Painting Doctor Jinhua

Chapter 190 Saving Gao Xiaowan with Wisdom

After being shot by the arrow, Xiao Jinyu only stayed in bed for seven days. During these seven days, rumors in Yecheng were circulated version by version, and they fermented to an outrageous level. Xiao Jinyu also asked Ling Ye to send people to closely monitor the every move of He Shikai and Lu Lingxuan.

Now Ling Ye has trained a group of secret agents for her. By training them in the Xinghua Yanyu Tower, they are slowly infiltrating into some of the aristocratic families entrenched in Yecheng.

Lu Lingxuan and He Shikai are of course the focus of attention.

After learning the news that He Shikai had entered the Lu Mansion, Xiao Jinyu anticipated that the two would definitely take the next step and insisted on staying in the palace. Xie Yuxuan naturally strongly opposed it, but still could not overcome her persistence.

Princess Liyang did not say anything against it. She just held her hand, repeatedly reminded her to be careful, and then told Ling Ye to follow closely and protect her.

Even Gao Yanzong was worried, so he brought a group of troops to follow secretly.

……

As soon as Gao Zhan heard the words "Minister Xie", his eyes lit up. He had been a little absent-minded these past few days. He even lost interest in the beauty in his arms and did not even go to the harem. All he did every day was drink and think about life.

At this moment, seeing "Xie Zhen" walking into Zhaoyang Palace, he was still as slender as jade, tall as a pine tree, with the elegant and graceful demeanor unique to the sons of the Jiangzuo gentry. However, he looked very weak, and his lips, which were as rosy as flower petals in the past, were now pale and bloodless.

"Xie Qing, how are you injured? Thanks to you this time..."

Gao Zhan's eyes were filled with gratitude and a hint of shame.

"I am much better now. Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty!"

Gao Zhan seemed to raise his hand to hold her up, but then he seemed to think of something and ordered the eunuch:

"Hurry up and give Xie Qing a seat!"

Xiao Jinyu refused and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will not stay here any longer. I came here to fulfill my promise seven days ago. If Your Majesty suspects that Prince Hejian is rebelling, I am willing to search and confiscate Prince Hejian's mansion on Your Majesty's behalf. I only ask Your Majesty to give Prince Hejian a chance for a fair trial by the Dali Temple!"

Hearing this, He Shikai's eyes lit up and he couldn't help but sneer, "Minister Xie, are you serious about what you said? Are you really willing to search the Hejian Palace? Aren't you afraid that Gao Changgong will know about this and regard you as an enemy?"

Xiao Jinyu looked at He Shikai and said with a smile: "Minister He is wrong. Regardless of whether the Prince of Hejian is guilty or not, I will handle the matter impartially. Lanling Prince Gao Changgong will never bear grudges like this. Minister He should not be so cautious!"

"you--"

He Shikai was about to say something, but Gao Zhan interrupted him and said, "Okay, Yan Tong, stop arguing. Minister Xie's words make sense, and he doesn't seem to be partial to anyone. Let him handle this matter!"

"As for the Buddha tooth you mentioned, let Minister Xie take a look for me! What kind of treasure is it?"

Buddha tooth?

Xiao Jinyu thought for a moment, then put his sleeves together and answered, "Yes!"

"In order to show fairness, please order the Minister of the Capital, Bi Yiyun, and the Minister of the Supreme Court, Sima Maozong, to go together and supervise me in handling this matter!"

As soon as these words came out, Gao Zhan's eyes suddenly showed approval: "Okay!"

"By the way, Mr. Xie has made great contributions in his mission to Yubi City of Zhou State. I have not yet rewarded you. I will formally announce the reward to Mr. Xie at the morning court tomorrow!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"Then go and get busy!"

"Yes!"

Just as Xiao Jinyu was about to leave, Gao Zhan unexpectedly asked, "Xie Qing, are you still able to bear it? It would be ok if we can do this in a few days!"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am fine!"

Gao Zhan nodded, and immediately sent a eunuch to call Bi Yiyun and Sima Maozong, and also transferred a troop of imperial guards to "Xie Zhen" for command.

Seeing the tiger talisman that symbolized the imperial army, He Shikai's eyes widened, thinking to himself: Isn't this too much of a joke? It's not just a piece of cake or a candy, is it just given to Xie Zhen to "play" with?

