The Splendid Brocade of the Painting Physician – Chapter 100

Chapter 100: Asking Lanling Wang for Help

“Elder Sister——”

Seeing Xiao Jinyu and Fenghuang following the procession of the Prince of Shixing, Xiao Ruoling was so anxious that she was at her wit’s end. But when she thought of the look Xiao Jinyu gave her before she left, she seemed to understand something and quickly calmed her frightened heart.

“I can’t panic, I can’t panic, Elder Sister is waiting for me to find a way to save her!”

“Right, I’ll go find Seventh Uncle, but Seventh Uncle has gone to Tai City now, what should I do? How can I see Seventh Uncle?”

Lady Wei, standing on the painting boat, couldn’t help but twist her handkerchief anxiously. Seeing Xiao Ruoling pacing back and forth along the banks of the Qinhuai River, her face pale with anxiety, she hurriedly jumped off the painting boat and approached her, holding Xiao Ruoling’s wrist.

“Young Lady, don’t be afraid, your Elder Sister is a clever one, she will definitely be fine…”

“But that’s the Prince of Shixing, the one who kills without blinking an eye and wantonly insults other people’s wives and daughters. No matter how smart and capable Elder Sister is, what good outcome can there be if she goes to the Prince of Shixing’s Residence? And she was forced…”

“I’m going to Tai City to find Seventh Uncle…”

With that, Xiao Ruoling took You Tan and ran in the direction of the Prince of Shixing’s procession. After running a few steps, she became a little lost. Although the Jiankang Palace Tai City was the location of the court, the Secretariat, the Chancellery, the Secret Pavilion, the Crown Prince’s Yongfu Province, and the inner palace, Xiao Ruoling, a young lady who lived deep within the inner chambers, had never been to Tai City before, and she didn’t know where to go.

“Young Lady, Tai City is so big, where are you going to find your Seventh Uncle? In my opinion, it’s better to go find Lanling Wang for help…”

“Lanling Wang?”

“Yeah, didn’t he come to discuss business with your Elder Sister this morning? Since they know each other, he should be able to help with this little favor. Besides, their Gao family is also known for being tyrannical. Fighting fire with fire, just right!”

After saying that, seeing Xiao Ruoling’s clueless expression, she added:

“Oh, you’ve never traveled far, you must not know where Lanling Wang is. Why don’t I take you there?”

✿✿✿

When Lady Wei hurriedly took Xiao Ruoling to the embassy where Lanling Wang was staying, Lanling Wang was not at the embassy at that time. It was said that he had gone to the Apricot Blossom and Misty Rain Tower with the Zhou envoys, Yuwen Zhi and Yuwen Hui.

“This is really making me anxious. When did your Prince become such an easy person to invite? Why go to the Apricot Blossom and Misty Rain Tower at this time, making me run here for nothing? I should have just gone back!”

After grumbling in frustration, Lady Wei simply borrowed a horse from the Qi knight and rushed towards the Apricot Blossom and Misty Rain Tower, leaving Xiao Ruoling and You Tan at the gate of the embassy.

Taking a shortcut on horseback, she soon arrived at the Apricot Blossom and Misty Rain Tower.

Lady Wei jumped off the horse, told the gatekeeper to take the horse to the stable, and rushed directly to her own residence inside the Apricot Blossom and Misty Rain Tower. She asked the manager: “Where is Lanling Wang now?”

The manager was stunned, then replied: “Ceremony and Archery Pavilion, playing Pitch-Pot with several envoys from Zhou!”

“Still playing Pitch-Pot? Isn’t it enough that he won 10,000 taels of silver from me last time!”

The manager didn’t know why Lady Wei was so angry, and saw her rush towards the Ceremony and Archery Pavilion without saying a word.

At that time, a gambling game was going on in the Ceremony and Archery Pavilion. Yuwen Zhi was holding an arrow and aiming at the pot which was already full of arrows.

“Tell me, that Young Lady did the same thing that day, with one arrow she made all the arrows in the pot jump out, and only her arrow remained in the pot. She called it, returning to the beginning?”

“Yes, that’s a very novel way to play! Even shooting an arrow through a willow leaf from a hundred paces is nothing compared to this!”

“I never thought that Divine Physician would also be an archery expert!”

“Speaking of archery experts, Changgong, that Young Master Xie who saved you at Fahua Temple that day, seems to be an archery expert too? His hidden arrows killed both an assassin and a high monk! Am I right?”

As Yuwen Zhi spoke, he cast a playful and inquisitive gaze at Gao Changgong and asked:

“Why didn’t you bring Young Master Xie out to play today? Even if he prefers quietness to activity, he wouldn’t even leave the door, would he?”

Gao Changgong smiled slightly and said: “Yuwen Langjun is so interested in my advisor, why is that? Is it because he killed your people?”

