The Splendid Brocade of the Painting Physician – Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Fenghuang’s Past

“It’s done! She agreed!” Xiao Ninth Miss quickly informed Xiao Yun that Xiao Ruoling had agreed to meet with Xiao Jinyu.

Xiao Yun immediately took a long golden brocade box and handed it to Xiao Ninth Miss.

“Have her give this to that girl as a thank-you gift.”

“What is this? Don’t tell me you’ve put drugs in here?” Xiao Ninth Miss opened the box suspiciously and saw a gold filigree openwork flower sachet and a pair of red gemstone and pearl drop earrings. The moment the box opened, a faint fragrance wafted out, smelling almost intoxicating.

“Eh, what’s this smell?” Xiao Ninth Miss quickly closed the box. “You really put drugs in it?”

“Of course not, it’s just a kind of incense that makes people feel intoxicated and ethereal, similar to the Five Minerals Powder. A little sniff won’t harm anyone. Alright, take it to Tenth Young Lady!”

Hearing that a little sniff wouldn’t cause harm, Xiao Ninth Miss felt relieved and picked up the box, preparing to head towards Lingqing Pavilion. After a few steps, she couldn’t help but turn back and ask, “Brother, is that lowly servant really as beautiful as you say? I don’t think so.”

Girls are always reluctant to admit that their relatives would praise another girl’s beauty in front of them, inevitably leading to jealousy.

“You’re still young. Maybe you’ll be even more beautiful than her when you grow up!”

Xiao Yun coaxed her with a sentence, and Xiao Ninth Miss left with a happy smile.

✿✿✿

“Qing Gege, what are you thinking about? Is there any hidden meaning in this blood letter?”

Since Yuan Rujing left, Xiao Jinyu had been carefully studying the blood letter left by Han Zigao. Not only that, she also took out all the relics left by her mother, Xiao Luan, and looked through them again.

Apart from a purple jade ring and an embroidered handkerchief, as well as a jade seal, a handwritten letter, land deeds, property deeds, and jewelry representing her identity as a member of the Lanling Xiao Clan, Xiao Luan didn’t leave any words or phrases to tell about her past or the cause of her death.

And why did this purple jade ring end up in her hands?

“I didn’t notice anything unusual in the blood letter. However, this purple jade ring…”

“What about the purple jade ring?” Fenghuang also looked over curiously and asked.

“《Xunzi·Dalue》 says: ‘To betroth someone, use a gui; to inquire about a scholar, use a bi; to summon someone, use a yuan; to break off relations, use a jue; to resume broken relations, use a huan.’ Giving a jue to someone signifies a decisive break.

《Guangyun》 also says: ‘Jue is like a ring but with a gap. An exiled official awaits orders at the border. If given a ring, they return; if given a jue, they are cut off, signifying a final decision.’ This means that if a relative or friend gives a jue, it signifies a complete severance of ties. If a king gives a jue to a minister, it implies exile.”

“Qing Gege, do you mean that if this purple jade ring was given to your aunt by a relative or friend, it signifies a break in relations, but if it was given by the king, it implies exile, forcing her to leave Jiankang?” Fenghuang asked curiously.

Xiao Jinyu nodded. “Yes, that’s probably what it means.”

“Then who gave this purple jade ring to your aunt?” Fenghuang pondered again.

Xiao Jinyu naturally didn’t know who gave it to her. She turned her gaze back to the blood letter left by Han Zigao and carefully placed the purple jade ring inside the blood letter written on silk. She thought to herself: Han Zigao treated Xiao Luan like this, although he made mistakes, his deep affection didn’t seem fake. And although Xiao Luan didn’t say anything, she must have harbored feelings in her heart. It’s truly a pity that the two of them ended up in such a tragic situation where they couldn’t see each other in life or death.

And the imperial edict he mentioned, since it wasn’t given to Yuan Rujing nor delivered to Xiao Luan, the only clue left is the Xiao family.

“Fenghuang, I remember you said that after my mother fled to Qi territory, she became the exclusive imperial physician of Emperor Gao Yang of Qi with her outstanding talent and medical skills, and later promoted to a third-rank female official, equivalent to the Grand Master of Splendid Happiness. At that time, she was just a young lady alone, right? How did she manage to reach Qi territory safely and eventually gain the appreciation of Emperor Gao Yang? And you…”

She wanted to ask, why were you willing to serve her so loyally? But when the words reached her lips, she stopped.