"Your Majesty, this thing cannot be given to you. This belongs to the Imperial Guards..."

"Ye City is not peaceful right now. Thank you for going on my behalf. The journey may be dangerous and unpredictable. In order to prevent assassins from happening again, let him control this imperial army first! When the task is completed, you can return the tiger talisman to me!"

Gao Zhan's words dumbfounded Bi Yiyun and Sima Maozong who had just entered the palace. His Majesty actually trusted Xie Zhen so much. Could it be that this talented young man would be another favorite of the emperor after He Shikai?

Xiao Jinyu naturally didn't know that Gao Zhan's words had already caused a huge wave of emotions in the hearts of the people in Zhaoyang Palace, so she just said calmly: "Yes!"

He dispatched a group of dozens of imperial guards to the Hejian Palace, with Bi Yiyun and Sima Maozong following beside him.

……

When a group of imperial guards led by Xie Zhen entered the palace in a menacing manner, Gao Xiaowan did not seem surprised. Or rather, he had been waiting for this moment every moment for the past seven days, and the time for fear and anxiety had passed.

Seeing the arrival of the imperial guards, I felt a sense of relief!

But what he didn't expect was that the person in charge was actually Xie Zhen, whose talent was so famous that he was admired by scholars all over the world!

He had also been impressed by the young man's talent, so when he heard others mocking and slandering Xie Zhen in the Xinghua Yanyu Tower, he could not help but stand up and refute them. Unfortunately, his luck was so bad that he happened to meet His Majesty!

Could it be that Xie Zhen is going to be a treacherous minister like He Shikai?

"There are rumors that His Royal Highness Prince Daohejian has a straw man in his palace and shoots it with arrows every day. Some people say that this straw man is His Majesty!"

Before Xiao Jinyu finished speaking, a woman shouted, "That person is talking nonsense. Your Highness did make a straw man, but that was not Your Majesty, it was..."

The person who spoke was Gao Xiaowan's princess Lu. As soon as Lu opened her mouth, Gao Xiaowan immediately interrupted her.

"Let Minister Xie finish what he is saying!"

Xiao Jinyu looked at Gao Xiaowan and continued, "Someone else said that there is a glowing Buddha tooth in your highness's storehouse. It is very rare and is regarded as a treasure. Your Majesty wants me to bring it to the palace to see it!"

Gao Xiaowan replied, "Okay, I will obey your Majesty's order!" He immediately ordered the steward in the palace, "Come here, take out the tooth of the Buddha and give it to Minister Xie to present to your Majesty!"

"Yes!"

The steward obeyed the order and entered the mansion. After a while, he took out a Buddha tooth from the storeroom, placed it on a jade plate, and presented it to Xiao Jinyu.

Xiao Jinyu saw that the Buddha's tooth was indeed glowing with golden light.

Legend has it that the Buddha's tooth is the tooth of Sakyamuni, symbolizing wisdom and compassion. It is also a symbol of power and is an extremely precious collection.

Gao Xiaowan was a person who was too proud and conceited. Even if he had no intention of rebelling, a Buddha tooth could easily give people a reason to criticize him!

He must have suffered the same fate in his previous life.

Just as Xiao Jinyu and Gao Xiaowan were staring at each other face to face, the imperial guards who had entered the mansion to search came out carrying a straw man.

"Thank you, Minister. There is indeed a straw man in the backyard, shot with several arrows. However, there is a message written on the back of the straw man."

"What is it?"

The guard turned the straw man over and saw the following words written on a piece of white silk: The treacherous minister He Shikai, deceived the emperor and killed loyal and good people indiscriminately, he shall not die a good death!

Xiao Jinyu didn't say anything, but Bi Yiyun and Sima Maozong looked at each other, sighed softly, and made an expression of enlightenment.

"Minister Bi, what do you and Sima Qing think about this matter?" Xiao Jinyu asked.

Bi Yiyun's eyes were uncertain and his expression was difficult to discern, but Sima Maozong looked angry.

"It must be that He Shikai deliberately framed me... Take the words on this white silk and present them to Your Majesty as evidence!" Sima Maozong said.

