Hibiscus as a Painting

Chapter 7

Zi Jin thought to herself: I am indeed not the general's wife's biological daughter.

Emperor Xuanlong had only intended to bring the twins into the palace, but recently learned that the General had another son. Zi Jin was an unexpected addition and was a boy, so it was against the rules for him to live in the inner palace. Emperor Xuanlong had no choice but to allocate the courtyard of the side hall outside the inner palace—Taiping Pavilion—to Zi Jin.

Upon seeing the name of this courtyard, Zi Jin was furious! She had just left the morgue, and now that she was still alive, she was being forced to enter this Taipingxuan.

Zi Jin looked up and observed her surroundings, noticing many trees with smooth, grayish-green bark, lush foliage, and strange pinnate compound leaves on the outskirts of the courtyard. Although curious, Zi Jin didn't pay much attention to them.

Upon entering the main hall, the most striking feature is the wall of books. Half of the room is occupied by an exquisitely carved mahogany bed and the bookshelf. To the right of the door is a bluestone desk and chair. Three steps away from the desk, a bronze incense burner, about the height of a one-year-old infant, emits bluish smoke. The area within three meters of the incense burner is covered with pure white animal hides, and the entire floor is made of fine solid wood.

A young eunuch, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with delicate features and a refined appearance, was diligently wiping the floor. When he saw Zi Jin enter, he cleverly performed a palace salute to greet her, then lowered his eyes and secretly looked Zi Jin up and down.

Zi Jin sized up the young eunuch beside her for a moment. The young eunuch was fair-skinned and refined, with particularly endearing large, clear eyes. He didn't look like a eunuch from a poor family at all. Zi Jin casually waved her hand, and the young eunuch went back to his work.

Zi Jin was extremely satisfied with the house. The small room served as both bedroom and study, and its exquisite decoration suggested that the person who had lived there must have been someone of exceptional taste and status—certainly someone who was highly favored by the emperor. However, the place was remarkably remote. If someone was truly favored, why would they live so far from the emperor?

Zi Jin shook her head, inwardly annoyed by her own wild thoughts. She would definitely leave this cage someday; wouldn't it be better to live in a secluded place where no one would notice? After living there for a year or two, she wouldn't have to worry about not finding a way to escape.

Back then, I would be free to roam the world, and once I had freedom, I could travel the land, see all the handsome men and beautiful women, and if I was lucky, I might even have an epic romance, to see if the men of ancient times were truly as devoted and unwavering as those described in the books.

Zi Jin wolfed down the food brought to her by the eunuch. She had been in a coma for three days and was sent to the palace as soon as she woke up. She was so hungry that she had no time to care about her appearance.

The little eunuch watched Zi Jin eat, his clear black and white eyes darting around, and he covered his mouth to chuckle.

After finishing her meal, Zi Jin let out a satisfied burp and began browsing the books on the wall. The collection covered everything from the Book of Songs to unofficial histories, medical texts, secret manuals, travelogues, and mythology. Zi Jin was now even more certain that the person who had previously lived here must have been exceptionally talented and well-read. She just found it strange that it would take at least half an hour (more than an hour) to walk from here to the emperor's residence. If she were truly favored, why would the emperor have placed her in this outer palace?

Perhaps sensing Zi Jin's question, the young eunuch who had been standing to the side said, "No one has ever lived here since it was built. The furnishings here were arranged by the current emperor himself, and the names were also written by the emperor himself. At the time, everyone speculated which prince or empress the emperor would bestow this place upon, but who knew that it would remain empty. Over the years, there have been rumors that this place is haunted, which is why it has become increasingly cold."

Zi Jin chuckled inwardly: What's there to be afraid of about ghosts? I was a ghost just three days ago.

Seeing that Zi Jin remained unmoved, the little eunuch stood quietly behind her.

Zi Jin still had many questions in her mind. She clearly didn't recognize these characters, but just now, while flipping through the book, she suddenly realized how she could recognize them all. She had only known about the General's Mansion from others, knowing it was a mansion, by the large characters "General's Mansion" on the plaque outside. Why could she understand them after taking over this body?

Before Zi Jin could think it through, a eunuch arrived with an imperial decree. The emperor was holding a farewell banquet for the general and a welcome feast for the three young ladies and gentlemen, and instructed Zi Jin to prepare quickly.

