Chapter 276: Stabilize the Situation

When Zhang Ze finished speaking, the hall seemed to freeze for a moment.

Bai Ying chuckled: “This is the first time Inspector General has complimented my appearance.”

Zhang Ze said: “The reason you are the Noble Consort is not because of your appearance, so there’s no need to praise that.” He smiled again, looking at Bai Ying, “But Your Ladyship is dressed magnificently today, with an extraordinary presence.”

Bai Ying smiled: “Indeed, fine feathers make fine birds. I’m already the Noble Consort, so I should dress accordingly.” She seemed to remember something and glanced at Zhang Ze reproachfully, “I forgot to mention the important matter because of the Inspector General’s interruption.”

Zhang Ze looked at her.

“The Princess of Chu is my younger sister, Bai Li,” Bai Ying said.

Zhang Ze asked in a deep voice: “Should we directly arrest her, or will Your Ladyship wait for His Majesty’s order?”

Bai Ying scrutinized him, somewhat surprised: “Isn’t the Inspector General surprised at all?”

Zhang Ze did not avoid her gaze: “Your Ladyship, I told you long ago that your younger sister must still be alive.” He paused, “However, it’s indeed a bit unexpected that she became the Princess of Chu, but…”

He immediately shook his head.

“Zhou Jingyun has been acting strangely since his wife passed away, and he’s also gotten close to the Prince of Chu, so it’s not surprising that your younger sister appeared by the Prince of Chu’s side.”

“Besides, it can also be confirmed that the Prince of Chu is collaborating with remnants of Empress Jiang’s faction.”

He looked at Bai Ying with a smile.

“Your Ladyship, you can get rid of the Prince of Chu.”

Bai Ying had been watching him, and upon hearing this, she shook her head: “Don’t be rash.”

Zhang Ze frowned: “Your Ladyship, this is a golden opportunity. The Prince of Chu has also offended Princess Jinyu. As long as we take action, the Prince of Chu is doomed this time. As for your younger sister, I’ll personally see to it that her head rolls.”

“You underestimate her,” Bai Ying said. “This monster, how can she die so easily? And before she dies, she will definitely drag me down with her. That child is in her hands.”

Zhang Ze asked: “That child? The little princess?” He then chuckled, “Without any evidence, no one will believe it.”

Bai Ying shook her head: “No, she can make people unable to distinguish between truth and falsehood. We can’t underestimate her.” She looked at Zhang Ze, “So I won’t arrest her. I’ll persuade her.”

“Persuade?” Zhang Ze was puzzled.

“Yes, what good is it for her to harm me?” Bai Ying said, looking at Zhang Ze, her eyes flickering. “If I die, what can she gain? She’s now the Princess of Chu, I’m the Noble Consort. As long as we sisters work together, the wealth and glory of this world will be ours!”

Zhang Ze looked at her.

“Your Ladyship, does she agree?” he asked.

“I don’t care if she agrees or not. I just need to stabilize her,” Bai Ying whispered, taking a deep breath. “She came back from the dead and has my daughter in her hands, yet she didn’t directly expose it to the world. Instead, she came to see me, seemingly to threaten me. But it also proves that she knows she can’t do anything to me, and she also wants to stabilize me.”

She sneered.

“Then I’ll cry to her, get angry at her, show her that I have no other choice.”

“I’ll be terrified, panicked. I can’t kill her, I can only beg her.”

She seemed to remember something.

“That’s not enough. I need to see the Prince of Chu, bow to him, show him that I’m willing to support him, obey his orders, only begging him to preserve my current wealth and glory.”

Zhang Ze looked at Bai Ying and understood. It was still the same old trick of playing the victim in front of the emperor.

“Since the Prince of Chu can cooperate with remnants of Empress Jiang’s faction, he probably wouldn’t mind having Your Ladyship as an additional force,” he said with a smile. “In that case, the Prince of Chu will also help Your Ladyship control Bai Li, so she won’t pose a threat to Your Ladyship for the time being.”

