The Splendid Brocade of the Painting Physician – Chapter 156

Chapter 156: First meeting with Lord Qi, duel in the palace

When they returned to the Prince of Lanling’s Residence, Gao Changgong was still preoccupied. Xiao Jinyu asked him what had happened. Gao Changgong tactfully recounted what Gao Zhan and Empress Dowager Lou had said. After finishing, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of guilt.

Upon hearing that his mother’s true identity was Princess Liyang, Xiao Jinyu’s heart ached as if it had been dragged by a blunt knife.

She had heard from Ling Ye that Princess Liyang had disappeared after Hou Jing’s death. She hadn’t expected that she had been offered to Gao Cheng, who was the Eastern Wei’s powerful official at the time, by Chen Xu.

That villain Chen Xu…

Sensing the resentment in her expression, Gao Changgong asked worriedly, “A’yu, what’s wrong?”

Only then did Xiao Jinyu look up and smile.

“It’s nothing. A’yu wants to thank Changgong for recommending me to your Qi Emperor.”

Seeing her smiling face, seemingly unconcerned about the competition with Zu Ting, this strong confidence reminded him of “Xie Zhen” who had debated vigorously with the heroes on Mount Fahua.

If she were to enter officialdom in the future, what heights would she reach?

The higher the position, the greater the loneliness and the greater the surrounding dangers. Being close to the emperor is like being close to a tiger…

As he was pondering, Xiao Jinyu’s comforting voice reached his ears, “Changgong, don’t worry about the banquet at the Ice Well Terrace. I’ll have Fenghuang disguise me!”

“Good!”

“Let’s go visit your mother first!”

Hearing Xiao Jinyu’s initiative to visit his mother, Gao Changgong felt reluctant. He was worried that she would be wronged because of him. After all, she was a proud person who dared to confront and even reprimand someone like Princess Yunyin.

“A’yu…”

“Let’s go! I also want to get to know your family!”

Under Xiao Jinyu’s repeated insistence, Gao Changgong finally called Lu Yu to prepare the carriage and went to Jingde Palace where his mother, Lady Yuan, resided. Along the way, Fenghuang, who followed them, remained sullen and unhappy.

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Ever since Yuan Zhonghua, Gao Changgong’s aunt by marriage, had her treasury confiscated and was raped by Emperor Wenxuan, Gao Yang, she rarely interacted with other noblewomen. Instead, she spent every day eating vegetarian meals and chanting Buddhist scriptures in the Buddhist hall.

There weren’t many servants in Jingde Palace. This was because on the day Yuan Zhonghua was seized by Gao Yang, Gao Yang, in a fit of madness, ordered the servants to humiliate all of the Yuan Clan ladies, regardless of their closeness to her, right in front of him. He even had Northern Barbarians rape her aunt, Princess Ande. This incident had a profound impact on Yuan Zhonghua, who never dared to step out of Jingde Palace again.

Naturally, this event also left a deep scar on Gao Changgong’s heart. Although he was in the military camp at the time, his shock and fear upon hearing the news were beyond words.

From that moment, he began to understand why his mother had left him…

These things, originally suppressed deep in his heart and unwilling to share with anyone, Gao Changgong could now speak openly to Xiao Jinyu.

Xiao Jinyu didn’t show any fear or disbelief, but simply comforted him, saying that it was all in the past and there was no need to dwell on it.

Upon arriving at Jingde Palace, Gao Changgong and Xiao Jinyu had just gotten off the carriage when they saw his three elder brothers, Gao Xiaowan, the Prince of Hejian, Gao Xiaoheng, the Prince of Guangning, and Gao Yanzong, the Prince of Ande, all waiting at the entrance.

“So you still know to come pay respects to mother. I thought someone like you, who could even decide on such a major matter as marriage without authorization, wouldn’t have mother in your eyes!”

The speaker was Gao Xiaowan, the Prince of Hejian, his eldest brother and the only legitimate son of Lady Yuan.

Hearing this, Xiao Jinyu turned her gaze to this young man. Although he wasn’t as handsome as Gao Changgong, he was still an extraordinarily handsome man, just with a rather arrogant and aloof expression.

“Fourth Brother is also approaching the age of capping, it’s good to get married. And this younger sister-in-law, though veiled, has an extraordinary bearing. She must be a young lady raised by a prominent family, a perfect match for Fourth Brother!” Gao Xiaoheng, the Prince of Guangning, added.

“Yes, yes, I’ve heard some rumors about Fourth Sister-in-law. She’s a talented woman in the south, renowned for her medical skills and painting. She’s a perfect match for Fourth Brother!”

