The Splendid Brocade of the Painting Physician – Chapter 103

Chapter 103: A Different Gao Changgong

After carrying Xiao Jinyu into the embassy, Gao Changgong immediately asked Lu Yu to bring wine and fed it to Xiao Jinyu.

After drinking the wine, Xiao Jinyu’s face became even more flushed, her lips even more alluring, and beads of sweat rolled down her perfectly sculpted contours like rain.

“Xiao Jinyu, how are you feeling now?”

He held her shoulders, and seeing her hand slowly raise as if to pull open her collar again, Gao Changgong once more embraced her.

“Are you still feeling unwell? Will you feel better if I hold you?”

“Bathing…… will do!”

She suddenly breathed out like orchids, speaking softly.

“Alright, I’ll have your cousin come in and bathe you, okay?”

Xiao Jinyu nodded.

There were no maidservants in the embassy, so Prince of Lanling called Xiao Ruoling, who was waiting in the main hall, to come in and then asked Lu Yu to fetch two buckets of hot water.

Only after everything was ready did he leave the side room.

Steam filled the side room. After seeing Prince of Lanling leave, Xiao Ruoling dared to untie Xiao Jinyu’s clothes. As the garments fell away, snow-white skin was revealed, especially under the influence of the medicine, the snowy skin was tinged with a blush, possessing an indescribable captivating beauty. With such delicate skin, such a stunningly beautiful face, even the elegant Prince of Lanling would be moved by it, right?

Xiao Ruoling felt a pang of melancholy in her heart. She couldn’t control her elder sister’s marriage, but if these two really developed feelings, wouldn’t her elder sister have to go to that Northern Qi land again?

Would it be the same as that aunt she had never met?

They had finally returned to the Chen Kingdom,

finally come back!

While Xiao Ruoling was still bathing Xiao Jinyu, Gao Changgong was worried about what kind of clothes to prepare for her. It was already a quarter to nine in the evening, and the Chen Kingdom seemed to still be under curfew, so the shops should be closed.

“Why not take out one of my clothes for her to wear?”

“Your Highness, your clothes might be a bit big on that young lady, and you have no other clothes except black.”

“However, only when Your Highness wears these black clothes can you show your noble and inviolable temperament, enough to deter the enemy!”

Gao Changgong gave the flattering and smiling young guard another disgusted look.

“Go get it!”

“Yes, whatever you say!”

Lu Yu rummaged through the chest for a long time before finding a slightly smaller black robe and handing it to Gao Changgong. Gao Changgong saw that it was an old garment from three years ago, which he hadn’t thrown away because it had some special commemorative significance. He immediately shook his head and went to carefully find a soft and expensive black silk robe with gold embroidery.

Lu Yu was very surprised to see this because it was not Prince of Lanling’s own garment, but his mother’s, which he had treasured for a long time.

Prince of Lanling never understood why his birth mother had abandoned him and never returned even after his father’s death. The only thing she left him was this garment.

Perhaps it was something his mother had left behind in her haste.

“Your Highness…… are you willing to part with it?”

Lu Yu muttered softly. Gao Changgong looked up and gave him a cold glance, then simply took the garment to the side room himself and asked Tenth Young Lady Xiao to change Xiao Jinyu into it.

Xiao Ruoling obediently agreed.

About half an hour later, Xiao Jinyu, having endured the effects of the medicine, slowly recovered her strength and woke up. Xiao Ruoling was overjoyed to see her awake.

“Elder Sister, are you alright?”

Opening her eyes to see Xiao Ruoling’s face stained with tears of worry, Xiao Jinyu nodded with a smile.

“Yes, you don’t have to worry!”

“We are still weak after all, and Elder Sister, you are so beautiful. Even if that Prince of Shixing didn’t succeed today, there’s no guarantee that in the future…”

“There won’t be a next time!”

Xiao Ruoling was still anxious and shook her head, saying, “I always thought that if we didn’t provoke others, didn’t seek wealth or a prominent family, we could live a peaceful life. But there are always people who will take the initiative to provoke us and make things difficult for us…”

“That’s true. So, A’ling, blindly avoiding, giving in, or just seeking self-preservation is not the solution. In this life, we will always encounter difficulties, big or small. There is only one way to solve them, and that is to face them head-on!”

“The Prince of Shixing will not remain at large in Jiankang City forever. He will get the retribution he deserves!”

Comforted by Xiao Jinyu, Xiao Ruoling reluctantly smiled through her tears and hurriedly helped her change into the robe sent by Prince of Lanling.

But as Xiao Jinyu put on this pure black but noble robe, an incredulous change gradually appeared in her eyes.

