Painting Doctor Jinhua

Chapter 177: Countermeasures, Old Friend Reappears

"If His Majesty summons me to see you, I will claim to be sick and delay, or... let my second and third brothers help me?"

Gao Yanzong offered many suggestions, but Gao Changgong shook his head. Especially when Gao Xiaowan was mentioned, he rejected them harshly:

"No, last time after my eldest brother died, my third brother cried bitterly in the palace, which displeased His Majesty. Moreover, because of his status as the legitimate son, His Majesty has always been wary of him, fearing that we brothers would join forces to seize his throne...

In order to avoid arousing Gao Zhan's suspicion, we should... keep our distance from each other!"

Gao Yanzong understood what he meant and nodded with a little frustration. He had always known that although his fourth brother seemed cold on the surface, he was not a cold-hearted person. He still had feelings for them brothers. He was just afraid of getting too close and arousing Gao Zhan's suspicion!

After Gao Yanzong left, Xiao Jinyu and Gao Changgong summoned Butler Liu, Lu Yu, A Xiu and Ling Ye, and told them that all matters in the mansion would be handled by Butler Liu and A Xiu. For the time being, A Xiu would pretend to be the princess, stay at home due to her illness, and not leave the mansion!

But just when this decision was made, Butler Liu received an anonymous letter, which actually read: Let the Prince go to the Zhou Kingdom with peace of mind, and I will take care of the aftermath of the princess's affairs!

When they received the letter, Lanling Wang and Xiao Jinyu were very surprised. Who was the writer? How much did he know about their affairs?

In particular, Xiao Jinyu's identity as Xie Zhen was almost unknown to anyone except Cui Heng, Li Mi, Lu Yu, Ling Ye, A Xiu, and Gao Yanzong who only found out now.

They also believed that these people must be able to keep the secret.

But when Xiao Jinyu looked carefully at the handwriting of the writer, he seemed to have a guess in his mind, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes!

Gao Changgong asked her who she was thinking of?

She only smiled and replied: "It must be an old friend, Chang Gong, don't worry! This person only knows that you and Xie Zhen are on a diplomatic mission, but doesn't know my identity."

He put the matter aside and put the letter into the box.

The next day, Gao Zhan hosted a banquet for all the ministers in front of the Taiji Hall to see off Prince Lanling and Xie Zhen on their mission to present the jade bi to the State of Zhou. After Gao Zhan said some words of comfort, the delegation set off.

The delegation consisted of no more than 200 people, most of whom were Baibao Xianbei selected by Prince Lanling. Gao Yanzong also brought some private soldiers he had trained himself, Ling Ye brought a few of his own, and the rest stayed in Prince Lanling's mansion to help A Xiu deal with matters in the mansion.

When the delegation left Duanmen and drove out of Yenan City, the people on the street all came over and lined the streets to see them off. Some of the sisters-in-law in particular could not help feeling a little sad. In troubled times, when a husband goes on a long journey, especially to fight in a war or as a diplomatic mission to another country, they don't know when he will return, or whether he will be able to return at all.

And the fact that he is a handsome man like Lanling Prince makes people feel even more sad and pity.

As the carriages and horses gradually moved away, a song began to sound behind Prince Lanling and Xiao Jinyu:

"Love lives in the love place? Love loses its horse? Where to seek it? Under the forest."

"The bond between life and death is broad, tell it to your son. Hold your hand and grow old together with your son."

……

"So this is the Chenjun Xie family, the man with unrivalled talent, who became famous at the Southern Dynasty's elegant gatherings, and who defeated Zu Zhongshu in our Qi State with blind chess and poetry and calligraphy, Xie Zhen!"

"What a handsome and romantic man, truly elegant and refined, living up to the reputation of being the most powerful family in Jiangzuo!"

A sister-in-law couldn't help but sigh when she saw "Xie Zhen" standing upright on the horse.

"Hey, what do you mean by the first aristocratic family in Jiangzuo? Nowadays, there is no such thing as the Chenjun Xie family among the aristocratic families in Jiangzuo. There is only one Xie Zhen!"

"So what if he's just one person? He's already a third-rank official in Qi State. He alone is enough to support the entire Xie family!"

"That depends on whether he survives to come back. If he is gone, what is the use of all that empty reputation?"

At this point, the sisters-in-law who were gathered together fell silent. In this brief silence, a voice suddenly sounded and stood out:

"Don't say such unlucky words!"

When the sisters-in-law looked back, they saw Zheng Yue, who had a sad face but was dressed very beautifully!

"Zheng's Ayue, you actually went out. I thought you were so ashamed that you dared not see anyone again after pushing Princess Lanling down from the Bronze Sparrow Tower that day!"

"Yes! After this incident, let alone entering the gate of Lanling Prince's Mansion, I'm afraid Lanling Prince won't even look at you again, right?"

"Don't even mention watching it. I'm afraid you'll get sick of it. After all, it almost caused his princess to die!"

