Hibiscus as a Painting - Chapter 127
In that instant, Zi Jin's cheeks burned, her heart raced, and her thoughts were in complete disarray. She feigned composure as she looked at the person kneeling at her feet, and for a moment, she felt as if she had gained the entire world.
In autumn, when all the flowers have faded, the Phoenix Palace is decorated with bright red silk everywhere. Even the branches that have long since withered are tied with large red flowers that the skilled embroiderers worked overnight to make, so lifelike that it seems as if spring has returned to the earth.
Dressed in a fiery red wedding robe and a golden imperial crown, Zi Jin stood awkwardly outside the Phoenix Palace, looking as if she couldn't go forward or backward. She took a deep breath, raised her slightly trembling hand, and slowly pushed open the palace door.
Beneath the dragon and phoenix wedding candles sat a young man dressed in a fiery red wedding robe. Fiery red was undoubtedly the most fitting color for this vibrant youth; he shone like a radiant pearl in the darkness, so dazzling that one dared not look directly at him or desecrate him. The vitality emanating from him was like the blossoming flowers of spring, an irresistible brilliance.
Zi Jin smiled and slowly reached out to remove his golden crown. The boy suddenly dodged, and Zi Jin's hand froze in place. After seemingly pondering for a moment, the boy sat up straight again, no longer disobeying Zi Jin.
Zi Jin smiled gently, carefully removed his golden crown, and softly stroked his black hair: "Don't be afraid of me... After tonight, you and I will be husband and wife. Don't treat me as an emperor. I want a husband, not a subject."
The boy's ears turned slightly red, and a hint of shame, indignation, and awkwardness flashed in his eyes. He deliberately turned his face away, it was unclear whether he was really angry or just pretending.
Seeing his adorable appearance, Zi Jin felt an indescribable joy. She reached out to unbutton the boy's clothes. His hands trembled slightly, and his face was flushed, but he pretended to be calm and sat still.
Zi Jin's smile deepened, and she maliciously slowed down her movements, blowing air into the boy's ear.
The boy's eyes flashed with a mixture of shame and indignation, followed by a resolute look.
Zi Jin removed all of his wedding robes, and fearing she had gone too far, she quickly suppressed her laughter: "Husband, are you not resting?"
The boy glared fiercely at Zi Jin, then angrily burrowed into the covers and pressed himself tightly against the innermost part of the bed.
Zi Jin couldn't hide her smile. She deliberately slowed down her undressing, slowly lay down in the quilt, and quietly moved closer to the boy.
The boy's body was terribly stiff, his ears burning red, and he unconsciously wanted to move further. But the bed was only so big, and the boy had been squeezed so tightly by Zi Jin that he had nowhere left to retreat. He turned his face away in anger and embarrassment, glaring at Zi Jin, his clear eyes filled with flames of anger, and his whole face instantly became radiant and full of youthful vigor.
Zi Jin could no longer pretend. She suddenly chuckled, reached out and patted the boy through the blanket, coaxing him softly, "Go to sleep. It's so late. You have to attend court early tomorrow."
The boy gave a light snort and turned away.
"What? Does the General not want to attend the morning court tomorrow?" Zi Jin said with a smile.
The boy suddenly turned around: "You...you're willing to let me continue attending court?"
Zi Jin turned her head to look at the young man, feeling an indescribable fondness in her heart: "What? My husband is unwilling..."
"No! I was just... just... sleeping!" The boy, seemingly angry with someone, suddenly turned around and ignored Zi Jin.
Zi Jin's lips curled into a wide grin: "You are my husband, so you should support me with your salary. Do you want to stay at home doing nothing?"
The young man suddenly stood up: "A true man should guard the frontier and protect his country. As a general, I have never desired the company of a concubine. Now that things have come to this... I only beg Your Majesty to grant me a chance to serve the country..."
