Hibiscus as a Painting - Chapter 18
A goddess reincarnated to save the common people, she was reborn to answer questions of love and tribulations throughout countless lifetimes; her past life was but a dream (Part 1)
A Dream of the Past (Part 1) The Empress was seven years old in the fourth year of the reign of Emperor Yaochen.
"Jun Ying! How can I, your father, tolerate such a rebellious act?" The Jun clan patriarch's face showed pain, but a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
"Father...you..." Jun Ying was covered in wounds, and his clothes were already tattered, clearly indicating that he had been through a great battle.
"Shut up! What do you have to say now?!" The Jun clan patriarch was not about to allow Jun Ying to argue in front of the young Empress Yanzai, and his murderous intent was immediately revealed.
Despite her still somewhat immature appearance, Empress Yanzai remained remarkably calm. She glanced indifferently at the Jun clan leader: "Jun Ying's theft of the military tally is a serious matter..."
"I will pretend I never had this rebellious son!" With that, he raised his hand to chop down.
Despair and grief welled up in Jun Ying's eyes. He never imagined that he would die at the hands of the person he had admired most since childhood.
At this critical moment, Empress Yanzai suddenly threw the jade bead she was playing with, blocking the assassin from the Jun family patriarch.
"Since General Jun no longer wants him, how about giving him to me?" Empress Yanzai smiled faintly, a hint of pity flashing in her eyes.
“Your Majesty… stealing the military tally is an unforgivable crime… this might not be appropriate, is it?” A hint of emotion flashed in the eyes of the Jun clan chief, and he looked troubled.
"Stealing the military tally is a crime punishable by death for the entire clan. If you hand it over to me, I will not pursue the matter further. What does General Jun think?"
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your kindness in not pursuing this matter."
"Go down."
The clan leader of the Jun clan glanced at Jun Ying, who was kneeling on the ground in a daze, with complicated emotions, and then retreated with a hint of reluctance.
Seeing that the Jun clan leader had left, Empress Yanzai skipped over to Jun Ying's side, her lively spirit shining through. She smiled slyly, "Jun family's third daughter, how about you become my shadow guard?"
Jun Ying's blank eyes focused again. He gazed at Empress Yanzai's pure and innocent smile, and suddenly felt that even a hundred flowers blooming could not compare to such a smile. He nodded gently at that seemingly magical smile.
Jun Ying's exposed skin was covered with various scars.
Empress Yanzai's clear eyes revealed much pity: "Now that you are my shadow guard, you are mine in life and in death. I will never allow the Jun family to bully you again!"
Jun Ying's mind kept echoing: "Born to be mine, in death to be mine..."
In the autumn of the fourth year of Yanzai, a warm autumn like early spring, Jun Ying, the eleven-year-old third son of the Jun clan leader, disappeared and his whereabouts have been unknown ever since.
From that time on, the seven-year-old Empress Yeonjae had a shadow guard who was never far from her side.
Ten years later, the Jun clan's military power was revoked. The eldest son and second son of the Jun clan patriarch died unnatural deaths, the cause of which remains unknown.
After eleven years of prosperity, the Jun family, which had enjoyed several years of glory, began to decline...
The goddess was reincarnated to be the common people. After several lifetimes of seeking love and facing calamity, she was born when she and her lover were childhood sweethearts. (Part 6)
It was during the innocent childhood days (June), the winter of the thirteenth year of the Xuanlong reign of the Qing Dynasty.
Zi Yingfeng led 250,000 Yue Kingdom troops to a great victory over 400,000 Yao Kingdom troops, recapturing a city and forcing the Yao Kingdom army to retreat 500 li.
Emperor Xuanlong was overjoyed and bestowed upon the wife of the General the title of Second-Rank Lady and awarded her ten thousand taels of gold.
After the snow, the Imperial Garden was covered in silver, lacking the lively competition of a hundred flowers, but with a touch of desolate beauty.
In a large open area of the Imperial Garden, the snow had been cleared away by the palace servants. Nine zither stands were neatly arranged on the ground, each with an incense burner and a zither. A dozen charcoal braziers surrounded the open area, making it as warm as springtime.
At the corner table, Zi Jin was carefully studying a zither.
"Brother Jin... what are you doing?" Jun Chi couldn't help but ask as Zi Jin held the guqin like a guitar in a strange way.
As soon as Jun Chi finished speaking, everyone around noticed Zi Jin's strange behavior.
Zi Jin chuckled awkwardly twice and carefully put the zither away.
Jun Lin glanced at Zi Jin with disdain and gave a soft "humph," his disgust for her was self-evident.
Jun An shook his head helplessly, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes, while the people around him chuckled.
In the education of the princes of the Moon Kingdom, vocal music only occupies a small part, solely to cultivate the princes' interests and royal bearing. They only have classes in the Imperial Garden once a month.
The person currently teaching vocal music is Xiao Lan, the chief musician appointed by the royal family. Xiao Lan glanced at Zi Jin with interest, smiled slightly, and casually began to play the zither.
Zi Jin felt a little embarrassed by Xiao Lan's kind glance. She lay on the piano table like an ostrich, closing her eyes to listen to the melodious tune that was so beautiful it was intoxicating.
The music flowed like a gentle stream, sometimes high, sometimes low, into the hearts of everyone in the park.
Xiao Lan wasn't exceptionally beautiful, but Zi Jin always preferred men with a refined, scholarly air—in modern terms, the kind of bespectacled, suave scoundrel.
Xiao Lan, at the mature age of thirty-two, perfectly matched Zi Jin's criteria for a spouse in her previous life. Zi Jin wondered if, if she hadn't died, she might have married and had children with such a man.
Listening to such beautiful music, Zi Jin imagined the happy life of her family of three going on an outing, and was instantly captivated, the corners of her mouth unconsciously turning up.
Suddenly, a strange sound pierced through the air, startling Zi Jin so much that she pushed the zither on the table away, and it fell to the ground. For a moment, the entire classroom was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Zi Jin slowly raised her eyes. The handsome Xiao Lan sitting in the seat of honor had been replaced by the pig-headed Crown Prince, and the piercing demonic voice was coming from that pig-headed man.
Jun Lin, his face ashen, asked in a harsh voice, "What are your thoughts on my zither playing, Minister Zi?"
Zi Jin's expression was unusually serious, and she nodded solemnly.
Jun Lin made a gesture, and happy Bao immediately presented Zi Jin with a brush and ink.