Hibiscus as a Painting - Chapter 192
The night was alluring, and wildflowers swayed sadly in the evening breeze, seemingly whispering tales of endless, lingering affection. King Anle's face was deathly pale and helpless, radiating a grief bordering on despair.
The palace in Zhou Liangcheng was built by the founding empress of the previous dynasty, Yaochen, for her summer retreat, and has a history of nearly five hundred years. Five hundred years ago, Zhou Liangcheng was just a small village. Legend has it that on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month five hundred years ago, a rare solar eclipse occurred. As panic gripped the people, the sky suddenly brightened and a Buddha's light descended.
Legend has it that the founding empress of Yaochen emerged from that purple Buddhist light. After unifying the world, to repay the kindness of Zhouliang Village, she built Zhouliang City, comparable to the imperial capital, and constructed a temporary palace there. It is said that during her reign, the founding empress of Yaochen would visit the city for a few days every summer to celebrate the Ghost Festival (July 15th of the lunar calendar) with the people of the city.
By dusk the following day, Si Kou Xunxiang and his entourage had already moved into the temporary palace within Zhou Liang City.
Zi Jin stood in the shadows, watching as everyone entered the brightly decorated Zhou Liang Palace, her heart filled with unease. This seemed to have exceeded her expectations. According to the route, Prince Anle should have been taking Xiaobai back to the capital at this time, so why were they resting here at Zhou Liang Palace so early? Moreover, the palace was decorated with lanterns and streamers everywhere, clearly indicating that a wedding was about to take place.
Could it be Xiao Bai… No, it can’t be… Even if Xiao Bai is not the best, he is still the king of a country. He would not be so hasty in taking a queen. Then it must be Prince Anle? But Prince Anle is of high rank and great power. This marriage is naturally not a problem for him. Besides, Xiao Bai would never wrong his younger brother like this.
Looking at the crimson sunset, Zi Jin patted her head and turned to walk towards another street. Since she couldn't figure it out, she would wait until dark to go inside and take a look. For now, she should find something to eat first.
Dressed in all black, Zi Jin stood at the entrance of the tavern, her face full of worry. Why had she lost her purse? How could she have lost it? Her vision blurry, Zi Jin frowned, rubbing her stomach, then patted her slightly sour clothes, which hadn't been changed in two days. As she raised her hand, she touched a hard object at her waist. Zi Jin paused, then reached into her robes—a gold ingot? How could she have a gold ingot on her?
Even though she didn't know where the gold came from, Zi Jin didn't care anymore. With a beaming smile, she quickly walked into the restaurant across the street, asked for a superior room, and took a good bath. After changing into the new clothes the waiter had bought for her, Zi Jin went downstairs looking refreshed. She found a corner to sit down, ordered some wine and dishes, and began to look around at the people outside with great interest.
Zhouliang City appears to be a multi-ethnic city. Although most people still wear ordinary clothes, you can still see clothing similar to that of modern ethnic minorities on the streets.
As dusk fell, the crowds on the streets showed no signs of dispersing, and the restaurants were even more packed. Zi Jin, who had already eaten her fill, frowned as she looked out the window at the throng of people. Although she had spent most of her time in the palace since arriving here, Zi Jin knew very well that people in ancient times did not have much of a nightlife, and this was the first time she had ever seen a place as bustling at night as Zhou Liang City.
Zi Jin sipped her very light Zhuyeqing tea, enjoying the extremely joyful smiles on everyone's faces outside. The heaviness in her heart seemed to have eased considerably.
The restaurant was already full of people. A scholar in blue stood in front of the door, looking around. When he saw that Zi Jin, who was dressed in men's clothing, was alone at her table, he walked over.
The scholar smiled slightly at Zi Jin and said, "Brother, would you mind setting up a table for me?"
Zi Jin returned a polite smile and said, "Please make yourself at home."
The scholar no longer stood on ceremony, ordered a pot of sake, and sat down opposite Zi Jin. He followed Zi Jin's gaze to the people outside the window: "Brother, are you from out of town?"
Zi Jin nodded slightly: "It just arrived today."
"No wonder," the scholar said mysteriously.
"Is there anything else to say?" Zi Jin asked casually, taking a sip of her wine.
The scholar said, "Zhou Liangcheng is not usually like this. Look at those Yao people; they must have come all the way from the mountain village."
"Oh, really? Why?"
The scholar, shaking his head and showing off, said, "Legend has it that the founding empress of the previous dynasty, Yaochen, was a member of the Yao ethnic group. During her reign, she would return to offer sacrifices every year during the Ghost Festival in July. During the Yaochen era, the royal family left behind some customs. Whenever the Yaochen emperor wanted to take a concubine, he would come to the high platform of the Zhouliang City Palace in advance to offer sacrifices to the gods, so as to ensure the dynasty's continued prosperity for thousands of generations."
Zi Jin pondered for a moment: "Yao Chen is dead after all, and all these years... and today is not the fifteenth of July."
The scholar said mysteriously, "Although Yaochen is dead, our ruler is the former emperor and empress, and naturally he has preserved the royal customs of the previous dynasty."
Zi Jin paused slightly, her thoughts growing heavier: "So what?"
The scholar frowned: "I've been talking for so long, how come you still don't understand? Our king is going to take a queen in Zhouliang City tomorrow, so there will definitely be a sacrifice to the gods tonight. Look at the direction of the Yuechao Palace, there are more and more people there."
"Boom!" Zi Jin's head exploded with excitement. She jumped up abruptly: "Si Kou Xunxiang's wedding is tomorrow?!"
The scholar grabbed Zi Jin and nervously looked around at the noisy surroundings: "How can you address the monarch by his title, young master..."
