Hibiscus as a Painting - Chapter 8
It was during their innocent childhood (Part 2) "Lin'er, what happened?"
A man in a yellow robe stood beneath a glass palace lantern at the archway. His face was so handsome it seemed sculpted, yet despite his exquisite features, he did not appear delicate at all. Instead, one could sense a burgeoning heroic spirit and an extremely imposing pressure.
Zi Jin couldn't see the people following behind him very clearly because they were too far away.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty, may Your Majesty live ten thousand years! May the Imperial Concubine live a thousand years!" the Crown Prince and two eunuchs opposite him said together.
Zi Jin suddenly realized that the two people following behind the Crown Prince were also princes.
In the garden, everyone performed the palace salute and shouted, "This servant greets Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Imperial Concubine!"
Looking around, all that could be seen in the garden was Emperor Xuanlong and the crowd behind him, standing face to face with Zi Jin.
Zi Jin looked anxiously at the crowd standing opposite her, inwardly groaning: "Heavens, are you trying to mess with me like this?" It wasn't that she didn't want to bow; she just hadn't reacted yet. Everyone else had already finished their greetings; no one was waiting for her! She was just a little slow to react; it shouldn't, maybe, be some serious offense, right?
"How dare you! You haven't even knelt before the Emperor!" A sharp, distinctive voice belonging to a eunuch rang out from behind Emperor Xuanlong.
Zi Jin quickly turned her attention away from Emperor Xuanlong and pretended to be an idiot with a blank look in her eyes.
"Kneel down now!"
Zi Yingfeng stepped out from the crowd behind the emperor and knelt down: "Your Majesty, my son was frightened when he was a child, and has not had any contact with people since then. Please forgive any shortcomings."
"Alright, this is a family dinner today, why so many formalities? Everyone, get up."
After Emperor Xuanlong finished speaking, he did not look at Zi Jin again. He slowly walked to the main seat and sat down. The two dignified empresses behind him sat down next to the main seat. Next, the Crown Prince was on the left and the two princes were on the right. Then, Zi Yinfeng and Zi Ruan were at the same table, and opposite them were the twins.
Zi Jin's table was in the least conspicuous, backlit spot among the crowd. Zi Jin silently thanked the person who arranged her seating, thinking to herself: Even in this unnoticed corner, I can eat my fill.
Zi Jin was unaware of this; this secluded corner, far from any village or shop, was the easiest place to see her clearly.
Staring at the dishes on the table, Zi Jin's eyes widened like a wolf's, shining brightly in the darkness. The words "Let the feast begin" had just fallen.
Zi Jin couldn't wait to start eating, thinking to herself with delight that she would one day be eating imperial cuisine. Having been a ghost for so long, she had almost forgotten that such delicious food existed in the world.
In short, it's better to be a human than a ghost.
When they were about 80% full, the Imperial Garden suddenly lit up, and a dozen or so beautiful women filed in, each with a stunning appearance. Zi Jin, who had always been attracted to handsome men and beautiful women, could not resist such temptation. With her mouth full of food, she stared unblinkingly at the beautiful women who filed in.
When the Imperial Concubine saw Zi Jin's appearance, she burst out laughing. Emperor Xuanlong looked in the direction the Imperial Concubine was looking, and he was surprised.
Everyone followed Emperor Xuanlong's gaze. When Crown Prince Junlin saw Zi Jin's lecherous appearance and looked at his own swollen and aching hand, his disgust for Zi Jin intensified.
The second prince looked in her direction with a smile on his lips, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
The third prince timidly raised his head, glanced at it hastily, and then lowered his head again.
Zi Yingfeng's lips twitched slightly, and his originally serious face softened considerably, his eyes filled with doting affection.
The Emperor glanced at Zi Jin, then turned to look at Zi Yinfeng, his expression darkening. He then said, "General, you have gone to the frontier this time, and I don't know when you will return. I think you must be most worried about your youngest son who is disabled. Now that you have placed him in this palace to be raised, I wonder if you are at ease with that?"
Upon hearing this, Zi Yingfeng realized his lapse in composure. Knowing that Emperor Xuanlong had witnessed the scene, he was secretly annoyed and immediately stood up and replied, "I could rest assured that Zi Jin has been placed in the palace."
"I know of the general's loyalty. The general has made many contributions to my Yue Kingdom, so I will take better care of the general's children. Starting tomorrow, let the general's three children go to the Imperial Study with the princes and princesses."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Zi Jin, who was just enjoying admiring the beautiful woman, felt like banging her head against the table when she heard that "the general's three children and the prince went to the Imperial Study together." Does that mean she would have to get up before dawn? Is this even allowed to live?
“Father, the children of ministers who wish to enter the Imperial Study must pass the Grand Tutor’s test. Why don’t you test the three Zi siblings on behalf of the Grand Tutor today?” The Crown Prince glanced at Zi Jin with disdain and stood up to speak.
When it comes to exams, the Zi twins are renowned for their talent and beauty; a simple entrance exam would be no challenge for them. Isn't this clearly a prelude to their own failure?
Zi Jin slapped the Crown Prince, who had never even been slapped since childhood, so how could he let her get away with it?
"That's exactly what I was thinking too. Someone, bring me the painting that I acquired a few days ago, which hasn't been inscribed yet."
A moment later, a young eunuch brought a painting and showed it to everyone, starting from the first and moving to the last. Zi Jin stared at the painting for a long time but couldn't make heads or tails of it. All she could see was a nearly bare, crooked old tree, a dilapidated thatched house, and distant, misty mountains.
Zi Jin looked with her eyes wide open but couldn't figure out the mystery. "Big brother Emperor, are you trying to solve a riddle?"
The emperor coughed, and the eunuch who had been carrying the painting was finally freed from Zi Jin's side. His back was about to break if Zi Jin had to stand for any longer.
"I would like to inscribe this painting. What do you suggest? Zi Feng is the eldest daughter, so you can go first."
"Your subject obeys the decree." Zi Feng raised her head, looked at Zi Yingfeng and Zi Ruan Shi, and spoke again: "Every tree is tinged with autumn colors, every mountain bathed in the setting sun."①
“Good words, Zi Feng, tell me.”
"The paulownia leaves by the golden well turn yellow in autumn, and the beaded curtain remains unrolled as frost falls at night."
"Hehe, General Zi is truly a tiger father like dog sons. His daughters are all so outstanding, it's truly enviable. Even I am a little jealous."
"Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty!"
Having already eaten her fill, Zi Jin was troubled about how to write an inscription for the emperor's request. It wasn't that she didn't know what to write, but rather that she didn't want to speak; how could she possibly write such an inscription?
"Hmm?" Emperor Xuanlong turned his head slightly to look at Zi Jin.
Zi Jin stood up blankly, staring at Emperor Xuanlong in a daze. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the Crown Prince's mocking face. Although she was indignant, she secretly thought to herself, for the sake of their peaceful and happy life together in the future: Don't stoop to the level of a child!
“My son hasn’t spoken a word since he was frightened that time,” Zi Yingfeng said, kneeling down with difficulty.
"So he's a mute and an idiot!" Crown Prince Jun Lin said with a smile. "Father, how can someone like that be qualified to enter the Imperial Study with us?"
Upon hearing the Crown Prince's words, Zi Jin immediately nodded, saying that she would be willing to be treated like a fool if she didn't have to go to the Imperial Study!
Upon hearing the Crown Prince's words, Zi Yingfeng clenched her hands tightly, her nails digging into her flesh without her realizing it. After a long while, as if she had come to some understanding, she loosened her grip.