Hibiscus as a Painting - Chapter 33
Zi Jin handed the empty medicine bowl to Xi Bao, stood up, glanced at Yu Luo, and dragged her out of the door without any gentleness. After entering the hall, she rudely pushed Yu Luo to the ground.
With tears in her eyes, Yu Luo sat on the ground, feeling extremely wronged, wanting to say something but unable to.
Zi Jin picked up the pen and ink on the table and wrote: You keep calling me master, but when have you ever really treated me as your master? You make decisions on your own all day long, but do you ever really take me into your eyes?
After writing it down, he threw it in front of Yu Luo. Yu Luo knelt on the ground, trembling slightly: "It is not as you think, Master. The general gave me to you. Everything I did was for your sake."
Zi Jin glared angrily at Yu Luo and wrote: "Thinking of me? Do you really think I'm a three-year-old? You've been determined not to let Jun Chi stay in Taiping Pavilion, and you've repeatedly advised me to send him away. Seeing that I didn't take it seriously, you took advantage of my absence today to secretly move him away, sending him to that Su Ran Palace to continue to suffer everyone's scorn and bullying! Yu Luo, you have such a beautiful face, yet your heart is so vicious?! How could you treat him like this? He's just a child! How could you bear to treat him like this? Don't you feel any pity or tenderness? Or do you simply have no heart at all?"
Yu Luo knelt forward two steps and tightly hugged Zi Jin's legs, tears streaming down her face: "How could you say such a thing to me, Master? I did all this for you... Although the Third Prince has no support inside or outside the palace, he is still a prince, and as a prince, he has the right to compete for the throne. The Crown Prince has been spoiled since childhood and is arrogant and domineering, looking down on everyone. If he sees that you support the Third Prince, how will he treat you? And the Second Prince is single-mindedly focused on seizing the throne. To win over the General, he has shown great favor to the two young ladies. If he knows that you are on his side..." "And how will the Third Prince treat you? What's wrong with Yu Luo simply not wanting her master to get involved in this royal power struggle? If the Third Prince were as favored as the Crown Prince or as powerful as the Second Prince, Yu Luo would never have done this. Your master can't even protect yourself right now, so how can you protect the Third Prince? Your master, don't forget, although the General holds a large army... he's still thousands of miles away... This palace is so dangerous, Yu Luo just wanted to protect your master... Am I wrong too? Am I wrong too?..." Before she could finish speaking, Yu Luo was already sobbing uncontrollably.
Zi Jin stared blankly at Yu Luo, her gaze shifting from anger to pity and a hint of guilt: Yes... this isn't a wealthy family, this isn't an official's family, this is the imperial palace... this is the royal family of the Celestial Empire... Who's wrong? Who's wrong? No one's wrong, so whose fault is it?
Zi Jin slowly knelt down and lifted Yu Luo's face, gently wiping away her tears: "You did nothing wrong, I misunderstood you." No one was wrong? Then who was wrong?
"Yu Luo... I ask for nothing else, only that... my master can live peacefully in this deep palace." Yu Luo's tears flowed even more profusely.
The woman's face was also filled with sorrow and grief: she dared not hope that the young master would treat him with the same care as a brother, she only begged that the young master would protect him and help him survive safely in this land of wolves and jackals...
To live peacefully... to live peacefully... is it really that hard...?
Zi Jin helped Yu Luo up, took her hand and led her to the desk, where she wrote: Seeing Jun Chi covered in wounds, I was filled with anger and blamed you. Please don't take it to heart.
"I only hope that you understand, Master, that everything I have done is for your benefit." Yu Luo raised her eyes, looked at Zi Jin, and said, word by word.
Zi Jin nodded gently, slowly sat down at the desk, her eyes filled with desolation and confusion.
In the late night, the glass palace lanterns illuminated the entire study as if it were daytime. Emperor Xuanlong's brows showed a hint of weariness as he carefully examined the excellent memorials from various regions, occasionally moving the pen beside him.
A man in black stepped through the window, stopped, and respectfully knelt before Emperor Xuanlong's desk.
Emperor Xuanlong casually raised his eyes and said, "Speak."
The man in black raised his head and said, "I followed Princess Xile and the third young master of the Zi family out of the palace. They strolled around the market for a long time before entering the 'Ruyi Teahouse.' Princess Xile heard the storyteller in the hall talking about Sikou Xunxiang, and suddenly flew into a rage, smashing the table next to her to pieces. Then, she angrily ran towards the Nalan Nan clan's ancestral temple outside the city. The third young master of the Zi family followed closely behind, but when they arrived at the temple, Princess Xile did not go in. She stood outside for a long time, and I don't know what she said to the third young master of the Zi family. Then, the two of them flew back into the city. After returning to the city, they did not go back to the palace, but went straight to the 'Lianyue Zui Lou' and ordered the best female and male performers. Later, the two of them had an argument for some reason and returned to the palace on bad terms."
"What did the storyteller mention about Sikou Xunxiang?" Emperor Xuanlong asked indifferently.
"Speaking of how miserable and aggrieved Sikou Xunxiang was when Empress Yanzai took a prince as her consort, but... there are other matters, and I'm not sure if I should mention them..."
"I grant you permission to speak."
