Painting Doctor Jinhua

Chapter 178 Princess Liyang's Lesson, Jade Bi Peace Talks

For several days in a row, palace eunuchs visited Lanling Prince's Mansion, which made Ah Xiu a little scared. Although the Xianbei boy beside the princess taught her some disguise skills, she could barely disguise herself to be similar to the princess in appearance, but the princess's demeanor and charm were unforgettable even without revealing her true face. This kind of aura and charm condensed in the bones of a noble family was something she could not imitate.

Just when he was feeling panic-stricken, another soldier came to report that someone was visiting outside Prince Lanling's mansion.

"Who is it?" Ah Xiu asked with a little fear.

"Two women, but Butler Liu has already gone to greet them!"

"well!"

As soon as Butler Liu opened the door, he began to greet the guests in a rude manner.

"My princess is ill and can't see anyone. No matter who you are, please leave!"

Before he could finish his words and was about to close the door, a slender hand reached out to him, with a bright red mole clearly visible on the wrist.

"Butler Liu, can't I come in too?"

A familiar female voice came to his ears, and Butler Liu saw the woman lift up the curtain in a blink of an eye, and a face that was originally stunningly beautiful but with a little bit of wind and dew came into view.

Butler Liu's eyes suddenly filled with tears. His knees softened and he knelt down, saying in a trembling voice, "Princess, you're back?"

"Let us both go in!"

"well!"

Butler Liu said yes repeatedly, and seeing that there was no one else outside the house, he led the woman in black and the maid beside her inside.

After entering the palace and arriving at the hall, Butler Liu fell to his knees and cried, mumbling:

"After you left, the prince looked for you for a long time and never gave up. He always felt that you had your own reasons for leaving him. The prince was not favored since he was a child and suffered a lot. He went to the military camp to gain experience when he was nine years old. He always followed General Duan or General Hulu to fight outside. He made many military achievements, big and small, and only then was he given the title of Lanling Prince and had his own mansion..."

At the end, I felt sad and happy.

"Princess, you are finally willing to come back and recognize the prince?"

The woman in black seemed to be suppressing her emotions. After a long while, she said, "Get up!"

"What happened to the princess the prince married? Was she really ill or faking it?" she asked.

Butler Liu was a little stunned, and hurriedly explained: "Princess, the princess is very good. She is especially good to the prince. I have seen it all during this period. The prince also likes her very much. The two of them are inseparable, like a pair of immortal lovers..."

"I know. I've heard their rumors. Where is she now? Take me to see her!"

When it came to meeting her, Butler Liu was a little hesitant, but he didn't want to go against the wishes of his old master, so he brought the woman in black and Madam Wei to the bedroom of Prince Lanling and Xiao Jinyu with some trepidation.

When Ah Xiu saw the stranger coming, she quickly covered her face with a veil, covered her mouth with her hands, coughed lightly a few times, and leaned back on the couch.

"It's the madam, the prince's mother..." Butler Liu reminded.

Ah Xiu was so shocked that she sat up from the couch and saw a dignified woman in black and a woman in red walking into the room. To her surprise, the woman in red was actually her old friend from Jiankang.

"Madam Wei, aren't you the proprietress of the Xinghua Yanyu Tower in Jiankang? Why are you here in Qi?"

Madam Wei looked Ah Xiu up and down, her eyes full of doubts: "You are not that young lady, are you? That young lady is always calm in the face of adversity, and she never changes her expression even when the sky is falling. How can you be so..."

Ah Xiu couldn't help but smile bitterly: "I knew that no matter how I tried to imitate my wife, I couldn't do it... Since you have seen through me, I don't have to hide it. I only ask that you two help our Princess keep the secret!"

"Then tell me, what's going on?"

The woman in black was none other than Lanling King's biological mother, Princess Liyang. Ah Xiu actually felt that the temperament of this woman was quite similar to that of the princess. Both were so noble and awe-inspiring yet unapproachable. However, the princess treated her loved ones and relatives with a friendly and approachable attitude, while she was only cold and arrogant towards her enemies or irrelevant people.

But this woman in black was like a rose blooming on the edge of a cliff, so cold and arrogant that no one could approach her.

Under Princess Liyang's questioning, Ah Xiu revealed that the princess was Xie Zhen. Madam Wei gasped in shock, and then remembered that during the Southern Dynasty, King Lanling had inexplicably summoned her to the embassy and made her drink tea for two hours before letting her go. Now thinking about it, it was all to cover up another identity for this young lady!

"This young lady is really... so bold!" Madam Wei couldn't help but sigh with her hands covering her mouth, "But she really does it again and again, making people look at her with new eyes!"

Princess Liyang said, "If those treacherous ministers knew about this, they would definitely whisper to Your Majesty and punish her for deceiving the emperor. Didn't the prince stop this?"

Facing the cold gaze of Princess Liyang, Ah Xiu dodged in fear and said tactfully: "The prince probably tried to stop him, but the princess said that the prince has no one in the court, so she will use the identity of Xie Zhen to resist those open and secret attacks for the prince!

