Green Mountain

Midnight deep into the night.

The little eunuchs from the Inner Court's Bell and Drum Department started striking the slow drum of the third watch.

The nuns rose up, moving like lifeless corpses towards the rear hall, no longer casting even a glance at the Three Pure Ancestors.

Bai Li followed silently behind the nuns, like a clam desperately trying to bury itself in the sand.

Returning to the rear hall, just as the nuns were about to crawl onto the common beds to sleep, Zhu Lingyun pointed at a nun: "Go, heat up water for me to wash my feet."

The nun was slightly stunned.

Zhu Lingyun then pointed at Xuan Su, who was blind in one eye: "You, go fetch footwashing water for my sister, or you'll stand outside until dawn without sleep tonight."

Xuan Su responded repeatedly: "Yes, this servant will go right away."

She had one eye blinded by Bai Li and her right hand broken by Jiao Tu. Now, her hand was still not healed, only barely bound with two pieces of firewood, looking as pitiful as an old dog.

Bai Li grabbed Zhu Lingyun's arm: "Lingyun, it's very late already, don't order them around anymore."

Zhu Lingyun was puzzled: "Sister, have you forgotten how they treated us before? Now the tables have turned, it's time for them to pay their debt."

Bai Li shook her head, softly saying: "Lingyun, don't."

Zhu Lingyun sneered coldly at Xuan Su: "Consider yourselves lucky to have met my Bodhisattva-hearted sister. Now all of you, get to bed."

Xuan Su hurriedly thanked Bai Li: "Thank you, Princess Bai Li, thank you, Princess Bai Li!"

"I am no longer a princess," Bai Li turned to the innermost bunk in the rear hall to help Zhu Lingyun spread the bedding.

They no longer had to sleep by the chamber pot. Bai Li arranged for Princess Yongchun to be on the innermost side, and she and Zhu Lingyun slept next to Princess Yongchun.

After Bai Li finished making the beds, Zhu Lingyun undressed and, wearing a white undergarment, crawled into the bed.

In the dark, she nudged closer to Bai Li, almost nose to nose: "Sister, why let them go? They used to make us wash their feet and eat leftovers. Now we have a chance, they should get a taste of that… You can't always be so kind-hearted."

Bai Li reached out from under the covers, tidying Zhu Lingyun's hair: "Lingyun, I'm not kind-hearted, and I don't have the skill to dry with a smile. Of course, I loathe them, but I am more worried that one day you will end up like Xuan Su."

Zhu Lingyun was indifferent: "How could I end up like that stupid Xuan Su?"

She changed the subject: "By the way, sister, I heard them say, some people have been here for twenty or thirty years, never having the chance to leave. We're too lucky, getting the chance to leave so soon… When we were kids in the Imperial Capital, our father took us to the Ancestor Silkworm Altar, do you remember?"

Bai Li whispered: "I remember, there were many silkworms in the silkworm farm, and statues in every hall and altar."

Zhu Lingyun's mood was a bit down: "When I was a kid at the Ancestor Silkworm Altar, I found it boring and wanted to leave quickly. Now, I can't wait to go. Sister, do you think the reason we're allowed to leave the palace soon after arriving is related to us? Could it be our father's friends trying to rescue us?"

An image of a slender figure suddenly flashed through Bai Li's mind. The person was holding a rein, leading her through the heavy snow outside Lu Hun Manor, whispering to her, "Don't be afraid."

Zhu Lingyun was still fantasizing: "Sister, could it be that on our way to the Ancestor Silkworm Altar, many of our father's old subordinates will suddenly appear and rescue us?"

As she spoke, Zhu Lingyun yawned.

Bai Li comforted: "Let's sleep first. By the way, Lingyun, Xuanzhen letting you manage things is not out of kindness but to sow discord between us, remember that."

Zhu Lingyun nudged closer to Bai Li: "Don't worry, sister, I won't be affected."

Bai Li tucked her in gently, whispering: "Hmm, sleep now."

Bai Li, like a mother, lightly patted Zhu Lingyun on the back until she let out soft snores.

At that moment, someone poked her on the back.

Bai Li turned around to see Princess Yongchun had woken up at some point and was looking at her with big eyes.

Curious, she asked: "Is there something, are you hungry? I saved a bun for you."

Princess Yongchun extended her hands from under the covers, clenching her fists: "Guess which hand is holding the hair?"

Bai Li, extremely tired, still played along: "Left hand."

Princess Yongchun opened her left hand: "Nothing."

Bai Li smiled: "You won, sleep now."

Princess Yongchun chuckled suddenly and said: "How can you not guess this right but expect to guess people's minds?"

Before Bai Li could react, Princess Yongchun had already turned around and gone back to sleep, leaving Bai Li alone, staring blankly at the ceiling.

...

...

Morning.

The sound of bells from the Bell and Drum Tower echoed from afar.

Princess Yongchun sat dazedly on the bed, allowing Bai Li to dress her in the Daoist robe and gather her hair, occasionally letting out a foolish laugh: "Bodhisattva, you are a Bodhisattva."

Everyone dressed in their Daoist robes and headed for the main hall, but Bai Li was still kept in the rear hall by Princess Yongchun.

Zhu Lingyun stood by the bed, hastily gathering her hair, complaining, "Sister, why do you still care about her? No one cares if her hair is neat or not, not even she does."