"When I was following them, I seemed to have spotted His Highness the Crown Prince's men. At 'Lianyue Zui Lou,' I was afraid of alerting His Highness's men and dared not approach. Therefore, I do not know what caused the argument between Princess Xile and the third young master of the Zi family. Moreover, Princess Xile's martial arts skills are no less than mine. It seems inappropriate to leave her in this deep palace..."
"Jun Lin also sent people to follow the two of them?... Could it be that he still can't forget Xi Le? Xi Le is too presumptuous, a princess like her going to a brothel to frolic with male entertainers!... What is it about her that makes Lin'er so attached to her?"
"Your subordinate dares not speculate in secret."
"Go down..." Emperor Xuanlong waved his hand and said wearily.
The man in black bowed respectfully, turned, and stepped out the window.
Emperor Xuanlong stared at the memorial in his hand for a long time, then suddenly sighed and murmured, "Minister of Justice Xun Xiang..."
Early winter of the fourteenth year of Xuanlong reign of the Yue Kingdom
Crown Prince Jun Lin unleashed a nameless, thunderous rage, smashing all the objects inside Chaoyang Palace.
A palace maid and two eunuchs were beaten to death with sticks, and the entire winter was filled with a gloomy atmosphere in Chaoyang Palace.
Early winter of the fourteenth year of Xuanlong reign of the Yue Kingdom
When Emperor Xuanlong learned that Crown Prince Junlin had unleashed a furious rage in Chaoyang Palace, smashing all the palace objects and beating a palace maid and two eunuchs to death, he did not punish the prince for his spoiled and reckless behavior. Instead, to appease the prince's anger, he sent him several beautiful women from various regions.
When the ministers learned of this, they were filled with mixed feelings about Emperor Xuanlong's indulgence of the crown prince. However, one thing made them even more certain: the future heir to the throne would definitely be Crown Prince Jun Lin.
A goddess reincarnated, originally for the sake of all living beings, was born to answer questions of love and tribulations throughout countless lifetimes. How can the truth of this hasten separation? (Part 1)
How can the truth hasten our separation? (Part 1) In the early spring of the fifteenth year of Xuanlong in the Yue Kingdom, the Crown Prince of the Yue Kingdom was sixteen years old.
Emperor Xuanlong bestowed a marriage upon the Crown Prince, appointing E'yi, the eldest granddaughter of the Prime Minister, as his Crown Princess, and Yunran, the only daughter of the Minister of Revenue, as his concubine. The marriage was recently completed.
Upon hearing this, Jun Lin was furious and rushed to the imperial study, hoping that Emperor Xuanlong would rescind his order.
In the past, Emperor Xuanlong had always been very accommodating to His Highness the Crown Prince, but on this matter, Emperor Xuanlong was unusually resolute and kept Crown Prince Junlin out. Crown Prince Junlin refused to compromise, so Emperor Xuanlong ordered that Crown Prince Junlin be placed under house arrest in Chaoyang Palace.
Tomorrow is the Crown Prince's wedding, and the palace is in complete chaos. The forsythia has just bloomed, and its touches of spring add warmth to the peaceful Taiping Pavilion.
"Master only knows how to bully servants!" Xi Bao looked at Zi Jin with a pair of clear black and white eyes full of resentment.
Zi Jin clutched the small medicine bottle, a sly grin on her face, pretending not to see Xi Bao's resentment: "I didn't want to use you as a guinea pig, but ever since I used the pig-headed prince as a guinea pig, the Imperial Kitchen has been keeping a close eye on the prince's meals. And I don't have any martial arts skills, so I can't use poison again. Someone has to test what you've made, after all. As the Buddha said, 'If you don't go to hell, who will?'"
Seeing that Zi Jin showed no sign of softening, Xi Bao pouted, tears welling up in her eyes: "Master thinks this servant is the easiest to bully..."
Xi Bao's pitiful, wifely demeanor ignited Zi Jin's mischievous impulse. She smiled wickedly, her face showing unwavering resolve.
Jun Chi held a book in his hand, a smile playing on his lips. He occasionally glanced at the locked-up master and servant, but eventually couldn't bear to watch any longer and said helplessly, "Brother Jin, please don't force Xi Bao anymore. If you really want to test the medicine, how about finding a few servants tomorrow?"
happy Bao looked at Jun Chi gratefully, her previously resentful expression instantly brightening into a smile.
Zi Jin deflated instantly, shrugged her shoulders with feigned depression, but secretly rejoiced: That's exactly what I was waiting for. I'm extremely protective of my own people, and Xi Bao is one of my few trusted confidants; how could I possibly bear to use him as a guinea pig?
After Zi Jin took Jun Chi out of Su Ran Palace that day, Yu Luo's words made Zi Jin realize that she really had no ability to protect Consort Lin and her son, who were as helpless as duckweed in this palace.
After that, Zi Jin did not waste any spare time, keeping a close eye on Jun Chi's studies, hoping to correct Jun Chi's habit of speaking incoherently when nervous, and hoping that one day he could also gain Emperor Xuanlong's respect.
The days passed peacefully and quietly with daily reading. Jun Chi had made great progress compared to before, and could now converse with people in Taiping Pavilion with great fluency. However, from then on, Zi Jin not only had Yu Luo but also a young male housekeeper.