Bai Ying looked at him and asked with a smile: “Right, doing this is better than falling out with them, isn’t it?” She gently adjusted her Noble Consort’s ceremonial robe. “It wasn’t easy for me to put on this dress and reach this position. It’s easy to get rid of them, but I can’t let them taint me.”

Zhang Ze slowly nodded: “That’s also an option.” He then cautioned, “But this is not a long-term solution. We still need to act as soon as possible. The least threatening people in this world are the dead.”

Bai Ying hummed in agreement: “I know, but before we act, we must ensure there are no mistakes. My younger sister, she has escaped death time and time again, and has successively climbed onto Zhou Jingyun, Li Yu…”

From the Marquis’s Heir to the Prince, one step higher than the other.

Bai Ying clenched her hands in front of her.

“I’ve endured so much hardship to achieve the wealth and glory I have today, but she obtained it so easily. I really underestimated her. Her abilities are greater than I imagined.”

“Therefore, we must be cautious this time.”

Zhang Ze bowed: “I will follow Your Ladyship’s arrangements.”

Bai Ying’s gaze fell on him, her voice slow: “Then I’ll trouble the Inspector General to keep a close eye on the Prince of Chu, gather more evidence and witnesses related to Empress Jiang’s remnants, and wait for the perfect opportunity to strike.”

Zhang Ze responded with another “Yes” and took his leave. He heard Bai Ying calling for Wang Degui.

“Prepare some gifts and send them to the Prince of Chu’s Residence.”

“And I’ll write a letter, you personally deliver it to the Prince of Chu.”

Wang Degui responded with “Yes.” Zhang Ze glanced at the two people talking in the hall, stepped out of the door, retracted his gaze, and strode away.

Bai Ying sat in front of the imperial throne and quickly finished writing the letter, handing it to Wang Degui.

“Your Ladyship, you’re also giving a handle to the Prince of Chu,” Wang Degui said anxiously, looking at the letter.

Bai Ying chuckled self-deprecatingly: “It’s not like I haven’t given him any handles before.” She waved her hand dismissively, “Go.”

Wang Degui responded with “Yes” and turned to leave, but was stopped by Bai Ying.

“One more thing.”

Wang Degui hurriedly stepped forward: “Your Ladyship, please instruct.”

Bai Ying looked at him and slowly said: “After returning from the Prince’s Residence, go see if Inspector Zhang is at the Censorate.”

Wang Degui’s expression changed for a moment, then he responded with “Yes.”

The Noble Consort’s gifts were sent to the Prince of Chu’s Residence with great fanfare.

The Marchioness of Dongyang fell silent for a moment upon hearing this.

“Mother, aren’t you going to comment on someone else’s daughter-in-law this time?” Zhou Jingyun said with a smile.

The Marchioness of Dongyang glared at him: “That’s her elder sister.” She pressed her forehead, her expression complex. “The sisters have reunited, this is good.”

Good? Not necessarily. Zhou Jingyun lowered his eyes and then stood up.

“I have something to do, I’m going out,” he said, turning and leaving.

The Marchioness of Dongyang watched his disappearing figure and snorted disdainfully: “What business? Just say you’re going to see someone else’s wife.”

When Zhou Jingyun arrived at the Prince of Chu’s Residence, dusk had already fallen. Seeing him dismount, the gatekeeper of the Prince of Chu’s Residence didn’t stop him at all. An attendant directly led him to the inner courtyard.

“Have you eaten?”

Bai Li, holding Nannan, stood on the porch and looked back at Li Yu who had followed her out.

“We’re about to eat.”

Hearing the word “we,” a smile appeared on Li Yu’s face: “Yes, Young Master, have dinner with us.”

Zhou Jingyun looked at the two people standing side by side on the porch and bowed: “Thank you, Your Highness and Your Highness.”

“No need for such formalities in this courtyard,” Bai Li said to Zhou Jingyun as they entered the room. “We’re all our own people here, no need to worry about being discovered.”

Li Yu nodded with a smile: “Yes, Young Master, please feel free.”

