Painting Doctor Jinhua

Chapter 185 Liyang's Past

Li Mi looked at Gao Zhan, who was drunk and had completely lost his composure, and the concubines in the hall who were draped in gauze and fawning on him. He was so embarrassed that he could not bear to look at them. The tip of his pen fell on the book of daily records, and he did not start writing for a long time.

Remember or not remember?

If I remember it, will I be beheaded by this tyrant?

Especially when he saw "Xie Zhen" who was also shocked and embarrassed being dragged into the hall by Gao Zhan, this complicated feeling was even more self-evident!

Forget it. Even if I risk being beheaded, I have to make a remonstrance!

Throwing down the diary, Li Mi rushed over and advised: "Your Majesty, you are a little drunk today, why don't you invite Minister Xie another day..."

Unexpectedly, before he could finish his words, Gao Zhan raised his leg and kicked Li Mi. Although Li Mi could have avoided the kick, in order not to anger this tyrant, Li Mi still took it head on. He just slightly turned his body to avoid being kicked in the vital parts!

"Go away and don't interfere with my chat with Xie!"

Seeing Li Mi being kicked to the ground, Xiao Jinyu couldn't help but look at him with a trace of worry in her eyes. Li Mi just shook his head at her.

Gao Zhan was still a little drunk and forgot everything. He pulled Xiao Jinyu over and said:

"Didn't Mr. Xie say that he wanted to be my favorite minister? I will agree to your request today. I will let you experience what it feels like to be my favorite minister!"

"My woman, I'll give you as much as you want!"

"Where is my queen? Go and call her over!"

The eunuch nodded nervously and walked out of the hall with an uneasy heart.

Xiao Jinyu tried to break free from his hand, but he held her wrist even more tightly in his palm. At that moment, Gao Zhan's eyes suddenly lit up, and he said in a daze, "But why do I feel that Xie Qing's waist is thinner and softer than my concubine's, and her skin is more tender and smooth than my concubines'..."

The sudden words brought silence to the hall. He Shikai narrowed his eyes slightly, and Xiao Jinyu hurriedly took a step back and half-knelt on the ground.

"If Your Majesty really wants to reward me with a beauty, I would like one. I wonder if Your Majesty is willing to give it to me?" She immediately changed the subject.

"Oh? So Xie Qing still likes beauties! I thought..." Gao Zhan looked at her with interest and said, "Forget it! Who do you want? As long as I have someone, I will give it to you!"

Xiao Jinyu said solemnly, "I have heard that Princess Liyang is the most beautiful woman in Southern Liang, and I long for her. I wonder if Your Majesty can give her to me?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Gao Zhan sobered up immediately. The atmosphere became a little stagnant, so much so that the beauties who were laughing and running in the hall stopped in shock.

He Shikai looked at Xiao Jinyu even more deeply, with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

However, this result made him quite satisfied.

"Princess Liyang?" Gao Zhan sighed softly, "I have already named her the Lady of Liang and wanted to take her into the harem, but she refused and even rebelled against me, saying that she was carrying the hatred of the country and the family, and was an unlucky person. She needed to enter a Buddhist temple to cleanse her sins before she could enter the mortal world.

It's beautiful, but it's really boring!"

Such cold and disdainful words made Xiao Jinyu feel a chill down her spine and sweat on her palms. After enduring for a long time, she tentatively asked:

"So she... is she still alive?"

Gao Zhan's gaze also condensed slightly, and time seemed to stop for a moment, and it seemed extremely dead silent. Just when Xiao Jinyu was feeling angry, she heard Gao Zhan laughing.

"Xie Qing, what are you talking about? I am not a person who would squander natural gifts. Such a beauty should be treasured. How could I let her die?"

"It's just a small punishment!"

As he was speaking, a woman in bright yellow palace dress and with a hair full of colorful hairpins walked in.

"Your Majesty, what is the matter with summoning me here?"

