Hibiscus as a Painting

Chapter 132

Ignoring the two brothers' strange expressions, Mr. Fang bowed slightly and left, but he couldn't hide the joy in his eyes.

After Old Master Fang had walked away, Sikou Xunxiang's hand trembled slightly as he gently tugged at Prince Anle's sleeve: "Le'er..."

Prince Anle suddenly turned around: "What do you want to ask?"

Si Kou Huanxiang pondered for a moment, then slowly withdrew his hand and closed his eyes: "It's nothing."

King Anle was filled with fear and his eyes were filled with anger: "If you want to ask, then ask. Don't put on this submissive act. If you hadn't been so obedient to her back then, how could things have come to this? If you hadn't been so humble towards her, she would have died by Zi Yingfeng's sword. If you hadn't given her power, would she have dared to accept Zi Yingfeng as her ruler?! Who are you putting on this act for today? Are you blaming me?! What's the use of blaming me? If you hadn't come this far step by step, how could we be in this situation today! How could we be in this situation today!"

Si Kou Xunxiang's eyelashes, as white as feathers, trembled slightly as he pressed his pale lips together tightly: "Le'er... I've never blamed you."

"You don't blame me? But I blame you! I blame you! Do you know that if it weren't for you, how could the world be divided into three? If it weren't for your indulgence... perhaps she wouldn't have dared to accept the throne and wouldn't have died! If she hadn't died, there wouldn't be all this trouble today... and I wouldn't have... The more you hate Zi Yingfeng, the more I resent you!... Sometimes I don't even know who I should hate or resent... How did things come to this... How did we end up in this desperate situation?" King Anle's eyes were filled with resentment and his heart was filled with hatred.

Si Kou Xunxiang stopped trembling, slowly opened his eyes, and smiled lightly: "Brother, how about I give her my life?"

Prince Anle's expression changed drastically, filled with immense regret. He slowly turned to look at Sikou Xunxiang, his face devoid of any emotion: "You think you can escape by dying? That's too easy for you. I just said I had something important to tell you; don't you want to hear it?"

"I'm not listening anymore... What can I do now...?"

Prince Anle smiled coldly: "I won't listen... and I can't be afraid either. Do you still remember your Nan'er? She's already a month pregnant. Do you want to shirk responsibility?"

"How could this be? I've never been with her..."

“I wasn’t sober when I was, but a month ago, I slept with Miss Nan, who was still a virgin. The Imperial Household Department records it all clearly. Four imperial physicians examined her pulse together, and the date of her pregnancy was exactly those few days. Do you intend to deny it?” Prince Anle sat down next to Sikou Xunxiang and said softly.

"No... how could this be... I..." Si Kou Xunxiang's eyes were filled with panic.

"Brother, do you not want to take responsibility? Do you want another woman to repeat the tragedy because of you? Or will this tragedy involve your own flesh and blood? When you were young, you once taught Le'er that a real man should take responsibility. Do you want to run away? Do you want that child to be born without a father, or do you want that child to be born without a mother like Le'er? Or do you want to kill that child with your own hands?" Prince Anle held Sikou Xunxiang's hand and asked softly.

Si Kou Xunxiang's eyes were filled with panic, and his hand, held by Prince Anle, trembled violently: "It's not that I don't want to take responsibility, I didn't know at the time..."

“Brother, aren’t you going to punish yourself? Brother, aren’t you going to make yourself suffer unbearably? Death is not the best choice. To marry someone you don’t love, have children, and live a mundane life… to live is worse than death. That is the best choice for you.”

Si Kou Xunxiang's mind was in chaos. He slowly closed his eyes, his hands gripping the stone railing tightly.

"Le'er is going to be an uncle soon, I'm so happy just thinking about it, don't you like it, brother?" Prince Anle played with the hair bun at his side and smiled brightly.

Sikou Xunxiang suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and intimidating, staring directly at Prince Anle: "I understand what Le'er means. If Le'er wants me to marry her, then I will marry her. If Le'er finds mutual torment more comfortable, then I will grant Le'er's wish."

King Anle was startled, but remained outwardly calm: "In that case, it's best that you've come to your understanding."

Sikou Xunxiang suddenly stood up and walked out of the pavilion step by step: "Dequan."

Eunuch Dequan bowed and said, "This servant is here."

Si Kou Xunxiang gripped his sleeves and said in a deep voice, "Tonight... send the four palace maids Mei, Lan, He, and Zhu to Xiayang Palace to serve you in bed."

The wrinkled eunuch looked at Prince Anle with a troubled expression for a moment before replying, "This servant obeys the decree."

Prince Anle stood up angrily: "What do you want?! My affairs are none of your concern, brother!"

Sikou Xunxiang slowly turned his head, his eyes filled with cold authority: "I think Le'er still doesn't understand... No matter what, that person has no fate with my Sikou family. I... although I am no longer qualified to talk about protecting her, from now on I will keep a close eye on Le'er. Le'er's obsession is too deep, it's time to remove it."

