Hibiscus as a Painting - Chapter 217
Qiu Baifeng grabbed Zi Jin and said awkwardly, "Master's wife... Master's wife's lightness skill is limited. Although most of the guards outside have been withdrawn, it is not without danger. Those are all external possessions, so let's just leave them behind."
Zi Jin smiled and said, "My kung fu has recovered, so I don't need my master's wife to take care of me anymore. Master's wife, wait for me." After saying that, she ran towards the Phoenix Palace.
"Your Highness! Your Highness! Where are you going?" Granny Lu asked anxiously as she watched Zi Jin rushing out of the main hall carrying the white jade zither.
Without a second thought, Zi Jin turned around and pressed all the acupoints on Granny Lu's body, closed the doors and windows of the main hall, and flew into the grove. Her joyful appearance was like that of a bird released from its cage.
Qiu Baifeng smiled at the eagerness in Zi Jin's eyes and teased, "Not bad, girl. You've really inherited your master's skills. You didn't want to leave just now, so why are you in such a hurry now? Are you reluctant to leave your little husband?"
Zi Jin blushed and stamped her foot. Before she could speak, Qiu Baifeng quickly pulled her to a tree branch.
A group of imperial guards trotted over from afar until they reached the entrance of Chaofeng Palace. Then, a group of more than fifty people quietly concealed themselves around the palace grounds, with only two men standing guard outside the gate in a swaggering manner.
"You know, we're supposed to be the most elite imperial guards in the palace, but now look what's happened. Everyone else has gone to the main hall, and we've been assigned to guard a woman." A dissatisfied voice came from the bushes not far away.
Another voice said, "What nonsense are you spouting, brat? Sending us here is His Majesty and Lord Qi's trust in us. My sister works in this palace. Do you know how much His Majesty cherishes this empress? He treats her like a precious treasure, even more precious than an ancestor... Bah! What am I saying! You shut up and just watch how good the empress is to you."
"You say the Emperor of Chen has arrived? What does that have to do with the Empress? Does the Emperor of Chen think he can abduct our Empress from this deep palace all by himself?"
"How would I know? This is not something you or I can know. There are so many brothers in the main hall. Even if he had three heads and six arms, he couldn't turn the world upside down."
Zi Jin's face gradually turned deathly pale, and her hands, which were holding Bai Yuqin, trembled involuntarily.
Qiu Baifeng gently patted Zi Jin to soothe her emotions, and whispered in her ear, "Girl, don't be afraid, your master's wife will go with you to take a look."
Zi Jin reached out and grabbed Qiu Baifeng's sleeve, trying hard to suppress the fear in her heart, and said in a low voice, "Master's wife, take Master out of the city first and wait in the grove of trees near the Ten Mile Pavilion outside the city. If I don't arrive before midnight... then Master's wife and Master will return to Qingzhen first."
"No! If your master knew I abandoned you all alone, how could he forgive me..."
“Master’s wife, listen to me. If it’s just me alone, Jun Lin can’t do anything to me. But if he captures you again, he will definitely use your safety to threaten me. Even if you don’t think about me, you should think about Master. If we are trapped again, Master’s injuries are not yet healed. How will we take care of ourselves?” Zi Jin interrupted Qiu Baifeng and said in a low voice.
Qiu Baifeng pondered for a moment, then nodded heavily: "Girl, don't force it. If it really doesn't work, you can pretend to be captured. Once your master recovers, either your master's wife or your master can take you out."
Zi Jin gave a reassuring smile and nodded. Qiu Baifeng glanced at Zi Jin again, then leaped away and disappeared into the night.
Zi Jin bypassed the crowd lying in ambush under the tree, her fingers tightly gripping the white jade zither in her arms, trying hard to suppress the anxiety in her heart, and rushed towards the main hall.
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 (Thirteen)
Watching the tide rise amidst the wind and rain (13) The main hall of the imperial city of the Moon Kingdom.
Sikou Xunxiang, adorned with a white jade crown, possessed skin as white as snow, and his warm, ink-black eyes were filled with an unyielding arrogance. Holding an official seal in both hands, he solemnly and steadily ascended the steps, step by step, into the main hall of the Moon Kingdom. The evening breeze slightly disheveled his long silver hair, adding to his ethereal beauty. His detached and unambitious demeanor, accentuated by his white robes, made him appear graceful and otherworldly.
Jun Lin, dressed in a traditional dragon robe, exuded an even stronger aura of dominance and ferocity. He sat upright on the high dragon throne, his narrow phoenix eyes slightly narrowed as he calmly observed the person standing in the center of the hall.
After a long silence, Jun Lin smiled faintly, but his phoenix eyes grew even colder: "So you dare to come."
Si Kou Huanxiang's lips curled into a faint smile: "I've come to take my wife away."
