Un joven errante

Capítulo 63

At this moment, the once world-renowned Junjin Manor suddenly vanished without a trace, like a ghost. The Four Kings still existed, still upholding justice, still practicing medicine, and still taking in all the homeless. But the world never saw Young Master Jin again.

Jin Shao's existence has once again become an unsolved mystery.

Three years later, in an underground world unseen by the eyes of the mainland, a nation called "Jin Kingdom" began to rise. The extent of its territory was unknown. It rose proudly like the brightest star in the sky. No one knew where it came from, nor who its ruler or leader was. Yet its power surpassed that of any other nation on the continent, and its existence was a matter of life and death for the entire continent.

It also began to seep into the sight and hearts of people on the mainland like a mystery.

The legend of Jin Kingdom continues the legend of Junjin Manor from years ago.

It is like a ghost, or a prophet, allowing the existence of any nation, watching the ebb and flow of history, the changing times, and the enduring legacy of a glorious thousand-year-old civilization.

It is a dark world.

A unique country hidden deep within this continent.

Chapter 131 Awakening (Part 1)

"An Yijun, get down from this tree right now!" A handsome young man, hands on his hips in an unladylike manner, frowned and looked impatiently at the sweet and pretty girl hiding among the lush leaves.

"Mom, alright, alright, I'll come down. Why are you rushing me? You're more annoying than those ten strange grandpas!" The girl in the tree pouted her cherry lips cutely, her rosy face like a ripe apple, making it hard to bear to scold her.

What a beautiful and lovely child, like an angel. That's what you'll definitely think when you first see her.

The boy scoffed under the tree, "An Yijun, I've been using far more sophisticated tricks than you since I was a child. The Ten Eccentric Grandpas aren't to be trifled with, so you'd better watch out. Your angelic face can't fool me, stop pretending! Go back now, study and practice your writing. If you don't finish your homework, don't even think about coming out again." The stunningly handsome boy, whose face still hadn't aged, commanded rudely.

Having already leaped down and landed steadily on the ground, the pretty girl made a face at the man, but quickly became obedient after the man mercilessly pinched and squeezed her pink face.

Everyone in this family dotes on her, spoils her rotten. Only he can tame this little brat.

She has an angelic face, yet constantly acts like a devil. She's truly a combination of angel and devil. Despite being only three years old, she seems to understand everything, far more mature than other children her age. And her greatest pleasure is playing pranks on everyone deceived by her appearance.

However, these methods work on everyone except for my mother, who is always one step ahead of me.

She seemed to have inherited all her mother's mischievous and cunning talents. At such a young age, she was already a well-known little devil. Countless people had been pranked by her, making her comparable to Stephen Chow in his modern movies. However, people generally didn't hold it against her because of her young age and sweet, well-behaved appearance.

The old man had taught her martial arts since she was little, never expecting that this girl would turn out to be a martial arts prodigy. He was overjoyed and wholeheartedly imparted all his knowledge to her. This little brat seemed to learn everything instantly, somewhat like a legendary child prodigy. After all, her mother was an extraordinary person.

However, this seemingly omnipotent little girl hates all learning. Poetry, classics, biographies, ancient texts… she can't learn any of them. She's had countless top teachers, but she still can't learn. She probably just doesn't want to learn at all!

However, what is truly astonishing is her keen business acumen; sometimes, her ideas even deeply impressed Mai Qi, who is considered the world's greatest business genius.

As her mother, I had countless reasons to suspect that she was possessed by some time traveler. But after repeatedly and repeatedly failing to convince her with modern methods, I finally believed that she was my genuine daughter, and a true child prodigy.

She had very little interest in learning and often played pranks on her, driving away one teacher after another. In the end, I had no choice but to take matters into my own hands. I recalled some classic ancient poems that I had learned in modern times and taught them to her, so that she would memorize a few from a young age and not embarrass herself later in life.

But this girl is really infuriating; she really "puts what she's learned to practical use." After I memorized it for her, I hosted a banquet at one of Junjin's restaurants, inviting some business partners to gather and exchange ideas. Who knew that this young lady would quote countless classic works during the banquet, almost causing everyone to drop their glasses and nearly dislocate their jaws. Their mouths were agape.

It wouldn't have been a problem if she had just said it well, but this three-year-old child was reciting Yue Fei's poem in such an old-fashioned way, "The young man pretends to be sad... but says the autumn air is cool and pleasant." She hadn't experienced anything, and this child was making these pronouncements, which almost petrified everyone present.

I was completely speechless.

Because she is the only child in Junjin Village, their only source of joy, she has been pampered and spoiled by everyone in the Junjin Manor since birth. Fortunately, she doesn't go astray and always obediently completes the tasks and homework I assign her. Although she only behaves after I lose my temper.

However, I still love it when she hugs me and exclaims, "Your mom is one of a kind in the world. My dearest mom." Her tone is like she's being affectionate, but it really melts your heart.

Giving birth to her is the happiest thing in my life.

