Green Mountain

In the side hall, Zhu Lingyun grasped the green words and met Bai Li's gaze.

The nuns set down their pens and watched, Bai Li's eyes neither avoided nor conceded, while Zhu Lingyun's gaze gradually faltered.

Zhu Lingyun turned her face aside, stubbornly clutching the green words in her hand: "Sister, when we were having vegetarian meals earlier, there were clearly seats available, but she deliberately didn't let us sit. She insisted that we wait until they were done eating before we could eat. Now I'm steward, what's wrong with having her write me green words?"

Bai Li stared at Zhu Lingyun: "Father taught us, do not impose upon others what you do not wish for yourself."

Zhu Lingyun hesitated on how to respond, as the nun Du Miao rose to support her: "Princess Bai Li, do you know why this nun was banished to Jingyang Palace?"

Zhu Lingyun asked puzzledly, "Why?"

Du Miao glanced at the nun who had her green words taken away: "Initially, she was a consort of Your Majesty, bestowed with a silver book and a stipend of six hundred bushels, quite prestigious. But when she failed to conceive the royal heir, she vented her frustration on the palace attendants, beating more than ten people to death each month. The Empress condemned her for lacking virtue and sent her to Jingyang Palace for introspection. Yet she showed no remorse, instead becoming increasingly oppressive, seizing our belongings and bullying us."

Zhu Lingyun turned to Bai Li: "Sister, look, such a person truly should not be shown any kindness."

On the other side, Liu Pin Er rose abruptly, pointing at Du Miao: "And what sort of virtuous being are you? Do you have the face to discuss how you ended up in Jingyang Palace?"

Du Miao replied smoothly: "I was banished for colliding with Imperial Concubine Xue, but unlike you, I wasn't burdened with so many deaths. Liu Pin Er, didn't you hear the cries of those ghostly palace servants every night when you slept?"

A nun beside Liu Pin Er sneered: "Du Miao, do you really want me to reveal the filthy deeds you've done?"

Jingyang Palace is divided into a main hall and a rear hall, with side halls further divided into east and west. The east side hall is called Jingguan Hall, the west Ancient Mirror Hall, Jingguan Hall is where Xuanzhen resides, Ancient Mirror Hall is where the nuns write and meditate.

Bai Li found herself in the Ancient Mirror Hall, watching as the nuns split into factions arguing, and rose, pulling Zhu Lingyun's wrist to leave: "We should go, not get involved in their vendettas."

Yet as she took a step, she couldn't pull Zhu Lingyun.

Bai Li turned back, seeing Zhu Lingyun retract her arm, lowering her head with guilt: "Sister, I haven't finished writing the green words... I still need to check on theirs."

Bai Li stared at Zhu Lingyun for a long time before leaving the Ancient Mirror Hall alone, heading straight for Jingguan Hall where Xuanzhen was located.

She pushed open the two vermilion doors of Jingguan Hall and barged in.

Xuanzhen sat cross-legged on an embroidered couch flipping through the Taoist Scripture, upon hearing the noise, looked up at Bai Li: "Princess has come to me with anger for something?"

Bai Li stood at the doorway, her gaze piercing through the swaying incense smoke, directly at Xuanzhen: "Is your intention in letting Lingyun take the steward position to nurture the demon within her, so that she's shunned by her kin and can only seek your protection?"

Xuanzhen closed the Taoist Scripture and responded warmly: "The Princess wrongs me. Jingyang Palace is a serene place for Taoist cultivation, how could it nurture demons? I entrusted the steward position to Xuan Yun because I saw her capability, you see, hasn't she managed things quite well these days."

Bai Li remained silent for some time: "If the True Person wants me to take the steward position, I shall take it, anything directed at me alone will do."

Xuanzhen smiled slightly: "The Princess greatly misunderstands me. Others covet the steward position in Jingyang Palace, how is it a mistake when I let Xuan Yun take charge?"

She changed her tone: "Previously, I wanted the Princess to manage things because I believed she could handle it well. Now that Xuan Yun has proven she can manage well, is there a need to change? Besides, this should be considered based on Xuan Yun's opinion, shouldn't it?"

At this moment, Zhu Lingyun came chasing after Bai Li in worry, she arrived at the door and tugged Bai Li, whispering: "Sister, what are you doing? Don't provoke her."

Bai Li remained unmoved, still staring directly at Xuanzhen.

Xuanzhen smiled and said: "Xuan Yun, your sister says she wants to take over managing affairs in Jingyang Palace herself, do you agree?"

"Ah?" Zhu Lingyun was momentarily stunned, she instinctively released Bai Li's hand slowly: "I... I agree."

Xuanzhen continued to smile: "Xuan Yun, I observe you managing Jingyang Palace recently with great order, no one disturbs my peaceful cultivation. I would like you to continue managing it, how about it?"

Zhu Lingyun snuck a glance at Bai Li, hesitatingly saying: "Ah... it's fine too. Me managing or my sister managing is actually the same, Sister, if there's something just tell me and I'll instruct them to do it."

Bai Li turned to look at her, as if trying to understand her anew: "Take care of yourself."

She turned and left, Zhu Lingyun was about to chase after her to explain but was stopped by Xuanzhen's voice: "Xuan Yun, come here, I have instructions for you."

Faced with a dilemma, Zhu Lingyun finally bowed her head and entered Jingguan Hall: "Alright..."

...

...

Bai Li returned directly to the rear hall, quietly sitting on the bedding hugging her knees, looking at the sky outside the palace until the sound of the evening drum came.

Princess Yongchun approached, smiling foolishly: "Bodhisattva, I'm hungry."

Bai Li did not respond.

Princess Yongchun seeing she was silent, jumped barefoot off the bedding, went outside and brought back two buns, ate one herself and offered the other to Bai Li: "Bodhisattva, eat the bun, it's sweet."

Bai Li stared at the bun in front of her, her expression finally changed.

She received the bun in her hand and took a bite: "Thank you."

Princess Yongchun tilted her head looking at her: "What is Bodhisattva thinking?"

Bai Li chewed the bun slowly: "I'm thinking about how long it will be until I can leave the palace to worship the Silkworm God, I don't want to think about anything else."

Princess Yongchun sat beside her, dazedly watching the sky together: "Bodhisattva, the sky outside the Forbidden City and inside the palace are no different."

Bai Li smiled and turned to look at her: "It's different, in the Forbidden City no one waits for me."