Hibiscus as a Painting - Chapter 86
The crowd within the city stepped forward in an orderly fashion and knelt down simultaneously. Someone shouted, "Welcome back to the capital, Prince Anle!"
"Welcome back to the court, Prince Anle!" the civil and military officials shouted in unison, their voices resounding through the heavens.
Zi Jin was at a loss, glancing at Xi Le beside her with disbelief and suspicion in her eyes: although west Le was tall and slender, the allure and charm he exuded were something no man could fake. She had never imagined that Xi Le was actually the all-powerful Prince Anle!
"My beloved subjects, rise." west Le rode out from beside Zi Jin with a perfectly timed smile on his face. He was exceptionally beautiful, with graceful and dignified manners, and spoke elegantly and properly. Every move he made exuded the demeanor of royalty.
Zi Jin followed Xi Le in a daze, trailing behind her all the way to the palace gate. She dismounted with the others, and the magnificent palace gate in front of her seemed familiar. A scene flashed through her mind, too fast to catch her off guard.
Xi Le, who had already reached the main entrance, turned around but couldn't find Zi Jin. A hint of anxiety flashed in his eyes. He turned back and saw Zi Jin standing blankly in the distance. Without hesitation, he turned back, took Zi Jin's hand, and slowly walked towards the main entrance. Zi Jin followed passively.
Upon seeing this, the ministers began whispering among themselves and inquiring about the situation.
Who is that boy?
"It's obvious at a glance that she's the prince's new favorite..."
"But isn't he a man?"
"When have you ever seen the Prince favor a woman? The Prince is still young, yet he never takes anyone to serve him in bed. It must be because... uh..."
Zi Jin tried to pull her hand back, but west Le held it firmly. She could only lower her head and try not to listen to the surrounding chatter.
"Little mute, are you surprised enough?" Whether unintentionally or intentionally, west Le turned her head and whispered affectionately in Zi Jin's ear.
Zi Jin glared at west Le with resentment: This is a surprise? It's more like a morally reprehensible shock!
As they approached the main hall, Xi Le stopped, turned his head to smile slightly at Zi Jin, and reached out to smooth the stray hairs at Zi Jin's temples, his eyes full of tenderness. He said softly, "You come with Jin Yu to Weiyang Palace and wait for me. I'll be right back."
Zi Jin looked cautiously at west Le's smiling face: What are you up to now?
"Don't be afraid, I'll come find you in a bit," west Le said softly, squeezing Zi Jin's hand.
Zi Jin followed behind Jin Yu thoughtfully. Xi Le's attitude was so unusual; there was definitely something fishy going on! There was a conspiracy! There was a trap!
After Zi Jin left, the ministers looked at each other and whispered among themselves.
"Weiyang Palace! The Prince has arranged for him to stay in Weiyang Palace. Will the Emperor agree to this?"
"...His Majesty has not set foot in Weiyang Palace all these years, so I suppose he will not object."
"How could a man like him receive such favor from the prince and even move into Weiyang Palace..."
"Back then, Weiyang Palace was the emperor's sleeping quarters, so what did it matter if it was a man..."
Following Jin Yu around the main hall, we walked for quite a while before finally seeing a winding corridor. Exotic plants and flowers swayed gracefully on both sides of the corridor, creating a scene of springtime prosperity.
Zi Jin slowly and carefully examined the colorful paintings on the crossbeams of the long corridor. The crossbeams depicted landscapes from all over the country, various exotic flowers and plants, and rare birds and animals. The gallery, which was more than 300 meters long, contained more than a thousand paintings, each different from the last, showing the ingenuity of the person who built the pavilion.
After walking south from the gallery for a while, a huge artificial lake comes into view. A long embankment surrounds the lake, with stone boats along its edge and several pavilions of different styles on the water. A breeze caresses the water's surface, and rows of willows line the shore. Newly sprouted willow branches sway in the wind, creating a beautiful scene of shimmering lake and water.
Zi Jin stood by the lake, completely absorbed in the rare and beautiful scenery.
