Hibiscus as a Painting

Chapter 91

Empress Yanzai tilted her head, her phoenix eyes revealing innocence as she gazed at the ethereal figure before her. His almost translucent skin was as clear as crystal, and his long, smooth, black silk hair cascaded down to his ankles. Thick, long eyelashes veiled his captivating eyes, his posture both languid and dignified, exuding a pure yet alluring charm. A fiery red wedding robe draped softly over his body, accentuating his irresistible allure.

Empress Yanzai sneered inwardly: "In the past, Jie's favoritism towards his sister Xi led to the downfall of Xia, Zhou's love for Daji led to the destruction of Shang, and King You lost his life for Bao Si's smile. Now, the Sikou family has gone to great lengths to seize the throne from my Nalan Nan tribe, even sending such a top-notch talent as Sikou Xunxiang into the palace."

Sikou Xunxiang raised his head seemingly casually, his eyes carrying the distance between ruler and subject: "Your Majesty, what are you pondering?"

Empress Yeonjae smiled blankly, standing awkwardly in place: "Brother... Brother is as handsome as a celestial being." Her words were tinged with girlish naiveté and shyness.

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty," Sikou Xunxiang replied cautiously, his eyes slightly lowered.

The Empress tilted her head, carefully stepped forward, hesitated for a moment, and timidly reached out to take Sikou Xunxiang's hand: "Why is my brother so cold to me? Is it because Jin'er is not as pretty as my brother?" Her tone was slightly coquettish and disappointed.

Sikou Xunxiang wanted to pull his hand back, but fearing it would startle the emperor, he could only let Empress Ren hold his hand: "Your Majesty is overthinking it. The proper etiquette between ruler and subject cannot be disregarded..."

“Brother is wrong. Now that we are married, we are husband and wife. How can there be a ruler and subject relationship?” Empress Yanzai lowered her eyes and silently held Sikou Xunxiang’s hand. “The old lady said, ‘One comb to the end, two combs to a hundred hairs at the eyebrows, three combs to a table at the eyebrows, four combs to a house full of children and grandchildren.’ Don’t you understand, brother?” Empress Yanzai’s voice was childish and innocent, yet full of disappointment.

Si Kou Xunxiang's beautiful eyes darted around as he silently gazed at the thirteen-year-old girl before him: She was clearly an innocent child, so why did her father describe her as so scheming and ruthless?

The hall was eerily quiet. When Empress Yanzai saw that Sikou Xunxiang remained silent, she hurriedly released his hand and took two quick steps back: "Brother... is brother like them... not fond of Jin'er?" She quickly lowered her face to cover her slightly red eyes, her voice filled with panic.

Sikou Xunxiang seemed a little disappointed as he withdrew his hand, then smiled gently at Empress Yanzai: "Your Majesty is so charming, how could I not like you?"

Empress Yanzai slowly raised her head, a naive smile slowly curving her lips. Without hesitation, she stepped forward and grabbed Sikou Xunxiang's arm, gently shaking it: "Brother, why do you call me Your Majesty Jin'er like everyone else? Now that we are married, you are Jin'er's Empress. From now on, Jin'er will only be good to you. Brother, call me by my name, okay? It's been so many years since anyone called me by my name. I really want to hear you call me by my name."

The Emperor and Empress gazed silently at Empress Yanzai, a hint of pity and heartache flashing in their eyes. He frowned slightly and softly called out, "Jin'er..."

Empress Yanzai cheered and then buried her face in the Emperor and Empress's arms, hugging their waists and resting against their chests, a sweet, satisfied smile on her face: "Brother is so good."

The eighteen-year-old emperor and empress were tense, unsure of what to do as the empress nestled in their arms. They hesitated, unsure whether to let go or not, fearing the empress might fall. He sighed, shook his head with a wry smile, and slowly lowered his hands, firmly holding the empress in his embrace. Only when he heard even breathing from within did the emperor and empress completely relax, lowering their heads to carefully examine the small emperor in their arms.

Unlike the graceful and elegant figures of other women, the Empress was exceptionally beautiful with a touch of heroic spirit. She had a pair of soft, almond-shaped eyes, a full and rounded oval face, a face like a lotus flower, lips like a touch of cinnabar, and a hint of childlike innocence on her face.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..." the Emperor and Empress called softly.

Empress Yanzai snuggled closer to the Empress and Emperor in dissatisfaction, muttering, "Brother... Brother, don't disturb... disturb Jin'er... Jin'er wants to sleep..."

A gentle smile graced the Emperor and Empress's exquisite faces, their lips curving upwards, their joy reaching their eyes. He shook his head helplessly, letting Empress Yanzai tug at his robes. Only when the Empress's breathing returned to evenness did the Emperor and Empress slowly move, gently placing Empress Yanzai on the bed and carefully covering her with the blanket. As he tried to leave, the Empress tightly gripped his robes. Afraid of disturbing the sleeping Empress Yanzai, he could only offer a wry smile and silently sit on the edge of the bed.

