Hibiscus as a Painting

Chapter 212

Prince Anle's icy gaze swept across the man's face. He then protected the unconscious person in his arms, leaped onto his horse, and declared, "We're heading towards Nanyang, departing immediately!"

The hermits mounted their horses, and one of them said, "If Your Highness is at ease, you may entrust the person in your arms to my care. Rest assured, Your Highness, I will protect the young lady with my life."

Prince Anle shook his head slightly, raised his whip, and galloped away: "No need."

Late at night, Qi Yongyue rushed into Chaofeng Palace, but was blocked outside by Xiao Wu, who had just come out of the palace.

Qi Yongyue looked at Xiao Wu with a face full of anxiety and said, "Qi Yongyue has something important to report, please report back quickly, sir."

Xiao Wu shook his head and said, "His Majesty has not slept well for several days. He finally managed to fall asleep in Chaofeng Palace tonight. Commander Qi, let's talk about this tomorrow."

Qi Yongyue stamped his foot, shoved Xiao Wu aside, and tried to open the door. Xiao Wu quickly scrambled to his feet, blocking the doorway: "Commander Qi, even if it's something extremely important, you must wait until tomorrow..."

Before Xiao Wu could finish speaking, Qi Yongyue pushed him aside again and quickly entered the room: "Your Majesty! Your subject Qi Yongyue has important matters to report!"

After a long while, a low, hoarse voice came from the pitch-black palace: "Qi Yongyue, if your important matter does not meet my expectations, I will punish you today!"

Qi Yongyue suddenly knelt down: "Your Majesty, the thousand men we sent to Nanshan two days ago to practice night raids were returning to camp tonight when they saw a group of more than ten people running out from the direction of the imperial city. Each of them was riding a top-quality Ferghana horse. Our men tried to question them, but they encountered fierce resistance. And just now... just now the shift changers came to report that the guards watching the young ladies had been knocked unconscious, and Su Ran Palace was now empty."

In the darkness, Jun Lin suddenly sat up, a suffocating chill filling the air: "Fine... you actually dared to run away! Heh... I'll see just how much you can't stand!" After saying that, Jun Lin strode to Qi Yongyue: "Prepare the horses! I'll personally go and fetch the young lady!"

At this moment, the once peaceful and tranquil Nanshan was shrouded in bloodshed, with dozens of people surrounded by soldiers in the very center.

The area was littered with the corpses of soldiers. Of the eleven hermits, three were already dead, and the remaining ones were all wounded to varying degrees. The eight of them rode their horses to tightly protect Prince Anle, who was embracing Zi Jin, in the very center.

King Anle's gaze swept coldly over the surrounding Yue Kingdom soldiers, then he slowly lowered his head, his eyes softening with tenderness. He gently patted the person he held in his arms, his face lightly rubbing against hers repeatedly. After a long while, he sighed contentedly. When he looked up again, his face was grim, like a demon from hell, his eyes filled with bloodlust. He coldly commanded, "All hermits, heed my command! Even in death, you must not fall into the hands of the Yue Kingdom traitors!"

The hermit leader glanced back at Prince Anle and said, "Your Highness, rest assured! We are all loyal to the Chen Kingdom and are determined to protect Your Highness and help you break through the encirclement!"

Blood splattered everywhere, an endless carnage engulfed everyone's vision as if shrouded in a red mist. Long screams echoed through the air, blood splattering all over their faces and heads.

In just a short while, only three of the eight hermits remained, and Prince Anle had been stabbed in the arm and back. Like a sharp sword, one of the hermits finally broke through the encirclement: "Your Highness! Run!"

King Anle spurred his horse toward the weak point, the horse neighing loudly as it finally cleared the spears of the soldiers. King Anle galloped away, then suddenly looked back and saw the last three men still desperately fighting their pursuers.

"Go!" King Anle roared.

"Your Highness, go first! We'll cover your retreat!" came a weak voice from the crowd, clearly indicating that the person had been seriously injured.

King Anle lowered his eyes to look at the person in his arms, who was tightly wrapped in his robes and whose body was not stained with a drop of blood. He bit his lower lip hard and whipped the horse beneath him with all his might.

At some point, the sounds of weapons and screams behind them abruptly stopped.

"Release the arrows!"

The arrow left the bowstring and shot straight at King Anle.

In an instant, the whistling sound of arrows piercing the air filled his ears. Prince Anle gripped the reins with one hand, his knuckles already turning white. He pressed his lips tightly together, his other hand clutching the reins tightly to his chest. Behind him, arrows pierced his flesh one after another.

