The Splendid Brocade of the Painting Physician – Chapter 188

Chapter 188: Absurd Rumors

“It was A’qi who misspoke. How could the Princess do something she regrets? She only hates that she didn’t kill him with her own hands back then, right?”

Lady Wei hurried forward and said with a playful smile.

Only she could understand Liyang’s weakness. The more ruthless the words spoken, the more it would soften her heart and make her face her true feelings.

“A’qi, what you just said, do you think Gao Cheng was sincere to me?” She suddenly asked as if murmuring to herself.

Lady Wei then put away her playful expression and said seriously, “Whether it was sincere or not, the Princess actually has the answer in her heart, right? At least after the Princess went to Jinyang, he treated the Princess quite well and made a lot of effort for her, but…”

“But a woman is insignificant compared to the country, right?” Princess Liyang chuckled. “Back then, he used a counter-intelligence scheme, causing Hou Jing to disrupt our Great Liang, and took the opportunity to seize twenty-three prefectures of our Great Liang. He gained a lot and was a well-deserved great hero in the north. And I was just one of his spoils of war.”

“Maybe there was some liking, but it was just the liking for a beautiful object…”

“Princess… Don’t belittle yourself!”

Mentioning that past event, Xiao Jinyu and Xie Yuxuan felt very uncomfortable. In troubled times, there were many women like them who had lost their families and were displaced, but few had experienced what Liyang had. Both of them couldn’t help but feel pity and sorrow.

Princess Liyang then turned her gaze to Xiao Jinyu. Seeing the light of pity and compassion in Xiao Jinyu’s eyes, she couldn’t help but smile.

“What? Do you even start to sympathize with me?”

“No, Princess…”

Just as Xiao Jinyu was about to say something, Lady Wei interrupted, “Oh, why are you calling her Princess? Young Lady, she is the mother of the Prince of a Commandery…”

Xiao Jinyu hesitated for only a moment before she heard Princess Liyang say with a self-blaming bitter smile, “Don’t make things difficult for her. Even Changgong may not recognize me, how can I ask her to…”

Xiao Jinyu immediately shook her head. “No, Changgong has always cared about you. Your return to recognize him is his greatest wish!”

After saying that, she took a big step forward and embraced her, saying softly, “We will be a family from now on. Let’s live together well. We can’t change the past, but we can create a good future together.

Changgong and I both need you very much. Let’s work hard together, okay?”

Princess Liyang was stunned for a moment, while Lady Wei was already in tears, and even Xie Yuxuan’s eyes seemed to have tears welling up.

Although the autumn wind was bleak, the bright moon in the night sky was exceptionally gentle and warm. The moonlight entered through the window, making a small jade porcelain vase on the table look very crystal clear and lovely.

“Ah, the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, right? I remember that the Young Lady once wrote a poem in the Taiji Hall of the Qi State under the name of Xie Zhen, what was it called? May…”

“May we all be blessed with longevity, though far apart, we share the beauty of the moon!” Princess Liyang finished the sentence.

“Yes, yes, yes, that’s the line. Oh my, Young Lady, why are you a woman? If you were really a gentleman, I would be completely smitten with you!”

Her words made Xie Yuxuan chuckle.

“If she were really a man, what would the Prince of Lanling do?”

“Then it’s better not to compete with the Prince of a Commandery, right?”

Princess Liyang then noticed Xie Yuxuan, who was standing under the moonlight. She was slightly stunned and asked, “You should be the young lady from the Chenjun Xie Clan, called… A’xuan?”

“Yes, I am A’xuan, Princess. It’s quite a coincidence that we can reunite in the Qi State, isn’t it?”

Princess Liyang smiled. “Yes, it’s quite a coincidence. I never thought that after experiencing the hardships of the fall of the country and the displacement, A’xuan could still be so cheerful and open-minded.

That’s great. If your elder sister could see you, she would be very relieved!”

Xie Yuxuan glanced at Xiao Jinyu, a little embarrassed.

“Oh, right, Princess Consort, you haven’t let me see your true face yet!”

“Yes, Young Lady, I heard that when you left Jiankang, all the guests in front of the Xiao Residence were stunned by your beauty. It’s a pity that I arrived a little late that day and didn’t see it. Can you show me now?”

Xiao Jinyu smiled and slowly peeled off the artificial skin from her face. When she completely removed the skin and revealed her entire true face, the three people in the side hall were stunned. They remained silent for a long time, as if no one was willing to break this beautiful tranquility.

