White Fence Dream

Chapter 181 How Dare
The carriage drove into the Dongyang Marquis's Mansion. Madam Xue helped the Dongyang Marquis's wife back to the courtyard. The scent of incense was still lingering around them.

"Master Guanlin said that as long as 49 lanterns are lit for 77 days, Ah Li will be reborn into a good family." Madam Xue said softly, "You can rest assured."

The wife of the Marquis of Dongyang looked sad and sighed softly.

Zhou Jingyun handed over a cup of tea: "Aunt, thank you for your hard work."

Although Zhuang Li had been buried, the wife of the Marquis of Dongyang was still restless and went to Tianyun Temple outside the capital to perform rituals. Madam Xue stayed in the temple with her for three days.

Mrs. Xue also sighed softly: "I also want to see Ah Li off again." She took the tea and drank it.

However, the Xue Mansion also needed someone, so she didn't say anything more polite, declined the meal and said goodbye.

Zhou Jingyun personally sent her out, and when he came back he saw that the wife of the Marquis of Dongyang had already washed up and was sitting by the window in a daze. Mother Xu brought the bowl of rice to her, but she was too lazy to eat.

"Mother, you've lost weight." Zhou Jingyun stepped forward and said, "Eat a little more."

The wife of the Marquis of Dongyang looked at him and said, "You have lost weight too." After a pause, she said, "Rumor has it that..."

Although he never left the house and was only focused on performing rituals in the temple, he still heard the news about the Prince of Dongyang persecuting the Empress Yang's family just by passing by the street.

Her son had been praised and admired by people since he was born. This was the first time she heard bad words and speculation.

Zhou Jingyun was about to say something, but the wife of Marquis Dongyang stopped him.

"You are right." She said, "There is something wrong with Ah Li's death. Why did she fall from the railing when she was fine? Of course we need to get to the bottom of it. It was His Majesty who asked Zhang Ze to investigate the case. It was Zhang Ze who investigated the Yang family. What does it have to do with you?"

She couldn't help crying as she spoke.

"If you want to blame someone, blame me. It was me who insisted that she accompany me to the palace banquet."

Ever since Zhuang Li's accident, this has been a source of worry for the wife of the Marquis of Dongyang. Zhou Jingyun hurriedly held her hand and said, "Mother, how can I blame you? We had originally agreed not to go, but she and I insisted on going."

Madam Dongyang Hou shook her head and stopped talking about this. She only said to Mother Xu, "Bring some food to Jingyun. I'll watch him eat."

Mother Xu answered yes and was about to go out, but was stopped by Zhou Jingyun.

"Mother Xu, you don't have to prepare a meal for me." He said, "Please leave for now. I have something to say to my mother."

Mother and son want to talk in private? Although it has not happened for many years, now that something happened at home, Mother Xu did not ask any more questions. She just retreated, dismissed the maids and servants in the corridor, and stayed in the yard.

Everyone in the room left, Zhou Jingyun also stood up, took a step back, and knelt down in front of the wife of Dongyang Marquis.

Mrs. Dongyang was puzzled: "Why are you kneeling? Sit down and talk if you have something to say."

"Mother, I am an unfilial son. I have two things to hide from you." Zhou Jingyun said, looking at the wife of the Marquis of Dongyang, "Zhuang Li's surname is not Zhuang."

Mrs. Dongyang Hou frowned: "I know, both her parents died, and she was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Zhuang, so she changed her surname to Zhuang."

"It's true that both her parents died, and she was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Zhuang, but..." Zhou Jingyun paused, and then said, "Her father is Bai Xun, the governor of Shuofang who was questioned and his entire family was executed."

Mrs. Dongyang Hou was stunned for a moment.

Although she was a woman in the inner palace, she was from a marquis' family and was concerned about the developments and events of the court. The name Bai Xun was both unfamiliar and new to her.

Strange is the unknown border general, familiar is the case of Empress Chiang’s family being exterminated and the whole family being made public.

Daughter of Bai Xun.

In addition to the palace, Bai Xun actually has a daughter!
Fugitive.

Zhou Jingyun is hiding a fugitive!

The wife of the Marquis of Dongyang stood up suddenly: "You! You are crazy!"

Zhou Jingyun kowtowed: "My child deserves to die."

Damn it? Madam Dongyang rushed over and slapped him in the face: "You are going to kill your whole family!"

After saying this, his heart was beating like a drum. No wonder, no wonder he got married so suddenly, no wonder Zhuang Li behaved so strangely after entering the house.

"You, you are really possessed by the devil, how dare you!" Lady Dongyang Hou cursed in a low voice while gritting her teeth.

He hid the criminal in his home and even brought him into the palace!
Zhou Jingyun raised his head: "I know that what I did will bring trouble to the family, and she knows it too, so I discussed with her and took her to the palace to meet her sister to fulfill her wish, and then, she committed suicide."

Suicide...
Mrs. Dongyang Hou pressed her chest and stepped back, falling into a chair. So the fall from the building was not an accident, but...
"Bringing her back here is already inviting trouble." Zhou Jingyun whispered, "I can't let my mother blame herself now, so I told her the truth. This is all my fault. Jingyun is unfilial."

After saying this, he kowtowed heavily.

The wife of the Marquis of Dongyang looked at her son kneeling on the ground in front of her. She felt that Zhuang Li's fall from the building was like a dream. The two things Zhou Jingyun said now seemed even more like a dream.

She only felt her ears buzzing, and for a moment she didn't know whether it was true or false, and whether she should be angry, happy or sad.

“You, you…how could you…”

How can you watch someone fall to his death?

That is, a person.

A living person.

"Zhou Jingyun." Lady Dongyang looked at her son and finally murmured, "How did you become like this?"

