Bai Li’s Dream – Chapter 122

Chapter 122: Seeing

Zhuang Li regretted it for a moment.

She still took the risk.

This capital city, there’s the Imperial Bell that can strangle dreams, there’s someone who can pull her into dreams silently, and there’s someone who can catch her in the dream.

She should have been more cautious.

When she was young, she felt inferior because of her innate abilities, and when she grew up, she became arrogant because of them.

As Madam Zhuang said, “Oh you, you never cherish yourself.”

Yes, she could have changed her name and lived in seclusion.

She had lived that way for the past few years after leaving the Bai family and following Master and Madam Zhuang, and she planned to live that way forever.

However, the Bai family inexplicably encountered this catastrophe of extermination.

Even so, it was enough for her to cry, risk her soul to travel thousands of miles in a dream to bid farewell and pay respects.

Just as she had said to Old Madam Xue at the Xue Residence before, “Human life comes from nothing to something, and from nothing to something, it must return from something to nothing.”

Her father-daughter relationship with Bai Xun had ended here, the coming and going of fate, the natural order of things.

But, thinking of the mocking words spoken around the execution ground when the Bai family members were beheaded, saying that these disasters were brought by her, saying that the Bai family was exterminated because of her, this jinx.

She couldn’t swallow this anger.

She had to find out clearly who brought the disaster.

This was also being cautious from beginning to end, not in vain for her living a lifetime.

So this wasn’t a risk, it was something she had to do.

Zhuang Li ignored those eyes and turned to look at where she was.

No matter how absurd a dream is, it is based on reality.

She was near the Traveling Palace, and everyone here was preparing for the Imperial Heaven Worship Ceremony, so this altar should be where the Emperor worshipped Heaven.

Zhuang Li looked up at the sky, it seemed very high, and it seemed very close.

As she moved, those eyes also looked up.

“Whose sky do you think this is?”

She heard a voice ask.

The voice seemed to come from her own body.

This wasn’t strange either, she was now in someone else’s dream, naturally she was also one with the other person, and could hear the other person’s doubts and emotions.

Whose sky?

Zhuang Li didn’t even think, looking at the sky, she said: “Of course it belongs to everyone under Heaven.”

Loud laughter rang in her ears.

“That’s right, well said.”

Zhuang Li also smiled, until she saw the shadow under her feet.

It was her shadow.

Because under her feet, was her figure.

But it didn’t seem to be her shadow, because the shadow was looking up and laughing.

Zhuang Li’s heart suddenly beat like a drum, the drumbeat was intense and vivid, rising and falling, interweaving.

“The sky of everyone under Heaven, everyone under Heaven can worship it.”

“Let’s go, let’s go worship Heaven, bow to Heaven.”

Accompanied by this voice, Zhuang Li saw her shadow moving forward, stretching little by little, winding on the ground, straight towards the center of the altar.

The shadow stood up.

Although it was dark, Zhuang Li could recognize at a glance that it was herself.

She raised her hand towards Heaven and Earth, perhaps it was the wide sleeves, perhaps it was the shadow swaying with the wind, and then she bowed deeply.

“Emperor by Mandate of Heaven.”

“Emperor by Mandate of Heaven.”

The voice echoed between Heaven and Earth.

Zhuang Li looked back, those eyes were no longer looking at her, but at the shadow on the altar.

She turned her head again, and the bowing shadow also turned its head, looking at her.

Zhuang Li only felt a wave of dizziness, who was looking at whom, who was she?

As this thought flashed through her mind, Zhuang Li suddenly raised her hand, a crossbow appeared in her hand, she turned around and shot two arrows at those eyes.

No matter whose dream it was, it was her, Zhuang Li’s, dream to control.

The dim yellow arrows in the dream were like shooting stars, flying towards the eyes floating in mid-air.

The eyes closed instantly.

The dream collapsed.

✿✿✿

✿✿✿

“Open the door, open the door.”

It was more like smashing the door than knocking, the door was already knocked open as the voice spoke.

This was the residence of the musicians, a large shared room, where more than a dozen people lived.

The room became noisy, the lights were lit, and the musicians got up from their beds in a daze.

“Wake up quickly, it’s people from the Censorate.” Someone hurriedly pushed his companion next to him.

The companion next to him wasn’t lying down, but sitting with his back against the quilt, hands supporting his head, dozing off, with a qin still on his knees, as if he was still practicing diligently.

Pushed by his companion, he raised his head and covered his eyes with his hand, as if he couldn’t stand the sudden light in the room.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

The other musicians were also asking this question.

The Imperial Guards who came in also gave an answer, “Everyone stand still, don’t move, we’re searching for forbidden objects.”

The Imperial Guards had already dispersed and were searching everywhere, with two ritual specialists following behind.

Zhang Ze walked in from outside, watching the items being laid out one by one, with a yawning Wang Tong standing beside him.

The most numerous items here were musical instruments, of all kinds.