Gao Zhan raised his eyelids slightly and looked listlessly at the woman who was nominally his first wife, his queen, Hu. Since he ascended the throne, he had tasted all the beauties in the world, especially after he got his second brother's queen Li Zu'e, he no longer had any personal interest in Hu. This woman was also very unwilling to be lonely, so she hung out with his favorite minister He Shikai.

It's not that he didn't know about this, but he just didn't care.

"Go away! I am tired of seeing you. I originally wanted to give you to my beloved Minister Xie, but he didn't like you, so go away!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Xiao Jinyu's heart skipped a beat, and the next moment she saw Queen Hu's face turn pale!

This is attracting hatred to her!

"Go and bring Xiao... that is, the Princess of Liyang. Since Minister Xie wants her, I will give her to him!"

The eunuch took his leave. About half an incense stick of time later, the eunuch came in with a woman with long hair and black clothes. The woman's face was a little haggard, but still looked gorgeous and beautiful. The moment her eyes met, she seemed to understand something. A hint of surprise flashed in her dark, bright and slightly sad eyes, but it was only for a moment, and she raised her head again, posing as if she was ready to die.

"Go, my beloved minister wants you, so go and serve him well!"

Gao Zhan was somewhat impatient with her cold attitude, so he ordered the eunuch to push her next to Xiao Jinyu.

"Who are you? How dare you touch this princess!"

Princess Liyang shouted at Xiao Jinyu.

Gao Zhan sneered and said, "Your Liang is dead, so don't call yourself a princess in front of me. Only my elder brother can tolerate your temper!"

"Go! Follow Minister Xie and leave. I don't want another Li Zu'e to appear in my harem!"

Having said this, he seemed a little tired and waved to Xiao Jinyu.

"I am tired. Xie Qing has been traveling for several days and must be tired too. Let's take this beauty back to rest!"

"Yes!"

Princess Liyang seemed to want to make a fuss, so Xiao Jinyu simply knocked her out and carried her out of the palace!

"I didn't expect that Mr. Xie, who is so gentle and refined, could be so impatient!"

Gao Zhan looked at the receding figure of "Xie Zhen" and uttered a heartfelt sigh as if he was just watching a show.

There was a changeable look in He Shikai's eyes.

"Your Majesty, I think Minister Xie is indeed a little strange."

"What's so strange about it?"

"He is not interested in any of the young beauties in this palace, but is interested in Princess Liyang, a middle-aged woman who is more than ten years older than him. Isn't this strange? Is he interested in this woman, or is he interested in Lanling Prince's mother?"

Gao Zhan pondered for a while, and he and Shikai thought they had finally convinced him. But when they took a closer look, they saw that the emperor, who was so energetic and excited just now, had fallen asleep while standing!

"His Majesty--"

He Shikai called out softly, and then there was a thud, and people and horses fell to the ground in the hall!

……

After bringing Princess Liyang back to Prince Lanling's Mansion, Xiao Jinyu immediately called A Xiu to boil some hot water for Princess Liyang to bathe, and to check if she had any injuries.

When her clothes were taken off, Madam Wei saw some red marks on her body as if she had been whipped, and she couldn't help but whimpering softly.

A trace of resentment flashed across Xiao Jinyu's eyes, and she secretly clenched her fists. Soon she discovered that there was a tattoo on her shoulder. It was a rose with the words "Don't forget" written on it.

Looking at Princess Liyang's face that seemed to have experienced many vicissitudes of life, Xiao Jinyu felt a dull pain in her heart.

Twenty years ago, Liyang was also a carefree and innocent girl who was pampered by her closest relatives. She enjoyed the wealth and infinite love bestowed by the Xiao royal family. However, it was these closest relatives who used her as a bargaining chip to exchange interests for their enemies who were worse than pigs and dogs when the country was destroyed and the family was ruined.