"Hey, why bother? People have many choices in life. Since Lanling Wang only has his princess in his heart, why must he push himself to death and make the person he loves unhappy?"

"There are many handsome men in the world. Even if he is the most handsome, if he doesn't belong to me, I can just look at him. After all, life is short and living is the most important thing!"

Amidst the discussions, a woman wearing a veil on her head said a few words that sounded like consolation or a sigh, then turned and left.

When the group walked out of the city gate, Xiao Jinyu couldn't help but look back, and saw that not far from the city gate, in the afterglow of the setting sun, there was a tall and slender figure of a woman in green who stood out among the crowd.

The woman's head was covered with a curtain, and she seemed to have disappeared in an instant.

Seeing Xiao Jinyu's strange expression, Gao Changgong hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"

"It seemed like I saw an old friend, but before I could see him clearly, he disappeared again."

"What old friend?" Gao Changgong asked with a soft smile.

Xiao Jinyu was unsure, and was afraid that speaking out would disappoint Gao Changgong, so she shook her head and said, "I can't remember. Maybe one day, this old friend will come to us on his own initiative."

Having said this, she looked at Gao Changgong again and said very gently and firmly: "So, Changgong, we must come back alive!"

"Of course!" Gao Changgong nodded heavily as if he was swearing an oath, and stretched out his hand to her under the sunset glow, gently shaking her hand.

Suddenly there was a shout, and more than a hundred cavalrymen rushed towards the official road in a mighty manner, raising a thick fog-like cloud of dust.

Watching the cavalry and the baggage caravan gradually walking away, the woman in black standing under the city wall couldn't help but let out a sad sigh.

"I hope you can return safely, and truly hold her hand and grow old together."

The woman's tone was somewhat mournful, and also seemed to be somewhat envious. She stood there for a long time, as if yearning, until another woman wearing a veil walked up to her and sighed, "I didn't expect the prince to be such a sentimental man. He is different from the other descendants of the Gao family. For this young lady from Lanling Xiao's family, he even turned down the marriage proposal from Xingyang Zheng's family!"

"But that young lady is so beautiful. If she stays alone in Prince Lanling's mansion, it will definitely cause trouble!"

The woman nodded and said, "Then let's go to Lanling Palace and take a look!"

Hearing this, the other woman couldn't help but ask happily: "Princess, have you... let it go now?"

The green-clothed woman who was called the princess was silent for a long time before she answered, "We can't just watch him being bullied by those treacherous villains. We should help him as much as we can!"

"Yes! Princess!"

"However, there is also Zheng Ayue, who seems to still be obsessed with the prince and can't let him go. I just tried to comfort her with a few words, but I don't know if this sister-in-law can listen to me."

"The little girl from the Zheng family is also quite good, but unfortunately, Xiao Guan met the miraculous doctor from the Xiao family... I hope this little girl doesn't have any evil thoughts..."

After a moment of silence, the woman continued, "I heard that this miraculous doctor has opened another Xinghua Yanyu Tower in Yecheng, Qi State as promised. Why don't we go to this Xinghua Yanyu Tower first to take a look!"

……

There is indeed an Xinghua Yanyu Tower in Yecheng. It is an abandoned house that Xiao Jinyu bought in Qidilifang. After renovation, it became a place for elegant people to have fun. It is still in its infancy. Because it is located in the secluded Xinghua Mountain Forest, although the scenery is beautiful, there are only a few guests coming here.

Xiao Jinyu sent a letter to have Yue Ying brought back from Pengcheng to be the manager of the Xinghua Yanyu Tower. He also recruited some waiters, but before the business could get off the ground, he went on a diplomatic mission to the State of Zhou with King Lanling.

Seeing such a deserted scene, the woman looked a little disappointed: "I thought this young lady could build a building in the Northern Qi in an instant and become famous! But it turns out that she is just talking on paper and lacks practical experience!"

"She has become famous, but she hasn't made good use of it yet. Doing business shouldn't be her main purpose. She should be doing it for..."

"Ladies, are you here in my building to enjoy the scenery, eat, drink and have fun?" A waiter came running over and asked enthusiastically but politely.

The woman in black nodded, and went into the building with the woman in red. As soon as they entered the building, the woman in black's eyes lit up, because the layout of the building was a beauty she had never seen before. There were no luxurious carved beams and painted buildings, high eaves, but it was like a very simple painting, with winding paths, flowing water, lush grass, and dotted wild flowers.

"I never thought that this young lady is not only good at painting, but also has a good grasp of geomancy! How could she build such a beautiful place for entertainment? It gives people a sense of peace and tranquility, as if they were returning home!"

"You mean, it feels like home, right?"

After the black-clothed woman finished speaking, the waiter sighed and said, "You two ladies are right. My boss said that this Xinghua Yanyu Tower should not only be a place for the rich and powerful to have fun, but also give the wanderers a sense of security as if they were returning home. When they are tired, they can come here to sit, drink tea, listen to music, or play Qushui Liushang, or ride the fastest horse!"