Zi Jin turned her head away, her eyes slightly red. When she turned back to look at Yin Feng, she had calmed down: "General, you are so young yet you have such a magnanimous heart. You are truly a rare talent in Yao Chen. I have imprisoned you in the Empress's Chamber for my own selfish reasons. I will make it up to you in the future. Although you are my noble consort, in my eyes you are only my husband. As your wife, I will treat you with all my heart. Please rest well tonight, and I will accompany you to court tomorrow."
Yin Feng stared blankly at Zi Jin, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes. As if she had thought of something, she quickly lay down under the covers, turning her back to Zi Jin.
The boy's flushed ears betrayed his shyness, and Zi Jin's lips curved slightly, her smile reaching her eyes. She reached out and placed her hand on Zi Yingfeng's waist. Yingfeng stiffened, and Zi Jin gently patted him to soothe his unease. After an unknown amount of time, Yingfeng's body slowly softened, and his breathing became long and strong.
Zi Jin gently pulled up Yin Feng's long hair and tangled it with her own black hair, then slowly drifted off to sleep...
In my dream, Zi Yingfeng's various expressions swirled in my mind, refusing to fade away...
I remember the fear, unease, and awkwardness he felt when he sat on the dragon throne alongside myself and Sikou Xunxiang at the morning court session after our marriage…
I remember his joy and satisfaction when he first saw the newly built Taiping Pavilion; he was radiant and beaming with pride…
I remember the rosewood trees that had been moved from the extremely hot region to the palace, all of which died of disease, and how heartbroken he looked when he yelled at himself... "Why did you have to force it?"
I remember how excited and grateful he was when he received the Northwest Tiger Tally from my hands...
I remember the look of utter satisfaction on his face as he ate the "green-backed dragonfish" that was a tribute from his hometown...
I remember his figure, as graceful as a dragon, as he practiced swordsmanship in the Imperial Garden, his spirit yearning for freedom...
I remember the adorable look on his face when I couldn't help but kiss him lightly, a look that was both annoyed and shy...
I remember the excited look on his face when he saw me again. He said, "Jin'er, you're back. We'll never be apart again, never again!" That gaze as he let go, that resolute turn, that unwavering belief.
From our very first meeting in this life, I once again trusted him wholeheartedly and waited for him...
I remember him pulling me into his arms, gazing at me intently, and smiling gently: "Jin'er... in this life... you must wait for me to come back... wait for me to come back..." That lonely figure in the darkness was heartbreaking.
In their second meeting in this life, he frantically concealed his injury, his tearful appearance making him hate the person who had threatened and hurt him...
I remember him, disheveled and stumbling, pleading desperately, heartbroken: "Jin'er, don't go to Chen Kingdom! Don't go!"
On their third meeting in this life, he once again made him taste the agony of unbearable pain. This time, the sorrow and despair of the previous life were gone, replaced by a bitter taste in his heart...
Beneath the high cliff in the torrential rain, he shielded himself, closed his eyes peacefully, and smiled a hazy, contented smile on his handsome face, saying, "So...very good..."
That's good...
Unresolved emotions and inescapable demonic obstacles; karmic retribution—when will we meet again? Ten years of grudges and debts, all lost in the vastness of time. (Part 1)
Ten years of grudges and enmity are now a distant memory (Part 1) Zi Jin suddenly opened her eyes, sat up abruptly, and was panting heavily with sweat on her face.
"Do you remember now?" an old voice suddenly rang out.
Zi Jin was startled and turned her face coldly, her dark eyes filled with defensiveness. Her sharp gaze carefully scrutinized the old woman with a wrinkled face and a Buddhist rosary sitting beside her bed.
The old woman suppressed the shock in her heart and smiled calmly at Zi Jin, but under Zi Jin's intense gaze, the old woman still felt her knees go slightly weak.
"Who are you? Yin... Where is the Noble Lord Linde?" Zi Jin rubbed her head, trying to sort out her chaotic memories.
The old woman paused slightly, then smiled kindly: "You remembered?"