Bai Li’s Dream – Chapter 105

Chapter 105: This Technique

There is?

Zhang Ze sat up straight.

He had only asked casually, not expecting Zhou Jingyun to answer anything.

There really is?

“I don’t know if this counts as an anomaly.” Zhou Jingyun said hesitantly, “When my wife and I were admiring the plum blossoms, she suddenly felt unwell and had a relapse of her old illness.”

This Young Madam Zhuang is indeed frail and delicate, Zhang Ze thought to himself.

“She was sick before, but she has recovered, or rather, I thought she had recovered a lot, or maybe this is not an anomaly, maybe I’m overthinking it.” Zhou Jingyun said, suddenly feeling a bit unclear himself.

Zhang Ze laughed, his expression full of emotion: “Others, when facing me, Zhang Ze, would rather become mute, for fear that speaking too much will bring trouble, only the Marquis’s Heir is so frank with me.”

Zhou Jingyun smiled: “The Inspector General is working for the court, even the smallest matters could be related to major events, I should naturally be frank.”

Zhang Ze nodded with satisfaction, paused for a moment: “If Young Madam did not have a relapse at any other time, but only at that time, it might really be an anomaly.” He looked at Zhou Jingyun, “That day, after Princess Jinyu left, all the monks at Lingquan Temple fell asleep, whether they were welcoming guests at the door, guarding the incense in the Buddha Hall, or cleaning the courtyard, all the monks fell asleep on the spot, until they were discovered and woken up by pilgrims coming up the mountain.”

Although he had just heard the officials discussing the matter, compared to the absurdity that made people laugh it off, what Zhang Ze said was shocking.

All of them, at the same time, fell asleep, this is definitely not something like being tired from serving the princess, Zhou Jingyun’s expression was solemn: “Has the Inspector General found out the reason?”

As he spoke, he stood up, his eyes filled with anxiety and worry.

“So my wife was affected, yes, she has just recovered from a serious illness, her body is still weak.”

“I wonder if there are any lasting effects?”

Zhang Ze reassured Zhou Jingyun: “It should be fine, the monks at Lingquan Temple, Princess Jinyu, including the two young masters of the Shangguan family, I have had the imperial physicians examine them, there are no abnormalities in their bodies.”

Zhou Jingyun stood up and bowed: “If the Inspector General finds out the reason later, please let me know.” He then muttered to himself, “I should take her to see a doctor again.”

Seeing that he was already eager to return home, Zhang Ze smiled and nodded, then got up and left.

Zhou Jingyun briefly told the concerned officials who gathered around that he was asking about the situation at Lingquan Temple on East Mountain, then hurried home.

“All the monks fell asleep?”

After listening to Zhou Jingyun’s story, Zhuang Li was also surprised.

Zhou Jingyun scrutinized Zhuang Li: “How did you sleep last night?” He then remembered that Zhuang Li always fell asleep after he read three pages of a book, he had originally thought that she was sleeping well, but now he couldn’t help but wonder if she had also been adversely affected, “Let’s still invite Doctor Zhang to take a look.”

But Zhang Ze said that all those monks had been examined by the imperial physicians, and no problems were found, which shows that this is a strangeness that cannot be detected by medical skills.

Then go to burn incense and worship Buddha?

That’s not right either, Lingquan Temple is a Buddhist temple, even the Buddha’s presence could not prevent this from happening.

Find a folk magician?

Seeing Zhou Jingyun frowning in silence, Zhuang Li knew that he was overthinking things.

“I’m really fine.” She said with a smile, and then seriously analyzed with Zhou Jingyun, “I think this strange incident was only aimed at the monks in the temple, I was only slightly affected because I was not in good health at the time, you see, you and everyone else are fine, after leaving that place, I was also fine.”

Zhou Jingyun breathed a sigh of relief: “I will pay attention to the progress of Zhang Ze’s investigation.” He looked at Zhuang Li again, “If you feel uncomfortable, you must tell me.”

Zhuang Li smiled and nodded: “I know, I won’t hide it from the Marquis’s Heir.”

Zhou Jingyun finally showed a hint of a smile, he could feel her trust in him, or perhaps, reliance.

“I’ll go see my mother.” He said, “I’ll be back for dinner in a while.”

Zhuang Li said yes and watched Zhou Jingyun leave, the smile on her face faded.

Saying she was fine was indeed to appease Zhou Jingyun.

She also knew what was going on with the monks at Lingquan Temple.

Someone was weaving a dreamscape, making them fall asleep at the same time.

Not only that, but they also pulled her in.

So that’s how it is.

She had also originally thought that the day she was admiring the plum blossoms, it was her old illness acting up, her body was weak, so she had hallucinations.

It turned out that she had entered someone else’s dreamscape.

She knew that she was not the only monster in this world, there must be people like her.

The question now is, was this person targeting the monks, or was it aimed at her?

……

✿✿✿

Night enveloped the earth, but the Censorate was still brightly lit.

Zhang Ze looked at the papers spread out on the desk, densely covered with the names of people who had appeared near Lingquan Temple.

After investigation, apart from the monks at Lingquan Temple, only the Young Madam of the Marquis of Dongyang had some slight abnormality.

This, is not really an abnormality, the Marquis Zhou is just doting on his wife, overthinking it.

It’s obvious that Young Madam Zhuang is just recovering from a serious illness and is not in good health.

Besides, there is also one more…..

Zhang Ze’s eyes fell on a name, Shangguan Yue.

Because he had a fight with Shangguan Kejiu at Lingquan Temple that day, he was also questioned, and when asked if there was anything unusual, that kid also said there was.

