A day within the palace walls seemed longer than a day outside.

The people within the red walls and gray tiles started looking forward to noon the moment they woke up, and from noon onwards, they began looking forward to evening.

Children outside the palace kicked *cuju* in the streets, and before they knew it, the sky was dark. Inside the palace, people with wide eyes watched the sunset fall little by little, an extraordinarily slow descent.

The eight hundred drum sounds from the bell and drum tower ceased, the imperial city gates locked, and night fell.

All the Taoist nuns returned to the back hall. Some sat blankly on their bunk beds, not knowing what they were thinking. Some mended their own clothes, and after finishing, they had to hand the needle and thread back to Xuan Su, who locked them in a cabinet – not a single needle could be missing!

Bai Li and Zhu Lingyun sat on the edge of the bunk bed. The two of them whispered, not knowing what they were saying.

Xuan Su sat on the bunk bed, her eyes scanning back and forth between Bai Li and Zhu Lingyun. Then she calmly said, “Bai Li, go get a basin of water for me to wash my feet!”

Zhu Lingyun angrily said, “Are you missing hands and feet? Why don’t you go yourself?”

Xuan Su smiled and drew a ruler from under her pillow. “Then let’s check if Bai Li’s lesson today was good. If you can recite the forty-nine sentences the *Zhenren* taught today, I won’t punish her!”

Zhu Lingyun was shocked and turned her head to look worriedly at Bai Li!

Bai Li’s expression was neither happy nor sad. She said in a low voice, “The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth. The named is the mother of all things. Therefore, constantly without desire, one observes its hidden essence. Constantly with desire, one observes its manifestations. These two aspects originate from the same source but are called by different names. Both are called profound. Profound, and again profound, the gateway to all wonders…”

Xuan Su frowned. She listened as Bai Li recited the forty-nine sentences learned today, and they were word-for-word accurate. The ruler in her hand remained drawn.

She thought deeply for a moment, then turned her head to look at Zhu Lingyun. “You recite.”

Zhu Lingyun stuttered, “The Dao that can be spoken… is not the eternal Dao… the name that can be named… is not the eternal name…”

Xuan Su suddenly raised her hand, but Bai Li blocked her. Bai Li grabbed her wrist and said in a slow voice, “I’ll go help you get the foot-washing water!”

Xuan Su smiled slightly. “Wouldn’t it be good if you were sensible like this earlier?”

Bai Li got down from the bunk bed and went to the ear room to boil water. She sat in front of the small red clay stove, staring blankly, letting the warm air puff on her face, not knowing what she was thinking.

She thought of the twentieth sentence of the *Dao Jing*, and silently recited it in her heart: Heaven and earth are not benevolent; they treat all things as straw dogs. The sage is not benevolent; he treats the common people as straw dogs.

But she felt this sentence wasn’t suitable, so she silently recited the first twenty-eight sentences of the *Dao Jing*: Dwelling in a good place, having a good heart like a deep pool, giving with good faith, governing with good order, dealing with good ability, moving at the right time. Only by not striving, is one without blame!

While lost in thought, the water kettle emitted a harsh sound of steam!

Bai Li got up, carried the kettle, and poured the water into a copper basin. She mixed in some cool water, carried it to the bunk bed, and calmly placed it at Xuan Su’s feet!

Xuan Su took off her shoes, squinting with a smile. “It is said that the daughter of Prince Jing should be raised in the best environment. Yet I see you are so nimble doing chores, while your sister, not good at anything!”

Bai Li casually corrected her, “She’s not entirely good for nothing!”

Xuan Su sneered. “You are a very competent sister, always protecting your sister! But why is it that everyone in this Jing Yang compound is alone, only you two sisters can rely on each other?”

Bai Li’s expression remained unchanged. She finally understood the reason for Xuan Su’s malice!

Xuan Su put her feet into the basin and said in a malicious tone, “Wash my feet for me. From now on, you will wash my feet every day. If you refuse, I’ll make your sister recite scriptures. If she can’t recite, even if she gets one word wrong, she will be punished.”

Zhu Lingyun angrily stood on the bunk bed and shouted, “Demon old woman! My sister is the daughter of Prince Jing! How can you bully her?”

Xuan Su cast a sidelong glance at her. “Is the daughter of Prince Jing very precious? In my Jing Yang Palace, what I say goes.”

As she spoke, several other Taoist nuns next to her also stood up facing Zhu Lingyun, looking ready to press her onto the bunk bed and beat her at any moment!