Jin Yubing's expression was also moved by the scenery: "This lake is called Weiyang Lake, and the long corridor we just walked through is called Changle Corridor. It was built by the former empress to celebrate the twentieth birthday of the emperor and empress. 'Changle Weiyang' means 'boundless joy' and 'Yang' means 'edge'. It means 'endless joy' and 'happiness' will last forever."
On the rippling lake, a man in white robes suddenly appeared, descending from the sky like a celestial being. He walked on the water, his robes fluttering, dancing without wind. He stood with his back to the light, making it impossible to see his face. He glanced slightly to the side and recited: "The setting sun casts a blue glow on the spring lake, the sky and pavilions reflected in the water. Ten miles of green mountains stretch as if walking through a painting, and hundreds of birds fly in pairs, just like in Jiangnan."
"The setting sun casts a blue glow on the lake, reflecting the sky above and below the pavilions. Ten miles of green hills stretch as if in a painting, and birds fly in pairs like those in Jiangnan..." Zi Jin stared blankly at the white-clad figure on the water, who looked like a god, and recited the poem.
Jin Yu was shocked: "How...how did you know about this poem?!"
Zi Jin snapped back to her senses, but the man in white vanished instantly, leaving only Jin Yu in black standing beside her: "Jin Yu, you...didn't you see him just now?"
Jin Yu looked around blankly and replied, "Jin Yu is dull-witted and has not noticed anything unusual."
Zi Jin hurriedly looked around, but saw nothing unusual, and felt a little uneasy.
“Young Master, please don’t panic. This is just a result of traveling for several days and your mind is still a little dazed. Please don’t be alarmed,” Jin Yu said as he stepped forward.
Zi Jin nodded absentmindedly, not noticing Jin Yu's address, and continued walking: Although she couldn't see the white-clad man's features, why did he look so strangely familiar? Although she had never been to Chen Kingdom before, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity with the various scenes here.
"Young Master? We've arrived at Weiyang Palace," Jin Yu called out softly.
Zi Jin came to her senses and noticed that the main hall in front of her was quite different from other palaces. While the palaces in the imperial city were typically made of red bricks and golden tiles, the walls here were composed of black marble. The pillars of the main hall, however, were made of white marble, giving the entire palace a unique grandeur and a less effeminate feel.
Jin Yu lowered his eyes slightly and said in a cold voice, "The Prince of Anle has granted you lodging in Weiyang Palace. Xiaopu and Xiaoshuang, why aren't you serving the young master so he can rest?"
"Yes." Two palace maids, around sixteen years old, stepped out from in front of the palace gate and answered respectfully.
"Weiyang Palace... why am I made to live here?" Zi Jin raised her eyes and stared at the three elegant characters "Weiyang Palace" on the palace plaque. A strange feeling suddenly arose in her heart, and she couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
Jin Yu lowered his head and replied, "Jin Yu dares not presume to know Your Majesty's intentions. I hope you will rest early, young master. Jin Yu will take his leave now."
"Jin Yu... west Le today..."
"His Highness is holding a grand banquet for his officials today and also needs to visit the Emperor, so he probably won't have time to visit the young master." Before Zi Jin could finish speaking, Jin Yu interrupted her.
"When will Xile..."
“Young master, please remember that there is no one named Xi Le here. Your Highness is Your Highness, not just anyone you can address as such. Princess Xi Le has been dead for many years.” Jin Yu finished speaking and turned to leave.
“Oh…” Zi Jin responded sullenly as she watched Jin Yu’s departing figure.
Zi Jin followed Xiao Shuang, her servant, into the palace. The gilded beams were lifelike, the glass lamps and antique wooden tables and chairs were simple yet elegant, and the carved golden pillars exuded wealth and splendor—what a magnificent and resplendent Weiyang Palace!
"Young master is truly blessed. He has only just entered the palace and has already been granted residence in Weiyang Palace by the Prince. He will surely be able to..."
"Xiaoshuang! Don't speak recklessly!" Xiaopu interrupted Xiaoshuang, angrily rebuking her.