The Splendid Brocade of the Painting Physician – Chapter 147

Chapter 147: Lu Lingxuan

Northern Qi, Yecheng.

This was the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties. Cao Wei, Later Zhao, Ran Wei, Former Yan, Eastern Wei, and Northern Qi all established their capitals here.

But Yecheng actually consisted of two cities. One was Yebei City, which was the old site of Cao Wei, north of the Zhang River. From north to south, there were the Ice Well Terrace, the Bronze Sparrow Terrace, and the Golden Tiger Terrace.

The other was Yenan City, where the current Northern Qi imperial palace was located. After Gao Huan moved the capital here, it was expanded, and Yebei City was abandoned. The Northern Qi palace was built here.

It was already half past noon, but the imperial palace in Yenan City was still filled with singing and dancing. Emperor Gao Zhan was enjoying the singing and dancing while embracing a beautiful woman, playing the game of “woshuo” with He Shikai. He Shikai was promoted by Gao Zhan and became his confidant because he was good at this game. The two talked about everything and were very close, and they no longer had the etiquette of a monarch and his subject.

He Shikai had been promoted all the way from the position of “Attendant Gentleman at the Yellow Gates” to “Palace Attendant,” and he was granted the privilege of “establishing a separate residence and administration.” This meant he could set up his own residence and administrative office and cultivate his own advisors.

“Yuwen Hu of the Northern Zhou has been asking our Northern Qi for his eighty-year-old mother for thirty-five years. Now he threatens to attack our Jinyang. Yantong, do you think I should release his old mother?” Gao Zhan, with his eyes drowsy from alcohol, asked with some anger. （Note: He Shikai: courtesy name Yantong）

“Your Majesty, I believe that Yuwen Hu’s mother, Lady Yan, is an important bargaining chip. As long as we have this chip, Yuwen Hu will not dare to launch a large-scale attack on our Northern Qi. So, instead of releasing Lady Yan, it’s better to release his aunt, Lady Yang, first. At the same time, let Lady Yang write a letter to Yuwen Hu in the name of Lady Yan, expressing her longing for her son. After seeing the letter, Yuwen Hu will probably not dare to do anything.”

“Yantong is truly comparable to Yi Yin and Huo Guang. I also think this plan is excellent! If we can also get the help of the Chen Dynasty…”

Speaking of this, Gao Zhan suddenly remembered something and asked, “How long has Changgong been on his mission to Southern Chen? Why hasn’t he returned yet? Did you send the letter I asked you to send him?”

“Your Majesty, I sent it, and I have received a reply. The Prince of Lanling has already returned and should arrive in Yecheng within half a month!”

Gao Zhan nodded with satisfaction, took another sip of wine while embracing the beauty, and suddenly laughed.

“I heard that the beauties in the south have a unique charm. I also wanted him to bring back two southern beauties for me to see! I wonder if this kid took my words to heart!”

“Yes, yes, I have also heard that the young ladies in the south are particularly gentle and understanding, different from the young ladies in our north. However…” He changed the subject, “The Prince of Lanling is not fond of beauty. I’m afraid he will disappoint Your Majesty.”

These words made Gao Zhan very disappointed, and he pushed the beauty in his arms aside.

As the two were talking, they suddenly heard a tinkling sound. He Shikai looked up and saw that it was Lady Lu who had entered the Zhaoyang Palace.

Lu Lingxuan was wearing a purple dress, a pearl crown on her head, and bells on her feet that jingled as she walked, exuding a captivating and charming aura.

Around thirty years old, Lu Lingxuan’s face showed no signs of age. She was very beautiful, with a dignified appearance that revealed a hint of alluring coldness and even a sense of distant mystery.

This temperament made Gao Zhan somewhat infatuated with her.

“Lady Lu, what brings you here so late?” He Shikai asked first.

Lu Lingxuan turned her gaze to Emperor Gao Zhan, smiled, and replied with a salute, “Your Majesty, the Prince of Lanling did bring back a woman from the south this time. However, he has already, in front of scholars from both the north and south, betrothed her with the entire Cizhou Kiln of Pengcheng in our Northern Qi and taken her as his wife.”

Gao Zhan immediately sat up from his couch.

“What did you say? Betrothed with the entire Cizhou Kiln? I was drunk at the time and rewarded the Cizhou Kiln to him. Does he really think it belongs to him alone?”