Zhang Ze looked at the musical instruments laid out in front of him, qin, sheng, xiao, drums, etc., the colors were black, brown, red, mottled colors, some instruments were engraved with poems, some with flowers and plants, some with butterflies…

Zhang Ze took out his knife and tapped on a qin.

“Aren’t these musical instruments provided by the Bureau of Music?” Zhang Ze asked.

“We receive our instruments from the Bureau of Music,” one person stepped forward and said, “But after receiving them, they become personal, and we rarely replace them, so as not to affect the feel.”

Zhang Ze looked at this person and smiled: “Musician Shen, it seems that you didn’t try to please Princess Jinyu in vain, you got your wish.”

Saying such blunt words in front of everyone was something that only Zhang Ze could do.

Shen Qing bowed respectfully: “It’s the appreciation of the Princess and His Majesty.”

As they were talking, the Imperial Guards and ritual specialists had also searched once, and found no inappropriate items.

Apart from their own musical instruments, the musicians had only common bedding and ceremonial robes.

Wang Tong beside him yawned repeatedly, impatient with their pleasantries, and urged: “Are you done? I’m so sleepy, I can’t keep my eyes open.”

As soon as he finished speaking, his voice paused.

“I hear…”

Zhang Ze instantly looked at him: “What do you hear?”

Before Wang Tong could answer, an Imperial Guard ran in from outside the door.

“Inspector, there’s something strange at the altar!”

The altar.

Zhang Ze turned and looked outside, over the brightly lit Traveling Palace, the night sky in the direction of the altar was as black as ink.

But in Zhang Ze’s vision, a figure appeared in the inky night sky.

Tall and imposing, her robes fluttering, she spread her arms as if to cover the sky and the earth.

At the same time, Wang Tong shouted out the words he hadn’t finished.

“…the bell rang.”

Accompanied by these words, the figure in the night sky in Zhang Ze’s vision also vanished into thin air.

“…Someone saw, on the altar, someone, no, I don’t know what it was, worshipping—”

At this time, the Imperial Guard also whispered in his ear.

✿✿✿

Zhang Ze said nothing, looking at the night sky that had returned to normal, he grabbed Wang Tong and rushed outside.

The Imperial Guards in the room hurriedly followed.

The disturbed musicians couldn’t help but take a few steps forward, crowding at the door and looking out.

“What are they investigating?”

“What’s strange?”

“Forbidden objects? What forbidden objects?”

The musicians were completely awake, and couldn’t help but whisper and discuss, looking at the night sky along with Zhang Ze and his group.

Outside, the lights were blazing, and the night sky was dyed red.

Standing at the back of the room, Shen Qing stretched out his hand and gently brushed the guqin. The butterfly carved on the guqin was suddenly peeled off, falling into his palm, and then put into his bosom.

He picked up the guqin, “Don’t inquire or discuss these matters, do our duty, so as not to bring trouble upon ourselves.”

That’s right, to live in the palace, one must remember to pretend to be deaf and dumb. The musicians hurriedly withdrew their gazes and closed the door.

“Hurry up and tidy up and go to sleep.”

“We have to get up early tomorrow.”

Everyone said one after another, putting the items that had been thrown all over the floor back in order and returning to their beds.

It was so cold, and they had been woken up, I don’t know if they could still fall asleep. A musician lay down and saw Shen Qing rubbing his eyes next to him.

“Musician Shen, what’s wrong?” he asked with concern.

Although Zhang Ze had just mocked Shen Qing in public for clinging to the Princess, for the musicians, the title of Guqin Prodigy was well-deserved, and there was no disdain at all.

Shen Qing smiled: “It’s nothing, my eyes are a little uncomfortable.”

The musician hurriedly said: “I told you before not to look at the music scores at night, it hurts your eyes, close your eyes quickly and let them rest.”

Shen Qing thanked him and lay down, the room gradually quieted down, the lights went out.

In the dim night, Shen Qing smiled, covering his eyes with his hand.

This woman is really fierce.

Weaving such gentleness for her for so long, still can’t cover her true nature.

✿✿✿

✿✿✿

“I saw, I saw a figure…”

“On the altar, bowing.”

“I thought, who was so bold to run up there, so I went to stop them.”

“Then, then, it disappeared.”

An official guarding the altar was brought over, stammering his description to Zhang Ze, the fear on his face had not yet dissipated, and when he said this, his legs went weak and he was about to kneel down.

Two Imperial Guards held him up.

Zhang Ze looked at the others: “And you?”

There was more than one official guarding the altar, there were also Imperial Guards.

Hearing Zhang Ze’s question, they all shook their heads. “No.” “I didn’t see.” “I only saw Clerk Lin screaming and kneeling on the ground.”

Hearing everyone say this, Clerk Lin became even more frightened, trembling and saying, “I didn’t lie, I, I…”

Zhang Ze looked at him: “Then you must have been drunk from drinking alcohol.”