Xiao Jinyu nodded, took the white silk and prepared to leave, but at this moment, a woman in the mansion ran out and cried loudly:

"My dear gentlemen, please take me away from here. His Highness the Prince of Hejian is plotting rebellion. I have discovered his plot and will kill him. Please take me away!"

The woman's words were like a stone dropped into the water, causing the water to splash everywhere. Gao Xiaowan, his princess consort, and other concubines all changed their expressions in horror.

Princess Hejian was so angry that she wanted to hit the woman, but was pulled back by Gao Xiaowan.

"who are you?"

Xiao Jinyu walked up to the woman and asked.

"I am a concubine of His Royal Highness Prince Hejian!"

"How long have you been in the mansion?"

The woman looked at Xiao Jinyu in confusion and fear, and replied, "Less than... two months!"

"Is there any evidence that King Hejian is plotting rebellion?"

The woman raised her head and answered, "There is a portrait in the study of His Royal Highness Prince Hejian. It is of His Majesty. His Royal Highness cries in front of the portrait every day and curses His Majesty. In addition to the Buddha's tooth, there are also some spears and flags in His Royal Highness's storehouse. There should be hundreds of them. If you don't believe me, you can go in and check!"

Bi Yiyun and Sima Maozong were a little hesitant, so Xiao Jinyu ordered the guards behind him to go into the warehouse to check, and asked the woman:

"What's your last name? Who are you? Where do you live?"

"My surname is Chen, and I am just the daughter of an ordinary... merchant family. My home is just 50 miles outside of Yecheng!"

Chen? Xiao Jinyu couldn't help but take a second look at this woman. At first glance, she didn't feel anything, but after a closer look, she actually felt that she looked a little familiar.

At this time, a guard came out and handed a portrait to her.

After Xiao Jinyu read it, he immediately ordered: "Come here! Capture Chen for me!"

"Yes!"

The two guards behind him responded and immediately brought the kneeling woman over. The woman was puzzled and shouted at Xiao Jinyu, "It was His Royal Highness Prince Hejian who had a rebellious heart. Why did you arrest me?"

Xiao Jinyu raised her hand and slapped the woman hard!

The woman was a little dazed after being beaten, and so were Bi Yiyun, Sima Maozong, and everyone else in the Hejian Palace.

Gao Xiaowan's face was ashen, but now he heard Xiao Jinyu angrily say, "You have only been in the mansion for two months, and you have the guts to falsely accuse the master. You don't look like the daughter of an ordinary family. I suspect you are a secret agent of the Zhou Kingdom lying in ambush here, or a spy for an official in the court?"

After saying that, he showed the scroll in his hand to everyone.

What I saw on the scroll was a portrait drawn with extremely crude brushstrokes. It was impossible to tell who was in the painting, which showed how poor the painter's painting skills were!

"Can anyone recognize that the person in this portrait is His Majesty?"

Xiao Jinyu asked, and everyone shook their heads. Bi Yiyun and Sima Maozong looked at each other, looking even more embarrassed!

"Your Majesty is wise and brave, with a magnificent and handsome appearance. How dare you say that such an ugly portrait is of Your Majesty? Are you scolding Your Majesty?"

The woman's face suddenly turned pale with shock, and she just shook her head desperately to explain herself, but at Xiao Jinyu's signal, two guards dragged her out!

Bi Yiyun wanted to laugh, but couldn't.

Gao Xiaowan was surprised but also a little embarrassed, after all, the portrait was indeed painted by him!

It’s just that the person he painted was his father, Emperor Wenxiang Gao Cheng. Although his painting skills were not good, it was just a way for him to express his longing for his father!

At this time, several more guards ran out of the mansion, one holding a spear and the other holding a flag, and placed them in front of Xiao Jinyu, Bi Yiyun and Sima Maozong.

When they looked, they found that the spear was clearly made of wood and had no lethality at all, and the flag looked more like a child's toy.

"Is this the evidence of treason you mentioned?"

Sima Maozong turned his head and looked at the woman Chen.

Chen was shocked and asked, "Isn't this enough to prove that he has a rebellious heart?"

Sima Maozong shook his head and sighed.

At this time, Xiao Jinyu said, "Let's let the Dali Temple investigate and see who is the master behind her."