"According to what you said, business here should be booming!" Madam Wei interrupted.

The waiter replied, "The boss said, don't worry, what's coming will come eventually! Look, the two ladies are here, right? And we only do business two days a month, the first day and the fifteenth day!"

At this point, the waiter smiled very embarrassedly.

"Today is unfortunate. It's neither the first nor the fifteenth day of the lunar month!"

"What does this young lady want to do? Business is done every day. If she only does it two days a month, won't she lose a lot?" Madam Wei asked curiously.

The woman in black shook her head and smiled, "Not necessarily. As long as the reputation gets out, even if it's just two days, it's possible to make a fortune!"

"Why don't we help her and make the Xinghua Yanyu Tower famous?"

After a pause, he continued, "While making this name known, spread the rumor in Yecheng. I think that old woman will not ignore her precious son whom she personally raised..."

……

"Have you heard that there is a Xinghua Yanyu Tower in Qidilifang? The layout and games there are really unique. I heard that those who have been there are reluctant to leave..."

"Is it true? What place can compare to the largest Fengyue Tower in Yecheng?"

"It's different, it's different. Fengyue Tower is full of prostitutes, vulgar people, but those who go there are elegant people, and they play elegant things!"

"By the way, do you know who owns this building?"

"Who?"

"I heard that it was the Princess of Lanling who painted at the Bingjingtai Night Banquet and prayed for rain at the Tongquetai..."

"Really? Is this true? The princess can do business? Then we must go and take a look..."

"I just didn't finish my sentence. It was someone she knew..."

……

When rumors about the owner of Xinghua Yanyu Tower spread throughout Yecheng, another rumor started spreading!

"Oh, how pitiful! I heard that after Prince Lanling was sent by His Majesty to the Kingdom of Zhou, the Princess of Lanling fell ill because she missed Prince Lanling. His Majesty issued several imperial edicts in a row, summoning her to the palace in the name of the Queen Mother, the Queen, and even in the name of an audience with the Imperial Historian, but she claimed to be sick and did not go!"

"What illness? In my opinion, there must be something hidden. Why did Your Majesty summon her to see him? It's because..."

There was a lot of discussion in the tavern, and some bold people speculated privately, "Who wouldn't want such a stunning beauty? I heard that His Majesty deliberately sent Prince Lanling out to take advantage of the opportunity to attack the Princess Lanling..."

The rumor spread so widely that it soon reached the ears of Empress Dowager Lou. She was very angry when she heard the news, so she came to Zhaoyang Palace and saw Gao Zhan hugging a beautiful woman draped in a veil and having fun with her. She actually drew her sword and was about to stab the beauty. The beauty was terrified and knelt on the ground begging for mercy, but she was still stabbed in the heart by the sword and died on the spot!

"It is your fault for tempting the king to have fun!"

After Empress Dowager Lou said this, she rebuked Gao Zhan: "I ignored the opposition of the ministers and passed the Gao family's kingdom to you, hoping that you could keep the kingdom your father founded. But you...one Li Zu'e is not enough, and now you want to snatch the princess of Lanling King. Aren't you afraid of chilling the hearts of the ministers and officials?"

"Mother, please don't say such harsh words. You passed the Gao family's kingdom to your son just to expand the military and political power of your Xianbei Lou family. Who knows if one day, this Gao family's kingdom will become your Lou family's kingdom?"

"you--"

Empress Dowager Lou was so angry that her chest felt tight and she almost fainted. Fortunately, the old woman beside her supported her and she did not spit out blood.

"Queen Mother, let's go back! The princess said that you can't get angry!"

Despite the old woman's repeated dissuasion, Empress Dowager Lou's admonition came to no avail and she returned to her own bedroom.

"Queen Mother, Princess Lanling took great pains to cure you, please don't let your anger hurt your health again!"

"I don't know what sin I have committed. I gave birth to several sons, each one is worse than the other. I am not a heartless person. Changgong is a loyal and honest child, and he loves this Xiao girl so much. I don't want to make him sad. Besides, this granddaughter-in-law saved my life. How can I just sit back and watch?"

"I know what the Queen Mother wants, but Your Majesty... he has long been wary of you!"

……

After being scolded by Empress Dowager Lou, Gao Zhan lost his temper again in Zhaoyang Palace and even killed several palace maids with a sword before his anger slowly subsided.

He Shikai immediately advised, "Your Majesty, the health of the emperor is the most important thing. Don't get angry with the Queen Mother. This Princess Lanling is obviously hiding from Your Majesty. Since Your Majesty can't invite her, why not send someone to visit Lanling Prince's mansion directly? See if she is really bedridden?"

"If I send the Imperial Guards into Prince Lanling's Palace, I'm afraid those censors will criticize me again!"

"Your Majesty, there is no need to send the imperial guards into the palace. Why not let Lord Lu go on this trip?"