For him, clean up the court!"

These words made Madam Wei burst into tears. She wondered what the princess felt, because the past had left deep pain in her heart. She gave up everything to pursue freedom and even refused to recognize her own son.

So many years have passed, and she has always been worried that the princess would be trapped in the hatred of the past and never want to wake up.

After hearing these words, even the most hard-hearted woman would be moved, right?

"Is the man of the Gao family worthy of her doing this?"

Princess Liyang sighed, then smiled and said, "She is indeed good, and worthy of being 'her' daughter!"

Ah Xiu couldn't understand what this cold and noble woman was saying. They were silent in the room for a long time. Suddenly, she heard the woman say to her in a commanding tone:

"No need to pretend to be her anymore. You can't pretend to have the pride in the blood of the Xiao family girl. On the contrary, you will only make things worse!"

"Yes!" Ah Xiu said ashamedly.

As soon as he finished speaking, Butler Liu came running to knock on the door again in a panic. Princess Liyang came out with Madam Wei and asked, "What's the matter?"

"Princess, someone else is here. It's that...that Lady Lu. A few days ago, Lady Lu was sent to the Dali Temple for interrogation for the assassination of Xie Zhen by His Majesty. She has been detained for some time. I don't know why His Majesty released her today.

The first thing she did after she came out was to run to our Lanling Palace and say she wanted to see the princess!"

Princess Liyang only thought for a moment, and a mocking smile appeared on the corner of her lips. After so many years, she never thought that the inconspicuous girl from the Lu family would become so arrogant!

"Don't panic! Then let me go and see him!"

Her words calmed the anxious hearts of Manager Liu and A Xiu.

This time, Lu Lingxuan did not bring any palace soldiers with her, but only a few guards and her own son, Mu Po. When she arrived at the gate of Prince Lanling's Mansion, she saw a woman in black walking out first. She looked awe-inspiring and even familiar.

"Aren't you Princess Lanling? Where is the Princess now? Your Majesty wants to summon her, but why do you keep refusing to comply by claiming to be ill?"

"Lu Lingxuan, you only know how to use His Majesty's oral orders to bully others. I haven't seen you for several years, but your ambition has not diminished at all. You have even achieved the status of a princess that is only available to women of royal family?" Princess Liyang said sarcastically.

"Who are you?" Lu Lingxuan asked sternly.

Princess Liyang then lifted the curtain, revealing a pale face that was more beautiful than any other.

Lu Lingxuan's pupils suddenly widened. She naturally remembered this face. She was the most beautiful woman in the Southern Liang Dynasty. Twenty years ago, Chen Xu presented her to Gao Cheng. Her beauty had already spread throughout Jinyang. Later, she was favored by Gao Cheng and soon had a child. Gao Cheng even wanted to abolish his wife and make her his principal wife. Fortunately, the ministers opposed it, so this did not happen...

"Liyang?"

"Yes, it was me. I heard that you had been sending people to assassinate my son on his way back to Yecheng from the Southern Dynasty, and even falsely passed on an imperial decree at the Yecheng Post Station to put him to death!

"Lu Lingxuan, how did my son offend you? It's fine that you bewitched the king, but aren't you stretching your hand too far?"

Lu Lingxuan smiled and said coldly: "Your son's biggest mistake was that he should not have repeatedly saved that slave Xiao Jinyu, and even married her as his princess..."

Princess Liyang walked up to her silently, and before she could finish her words, she raised her hand without warning and slapped her in the face.

The slap caught her off guard and even made her a little dazed. Mu Ti Po was about to call for help angrily, but unexpectedly, two tall soldiers strode forward from behind Princess Liyang and blocked Mu Ti Po like two walls.

The two warriors were very tall, strong and sturdy, and their aura was so overwhelming that Mutipo was speechless.

The mother and son heard Princess Liyang angrily scolding, "The daughter of Lanling Xiao family has such a noble status, how can you allow a lowly maid like you to insult her?"

"Lu Lingxuan, when you were young, you actually wanted to climb into the bed of Gao Cheng, the King of Bohai, who was a powerful official of the Eastern Wei Dynasty at that time. Unfortunately, he didn't like you and gave you to Luo Chao, a surrendered general of the Western Wei Dynasty.

It seems that he has a good eye for women. You are so ambitious that you even wanted your husband to rebel against the Eastern Wei and become emperor after the death of Emperor Shenwu Gao Huan!

If I tell His Majesty about these things, what do you think will happen to you?"

When Princess Liyang said this, Lu Lingxuan's expression was no longer just anger and shame. She was afraid that more people would hear it, so she even turned around and wanted to run away!

Unexpectedly, another stern question came: "And the death of my husband Gao Cheng, were you also involved in it?"

Lu Lingxuan clenched her fists in silence.

Princess Liyang, who slapped her, seemed to be still unsatisfied and continued, "Go back and tell His Majesty that Princess Lanling has left Yecheng and followed the prince to the Yubi of Zhou State because she missed her husband. There is no need to issue decrees again and again to invite her into the palace.

