Green Mountain

The female servant quickly helped her up: "You flatter us too much... Also, we must inform you, from now on, do not eat the vegetarian meals from Jingyang Palace. The Empress specifically instructed that starting tomorrow, your meals will be delivered separately; firstly, because the vegetarian meals lack nutrition, and secondly, to prevent any foul play, as the minds in this deep palace can be malicious. Please be cautious."

Bai Li nodded: "Thank you, sisters, for the reminder."

She carried the basket and walked into Jingyang Palace. The female nuns were awakened by the aroma from the basket and sat up from the bunk beds.

Bai Li placed the basket on the bunk beds and opened it, revealing a roasted goose inside.

She tore off two goose legs: "The rest is for you to share."

As she finished speaking, Du Miao and Liu Pin Er rushed over, each tearing off a large piece of roasted goose meat and retreating to their own bunks to eat it cautiously.

This Jingyang Palace hadn't seen meat for decades.

Amid the scramble, Bai Li walked up to Zhu Lingyun and Princess Yongchun, handing each of them a goose leg gently, saying, "Eat, the Empress said our stomachs have no oil, so we shouldn't eat too much meat the first time; eat a little less this time, there will be more in the future."

Princess Yongchun giggled foolishly: "Bodhisattva, you truly are a Bodhisattva."

Zhu Lingyun looked down at the goose leg in her hand, her eyes blinking rapidly, holding back tears: "Sister, have you forgiven me?"

Bai Li softly replied: "To err is human. I said before, Xuanzhen wants to drive a wedge between us sisters, we shouldn't let her have her way."

Zhu Lingyun nodded heavily, devouring the goose leg in a few gulps.

Bai Li wiped the oil from her mouth with a handkerchief: "Eat slower."

Zhu Lingyun sighed: "It's been too long since we've had meat."

Bai Li comforted: "Don't worry, there will be more in the future."

Zhu Lingyun knelt on the bunk beds, looking up at Bai Li by the bedside: "Sister, can you come and go freely from Jingyang Palace in the future?"

Bai Li shook her head: "No, I need an order from the Empress to be summoned, and a female servant with the Kunning Palace waist tag to guide me."

"The Empress will definitely summon you often," Zhu Lingyun quickly asked: "Sister, next time you go to Kunning Palace, can you take me with you?"

Bai Li patted her head: "Lingyun, this is not for me to decide."

Zhu Lingyun tugged her arm: "Sister, talk to the Empress, bring me along."

Bai Li's tone was gentle yet firm: "Lingyun, this is not for me to decide."

Zhu Lingyun froze like a sculpture.

Somehow, the female nuns in the rear hall began to cry while eating; today seemed like the last moments of their lives, with all the remaining glow ending on this day.

Bai Li blew out the candles and lay on the bunk beds, covering herself and Zhu Lingyun in darkness.

She tucked in Princess Yongchun, suddenly hearing a female nun whisper: "Thank you, Commandery Princess."

One started, and others echoed: "Thank you, Commandery Princess."

Bai Li was silent for a moment: "No need to thank me, let's support each other in this Jingyang Palace from now on, and stop attacking each other."

Everyone fell into a sleepy haze amidst the aroma of roasted goose, tears still hanging from the corners of their eyes as they slept.

...

...

At midnight.

Suddenly, there were chaotic footsteps outside Jingyang Palace, waking someone up, who watched the shadowy figures and flickering lights outside the rear hall: "Get up quickly, someone's here!"

Before they could get up, the rear hall door was abruptly pushed open, and the cold spring night wind blew into the room.

Bai Li fixed her gaze.

A dozen or so little eunuchs stood outside the door holding lanterns, with the Commander of the Divine Chief Eunuch behind them, hands behind his back, coldly saying: "I have received a secret report, someone is hiding a witchcraft tool in the palace, search it!"

The female nuns, wearing white inner garments, were driven off the bunk beds, together huddling in a corner.

As they were driven off the beds, Zhu Lingyun slipped her hand into her sleeve, hesitating while staring at Bai Li's pillow, torn about whether to put the item in her sleeve into Bai Li's pillow.

In the end, she withdrew her hand, keeping the item tightly tucked in her sleeve, and got off the bed, hiding behind Bai Li.

In the rear hall, a group of little eunuchs turned the female nuns' beds upside down, even throwing their bedding on the floor, and the female nuns dared not ask what was happening.

The next moment, a little eunuch stood beside Bai Li's bunk, raising his hands high: "Found it."

Everyone gazed intently; the little eunuch's left hand was holding a witchcraft doll sewn from scraps of cloth, while his right hand held a witchcraft tool made from a human finger bone.

The female nuns' faces changed; whenever witchcraft trouble occurred in the palace, it was sure to cause a violent storm.

Zhu Lingyun's pupils contracted; she felt her sleeve and thought that she clearly hadn't... But during the eunuchs' search, it was secretly placed there, and the mastermind had already made a complete plan.

The Commander walked into the room, speaking coldly: "Whose is this?"

The female nuns turned their heads away, afraid to speak.

The Commander sneered: "What, if you don't speak, do you think I can't find out? Call Master Xuanzhen!"

Xuanzhen entered the room holding a horsetail whisk, looking at the witchcraft tool in the little eunuch's hand: "Where was it found?"

The little eunuch pointed to Bai Li's pillow: "Here."

Xuanzhen gave an 'oh': "That is Zhu Baili's bunk."

The Commander looked sinisterly at Bai Li: "Is it yours?"

Bai Li calmly said: "No, I've never seen these two items."

The Commander sneered: "Found on your bunk, and you say it's not yours?"

Bai Li turned to look at him, speaking calmly: "Are you not falsely accusing? The witchcraft tool was obviously just stuffed into the pillow by this little eunuch."

The Commander rebuked angrily: "Still dare to deny it!"

Bai Li felt neither fear nor resentment, only calmly said: "I heard Dream Rooster from the Spy Department's Twelve Signs has the ability to interrogate in dreams. Summon him, and have us all interrogated one by one; it will be clear."