The Splendid Brocade of the Painting Physician – Chapter 26

Chapter 26: First Meeting with Maternal Grandfather

The little girl looked up at Xiao Jinyu, her wet eyes full of fear, which was quickly replaced by surprise and curiosity.

“A’yuan, how did you run here? You made your mother search everywhere.”

Xiao Jinyu was about to speak when suddenly a woman’s voice came, her tone gentle but anxious.

The woman hugged the little girl tightly for a long time before looking at Xiao Jinyu.

“Thank you, Young Lady, for saving her.”

The woman said, clearly still a bit shaken. If Xiao Jinyu hadn’t picked up the girl just now, the girl who fell to the ground would have been trampled under the chaotic crowd, and the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Xiao Jinyu also looked at the woman for a long time before saying, “You’re welcome, it was just a small effort.”

“But this small effort saved my daughter’s life. Young Lady, what is your surname? Which family are you from? I will definitely visit you with my husband to express our gratitude another day.”

The woman wore her hair in a high bun, her upper body dressed in a jacket and a shirt, and her lower body in a pleated skirt. It was the most common attire for women at the time. However, she had a kind of demure and refined demeanor that only noble ladies from prestigious families possessed. Her eyes were gentle and bright, with a serene and compassionate light that made people feel close to her.

The moment their eyes met, Xiao Jinyu couldn’t help but feel a little lost, as memories from her previous life flooded her mind.

She still smiled and said, “Really, there’s no need. But, Madam, you should avoid worrying too much in the future. Soaking your feet in hot water before bed can help you sleep peacefully.”

The woman’s expression froze. Just as she was about to say something, a commotion erupted from the crowd again. The sound of horses neighing and hooves galloping came closer and closer. People screamed and scattered like birds and beasts. Xiao Jinyu looked up and saw a carriage with a cherry blossom canopy speeding towards them with lightning speed.

The horse was neighing and screaming as if it had gone mad.

Seeing that the carriage was about to run them over, Xiao Jinyu shouted, “Fenghuang, stop it!”

At the same time, Xiao Jinyu picked up the little girl, tapped her toes lightly, and pulled the woman back several feet.

Almost at the same instant, Fenghuang also leaped from the ground, shooting into the air like an arrow released from its string. He landed on the horse’s back, drew the dagger he always carried at his waist, and in a flash, plunged it into the horse’s throat.

The carriage finally came to a halt. The crowd, who had been too frightened to look, slowly opened their eyes. They saw a boy about ten years old riding on the back of the crazed horse, which had already fallen to its knees, blood gushing from its throat.

A scream erupted from the crowd again. For some pampered scholars who had never seen bloodshed, seeing so much blood gushing out was an extremely terrifying experience.

But this terror was quickly replaced by another voice.

“Who dares to kill my horse!”

Accompanied by a young woman’s delicate shout, a girl in a rose-red, gold-embroidered long dress rode up from behind the carriage. The girl looked no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, with almond-shaped eyes and long, slender eyebrows that extended into her temples. Her brows revealed a sense of authority even in anger.

Following her sharp question, a little maid in a palace dress with twin buns emerged from the carriage and quickly knelt before the girl, trembling: “Princess, I… I…”

“I asked, who killed my horse?”

The girl shouted again. At this moment, two more girls jumped down from the oxen and horses behind them and walked over, asking, “Princess, what happened?”

“I asked, who killed my horse!”

The girl pointed at the maid and asked again. The maid was terrified and sobbing. At this moment, Fenghuang jumped down from the dead horse and stepped forward, answering, “It was me!”

“Seize him!”

The girl gave an order, and more than a dozen guards surged forward. But then the girl shouted again, “Wait—”

The guards parted to the sides, and the girl walked over, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked at Fenghuang. Her gaze suddenly lit up and she couldn’t tear it away. At the same time, the two girls who had followed behind also froze, stunned.

The girl, who had been addressed as Princess, asked softly, “What’s your name?”

Fenghuang didn’t answer.

The girl then said, “I see you are plainly dressed, with fair skin and blue eyes. You must be a Northern Barbarian slave raised by someone, right? Your martial arts are good. It’s your skill to be able to tame this fierce horse. Why don’t you follow me from now on? I will make sure you have food and clothing.”

Fenghuang ignored her and turned to leave. The girl’s face turned pale, and anger flashed in her eyes.

“Wait, I’m talking to you, didn’t you hear me? Didn’t your master teach you manners?”

