Hibiscus as a Painting - Chapter 116
The Emperor and Empress coughed up a mouthful of blood, suddenly opened their eyes, their bodies trembling uncontrollably. They looked at Sikou Xunle with grief and hugged them tightly: What can I give you? ...What can I give you... to ensure your safety?
The emperor and empress embraced the two of them desperately, coughing up mouthfuls of blood. The vibrant blood bloomed into bizarre and beautiful flowers on the pale snow…
Winter of the twelfth year of Yanzai in the 528th year of Yaochen
The position of commander of the Imperial Guard, which had been vacant for three years, was filled by Dugu Liuran, a confidant of the Empress, after much discussion.
With 20,000 imperial guards at her disposal, the empress completely broke free from her life as a puppet emperor and began to rule the world.
A lifetime of love and hate, hard to understand, reincarnation begins again. The bamboo grows without heart, how long can a reflection in a mirror or the moon in the water last? (Part Four)
How long can a mirage last? (Part 4) At noon, the short leaves brushed against the blue water, and thousands of emerald green willow branches were reflected on the clear lake surface. The faint chirping of cicadas could be heard. There was no one around Weiyang Palace, and it was as quiet as a cold palace.
Jin Yu stood outside the gate of Weiyang Palace, his face grim as he looked at Xiao Pu, who was blocking his way: "Get out of the way."
Xiaopu blocked the half-open palace gate with one hand: "His Highness has not rested for many days and only went to bed at Chenshi. I will not let you in no matter what."
Jin Yu frowned and took two quick steps forward, intending to push open the door blocking his way. Unexpectedly, Xiao Pu suddenly attacked, striking Jin Yu in the face with a palm strike. Jin Yu dodged to the side and swiftly walked through the door.
Xiaopu's eyes instantly turned red with anxiety, and disregarding the difference between men and women, she grabbed Jinyu's arm: "You can't go in."
Jin Yu's expression grew even colder, and just as he was about to make a move, he saw the palace door slowly open. Xiao Pu quickly released his hand, and the two bowed simultaneously.
Prince Anle raised his hand to shield his eyes from the intense light, his narrow, almond-shaped eyes slightly squinted, revealing dark circles beneath them. His lips, which should have been bright red, were covered in flaky skin and cracked cuts. He casually waved to the two men, then walked into the house with an unusually light gait.
Prince Anle leaned softly against the bed, his hand unconsciously stroking the brocade quilt: "What happened?"
"This servant has asked the kitchen to stew some lean pork soup. Your Highness, please have some." Jin Yu stepped forward, about to speak, but was abruptly cut off by Xiao Pu.
Prince Anle frowned slightly: "Go down."
Xiaopu suddenly looked up and stared blankly at Prince Anle, then said in a daze, "This servant takes her leave."
After Jin Yu and the servants had gone some distance, he spoke again: "This morning, His Majesty and the young master fell into the water together..."
"Are you injured?" King Anle sat up abruptly and asked hurriedly.
"After the young master dragged the emperor ashore, he fainted, perhaps due to exhaustion. The emperor held the young master and asked around before returning to his courtyard... Judging from his appearance, the emperor no longer recognized his residence. Jin Yu thought... the emperor seems to have recovered."
Prince Anle narrowed his eyes slightly: "Has my elder brother not returned?"
Jin Yu said, "At that time, Jin Yu was not sure if the Emperor had regained consciousness, so he asked the young master's neighbor, Aunt Shi, to check. When Aunt Shi arrived, the Emperor was changing the young master's wet clothes. Aunt Shi wanted to help, but the Emperor refused. However, seeing that the Emperor's expression and words were very different from usual, Jin Yu was certain that the Emperor had regained consciousness."
Prince Anle frowned deeply: "Why has Your Majesty not returned yet?"
"It must be because the young master has been unconscious, and the emperor dares not leave him alone in the countryside..."
