Hibiscus as a Painting

Chapter 43

Jun Chi stared intently as Zi Jin finished her soup. He raised his hand, intending to ruffle Zi Jin's hair as he usually did, but Zi Jin reflexively moved away.

Jun Chi paused for a moment before saying, "The Grand Tutor is going to the palace today to test everyone, and he should be here by now. If you feel unwell, you should lie down for a while longer. I'll be right back."

Zi Jin didn't dare to look up and casually waved to Jun Chi.

Jun Chi's pupils darkened, his smile stiffened, and he glanced at Zi Jin before leaving.

Yu Luo packed up the empty bowls in her hands and went out with Jun Chi.

Zi Jin breathed a sigh of relief and tried to get up, but felt a little dizzy. happy Bao quickly stepped forward to help her.

"It's strange, my master got drunk at Chaoyang Palace. Logically, His Highness the Crown Prince would not have let my master off the hook, but unexpectedly, he sent someone to bring my master back safely," happy Bao said to herself.

Zi Jin listened intently, turning her head to look at happy Bao: Really?

“Something must have happened at Chaoyang Palace back then, which is why His Highness the Crown Prince didn’t have time to cause trouble for the master…”

Suddenly, the image of the girl she had been drinking with that day appeared in Zi Jin's mind. Thinking of her current male form, she suddenly grabbed happy Bao's arm tightly: What happened?

Xi Bao whispered mysteriously in Zi Jin's ear, "Your Highness doesn't know yet, but a major event has happened in Chaoyang Palace these past few days. The Crown Prince's concubine, Consort Luo, is pregnant. When the Emperor found out, he bestowed many gifts upon her, saying that if she gave birth to a son, regardless of gender, he would make her a concubine. However, Consort Luo, confident in her pregnancy with the Emperor's child, became restless and openly provoked Concubine Yun Ran. Later, the two had a dispute, and Concubine Yun Ran, whether intentionally or unintentionally, pushed Consort Luo, and just like that, the Emperor's child was lost."

Zi Jin glanced nervously at happy Bao: And then? And then?

Xi Bao glanced at Zi Jin with schadenfreude and said with feigned sorrow, "Alas, when the Emperor learned of this, he was furious and wanted to banish Consort Yunran to the Cold Palace. Later, the Minister of Revenue pleaded with the Emperor in the main hall, tears streaming down his face, to rescind his order. The Emperor, out of pity for the Minister of Revenue, a high-ranking official who had only one daughter, did not pursue the matter... But who knew that Consort Yunran would go mad overnight? His Highness the Crown Prince, however, blamed Consort Luo for this, saying that she had failed to protect the child in her womb, and in a fit of rage, he banished Consort Luo to the Cold Palace."

Zi Jin's face was deathly pale, her lips trembling slightly. She clenched her hands tightly, her nails digging deep into her flesh without her realizing it: just that day, she was perfectly fine, in the prime of her youth, with a charming and clear smile, bright yet sorrowful eyes, a haggard and desperate face, and kind yet tragic words. How could she have changed overnight? How could she have changed? How could she... have vanished?

Under the forsythia blossoms, the pretty young woman in her finery turned around and gave a silly, charming smile: He can't see how good I am... It's his fault... Let's drink until we drop.

He can't see my good points... It's his fault... It's his fault...

Xi Bao blinked her large, clear eyes and leaned closer to Zi Jin, saying mysteriously, "My lady, I heard that when Consort Yunran and Consort Luo had their argument, the Crown Princess was also present, but for some reason, no one mentioned it afterward... My lady!... My lady!... Where are you going?... You haven't changed your clothes yet... My lady! You haven't put on your shoes yet..."

Zi Jin's eyes were slightly red as she ran desperately toward the direction she remembered.

A slightly tipsy, adorable young girl, carrying a wine jug and burping, stood there arrogantly: "You daring lackey! Why do you look more sad than I am... sad?"

The girl blushed and obediently leaned closer, whispering, "Okay...okay, drink up. If your master blames you, I'll take responsibility..."

The girl, tears streaming down her face, said: "If I weren't me... if he weren't him... how wonderful that would be."

Zi Jin, her face contorted in a ferocious rage, viciously tore at the guards at the Chaoyang Palace gate. The two guards blocking her path were so shocked that they allowed Zi Jin to break in. Gasping for breath, Zi Jin ran towards the direction she remembered.