The playful smile on Fenghuang’s face disappeared. He remained silent for a moment before answering, “Your aunt wasn’t alone. From Jiankang to Qi territory, she had personal troops and even dozens of secret guards protecting her, but your aunt herself didn’t know about the existence of those secret guards.” He glanced at Xiao Jinyu’s questioning eyes and continued, “I know… because I have a very keen sense of hearing. Your aunt was assassinated several times in Qi territory, but those secret guards solved them all. At the same time, many secret guards were lost. Until your aunt’s death, those secret guards disappeared mysteriously. I don’t know if they were killed or withdrew on their own.”

Secret guards protecting her, could they be sent by Han Zigao?

Xiao Jinyu suddenly thought of the dream she had divined. Chen Shili had said these words: “Don’t think I don’t know. All these years, you’ve been sending people to inquire about that woman’s whereabouts, trying your best to protect her safety…”

✿✿✿

If everything in her dream was true, then is Xiao Luan’s death related to Chen Shili?

Thinking of this, Xiao Jinyu’s anger intensified, and she couldn’t help but clench her fists.

Xiao Luan’s death, Han Zigao’s death, and her own… This man was like a persistent ailment, haunting her even after death.

“Qing Gege—”

Her thoughts were pulled back again. She saw Fenghuang looking at her with concern. “You seemed very angry just now. Did I say something wrong?”

“Not at all, Fenghuang. You don’t have to be so careful. I trust you completely.”

I trust you completely!

Hearing these words, Fenghuang’s eyes lit up, seeming very happy. He continued, “Actually, my father was also a general in Qi territory. He fought for Emperor Wenxuan in all directions and won many battles, big and small. But in the end, just like General Han, he was framed and falsely accused of rebellion. All my father, brothers, and uncles were killed. I was also protected by my mother who risked her life to escape. Later, my mother also died. I was seriously injured and almost died. But when I woke up, I saw you and your aunt. At that time, you were feeding me medicine and told me that although the medicine was bitter, my wounds would heal quickly after drinking it…”

Speaking of this, the boy looked at Xiao Jinyu with gratitude and admiration in his eyes, which made Xiao Jinyu feel very uncomfortable. If this child knew that the person living in this body was no longer the former Xiao Jinyu, he would be very sad, right?

Although occasionally, she could still feel the original soul’s painful struggle and inner turmoil.

“Your aunt never asked me where I came from or why I was so badly injured. She just told me that if I had nowhere to go, I could treat her home as my own and regard her as my mother… Later, to avoid being hunted down, I really stayed with your aunt. And because you were about the same age as me, we addressed each other as brothers and called your mother aunt.” He paused and explained with a slight blush, “Actually, I always thought you were a boy at first, and only later discovered that you were a girl…”

After finishing speaking, he looked at Xiao Jinyu, observing her expression. But he saw that she didn’t seem to mind and even smiled.

Fenghuang’s mood became even more cheerful. “Qing Gege, you don’t blame me for hiding it?”

“Of course not. Everyone has their own little secrets. You telling me so much already shows great trust.”

After all, for a fugitive accused of rebellion, if someone with ulterior motives knew his identity, it would be a very dangerous thing for him!

Although this place was far away from Qi and it was a time of war between the three kingdoms, it was hard to guarantee that no one would treat him as a trophy and send him to the ruler of Qi.

So even if Fenghuang had reservations and didn’t tell her who his father was, it was enough. There was no need to ask further.

“Fenghuang, from now on, I want to learn martial arts from you!” Almost abruptly, Xiao Jinyu suddenly requested.

“Learn martial arts?” Fenghuang was surprised. “But Qing Gege is a girl and a physician. Why learn martial arts?”

“I also want to learn… how to kill!” Xiao Jinyu smiled enigmatically and said seriously in Fenghuang’s stunned silence, “In this chaotic world, we might encounter life-threatening situations at any time. Fenghuang… I can’t let you stand in front of me every time!”

Life is precious. In her past life, she died inexplicably at the hands of that person. Heaven had finally given her this chance to be reborn, but she was still trapped in an invisible web. How could she let her life be taken by others again in this life?

Xiao Jinyu pondered silently, while Fenghuang was immersed in her words, “I can’t let you stand in front of me every time!” His eyes welled up with tears. After a long time, he said, “Okay!”

Unknowingly, it was almost dusk. A’xiu prepared dinner according to Xiao Jinyu’s request. Just as they were about to eat, they saw a young girl in a white fox fur coat walk into the courtyard.

The visitor was none other than Xiao Ruoling, the Tenth Young Lady whom she had treated a month ago.