After a while, Lady Wei sighed. “Oh my god, Young Lady, how can you be so beautiful? I said I had seen your true face once before, but that Li Mi said my old eyes were failing me. That brat, I must teach him a lesson when I see him next time!”

Xiao Jinyu smiled. “Young Master Li has entered officialdom now, and today he was even implicated by me and kicked hard by His Majesty. Lady Wei, for my sake, please don’t argue with him!”

Lady Wei blushed and said, “Okay, then I won’t argue with him!”

“Haven’t you eaten yet? I’ll have A’xiu tell the kitchen…”

Before Xiao Jinyu could finish her words, A’xiu’s voice came from outside. “Princess Consort, dinner is ready. Everyone, come and eat!”

So, they followed A’xiu to the backyard and saw a bonfire burning in an open space under the moonlight. A pot on the fire was bubbling with white smoke. A long table was set with all kinds of food and pastries, as well as sliced meat and fish.

“This is exactly what the Young Lady ate when she had a small cookout in my Apricot Blossom and Misty Rain Tower. I was angry when I saw it at the time, but the aroma made me drool.” She then turned to Princess Liyang. “Princess, this Young Lady has so many new ideas in her head. Just talking about the food, I, Wei Qi, have never eaten anything so delicious in my life!”

“Princess, come and try it!”

Xiao Jinyu also pulled her to sit down at the low table by the long table and put some hot dishes into Princess Liyang’s bowl.

Princess Liyang ate the dishes while looking at the joyful smiles on the faces of the young ladies around her, and the respect and kindness in Xiao Jinyu’s eyes when she looked at her under the moonlight. The warmth in her heart grew stronger, and she gradually began to chat and laugh with them.

“Princess, isn’t it delicious?” Lady Wei asked.

Princess Liyang smiled slightly.

“Yes, it’s delicious!”

Xiao Jinyu also smiled, then looked up at the bright moon in the sky and suddenly muttered, “I wonder how Changgong is doing in Jinyang?”

Lady Wei teased, “Oh, it’s only been a short time since you separated, and the Young Lady already misses our Prince of a Commandery?”

Xiao Jinyu didn’t deny it, but smiled sweetly, then her thoughts sank slightly.

After pondering for a moment, she suddenly looked at Lady Wei and Princess Liyang and said, “A’yu has something to ask Lady Wei and… Mother for help.”

Hearing the word “Mother”, Princess Liyang looked up at her in slight surprise.

Lady Wei smiled with relief and deliberately leaned closer, looking like she was all ears.

“The Young Lady still needs our help, then I have to hear what it is.”

Xiao Jinyu smiled and said seriously, “In the future, I may often have to enter the court under the identity of Xie Zhen. Although the Zhou State agreed to the conditions I proposed in this peace negotiation and will send envoys to Yecheng to welcome back Yuwen Hu’s mother, this is only a temporary measure. The Turks and the Zhou State have been allies since Yuwen Tai conquered the Western Wei Dynasty. Even if Yuwen Hu doesn’t want to fight against our Qi State, the Turks will not let it go and will definitely threaten Yuwen Hu to go to war.

So, at the latest by the eleventh month of this year, there will be a major battle between Qi and Zhou. We have to make all the preparations before the war comes and send some military supplies to Changgong, such as cotton-padded clothes and medicines for treating injuries.”

As she spoke, Xiao Jinyu took out a prescription and placed it in front of Princess Liyang, Lady Wei, and Xie Yuxuan, and continued, “This is a medicine I recently developed. The ointment extracted from these medicinal herbs can effectively cure frostbite and some wounds.”

“So, I need someone to help me refine this medicine!”

“No problem, I have plenty of manpower here. However much the Princess Consort needs, I will refine it all for you!” Xie Yuxuan excitedly replied.

Xiao Jinyu said, “A’xuan, I need you to be on guard against Lu Lingxuan at all times. This woman is very cunning. I’m afraid she will find out that I’m impersonating Xie Zhen sooner or later!”

“Also, protect the Princess with Ling Ye.”

“Young Lady, you don’t have to worry about us. The Princess has also bought some guards. It’s you, your safety is more important.” Lady Wei put away her playful look and said seriously, “The Princess came back precisely because she was worried about you. The Prince of a Commandery loves you so much, you can’t let anything happen to you!”

“Leave the medicine refining to us. If there’s anything else we can help with, just say it!”