Chen suddenly screamed in fear: "No, I don't want to go to the Dali Temple, Gao Xiaowan, you are the one who let me down, you are the one who let me down..."

Xiao Jinyu couldn't help but look back, and saw that Chen's eyes were filled with resentment and a crazy desire for revenge.

The look on Gao Xiaowan's face when he looked at her was nothing but sympathy, without any trace of any secret love between a man and a woman!

Where does the hatred and resentment come from?

After collecting all the evidence, Xiao Jinyu announced another decree:

"Hejian Prince Gao Xiaowan has disrespected Your Majesty and spoken wildly. He will be punished with 20 strokes of the cane and all the items stored in his storehouse will be confiscated. From today on, he will be confined to the Hejian Prince's Palace and cannot leave without an imperial decree!"

"Come here, cane the victim!"

Gao Xiaowan's expression changed drastically. He looked at "Xie Zhen" with some disbelief, and suddenly smiled bitterly.

"I thought that Xie Zhen, who was so talented and intelligent and dared to speak out and curse the emperor Chen Xu in the Southern Dynasty, must be a man of integrity and courage. He would not associate with a treacherous villain like He Shikai. I didn't expect that..."

Before he could finish his words, he was escorted to a stool by two imperial guards. As the bamboo boards fell on Gao Xiaowan's body, everyone in the Hejian Palace began to cry and beg.

But Xiao Jinyu just glanced at Gao Xiaowan and said nothing more. After the twenty beatings were over, she led the imperial guards out of the mansion.

"Is it not for the sake of boasting reputation that I become haggard and sad? I would rather fly with the sparrows than with the swans!"

"Xie Zhen, I hope you remember this!"

I never thought that Gao Xiaowan had such an unruly side!

Xiao Jinyu couldn't help but look at him again and replied, "Then do you know what happened to the person who said this?"

"Too hard, easy to break!"

Gao Xiaowan was stunned for a moment, and gradually fell into deep thought: "I would rather fly with the sparrows than follow the swans." This sentence was said by Ruan Ji, one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. Ruan Ji and Ji Kang were friends. Ji Kang was killed because of his arrogant refusal to cooperate with the Sima court. Ruan Ji was extremely indignant about the murder of his friend. Although he also arrogantly said that he would not go along with the evildoers, in the end he was still frustrated and cried helplessly at the end of his road!

What can verbal resentment and resistance change other than bringing fatal disaster to oneself?

Seeing that Gao Xiaowan had fallen into deep thought, Xiao Jinyu ignored him and took the evidence with the imperial guards, Bi Yiyun, and Sima Maozong to report to the palace!

As soon as she left the Hejian Palace, she saw Gao Yanzong rushing over to her. He looked at her with a very worried expression, as if asking about her situation.

Xiao Jinyu nodded to indicate that it was safe, and then led everyone away!

Gao Yanzong stepped into the Hejian Prince's mansion and saw Princess Lu crying as she cleaned the wound on Gao Xiaowan's buttocks. He quickly ran over and handed a bottle of medicine to Lu.

"This is the medicine given by Fourth Sister-in-law. It is very effective in treating this kind of injury!" Seeing that Mrs. Lu looked doubtful, she added, "Fourth Sister-in-law is a miracle doctor. Third Brother should know that!"

Gao Yanzong stayed in the mansion for a while. After Lu finished applying the medicine to Gao Xiaowan, he closed the door and said to him quietly, "Third brother, don't blame Xie Zhen. She came to save you. If she didn't come today, He Shikai would have come. Just think about it. If it was He Shikai, you would probably be dead now!"

"After all, you scolded His Majesty in the Xinghua Yanyu Tower. If I don't beat you up, I'm afraid His Majesty's anger won't go away!"

"Also, she told me to tell you that He Shikai will get his comeuppance one day, so you should control your temper and stop stabbing straw men. Doing this won't hurt He Shikai, and it will give people something to use against you, which will do you no good at all!"

"Yanzong, tell me, who is he? Why did you become so nervous about Xie Zhen after Chang Gong had a secret talk with you before he went on a diplomatic mission to Zhou? You wanted to follow him around to protect him every day, and now you are speaking for him everywhere?"

Gao Yanzong's expression changed, and he just said, "She... is the person that Fourth Brother cherishes the most. Third Brother, don't ask anymore!"