The Splendid Brocade of the Painting Physician – Chapter 140

Chapter 140: The Accomplice Behind the Scenes

Perhaps not expecting Xiao Jinyu to ask this question, Xiao Qin trembled all over, and even more, she cast a frightened and incredulous glance at her. Lowering her head, she said, “I truly don’t know this, I don’t know…”

“Xiao Qin, for the past ten years, you have repeatedly advised Princess Yunyin, and she also regards you as a confidante. Could it be that you don’t know where this poison came from?”

“Princess Yunyin doesn’t understand medicine, let alone toxicology, so the preparation and use of these poisons should be your doing, right?”

Xiao Jinyu’s question made Xiao Yuan look at Xiao Qin in disbelief, becoming somewhat agitated and losing control.

She suddenly rushed to Xiao Qin, pressed down on the young girl’s shoulders, and asked sharply while shaking her:

“So, it was you, you poisoned my son to death, right? A’qin, I have always treated you well, how could you be so vicious, helping Princess Yunyin harm my son?”

Facing Xiao Yuan’s grief and accusations, Xiao Qin sneered.

“Mother, have you really treated me well? If you had, you wouldn’t have killed my biological mother, Concubine Zhao. Concubine Zhao only made a small mistake, but you had to sell her off. As a concubine, what good end could she have if she were sold? So, you are responsible for her suicide!”

“What are you saying? Who told you? Who said that to you?”

“Who else could it be? Father told me. Father said Concubine Zhao was your dowry maid, originally given to him by you. But you were jealous that he favored Concubine Zhao and neglected you, so even though Concubine Zhao only broke a porcelain, you wanted to sell her off!”

“He’s talking nonsense! Nonsense! Would I compete for favor with a maid? Compete for his favor? This is simply too ridiculous, too ridiculous!”

Xiao Yuan laughed self-deprecatingly, tears streaming down her face. So, from the very beginning, Xiao Jian had never regarded her children as his own. From the very beginning, he had been scheming, not coerced by that woman Princess Yunyin. For this, he was willing to use the maids around her, even his own children!

“There has never been such a thing. Your mother, Lady Zhao, was my personal maid since childhood, growing up together with me. We had a very good relationship. It was your father who took possession of her, and later you were born. That’s why I let her become your father’s concubine. But after you were born, she still lived with me. But once…”

Xiao Yuan suddenly remembered that one day, Lady Zhao ran to her in a panic, as if wanting to tell her something. But at that time, there were guests visiting the residence, so she interrupted what Lady Zhao wanted to say. Later, when the guests left and she went to find Lady Zhao to ask, Lady Zhao had already fallen into the pond and was dead when she was pulled out.

At that time, the servants in the residence reported that Lady Zhao had accidentally fallen into the water. Although she had investigated the matter, she did not find anything unusual, so she considered it a real accident. Out of guilt for Lady Zhao, she raised Xiao Qin by her side, treating her like her own daughter.

Princess Yunyin had not yet married into the residence at that time, so Xiao Jian had already started scheming…

“So, it was Xiao Jian using you, using your hatred to deal with me, to harm my son… It was you two who poisoned my son, was it Xiao Jian who gave you those poisons?”

Xiao Qin was momentarily dazed, lost, and despairing.

“Using? You say Father was using me? He’s been lying to me, using me all along?”

She muttered to herself, tears welling up as she laughed bitterly.

“A’qin, tell me, where did the poison come from? Who is their accomplice?”

“I don’t know. I just overheard them once saying that this kind of poison is rare in the world and extremely valuable, coming from a secret organization in the Qi State. I heard them mention a noblewoman from the Qi State, Lady Jun!”

“Lady Lu?” Xiao Jinyu walked over and asked.

Xiao Qin looked up as if suddenly coming to her senses. Clearly, she was very familiar with the title Lady Lu.

“I did poison Third Brother, but I don’t know about the deaths of Eldest Brother and Second Brother. I poisoned Third Brother because I was forced by the two of them. I didn’t want to poison him to death…”

“But you did do this?” Xiao Jinyu asked coldly.

“Yes, I did. Under the coercion of Princess Yunyin, I also did many things to harm the Xiao family’s offspring. But what could I do? If I didn’t obey, they would send me away, throw me to any old official who could benefit them as a concubine. My life and death would be out of my control.

Xiao Jinyu, although you are called a bastard daughter, you still have a mother. You grew up safely under your mother’s love and care. Your mother gave you beauty, intelligence, and unmatched knowledge, which is an endless fortune.

