Hibiscus as a Painting - Chapter 28
The woman in the painting stands against the wind, her bright yellow robe billowing as if she were about to ascend to the heavens. The faint sorrow in her eyes foreshadows her fate to remain in the mortal world.
"Your Majesty..." the man in black called softly from outside the door.
"Respond from outside." Emperor Xuanlong's voice was unusually low and soft, as if he were afraid of startling a character in an animation.
"Your Majesty, after investigation, I have found that the attack on the Crown Prince is not related to the Second Prince."
"Who did that?" Emperor Xuanlong lowered his eyes and asked, turning his head to the side.
"This person acted with extreme caution and left no trace, making it impossible for his subordinates to investigate."
"Could it be that the Second Prince instructed someone else to do this?"
"Your Majesty, I believe that if the Second Prince were given this opportunity, given his character, he would not have let His Highness the Crown Prince off so easily. Therefore, I can assure you that this matter has nothing to do with the Second Prince," the man in black replied confidently.
"What is the relationship between Jun'an and the two Zi sisters?" A mysterious light flashed in Emperor Xuanlong's eyes, and his voice became low.
"Deep affection and profound meaning."
"Hmph! The Zi family has been under house arrest by me for more than ten years. Do you think that Zi Yingfeng can escape my grasp? The Jun family's rule was predetermined. How could I let him succeed!"
After a long silence, Emperor Xuanlong looked up at the person in the painting and said leisurely, "I am tired, you may leave." His voice carried a faint weariness and dazedness.
The person outside the door silently retreated.
In the early summer of the fourteenth year of the Honglong era of the Yue Kingdom, Crown Prince Jun Lin suffered a serious fall within the Forbidden Palace. Due to the severity of the Crown Prince's injuries, Chaoyang Palace remained closed for two months…
There was much speculation among the people regarding the Crown Prince's fall and injury. Was it truly an accident, as the Crown Prince claimed? Or was it intentional?
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 3)
Past Events, a Dream (Part 3): During the reign of Emperor Yaochen, the Empress was thirteen years old.
Empress Yanzai stood in the imperial garden, gazing intently at an autumn chrysanthemum. A tall figure stood five steps away from the empress.
"Jun Xiaosan, shall I betroth Su'er to you?" The thirteen-year-old empress revealed a maturity and aloofness beyond her years.
"Your Majesty, I beg you to reconsider. I am but a shadow guard who cannot be brought into the light, and I do not wish to ruin Miss Su'er's life." Even Jun Ying's usually calm eyes could not hide his astonishment as he replied firmly.
"In a few days, I will marry Sikou Xunxiang... The Sikou family is ambitious and has been eyeing the ancestral property of my Nalan Nan clan for a long time. Now, they have placed Sikou Xunxiang by my side, isn't that just to seize power? If he wants to seize power, he will definitely eliminate my confidants. Su'er and you have been by my side since childhood. You are a shadow guard, so he can't make things difficult for you, but Su'er has lost all her martial arts skills and is just a lowly palace maid. How can I guard against her? I have treated Su'er like my own sister since childhood. In this world, I can only trust you. After Su'er marries you, she will leave the palace, so that I won't have to worry about her every day."
"Your Majesty, I am a man who cannot be seen in the light of day, and I will ultimately ruin Miss Su'er's life... Please reconsider, Your Majesty..." Jun Ying instantly understood the Empress's intention, his eyes filled with sorrow and resentment, yet he knew he would never disobey the Empress but still struggled.
"I will be able to rule in my own right after my wedding. You must believe me... at most two years... in two years I will definitely help you take back what you have lost. In my heart you are the future head of the Jun clan, and then Su'er and you will no longer suffer injustice!" The Empress reached out and snapped and crushed the chrysanthemum beside her, her voice filled with deep resentment.
"Your Majesty! I cannot ruin Su'er's life... I... never wanted to seize the position of the Jun clan leader, I only wanted to be Your Majesty's shadow guard." Jun Ying suddenly knelt at the Empress's feet, his brows furrowed as he replied.
