Aoyama

Chapter 299 Jingyang Palace

Chen Ji stood on the East First Long Street. On his left was the Zhongcui Palace, and on his right was the Jingyang Palace. They were separated by a street, but seemed like a chasm.

He turned his head and looked quietly. The red walls and gray tiles made the girl's neck look as white as snow.

The blue Taoist robe on the other person made him look as plain as a swan and as slender as a kite.

Chen Ji looked at the figure and wanted to call out to the other person softly, but he was afraid that the sound would scare the other person away.

He seemed to be back in the small Taiping Clinic. For the first time, the girl poked her head out from behind the wall and looked around the clinic cautiously, ready to escape at any time.

At this moment, someone shouted in Zhongcui Palace: "Chen Ji?"

Chen Ji was startled. He saw the girl in Jingyang Palace paused and stood still like a stone statue.

The other party heard it.

Chen Ji looked down at his clothes and quickly smoothed out the wrinkles on his body. His mind raced, thinking about what expression he should use and how to express what he wanted to say silently in the East Six Palaces surrounded by Jiefanwei.

Sign language? The other party can't understand it.

Morse code? No way.

But after a long time, the girl did not look back.

She just walked towards Jingyang Palace with the broom in her hand and disappeared into the deep palace, as if an invisible door closed from where she disappeared.

Chen Ji was stunned, his hands, which were stroking the wrinkles on his clothes, fell to his sides.

Yes, the last time the two met was in the prison in Los Angeles.

That day, Bai Long told everyone in the inner prison that Prince Jing wrote a letter in blood to summon the Qiansui Army to break into the prison. Fortunately, Chen Ji handed in the letter in blood, which prevented the Qiansui Army from making a big mistake. Bai Li cried bitterly in the iron bars.

After that, Chen Ji broke into the prison and ran around, but Bai Li had been taken away by then, and he knew nothing about it. More than two months seemed like a lifetime ago.

He really wanted to explain that he did not betray Prince Jing or anyone else, but he couldn't explain it at this moment.

Li Xuan came out of Zhongcui Palace and followed Chen Ji's gaze to look into Jingyang Palace, but apart from the two Jiefan Guards on duty, there was no one else in front of the gate of Jingyang Palace.

He asked curiously: "Why are you standing here and not leaving?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "It's okay."

Li Xuan whispered, "Let's go to Zhongcui Palace and rest for a while."

Chen Ji hummed and asked casually, "Has Lord Li ever been to Jingyang Palace?"

Li Xuan answered casually, "No, they haven't been in there. After all, the Yulin Army is still intact. They can only guard outside the Wumen Gate and inside the Chengtian Gate. The Wumen Gate is guarded by the Jiefan Guards to prevent the spread of scandals of promiscuous palace affairs... Your Majesty and the Prime Minister also trust the Jiefan Guards more."

He continued to instruct, "We should come to Zhongcui Palace often in the future. Remember, unless His Majesty has an order, we must leave before nightfall. Otherwise, you will be beaten with a hundred sticks in the court at the lightest, or beheaded at the Meridian Gate at the worst. Also, the Jingyang Palace is full of palace ladies, you must not have anything to do with them. Even if someone talks to you, you must hide."

Chen Ji asked casually, "Isn't it a place for practicing Taoism? How did it become a palace lady's family?"

"I'll tell you about these palace secrets, don't tell anyone else," Li Xuan looked back at him, "If there are rebellious princesses or county ladies who ruin the reputation of the royal family, the royal family will say that they are devoted to practicing Taoism, and then put them under house arrest here; there are also some concubines from aristocratic families who can't be beaten directly, so they will also be imprisoned here. They are imprisoned in Jingyang Palace to practice Taoism, chanting scriptures every day, and some of them go crazy after a long time. The concubines imprisoned here are not easy to deal with, and they will kill each other. Only the queen mother will occasionally come here to throw cups and ask the gods for guidance, and no one else will go in."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ji suddenly clenched his fists.

……

……

Bai Li returned to Jingyang Palace with a broom.

Jingyang Palace is a two-courtyard building. The main hall enshrines Jade Pure Yuanshi Tianzun, Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun, and Taiqing Daode Tianzun. Clear water, fragrant flowers, and long candles are offered on the incense table.