And me? I lost my biological mother at a young age, and a few years later, my stepmother went crazy, and my father didn’t love me either. No one in this Xiao residence truly cared for me. Even that Xiao Yun, to vent his animalistic desires, he actually…

I lived in fear every day, suffering like hell. Do you think I didn’t want to live like a normal person?

Do you think I didn’t want to be with my family, enjoy the happiness of a family reunion?

I did, but no one cared about me. I was just a concubine-born daughter, not qualified…”

✿✿✿

Xiao Qin’s words, spoken like a roar, shocked and silenced Xiao Yuan.

Sixteen years ago, she was often depressed because of A’luan, occasionally complaining and appearing crazy. She did neglect to care for her other children. So, was it because of her negligence, because of her lack of care, that Sixth Miss became like this today?

“A’qin, I’m sorry, I raised you but didn’t teach you… I neglected your feelings…”

Suddenly hearing these words from Xiao Yuan, Xiao Qin’s eyes, filled with resentment, suddenly welled up with sadness, and large teardrops fell.

She suddenly buried her face in her hands and laughed bitterly, exhausted: “Just kill me! I’m tired, I don’t want to fight or grab anymore, just let me sleep here forever!”

After saying that, she closed her eyes and raised her head as if her heart had turned to ashes, seemingly waiting for the guards to kill her with a sword!

But she waited for a long time, and that moment never came. When she opened her eyes, the people in front of her had all left. There were no guards on duty in the entire Xiao residence, and even the servants had fled after taking their deeds of sale.

This family had truly fallen apart!

Everything was gone!

Xiao Jinyu did not dare to use those servants who had helped Princess Yunyin do dirty deeds, nor did she suggest that Xiao Xian take them in. She bought new servants herself, then checked the properties, tenant farmers, houses, shops, charitable schools, and other assets, as well as the private troops, purging all the places where Princess Yunyin had infiltrated.

Due to Princess Yunyin’s manipulation over the past ten years, these private troops had already been divided into two factions: one faction was still loyal to the direct bloodline of the Xiao family, the old soldiers, while the other faction was the new recruits that Princess Yunyin had brought in over the years.

Xiao Jinyu purged these new recruits who were loyal to Princess Yunyin.

After a major reorganization, the main branch of the Lanling Xiao family finally had a new look. Not long after, everyone moved to the new residence in Wu Yi Alley.

“Sister, our new home is so grand!”

For this new Xiao residence, Xiao Jinyu also invited someone who was very knowledgeable in Feng Shui to choose the location. There were stone Kirin guarding the front gate. Once the gate was opened, the inside was extremely spacious, with patches of Wutong and white poplar trees planted within. There were also artificial mountains and ponds, pavilions and terraces, winding streams, and corridors.

Xiao Jinyu looked at the happy smiles on the faces of all her family members, and the sound of A’yuan’s laughter came from the courtyard, as if she had returned to the Xie family’s old residence. As she watched, she couldn’t help but become lost in thought again.

“A’yu—”

Almost every time she became lost in thought, Xiao Xian could sense the melancholy and reminiscence in her heart.

“A’yu, can you tell Uncle Xian truthfully, do you like Prince of Lanling?” Xiao Xian suddenly asked.

“Yes, a man as handsome and extraordinary as him, who can be called a true gentleman, what girl wouldn’t like him?”

“You know I’m not talking about that kind of liking!”

Xiao Xian said with a wry smile.

Only then did Xiao Jinyu raise her eyes and look at Xiao Xian’s starry eyes, which were slightly melancholy but filled with concern, under the soft glow of the setting sun.

She paused for a moment before answering, “I don’t know, I can’t give Uncle Xian a definite answer. I no longer believed in any other kind of sincerity besides family affection, but he made me believe that there might still be such sincerity in this world.”

“So, I want to be bold and try again!”

After saying that, she smiled brightly. This smile made all the worries, anxieties, guilt, and regrets that had been weighing on Xiao Xian’s heart for so long disappear.

In the end, only a faint trace of loss and reluctance remained, forever hidden in the depths of his heart.

As the two were chatting, they suddenly heard Yuan Rujing exclaim, “Eh, isn’t that Prince of Lanling? Your Highness, why don’t you come in since you’re here?”

Yesterday, many thanks to the monthly ticket from book friend 20221228122336215, thanks to Yanzhihu1 for the continuous rewards, and thanks to everyone for the recommendation tickets and comments! Thank you very much!