Clerk Lin was startled and hurriedly shook his head: “No, no, I wouldn’t dare—”

But before he could finish his words, Zhang Ze waved his hand: “Take him away! Clerk Lin drank alcohol while on duty, desecrating the altar, it’s outrageous!”

Clerk Lin really collapsed this time, tears streaming down his face, wanting to say something, but the Imperial Guards had already swiftly dislocated his jaw and dragged him away.

Zhang Ze looked at the other people here again.

Those who were swept by his gaze trembled.

“Investigate carefully, see if anyone else dares to drink alcohol at this time,” Zhang Ze said.

The Imperial Guards responded with a “Yes.”

Zhang Ze ignored these people and walked towards the altar.

Wang Tong followed behind, looking left and right, and whispered: “I don’t think that person drank alcohol.” He then looked down at the Three Purities Bell at his waist, “It is said that this bell can’t be rung by humans, but it vibrates when encountering illusions, so what exactly appeared here?” After saying that, he grabbed Zhang Ze’s arm and asked in a low voice, “Empress Jiang’s ghost?” Then he raised his eyebrows, “She’s rushing to worship Heaven?”

Zhang Ze glanced at him: “Didn’t you hear what I just said? I said Clerk Lin was drunk.”

Wang Tong understood what Zhang Ze meant, to attribute the strangeness that Clerk Lin saw to drunken nonsense, so as not to cause panic and affect tomorrow’s Imperial Heaven Worship Ceremony.

But he just wanted to discuss it.

Zhang Ze had been ordering him around all night, they should be considered brothers.

Besides, it was he who broke the strangeness, without him, Zhang Ze would still be foolishly searching everywhere, while Empress Jiang’s ghost would have finished worshipping Heaven!

Wang Tong said angrily: “I won’t say another word to you!”

After saying that, he flung his sleeves and walked away.

Zhang Ze didn’t pay any more attention to him, standing on the altar, he looked up at the night sky.

Of course he knew that Clerk Lin hadn’t drunk alcohol, because he hadn’t drunk alcohol either.

Clerk Lin saw the strangeness on the altar, and he also saw the figure in the night sky.

They were both pulled into the illusion.

Fortunately, with the ringing of the Three Purities Bell carried by Wang Tong, the illusion was broken, the figure dissipated, and clarity was restored.

“Inspector.” The ritual specialists who were searching around came hurriedly, and said in a low voice, “Found it.”

Zhang Ze turned to look and saw a ritual specialist holding something.

A paper cutting.

A human figure paper cutting.

…….

…….

“So it was the remnants of Empress Jiang’s faction who gathered ritual specialists and used illusions to intimidate people?”

The Emperor said, looking at the paper figure handed to him.

Zhang Ze nodded: “Previously, when Princess Jinyu was at Lingquan Temple, all the monks fell into a deep sleep, it should have been their doing, and my subordinate Zhu Shan hanged himself in the middle of the night, it was also their method.”

To be able to make someone hang themselves to death, the Emperor looked at the paper figure with some disgust, and waved his hand: “Quickly get rid of this kind of witchcraft and evil object.”

Wang Tong flicked his horsetail whisk and stepped forward, picked up the paper figure, and lit it with fire.

The paper figure instantly turned to ashes.

“Your Majesty, you don’t need to worry, these tricks will fall apart on their own,” he said.

Saying that they would fall apart on their own, but they had already reached the altar, which showed that their methods were not ordinary. The Emperor called the Chief Eunuch: “Quickly go and invite Xuanyangzi.”

The Chief Eunuch responded with a “Yes” and hurriedly went.

Wang Tong curled his lips at the side, but didn’t say that it was enough with him, anyway, the Ancestor wouldn’t come, if they wanted to invite him, then go ahead.

Zhang Ze said: “Your Majesty, rest assured, illusions are ultimately illusions, in the presence of the Son of Heaven, under the Heavenly Dao, they are insignificant.”

Yes, no matter what, Bai Ying saw it, Princess Jinyu encountered it, and Zhang Ze’s subordinate even lost his life, only he had no feeling from beginning to end.

Logically speaking, the remnants of Empress Jiang’s faction most wanted to get rid of him.

It’s just that evil spirits and crooked ways are futile in front of the Son of Heaven.

The Emperor regained his composure and embraced Bai Ying beside him: “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

Bai Ying nodded, but her expression didn’t relax.

It was an illusion.

Not ghosts, but human methods.

Bai Ying clenched her hand.

She didn’t know if Empress Jiang’s faction had such methods, but she knew that her younger sister had such methods.

Making people see non-existent ghosts, driving people mad, giving people nightmares!

So, it wasn’t Empress Jiang’s ghost haunting from the beginning.

Bai Li, as expected, had come long ago!

And, she must be not far away!

Recently, are there a lot of updates? Because another 30,000 words have been deleted, there’s no stock left at all, I’ll update more if I write more each day, and less if I write less, I’ll ask for leave in advance if I haven’t written anything.