It was a joke, but it made Yuwen Hui’s face stiffen.

Yuwen Zhi’s face only changed slightly, and he replied as if he didn’t care:

“Changgong, you’re joking. Both of us are guests to Chen, envoys from other countries. How dare I disrespect Lanling Wang in Chen? As for what kind of person he killed, I beg your pardon, I don’t know. Changgong, you should wait for His Majesty of Chen to investigate the truth!”

“Regarding the Fahua Temple case, I hope Changgong won’t be suspicious, so as not to affect the harmony of the alliance between our two countries!”

Gao Changgong sneered slightly and didn’t speak again. He knew that Yuwen Hu of Zhou had always wanted to welcome back his mother who was held hostage in Qi. For this purpose, he did not hesitate to join forces with the Turks to attack Qi.

The Emperor of Qi, Gao Zhan, was not fond of war, but after hearing the news from the secret agents, he urgently sent him to form an alliance with Chen.

The secret agent organization of Zhou was no less capable than that of Qi, so Zhou must have gotten wind of his mission this time.

Therefore, although everyone didn’t say it explicitly, they all knew the truth about the assassination attempt.

It was just a matter of whether it was necessary to expose it!

✿✿✿

“Let’s not talk about this anymore. Changgong’s skills are extraordinary, why don’t you come down and play?”

As Yuwen Zhi spoke, he reached out and handed the arrow to Gao Changgong.

Gao Changgong hesitated for a moment and was about to take it when Lady Wei rushed over, panting:

“Your Highness Lanling Wang, please go to the Prince of Shixing’s Residence and rescue that Young Lady! If you rescue her, I’ll immediately give you the 5,000 taels you won last time!”

After saying that, she took a few more deep breaths.

“Hurry up, I’m afraid it will be too late if we delay any longer!”

“Also, I borrowed a horse from one of your cavalrymen, it’s in the stable downstairs…”

Before she could finish her words, Gao Changgong had already strode out of the Ceremony and Archery Pavilion.

Dugu Shan couldn’t help but change his expression and looked at Yuwen Hui and Yuwen Zhi with some anger.

“Did you deliberately lure Gao Changgong here?”

“Are you plotting against that Young Lady?”

✿✿✿

In the Prince of Shixing’s Residence,

When Xiao Jinyu and Fenghuang entered the main hall of the residence with Chen Shuling, they saw a woman with her mouth stuffed with cloth being held by two servants in the middle of the hall.

When she saw the woman’s face, Xiao Jinyu’s expression changed drastically:

This woman was none other than her aunt, Yuan Rujing!

“Aunt Rujing—”

She rushed over, and Chen Shuling seemed even more pleased, signaling the servants to remove the silk cloth from Yuan Rujing’s mouth.

Yuan Rujing cried out: “A’yu, save my A’yuan, this beast he…”

Before she could finish her words, she was slapped by the servant beside her!

At the same time, another old woman walked out from the side hall door holding a little girl.

Yuan Rujing struggled even harder, crying out A’yuan’s name.

It was A’yuan!

This little girl was actually A’yuan!

“Chen Shuling, what did you capture them for?” Xiao Jinyu asked sharply.

Chen Shuling laughed loudly, found a comfortable place to sit down, and explained slowly:

“Young Lady, you’ve misunderstood. This is Chief Clerk Fan who offered his wife and daughter on his own initiative, wanting me to exempt him from the crimes of colluding with villains and corruption. I’m kind-hearted, so I accepted.”

“Speaking of which, it’s really a coincidence. You said that the guards you found for that Early Spring Courtyard were quite fierce. My people couldn’t find a chance to get in several times. It just so happens that this Chief Clerk Fan had colluded with that lewd monk Hui Wei from Tiantai Temple,

You know, my father has been paying special attention to Hui Wei recently. This Chief Clerk Fan had gone to Tiantai Temple to offer incense money several times. This matter is neither big nor small, but I can report it however I want. It might even be a crime of extermination, don’t you think?”

“So, in order to protect his family, this Chief Clerk Fan offered his wife and daughters. I actually don’t fancy his wife who has already lost her beauty, but who made her your aunt?”

At this point, Chen Shuling looked at Xiao Jinyu and laughed even more rampantly and unscrupulously.

“Oh, there’s also a little girl, but she’s too young, not interesting. I’ll raise her for a while!”

“Enough, stop talking!”

Xiao Jinyu interrupted him coldly. She knew that this prince had always been unscrupulous and inhumane, but after truly witnessing his shameless methods, she couldn’t help but feel a chill.

“You injured a young boy, captured my aunt, and even a little girl was not spared. Your purpose is nothing more than me.”

“What will it take for you to let them go?”