Hibiscus as a Painting

Chapter 1

[Essential eBook] *The Hibiscus in Full Bloom* (Complete Collector's Edition)

The Emperor's Flower Withers (Beginning) 《Beginning》A Dream of the Past

"The Beginning" - A Dream of the Past. In the winter of 516, Emperor Hongsu of Yaochen Kingdom died suddenly in the palace at the young age of twenty. The cause of death is unknown.

The sudden death of Emperor Hongsu plunged Yaochen Kingdom into chaos. The Nalan Nan tribe had always been a single-lineage clan, and Emperor Hongsu had only given birth to one daughter, Princess Nalan Fengjin, four years after his marriage.

Amidst controversy and opposition from the ministers, the only remaining bloodline of the Nalan Nan clan, the three-year-old Princess Nalan Fengjin, ascended the throne, adopting the reign title Yanzai.

In the spring of 517, Emperor Hongsu's first wife, Empress Dugu, the mother of Empress Yanzai, committed suicide in Jiaotai Hall (the palace used for Emperor Hongsu and Empress Dugu's wedding).

Yaochen 526 years extended ten years

At the age of thirteen, Empress Yeonjae married the prime minister's eighteen-year-old eldest son. With the strong support of the prime minister's faction, Empress Yeonjae assumed personal rule.

Yao Chen 531 years later, fifteen years later

Empress Yanzai was intelligent from a young age, excelling in both literary and military arts. Under the joint rule of Empress Yanzai and her empress, Yaochen Kingdom flourished, and the people deeply loved and respected this second female emperor in Yaochen's history.

That year, a giant monster appeared in Bahuang County, southwest of Yaochen Kingdom. Empress Yanzai dispatched three Yaochen generals to lead large armies to suppress it, but none of the three generals survived, and their armies were completely wiped out.

Rumors spread like wildfire that the Empress's succession to the throne was against the will of Heaven, so Heaven sent messengers to punish the people, causing widespread panic.

Empress Yeonjae intended to send out generals again, but none of the military officers were willing to go.

Empress Yeonjae was furious and wanted to personally lead the army into battle. At this moment, a sixteen-year-old, nameless general volunteered to go. Empress Yeonjae naturally refused, but the general begged for permission with his life on the line. After much deliberation, the Empress reluctantly agreed.

Three months later, the general lost 3,000 soldiers but managed to slay all the monsters.

Empress Yanzai was overjoyed and bestowed upon the nameless general the title of "General King," granting him the salary of a prince, a hereditary title.

On the day the general returned to court, the empress personally went out of the city to greet him.

Among the crowd, General Wang, dressed in a gold-embroidered military uniform, exuded confidence and youthful vigor, surrounded by flowers and a dappled horse.

The empress was captivated by his beauty and from that moment on, she could not forget the general.

One day, in the court before the assembled officials, he proposed to the emperor and empress the matter of taking a prince as his concubine.

The usually gentle and refined emperor and empress were unusually firm at this moment: they refused.

The Empress was furious and swore on the spot that if she did not make General Wang her ruler, she would sever the bloodline of the Nalan Nan tribe and never consummate her marriage with anyone. Only then did everyone realize that the Empress and Empress had not consummated their marriage in the five years since their wedding.

The emperor and empress, pale-faced and embarrassed, looked at the officials below the court, concealing their helplessness and heartbreak as they discussed the matter of the empress taking a prince as her concubine.

The young general, having gained power at a young age, should have been full of vigor and ambition. However, at the height of his power, an imperial edict shattered his dreams and life like a bolt from the blue. Filled with shame and indignation, the general wanted to resist with his life, but to protect his 110 family members and ensure their survival, he entered the palace as the king with resentment.

In the same year, General Wang Jiebing entered the palace and was granted the title of Linde Noble Lady, a position second only to the Emperor and Empress.

Knowing that Consort Linde disliked the frivolous atmosphere of the harem, the Empress built a pavilion called Taiping Pavilion on the outermost edge of the harem.

Empress Zhilin Dejun was extremely lonely after entering the palace, so she collected all kinds of books and novelties and sent them to Taiping Pavilion.

Empress Zhilindejun was fond of rosewood, so she transplanted it from an extremely hot place to the palace, but none of the rosewood trees survived.

Linde Guijun was furious with the Empress for this, but the Empress not only did not punish him, but also tried to appease him in every way.

When the emperor and empress learned of this, they were heartbroken.

The Empress neglected state affairs in order to please the Noble Prince Linde.

After the emperor and empress fell out of favor, they seized control of the government and promoted their family members. As a result, resentment arose among Yao Chen's officials.

The Empress's indifference to the Empress's actions only emboldened them, and within a short time, a third of the power in Yaochen Kingdom fell into the hands of the Empress's family. To prevent the Empress's family from swallowing them up, the court officials began forming factions, creating a chaotic and corrupt atmosphere.

A year later, the Yaochen court split into three branches, with the Emperor and Empress's family forming one major branch. The Linde Noble Consort's family, originally a minor, peripheral clan, rose to prominence during this court struggle, becoming second only to the Emperor and Empress's family, thanks to the Empress's protection and support. The Dugu family, already declining after Empress Dugu's death, emerged victorious in this power struggle, becoming the last of the three major branches. The Empress's absolute power was completely usurped.

Fearing that the powerless Empress would be assassinated, the Empress and Empress placed their family heirloom, an amber bracelet, on the Empress's left wrist. The Empress disregarded this, and in order to win the favor of Prince Linde, she risked using a secret technique of the Nalan tribe to make Prince Linde forever young.

When the emperor and empress learned of this, they were furious and severed ties with the empress.

Linde Noble Princess and her childhood sweetheart, her sister-in-law, had long been engaged. She volunteered for the mission hoping to gain fame and win her heart. However, an imperial decree turned a soaring eagle into a caged canary, and Linde Noble Princess poured all her resentment and bitterness into Empress Yanzai.

The Empress knew that Prince Linde had someone else in his heart, yet she was so devoted that she was willing to give everything to win his smile.

Autumn of the sixteenth year of Yanzai in the 532nd year of Yaochen

Empress Zhilindejun loved to eat "green-backed dragonfish," so she disguised herself and twenty guards and went straight to the place where green-backed dragonfish were produced.

When the Emperor and Empress learned of this, they tried to stop it, but it was too late. The Empress had lost countless fine horses in her haste to return before the birthday of the Imperial Concubine Linde.

On the day of Linde Noble Consort's birthday, the Empress rushed back to the palace, only to be told that Linde Noble Consort had returned to her clan to celebrate her birthday with the Emperor and Empress's permission.

The Empress, still dressed and carrying a gilded, carved fish basin, hurried towards the residence of Prince Linde. However, because she hadn't changed out of her commoner's clothes and refused to reveal her identity, she was stopped at the gate. On a sudden inspiration, the Empress leaped over the wall and ran towards the courtyard where Prince Linde had lived before entering the palace. During this time, she carefully protected the fish basin, ensuring not a single drop of water spilled.

When the Empress arrived outside the gate of the Linde Noble Prince's residence, she heard a woman's voice coming from inside.

The woman's voice said: "...You have helped my people gain power so much. I know you are devoted to me. The day you leave the palace will be the day we spend our lives together."

Lin De Guijun said: "When your clan is fully grown, that will be the day we live together as a couple. At that time, I will definitely take you far away, far away from the troubles of this world."

Unexpectedly, a maidservant passed by and saw the Empress standing outside the door in a daze, and asked in surprise: Who is it?

A furious shout startled the two people inside the room.