Gao Yanzong, the Prince of Ande, said with a silly smile. He had learned these rumors from Lu Yu. Hearing what Lu Yu had said about this Lady Xiao, Gao Yanzong couldn’t help but feel envious and yearned for her, developing a sense of admiration for Xiao Jinyu.

“You’re also skilled in painting and medicine?” Gao Xiaoheng asked with surprise in his eyes. He himself was a very skilled painter and had a particular fondness for painting.

In the original host’s memory, Gao Xiaoheng was considered a man of great talent, the only one among Gao Changgong’s brothers who could be said to have met a relatively good end. Although the Northern Qi Dynasty fell and he was defeated and captured, he was treated with courtesy by the Emperor of the Northern Zhou Dynasty until his death.

Xiao Jinyu nodded, not denying it.

Gao Xiaoheng was overjoyed and wanted to ask about her painting techniques, but suddenly realized that this would be somewhat impolite, as she was now his fourth brother’s wife. He bowed his hands and gave up the idea.

At this moment, Gao Xiaowan was already displeased and urged them to go pay respects to their mother. As Prince of Lanling approached with Xiao Jinyu, he couldn’t help but take another look at the veiled Xiao Jinyu.

When they arrived at the Buddhist hall, they saw a young girl kneeling beside Lady Yuan, who was chanting Buddhist scriptures.

“Mother, Changgong has brought his wife, Xiao Jinyu, to pay respects to you!”

After Gao Changgong spoke, the kneeling girl immediately turned her head. It was Zheng Yue!

Zheng Yue still looked at Gao Changgong with a pitiful expression, as if she had just cried. Her eyes were slightly red, but as soon as she met Gao Changgong’s gaze, she immediately broke into a charming smile.

“Xiaoguan, I knew you would come to see your mother. Ever since you went to the Southern Chen Dynasty, I’ve been accompanying your mother in chanting Buddhist scriptures every day, praying for your safe return!”

Gao Changgong frowned. At this time, Lady Yuan also turned around and looked at him and Xiao Jinyu.

Xiao Jinyu bowed to her and said, “Daughter-in-law Xiao Jinyu pays respects to mother!”

Lady Yuan nodded. “You seem to be quite poised and well-mannered. Why do you cover your face with a veil?”

Xiao Jinyu replied, “On the way back, I encountered enemy attacks several times and my face was injured. I wear the veil to avoid frightening mother.”

“How could you be frightening? Fourth Sister-in-law, even with a slight injury to your face, you’re still beautiful…”

Gao Yanzong stopped mid-sentence, noticing Gao Changgong looking at him.

At this moment, Lady Yuan said, “I won’t stop you from taking a wife, but since you’ve married her, what are you going to do with this young lady from the Zheng Clan?”

As Lady Yuan asked this, Zheng Yue looked at Gao Changgong with even more grievance.

Gao Changgong replied, “Changgong has no marriage arrangement or personal feelings with Miss Zheng Yue. My marriage has nothing to do with her.”

Zheng Yue’s face instantly turned pale, her eyes filled with disbelief. She thought that although Gao Changgong hadn’t been particularly fond of her in the past, he had treated her with sincerity and they could occasionally exchange a few words. If she was bullied by other noble ladies, he would stand up for her.

But now, she truly felt that he had no place for her in his heart. He was completely devoted to the woman beside him, with no room for anyone else!

Thinking this, Zheng Yue even started to cry sadly.

Gao Xiaowan seemed to find this unbearable and reprimanded Gao Changgong in an elder brother’s tone, “Changgong, Zheng Daozhong, the head of the Zheng Clan, has always spoken up for you in the court. He intends to marry his eldest granddaughter to you and form a marriage alliance. How can you say it’s irrelevant?”

Although they had the intention, they had also been weighing the pros and cons. Prince of Lanling wasn’t the first choice of the Yingyang Zheng Clan. The Zheng family had been waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity for Prince of Lanling to make further contributions. At that time, a marriage alliance would be more beneficial to the reputation of the Yingyang Zheng Clan!

Gao Changgong had always understood this, so when Empress Dowager Lou initially proposed that he go to the Zheng family to propose marriage when he reached the capping age, he was extremely reluctant in his heart.

He didn’t like this kind of marriage that was completely bound by interests, especially after meeting Xiao Jinyu, he wouldn’t even consider it.

“Mother, Changgong came here today to tell you that I have married, and that only Xiao Jinyu will be my only wife in this lifetime.”

