Bai Li’s Dream – Chapter 101

Chapter 101: Invitation

Chun Yue, Chun Hong, and two servant women brought over cushions and tea sets that had been prepared elsewhere, their expressions tense and worried as they watched Zhuang Li sit down.

Zhou Jingyun sat down beside her, continuing to support her shoulders.

“I….” Zhuang Li forced a smile, wanting to say she was fine, but she wasn’t. Saying so wouldn’t comfort anyone. “This is an old illness that has flared up.”

Zhou Jingyun looked at her pale face, his heart filled with regret and self-reproach.

Zhuang Li rarely went out, which meant that aside from her fugitive status, there were also health reasons.

He was the one who insisted on bringing her out, wanting her to see the beauty of the capital.

But that was just what he wanted; he hadn’t considered what she wanted.

Well, to be precise, she agreed to come out because she wanted to please him.

Although Zhuang Li didn’t know the tongue twister going on in Zhou Jingyun’s mind, she could see his self-blame and regret.

“Actually, it’s a good thing. If Master Zhou hadn’t brought me out, if I hadn’t played the flute…” she said with a smile, “I wouldn’t have known about this hidden danger.”

She meant it.

It had been a long time since she had been unable to distinguish reality from illusion.

It had first happened when she was a child. Because she didn’t understand her own strangeness, she was muddle-headed. She could enter other people’s dreams, and it was inevitable that she would also create her own dreams, not knowing what was real and what was an illusion.

After she started living with Master Zhuang and his wife, they taught her to understand herself and stabilized her soul. This situation no longer occurred until she learned about the Bai family’s execution. She had used her dream transformation ability to travel back home, but she got lost in the labyrinth and couldn’t wake up.

Master Zhuang and his wife woke her up, but because her vital energy was greatly damaged and her soul was unstable, she often couldn’t distinguish reality from illusion.

However, by the time Zhou Jingyun came to the academy, she had gotten much better.

And during these recent dream entries, nothing had gone wrong.

So, she hadn’t listened to Madam Zhuang’s advice, and sure enough, there was a problem.

No fear, no fear, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s good that she had discovered it, she would pay attention to being self-aware and vigilant.

“Young Madam, tea.” Chun Yue said with a worried expression.

Zhuang Li was about to reach for it, but Zhou Jingyun took it first and brought it to her lips to feed her.

Zhuang Li found it a little funny, but didn’t refuse, taking sips of tea from his hand.

“I’ll drink some tea and rest for a bit…” she said.

“Don’t talk.” Zhou Jingyun interrupted her. “Save your energy.”

He looked at Jiang Yun.

“Go ask if there’s a doctor nearby.”

Jiang Yun acknowledged the order and was about to leave when Zhuang Li called out to him.

“Really, there’s no need. I’m a doctor myself…” she said, then looked at Zhou Jingyun, taking his hand. “I know my own condition. Trust me, I take good care of myself.”

Zhou Jingyun looked at the small hand holding his.

Although it was slightly cool, it was strong.

He nodded, signaling Jiang Yun to withdraw.

“Okay, then we’ll rest here for a while.” He said, letting Zhuang Li lean against him. “Do you want something to eat?”

Chun Yue hurriedly said, “We brought some pastries made at home.”

Zhuang Li then said, “I want to eat radish cake.”

Chun Yue quickly agreed and went to get the pastries with the servant women.

Leaning against Zhou Jingyun, Zhuang Li deliberately changed the subject. “Was my flute playing nice just now?”

Zhou Jingyun nodded. “It was nice.” He added, “When you’re feeling better, I’ll play the qin and flute together with you.”

So he really could play the qin, Zhuang Li thought, then hesitated slightly. Could it be that she had such an expectation in her heart too?

A servant woman warmed up the radish cake on a small stove, and Chun Yue brought it over on a plate, along with a dish of preserved fruits.

Just as Zhuang Li was about to pick it up and eat, Jiang Yun’s voice came, “Who is it?” At the same time, a male voice said, “We are from Princess Jinyu’s Residence.” “Is this the Marquis of Dongyang’s Heir?”

The princess’s residence?

That’s right, on their way here, they had heard that the princess was offering Buddhist rites at Lingquan Temple, so the temple was closed to the public these days.

They couldn’t refuse to see people from the princess’s residence.

Zhou Jingyun signaled Jiang Yun to let them pass.

Two handsome young servants walked over on the winding mountain path and bowed respectfully when they saw Zhou Jingyun and his wife sitting on the ground.

“It is indeed the Heir and Young Madam.” One of them said, his eyes falling on the flute placed on the mat. “Just now, the princess heard the sound of the flute, like celestial music, and sent us to find the source. It turns out it was the Heir playing.”