After a long while, Empress Yanzai turned her head slightly, half-closed her eyes, glanced at the Emperor and Empress, and then closed her eyes again.

The greatest talent in the world, with unparalleled brilliance—Sikou Xunxiang. Ha! Nothing special.

Even with the moon high in the sky, the palace remained bustling with noise.

In the distance, red silk draped the trees, lanterns were lit high, and the sounds of stringed instruments and drums filled the air with joy, making the desolation and bleakness of Xiayang Palace all the more apparent.

A small figure sat on the ground, leaning against the mottled doorframe, chin in hand, gazing into the distance. Colorful fireworks streaked across the sky, blooming into a magnificent flower high above. His gaze followed the fireworks, gradually dimming: "Did my wife make Hui'er move out of Fengyi Palace for that handsome brother?"

Standing behind Dugu Xihui, Eunuch Fulai lowered his head, his eyes red-rimmed: "His Majesty also has his own troubles. If he does not marry the young master Sikou, His Majesty will not be able to rule in his own right. Young master, you must be obedient and grow up quickly, so that... His Majesty will remember you sooner."

Xi Hui slowly turned her head to look at Eunuch Fu Lai: "My lady won't be coming to see Hui'er anymore, is that right?" Her voice was indifferent, and her eyes revealed an indifference beyond her years.

Eunuch Fu stepped forward, tightly grasping Dugu Xihui's small hand. Looking at her delicate face, tears streamed down his face: "Young master, oh young master, how could I tell you? What emperors love most is power. The eldest son of the Sikou family is now His Majesty's ally in gaining power. Why would she even think of you, who is now useless to him?"

Your six months in the Phoenix Palace have been filled with the Emperor's favor. For someone so young, was it right or wrong? This servant never imagined that Your Majesty, at such a young age, possessed such cunning, using such a young and kind prince to achieve your goal of marrying Sikou Xunxiang. How could Your Majesty bear to do this...? How could she bear to treat you like this...?

Dugu Xihui broke free from Eunuch Fulai's hand and turned to look at the red silk in the distance, which resembled wildfire: "I... understand."

In the late autumn of the tenth year of the reign of Emperor Yanzai, in the year 526 of the reign of Emperor Yaochen, Dugu Xihui, the concubine who was deeply favored by the Empress, fell out of favor overnight and was banished to Xiayang Palace.

In the late autumn of the tenth year of Emperor Yanzai's reign (526 AD), the thirteen-year-old Empress Yanzai formally married the eldest son of the Chancellor of the Ministry of Justice, Sikou Xunxiang.

The Phoenix Palace changed hands overnight, and from then on, it was renamed Sikou.

A lifetime of love and hate, hard to understand, reincarnation begins again. The bamboo grower is heartless, searching for him a thousand times across the crowd. (Part 3)

Searching for him a thousand times (Part 3) Reaching out, the bedside was already cold. Zi Jin suddenly woke up, sitting up abruptly. She glanced sideways, thinking for a moment, then slumped back down: Another dream. Lately, she'd been having all sorts of bizarre dreams, and each one felt so real. This one was even more absurd; the blanket still held the scent of the white-haired boy… a scent?!

Startled, Zi Jin quickly peeked out from under the bed. A white robe, rolled up in a ball, lay in the corner. Zi Jin hurriedly reached in and retrieved the robe—unfolded, it really was the same one from yesterday. But where was he? Where had he gone?

"Is the young master awake? The prince has arrived." Xiaoshuang's voice came from outside the door.

"Ah, oh... wait a minute." Zi Jin rolled the white robe into a ball again, but didn't know where to put it.

"Bang!"—"What are you waiting for?" Prince Anle kicked open the door and quickly walked towards the bed.

Zi Jin quickly lay down and tucked the robe under her body.

Prince Anle pulled back the bed curtains, glanced at Zi Jin, his narrow, almond-shaped eyes squinting slightly as he looked at the bed for a moment before letting out a cold snort: "What's there to hide from? What else do you have that I haven't seen?"

Zi Jin pulled the blanket tighter and glared hatefully at Prince Anle: Pervert!

"I heard from them that you went to sleep as soon as you came back from outside yesterday?" Prince Anle raised an eyebrow and carefully looked around, asking seemingly casually.

"Um."

"Did you meet anyone at Weiyang Lake last night?" After watching for a while, perhaps feeling bored, Prince Anle casually asked, playing with the jade pendant at his waist.

"No," Zi Jin replied in a muffled voice, lowering her eyes.

"Yeah?"

“Xile…”

"Hmm!" King Anle glanced sideways, giving Zi Jin a warning look.

"Oh, so what if they don't call me that..." Zi Jin raised her eyes slightly and asked, "Did you have them put me under house arrest?"