In a corner of the flowerbed, a girl dressed in simple clothes turned around with surprise and looked at Zi Jin running towards her: "Your Highness...you're back."

The girl smiled foolishly, her eyes no longer clear as they once were.

Zi Jin's eyes widened as she slowly walked over, afraid of startling the person in front of her.

The girl stepped forward and took Zi Jin's hand, a cheerful smile on her face. She said sweetly, "Yunran knew you would come here to find Yunran."

Zi Jin's eyes stung slightly. She slowly raised her hand, wanting to touch the person in front of her to see if they were real, but seemed afraid to know, and suddenly pulled her hand back.

Seeing Zi Jin withdraw her hand, the girl's eyes suddenly reddened: "Your Highness! Your Highness! It wasn't Yunran, it wasn't Yunran, Yunran wouldn't... That's Your Highness's child, how could Yunran do that to him... Your Highness! Your Highness!"

The girl gripped Zi Jin's hand tightly, her face already contorted with madness, her nails digging into Zi Jin's flesh.

"Take the concubine away!" Jun Lin appeared behind Zi Jin without her noticing.

The girl gripped even tighter: "Your Highness! Your Highness! It's not Yunran! It's not Yunran! It's not Yunran... Ah!..." The crowd pried her hands off, and she kicked and screamed in despair.

Zi Jin stared in the direction Yun Ran was being dragged away, opened her mouth slightly, and tears fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

Jun Lin took two steps forward in a panic, and Zi Jin turned her face and glared at Jun Lin resentfully.

Jun Lin stood there, stunned, and scoffed disdainfully, "She ran over without even putting on her clothes! Is a crazy woman worth all this for!"

Zi Jin stared at Jun Lin, whose face was filled with disdain, her eyes bloodshot: Why? How could such a lovely and kind woman become like this overnight? Why? Why treat her like this? Why… was it you? Was it you? It was you! …It was you! It was you! You drove her to this state! You made her live a life worse than death here! It was you… everything she did was for you! All for you!

Zi Jin clutched her chest, panting, her eyes filled with sorrow and despair. She turned and fled from the cold flowerbed as if escaping.

Jun Lin's phoenix eyes were filled with heartache and worry. He took two steps forward and then stood there blankly. Watching Zi Jin's departing figure, he helplessly lowered his hands.

Zi Jin sat blankly in an inconspicuous corner. She had run all the way from Chaoyang Palace, not knowing where she should go or where she could go. She didn't know how long she had run until there was no one around anymore.

It's so cold here... so cold... so cold it's hard to breathe... so cold it's suffocating... do you know that?... do you know that?... do you know that?... do you know that?

Like a bird kept in confinement, her youth cannot be confined. Like a flower in full bloom, her brilliance cannot be diminished.

What a joke! What a joke! It's become a huge joke! It's become a huge joke... a huge joke...

Who has trapped her youth? Who has blocked her hope? Who has driven her to this state step by step?

Who is it? Who is it? Who is it? Who is it? Who is it...?

"Why don't you go back to Taiping Pavilion?" west Le stood opposite Zi Jin, lowered her head and asked gently, her eyes full of worry.

Zi Jin lowered her eyes and buried her head between her knees, unwilling to meet his gaze.

west Le squatted down and sat next to Zi Jin: "Is it that you don't want to go back, or that you dare not go back?"

Zi Jin lowered her head even further, closed her eyes tightly, and trembled.

west Le reached out and hugged Zi Jin, resting her head on the crook of her neck: "Little mute, come back to Chen Kingdom with me. There's no one here who truly cares about you. Look at those people you trust in Taiping Pavilion, are they really worthy of your trust? You didn't dare go back even when you were at your lowest point, weren't you afraid? Weren't you afraid of them?"

Zi Jin shrank further into Xi Le's arms, trembling even more violently, and large tears fell down her cheeks.

"Are you still waiting for Zi Yingfeng? Do you still have hope for him?... Do you remember who sent you here? Who abandoned you and left you here alone? Who made you live four years without being able to speak?... Don't you remember? Don't you... do you remember?" Xi Le's voice was not as sharp as usual, but even so, every word pierced Zi Jin's heart.