“Tonight, Changgong has to attend the banquet at the Ice Well Terrace, so I won’t disturb mother any longer!”

After saying that, Gao Changgong tightly held Xiao Jinyu’s hand, as if he didn’t want to stay a moment longer. He turned and walked towards the outside of the hall. Seeing this, Gao Xiaowan was very annoyed and couldn’t help but shout, “Gao Changgong, are you really going to cut off your own arm?”

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Gao Changgong stopped in his tracks and said, “I didn’t ask Zheng Clan’s Head of the Family to speak for me in court. The truth is what it is. I don’t need anyone to speak well of me!”

“You—”

Gao Xiaowan was so angry that he was speechless. Zheng Yue’s sobs grew louder beside him.

“A’yue, don’t cry. Changgong has always been strict with himself and very restrained. This Xiao Jinyu should be his first woman. He’s just experiencing beauty for the first time, so he can’t let go. Let’s see how it goes after a while! If he still can’t let go after three months, then you should let go!”

“Xiaowan Gege, A’yue can’t let go. A’yue has liked him for a very, very long time…”

Zheng Yue covered her face and sobbed. Gao Yanzong felt even more embarrassed, so he bid farewell to Lady Yuan and hurried out as if fleeing.

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“Changgong, your brothers treat you pretty well!”

On the way back, Xiao Jinyu couldn’t help but sigh. Compared to the battles between legitimate and illegitimate sons in the Xiao family, Gao Changgong’s brothers were indeed much better. At least there were no conflicts of interest that required them to fight to the death! Everyone earned military merit based on their own abilities!

Even his legitimate older brother, Gao Xiaowan, although what he said just now was unpleasant, he was actually thinking for him, hoping that he would have support in the court and that it would be helpful to him at some point in the future.

But in the original owner’s memory, this Gao Xiaowan seemed to have died very young. When the original owner was sent to the Prince of Lanling’s Residence by Empress Dowager Hu, Gao Xiaowan no longer existed.

As for the reason for his early death, Xiao Jinyu couldn’t find any related memory.

“They’re okay, but I went to the military camp when I was young, so I didn’t spend much time with them. My fifth brother, Gao Yanzong, would occasionally go to the battlefield with me. Our relationship is pretty good!”

Xiao Jinyu nodded with a smile.

“A’yu, I’ve wronged you today!” Gao Changgong’s tone suddenly softened, and he seemed quite remorseful. “Zheng A’yue did grow up with us brothers. She would often visit my mother. My grandmother did once want me to marry into the Zheng family, but I’ve never had any feelings for Zheng Yue…”

“I know, Changgong. I won’t hold a grudge against you for such a small matter,” Xiao Jinyu interrupted. “Our enemy is not Zheng Yue, but He Shikai and Lu Lingxuan. Since you’ve already recommended to the Emperor that I compete with Zu Ting, why not take this opportunity to pull Zu Ting to our side and use him for our own purposes!”

“But this person is a greedy, lustful, and immoral villain. Can he be used by us? And even if he can be used by us, I’m afraid he’ll betray us one day…”

“So we need to seize his weaknesses to control him…”

Seeing that Xiao Jinyu seemed to have a plan in mind, Gao Changgong stopped talking.

After returning to the Prince of Lanling’s Residence, the two rested for a while, dressed up a bit, and then rushed to the Ice Well Terrace for the banquet. Before the banquet, Xiao Jinyu took a pill and asked Fenghuang to slightly alter her appearance. She then covered her face with a veil again and got into the carriage to go out.

The Ice Well Terrace, as one of Cao Cao’s Three Terraces, was originally used to store ice, coal, and grain. Unlike the Golden Tiger Terrace, which was used for military parades, the Ice Well Terrace was meant for war preparations.

Now, Gao Zhan was using it as a place for banquets, especially during the scorching summer days. With the ice stored here, people walking inside would feel exceptionally cool. Amidst the swirling mist, countless palace maids in thin gauze carried incense burners and walked gracefully.

Gao Zhan held a banquet to celebrate Prince of Lanling’s successful return from his mission to the Southern Chen Dynasty. He invited all the officials and asked them to bring their wives.

To be honest, the officials were all apprehensive. When Emperor Wenxuan was alive, he liked to hold “no-holds-barred” gatherings, requiring officials to bring their wives and then, in broad daylight, have them engage in… lewd acts… with the officials… He himself was even more…

Gao Zhan was following in his footsteps. As soon as he ascended the throne, he took Emperor Wenxuan’s Empress, Li Zue. Who knew if he would follow suit and hold some kind of “no-holds-barred” gathering?

