White Fence Dream

Chapter 161 Looking at each other
The lanterns in front of the hall are piled up like mountains and seas, echoing the three-story pavilions behind it, just like a fairyland in Yaochi.

Zhuang Li walked in it and looked around. Although he had seen many magnificent dreams, the reality was always more gorgeous.

"How are you? Are you tired?"

Mrs. Xue came over and asked with a smile.

Along the way, countless people spoke to the wife of the Marquis of Dongyang and looked at the new young lady. Zhuang Li greeted them one by one according to the introduction of the wife of the Marquis of Dongyang.

At this time, they finally arrived in front of the hall. The ladies who had been watching got rid of their curiosity and many of them dispersed.

"I'm not tired because I have mother here." Zhuang Li said with a smile.

"It's tiring to follow your mother." Mrs. Xue said, "Come with me later, I'll take you to see the lanterns."

Mrs. Dongyang glared at her and said, "Don't you have to serve your mother-in-law anymore?"

"My mother-in-law wishes I wasn't around," Mrs. Xue said with a smile.

The sound of drums and music came from the hall ahead.

"His Majesty and the Queen are coming soon." Madam Xue said, not stopping any longer. Each family had a fixed seat. She smiled at Zhuang Li and said, "I'll come find you later."

Zhuang Li nodded with a smile, watched Madam Xue leave, and supported the wife of Marquis Dongyang as they walked into the hall in order.

The lights in the hall are even more brilliant.

On the wide carpet in the middle, dozens of dancers were dancing, musicians were sitting on the second floor, and the music seemed to come from the sky.

There was also a gaze falling on Zhuang Li who was passing by the dancer.

Shen Qing frowned slightly.

At this moment, it was not yet time for him to play the piano and perform, so he stood among the musicians waiting.

His eyes followed Zhuang Li and his expression changed slightly.

"Come here..." He turned and waved to a eunuch standing at the stairs.

The eunuch came over hurriedly.

Shen Qing pointed at Zhuang Li walking in the hall and whispered something to him.

The eunuch nodded and turned away.

"His Majesty and the Queen have arrived."

Another eunuch came upstairs and shouted.

Shen Qing hurried back to the music hall and sat in front of his piano.

The musicians stopped playing, the dancers stepped back, and the people in the hall stopped talking, and the palace became quiet in an instant.

"The Emperor has arrived—"

Accompanied by the clear voice, people in the hall bowed and saluted and shouted "Long live the emperor—"

Shen Qing lowered his head and played the piano. The music sounded melodiously.

The emperor and the empress came slowly and took their seats to the sound of cheers and palace music.

Zhuang Li looked forward from behind the wife of Marquis Dongyang.

In addition to the emperor and empress, there were more than a dozen concubines standing on the left and right, some plump and some slim, like a hundred flowers in full bloom.

Bai Ying was not among them.

……

……

"So that your majesty can rest assured, I can be considered to have a son now."

Princess Jinyu sighed to the emperor.

As he spoke, Shangguan Yue knelt down in front of the throne: "Shangguan Yue pays respect to Your Majesty."

The fact that Princess Jinyu had recognized Prince Consort Shangguan's concubine's son had been brought to the attention of the Emperor through various means during the New Year.

Looking at the young man kneeling in front of him to pay homage, the emperor was not at all surprised, but looked at him with some curiosity.

It has been more than ten years since Prince Consort Shangguan's concubine started causing trouble.

Although he had been a well-known dandy in the capital for more than a decade, he was not brought into the imperial city until today because of Princess Jin Yu's reputation.

Perhaps because she was too excited or too nervous to meet the emperor, Shangguan Yue lowered her head to the ground without raising it.

The people on the throne could only see his black hair, slender neck, and robes that were gorgeous and somewhat exaggerated.

Shangguan Fu Ma reminded him, "Raise your head and let His Majesty see it."

Shangguan Yue seemed to come back to her senses, raised her head and smiled at the emperor.

A smile brings light.

The emperor thought that he was worthy of being the son of Shangguan Fu Ma, as he was better than his father.

The robe, which was originally a bit exaggerated, was suddenly suppressed and became ordinary.

"Good, good, very good." The emperor praised with a smile.

It is both praising the person for his good looks and praising the thing for which he is doing good.

Shangguan Fu Ma's voice choked with sobs: "I thank your majesty."

The Queen laughed and said, "The Prince Consort should thank the Princess."

"I cannot express my gratitude to the princess in words," said Shangguan Fu Ma. "If I have failed the princess, I will not die a good death."

Princess Jin Yu laughed and said, "It's a big festival, and the prince consort is talking about death and life."

Shangguan raised his hand to wipe his tears: "I am happy, happy."

The emperor looked at Shangguan Fu Ma and found that he was really crying. He felt very emotional. After all, his son could finally live an upright life.

Who doesn't love his son?
Thinking of this, the emperor was also very happy. He was going to have a son, his own biological son.