.......
.......
There was bright sunlight in the study. The servant Feng'er looked inside secretly and saw that Zhou Jingyun had been sitting in front of the desk in a daze ever since he came back from the Marquis's wife's place.

"Prince." He couldn't help asking, "Will you return to the courtyard tonight? Will Sister Chunyue come to ask about preparing meals?"

Zhou Jingyun came back to his senses: "Go tell them that I won't be coming back."

Feng'er responded by running away.

Zhou Jingyun reached out and touched his cheek. What did he look like in his mother's eyes now?

It must be hideous.

But, I can't hide it from my mother anymore. Bringing Zhuang Li back home is already unfilial. How can I let my mother blame herself day and night?

Let his mother hate him.

It's better to hate him than to blame yourself.

Zhou Jingyun stood up and went to the study behind the screen, took out the scroll and slowly unfolded it. In the light and shadow, the woman looked at him arrogantly.

Zhou Jingyun vaguely saw her sitting on the large dragon throne.

"You think I'm doing evil? That's why you don't want to be used by me?" she asked. "Zhou Jingyun, you're so stupid. This is perfect. I'm the bad guy, and you can be the good guy." He didn't want to rely on her to be a good guy.

He also doesn't want to see her as a bad person.

The boy turned and strode away, a chuckle coming from behind him.

"Zhou Jingyun, without a bad guy like me in the future, you may not be able to be a good person."

The light and shadows flickered and Zhou Jingyun's vision became blurry. He closed his eyes slightly, then opened them again and looked at the portrait on the scroll.

In fact, he had only opened it two or three times since he finished the painting, and each time he just took a quick look and closed it.

At this moment, I suddenly felt that it was okay to look directly at it.

After all, he even saw her in other people's faces.

Thinking of that scene, Zhou Jingyun couldn't help but laugh, but the laugh disappeared.

"Be a bad guy if you want to be a bad guy." He said to himself, "It's good enough if it can make others behave well."

He closed the scroll and put it back on the bookshelf.

I don’t know how Zhuang Li is doing now.

Zhuang Li said that he was manipulated by Shen Qing and Mr. Zhuang when he went to Mr. Zhuang to take her away.

Logically speaking, now that things have been made clear and Zhuang Li is gone, the manipulation should be over.

Why does he still miss her?

Because you have been a couple who have slept in the same bed, accompanied each other every day, and cared for each other?

That's false.

It seems that Shen Qing and others are really good at controlling things. Even if the people leave, their thoughts cannot be stopped.

Zhou Jingyun walked out slowly, down the steps and out the door.

Feng'er was running back and almost bumped into him: "My Lord, where are you going?"

Where can I go? Of course I should go back to the yard, otherwise, the house would be so empty without one person.

Watching Zhou Jingyun heading toward the inner courtyard, Feng'er stamped her feet and said, "I just told Sister Chunyue that I won't go back. Why is the prince acting on his whim now?"

……

……

The sound of footsteps echoed on the ship, breaking the silence of the day.

Jixiang watched Shangguan Yue walk up the stairs in two or three steps, and could not help but remind him, "Slow down, young master."

In the past, the young master never went upstairs so quickly, but slowly and quietly.

What's going on today?
Are you happy that things are going smoothly in the Princess's Mansion?
"Yes, yes, I'm very happy." Shangguan Yue said, turning back and smiling, "So go tell Ah Li as soon as possible."

In the past, no matter how fast or slow he walked, he was always alone when he entered the house. But now it’s different, because Bai Li is here!

Bai Li was in the room. Did he hear his footsteps? Did he know he was back? He must be very happy.

"Sir..." Jixiang said hurriedly from behind, "She didn't..."

Following the voices, Shangguan Yue ran up to the third floor and opened the door.

"Ali——" he shouted, and the next moment the voice stopped.

Jixiang's unfinished words came from behind: "...Not here."

The room was empty.

No one was sitting, and no one greeted with a smile.

Shangguan Yue walked in and looked at both bedrooms without giving up. His bedroom and the one next door by Bai Li's were empty.

"I sent her back before going to the princess's mansion." He couldn't help but ask.

Jixiang nodded: "Yes, you sent her back, but she was about to go out as soon as you left."

He wanted to stop her, but the maid ignored him and said, "I'm just telling you something, not asking you to agree. Your master won't stop me."

Well, she wanted to go out, so of course he wouldn't stop her. Shangguan Yue asked, "Did she say where she was going?"

Jixiang shook his head: "No."

Not only did she not say anything, he also wanted to send someone to follow her, but he didn't catch up.

I could clearly see the woman's figure right in front of me, but the next moment she flashed, as if I was dazzled, and when I looked again, she was gone. It was really strange.

Shangguan Yue was silent.

Is she going to Dongyang Marquis Mansion?

Earlier in Yuqing Hall, when she heard that Zhou Jingyun was implicated in the Queen's case, she wanted to go see Zhou Jingyun, but he stopped her.

So did she go after all?
Will she come back then?
Seeing the young master's face suddenly darken, Jixiang said carefully: "She said she would be back before the ship sailed, and asked you to wait for her."

Shangguan Yue smiled instantly: "Really? Okay, of course I'll wait for her." Then she waved her hand, "You can go down."

Jixiang said "oh", and thought that the young master could actually talk to him first if he had anything to say, but he slowly backed out. Until the door was opened, the young master did not call him, but walked outside, leaned on the railing and looked out.

……

……

When Shen Qing walked into the courtyard, he saw the girl leaning on the railing and stopped in his tracks.

Bai Li also saw him and waved with a smile.

"You are finally here." She said, "If you hadn't come, I would have gone to the palace to find you."

How dare she?
An idea came to Shen Qing.

How dare she come here again and again? As if they were one of her own? It hadn't been long since the life-and-death struggle in the fantasy that night, had it?