"Sikou Xunxiang's wedding is tomorrow?!" Zi Jin grabbed the scholar's collar and asked fiercely.
Under Zi Jin's murderous gaze, the scholar nodded repeatedly: "Everyone says... tomorrow is a once-in-a-decade auspicious day. The Crown Prince of Yue Kingdom will also ascend the throne tomorrow... The King issued an edict three days ago, announcing to the world that he would take Lady Luo as his Empress. The imperial edict only arrived in our Zhou Liang City yesterday... Young Master... shouldn't you let go first?"
Zi Jin felt as if a piece of her heart had been ripped out; her hands and feet were ice-cold, and her dark eyes were filled with a dazed look. She numbly released her grip and walked out of the restaurant, following the joyful crowd towards the imperial palace.
Love and hate leave no trace, deep affection is hard to wait for; the descendants of the gods, three generations of marriage and resentment, flowers bloom and wither in their time (Part 3)
Flowers bloom and fade in their time (Part 3) After Zi Jin walked away, the scholar in blue slowly picked up the sake in his hand, drank it down in one gulp, and no longer showed any of the cowardice he had shown before.
In front of the palace was a huge stone platform, nearly thirty meters high. Nearly a thousand soldiers had surrounded the platform, and the surrounding streets were completely blocked by the local people.
Zi Jin stood blankly at the street corner, gazing at the two people on the high platform. A true beauty is described as having the appearance of a flower, the voice of a bird, the spirit of the moon, the grace of a willow, the bones of jade, the skin of ice and snow, the posture of autumn water, and the heart of poetry. The two on the high platform were indeed rare beauties in this world, their perfect match dazzling.
With her eyes slightly hot, Zi Jin walked listlessly in the opposite direction of the crowd.
Xiao Bai… no, Si Kou Xun Xiang, why did you lie to me? Why did you lie to me? I told you, it doesn't matter who it is anymore, I want you… I just want you… but why did you still lie to me?
Were you afraid I wouldn't let you go back then? ...Was it all a lie? Since you liked her and wanted to marry her, why didn't you tell me yourself? No! I don't believe it! You wouldn't do that, you wouldn't lie to me...It couldn't have been your own choice! It must have been Sikou Xunle who forced you! Yes, you liked me, it's always been me, he's the one forcing you, isn't he? He's the one forcing you, isn't he? ...Xiaobai...Xiaobai, you must wait for me, wait for me to come and save you!
Night had fallen. Sikou Xunxiang, dressed in a brocade robe, tried his best to conceal the weariness and exhaustion between his brows. He rested his head on his hand and sat in the quiet garden, silently gazing at the small bamboo grove opposite him, seemingly lost in thought, or perhaps waiting for something.
Qi Yongyue hid behind the artificial hill, watching Sikou Xunxiang under the moonlight without moving, seemingly waiting for something as well. A very faint, exotic fragrance wafted over, and Qi Yongyue paused slightly, quickly covering his nose. Even so, it was too late. He stared incredulously at Prince Anle behind him, slowly falling to the side. Prince Anle carefully caught him as he slid down, gently placing him aside without disturbing anyone in the garden.
The main hall in the northeasternmost corner of Zhou Liang Palace has been abandoned for hundreds of years. Legend has it that after a high-ranking official of the founding of Yao Chen died in this hall, it was never at peace again. While the founding empress was alive, the hall remained unchanged, but after her death, the hall became increasingly unsettled. Later, Empress Dugu simply sealed the hall off, and to this day, this abandoned hall is still known as the Ghost Hall.
Zi Jin circled the palace twice before finally finding a gap in the northeast corner and leaping inside in a few quick movements. She cautiously leaned against the wall for a long time before daring to cautiously walk out. The courtyard was pitch black, covered with fallen leaves, and faintly smelled of decay, suggesting that the palace had been abandoned for a long time.
Just as she reached the courtyard gate, lights suddenly came on behind her. Zi Jin turned around in surprise, but froze on the spot.
Under the palace lanterns, a woman stood gracefully, her beautiful and familiar face tinged with a faint weariness, and she held a newborn baby in her arms.
"Yu Luo greets Your Highness." The woman gracefully bowed and gave Zi Jin a proper palace salute.
Zi Jin took two steps back, looking at Yu Luo with a wary expression. Yu Luo accepted Zi Jin's scrutiny with neither arrogance nor servility. After a long while, Zi Jin finally withdrew her gaze: "As expected of the person who knows me best, you even calculated the exact place where I came in with such precision."
Yu Luo gently patted the child in her arms, a kind smile appearing on her lips: "Master arrived a little later than Yu Luo expected."
Although she knew the child wasn't Xiaobai's, seeing this scene still made Zi Jin extremely uncomfortable: "If you have something to say, just say it. You should know I didn't come here to see you."
Yu Luo lowered her eyes and gently stroked the child in her arms: "Nineteen years ago, on an autumn day, a peddler surnamed Zheng from Jiangning left home early in the morning as usual, carrying his goods, but didn't return all night. His pregnant wife, Mrs. Zheng, searched for three whole days before finally finding his swollen body in the lotus pond outside the village. Holding the foul-smelling corpse, Mrs. Zheng cried until she fainted. The peddler and Mrs. Zheng were newcomers who had moved to the village a few years ago, and the peddler's death was so suspicious that the villagers..." Unwilling to be tainted by such bad luck, no one sympathized with the young widow, Zheng, who was penniless and widowed at a young age. Just then, a dignified and elegant woman passed by and had Zheng rescued. This woman, despite possessing a large fortune, had no children of her own and took a liking to the pretty Zheng. She not only helped Zheng with her funeral arrangements but also adopted Zheng as her goddaughter. Afterwards, Zheng, with her five-year-old daughter, followed the woman and left Jiangning.