✿✿✿

“Elder Sister, this robe fits you perfectly, and it accentuates your slender figure just right…” At this point, even Xiao Ruoling couldn’t help but admire, “Elder Sister is truly beautiful. Even in pure black, it makes your radiance even more like flowers blooming in the night. If only A’ling had half of Elder Sister’s beauty…”

“Don’t belittle yourself, A’ling. You are also beautiful. But external beauty will eventually fade with time, and it shouldn’t be what we pursue. In this life, we should understand what we seek, what we lose, and what we gain. Everything is illusory. The most important thing is what kind of path we should take and what kind of life we should live.”

Xiao Ruoling pondered for a moment and finally nodded with a smile of understanding.

“With Elder Sister by my side, A’ling is truly not afraid of anything anymore, never afraid again…”

She said with a smile, as if she had made up her mind, “Elder Sister, I’ve decided,

I want to learn business. Although merchants have a low status, I want to be someone who will be useful to you and Seventh Uncle in the future.

My mother also left me some land, deeds, and shops. Although it’s not much, I want to run it myself.”

Xiao Jinyu didn’t object. In times of war, life was uncertain. Although scholars had a high reputation, when faced with cruel wars, it was often those “scholars” who were the first to abandon their armor.

“Alright, we’ll talk about this after we get home. Let’s go out first!”

After taking two steps, as if remembering something, Xiao Jinyu asked:

“By the way, whose robe is this?”

“It was sent by Prince of Lanling. A’ling came to the embassy in a hurry today to ask for Prince of Lanling’s help, but I didn’t bring anything…”

Hearing that it was sent by Prince of Lanling, Xiao Jinyu’s expression changed immediately.

She had seen this robe on someone before. “That person” loved black clothes the most, calling it the unadorned elegance of the night. And “she,” who loved black clothes the most, was once known as the most beautiful woman in the Great Liang.

What could be the relationship between Gao Changgong and her?

While pondering, the two had already walked out of the side room. When they arrived in the main hall, the hall was deathly silent. Apart from Lu Yu, even the guards by the door were all staring at the black-robed girl who slowly entered the hall, speechless, as if they were chickens struck dumb.

“Your Highness, the garment you found is really good. The young lady looks good in it, and she seems even more beautiful!”

Gao Changgong was also slightly dazed. It seemed that there was also a woman in his memory who always liked to wear black. She was noble and elegant but with an inviolable aura. She also liked to smile, but he had never felt happiness from her smile. It was a cynical smile that desired to destroy everything, and also a smile of sadness and despair.

And at this moment, Xiao Jinyu exuded this untouchable nobility and inviolability amidst the boundless charm.

The hall fell silent for a long time, and no one dared to speak.

For some reason, in a moment of trance, Gao Changgong actually stepped forward and pulled Xiao Jinyu into his arms.

“Don’t leave me, never even think about it, and you can’t…”

A tone of longing mixed with a hint of hatred rang close to her ear. Xiao Jinyu felt his arms tightening around her, as if he wanted to crush her, making her feel suffocated.

“Gao Changgong—”

She couldn’t help but call out. Lu Yu also ran over nervously and shouted, “Your Highness, Your Highness, she’s the Divine Physician Lady! Let go quickly, or you’ll suffocate her…”

He didn’t drink any alcohol today, did he? Why did His Highness’s long-suppressed problem act up again?

Heavens! What to do? They originally thought that nothing would happen if he didn’t get drunk, but now he could have these episodes even without drinking…

While Lu Yu’s mind was racing, Gao Changgong had already come to his senses and hurriedly released Xiao Jinyu.

“I’m sorry, A’yu, did I hurt you?”

His eyes were filled with apology and distress. He seemed to want to reach out and caress her face, but ultimately hesitated and lowered his hand.

Tenth Young Lady Xiao, who was standing to the side, seemed frightened and pale, thinking to herself: How could this Prince of Lanling be so different, sometimes gentle and kind, sometimes cold and murderous?

But Xiao Jinyu shook her head indifferently and smiled, “It’s alright, thank you, Your Highness, for the robe.”

Gao Changgong’s expression softened, and he finally looked at Xiao Jinyu seriously. He saw that the girl’s freshly washed hair was draped like silk, her delicate collarbone visible beneath the slightly raised collar, and her creamy skin, set off by the black robe, shone like the finest jade.

Slender waist, beautiful legs, graceful and slender figure.

Looking at her for a long time, he felt a strange longing.

“You are truly beautiful! I lost my composure just now!”

After sighing sincerely, Gao Changgong simply looked away.

At this moment, a guard came to report, “Your Highness, a young master claiming to be Xiao Xian requests an audience with Your Highness!”