As if oblivious to the pain, King Anle stared intently at the face of the person in his arms. His long, narrow, peach-blossom eyes were filled with a misty light, a softness in their depths, as if he were reminiscing or savoring something. Those brimming eyes shone brightly in the pitch-black night, and his beautiful, alluring face was filled with a mesmerizing expression, a delicate smile playing on his lips.

"What a convenient excuse! May I ask how this gentleman is addressed?"

"You've already seen it, why cover your face?"

"I apologize for my rudeness. In my haste, I mistakenly entered your boudoir. Please forgive me."

Little mute, you still can't repay your debt, you still can't repay it! I've given you my life, what can you possibly give me in return? Since you don't want to owe anyone anything, then repay me in every lifetime to come. If you dare to default on your debt, no matter how many lifetimes pass, I will never forgive you!

One drop, two drops... The rain began to fall, accompanied by the night wind, carrying a touch of sadness and desolation, sweeping across this bleak night.

"Stop!" Jun Lin, who had rushed over on horseback, was horrified to see the corpses scattered on the ground. He shouted angrily to stop the archers, his voice trembling.

Gazing at the man whose horse had fallen askew in the distance, Jun Lin's mind went blank. He spurred his horse and galloped towards the man, followed closely by the Imperial Guards carrying torches. When he could see the man sitting on the open ground with his back riddled with arrows, Jun Lin held his breath, a flicker of despair in his eyes.

As he approached and saw everything clearly, Jun Lin tensed up, staring blankly at the scene before him. Prince Anle, riddled with arrows, sat upright on the open ground, one hand protectively cradling the person tightly wrapped in his robes. Even when he had fallen from his horse, the person in his arms hadn't suffered the slightest scratch. His eyes were gentle, a smile playing on his lips; even in death, his eyes remained open, gazing down at the face of the person in his arms, so filthy it was indistinguishable from its original color.

Cool raindrops pattered on his face and body, and a gentle breeze seemed to be washing away the pungent smell of blood and the glaring bloodstains covering him and the person in his arms.

As if suddenly awakened, Jun Lin scrambled off his horse in a disheveled state. Holding his breath, he walked step by step to Prince Anle's side, his hands trembling as he reached out and lifted the person in the prince's arms. He stared at Zi Jin's lifeless face, his hand trembling as he slowly raised it, reaching under Zi Jin's nose. After a long while, he finally felt that faint breath.

"Imperial physician! Imperial physician!! Quickly summon the imperial physician!!" Jun Lin shouted in extreme fear.

As the terrified cry subsided, the Prince of Anle, who had been sitting upright in the open space, slowly slumped down, his eyes closing little by little, but the faint smile on his lips seemed to deepen.

Qi Yongyue looked at the delirious Jun Lin and stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty, Prince Anle is dead. The weather is too hot. What should be done with his body?"

Jun Linfeng's eyes widened in astonishment. He embraced Zi Jin and slowly turned around, staring at the person on the ground for a long time before saying in a deep voice, "Send her back to Chen Kingdom overnight with urgent dispatch."

Love and hate leave no trace, deep affection is hard to wait for; the descendants of the gods, three generations of marriage and resentment fill the river, watching the tide rise and fall amidst the wind and rain (Part 9)

Watching the Tide Rise Amidst the Wind and Rain (Part 9) The Chaofeng Palace was unusually busy at dawn, with all the imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital bustling in and out of the vast palace.

Chief Physician Su of the Imperial Medical Academy cautiously stepped back from the bedside and walked to Jun Lin, whose face was cold. He thought for a moment but did not know how to speak.

Jun Lin's anger had reached its peak, and he said fiercely, "Speak now!"

Lord Su swallowed hard and said in a very low voice, "Miss...Miss is two months pregnant..."

"What!?" Jun Lin grabbed Lord Su's collar and shouted.

Lord Su stammered, "I would never have made a misdiagnosis... The young lady is nearly two months pregnant."

Jun Lin, in a daze, released his grip, his phoenix eyes instantly brimming with wild joy. He stared blankly at the person on the bed, but when he touched the emaciated, bloodless body, his wild joy was instantly replaced by self-loathing and regret. He cried out urgently, "Is there any danger! Is there any danger?!"

Lord Su secretly and carefully observed Jun Lin's every reaction. When he saw the fleeting joy in her eyes, he breathed a slight sigh of relief: "It seems the young lady has eaten something unclean and has mild food poisoning. It seems she already knows she is pregnant and is trying hard to eat something to protect the child, but her morning sickness seems to be very severe, with days of stuffiness, fear, and excessive worry..."