Zhou Jingyun had already taken Nannan, who had been waving her arms since his arrival, into his arms and said with a smile: “It’s better to be cautious.”

“You must be worried about us entering the palace, right?” Bai Li said, pointing to the gold, silver, and silk fabrics placed in the room with a smile. “Everything went smoothly.”

Zhou Jingyun nodded: “I know.” He paused and glanced at Li Yu. “I just met with Zhang Ze.”

Zhang Ze?

Bai Li and Li Yu exchanged glances.

“He warned that although Consort Bai is mindful of her sisterly affection and spared Bai Li,” Zhou Jingyun said slowly, “he will be watching us.”

Bai Li was about to say something but stopped and said, “Oh, he already guessed it when I faked my death before, and he threatened you, so what can he do?”

Zhou Jingyun said: “He said Consort Bai is mindful of her affection, that must be fake, don’t believe it.”

Bai Li nodded with a smile: “I know, I don’t believe it.”

✿✿✿

Li Yu seemed to remember something: “Just now Consort Bai sent someone to deliver a letter to me, it’s kept in the secret room in the garden. I’ll go see what she said.”

Bai Li said with a smile: “Whatever she says, don’t believe it.”

Li Yu said with a smile: “I know, I’ll go take a look and tell you about it, since Young Master is here too.” He looked at Zhou Jingyun again. “Young Master, please sit down and have something to eat, I’ll be back soon.”

With that, he walked out.

Zhou Jingyun bowed and said, “Thank you.”

Seeing him walk out of the courtyard, Cai Songnian hurriedly greeted him: “Your Highness, what’s the matter?”

Li Yu said: “I’m going to see what’s in the letter from Consort Bai.” He slowly walked towards the garden.

Cai Songnian followed him and asked in confusion: “Didn’t Your Highness say you wouldn’t read it before, it’s all nonsense?”

Why did he suddenly want to read it now?

Li Yu lowered his eyes, his voice indifferent: “I’ll go take a look at the nonsense, so that people don’t have to talk nonsense.”

Zhang Ze wouldn’t say such nonsense after meeting with Zhou Jingyun, it must be something Zhou Jingyun didn’t want him to know.

Since he didn’t want him to hear it, why should he?

He didn’t care what Zhang Ze had said.

In the face of what he was about to do, anything anyone said was nonsense.

“What did Zhang Ze say to you?”

After Li Yu left, Bai Li looked at Zhou Jingyun and asked.

Zhang Ze currently thought of her as Empress Jiang and wouldn’t say anything like a warning to her.

She also understood Zhou Jingyun’s concerns. If he were to say that Zhang Ze was subservient to her, he would have to mention Empress Jiang again.

For Li Yu, Empress Jiang was a taboo subject after all, it was better not to mention her.

“He did warn me, warned me not to trust Bai Ying,” Zhou Jingyun said, briefly summarizing what Zhang Ze had relayed about Bai Ying’s words. “She just wants to stabilize you, she’s not truly remorseful and won’t stop making things difficult for you in the future.”

Bai Li laughed: “I know, my elder sister, of course she wouldn’t treat me sincerely.”

She also told Zhou Jingyun what Bai Ying had said when they met.

Zhou Jingyun frowned: “How can she be so shameless as to twist the truth? All of this was her own choice. Even if your mother were still alive, she would have done the same.”

He wasn’t worried that Bai Ying’s words about sharing wealth and glory would influence Bai Li, he was only worried that Bai Ying would use their mother’s death to hurt Bai Li. It was too despicable and vicious.

Bai Li smiled at him: “Don’t worry, I’m fine. Those words are just passing wind to me. I didn’t even listen to what she was saying at the time, I was sitting there watching Nannan play. Me going to see her was enough to scare her.”

Her gaze fell on the gifts placed in the room.

Before, she had been hiding and dodging, it was difficult even to enter the Imperial City once, let alone let Bai Ying see her.

Now, Bai Ying could, and had to, watch her properly.