"Jun Xiaosan, I understand your loyalty, but how can I be so selfish as to bind you to these palace walls? I have no other attachments in this life, except for you and Su'er. If you don't care about the position of clan leader of the Jun clan, then I will save it for your and Su'er's future child as a gift from your concubine." The Empress lowered her eyes, looking at Jun Ying kneeling at her feet, her mind made up.
“Your Majesty…” Jun Ying’s eyes revealed a struggle of pain and resentment.
The Empress lowered her eyes and turned around abruptly: "I beg you to promise me... is that not enough?" Her voice was slightly choked with emotion.
In the autumn of the tenth year of Empress Yanzai's reign, Su'er, a palace maid who had served Empress Yanzai for ten years, disappeared without a trace...
In the late autumn of the tenth year of Emperor Yanzai's reign, Empress Yanzai married the eldest son of the current prime minister, Sikou Xunxiang...
A goddess reincarnated to save the common people, she was born to answer questions of love and tribulations, young and innocent, unaware of sorrow. (Part 4)
Young and naive, unaware of sorrow (Part 4) Zi Jin, wearing a bright red fur brocade robe sewn by Yu Luo herself, with a wooden hairpin in her hair and brown boots on her feet, stood under the eaves of Taiping Pavilion with a deliberately elegant air, looking out the door with anticipation.
happy Bao narrowed her big eyes into slits and stepped forward with a smile, saying, "Master, you look absolutely handsome in this outfit."
Zi Jin chuckled at Xi Bao's clumsy flattery, then swung open her folding fan and waved it twice.
"Master is truly as handsome as Xun Xiang, a truly elegant and dashing man..."
"Hehe, you two, master and servant, are really interesting. They say servants are like masters, and it seems that's true." Xi Le was dressed in men's clothing, wearing a jade crown, holding a green bamboo flute, and wearing a pure white brocade robe with delicate floral embroidery on the cuffs and hem. She wore black boots, and a casual smile appeared on her stunningly beautiful face, which made her gorgeous face even more breathtaking.
Xi Bao, quick-witted, stepped forward, bowed, and said obsequiously, "This servant greets the Princess."
west Lemei's eyes darted around, and she lightly tapped Xi Bao's head with the flute in her hand, smiling sweetly, "What a clever servant!"
When Zi Jin saw west Le enter, she closed her folding fan and pulled west Le to leave: "Hurry up, hurry up, or Yu Luo will come chasing after us."
Yu Luo walked out of Taiping Pavilion with a blank expression and calmly gave west Le a courtly salute, saying, "This servant Yu Luo greets the princess."
west Le gently shook off Zi Jin's hand, a smile playing on her lips as she looked Yu Luo up and down, but the smile didn't reach her eyes: "What is it?"
"This servant believes that it is inappropriate for the princess and mistress to leave the palace so abruptly." Yu Luo's face was tense, but she remained neither humble nor arrogant in the face of west Le's piercing gaze.
Zi Jin stood behind Xi Le and blinked rapidly at Yu Luo: Say less, can't you just go out for a little while?
"Oh? What's wrong with it? Tell me about it," west Le raised an eyebrow, playing with the flute in his hand, and asked casually.
Ignoring Zi Jin's winks and glares, Yu Luo lowered her eyes and advised, "Princess, you are of noble birth. How can you risk leaving the palace for your master's momentary whim?"
west Le's face turned cold as she took two steps forward, lifted Yu Luo's chin with her bamboo flute, and carefully examined Yu Luo's appearance. She said coldly, "Little mute, didn't you tell me that this stunningly beautiful little palace maid was someone I suggested for a trip outside the palace?"
I've said it... but I haven't convinced anyone yet...
Standing behind Xile, Zi Jin did not see the fierce look in Xile's eyes. She watched with depression as the two queen bees she feared most confronted each other. Neither of them was someone she could afford to offend.
After staring at Yu Luo for a long time with narrowed eyes, west Le sneered, pulled Zi Jin along, and walked out of Taiping Pavilion.