After venting his anger, he asked again, “What kind of woman could catch his eye? Isn’t he not interested in women? I thought he was scared at the time…”

Lu Lingxuan smiled again and replied, “I heard she is extremely beautiful, the most beautiful woman in the south!”

A look of surprise and lust appeared in Gao Zhan’s eyes.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let him bring this beauty back immediately, traveling day and night, without delay!”

“Yes, Your Majesty! Please grant me an imperial edict!”

Gao Zhan, in a daze, once again fumbled for a jade tablet from his waist and tossed it into Lu Lingxuan’s hand.

“Alright, alright, I know what you want. Take it!”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

After receiving the jade tablet, Lu Lingxuan saluted again and walked out of the Zhaoyang Palace with a smile.

✿✿✿

Yebei City, also known as the Northern Palace. The Three Terraces, which had been repeatedly ravaged by war, were originally a scene of broken walls and ruins. However, during the reign of Emperor Wenxuan, the Three Terraces were extensively renovated and rebuilt, and now they were once again resplendent.

✿✿✿

Lu Lingxuan arrived at a secret hall in the Bronze Sparrow Palace. This was the place where the Northern Qi shamans were housed.

Fortune-telling and divination, using unusual phenomena to warn of danger, the Northern Qi monarchs had always believed in this. Therefore, these shamans who were skilled in the teachings of Laozi and Zhuangzi, as well as in the arts of yin and yang, were able to hold official positions in the Northern Qi and enjoy a relatively high status.

Lu Lingxuan could also be considered one of these yin and yang masters.

“I can’t believe she’s still alive, and now she’s back with the Prince of Lanling. That princess of the Chen Dynasty is really useless, she was completely fooled by a little girl, and in the end, she even lost her life!”

“This is fate, it’s destined that she won’t die. I told you long ago that you are no match for her. She has already paved the way for her daughter, giving all her good fortune to her. Even if she dies, you are still not her opponent!”

The speaker was a white-haired shaman, but despite her white hair, this woman, who was about forty years old, still had a youthful appearance and was quite beautiful.

“Really?” Lu Lingxuan sneered, “Speaking of which, if it weren’t for her saving me from the Imperial Household Department back then, how could I have had the opportunity to enter the Prince of Changguang’s residence and become the wet nurse of Prince Gao Wei? How could I have the status I have today after the Prince of Changguang usurped the throne?”

Speaking of this, Lu Lingxuan was quite proud and complacent, but also a little sentimental. “You always say I’m not as good as her. Then tell me, she’s so smart, why couldn’t she predict her own fate?”

“No one can predict their own fate, including you!” The white-haired woman said, looking at her coldly.

Lu Lingxuan was stunned for a moment, then sneered.

“Alright! Then let’s wait and see!”

After saying that, she walked out of the secret hall, then out of the Bronze Sparrow Terrace and the Northern Palace.

After returning to her residence, Lu Lingxuan summoned an old woman and asked, “Where are they now?”

“Spies have sent word that they are almost at Pengcheng!”

“From Pengcheng to the sea, it takes ten days to reach Yecheng. Order them that before that old woman dies, they must not be allowed to return alive!”

Speaking of this, she raised a jade tablet in her hand.

“This is His Majesty’s oral edict, to be passed on to Grand Commandant Liu!”

“Yes!”

✿✿✿

At this time, the large ship that Xiao Jinyu and the Prince of Lanling had rented had indeed reached Pengcheng.

Pengcheng was located at the site of the old city of the Lu State. Because there was a stone bridge in the water, it was also known as the Luliang Rapids.

The section from Xiapi to Pengcheng was where three rivers converged, and the current was very swift. In the past, Confucius, upon observing the water, exclaimed, “It passes on just like this, not ceasing day or night.” He was referring to the Luliang Rapids of Pengcheng.

Gao Changgong was not happy to see the turbulent rapids.

Xiao Jinyu came to his side, her slender arms wrapped around his waist, and she explained softly, “Changgong, I know you are worried about me, but I will be very careful, and I will not do anything I am not sure of.”

“He is not like the emperor of your Southern Dynasty. It will be very dangerous for you to stay by his side. I will never agree to this.”

He still refused outright.

“Everyone has their weaknesses. Chen Xu’s weakness is his pretense, wanting to be a wise ruler. Your Northern Qi emperor will also have weaknesses…”

Being embraced by her like this, Gao Changgong’s heart softened. He turned around, his sleeves fluttering, and he pulled her entire delicate body into his arms.

“But I don’t want you to be in any danger…” he said, holding her tightly.