As she spoke, the girl stepped forward and reached out to grab Fenghuang’s shoulder. But at this moment, a fair hand reached out and tightly grasped her wrist.

“Princess, since you have a serious illness, don’t inflict it on others.”

Suddenly having her wrist grabbed, the girl was already displeased. When she saw a face faintly visible beneath the veil right in front of her, she couldn’t help but feel even more furious.

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“Who are you? How dare you grab my hand? And what do you mean by what you just said?” The girl asked angrily.

Only then did Fenghuang reply, “My Qing Gege means you are sick. Can’t you even understand this sentence?”

“What do you mean sick? You are the one who’s sick! You are cursing me! Someone, come—”

The girl was about to call for someone when she heard Xiao Jinyu say, “Are the princesses of the Chen Clan so ill-mannered that they don’t even understand the basic principle of gratitude?”

“What did you say?”

“Since you are talking about manners, then I have to ask, when did it become the Princess’s place to meddle in my affairs? Moreover, he is not a servant, but my family.”

“So what if I meddle in your affairs? Who are you? How dare you argue with me?” The girl was still defiant.

Xiao Jinyu sneered inwardly. This was a princess of the Chen Clan, just like Chen Jianchen back then. She didn’t understand etiquette, couldn’t grasp elegance, but had a fondness for handsome men.

“Food and sex are human nature, but even at your young age, Princess, you should know moderation.”

When Xiao Jinyu finished this sentence, the girl’s face flushed red and then turned pale. She pointed at Xiao Jinyu and shouted, “What nonsense are you talking about?”

But facing the surrounding gazes, the girl’s eyes clearly showed guilt.

“There is a saying, ‘Dwell in a good place, have a kind heart, and be benevolent.’ Since you are in a high position, Princess, you should also understand that water benefits all things without competing, and those in high places face danger, so they should exercise self-control and observe etiquette. Otherwise, if you gain the Dao, you will have many helpers, but if you lose the Dao, you will have few. Who would want to be on your side? Moreover, your words and actions represent not only yourself but also the face of your imperial family. Tell me, am I right?”

When Xiao Jinyu finished speaking, applause erupted from the surrounding crowd.

“That’s right! Well said! Just because she’s a princess, does that mean she can snatch boys on the street?” Someone shouted.

The street became agitated again, filled with a cacophony of voices.

Xiao Jinyu took Fenghuang’s hand and was about to leave when another voice came, asking, “What happened?”

The two stopped and saw three figures walking leisurely through the crowd, wearing wooden clogs. Two of them were young men, one of whom was Xiao Yun, whom she had met yesterday. And the other…

Xiao Jinyu narrowed her eyes. Perhaps it was because she had touched upon the original owner’s memories, but fragmented images flooded her mind again.

Among the three, the one who caught her attention the most was the elder walking in front. He looked to be nearing fifty, with a long beard, impeccably dressed, with bright eyes and an otherworldly air like an immortal.

According to the original owner’s memories, this was her maternal grandfather, the head of the Xiao family, Xiao Jian.

In her memories, Xiao Jian’s attitude towards the original owner was extremely strange, sometimes good, sometimes bad. When the original owner returned with her mother’s token, he took her in and treated her like a niece of the Xiao family, allowing her to study with the other Xiao daughters. But after the original owner became pregnant, this usually kind grandfather insisted on enforcing family rules and had the fetus aborted.

Later, when an envoy from the Zhou state specifically requested the original owner to be his concubine, he didn’t hesitate to send her away, even providing a substantial dowry.

As Xiao Jinyu was searching through these memories, she suddenly heard Princess Ningyuan’s voice, “Brother Crown Prince, you came just in time! This wretch… she bullied me!”

The three of them looked at her and Fenghuang at the same time.

At this moment, a gust of wind blew by, lifting the veil on Xiao Jinyu’s head slightly. Xiao Yun caught a glimpse of her jade-like chin and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Isn’t this the Divine Physician who visited our Xiao residence yesterday?”

When he said the words “Divine Physician,” Xiao Yun’s tone was clearly disdainful.

Xiao Jinyu simply took off her veil completely.

As she removed her veil, Xiao Jian’s gaze fixed on her face, his eyes filled with surprise and disbelief.

“A’luan?”

He murmured.

Xiao Jinyu met his gaze, curtsied slightly, and softly called out, “Grandfather.”

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