Xiao Jinyu paused for a moment, then said, “Since Lady Wei and Mother ran an Apricot Blossom and Misty Rain Tower in the Chen State, then you can help me run the one I opened in the Qi State! If you make money, half of the revenue is yours!”

“Half! Young Lady, you are so generous!”

✿✿✿

It was past midnight when Lady Wei took Princess Liyang to a bedroom to rest. Xiao Jinyu then called Ling Ye over and asked him to find someone.

“I remember you once said that Dugu Xin’s eldest son, Dugu Luo, has been a hostage in the Qi State. But with Dugu Xin getting married and having children in Chang’an, Dugu Luo has lost his value. Several emperors of the Qi State seem to have ignored this person, almost forgetting his existence.”

✿✿✿

“Yes, Young Lady!”

“If we can find him, this person might be useful to us!” Xiao Jinyu pondered.

“Then I’ll go find him now!”

Just as Ling Ye finished speaking and was about to leave, he heard Xiao Jinyu say, “No, Ling Ye, there’s no hurry. You should go and rest too. You are tired after accompanying me to Yubi City.”

Ling Ye was deeply moved and said,

“You are too kind, Young Lady!”

After pondering for a moment, he added,

“Then I’ll go. Young Lady, please rest early too!”

After Ling Ye left, Xiao Jinyu fell into deep thought again. Xie Yuxuan propped her chin on her hand, looked at her, and asked with a smile, “What is Elder Sister thinking about again?”

Xiao Jinyu suddenly woke up, looked at Xie Yuxuan and smiled, shaking her head. “I won’t think about it today. Let’s go to bed early and write a letter to Changgong tomorrow!”

If Changgong knew that his mother had returned, he would be very happy, right?

…

Five days later, a letter was delivered to Gao Changgong in Jinyang.

Seeing the familiar handwriting on the letter, Gao Changgong couldn’t help but smile. But when he saw the end of the letter, the smile on his lips gradually turned into an indescribable feeling of surprise and gratitude, and tears welled up in his eyes.

“It is said that a letter from home is worth a thousand pieces of gold. Changgong, you have only been here for a few days, and you are so happy to receive the first letter from home?”

A general in the army saw his expression of joy and tears and couldn’t help but tease him.

“Prince of a Commandery, what exactly made you so happy that you even shed tears?” Lu Yu also asked tentatively. “Could it be that the Young Lady is pregnant?”

“Nonsense!” Gao Changgong slapped Lu Yu’s head hard and told him to go and train the troops. Lu Yu glanced at the letter in his hand from afar, but didn’t see anything, so he wisely ran away.

But Lu Yu’s unintentional words made Gao Changgong ponder: If A’yu was really pregnant, she wouldn’t be able to enter the court under the identity of Xie Zhen, and it would make things difficult for her!

But they had always been passionately entwined, and he had never restrained himself. What should he do if she was really pregnant?

Thinking about this, he couldn’t help but worry.

✿✿✿

Yecheng was in an uproar because of a rumor. Early in the morning, Gao Yanzong ran to the Prince of Lanling’s Residence with a strange expression on his face and said to Xiao Jinyu with embarrassment, “Fourth Sister-in-law, do you know what rumors are circulating outside now?”

“What rumors?” Xie Yuxuan asked.

Gao Yanzong paused for a moment, then covered his forehead and said awkwardly, “They are all saying that the Prince of Lanling regards Xie Zhen as a brother, but Xie Zhen, that lecherous person, actually took the Prince of Lanling’s biological mother, Princess Liyang. How can the Prince of Lanling bear this?”

“Pfft—” Xie Yuxuan spat out the tea she had just taken a sip of.

“Who on earth spread this rumor?”

While they were still talking, the steward handed Xiao Jinyu a secret letter. The letter was written by Li Mi. When Xiao Jinyu saw the content of the letter, her face darkened.

“What’s wrong?” Xie Yuxuan asked.

Xiao Jinyu said, “His Majesty wants to leave the palace and go to my Apricot Blossom and Misty Rain Tower. And during this process, he needs me to accompany him!”

“Why does His Majesty suddenly want to go to the Apricot Blossom and Misty Rain Tower? This is another bad idea from He Shikai, right?” Gao Yanzong asked.

Xiao Jinyu nodded.

“Yes, I’m afraid He Shikai has already become suspicious of my identity.”