“I don’t know why, but I cried when I saw Lingquan Temple.”

“I’ve never cried before, Inspector General, I suspect that Shangguan Kejiu injured my head.”

“Shangguan Kejiu harmed me like this, my father and family came to reprimand me, and even threatened to drive me out of the capital.”

“Inspector General, you must uphold justice for me.”

✿✿✿

Thinking of these words, Zhang Ze shook his head, this annoying illegitimate son’s brain is indeed broken, and he still wants to use him to deal with the Shangguan family.

He, Zhang Ze, is not a fool.

Zhang Ze’s gaze moved away from these names.

“What did the people around Princess Jinyu say?” He asked.

An attendant said: “The princess took twenty servants into Lingquan Temple and stayed for a total of three days, during which time she closed the door to visitors and concentrated on worshipping Buddha, except for inviting the Marquis of Dongyang’s Heir once, which was refused, no one else entered or left Lingquan Temple.”

Another attendant added: “The princess’s schedule in the temple was the same as in the residence, mostly sleeping during the day and worshipping Buddha at night, and she did not notice any abnormalities during this time.”

Zhang Ze was silent for a moment, the princess’s schedule is to sleep during the day, could it be that these monks were affected by the princess’s schedule?

No, no, he shook off this thought again, one or two people could be said to be affected, but it’s impossible for so many people to be affected together.

The well water had not been drugged, and there was no residual incense in the temple.

“Inspector General, Inspector General, there is news.” An attendant rushed in, “Someone knows how to make many people fall asleep at the same time.”

Zhang Ze’s eyes narrowed.

✿✿✿

✿✿✿

Perhaps the lights in the hall were too bright, or perhaps the black official robes of the Censorate were too intimidating, the middle-aged man who was brought in hunched over, his eyes darting around.

This was a man who performed on the streets.

Because he didn’t believe it was the work of ghosts, he was convinced that it was the Empress Jiang’s faction using shady means, since it was shady and unknown, Zhang Ze ordered to investigate among the lowlifes and the martial arts world.

Sure enough, when asked what means could make many people fall asleep at the same time without noticing, in addition to the usual means of drugs and incense, someone mentioned an uncommon one.

Zhuyou Ritual.

“Zhuyou）.” Zhang Ze narrowed his eyes and repeated the two words.

He knew what Zhuyou was.

Witchcraft.

“Witchcraft is also a kind of medical art, it’s not that bad.” The man said with a forced smile, “It can also be used to treat illnesses in daily life, such as tooth extraction, children’s night terrors…”

Zhang Ze was not interested in listening to his rambling, he asked directly: “Can you do it? Make me fall asleep and try.”

The man smiled wryly and said: “This, this, Your Excellency, your mind is strong, and, and you are already on guard, this old man can’t do it, this kind of thing, must be done when people are unprepared…”

“Then how do I know what you are saying is true?” Zhang Ze asked.

The man’s eyes flickered, and he suddenly reached for his chest.

As soon as he raised his hand, the surrounding guards drew their swords and surrounded him.

“Spare me.” The man was so frightened that he knelt on the ground, raised his hands and shouted, “I, I just, brought a tool, I want to show the Inspector General, a little, it’s similar to making people fall asleep.”

Zhang Ze motioned for the guards to step back a little, but still blocked him with their bodies, and the swords in the guards’ hands were not put away.

“Show it.” Zhang Ze said.

The man looked at the gleaming sword tips around him, silently chanting the phrase “fortune lies in danger,” swallowed his saliva, and stammered: “The Zhuyou Ritual requires borrowing objects, after all, transferring essence and transforming energy is necessary for Zhuyou…. so I brought a sparrow I raised, to show you all, how to, transfer essence and transform energy.”

As he spoke, his hand reached towards his chest.

The guards stared intently at the man’s movements, Zhang Ze also watched carefully, feeling that the man’s movements were particularly slow, as if he was afraid of being misunderstood, and as if he was being careful not to hurt the sparrow in his arms.

The man’s hand slowly came out, Zhang Ze heard a bird’s chirp, and then saw a fluffy sparrow’s head.

The sparrow was tightly clutched in the man’s hand, chirping twice.

“And then?” Zhang Ze asked, “What can it do?”

A strange smile appeared on the man’s face: “It can, fly—”

With these words, he raised his hand.

The surrounding guards were startled, subconsciously shouting to stop him, Zhang Ze dodged slightly behind them, and then saw the sparrow in the man’s hand fly up, chirping, fluttering around the room, and landing on a beam.

“What’s there to show about this!” A guard shouted, with some annoyance at being tricked.

These damned street performers, do they take them for ignorant children?

Just a sparrow, you can catch one anywhere outside with your hand.

Zhang Ze didn’t speak, just looked at the man, it was obvious that without a reasonable explanation, this performer would have his head twisted off along with his sparrow.

The man shivered under the murderous intent in the room, and hurriedly pointed to the beam: “No, no, Inspector General, look closely, it’s not a sparrow.”

Not a sparrow? Is it another kind of bird? What’s the difference? Zhang Ze looked as instructed, the originally somewhat dim beam became clear, and then he saw a bird hanging on it.

This was not the sparrow they had just seen, but a woven, bird.

Zhang Ze’s eyes widened instantly, and there was a commotion among the surrounding soldiers, accompanied by the commotion and stares, the woven bird fell from the beam.

With a thud, it rolled on the ground, flipped over, and stopped moving.

Happy holidays, friends, save it and read it after the holidays, it’s a continuous plot, you’ll be confused if you only read one chapter.