Chapter 9: Leaving Home to Protect the Bai Clan and Ensure Its Long-Term Peace and Prosperity
Deep within Phoenix Dance City, in a side hall built by the water, the First Prince, Galo Lin, sat alone, sipping tea.
"Your Highness, the Bai family has sent word that Miss Bai Lian has confirmed her participation in this imperial concubine selection." A servant dressed in dark attire bowed and reported, his voice particularly clear in the empty hall.
Galorin's gaze never left the portrait painting spread out on the tea table. The woman in the painting was dressed in white, her robes fluttering as if she were about to ride the wind away. The cool and lively quality in her eyes even made him, a man who was usually indifferent to beauty, take a few more glances.
"Very good." A meaningful smile now played on Galorin's previously serious lips. "Go and invite the Minister of Rites. The rule that only applies to the Crown Prince taking concubines should be changed."
-
A few days later, just after the Crown Prince's coming-of-age ceremony, an imperial edict spread throughout the major clans of Luoyang: the Emperor had officially issued an edict to select a consort for the Crown Prince.
This imperial decree was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up huge waves among these aristocratic families.
Inside and outside the court, undercurrents were swirling, and everyone was secretly plotting. After all, whichever family's daughter could become the Crown Princess meant that their family would become a future member of the imperial family, a matter of honor and disgrace for the entire clan for decades to come.
Inside the Bai residence, Bai Lian remained unusually calm after receiving the news. She had been waiting for this day to arrive, but she hadn't expected it to come so soon.
During those days, she stayed indoors, deliberately avoiding her parents' concerned gaze.
Every morning, she would still go to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion to practice martial arts, but after returning, she would devote all her time to preparing for the selection of a concubine.
She played the zither, practiced etiquette, and recited classical texts. She practiced every expression, demeanor, and word she uttered repeatedly, striving for perfection.
Cuizhu served by her side, watching her mistress grow thinner and thinner each day, her heart filled with mixed emotions. That day, she finally couldn't hold back any longer and knelt down before Bailian with a thud.
"Miss!" Cuizhu's voice choked with sobs. "I know I'm clumsy and always make you angry. But if you are chosen this time, please take me into the palace with you. I promise you, I will serve you even more carefully from now on..."
Her voice trailed off, but she looked up again, tears welling in her eyes: "Miss... I can't bear to part with you..."
Bai Lian looked at Cui Zhu, the maid who had been by her side since she recovered from her illness, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.
She reached out and helped Cuizhu up, gently wiping away the tears on her face.
"Silly girl," Bai Lian's voice was gentle yet firm, "If that day ever comes, I will definitely take you with me to the palace."
-
On the eve of her entry into the palace, Bai Lian tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The moonlight, like water, streamed through the window lattice, casting a soft glow on the floor. She got up and walked to her dressing table, staring blankly at her reflection in the mirror.
In recent days, she has increasingly felt that her burning, vibrant soul seems to have been forced to reside in this flawless body, as pure as a lotus.
She reached out and gently touched the red lotus hairpin on her forehead, where a familiar burning sensation emanated. Those fragmented dreams, those seemingly familiar scenes, and that inexplicable sense of unease all pointed to a mystery she had yet to unravel.
Unfortunately, reality didn't give her enough time to uncover the truth. Tomorrow, she will step into the unknown depths of the palace and begin a completely new life.
That night, the candles burned brightly in Bai Lian's room, and few people in the entire Bai mansion were able to sleep peacefully.
-
The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight streamed into Qinglian Pavilion, Bailian had already finished washing and dressing. She had deliberately chosen a simple and elegant outfit, and without any makeup, her natural beauty was even more apparent.
Upon arriving at the gate of the mansion, she saw that her father, Bai Moyuan, and elder brother, Bai Ziyuan, were already waiting there. To her surprise, her maternal grandfather, Changsun Luo, had also made a special trip to visit.
"Grandpa? What brings you here?" Bai Lian quickly stepped forward and took the old man's arm.
Changsun Luo looked at his granddaughter, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
He gently patted Bai Lian's hand and sighed, "Our Changsun family has a once-in-a-century talent for generalship, yet he has to enter the palace for selection... Lian'er, your grandfather only wishes that you can do what you want to do and live the life you want to live. Never wrong yourself."
The old man's voice choked with emotion: "Remember, no matter what happens, your grandfather is here for you."
Bai Lian finally couldn't hold back her tears. She looked around at her relatives: the worry in her father's eyes, the reluctance on her brother's face, the tenderness in her grandfather's gaze... all of this made her heart ache.
She slowly took a step back, bowed deeply in the direction of her loved ones, and performed a full salute.
"Grandpa, Father, Brother, please take care. Lian'er has no other wish than to protect the Bai clan and ensure its long and peaceful existence."
As she stood up, she deliberately avoided the intense gazes of her family members, afraid that even a single glance would shake her resolve.
Just as she turned to board the carriage, she suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure leaning against the window of a distant pavilion—her mother, Changsun Rao'er.
Bai Lian immediately understood. Her mother wasn't unwilling to come, but rather afraid to see her off. Her heart must be breaking, fearing that her tears would become a hindrance to her daughter's resolve to move forward.
Thinking of this, Bai Lian felt a knot in her heart, so she quickly boarded the carriage, not even daring to lift the curtain, and took one last look at the home that held countless joys and dreams for her.
The carriage slowly started moving, the sound of its wheels particularly clear on the morning streets. Inside the carriage, Bai Lian kept her eyes tightly closed, two lines of clear tears sliding down her cheeks.
From that moment on, she, the young lady of the Bai family, was forever left in the past.
Just as the carriage drove out of the street where the Bai residence was located, a strange sense of déjà vu suddenly struck her. Bai Lian abruptly opened her eyes, her heart pounding involuntarily.
This scene...this heartbreaking feeling...she had clearly experienced it in a dream.
In that instant, some blurry images flashed through her mind: sitting in the same car of parting, feeling the same heartache, and... a home she could never return to.
She touched her forehead, which was suddenly throbbing with pain; the red lotus hairpin there was faintly burning.
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