Prince Anle lowered his eyes and said in a low voice, "Don't try to fob me off with these things. I was raised by my elder brother since I was a child, so I know what kind of person he is. Who else but that person could stop him?... Could it be that my elder brother has seen through something? No, if he really had, he would have already taken the little mute back to the palace. The palace has imperial physicians and precious medicinal herbs, which is much better than that rural place..."
"The Imperial Guards, numbering three hundred, have surrounded the village. Should we now escort the Emperor back to the palace?"
“Since Your Majesty is unwilling to bring her back to the palace, and is reluctant to return, it must be because you have a conflict in your heart… People always believe what they see, but are unwilling to believe what they feel… Heh… It turns out even Your Majesty is not immune to this. Let’s wait for three days. If Your Majesty does not return after three days, I will personally go to welcome you.” A bitter smile appeared on Prince Anle’s face.
Jin Yu raised his eyes and considered for a long time before speaking, "Your Highness should take good care of yourself these next few days. Young Master is always a person who loves beauty. If he sees Your Highness like this in three days, he certainly won't want to look at you anymore..."
"Am I ugly right now?" King Anle nervously touched his face and asked hastily.
Jin Yu nodded slightly: "Your Highness looks extremely haggard, and has lost all of his former glory."
Prince Anle buried his face in the brocade quilt and gently rubbed against it: "I understand, you may go back."
The lonely moon hangs in the sky, the long night stretches on endlessly. The countryside is utterly silent, save for the occasional chirp of a cricket.
"...Son...I didn't mean to...I didn't mean to...It wasn't me...It wasn't me!" Zi Jin suddenly woke up, clutching her clothes to her chest, gasping for breath. The familiar scent beside her calmed her down. She hugged his cool body tightly, burying her head in his chest, trembling uncontrollably.
Xiao Bai's body stiffened, as if she was intentionally pushing Zi Jin away.
Zi Jin was terrified and hugged Xiao Bai tightly, unwilling to let go: "Xiao Bai, I was wrong, I was wrong, I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have lost my temper. Please don't be angry anymore, okay? I won't do it again, I won't do it again."
Xiao Bai sighed softly, her body slowly softening, and she no longer struggled.
Zi Jin, taking advantage of the situation, snuggled even closer into Xiao Bai's arms: "Xiao Bai, I'm cold, and my stomach hurts. Is the blanket too thin?"
Xiao Bai seemed to hesitate for a moment, then slowly reached out and gently pressed Zi Jin's waist: "You caught a chill, you... were too reckless, the water is too cold."
Xiao Bai's hands still possessed their magic as always, gently massaging her waist, making her feel as if enveloped in a warm current, so comfortable that she just wanted to groan. In the darkness, Zi Jin leaned comfortably against Xiao Bai's chest, listening to the reassuring sound of his heartbeat.
"noob."
"..."
"I promise you, I will never lie to you again, I will never bully you again, I will never let you cry or feel pain again. Please don't leave me, okay? I will never be like her, I really won't... Xiaobai, I will treat you very, very well, please don't leave me, okay? I will be obedient, I will be obedient. Please don't leave me, okay?"
"You're tired... go to sleep." In the darkness, Xiaobai's voice sounded particularly cold.
Already feeling listless, Zi Jin slowly relaxed. After a while, as if she had thought of something, she raised her hand and groped for her clothes.
"The old lady next door helped me change it, don't get the wrong idea."
A glint of cunning flashed in Zi Jin's eyes as she leaned close to Xiao Bai's ear mischievously and said, "Now, are you still crying and shouting that I'm a man?"
Xiao Bai stiffened slightly: "You're not feeling well, go back to sleep."
Zi Jin leaned close to Xiao Bai's ear and gently blew on it: "Don't worry, I won't cry and beg you to take responsibility."
In the darkness, Xiaobai seemed a little displeased, but she didn't let go of the hand that was gently rubbing Zi Jin's waist.