The rear hall is where the Taoist nuns sleep, with more than ten people sharing one bunk bed.

Inside the main hall, in front of the Three Pure Ones, a young girl knelt on the ground, wiping the bluestone floor with a rag while silently shedding tears.

Bai Li knelt down beside her, took the rag from her hand, and said softly: "Lingyun, take a break, I will do it."

The girl kneeling on the ground was Zhu Lingyun, the daughter of Concubine Jing, who was supposed to go overseas with the Liu family's relatives.

Bai Li took a rag and wiped the blue bricks carefully until the polished blue bricks were shiny enough to reflect light.

Zhu Lingyun wiped her tears with her sleeves and said sadly, "Sister, I want to go home."

Bai Li was stunned for a moment and then whispered: "Lingyun, where is our home?"

At this time, a fat Taoist nun came out from the back hall. Seeing Bai Li wiping the floor and Zhu Lingyun crying beside her, she immediately said contemptuously, "You two are sisters with deep affection, but I told Zhu Lingyun to wipe the floor and you to sweep the floor. You should do whatever I told you to do. It is not your turn to make decisions on your own."

Baili wiped the ground without saying a word.

Seeing her stubbornness, the fat nun was furious. She immediately took out a ruler and hit Baili hard on the back.

The smooth, patinated bamboo ruler made a dull sound when it hit the back.

Bai Li frowned at first, his lips trembling in pain, but then he gritted his teeth and continued to wipe the floor.

The fat nun sneered: "Why are you pretending to be so stubborn? Put away your arrogance. Everyone in Jingyang Palace has been pampered and has a noble status. No matter how stubborn you are, Jingyang Palace can grind you down to dust!"

Baili remained silent.

Seeing this, the fat nun turned around and slapped Zhu Lingyun: "You can bear it, but your sister can't."

Two rulers hit Zhu Lingyun's arms, and she burst into tears: "I was wrong, stop hitting me." The fat nun sneered: "How many times have I told you to call me by my Taoist name!"

Zhu Lingyun hurriedly said: "Master Xuansu, stop fighting, I was wrong, I was wrong..."

Taoist nun Xuan Su slapped him with the ruler again: "Recite the Great Induction Chapter!"

Zhu Lingyun trembled and said, "Good fortune and bad luck come from nowhere, but are brought upon oneself. The rewards for good and evil follow like a shadow. Therefore, the gods in heaven and earth are in charge of sins. They will take away people's lives according to the severity of their sins..."

She stopped here and tried hard to recall the rest of the story.

Taoist nun Xuan Su said angrily: "What's behind it? Keep reciting it!"

Zhu Lingyun started crying again: "I can't remember it, don't hit me..."

Before she could finish her words, Bai Li had already pounced on her, holding her tightly under his body, allowing the ruler to whip her body.

Zhu Lingyun burst into tears: "Sister..."

Bai Li covered her with his body and said calmly, "Don't beg for mercy."

The ruler hit his back again and again until the blood soaked his Taoist robe. Suddenly, the eunuch outside the Jingyang Palace came to announce the emperor's order in a loud voice: "Your Majesty has ordered that Crown Prince Zhu Chunwen, Yulin Army Commander Li Xuan, Deputy Commander Qi Chenzhuo and others come to see you!"

The voice came from outside the palace, but hurried footsteps were heard from the back hall of Jingyang Palace. A crazy woman with disheveled hair ran out barefoot: "Yulin Army... Yulin Army... Brother Zhuo Yuan! It must be Brother Zhuo Yuan who came to save me!"

Behind her, someone shouted, "Hold her back! Don't let her go out and go crazy!"

The crazy woman ran past Bai Li and Zhu Lingyun. Taoist nun Xuan Su reached out to pull her, but her hand was empty. Then, more than ten Taoist nuns ran out and chased the crazy woman towards the gate of Jingyang Palace.

Jingyang Hall became quiet, and Zhu Lingyun asked crying, "Sister, does it hurt?"

Bai Li hummed: "It hurts."

Zhu Lingyun said distressedly: "Why don't you cry? Those evil women just want to see us cry and beg for mercy. As long as we beg for mercy and give in, they won't beat us to death."

