Xiao Man, with Bai Ling in tow, feasted their way from one end of the street to the other. Both their bellies were so full they could barely move. They found a tea house, ordered a pot of clear tea, a plate of fennel beans, and a plate of broad beans, and listened to the storyteller.
The storyteller today was narrating a love story between a poor scholar and a rich young lady. Bai Ling listened with exceptional focus, nodding occasionally and sometimes shaking her head. When she didn't understand something, she'd ask Xiao Man, "Why did they elope?"
"Because the lady's father didn't approve of the poor scholar and wanted to stop them from being together, so the lady planned to elope with the poor scholar," Xiao Man explained immediately.
"So they must love each other very much?" Bai Ling thought that they must love each other deeply to be willing to abandon their families and go with the scholar.
"The lady must love the scholar. As for whether the scholar loves the lady, that is yet to be known."
"Doesn't the scholar love the lady?" Bai Ling asked with her innocent, wide eyes, full of doubt.
"In Yusheng, there's an old saying, 'Married by betrothal, eloped as a concubine.' This means that a wife is one who is married through the 'three betrothal gifts and six rites' and public ceremony. Someone who elopes with a man is a concubine. What is a concubine? They are like servants; even if they are beaten to death, the authorities will not intervene."
"So if the lady eloped with the scholar, she'd become a concubine?"
"It's not that eloping automatically makes one a concubine, but rather that elopement is highly frowned upon. If a woman abandons her family and elopes with a man without a betrothal or public ceremony, she will be branded as shameless and ridiculed by others. Her family will also be shamed by her elopement and disown her. If the man treats her well, then all is well. But if the man treats her poorly, she has already cut off her own retreat, leaving her with only a dead end."
Bai Ling nodded as if she understood, "Would you elope with someone?"
"No," Xiao Man replied without hesitation.
"Even if you loved that person very much, you wouldn't?"
"Silly girl, if someone truly loves you, they would never let you suffer any harm, either physically or mentally. If, one day, someone urges you to elope, then punch them!" Xiao Man said, raising her fist.
"Okay, I'll remember," Bai Ling nodded seriously, though in her heart she thought she would probably never have the chance to elope in her lifetime.
After listening to the story, the two went to the night market. Duoluo City's nights were also extremely lively. A smile gradually appeared on Bai Ling's face, "Are the nights always this lively?"
"The nights in the Imperial Capital are even more lively." Xiao Man bought a lantern for Bai Ling, "Every year during the Lantern Festival, the Imperial Capital holds lantern fairs. All sorts of decorative lanterns are hung along both sides of the streets, it's especially beautiful."
Bai Ling carefully imagined what the Lantern Festival in the Imperial Capital would be like: colorful lanterns hanging all over the streets, a breathtaking spectacle of fire trees and silver flowers, turning the dark night into day?
"Is the Imperial Capital beautiful?"
"Beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful. The Imperial Capital also has the Wind and Cloud Rankings, where the people on the rankings are all handsome men and beautiful women, a feast for the eyes. The scenery of the Imperial Capital is also incredibly beautiful. This world is vast, with many beautiful sights, much delicious food, and many wonderful people."
Bai Ling's eyes were full of longing, but she knew too well what fate awaited a Saintess once she stepped outside the royal capital. Therefore, she could only learn about the outside world through Xiao Man's words, as a form of solace.
She imagined how large the snowflakes as big as mats would be, what a fairyland Lan City shrouded in mist and willows would be, whether the Magnolia trees that perfumed the air for ten miles would be more fragrant than the best incense. How spectacular the sea of Begonias stretching as far as the eye could see, and the peonies blooming throughout the city, the mountain temples filled with peach and pear blossoms. Every April, the falling petals would create a brilliant, overlapping scene, how breathtakingly beautiful it must be...
The two explored every street in the royal capital and tasted every kind of snack, before secretly slipping back into the imperial palace, preparing to return to the White Pagoda.
Just as they reached the entrance, Bai Ling reached out and stopped Xiao Man, "You leave first."
"My elder brother..."
"Don't worry, he'll be fine."
Xiao Man looked up at the White Pagoda and suddenly understood. While they were out enjoying themselves, guests had visited the White Pagoda. She didn't want to make things difficult for Bai Ling and quietly disappeared.
Once Bai Ling was sure Xiao Man had left, she raised her head and stepped into the White Pagoda. The smile on her face vanished, leaving only a trace of warmth, hidden deep within her heart.
As soon as Bai Ling entered the White Pagoda, she was met with the stern face of the Grand Elder and a harsh slap to her cheek that left it swollen. Yet, she did not utter a sound.
"Bai Ling, you have a great deal of nerve! Bringing outsiders into the White Pagoda is one thing, but you actually dared to disguise yourself as a man and sneak out of the White Pagoda. You are truly lawless!" The Grand Elder's voice was like the wind and snow of the ninth lunar month, chilling people to the bone.
"Who is that man? Is he your paramour?" the Second Elder asked aggressively. They detested men the most and disliked unruly Saintesses!
"No," Bai Ling finally spoke, "Just a friend."
"Friend? A Saintess needs no friends!"
Bai Ling fell silent. She was a person, a living human being, not an inanimate object. How could she not need friends?
The Third Elder slowly stepped forward, grabbed Bai Ling's hand, and rolled up her sleeve. Seeing that Bai Ling's virginity mark was still there, she breathed a sigh of relief, "Bai Ling, you have violated the taboo. Do you know you were wrong?"
"Bai Ling knows she was wrong, but my friend is innocent. I beg the three elders to let him go," Bai Ling said indifferently.
"Trespassing into the White Pagoda and impersonating the Saintess – such a villain deserves death. How can he be let go? Strip off her filthy clothes!" the Grand Elder said fiercely. She didn't know what Bai Ling had done outside, but every Saintess who had defected had first stolen out of the White Pagoda. This was a mistake they could absolutely not tolerate.
Two expressionless maidens immediately stepped forward, stripped off Bai Ling's clothes, leaving only a modesty garment, and removed her shoes, tossing them on the ground nearby.
Her feet touching the cold ground once more, Bai Ling shivered. Her gaze fell upon the pair of shoes. These were the shoes that person had personally put on her. Alas, she probably wouldn't be able to wear them again.
"Take her to the torture chamber. Thirty lashes, and then send her to the Ten Thousand Gu Pit to suffer the agony of ten thousand gu gnawing at her."
The two maidens escorting Bai Ling trembled upon hearing the words "Ten Thousand Gu gnawing." Thirty lashes would already take half her life; entering the Ten Thousand Gu Pit afterward would mean certain death!
"Elders..."
"What? Do you also wish to go to the Ten Thousand Gu Pit?"
The two maidens immediately lowered their heads and escorted Bai Ling to the torture chamber. Throughout it all, Bai Ling's expression remained unchanged.
From the moment she decided to step out of the White Pagoda, she knew what awaited her. Yet, she could not resist the allure of the outside world; she wanted to see it.