"My dear, what should we do with the injuries on the princess' body?" Madam Wei couldn't help but ask.

Xiao Jinyu then instructed Ah Xiu:

"A Xiu, go get some ointment. Apply it on her after she bathes. Then, boil some medicine for her to drink. I'll write the prescription for you right away! Go to the storehouse in the mansion to get the medicine!"

"Yes, Princess!"

Ah Xiu brought out the pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and Xiao Jinyu quickly wrote the prescription and handed it to her.

"So, she is Princess Liyang! But she seems to look a little different from before. She used to be so innocent and bright, but now I feel like there is a hint of hatred and sadness between her brows."

Even Xie Yuxuan could feel the grief and indignation in her heart, as well as her unwillingness to succumb to her fate.

"who the hell are you?"

Madam Wei looked at Xie Yuxuan in a daze, "You look a lot like Xie Yuqing, the eldest daughter of the Xie family, but you can't be her. Madam Xie should have been dead a long time ago. The flames of war burned so many people's hopes, destroyed so many noble families, and killed so many people!

How many innocent and beautiful girls have had their fates overturned since then, living a life completely different from before, from heaven to hell! "

"You're talking nonsense, my sister is still alive... She won't die, never..." Xie Yuxuan retorted, but for some reason, the more she refuted, the deeper the pain in her heart became, and the more tears flowed out.

My elder sister is clearly right in front of me, and she has clearly confirmed the facts, but those past events are so deeply engraved in my heart... so deeply that I can never forget the despair and pain!

"Madam Wei, who are you?" Only then did Xiao Jinyu have time to ask Wei Qi the question.

Madam Wei smiled bitterly and said, "I was Princess Liyang's childhood playmate, her servant, and her close friend. I grew up with her, experienced the fall of the country and the destruction of the family, and wandered with her, trying to survive in the chaotic world."

After Madam Wei said this, Xiao Jinyu fell silent and couldn't bear to ask any more questions.

"Liyang had a very hard life. She had received a lot of kindness from many people, including her family and lover, but it was also these people who hurt her the most. She was so confused for a long time and despaired of the emotions in this world, including the love between mother and child.

That's why she left this home that didn't give her a place and went to another country.

She had been to Zhou State, Chen State, and also to Xiliang State, a country in Jiangling where only a palm-sized piece of land remained. She started a business and was able to make a living in this troubled time with her own hands, no longer relying on her so-called relatives or husband.

However, although her life gradually settled down, she always felt lost and could not feel the warmth of home. Until that day, she saw her son proposing to the young lady in front of the emperor, and then heard all kinds of rumors about you. Only then did her heart, which had been cold and empty for a long time, gradually feel a little warm.

Later, I heard that you were being hunted on your way back to Qi State, so I brought me to Qi State to see if I could help you.

Maybe in Liyang's heart, she regrets not having obtained or lost everything, and wants to see perfection in you! This is what she once longed for..."

When Madam Wei said this, she looked at Xiao Jinyu and smiled.

"My dear, I knew that your life must be extraordinary. You must be a blessed person. It is worth it that I once brought you and the prince together!"

It turned out that Chang Gong desperately ran into Prince Shixing's mansion to save her that day, and it was Madam Wei who deliberately led him there!

It really is……

"Young lady, you won't blame me, will you?"

Madam Wei made an expression of panic and fear.

Xiao Jinyu smiled and said, "Chang Gong is a very good person. I won't suffer any loss if I marry him. How can I blame you?"

"That's right. Even if all the men in the Gao family are beasts, Prince Lanling won't be one. He is the son of my princess, and my princess is such a good person! Don't you think so?"

Xiao Jinyu nodded again and answered yes with a smile. Xie Yuxuan stood aside awkwardly.

"Madam Wei, can you tell me about Princess Liyang's past? What did she go through after the fall of Liang?"