At this moment, Bai Li said in a soft voice, “We’re all in this kind of place. Where is there still any precious person? I’ll wash them for you. Lingyun, you should get some good sleep!”

Zhu Lingyun’s angry eyes rolled in their sockets. “Sister, let’s fight them! We’d rather die!”

Bai Li repeated, “Lingyun, sleep.”

Xuan Su laughed heartily. “Still the older sister is more mature and steady, ah.”

She stirred the water in the copper basin with her plump foot. She squinted and smiled, “Wash, ah, what are you dawdling for! Enduring bitterness within bitterness makes one a person above others. Bai Li, County Lord, you still have much bitterness to endure. Afterwards, you will definitely have great wealth!”

Bai Li silently put her hands into the basin!

Early morning, the sound of the morning bell from the bell and drum tower swung from the north!

This bell sound arrived every day as promised, day after day, just like this day, nothing new!

Xuan Su stood at the door edge as usual, straining her voice and saying harshly, “Everyone get up and attend morning lessons!”

She suddenly pushed open the vermilion-painted big door, letting the cold wind pour into the hall!

Bai Li got up and first tied Zhu Lingyun’s hair properly. Then she used a hairpin to tie up Princess Yong Chun’s hair. She looked at the wrinkled face opposite her, as if seeing her future self!

Princess Yong Chun smiled foolishly. “Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva, you tie it really like a Bodhisattva, really good-looking.”

Bai Li smiled. “How can a Bodhisattva from the Buddhist gate come to a Taoist temple in a Taoist court?”

Princess Yong Chun asked back crazily, “Originally a place for doing good, yet harboring evil people, why would a Bodhisattva from the Buddhist gate not come to a Taoist temple in a Taoist court?”

Bai Li was startled!

Before she could think carefully, Princess Yong Chun had already jumped off the bed and ran towards the door to eat.

“Zuo Yuan brother will definitely come to see me today, he promised he would come to see me.” Bai Li was disappointed as if she had lost something. She slowly tidied her mood and walked towards the door!

When passing the vermilion-red hall door, Xuan Su leaned against the door frame and said in a low voice, “You two don’t think about going to Xuan Zhen Dao to complain. Be honest. If I find out, I will definitely not forgive you!”

Bai Li didn’t answer, and led Zhu Lingyun straight towards Jing Yang Hall. The rush mats were already set. The clear, handsome, and elegant *Zhenren* Xuan Zhen sat on the rush cushion, lightly waving her whisk, knocking the bell, and saying in a loud voice, “The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao…”

The *Dao Jing* they learned was the same as yesterday, no different!

Bai Li felt dazed, almost thinking she was trapped in some kind of dead end, endlessly repeating “some day,” unable to escape, with no return date!

After the *Dao Jing* lecture finished, *Zhenren* Xuan Zhen leisurely rose, leading the crowd to perform the three kneels and nine kowtows ritual to the Three Pure Ancestors!

Just at this moment, Zhu Lingyun crawled up from the rush mat and rushed towards Xuan Zhen!

Bai Li reached out to pull her, but only touched the corner of her clothes!

In front of the images of the Three Pure Ancestors, Zhu Lingyun threw herself at Xuan Zhen’s feet, crying, “View Master, that Xuan Su bullies us every day in the back hall! The work that should be done by everyone, she only makes me and my sister do! In the evening, she even makes us two sleep by the chamber pot. When someone gets up to go to the toilet, they will startle us awake! She doesn’t even wash her own clothes, she hands them all over to me and my sister. My sister’s hands are frozen and chapped, you don’t believe me, look…”

Xuan Su’s face changed. “Shut your mouth! I told you to shut your mouth!”

She rushed forward, wanting to grab Zhu Lingyun’s hair, but Xuan Zhen just lightly turned her head and gave her a sidelong glance. She immediately timidly withdrew her hand. “View Master, I…”

Zhu Lingyun continued to cry and complain. “View Master, this Xuan Su even made my sister wash her feet!”

Xuan Zhen waved her whisk, turned around to face Xuan Su, and said in a light voice, “Yesterday it was Princess Yong Chun, today it is County Lord Lingyun. How many more outer demons do I have to bear for you? If you can’t manage them well, I’ll change the person in charge, lest someone always disturb my quiet cultivation!”

Zhu Lingyun was startled!

Xuan Su quickly said, “I will manage them well, manage them well.”

Xuan Zhen held her whisk and said in a light voice, “Kneel down!”

Xuan Su knelt in front of her, palms up.

Xuan Zhen reached out, and someone immediately handed her a bamboo ruler. “Recite the Pure Heaven and Earth God Spell!”