Therefore, those who could feign illness stayed home.

But without a valid reason, Gao Zhan wouldn’t give them the opportunity to take leave.

Therefore, many people came to the banquet, including Gao Changgong’s brothers. Now, Prince of Hejian, Gao Xiaowan, and Prince of Guangning, Gao Xiaoheng, were already married, leaving only Gao Yanzong single.

As soon as he saw Gao Changgong bring Xiao Jinyu to the banquet, Gao Yanzong knew something was wrong. He hurried over and whispered in Gao Changgong’s ear, “Fourth Brother, why did you bring her? This banquet held by His Majesty is clearly…”

“It’s prepared for us, I know.”

“You know and you still brought her!”

Gao Yanzong seemed very angry. After hearing Lu Yu’s assessment of Xiao Jinyu, he sincerely admired his fourth sister-in-law. Thinking that her beauty would inevitably attract Gao Zhan’s attention, he became even more anxious.

With a burst of music, the banquet began. Gao Zhan gave a passionate speech about Prince of Lanling’s meritorious service in his mission to the Southern Chen Dynasty and then ordered the officials to begin the feast. At that time, the music played, and palace maids in thin gauze danced, weaving through the thick mist.

Xiao Jinyu sat beside Prince of Lanling, her eyes quickly scanning everyone at the Ice Well Terrace banquet. Among the many dignitaries, her gaze soon caught He Shikai’s expression and a noblewoman in a rose-colored gold-embroidered long dress sitting not far from the Emperor.

The noblewoman’s expression was particularly unfathomable and made it impossible to see the hidden meaning within!

This was the second person after Chen Xu whose expression and inner thoughts she couldn’t understand!

Amidst the laughter and chatter, the banquet quickly reached its climax. Gao Zhan suddenly raised his wine cup, stood up, and spoke.

The first thing he said was, “Prince of Lanling’s mission to the Chen State was a great success, and he has gained much, especially bringing back the most beautiful woman in the south… Oh, that is, his Princess Consort of Lanling!”

“Princess Consort of Lanling, why don’t you tell us what reward you want? I’ll grant it to you!”

These words clearly meant he wanted Princess Consort of Lanling to show herself!

The Emperor’s intentions couldn’t be more obvious!

For a moment, everyone at the banquet turned their gaze to the woman in black beside Prince of Lanling, her face covered with a thin veil, exuding a cold and luxurious aura.

Xiao Jinyu felt Prince of Lanling’s nervousness, so she gently patted the back of his hand and slowly walked out.

As she walked step by step into the hall, towards Gao Zhan, Gao Zhan’s pupils gradually dilated with excitement.

The surrounding sounds also grew quieter and quieter until they fell silent.

Gao Zhan was only twenty-four or twenty-five years old now. He was handsome, but because of his years of indulgence in wine and women, his expression seemed particularly intoxicated and decadent.

“Just looking at her figure, she’s already extremely beautiful. Truly a natural beauty!” He couldn’t help but sigh softly. Gao Zhan saw that she was wearing a veil and was very dissatisfied. “Since you’ve come to the banquet, why are you wearing this thing? Take it off and let everyone see what Princess Consort of Lanling really looks like!”

At this time, Xiao Jinyu had stopped ten steps away from Gao Zhan. Gao Yanzong became increasingly nervous upon seeing this.

Xiao Jinyu said, “Your Majesty, on our way back to Yecheng from Pengcheng, my husband and I were repeatedly attacked by Qi’s imperial assassins. During one of these attacks, my face was disfigured, so I cover it with a veil, lest I offend Your Majesty’s eyes!”

As soon as she finished speaking, there was a buzz of discussion around her. The noblewoman in the rose-colored gold-embroidered long dress’s expression changed almost imperceptibly, and then she habitually put on a smile.

“What did you say? Our Qi’s imperial assassins? Attacking you?”

“Yes!”

Xiao Jinyu replied and slowly removed her veil. As she did so, the right half of her face that was revealed first made everyone gasp in admiration. The entire hall was filled with amazement. But when the veil was completely removed, revealing the left half of her face, everyone was so shocked that they quickly closed their eyes.

Gao Zhan was also startled. He saw a deep scar on her face, with some red spots around it. It looked terrifying!

“Who did this? What a waste! Such a beauty, truly a pity… a pity…”

He muttered to himself as he told Xiao Jinyu to put her veil back on. Then he asked everyone around him, “Who did this? Who dared to mobilize my imperial assassins to attack Prince of Lanling?”