Besides, there are no unusual signs right now, and even if there are, as the female official of the Imperial Historian, she will report to His Majesty immediately. When there is nothing going on, there is no need to summon the ladies to the palace, right?"

This arrogant and domineering princess of a fallen country!

Lu Lingxuan gritted her teeth and taunted, "Liyang, you are just a princess of a fallen country. You were even toyed with by a short and ugly enemy who killed your grandfather and father. The Gao family is reluctant to give you a name. What qualifications do you have to teach me a lesson?"

After Lu Lingxuan finished speaking, she smiled triumphantly and hurried away with Mu Ti Po and a group of guards!

Along the way, Mutipo asked in confusion: "Mother, that woman... is what she said true?"

Although he was her son, Mutibo did not feel the mother's love. He was always scolded harshly and even treated like a slave.

Lu Lingxuan paused and glared at Mu Ti Po fiercely.

"Don't listen to things you shouldn't listen to!"

"Yes!"

Mutipo lowered his head in fear.

"What happened today..."

"I will report the truth to your majesty!"

……

After Lu Lingxuan left, Madam Wei immediately went to support Princess Liyang and consoled her: "Princess, don't listen to these dirty words, don't be sad, everything is over, it's not your fault..."

"You are not only a child now, but also a mother. The past cannot be changed, but the future can still be pursued. Let everything in the past go. You still have the prince. He misses you and has been looking for you. You know that..."

Before she finished her words, Princess Liyang had already supported her hand and said in a deep voice: "Don't say it, I know it all. Since I have decided to come back here, I can't avoid hearing these dirty words. I'm used to it!"

"Nothing, let's go in!"

Madam Wei nodded with tears in her eyes, and she took her hand and walked into Prince Lanling's Palace together.

……

Half a month later, Xiao Jinyu and King Lanling led the delegation to Yubi City of Zhou State. It was already autumn, with falling leaves and the autumn harvest season.

Seeing the rugged and naturally dangerous Yubi City in front of him, Xiao Jinyu couldn't help but sigh at its natural geographical advantages. No wonder this place was a bridgehead that the Northern Zhou Dynasty could defend in Hedong. It is said that Wei Xiaokuan cleverly used such geographical advantages to successfully defeat Gao Huan.

"Wei Xiaokuan is good at using spies and is the biggest spy chief in the Northern Zhou Dynasty!"

"This man loves to offer advice. Regardless of whether he personally participates in a war or not, he will present his own strategy to His Majesty of Zhou. But whether it will be adopted depends entirely on Yuwen Hu's decision!"

"Speaking of this, we have to talk about his relationship with Yuwen Hu. He must have been excluded by Yuwen Hu, so he has been guarding Yubi and has never participated in any wars. A famous general of his generation is idle here, which shows that Yuwen Hu is afraid of him!"

"Even though Yuwen Hu specifically asked him to be the negotiator for this peace talk, he still sent Yin Gongzheng, the doctor under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to Yubi to supervise Wei Xiaokuan's negotiations!"

Along the way, Ling Ye received the information from Xie Yuxuan from the Zhou Kingdom, and reported everything about Wei Xiaokuan to Xiao Jinyu and King Lanling.

Gao Yanzong couldn't help but ask in surprise: "You also planted spies in Zhou Kingdom?"

"He's not a spy, but one of my clansmen!" Xiao Jinyu replied as Xie Zhen.

Gao Yanzong looked at Xiao Jinyu for a long time, not quite understanding her. He couldn't help but marvel in his heart, secretly lamenting that after his fourth sister-in-law put on men's clothes, her behavior was not as gentle and charming as when she wore women's clothes, and she was as bold and heroic as a real man.

"Is this Yanzong's first diplomatic mission to another country?" Xiao Jinyu suddenly asked when she saw him in a daze.

Gao Yanzong nodded and replied, "Yes, but last time, it was also my first time to go on a diplomatic mission to the State of Chen. If I had known that my fourth brother would have such an adventure, I should have gone on a diplomatic mission with him! But it's too late to say anything now!"

"It's not too late. We didn't miss it this time, did we? However, the peace talks involve the interests and relations of the two countries, so we must be cautious. Therefore, Yanzong can just watch us from the sidelines. No need to say more!"

"Fourth... uh, yes! Thank you, Minister! I will listen to you. Fourth brother will listen to you, and I will definitely listen to you too!"

Xiao Jinyu couldn't help but look at Gao Changgong and smile, and the latter smiled back.

"We're almost there, Yanzong, be on high alert!" Gao Changgong suddenly said in a serious voice.

Several magnificent tents gradually came into view ahead, so Xiao Jinyu and Lanling Wang spurred their horses at a faster pace and galloped towards the tents.

Soon, he was stopped by a group of soldiers: "Who are you?"

Lanling Wang took out the cane that represented the Qi envoy and said, "The Qi envoy wishes to see the Grand Commander Wei of Zhou!"