Bai Li paid no heed and, after tying Princess Yongchun's hair neatly, she sighed slightly, "Done."

Upon hearing this, Princess Yongchun immediately jumped off the bed and ran outside, shoes clattering, "Brother Zhuoyuan!"

Bai Li followed behind, but was called as she stepped out: "Princess Bai Li."

Bai Li turned her head to see Xuan Su waiting for her outside the door.

She said calmly, "Master Xuansu, I already told you, I am no longer a princess. If the Commander of the Divine Chief Eunuch Department hears it, he will surely blame us for not understanding the rules."

Xuansu hurriedly corrected himself, "Miss Bai Li, it was my fault before, envying your youth and beauty, envying your companionship in Jingyang Palace. Thank you for not holding a grudge."

Bai Li replied indifferently, "I blinded one of your eyes. It can't be easy to forget such a vendetta, can it, Master Xuansu? Let's not interfere with each other, there's no need to turn enemies into friends."

Seeing her unyielding stance, Xuansu did not insist, and just left a parting remark, "Xuan Zhen is adept at manipulating hearts. She always claims others are possessed by external demons, but she is the true demon in this Jingyang Palace. Be careful, she has ulterior motives in letting Zhu Lingyun manage affairs."

Bai Li, expressionless, went to the main hall and sat cross-legged on a meditation mat, reciting scriptures.

Occasionally, she opened her eyes to glance at Xuan Zhen opposite her, who recited scriptures with closed eyes, a look of sorrow as if she had long since forgotten past grievances, with no lingering enmity between them.

Bai Li then closed her eyes again, chanting scriptures different from the others.

At the moment Bai Li closed her eyes, Xuan Zhen opened hers simultaneously, staring intently at Bai Li's flawless face.

When the morning lesson ended, Xuan Zhen got up and instructed, "Let's dismiss. Lingyun, come with me. I have something for you."

With that, she walked toward the side hall. Zhu Lingyun glanced back at Bai Li, who nodded slightly. Only then did Zhu Lingyun follow Xuan Zhen into the side hall.

The nuns returned to the rear hall, each taking out small boxes hidden under their beds, containing rouge and powder, silver mirrors, and hairpins.

Someone took out a golden hairpin to wear and asked others, "How about I wear this to the Ancestor Silkworm Altar? Is this hairpin pretty?"

The golden hairpin had a butterfly on it, with wings adorned with enamel craft.

A nearby nun scoffed, "Are you asking for trouble? We are nuns. If you really wear that out, the Divine Chief Eunuch Commander's sure to be furious. Having the hairpin confiscated is minor; if the Real Immortal accuses you of being possessed by an external demon, you won't come out unscathed."

"Exactly, just wear it in the rear hall, look in the mirror and admire yourself, don't wear it out courting death."

That nun put the golden hairpin back in her box and took out another, "How about this Dian Cui one? Matches our Daoist robe color."

"No, no, though Dian Cui is blue, it's too flashy."

The nun sulked, "I think you're just jealous my hairpins are prettier."

Bai Li watched silently, having neither a box nor rouge and powder.

She only had a wooden hairpin in her hair, bought casually by Bai Long on the road when the Spy Department escorted her to the Imperial Capital, just so her hair wouldn't be perpetually loose.

Just then, a nun wondered, "Strange, why did the palace show mercy this time, letting us go out for air? I came in during the 13th Year of Jianing, nineteen years now, yearly we sacrifice to the Silkworm God, when did it become our turn for the Three Offerings ceremony?"

"Perhaps it's the Empress Dowager's decision?"

"No. I heard from a passing little eunuch, after the Liu Family fell, the Empress Dowager was placed under house arrest by His Majesty. Moreover, the Divine Chief Eunuch Commander said clearly, it's the Prime Minister's decision."

"So the Poison Minister had a change of heart perhaps?"

"Could it be the Real Immortal and some Chief Eunuch became close, and this eunuch pleaded before the Prime Minister..."

"Shut up! Do you have a death wish?"

The nuns speculated wildly, falling silent when they reached taboo topics, casting cautious glances at Bai Li, fearing she might report them.

Bai Li lowered her head and went out quietly, taking a broom to the main hall to sweep.

She raised her head suddenly, surprised to find the Heavenly Lord of Spiritual Treasure on the left of The Three Pure Ones seemed to lower his gaze upon her.

In just a blink, the statue returned to its original state.

She hesitated momentarily, leaned the broom against the altar, and held the wooden cup divination devices on the altar with both hands, kneeling on the mat, "Devotee Bai Li is confused today, seeking guidance from the Heavenly Venerate..."

"Did Chen Ji facilitate my exit from Jingyang Palace this time?"

Bai Li threw the cup divination onto the blue bricks of the hall, one cup up, one down, signifying the Heavenly Venerate's guidance: Yes.

She threw the cups again on the blue bricks, three consecutive times, each time one up, one down.

For a moment, she pondered whether it was coincidence?

Bai Li threw the cups again on the blue bricks, for six consecutive times, each time one up, one down.

It truly was Chen Ji.

It truly was Chen Ji who fought for her chance.

Bai Li took a deep breath, calming her emotions, and bowed low, "Thank you, Heavenly Venerate, for your guidance. This disciple shall practice diligently, praying for the eternal preservation of Tao Qi, for the everlasting prosperity of the Dao Court."