The Emperor’s mood turned better when he saw the weather change. He asked the officers to enjoy the party themselves. “Dear ministers, let’s enjoy this wonderful day!”
n.o.body found that Bai Yao was disturbed by the ceremony.
Seeing the Emperor lead all the people to the banquet again, the peaceful eyes of Bai Yao were confused. The warning by the dragon was such a serious charge to her. Besides, this warning also meant one day this throne would be taken away from him and returned to the correct person.
This warning hinted that someone would come to take the throne, so the future would not be in peace. How could she speak this to the Emperor or the officers? If she told them this directly, she and her whole family would be sentenced to death. She couldn’t allow this happen.
Bai Yao walked around in the palace. She had washed her hands and mouth in a river. The smell of blood was thick in her mouth. Anyone else would vomit for days if they drank so much blood. But she got used to it.
She rested on a stone chair, asking a maid to bring her some tea. With the tea and some preserved sweet plum, she felt better.
Now she had time to think about this issue carefully. First, she asked the maid to bring some paper and a brush-pen to her to write down everything that happened at the ceremony. She didn’t find Mo Kai anywhere when she looked back at the banquet.
Isn’t Mo Xi her choice? Why does she always think of Mo Kai? Do they have special relationship? She remembers nothing.
Now the maid in a green dress appeared in her eyes. Bai Yao waved to ask her to come near. “Do you know how to play chess?”
“My Lady, I have played chess since childhood. Shall we have a game?” The maid bowed to her.
Bai Yao found she was a pretty and smart little girl, so she nodded.
The maid took out the chess game and prepared a compet.i.tion with her. Soon the maid was drawn into the compet.i.tion; Bai Yao, however, was absent-minded.
When they had played for a while, the maid suggested, “Lady, you will lose if you continue to play like this. But you are so important to our dynasty, so I should pretend to be defeated by you.”
Bai Yao laughed. The maid was so honest that she won her approval. Bai Yao asked her, “What’s your name?”
“Lady, my name is Chunge.”
“You are smart! Which family do you belong to?”
“I am a low-cla.s.s maid who serves in the Washing Bureau.”
Low cla.s.s? “How about come to work for me? I can ask your madam to bring your ident.i.ty certificate to my family.” Bai Yao gave her an offer.
Chunge began to think about it carefully.
Bai Yao just waited there when she found the maid was hesitating.
“Thanks, my lady! I would like to follow you. But I have a younger sister who also serves in the palace. I am afraid that she might be bullied if I am not with her.”
“Don’t you fear me giving up on you when tell me this reason?”
“If Lady can give up on me with such a reason, I’d better stay here,” Chunge joked with her. She also liked this lady.
Bai Yao still wanted to say something more, but she was too tired to speak anything, and fell to the stone table asleep.
She had a long dream. In the dream, she was in a place like an immortal palace circled by clouds. She felt so alive in all the scenery around her. She kept walking around, and suddenly, she found a white-dressed man with a silver mask talking to a pretty lady. The lady smiled like an angel. Before Bai Yao had some time to take a clear look at her, she was taken to another scene, in which the lady stepped down from a mountain alone. n.o.body came to send her away. She turned back to check if anyone followed, as if she hoped to see someone come to send her off.
Finally, she left with disappointment and never looked back. She didn’t find the white shadow who stepped out from behind a rock, with his eyes full of reluctance, sadness, and love.
Bai Yao suddenly woke up from the dream.
Chunge was so worried, and asked, “Lady, did you have a nightmare?”
“Nothing! I just feel tired. Let’s get back to the banquet. Or the Emperor will look for me.” Bai Yao rubbed her head and left.
Seeing the Emperor and the Empress were drinking happily, Bai Yao took it easy. The dancers were presenting a fan dance.
She found Mo Kai this time. He was still formal and indifferent. He looked back at her, with some thoughts deep in his eyes only he himself understood. But the smile on his lips told her that he didn’t want to keep the distance with her.
She avoided his gaze. Could he be so simple? In this palace, were there any simple people?
Mo Xi was not in the palace, so she felt relaxed. She sat down to enjoy this free moment and had some cookies and tea, satisfied with the feeling of being full.
The peers of her father were talking about the big boring issues of the kingdom, loud and noisy. She felt isolated again, so she asked for leave from the Emperor with an excuse. The Emperor let her go.
The banquet continued. Bai Yao fled away at a back door. The warning from the dragon still made her uncomfortable.
If she said anything wrong just now at the ceremony, she might already be a dead body now.
She entered a pavilion to take a seat, and her mind went back to the ceremony again.
What is the dragon representing? What does the warning mean? Why did she lose her memory recently? Could these all be coincidental?