The Splendid Brocade of the Painting Physician – Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Revealing the Family History

Suddenly asked her name, Xiao Jinyu was also slightly taken aback. She put down the chess piece in her hand and looked at Xiao Xian with a half-smile.

Just as Fenghuang thought she wouldn’t answer, she unexpectedly answered with three words in a very casual and light tone: “Xiao, Jin, Yu.”

Xiao Xian’s expression froze once again.

“You also have the surname Xiao. Who gave you this name?”

Xiao Jinyu didn’t answer.

Xiao Xian then realized that his question was too abrupt, so he changed his tone and asked in his usual gentle manner, “When we met at the teahouse today, the young master beside you asked me if I was from the Lanling Xiao Clan. He didn’t ask this question to flatter me, but because you have a connection with my Xiao family, is that right?”

Xiao Jinyu still didn’t answer.

Xiao Xian asked again, “Who is your mother? Where is she now? Is she doing well?”

Seeing that Xiao Jinyu still didn’t intend to answer, Fenghuang said, “You even know to ask if my aunt is doing well? I wonder what my aunt did wrong to be driven out of your Xiao family. A woman with a child had to make a living in the Northern Qi territory and constantly face pursuit from some inexplicable people. Now that my aunt is no longer here, does this fulfill the wishes of your Xiao family?”

“Fenghuang, this matter has nothing to do with Young Master Xiao.”

Only then did Xiao Jinyu interrupt. When she turned to look at Xiao Xian, she saw that the young man’s face was pale, and a hint of pain gradually seeped into his eyes.

“Elder Sister, is she no longer here?”

The young man murmured, his tone filled with grief and helplessness. His hands tightly gripped the armrests of the wheelchair. After a long silence, he suddenly looked at Xiao Jinyu again, his eyes filled with tears, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

“Does Young Master Xiao have anything to say to me? Or rather, tell me the truth, why did my mother leave the Xiao family?” Only then did Xiao Jinyu ask.

Xiao Xian paused for a moment, as if choking back a sob, before slowly saying, “When Elder Sister left the Xiao family, I was only five years old. In my memory, Elder Sister was always gentle and quiet. She liked to study medical books, and my mother indulged her hobbies without restricting her too much. She even invited famous physicians from Jiankang City to teach her. Elder Sister was very talented in medicine. After she became proficient, she was often invited by noble ladies to treat their illnesses.

Over time, her medical skills became renowned throughout Jiankang City. Even members of the Chen imperial family often invited her to the palace to treat princesses and consorts. The last person she treated was Princess Yuhua of the Chen imperial family. That princess suffered from lovesickness and had been ill for a long time. Elder Sister entered the palace every day to accompany and treat her. But unexpectedly, something happened in the palace, and it was this incident that ruined Elder Sister’s life.”

“What happened?” Xiao Jinyu asked.

Xiao Xian hesitated for a moment, as if he couldn’t bear to continue, and closed his mouth without saying another word.

“You can tell me. No matter what the truth is, I can accept it.”

The young man’s eyes were clear, yet they also revealed a tenacity and stubbornness that one couldn’t resist. Xiao Xian’s heart trembled. It seemed that he had underestimated the young man’s ability to bear the truth.

After a moment of deliberation, he slowly continued, “After a royal banquet, a palace maid discovered Elder Sister entangled with a man, their clothes disheveled, in the back garden. The palace maid immediately reported this matter to the Emperor Chen, and many noble ladies in the palace came to watch. So…”

Hearing this, Xiao Jinyu finally understood, and Fenghuang also became extremely surprised and shocked.

This was a scandal. Even in the Chen state, where the social atmosphere was relatively open, this kind of incident happening to any woman was enough to ruin her life, and she might even lose her life.

Not to mention that her aunt was the legitimate daughter of a prestigious family.

In such aristocratic families, for the sake of the family’s reputation, the clan head had sufficient reason to drown her.

One can imagine the situation her aunt was in at that time.

Fenghuang’s eyes revealed deep pain and horror.

“So, because of this incident, my mother’s reputation was ruined, and the reputation of your Xiao family also plummeted. The clan head of the Xiao family decided to remove my mother from the family register and expel her from the family. She didn’t even have a place to stay in the Southern lands.”

Because there was no place for her in the Southern Dynasty, she went to the Northern Qi. How did a weak woman, without the protection of her family or her father and brothers, survive in such a chaotic era?

“This is impossible! Aunt is definitely not this kind of person!” Fenghuang blurted out, his tone filled with anger.

