The Splendid Brocade of the Painting Physician – Chapter 144

Chapter 144: Recognizing Cui Heng

After the Qi embassy left Jiankang, three groups of people chased after them on the official road overnight.

The next morning, the Northern Zhou envoy also bid farewell to the Chen emperor and returned to Chang’an.

On the way, a scout reported: “Your Highness, there is a seriously injured person ahead who says he wants to see his employer!”

Yuwen Xun nodded and signaled him to bring the person over. Yuwen Hui’s face changed when he saw the person.

This person was a martial arts expert he had sent out. He had bought him at a high price, wanting to assassinate Gao Changgong on his way back to Northern Qi from Jiankang and, by the way, kidnap the Southern beauty he had taken with him.

But now this person was covered in wounds, as if he had been stabbed several times with a sword but was not yet fatally injured.

“Who are you? What’s the matter?” Yuwen Xun asked.

The man glanced at Yuwen Hui and replied: “Under Young Master Yuwen’s orders, we followed the Qi embassy to a hundred miles outside Jiankang City, but we lost track of them. Then another group of people passed by and took us for bandits. The two sides fought a desperate battle, and all the assassins I recruited were killed or injured!”

Yuwen Xun and Dugu Shan’s faces changed drastically.

“Third Brother, you secretly sent someone to assassinate the Qi envoy?” Yuwen Xun rebuked.

“So what if I did? You also saw the young lady’s methods in Chen. If she is taken back to Qi by Gao Changgong, who knows what kind of trouble she will cause in the future?”

“She’s just a young lady. Even if she has some clever tricks, competing for the world is a matter for real men. What kind of trouble can she cause? Third Brother, don’t be fooled by her beauty!”

“So Elder Brother thinks I’m infatuated with her beauty!” After a sneer, Yuwen Hui sighed, “Fine, then let’s meet on the battlefield in the future!”

But in his heart, he wondered: Gao Changgong’s Black Armored Cavalry is so imposing and eye-catching, why did they disappear after chasing for a hundred miles? And how could it be that after losing track of them, they encountered an ambush by another group of people so coincidentally?

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While Yuwen Hui was puzzled, Xiao Jinyu and Gao Changgong had already boarded a ship with a “merchant group” dressed in plain clothes, intending to go to Guangling, cross the Huai River, and reach Pengcheng.

As the fleet set sail, Xiao Jinyu stood at the bow and looked back at her homeland, Jiankang, once more.

“This is the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, originating from Bashu, flowing out of the Three Gorges, stretching for thousands of miles from Jiangling to Jiankang, spanning north and south, truly magnificent!”

Looking at the surging river flowing eastward, like a wild horse off its reins, majestic and grand, Gao Changgong also sighed slightly, thinking of the most humiliating battle General Duan had told him about, which was the Battle of Zhongshan with Chen Baxian. In this battle, 100,000 Qi troops were defeated by Chen Baxian, who had already exhausted his strength in the civil war in Southern Liang. Forty-six generals of Northern Qi were killed, and the losses were heavy. From then on, they did not dare to easily go south to attack Chen.

In this battle, Chen Baxian made full use of the advantage of the Yangtze River, cutting off the already long supply line of the Qi army, and also controlled the key point of Xuanwu Lake, preventing the Qi army from draining the lake. The Southern Dynasty had elite naval forces all over the Yangtze River, so the Qi army was trapped in a “cauldron city.” Due to the cut-off of supplies and the heavy rain for several days, many soldiers died of starvation and skin ulcers caused by being soaked in rainwater, and finally they were defeated without a fight.

Hearing Gao Changgong’s sigh, Xiao Jinyu knew that the Prince, who aspired to fight on the battlefield to defend his home and country, must have thought of something he admired.

“Changgong—” she called softly.

Gao Changgong came back to his senses and put his arms around her again.

“It’s windy on the deck, let’s go inside!”

Xiao Jinyu nodded with a smile. Just as they turned around, they saw two familiar figures approaching. One of them said in a clear voice: “Indeed, this natural barrier of the Yangtze River has protected this land of the Southern Dynasty. Although Chen is not big, in my opinion, the Chen emperor is quite ambitious. The peace between the two countries that you, young lady, have exchanged for with this marriage may not last long.”

“I know, making an alliance on the surface, but actually sharpening their weapons and waiting for an opportunity to attack each other. This is a strategy of breaking off diplomatic relations, isn’t it?”

The best strategy is to defeat the enemy by strategy, the second best is to break off diplomatic relations, the next is to defeat them by force, and the worst is to attack their cities.