Four years ago, I inexplicably fell seriously ill, and it's said that I was on the verge of death when I was brought back to life. Just when everyone was almost in despair, Qingci suddenly discovered that I was pregnant. This was astonishing and joyful news. And I, who had been in a coma, practically in a state of suspended animation, miraculously survived through sheer willpower. Perhaps the presence of this new life was calling me to persevere. A few months later, I gave birth to Yijun, who is now my daughter.

My daughter, the person in this world who is related to me by blood.

However, this serious illness has some aftereffects: I have amnesia, except for remembering that I come from the modern world. I don't know if I forgot or if I deliberately buried everything from my past.

They never told me about my amnesia, and I never asked. I know that every change means starting a completely new life. The reason they didn't tell me was probably because they didn't want me to be affected.

During a casual conversation, the old man said those memories were unimportant and it didn't matter if I forgot them. So, I never thought about trying to retrieve them.

However, they told me that I once had another identity, but that identity led people to believe I was dead. So someone placed me on a bamboo raft, surrounded by various flowers, and let my body float down the river. They intercepted me downstream. After bringing me back, Qingci revived me. But what surprised them even more was that I was already more than a month pregnant. Even stranger, after enduring so much suffering, the little one inside me remained safe and sound.

No wonder she was born a child prodigy. She is my daughter, An Yijun.

This name seems to have been imprinted in my mind for a long time. After she was born, they asked me to name the child, and I blurted out this name as a reflex.

Every time they talk about this, they feel angry and remorseful when they think of the scars on my body. As for me, I don't feel anything, because I don't remember anything, not even the pain.

My finger was broken, so it took a long time to recover. However, I seem to have a hidden power within me, so I recovered quickly and even had a regenerative ability. After a period of rest, my body was completely healed, without even a scar.

Having grown accustomed to everything that was originally mine, I am still An Jin, still the guy who caused a sensation throughout the entire Jin Kingdom.

However, I have other things to do. I am deeply moved and awestruck by my loyal followers who have waited for me for hundreds of years.

That's what I've been doing ever since I woke up, for the past four years.

Chapter 132 Awakening (Part 2)

His favor towards me was simply a man's favor towards a woman. However, he was no ordinary man. He was an emperor, a ruler, a man burdened with too much. His face should shine like the sun and moon, his fingers should point across the land, his eyes should survey the world… Everything he had was to be given to this nation. His first thought was of this nation. I would never be his first priority, nor should I be. Rather, it was the world.

These are excerpts from An Jin's diary.

It turned out that she had always kept two diaries; what he saw that day was only Xie Weiying's story. In the hidden compartment of her desk in her bedroom, there quietly lay another equally exquisite and beautiful notebook. That was An Jin's story.

The world. With a single stroke of her pen, she wrote down the world. The breadth of her mind was unparalleled. Her astonishing qualities were unmatched. Even men could not possess her unbridled spirit.

But he never knew.

When he found out, he and she were already separated by death. The living and the dead are forever apart.

He was a woman! He was actually a woman!

He had dreamt of it a thousand times, longed for it day and night, and even wished that she were a man so he could marry her and make her his only wife. But now, all that was left was him. In this hazy world, she had abandoned him and was living alone.

Moreover, he was allowed to live well and to care about the world.

He understood the meaning behind the few words he left behind. They were things they had discussed together.

They drank heartily, then laughed at the world, at the world's incompetence, at the foolish and ignorant people in this mortal realm.

So, after her death, he followed the agreement they had made long ago in a joke.

If she dies before him, there's no need to bury her; just put her on a bamboo raft and let her drift away in the world.

She wanted not only physical freedom, but also freedom of soul after death.

He did everything she asked. He prayed daily that when her soul passed through this place, he would be able to see her. Even just a glimpse would be enough for him.

"Your Majesty, it's late. You should rest." Four years have passed, and it's been the same every day. Every night, the Emperor holds those two precious books and reads them. Each time he reads them, the deep melancholy in his eyes deepens. He becomes even more silent.

"Understood. Xiao Quanzi, help me undress." Yes, this eunuch who accompanied the emperor was Xiao Quanzi. After his mistress, Consort Liande, died, he stayed to serve the emperor in her place. Meanwhile, Consort Liande's closest maidservant followed her in death.

Later, one night, as the most loyal servant of the Xie family, after Xie Yushi was imprisoned and Consort Liande died, he was furious and wanted to assassinate the emperor. However, because the emperor himself had some martial arts skills and the secret gate was always guarding the emperor in the dark, he was stopped in time before he could succeed. The chief eunuch Gao Lu was killed on the spot by Chen Wen with a sword.

The concubines in the harem all said that because their love for Consort Liande was so deep and intense, they extended that love to everything related to her, which led to the promotion of the previously unknown and obscure Xiao Quanzi to the position of Grand Eunuch. She was in charge of all the palace maids and eunuchs, wielding immense power.

Xiao Quanzi, however, felt neither sorrow nor joy, and devoted himself wholeheartedly to serving the emperor every day.

Seeing the emperor so fondly remember his master every day, Xiao Quanzi was truly moved and felt a pang of pity.

People always realize the value of something only after they've lost it.

The greatest distance in the world is when the person you love most is right in front of you, yet you don't recognize her. The greatest distance in the world is when you discover you love her, but you are destined never to meet again, for all eternity.