Bai Li wiped the tears from Zhu Lingyun's cheeks and said softly, "Once your tears have dried up, you won't be able to cry anymore."

……

……

Chen Ji followed the prince out of Zhongcui Palace and saw a group of Taoist nuns in blue robes dragging a crazy woman back to Jingyang Palace.

The crazy woman was still howling: "Brother Zhuo Yuan, save me!"

A Taoist nun covered her mouth, and the sound stopped.

After the nuns disappeared in Jingyang Palace, a middle-aged nun wearing a green robe and a golden lotus crown stood in front of the Jingyang Gate. She was seen wearing a black silk ribbon around her waist and a Ruyi knot. She made a Jade Emperor Seal and saluted the prince across the street: "This person's evil spirit invaded his body and offended Your Highness. I hope Your Highness will forgive me."

The prince bowed in return: "Master Xuanzhen, you are too polite. There is no need to be so polite."

Xuan Zhen said no more and turned back to Jingyang Palace.

Li Xuan turned his head and looked at Chen Ji: "Did you see it? That place is evil."

Chen Ji's face was solemn: "Who was that crazy woman just now?"

Li Xuan whispered, "She is the sister of the late emperor, Princess Yongchun. The late emperor had arranged a marriage for her, and invited Zhuang Xian, the top scholar in the eleventh year of Taihe, to be his consort. However, not long after the marriage was arranged, the eunuch party's secret spy department discovered that she had an affair with Zhou Zhuoyuan, the deputy commander of the Yulin Army, and was pregnant with his child. The two wanted to flee to the south together, but they were sent back by the Cao Gang as soon as they got on the boat. Zhou Zhuoyuan was exiled to Lingnan, and Princess Yongchun entered the Jingyang Palace to practice Taoism."

Chen Ji asked again: "Who is Taoist Xuanzhen?"

Li Xuan explained: "Master Xuanzhen was the concubine of the previous emperor. After the previous emperor passed away, the other concubines were buried with him. Only she was saved by the empress dowager and stayed in Jingyang Palace to serve the Three Pure Ones... Don't ask, this has nothing to do with you and me, and it can't have anything to do with me."

Chen Ji hummed, and followed the prince through the long gray-tiled and red-walled building. At this time, the sun began to set in the west, and the high palace wall was like a mountain, blocking the sunlight outside the palace.

They crossed East 1st Street, passed Fengxian Hall, and entered Renshou Palace.

The eunuch who led the way led them to stand outside the Renshou Palace and whispered, "Everyone, please wait outside the palace. I will go and report... The ministers and officials are discussing important matters with His Majesty in the Renshou Palace. Everyone, please do not look around. Be careful not to misbehave in front of the emperor."

After saying that, he took small steps into Renshou Palace.

An official from the Honglu Temple reminded them, "His Majesty may not meet all of you later. He will at most summon Your Highness and the two commanders in. But when you go out, don't say anything. No matter who you meet, you must say that you have met His Majesty and that His Majesty has encouraged you. Also, everyone, line up properly. Don't be messy. It's unbecoming!"

Chen Ji stood at the end of the team again and waited for an hour. Everyone even heard the elders and ministers arguing and scolding loudly in Renshou Palace, as if they were about to fight.

I didn't know what they were arguing about, I only heard words like "border army" and "Jing Dynasty" floating around occasionally.

It turns out that this world is really a huge makeshift team.

Chen Ji raised his head slightly and looked over, only to see a veil hanging from the ceiling of the Renshou Palace. A person was sitting cross-legged behind the veil, his figure vague.

When the official from the Honglu Temple saw him raise his head, he shouted in a low voice, "How dare you! Lower your head!"

Chen Ji lowered his head again.

It was not until the eunuchs and maids in the palace were walking back and forth with lanterns and lighting all the candles and lamps that they heard the sound of bronze bells coming from the Renshou Palace.

The argument between the ministers and the officials was instantly hushed.

The sound of the copper bell was so clear and pleasant that it seemed to have some kind of magical power.

The next moment, a fair-skinned middle-aged man in a green python robe walked out of Renshou Palace and said in a steady voice, "Announce, Chen Ji, the illegitimate son of the Chen family, comes to see you."

(End of this chapter)