Although Bai Fei has not given birth yet, everyone is certain that it is a son.

This is also what Xuan Yangzi recognized.

If he wasn't her son, why would the ghost of Queen Chiang come to kill her?
The emperor looked around, but didn't see Bai Ying. He was stunned for a moment: "Bai Fei, she..."

The words "Bai Fei" rang in her ears. The queen, who had been looking at Princess Jin Yu and her family of three with amusement, suddenly froze and slowly looked at her brother Yang Guojiu who was sitting not far away.

Uncle Yang noticed her gaze and immediately his lips curled up and his smile faded.

The next moment a smile appeared on the queen's lips.

"Your Majesty, have you forgotten? Bai was afraid of the large crowds and her health was not good, so she stayed behind on purpose." She said softly.

The emperor remembered, uttered a "oh", and frowned in worry: "Can she do it alone?"

The queen's eyes flickered, and the smile on her face became even more intense: "It's in the Jielin Tower next to it. You can see the main hall at a glance. It's always under the emperor's aura. The imperial physician is on duty, and the soldiers are strictly guarding. No one is allowed to get close. The emperor's bell has also been moved over there."

Said and stood up.

"If your majesty is worried, I will go over and take a look."

The emperor quickly reached out to hold her, saying that the empress had done her best to make such arrangements. This was an occasion where all the powerful officials in the court were present, and it would not be good to ask the empress to retreat for the sake of a concubine.

"Queen, please sit down. You have been working hard for many days. Today you can relax and enjoy yourself." The emperor said with a smile.

The holding of hands made the queen's dull eyes return to normal, and the smile on the corners of her mouth became sincere and heartfelt.

Princess Jin Yu looked at the queen and pretended to be pleased: "Your Majesty, please sit down. Wait a little longer and you will have a son like me."

The queen pinched her palm and smiled at her: "Then I will borrow the princess's blessing today and drink a glass of my nephew's wine--"

As she spoke, she looked over and saw that Shangguan Yue, who had just greeted her, had already run into a group of powerful and wealthy children holding a glass of wine.

"This is the wine given to me by His Majesty and the Princess—"

The sons of powerful and wealthy people surrounded him and congratulated him. Shangguan Yue raised his head and drank, not trying to hide his arrogance.

The Queen laughed and looked at Princess Jin Yu: "Princess, you will have to worry about educating your son in the future." Princess Jin Yu was not annoyed by the Queen's ridicule, and said solemnly: "Please rest assured, Queen and Your Majesty, I will turn back from my mistakes and discipline him strictly."

The emperor smiled and said, "Sister, don't be too hard on yourself. You and I, brother and sister, have all been displaced before. There is no way we have lost our way."

Princess Jin Yu looked at the emperor's approaching expression and was satisfied. She hurriedly expressed her feelings again: "Let's not talk about the past. I will do my best to help Your Majesty in the future."

Shangguan, the Prince Consort, seemed a little ashamed and apologized to the Emperor and Princess Jinyu: "I'll go call him back."

……

……

"Now that you are here, please talk to His Majesty more."

Prince Consort Shangguan pulled Shangguan Yue out from the noisy banquet, hid behind a pillar and taught his son in a low voice.

Shangguan Yue glanced over at the throne and saw Princess Jin Yu chatting and laughing with the emperor.

"The princess doesn't really like me. I just act ridiculously in front of her to set off her upright attitude." He whispered, "If I stay too long, I will steal the show and she will be unhappy."

After saying this, he smiled at Prince Consort Shangguan.

"Don't worry, Prince Consort. I can enter the Imperial City now. I'll take my time with other things."

Prince Consort Shangguan nodded. Yes, more haste makes waste. It would be better to let His Majesty slowly adapt to his presence.

The thought flashed through his mind, and when he saw Shangguan Yue walking out, he hurriedly grabbed her.

"What are you going to do? Don't wander around."

Shangguan Yue looked outside the palace, a trace of melancholy flashed across her face: "I want to look around."

Look, for others it is to see the scenery, but for Shangguan Yue, it is to revisit the old place.

Shangguan Fu Ma sighed inwardly, nodded, and said softly, "Go." He also reminded, "Things are different now, don't walk around recklessly, be careful."

Shangguan Yue smiled and answered yes, turned around and jumped into the crowd, turning around a few times and disappearing in the bright lights.

……

……

"Where's Li Niang?"

Madam Xue pulled the wife of Marquis Dongyang out from among the other ladies and asked in a low voice.

After watching Old Madam Xue greet the Emperor and Empress, Madam Xue came over to look for Zhuang Li, but she could not see the woman in the bright lights.

Only the wife of the Marquis of Dongyang was sitting there chatting and laughing with the ladies on both sides.

"Of course, Jingyun called her away." Lady Dongyanghou glanced at her and said, "Do you really think you are willing to be with old ladies like you and me?"