Some say that the beauty of Jiangnan lies in the elegance of Suzhou and Hangzhou, the melancholy of the Qinhuai River, and the beauty of Yangzhou in the third month of spring.

In Yangzhou during the third month of spring, there is a bright moon, misty rain over Yimeng Mountain, awning boats shrouded in mist, the midnight bell in a high temple, and the early spring with its lush green grass.

Jiangnan, and there is that enchanting beauty who seems to slowly emerge from the depths of the night. In the murmur of the flowing water and the deep twilight, she comes from the small bridges and houses that exude boundless joy.

"Brother Gu, you painted a fifth one?" A woman dressed in white, as graceful as a wisp of dust, with translucent skin like glass and dark, luminous eyes filled with a gentle smile.

The refined-looking man nodded, a gentle smile in his eyes: "Yes."

"What kind of flower is that? Everyone is guessing that it's the flower of that beautiful woman?"

The man hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "The rose of Sharon. The flower you mentioned during a conversation once."

The rose of Sharon, isn't that the red spider lily or the datura flower?

The woman's long, thick eyelashes drooped down, fluttering like blooming flowers.

"Brother Gu, who does that represent?"

"A person who shouldn't exist. You'll understand later."

The woman hesitated slightly, but still spoke tentatively, "Brother Gu, please draw Yi Yi."

The man quickly interrupted, saying, "That painting is mine, I won't give it to you."

"I'm not asking you to draw, I just—"

The man sighed softly, "You don't need to say anything, I understand. I don't really have any extravagant hopes, you don't need to feel burdened."

I looked at this man who should have been a peerless genius, a genius in the eyes of later generations, a legendary painter.

Gu Kaizhi was known as "the most talented, the most skilled painter, and the most obsessed".

His "Nymph of the Luo River" and "Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies" became classics for later generations. However, for some reason, these works that would later become famous have not yet been completed. He is now becoming known to the world for his paintings such as "The Beauty of Prince Guiyang," "Boating," "Tigers, Leopards, and Wild Geese," "Wild Geese and Waterfowl," "The Gathering at Mount Lu," and "The Water Palace."

Gu Kaizhi's paintings emphasize capturing the spirit, focusing on the eyes. He believed that the essence of portraiture lies in the pupils. His brushstrokes are tight and continuous, like silkworms spinning silk, or like spring clouds floating in the sky and water flowing on the ground, all arising naturally, commonly known as the "high antiquity flowing silk brushstroke." His coloring is subtle, using rich hues for subtle embellishment, without seeking elaborate ornamentation. He skillfully uses a discerning eye to examine the subject matter and the characters' personalities, refining and distilling their essence, thus imbuing his paintings with a certain intellectual depth, making them thought-provoking.

I have always admired him since my modern days and have always been curious about what kind of person could create those paintings that have been passed down through the ages.

Just two years ago, I was working on a new batch of products and wanted to make a breakthrough. I thought about how beautiful it would be if the painting could be embroidered exactly onto the brocade using the skills of an embroiderer. So, I thought of him.

At that time, he lived in seclusion deep in the mountains. He never saw anyone, and whether officials invited him with promises of fame and fortune or merchants tempted him with money, he remained unmoved. Such a person reminded me of Zhuge Liang from "Romance of the Three Kingdoms." So, I began to emulate Liu Bei's patience, perseverance, and a touch of roguishness, hoping to persuade him to come out of seclusion.

So, after several visits, he finally couldn't bear it any longer and agreed.

He came to Jiangnan with me. I bought him a villa there and hired servants for him to choose from. I never interfered in his private life. I only ensured he had enough to eat and wear; how he wanted to live and what he preferred were his habits and hobbies, and I never disturbed him.

I make a point of staying here every year to exchange ideas on painting techniques and methods with him. He truly has a unique eye and a wise perspective; I've learned a great deal from him and benefited immensely. He's also very interested in the techniques I learned in modern times. So, every time we meet, we chat for days and nights without ever feeling tired or bored.

He is both a good teacher and a good friend to me.

Just a year ago, I suddenly started telling him about the four most famous beauties in Chinese history, their stories, and the hidden sorrows and grief behind them. More than anything, I talked about their arduous lives and the tragedy of being political sacrifices.

Thus, the images of four flowers representing the Four Beauties, which became popular throughout the continent, were created and hailed as legendary classics.

He knew about Xi Shi, Wang Zhaojun, and Diao Chan, but those were from previous dynasties. As for Yang Guifei, after I told him her story, he became very curious. I pretended to be mysterious and didn't reveal her true dynasty, because he might not believe me or accuse me of fabricating history. So I didn't worry about that. I simply told him it was something I heard in my hometown. People there call them the Four Beauties.

At my urging, paintings emerged: a lotus representing Xi Shi, a plum blossom representing Wang Zhaojun, an orchid representing Diao Chan, and a peony representing Yang Guifei. They were so lifelike, almost real, that butterflies, mistaking them for real flowers, once alighted on them in the garden. Their expressiveness was unparalleled. I simply hadn't expected him to paint a painting of a rose in bloom.

But who does it represent?