“Indeed, only a celestial being like the Heir can play such celestial music.” The other servant chimed in, his face full of admiration. “To hear the Heir’s music, one has no regrets in life.”

✿✿✿

Compared to the ill-mannered steward from the Shangguan family, these two servants of the princess were extremely amiable and knew how to please people.

Zhou Jingyun didn’t say who played the flute, only smiling and saying, “We came to the mountain today to enjoy the plum blossoms. I apologize for disturbing the princess.”

The two servants hurriedly said in unison that there was no disturbance, their eyes full of admiration as they stated their purpose: “The princess would like to invite the Heir to the temple for a meeting.”

An invitation from the princess? Zhou Jingyun didn’t even think about it. “Thank you for the princess’s kindness, but my wife has just recovered from her illness and it’s not convenient for her to stay out for long. We are about to return. We will visit the princess another day.”

He refused.

He refused without hesitation.

The smiles on the two servants’ faces froze.

This was an invitation from the princess.

The princess’s invitation was both an honor and a command.

The Marquis of Dongyang’s Heir actually refused outright.

“This, this, Heir….” one servant stammered.

The other servant tried to find a solution: “Is the Young Madam unwell? The princess has an imperial physician with her, perhaps they could come with us….”

Zhou Jingyun said, “My wife is also skilled in medicine. She assisted the imperial physician with my aunt’s illness before. Now she is taking care of her own health, so we won’t trouble the imperial physician.” Seeing that the two servants were about to speak again, he said directly, “You don’t need to be embarrassed. Just relay my words to the princess.”

He smiled as he spoke.

“I have known the princess for a long time. She was often by the late emperor’s side and knows my temperament. She won’t blame you.”

After he said this, Jiang Yun also stood up and gestured to the two servants with his hand. “Please.”

It was as if he would drive them away if they didn’t leave.

The two servants could only helplessly withdraw. When they reached a higher ground and looked down again, they saw figures moving among the trees. The Marquis of Dongyang’s group was indeed packing up and leaving.

They nervously relayed Zhou Jingyun’s words to Princess Jinyu.

Princess Jinyu, sitting in the Buddhist hall, snorted coldly.

“He’s using those words to taunt me.” She said.

The two servants lowered their heads, trembling as they waited for the princess’s anger, but someone beside them chuckled.

“The Heir still has that temper. He really did come and go as he pleased before the late emperor, saying he wouldn’t come if he didn’t want to.”

The two servants raised their heads slightly and saw that the man sitting next to the princess was similar in age to the Imperial Consort’s Husband, but their appearances were worlds apart.

But the princess, who always judged people by their appearance, still allowed him to sit beside her.

This was because he had a guqin resting on his lap.

Shen Qing, the former palace musician, the Guqin Prodigy who only played for the emperor.

After hearing Shen Qing’s words, Princess Jinyu thought for a moment. That’s right, that Zhou Jingyun kid, relying on his good looks, had a very arrogant personality. Even the late emperor never made things difficult for him. Now the emperor also wanted to give him the same treatment as before, to show that he was a filial son and not a wicked ruler who had usurped his father’s throne.

Forget it, if she made things difficult for him, Zhou Jingyun would definitely dare to complain to the emperor, and the emperor would definitely scold her again.

She had already been scolded by the emperor three times in this short period of time, and she had lost all face.

“Let him be, he doesn’t know what’s good for him.” She cursed, then looked at the two servants kneeling on the ground and asked curiously, “Is Zhou Jingyun’s new wife pretty?”

So this matter was just brushed aside? The two servants were overjoyed and hurriedly answered.

“She is gentle and delicate, and the Heir cherishes her.”

“Yes, yes, even when she spoke to us, she was held in the Heir’s arms.”

Thinking back now, the woman leaned against Zhou Jingyun, casually and curiously looking at them, a red hood with a white collar covering her head, like a cute little rabbit.

Princess Jinyu snorted, too lazy to ask any more questions.

“I originally wanted the princess to hear a qin and flute duet, but we’ll have to wait until next time. Let me play a solo piece for the princess.” Shen Qing gently stroked the strings of the qin, and ethereal music filled the Buddhist hall. “The princess is the most noble woman in our Great Zhou. I hope to regain the favor I had before the emperor through the princess’s influence.”

Whether it was a qin and flute duet or a qin solo, Princess Jinyu didn’t really care. She wasn’t interested in music, dance, or any of that. However, she loved to hear Shen Qing’s last sentence.

Back then, Empress Jiang was just a commoner woman, but she was of true imperial blood. The power Empress Jiang had wielded back then, she could naturally wield as well.

“Play.” She said with a smile.