Jun Lin gripped the armrest of the dragon throne tightly, a flash of anger crossing his face, and said coldly, "The Empress of Chen Kingdom is not in my hands."
Sikou Xunxiang raised the corners of his mouth slightly and said very slowly, "What does the Empress of Chen have to do with me? Please, Your Majesty, return my wife."
A mocking smile flashed across Jun Lin's face, and a cold sneer curled at the corner of his lips: "Fine! Fine, so you'd rather have a beauty than the throne. Since you're no longer the King of Chen, what right do you have to stand in my palace?!"
Sikou Xunxiang suddenly raised his eyes, held up the imperial seal in his hand, and said, word by word, "I am willing to exchange the entire Chen Kingdom for my wife. This is the Imperial Seal of the State. Please take a look, Your Majesty."
Xiao Wu hurriedly ran down the steps, respectfully accepted the seal of office held high by Si Kou Xun Xiang, and presented it to Jun Lin.
Jun Lin raised his hand and flipped open the jade seal, glancing at it. His smile deepened, but the coldness in his phoenix eyes intensified. He said, "Bringing the imperial seal and coming alone, I must admire your courage. I accept this imperial seal, this Chen Kingdom, and your sincerity. Now that I have accepted your gift, I will naturally treat you well. There are so many palaces in the Yue Kingdom; I will find you a quiet place to live out your days and see you off in your old age!"
Sikou Xunxiang remained calm and smiled slightly, saying, "Since I dared to come alone, I am prepared to perish with you. Life and death are of little concern to me. I hope Your Majesty will not push me too far."
Jun Lin coldly shouted, "Take down Sikou Xunxiang!"
Sikou Xunxiang smiled and said, "Please take a look at your hands, Your Majesty."
Jun Lin flipped his palm over, revealing it to be a dark purple stain, and roared, "You dared to poison me!"
A sharp glint flashed in Sikou Xunxiang's dark eyes: "If Your Majesty does not release the people, Your Majesty will not see the sunrise tomorrow morning in two hours."
Beneath his robes, Jun Lin clenched his fists, veins bulging, and roared, "Guards! Seize Sikou Xunxiang, dead or alive!"
The guards drew their swords and surrounded Sikou Xunxiang, closing in little by little.
"Wait!" This scene was witnessed by Zi Jin, who had just flown into the hall. She leaped up, jumped over the encirclement, and shielded Si Kou Xun Xiang behind her.
“Your martial arts…” Jun Lin’s pupils contracted slightly as he stared intently at Zi Jin’s figure. He tried his best to suppress the rage in his heart and said in a deep voice, “Jin’er, come here.”
Zi Jin had no time to spare, and glanced back at Si Kou Xun Xiang behind her.
Two months had passed, and his rare beauty seemed like a dream. The clean smile on his face was as before, and his dark eyes were still so clear. Upon seeing Zi Jin, Si Kou Xunxiang's pink lips were tightly pursed, and his brows furrowed slightly, as if he had suffered some injustice: "Xiao Zi... I'm afraid..." His soft voice was filled with deep unease, completely devoid of the sharpness and intimidation he had displayed just moments before.
Zi Jin grasped Si Kou Xunxiang's hand with one hand, smiled gently, and coaxed him in a low voice, "Don't be afraid, I'll take you away."
The scene before him was utterly jarring; the tenderness and heartache in her eyes were something he had never seen before. Jun Lin's phoenix eyes were filled with a sinister and ruthless killing intent as he roared at the surrounding guards, "Take them down!"
"Stop!" With a loud shout, Zi Jin, holding her zither in one hand and grabbing Si Kou Huan Xiang with the other, glared angrily at the person sitting on the dragon throne. She lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then resolutely raised her head and gripped Si Kou Huan Xiang's hand tightly: "Jun Lin, you should know me. I don't love you."
Jun Lin's eyes were filled with rage as he suppressed his anger and said in a low voice, "Jin'er, come here. If you come to my side, I will spare his life!"
Zi Jin glanced cautiously at the guards around her and said softly, "Jun Lin, why don't you understand? Even if you imprison me for the rest of my life, I can never like you. Even if you treat me well, I will only feel guilty. Feelings can't be forced, so why... insist on forcing it? If you can let go of your obsession, we can become friends, can't we?"
A hint of displeasure flashed in Si Kou Xunxiang's dark eyes, and his lips pouted slightly. He gently tugged at Zi Jin's sleeve, wrapped his arms around her waist, and whispered in her ear with an unusually aggrieved tone, "Xiao Zi... doesn't want him... as a friend..."
Zi Jin, who had been staring at Jun Lin, gently patted Si Kou Huan Xiang's hand that was wrapped around her waist, turned around and glanced at him, her soft eyes full of comfort.