Looking at herself covered in dust and with disheveled hair, Zi Jin felt increasingly helpless: Couldn't she just let someone rest for a while? She had been unconscious for three days and had only just regained consciousness.

The eunuch who had been standing behind Zi Jin quickly boiled water so that Zi Jin could bathe and face the emperor.

When Zi Jin saw that there was hot water for a bath, she couldn't wait to jump into the wooden tub.

The young eunuch, however, showed no sign of leaving, still holding the silk brocade.

Zi Jin waited and waited before she realized that the young eunuch was going to help her take a bath.

Zi Jin snatched the silk brocade and roughly pushed the young eunuch out, then firmly bolted the door shut. What a joke! If he were to see that she was a woman, wouldn't she be guilty of deceiving the emperor?

The little eunuch stood dumbfounded outside the house, wondering how he had encountered such a strange master.

After washing up, Zi Jin took out a relatively new light blue long robe from her bag and put it on, then began to worry.

She didn't know how to style her hair, so she opened the door and called the little eunuch.

When the young eunuch saw Zi Jin with her hair disheveled and holding a brown wooden hairpin, he realized that his mistress didn't know how to comb her hair, and happily stepped forward to help her.

Zi Jin stared at the bronze mirror, utterly distressed. Looking at her face, was she really so unlike a girl? Even a eunuch wouldn't doubt his gender with his hair down. She looked at herself again and again in the blurry mirror, inwardly blaming Zi Yingfeng for his terrible taste in concubines.

The eunuch urged her anxiously again and again before Zi Jin reluctantly threw down the bronze mirror and came out of the room.

The young eunuch led the way for Zi Jin, secretly knowing that his mistress was probably not good at speaking. He said understandingly, "My mistress, my name is Xi Bao, and I will serve you from now on."

Zi Jin thought to herself: You're smart for once, kid. You finally figured out that I don't like to talk.

Half an hour later, they still hadn't reached the banquet venue. It was already completely dark, and Zi Jin really wanted to sit by the roadside and not move.

happy Bao saw through Zi Jin's intention and cleverly said, "Master, we'll arrive after we pass through the archway ahead."

Zi Jin then followed.

Turning inside, Zi Jin realized that the emperor was holding an open-air banquet. This must be the legendary Imperial Garden! Flowers of every color were in full bloom, and glazed lanterns hung high above the banquet area. Eunuchs and maids bustled about in an orderly fashion. There wasn't a single person dressed in finery around; Zi Jin was one of the first to arrive at the banquet.

happy Bao led Zi Jin to the very back of the table and then withdrew. Seeing that no one else had arrived yet, Zi Jin simply lay down on the table and closed her eyes to rest.

In her drowsy state, Zi Jin heard a sound disturbing her sleep. Impatiently, she changed her position and tried to continue sleeping, but the person, oblivious to her tact, nudged her.

Zi Jin jumped up with a "whoosh!" After an afternoon of commotion, Zi Jin, who was now exhausted and still half asleep, slapped the culprit who had pushed her across the face. After the "smack," the world fell silent.

Just as Zi Jin was about to fall back asleep, she sensed the strange atmosphere and realized that she was actually waiting for the emperor in the Imperial Garden.

Who was that you just hit? Zi Jin immediately opened her eyes wide and stared at the person in front of her.

The boy had long, narrow phoenix eyes, sharp eyebrows, and red lips with white teeth. The conclusion was that he was a young eunuch, at most fourteen or fifteen years old, with two even younger eunuchs following behind him.

Zi Jin glanced nervously at the empty main seat, then her heart settled down. She stopped looking at the person she had hit and went back to rest.

The fourteen or fifteen-year-old eunuch was stunned for a long time before he came to his senses after seeing Zi Jin's reaction. He shouted angrily, "How dare you! You don't kneel down in front of me, the Crown Prince?"

Zi Jin's head exploded: Why was she so unlucky? To run into someone who was second only to the emperor?

She immediately stood up, looking at the prince's swollen hand and his angry face.

He asked himself: What should I do? He was completely lost.

She looked in the direction of the twins again, and only then did she realize that everyone in the courtyard, except for the three eunuchs opposite—no, it was the crown prince and two eunuchs—was kneeling, and no one even raised their heads.

A goddess reincarnated, originally meant to save the common people, was reborn to fulfill a karmic destiny after countless lifetimes of seeking love. It was during their innocent childhood days that she and her lover were reborn. (Part Two)