princess has repeatedly admonished me.”

The Emperor frowned: “What did she admonish you about?” He snorted. “She should admonish herself. She thinks she’s smart, but she’s still muddle-headed. She actually wanted to marry into the Li family. Now look, she’s become a laughingstock.”

Bai Ying lowered her head, concealing the smile at the corner of her mouth, but still repeatedly declined.

The Emperor didn’t force her, knowing that because of the Empress Jiang’s incident before, the court officials were very wary of the harem interfering in politics. The concubines were also fearful, afraid of attracting criticism.

But of course it was different. That Empress Jiang had bewitched the previous Emperor and was bent on seizing power. He and Bai Ying were a couple who had shared hardships and joys.

Forget it, A’ying had always been a timid and cowardly little woman who was most afraid of being accused of being rude.

“Alright, then you help me tidy up the desk. I’ll come back after I’ve coaxed the child to sleep.”

Bai Ying happily replied with a “Yes,” and, lifting her skirt, sat down at the desk, carefully arranging the scattered memorials.

The Emperor smiled and carried the child inside.

“Your Majesty.” Wang Degui slid over from the side, knelt behind Bai Ying, and said in a low voice, “The Inspector General said that he was personally present at the time, and Li Chengyuan did indeed kill himself. He has also investigated these past two days, and there is indeed no one manipulating things behind the scenes.”

Bai Ying let out an “Oh,” her expression regretful: “He died too early. It would have been better if he had died after marrying the Prince of Chu.” She looked at the memorials on the desk. Of course, she wouldn’t touch them now, but in the future, she definitely would.

The Prince had already been born. Although she couldn’t become the Empress, it was time to expand her network.

Li Chengyuan’s death was also an opportunity.

Although that old geezer Li Chengyuan looked down on her, she didn’t dislike the crooked melons and cracked dates in the Li family. They could be of use.

“Have Zhang Ze come see me,” she sat up straight and said to Wang Degui.

Wang Degui responded with a “Yes” and hurriedly turned to leave. Not long after, he returned.

“Your Majesty,” he said with some trepidation, “The Inspector General has gone out on business.”

Bai Ying slapped a memorial on the table: “Where has he gone again? It’s really not easy for me to see him these days.”

Wang Degui hurriedly tried to appease her: “Your Majesty, please calm down. The Inspector General has instructed Vice-Director Guo to await your orders. You can tell him anything you need, he’s waiting outside the palace.”

Bai Ying knew this Vice-Director Guo. He was someone Zhang Ze had brought with him from his hometown, and he relied on him greatly.

Forget it. Bai Ying whispered instructions to Wang Degui. Wang Degui nodded repeatedly. As they were talking, a eunuch came in.

“Your Majesty, the Prince of Chu requests an audience with His Majesty.”

Bai Ying’s face darkened, and she gestured to Wang Degui: “Go and see him. Tell him that His Majesty is with the little Prince and it’s not convenient for him to see anyone at the moment. He can come back later.”

Wang Degui responded with a “Yes” and hurried out.

Bai Ying picked up the imperial brush and twirled it gently in her hand. This Prince of Chu had indeed started to cozy up to His Majesty. No way.

“Your Majesty.” Wang Degui hurried back in, his face a bit strange. “The Prince of Chu said… he wants to see you.”

Bai Ying sneered: “It’s no use seeing me. I won’t take him to see His Majesty. I’m not his aunt.”

Wang Degui knelt beside her and whispered: “The Prince of Chu said… he wants to ask about your younger sister, Bai Li.”

Bai Li?

Bai Ying was surprised and looked out of the palace. That name was actually mentioned again. She had almost forgotten about her.

And this time, it wasn’t Zhou Jingyun, but the Prince of Chu.