“Young lady, you even understand military strategy!” the young man laughed.

The people who came were actually Li Mi and Cui Heng.

“Third Brother said that you would definitely take this water route, crossing the Huai River from Jingkou to Pengcheng! So we rushed to Jingkou on horseback to wait for you, and Third Brother guessed right!”

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As Li Mi spoke, he looked at Xiao Jinyu and Lanling Wang curiously. Seeing that they were both dressed in very ordinary black cloth clothes, he worried: “Why are you dressed like this? Did you encounter any trouble on the road?”

“Not yet, just avoiding some attention!”

Li Mi breathed a sigh of relief and said: “That’s good, that’s good. Young lady, you don’t know, after you left, your last glance back amazed many people. I guess it won’t be long before your reputation as an unparalleled beauty will spread throughout the world. Be very careful when you arrive in Qi!”

After saying that, he felt Lanling Wang’s cold and stern eyes glancing over and quickly explained, “Your Highness, I’m not saying that you can’t protect the young lady. It’s just that those people and things in the Gao family of Northern Qi, Your Highness, you should understand. The young lady is willing to be separated from her family and marry far away to Qi. Third Brother and I just hope she will have a good life!”

“Although we don’t have the fortune of Your Highness to be married to the young lady, we hope to be friends for life. With a single promise, we can travel thousands of miles. Whatever you ask, we are willing to do our best!”

Li Mi’s words were extremely sincere and clear, and Xiao Jinyu was very moved. She couldn’t help but give them both a very solemn bow.

“Thank you, Young Master Li and Young Master Cui, for your kindness and trust in Jinyu. In the future, if you two young masters need anything, A’yu will also do her best to help!”

Li Mi returned the bow and asked jokingly: “But, young lady, why did you choose the Prince? Obviously, we two met you first!”

“No!” Xiao Jinyu replied decisively, “We met at the same time. In Xuzhou Pengcheng, I saw him first! He saved me first!”

The words “saw him first” made Gao Changgong look at her in surprise, focusing on Xiao Jinyu’s profile. He felt that her delicate skin was bathed in a layer of light, making people lose their minds.

“So we actually lost because we didn’t offer you a helping hand first! If we had known, we should have been one step ahead of the Prince…”

“Yongheng, is that why the young lady chose him? Besides, there’s no reason for love. Sometimes it might even be… a cause from a past life, bearing fruit in this life! Don’t ask these questions that make the young lady embarrassed!” Cui Heng added.

A cause from a past life, bearing fruit in this life?

When he said this, Xiao Jinyu couldn’t help but feel a jolt in her heart, and she looked at Cui Heng doubtfully.

At this time, Cui Heng bowed solemnly to her and said to Lanling Wang: “Cui has something to say to the young lady. I wonder if Your Highness would allow me to chat with her alone?”

Gao Changgong understood Cui Heng, Cui Ziyuan’s character. This man became famous at a young age and could have been summoned to serve as a high official in Qi. But at that time, Emperor Wenxuan repeatedly acted absurdly, and he even personally killed those who remonstrated with him. This young talented scholar resigned from his official position and preferred to travel around the world to lecture.

This was also a noble man who regarded fame and fortune as dirt.

He should not have any doubts, so he readily nodded and said: “Okay, I have no objection!”

Cui Heng bowed and thanked him, then invited Xiao Jinyu to the cabin.

After the two sat down, Xiao Jinyu noticed that Cui Heng’s eyes were a little moist.

After suppressing his emotions for a long time, he tried his best to keep his voice steady and said: “My father is from the third branch of the Boling Cui Clan. In his early years, he was highly regarded by Emperor Shenwu Gao Huan and his son, Emperor Wenxiang Gao Cheng, and rose to the position of Minister of the Right. He was known as the ‘Iron-Faced Censor.’ But because of this, he was resented by some officials in the Northern Qi court. Later, he was falsely accused of treason, and Emperor Wenxuan exiled him to Macheng to do hard labor. At that time, the clan urgently needed to recommend someone to take office and clear my father’s name.

So, I, who had just returned from Southern Liang not long ago, was recommended by the clan. At that time, I was preoccupied with my father’s case and put many clan matters aside.”

When he said this, Cui Heng looked at Xiao Jinyu with glistening eyes.

“Because of this, I missed a big event and let down a very important friend!”

“At that time, her family was facing ruin. She sent a letter asking for my help, but this letter was concealed by my clan. I didn’t see it until after her death, a long time later.”

“This matter has always made me feel very guilty and regretful!”