Madam Xue burst out laughing: "If you want to grow old, do it yourself. I'm still young."

Lady Dongyang Hou looked at Madam Xue's bright eyes and eyebrows under the lamp. Compared with before, Madam Xue is indeed younger and more energetic now.

"What do you mean young? You're already a grandmother." The smile on her face deepened and she snorted.

Mrs. Xue patted her hands and laughed softly: "You will almost become a grandmother by the end of this year."

Mrs. Dongyang couldn't help but laugh, and whispered, "Actually, I'm not in a hurry. She's young, so it's better to wait a little longer."

While the two sisters were talking with their heads down, Zhou Jingyun, who was standing in the corridor looking at the lights, was bumped by someone.

The person who hit the person did not apologize.

Zhou Jingyun turned around and saw Shen Qing standing behind him.

"Prince, are you waiting for someone here?" Shen Qing asked.

Zhou Jingyun said calmly: "No one is waiting for someone who comes uninvited."

Does this mean you don't want to see him anymore? Shen Qing smiled, not minding his rudeness, and asked, "Why did you bring her into the palace?"

Zhou Jingyun subconsciously looked around, as if trying to see if it was another illusion. The lights all around were bright and hazy, and there were people coming and going everywhere. It was difficult to distinguish the real from the fake in the night.

"What's so strange about her entering the palace?" he said. "She has been married for so long, but she hasn't even paid homage to the emperor and empress. Isn't this going to cause discussion?"

Before Shen Qing could say something, a eunuch came running over from the side.

"Master Shen." He called in a low voice.

Seeing someone next to Shen Qing, he stopped again.

"It's okay, go ahead." Shen Qing said.

The eunuch stepped forward and glanced at Zhou Jingyun, seeming a little surprised that the Zhou Shizi and Shen Qing were actually the same people...

Well, but staring at someone's wife...
"The young lady of Marquis Dongyang has been called away..." he said in a low voice.

Shen Qing nodded. He knew. He had been watching and saw Zhou Jingyun say something to a palace maid, point to where the female relatives were, and then walk out and stand in the corridor.

He must be waiting to invite his wife to come and enjoy the lanterns.

“….He went to Jielin Building.” The eunuch’s voice continued to be heard.

Shen Qing's face froze: "What?"

He looked at Zhou Jingyun.

"You didn't ask her to come out?"

Zhou Jingyun looked at him, smiling: "I don't have any."

Shen Qing's face changed: "Bai Fei!" Looking at Zhou Jingyun, he gritted his teeth and whispered, "You brought her into the palace to see Bai Fei!"

Zhou Jingyun smiled and said, "Don't you know? She came to the capital city for her sister, who is her only relative in the world."

Shen Qing's face darkened: "You don't understand at all, her sister is not a good person——"

"I don't understand, but you do. Why didn't you say it earlier?" Zhou Jingyun interrupted him and said coldly.

Because in his eyes, there has never been this Miss Bai, and it doesn't matter what this Miss Bai thinks or does. Shen Qing looked at Zhou Jingyun with a sullen face, then turned away.

"Explain your words clearly--" Zhou Jingyun said, reaching out to grab Shen Qing.

The tentacles felt empty, and Shen Qing's back disappeared in the lights.

Zhou Jingyun's body flashed and he found himself still standing in the corridor. A lantern was swaying in front of him and men and women were walking around talking and laughing.

On the second floor of the hall, Shen Qing stood up holding his zither, and the musicians playing beside him were unaware of it. In the main hall on the first floor, a new song and dance began, which attracted noisy applause.

From the Jielin Building next to the main hall, you can overlook the entire Linde Hall. In front of the hall, there are lanterns like a mountain, and behind the hall, the lights of the Taiye Lake are like a sea.

Bai Ying stood in front of the railing, watching the lights with great interest.

"My queen, be careful of the cold." Wang Degui said, taking the white cloak and putting it on her.

There were footsteps on the stairs and a palace maid walked up.

"Madam, the young lady of the Marquis of Dongyang is downstairs." She said, "Will you please come up?"

Bai Ying retracted his gaze and looked at her: "Are you here? Then——"

Before he could finish his words, the palace maid in front of him with her hair combed into jade spirals and wearing a colorful skirt suddenly shattered like a piece of porcelain.

Bai Ying screamed and raised her hand to cover her mouth.

With the exclamation, the broken porcelain pieces rose from the ground again and pieced together into a human figure.

The young woman was wearing a red dress, her hair was in a peony shape, and she had two hairpins in her hair. Her eyes and eyebrows on her fair face were as bright and shining as stars.

She took a step up the stairs, seemed to notice something, lowered her head to look at the hem of her skirt, then raised her head and met Bai Ying's eyes.

"I didn't fool you." She said, smiling, "Second sister, do you still recognize me?"

Zhuang Li looked at Bai Ying and shook his head slowly.

"You look so different, I can't recognize you anymore."

(End of this chapter)