Gao Zhan got up early in the morning and told He Shikai that he seemed to have hugged a stunning beauty in his dream last night. He Shikai actually replied, “Your Majesty, you didn’t hug any beauty last night. You just slightly embraced Minister Xie and even praised his skin as smooth as jade, softer than your concubines’ waists, and more delicate.”

“Was there such a thing?”

Gao Zhan was a little skeptical and asked Li Mi, who was writing the daily records. Li Mi replied, “Yes, there was. However, it’s not surprising that the children of aristocratic families have delicate skin because they live a pampered life. It’s not like there are no men in this world who are more beautiful than women. Isn’t that Han Zigao from the Southern Dynasty one of them? The Prince of Lanling is also exceptionally handsome…”

He Shikai was displeased and whispered flatteringly in Gao Zhan’s ear,

“Your Majesty, speaking of the Prince of Lanling, I heard that the Princess Consort of Lanling recently opened a very interesting restaurant in our Yecheng called Apricot Blossom and Misty Rain Tower. Would Your Majesty like to go and have a look?”

“The Princess Consort of Lanling?” Mentioning this title, Gao Zhan felt uncomfortable, but then he became a little interested and asked worriedly, “We can go, but will there be any treacherous people who want to harm me?”

“Your Majesty, why don’t you let Minister Xie accompany you? Minister Xie is a living koi. With him around, everything will turn out well!”

✿✿✿

“That’s how it happened…”

“That beast He Shikai… I’m afraid he lured His Majesty out to plot something against the Princess Consort, right?”

The more Xie Yuxuan thought about it, the more worried she became. She said to Xiao Jinyu, “I’ll go with you too. I’ll keep an eye on them in the dark and see what they are up to. Ling Ye will come along too!”

“What about us?” Lady Wei asked.

Xiao Jinyu glanced at Princess Liyang and said, “You stay in the residence, so as not to let Gao Zhan see you and cause more trouble!”

Princess Liyang nodded. “You go. Don’t worry about us. Be careful!”

Xiao Jinyu said okay. Not long after, an eunuch came to deliver an oral decree, summoning Minister Xie to Zhaoyang Palace. Xiao Jinyu changed into casual clothes, put on the artificial skin again, and entered the palace with the eunuch.

As soon as she entered Zhaoyang Palace, she saw Gao Zhan had also changed into a moon-white casual outfit, dressed as a scholar in white, looking like he was about to visit the common people in disguise.

When Emperor Wenxuan was alive, he often went to the private residences of ministers in secret, and even ran naked on the street. So, it was not unusual for the emperor of the Qi State to have a whim and go on a private outing. As for whether it was to understand the people’s sentiments or to forcibly abduct women, it was not a rare thing!

“Minister Xie, do you know the Princess Consort of Lanling’s Apricot Blossom and Misty Rain Tower?” Gao Zhan asked as soon as he saw “Xie Zhen”.

“I know.” Xiao Jinyu replied.

“Alright, then lead the way, Minister Xie!”

After calling a few imperial guards who were also dressed in casual clothes, Gao Zhan took her, Li Mi, and He Shikai out of the palace, heading straight for the Apricot Blossom and Misty Rain Tower in the Seven Emperors Ward.

It was the fifteenth day of the month, the opening day of the Apricot Blossom and Misty Rain Tower. The place was full of guests. Gao Zhan asked Li Mi to get a private room. Sitting by the railing, they could see the entire hall from inside.

Some were composing poems and prose, some were playing chess, some were cheering for the pitch-pot game…

Looking out the window, there were also people painting by the water, playing the qin and singing…

All walks of life were here, it was like a paradise…

“This is a good place, with elegance, sentiment, and a certain indescribable comfort. I didn’t expect that the Princess Consort of Lanling is not only good at painting and eloquent, but also knows how to do business. It makes me even more interested in her.”

He Shikai hurriedly flattered, “Yes, Your Majesty, the Princess Consort of Lanling is not only stunningly beautiful, but also a rare talented woman. She is indeed… very unique!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Gao Zhan’s face darkened!

Thank you very much for the reward, Green Tea No Sugar No Ice! I’m a little flattered!

During my lunch break at noon, I suddenly heard a sound like coins dropping. I was startled and got up to take a look. There were so many 100s, 100s, 100s, 100s… I was dazzled by the numbers and even suspected if you had accidentally pressed the wrong button. But anyway, thank you very much for your support. It made me so excited that I couldn’t fall asleep anymore…