The more Bai Ying said and thought in front of her, the more it would backfire on her.

Stabilize? She couldn’t stabilize anything anymore.

The night wind blew, the lamplight flickered, and Bai Ying, who was reclining on a lounge chair, abruptly sat up.

“Who’s there!” she said, looking at a corner of the hall.

As she spoke, the shadow in the corner of the hall flickered, and a palace maid crawled out timidly, kneeling: “Your Ladyship, this servant was wiping the floor.”

She kowtowed repeatedly.

“I have disturbed Your Ladyship.”

Bai Ying grasped the Three Purities Bell at her waist and watched the maid kowtow. An eunuch walked over and slapped the maid. “You fool, who told you to make a sound?”

Tears streamed down the maid’s face, but she didn’t dare to make a sound, continuing to kowtow with a flushed face and forehead.

It didn’t disappear, and the Three Purities Bell didn’t ring.

Bai Ying’s tense body relaxed: “Alright, don’t wipe anymore tonight, do it tomorrow morning.”

The eunuch glared at the maid and shouted in a low voice, “Get out of here!”

The maid hurriedly got up and retreated in a hurry.

Bai Ying slowly leaned back.

“You were like this at home, and you’re still like this now.”

A voice came from the side.

Bai Ying sat up straight, looking towards the other side, and saw Bai Li sitting there, pouting.

“You’re scared of your own shadow and blame others.”

Bai Ying stood up and pointed at her: “You—”

With a thud, the person in front of her knelt down. It was an eunuch, his face filled with terror: “Your Ladyship, this servant, this servant didn’t make a sound—”

What? Bai Ying pressed her hand to her chest, feeling uneasy as she looked around. Did she see wrong? Was she, was she dreaming?

Bai Ying raised her hand and slapped herself in the face.

A crisp slapping sound echoed through the hall, mixed with footsteps and exclamations of “Your Ladyship—”

The lights in the hall became brighter. Bai Ying felt a burning pain on her cheek as she looked at her hand. The eunuchs and maids around her were panicking.

“Your Ladyship, what’s wrong?”

It wasn’t a dream.

Then was she seeing things? Because she had seen Bai Li during the day, so—

She knew Bai Li’s abilities, but this was the Imperial Palace, she… No, she wasn’t pregnant anymore, she had no imperial heir to protect her.

The Three Purities Bell, she still had the Three Purities Bell.

Bai Ying pulled off the Three Purities Bell and held it tightly in her hand.

“Your Ladyship, what’s wrong?” Wang Degui’s voice came from outside.

Bai Ying looked towards him and saw him rushing in with a worried expression. The shadow behind him flickered, and Bai Li appeared again.

“What could be wrong with her? She’s just having nightmares because she’s overthinking things, and she wants to blame me!” she snorted, lifting the child in her arms. “Nannan, look, your mother is such a bad person, it’s so embarrassing to have a mother like this.”

Bai Ying screamed and desperately shook the Three Purities Bell.

Why wasn’t it ringing?

Why wasn’t it ringing?

Was it broken?!

Looking at Wang Degui approaching, with Bai Li and the child behind him, Bai Ying fiercely threw the Three Purities Bell at them.

With a muffled sound, the Three Purities Bell hit a pillar, fell, and rolled on the ground. The bell inside fell out.

A clear bell sound rang out from the palace in front, piercing through the boundary between black and dim yellow, causing the swing hanging in the dream to sway gently.

Bai Li sat on it and grasped the ropes, stopping the swing.

There was another swing beside her. A woman sat on it, swinging even more forcefully, her skirt flying, the ruby on her bare ankle sparkling.

“A broken bell, wasted so much time,” she said.

Bai Li looked at the Imperial City in front of her. A certain part of the Imperial City, shrouded in night, was becoming lively.

“Yes, a broken bell is really annoying,” she whispered, her gaze leaving the increasingly bright Hanliang Palace and landing on a certain spot in the Imperial City, a spot that was hazy and unclear even in the dream.

There was another broken bell.