Xuan Su glared maliciously at Zhu Lingyun and recited, “Heaven and earth are natural, filth cannot disperse! Within the cave, profoundly empty, bright and too primordial! Eight directions of power gods, make me natural…”

With a *pa* sound, the ruler heavily struck her palm!

Xuan Su’s face, full of fat, trembled with pain, but she dared not stop reciting the Pure Heaven and Earth God Spell for even one sentence!

After a full one hundred and eight strikes, Xuan Zhen said with an indifferent expression, “Breaking one hundred and eight troubles, the body is like glass, inside and out clear and thorough. Today’s you have surpassed yesterday!”

Xuan Su’s left hand was split and bleeding, fresh blood flowing freely. She prostrated on the ground respectfully and said, “Thank you, *Zhenren*!”

Xuan Zhen handed the ruler to the side, turned around and walked towards the side hall, not looking at the crowd again!

After the vermilion-painted big door of the side hall closed, Xuan Su suddenly looked at Zhu Lingyun and said in a harsh voice, “I told you early on not to complain and not to disturb the *Zhenren*’s quiet cultivation, but you insisted on not listening. Drag her to the back hall for me and gag her.”

Bai Li stepped forward and said urgently, “Don’t, she won’t do it again.”

Xuan Su angrily said, “And you, Bai Li, drag her to the back hall for me.”

Several Taoist nuns dragged the two away. And that big door of the side hall didn’t open towards the back hall again. Xuan Su turned around and closed the big door, grabbed the ruler in her hand and struck Bai Li and Zhu Lingyun’s thighs until the skin split and bled, and the blood soaked their pants, then she stopped!

At noon, the little eunuch brought food. The Taoist nuns all scattered in a hurry, going to the side hall to eat!

Only Bai Li and Zhu Lingyun were left lying on the bunk bed. Zhu Lingyun cried softly, almost without the strength to cry!

Princess Yong Chun sat on the threshold looking at the sky, winding her scattered hair around her fingers, muttering something!

Bai Li slowly sat up and lightly wiped Zhu Lingyun’s tears. “Does it hurt?”

Zhu Lingyun said aggrievedly, “Sister, it hurts so much!”

Bai Li lifted her robe and looked at her sister’s bloody and bruised thigh, her heart aching.

She touched Zhu Lingyun’s cheek and coaxed her in a low voice, “Don’t cry, go eat. After you eat, it won’t hurt!”

Zhu Lingyun buried her head in her arms. “I don’t want to eat. When will this day end, sister? Even father never hit us, ah!”

Bai Li said in a low voice, “Yes, ah, even father never hit you!”

She struggled to climb up and limped towards the outside!

When she passed by Princess Yong Chun, Princess Yong Chun suddenly stopped winding her hair. “She said it’s not right!”

Bai Li was startled. “What’s not right?”

Princess Yong Chun sat on the threshold and looked up at her. “Mother Queen told me that whatever you eat supplements that. For example, eating fish makes your eyes clear. So, enduring bitterness doesn’t make you a person above others, it makes you someone who has been eaten!”

Bai Li was stunned in place!

Princess Yong Chun looked at the blue sky outside and said in a low voice, “I always felt that if I just waited a little while, endured a little while, it would pass. Things always turn around. But I waited for twenty-two years, and what I finally waited for was the news of death! If I had known this earlier, I should have just died twenty-two years ago, ah!”

Bai Li hesitated. “You!”

While speaking, a butterfly landed outside, lightly stopping on the tip of her hair. The butterfly stayed for two breaths, then flapped its wings and flew towards the far main hall!

Princess Yong Chun got up and chased after it. “Zuo Yuan brother has come to find me, Zuo Yuan brother, wait for me.”

Bai Li sighed and walked towards the side hall!

Inside the side hall, Xuan Su and the others were eating. When the Taoist nuns saw Bai Li enter the door, they immediately moved their bodies, blocking the gap in the rice table!

Bai Li was silent for a long time, then suddenly walked forward and flipped the rice table, letting the food scatter on the ground. Xuan Su lowered her head to look at the vegetable juice and leaves on her robe, for a moment not reacting to what had happened!

The crowd was shocked. Bai Li picked up two steamed buns from the ground, stuffed them into her bosom, and walked to the corner of the side hall!

She squatted down, avoiding exposing her vital parts!

Xuan Su finally came back to her senses and angrily shouted, “Rebel against heaven, rebel against heaven! Hit her for me, hit her hard! Let her know what the rules are inside Jing Yang Palace!”