Hearing this, Wei Qi's face became heavy. She glanced at Princess Liyang who was still in a coma and sighed lightly. When Ah Xiu came to get the medicine and gave Princess Liyang a bath and applied the medicine, she signaled Xiao Jinyu and Xie Yuxuan to walk out of the ear room and go to another side hall.

"Since you've married the prince, I should tell you everything about her. I hope you can be more considerate and take care of her on behalf of the prince... Let her let go of the past and face her present life happily!"

Xiao Jinyu nodded.

"Don't worry about that!"

Madam Wei then started talking about the past...

It turns out that when Liyang was presented to Gao Cheng by Chen Xu, it was not the first time she met Gao Cheng.

On Liyang's fourteen-year-old birthday, her father, Prince Jin'an, fulfilled her first wish and allowed her to go out for fun for the first time. At that time, there were many pleasure boats of aristocratic families drifting on the Qinhuai River in Jiankang. Among them, the black-clothed descendants of the two major clans of Wang and Xie were the most dazzling and eye-catching.

But she fell in love with a man who was joking and frivolous in his words, but could always find her weakness and make her laugh. That man also liked to wear a mask, as if he didn't want acquaintances to recognize his face. When he was in Jiankang, his whereabouts were always unknown, and he was surrounded by many followers whose identities were as mysterious as his.

Just like the scenes in picture books, he also saved her and fought off many scoundrels who wanted to rob her because of her beauty.

When faced with powerful protection, a girl's admiration for the strong is most easily satisfied, but she can also easily fall.

Especially since this man was very mysterious and didn't want to reveal his name. She asked him many times, but he always found excuses to avoid the question. Until one day, Hou Jing's troops attacked Jiankang City, and she was confined to the Jin'an Prince's Mansion. Her father ordered her not to leave the mansion again. After her father returned from a trip to Taicheng, he was full of sorrow and fear.

She heard her mother crying and begging her father, "Don't send Liyang away. She is still young, not even old enough to wear a hairpin! That Xianbei Hu man is already in his forties or fifties. How can my princess Xiao be trampled on by such a person who is worse than pigs and dogs? You might as well kill her!"

"But if we don't hand over Liyang, our Xiao family and the entire Xiao royal family will suffer a devastating disaster. It's worth exchanging a daughter for the lives of the entire family..."

The mother collapsed and cried on the ground. She was terrified when she heard the news. During the days of house arrest, she had been hoping that someone would come to save her. Until one day, she finally found that person.

This man seemed to have means and abilities that she could not imagine, and he could always find a way to do what he wanted, including rescuing her from the palace.

As for her who was rescued, her mental defenses were already weakened to the extreme. She just trembled and hugged him tightly, begging him: "If you save me, don't let my father give me away, I will repay you. Whatever you want, as long as I have it, I am willing to give it to you!"

"Including your people?" the man said in his usual joking tone.

Although she was timid and nervous, and it was even her first time to have such close contact with a man, she mustered up her courage and even tears were about to flow.

"Yes, including my people. If you help me kill Hou Jing, the enemy who caused chaos in Daliang, I will be yours!"

"Okay!"

The man's voice was gentle, yet powerful. As soon as he finished speaking, he easily picked her up by the waist and placed her on the couch with the red curtain fluttering.

"Instead of letting you commit yourself to a short and ugly Hu man, why not give me your pure body? I will treat you well."

The man took off his mask, revealing a very handsome face, with a deterrent power that made people submit to him with every move he made. He also exerted this domineering and deterrent power on her as they lingered on each other in the quilt.

Only after seeing the most precious chastity of a woman fall on the silk did she feel the belated fear.

"who are you?"

After the man put on the pure white black-patterned narrow-sleeved Hu clothing, he turned around and smiled at her. Then, he turned over and pushed her down, saying in her ear: "The most beautiful woman in the Southern Liang Dynasty is really good. Remember my name, my name is Gao Cheng."

"Once I'm done, I'll take you to my country, Wei!"