Xiao Xian’s eyes also revealed extreme pain. “Yes, I also don’t believe Elder Sister would be this kind of person. Not to mention the upbringing of our Xiao family, my Elder Sister has always been well-behaved. Although the trend of Daoism is prevalent nowadays, what she likes to read most is the Confucian teachings of Confucius and Mencius. But unexpectedly… there is such a fact right in front of us.”

“What’s right in front of us is not necessarily the truth! Hmph, aristocratic families and royal families are the most cunning, making it hard to guard against them. Who knows if this is a frame-up?”

Fenghuang added another sentence, and he couldn’t help but reveal contempt in his eyes as he looked at Xiao Xian. “The most despicable thing is that people like you, who appear righteous and moral, can disregard the life of their own child for the sake of the so-called family reputation. You just drive her out and let her fend for herself. Haven’t you ever thought of investigating the truth and clearing her name?”

“Fenghuang.”

Xiao Jinyu called out again, and Fenghuang flicked his sleeve, snorted coldly, and stopped talking.

After a moment of silence, Xiao Jinyu asked again, “So, was I born because of this incident? And who is that man?”

✿✿✿

Fenghuang perked up again. Yes, this was the crux of the matter! He couldn’t help but look at Xiao Xian as well, listening attentively.

It was already late at night, and the sounds of birds and insects could be heard in the distance. Bathed in the moonlight, Xiao Xian looked rather forlorn. His slender fingers tightly gripped the armrests.

As if hesitating about something, after a long while, he softly replied, “The former General of the Right Guard, Han Zigao.”

“Han Zigao?”

Fenghuang couldn’t help but exclaim. This was undoubtedly another bolt from the blue, making his ears buzz.

“Is it the Han Zigao who came from a humble background and was highly valued by Emperor Wen?”

Xiao Xian nodded.

“Is it the Han Zigao who just died in the Ministry of Justice?”

Xiao Xian lowered his eyes and nodded again.

Fenghuang couldn’t help but clench his fists again, feeling utterly incredulous. Everyone in the world was talking about the relationship between Han Zigao and Emperor Wen. Emperor Wen neglected his wife and ignored his harem for Han Zigao. He almost made him his male empress. How could a male favorite of the emperor be involved with his aunt? Then, wouldn’t Qing Gege’s identity be…

“This incident made my aunt suffer so much injustice. That Han Zigao…”

“He wasn’t affected. After Emperor Wen ascended the throne, he entrusted him with important responsibilities and strictly prohibited the spread of this rumor.”

The so-called prohibition naturally involved some imperial iron-fisted methods. Fenghuang had indeed heard that after Emperor Wen ascended the throne, he severely suppressed and purged the aristocratic families in the Southern lands. Many aristocratic families had withdrawn from the political stage of the Southern Chen under the rule of this wise emperor. Some were even completely exterminated.

Now, whether it was the Southern Chen, the Northern Qi, or the Northern Zhou, they were all introducing talented individuals from humble backgrounds to counterbalance the aristocratic families. The power of the aristocratic families was far less than it was during the Wei and Jin period.

“This is really unfair…” Fenghuang sighed.

“There has never been fairness for women in this world.”

With that said, everything became clear.

Xiao Jinyu didn’t indulge in sentimentality. She raised her hand in a salute and said to Xiao Xian, “Thank you, Young Master Xiao, for telling me this. It’s getting late, and it’s inconvenient for me to keep guests here. Please return, Young Master Xiao.”

Xiao Xian’s eyes revealed pity and hesitation.

Looking at Xiao Jinyu, he couldn’t help but swallow, as if choking back tears. After pondering for a while, he said, “It’s right that you didn’t reveal your true face when you entered the residence today. You look… very much like him.”

“I know.”

This was the reason why the original owner’s mother repeatedly warned her not to reveal her true face. It was because she looked like that man, the man who ruined her mother’s life, made her unable to hold her head high, and forced her to die in a foreign land.

Her biological father.

“Since you have returned to the Southern Chen, you must have received your mother’s dying wish to return to the Xiao family. Why don’t you come back with me now?”

Xiao Xian suddenly said this, and Xiao Jinyu turned to look at him in surprise.

“You came to tell me about my family history today, you must have wanted to tell me that with my current identity, it’s not easy to return to the Xiao family. Even my mother is no longer a member of the Xiao family, how could you accept me?”

“It’s not like that, my mother…”

“Young Master Xiao Xian, I didn’t ask you to come here today to beg for your pity. Moreover, in your current situation, you may not be able to make decisions for the entire Xiao family. Your personal decision cannot represent the entire Xiao family, can it?”

Xiao Xian remained silent.

Then she said, “I asked you to come here because I want to discuss a deal with you?”

“What deal?”