"But...you clearly know...you're trying to embarrass me, aren't you?" King Anle's eyes were filled with shame and anger.

Sikou Xunxiang walked slowly to Prince Anle's side, took Prince Anle's hand and said softly, "Jinyu told me that Prince Anle's hidden illness has been greatly cured. On the way back from Yue Kingdom, how many cold baths did Le'er take?"

Prince Anle turned his head blankly: "You're spying on me?! But I wasn't... I was just distracted... Jin Yu actually dared to... I absolutely will not agree to this matter of waiting for the emperor's bedchamber!"

Sikou Xunxiang gently squeezed Anle Wang's hand, then slowly released it, his eyes full of majesty: "It's not up to you!" He then turned and left.

Prince Anle stood there, staring blankly at Sikou Xunxiang's retreating figure. Suddenly, he stepped forward and grabbed his sleeve: "Brother, I've never forced Le'er to do anything since we were little. Brother... don't you love Le'er anymore? Brother... don't you want Le'er anymore?"

Sikou Xunxiang stood stiffly in place: "You have been competitive since childhood, always trying to outdo Dugu Xihui. Dugu Xihui is your lawfully wedded wife, so it is only right that you remain chaste for her, but you are not... The Sikou family has few heirs, Le'er, stop dreaming. I... am doing this for your own good. She and you have always been strangers, and now you have reached the end of your road."

"You're lying to me! How could we be strangers? How could we have reached the end of the road? She's always been so good to me, so good! Brother, you're saying this because you're jealous of me, aren't you? You're saying this because you're jealous of the four years we've been together, aren't you?"

Sikou Xunxiang slowly pulled back the sleeve in Anle Wang's hand: "Whether it's the end of the road or not, Le'er should know better than me."

Willow catkins drifted gently, the lake shimmered, and Prince Anle stood there, staring blankly at Sikou Xunxiang's retreating figure...

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 Four)

Ten years of grudges and enmity are now a distant memory (Part 4) Half a year has passed, and the "Valley of No Sun" under the moonlight is quiet yet desolate. The distant mountain peaks are piled with snow that has never melted for thousands of years, and the layers of snow plum blossoms are even more exquisite and translucent under the soft moonlight.

In the far corner of the "Bu Ri Gu" Meruo Garden, there is an open-air thatched hut. The hut is round, with a roof covering all four sides, except for the empty center, which is symmetrical to the hot spring inside. Inside, there is a daybed, a tea table, and a guqin (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument).

Zi Jin lay in the medicinal spring, holding a cup of clear wine and gazing at the starry sky. Half a year had passed in a flash, and it must be winter in the outside world now. Life in the valley was peaceful and tranquil, and it seemed that this was the kind of life she had always longed for. If it weren't for Old Granny Yu constantly nagging about how to take revenge, life would be simply too wonderful.

The hot spring beneath her wasn't just a natural one; Xi Bao would add large amounts of medicinal herbs daily to regulate her body, which had been damaged by the growth-suppressing powder for over four years. This growth-suppressing powder was extremely potent; it had played a significant role in her stunted growth and development. Now, after its effects, in just six months, she had not only grown considerably taller, but her skin had also become smooth and fair. Her previously overly thin body now possessed the fullness expected of a young woman, and her once round, fleshy eyes had become slender.

But what's most distressing is that, due to the long-term side effects of soaking in the medicine, her once jet-black hair has turned brownish-red. She's been heartbroken over it, but no matter how much she grieves, her once jet-black hair can't be restored. Now, while her brownish-red hair isn't ugly, it can't compare to black hair. In fact, it's not even as good-looking as Xiaobai's silver hair.

Zi Jin gave a bitter smile, tilted her head back, and drank the now-cold wine in her glass. The countless stars in the sky twinkled, forming a smiling face that looked back.

People say the stars in the sky are the spirits of the dead. Which one was Zi Jia Xiao Feng? Or had she already reincarnated, unable to bear the loneliness? Or has she been watching from heaven all along? Zi Jia Xiao Feng… you left in such a hurry, without telling me if you were truly at peace. I also forgot to tell you that if there is an afterlife, I don't want to meet you again. The karmic debts from this life and the previous one have been cleared; why crave a next? If there is an afterlife, I hope not to meet anyone and to start anew.

The slight sound of the door opening interrupted Zi Jin's thoughts: "I told you, you're not allowed to come in."

happy Bao bowed and stood around the hot spring: "Master has been soaking for more than an hour. Although the medicinal spring is good, it is not suitable to soak for too long."

Zi Jin's face turned cold as she gazed at the starry sky and poured herself a drink: "I've told you more than once, you're not allowed to come in."

happy Bao bowed and took two steps back: "happy Bao entered the palace at the age of twelve... after being castrated. Your Majesty need not be so angry."

Zi Jin raised her eyes and looked coldly at happy Bao: "So what if you've been castrated? You're still a man even after being castrated. Get out!"