Painting Doctor Jinhua

"I have finished your business, but I don't think it will do you any good, young lady."

In the Zaochun Courtyard, a man in a green robe and wearing half a bronze mask also said so.

This person was Ling Ye. He covered the mouths of those assassins to prevent them from committing suicide, wrote those words on their bodies, and finally sent them to the front of Xinghua Yanyu Tower and hung them on a big tree. This was what Xiao Jinyu asked him to help do.

He could have refused, but for some reason, he agreed.

Maybe it was because of the expression and aura that this girl inadvertently revealed, which always gave him a sense of familiarity when looking back at the past, or maybe it was... just treat this as a compensation for the guilt and regret in his heart!

"Oh? Why do you think so?" Xiao Jinyu asked.

Ling Ye glanced at Xiao Jinyu and replied, "You can't fight against Princess Chen's power with your current strength. You can spread this news that is actually true through the mouths of the people, and she can also turn the truth into a rumor through the mouths of others. It is more likely that... she will make your life story public! By then, this farce will become uncontrollable..."

It turns out that even you know my background...

Xiao Jinyu laughed inwardly.

Fenghuang became nervous: "Brother Qing, we can't let those people gossip and slander Brother Qing's reputation!"

"No, Fenghuang, what I want is for her to make my life story public. I want this farce to get out of control. I don't have time to play the roles of loving mother and filial son, and harmonious grandparents and grandchildren in a big family. Why not tear off this mask as soon as possible and let everyone show their true colors, don't you think?" She looked at Ling Ye and smiled, and then said, "And I'm betting on one thing..."

"What are you gambling?"

"I'm betting on whether Princess Yunyin will take the Xiao family's reputation to heart... I'm betting on whether the head of the Xiao family really cares about this matter..."

When Xiao Jinyu said this, Ling Ye seemed to understand something and bowed: "So the girl already had a plan. I said too much. So I'll take my leave now!"

Ling Ye was about to leave when he heard Xiao Jinyu calling out, "Wait a minute—"

He turned around and saw the Hu boy next to Xiao Jinyu suddenly threw something to him. He was quick-witted and grabbed it in his hands. He opened it and saw that it was a white jade bottle. He asked, "What is this?"

"This is the reward from me, Xiao Jinyu, for you. If I am right, you have nearly thirty knife and sword wounds on your body, one of which is to your lungs. You have been seriously ill for five years because you have not received timely treatment. Now you will not live more than two years. This bottle of medicine is what I started to prepare when I first met you. It can help you clear the blood stasis in your lungs and prolong your life!"

After Xiao Jinyu finished speaking, Ling Ye's eyes suddenly lit up, and his gaze suddenly shot straight at Xiao Jinyu from behind the bronze mask.

"How do you know?" he asked coldly.

Phoenix seemed to sense the danger in this gaze and immediately stood in front of Xiao Jinyu.

Ah Xiu also became uneasy and nervous.

"Of course my brother Qing knows. She is a skilled doctor. She knew it the first time she saw you. Why, my brother Qing gave you medicine, do you want to repay kindness with enmity and kill people to silence them?"

After hearing what Fenghuang said, the murderous aura emanating from Ling Ye gradually subsided.

"So you are a doctor?" Yu Lu was surprised and questioning. He said ashamedly, "I'm sorry, I was mean."

"We are both wanderers in this world, so why should we know each other when we meet? I always feel familiar with you. Everyone has secrets that they don't want to reveal to others. Since you don't want others to know, I, Xiao Jinyu, will definitely not let anyone else know except here." Having said this, Xiao Jinyu glanced at Fenghuang and A Xiu, and after they nodded, she changed the subject and said, "However, if you want to cure the disease left in your body, you can come to me anytime!"

After he finished speaking, Ling Ye was completely stunned. To be precise, when Xiao Jinyu said, "I always have a sense of familiarity with you," Ling Ye's eyes were already filled with shock and stunned light. After a long time, he seemed to wake up, replied, "Thank you!" and bowed and left!

……

"Brother Qing, who is he? Why was he so alert when you mentioned the injuries on his body?" After Ling Ye walked away, Fenghuang couldn't help but ask.

"To be able to endure such an injury, this person must be either a veteran soldier or an assassin accustomed to the flash of swords and sabers. However, it is not convenient for us to explore other people's secrets, and it has nothing to do with us!"

Xiao Jinyu said this and smiled at Fenghuang.

Fenghuang couldn't help but smile and replied, "Yes, Brother Qing, then I won't ask anymore!"

"Let's go! The people who are supposed to come have arrived, let's go join in the fun..."

Xiao Jinyu suddenly changed the topic. Before Ah Xiu, who was following behind him, could figure out what was going on, she heard a loud noise coming from outside the courtyard. After they took a few steps, they saw a group of people rushing into the house.

They were actually a group of young ladies in bright and beautiful clothes. None of them looked to be under fifteen years old, and each of them wore high-heeled wooden clogs, wide-sleeved gorgeous clothes, and various exquisite hairpins and step-shakes with flowers on their heads, and flower ornaments between their eyebrows. It was like a picture of a lady riding the wind.

However, no matter how beautiful the scene was, the atmosphere was dangerous, and even Ah Xiu could sense that the visitor had ill intentions.

Sure enough, the young lady in the lead said arrogantly, "I heard that you are the wild girl who came from nowhere. How dare you claim to be a descendant of the Lanling Xiao family on the street? If a granddaughter of the Xiao family can recite the Lanling Xiao family genealogy, then she is a descendant of the Xiao family. Doesn't that mean anyone who can recite it can come and claim marriage, don't you think?"

"That's right. How could a person of unknown identity dare to get close to the Xiao family of Lanling!" another young lady agreed.

Fenghuang was already furious when he heard this, he strode up to the group of young ladies, raised his hand and split the stone beside him into two halves.

"What are you talking about? Dare you say it again?"

The two young ladies in the lead quickly shrank back in fear, looked at Fenghuang timidly, and retreated with envy and fear. At this time, Xiao Jinyu also walked towards them and said, "You broke into my house with such a grand momentum, just to lure me out, right?"

She looked at the girls who had surrounded the threshold of her house. From the way they were dressed, it was not difficult to guess that they were a group of young ladies from aristocratic families, along with some maids. She never expected that Princess Yunyin's backup plan was to use these ignorant youngsters who didn't know their place!

"Okay, where do you want to take me? Please lead the way. My house cannot accommodate the nobility of the ladies from noble families!"

"Brother Qing——"

Fenghuang was a little worried, but she heard Xiao Jinyu say, "Nothing!"

Several noble ladies from aristocratic families did not expect Xiao Jinyu to be so calm and composed. They could just lead her to the street, and she would be deceived obediently?

Is it that easy?

The girls couldn't believe it, but they didn't think any more about it. They said a few times, "Go, go, go!" and walked towards the alley outside the courtyard.

About half an hour later, Xiao Jinyu brought Fenghuang and A Xiu to the Xinghua Yanyu Tower on Jingyang Street. The group of noble ladies who led the way quickly hid in the crowd and watched the fun from the side.

Seeing the group of assassins hanging on several big trees, tied up and unable to speak with their eyes wide open, Xiao Jinyu couldn't help but smile: the assassin beside Xiao Xian was indeed decisive in his actions.

He did whatever she said!

"Isn't this the granddaughter who came back to the Xiao family to recognize her relatives a month ago? What did she say her name was? Xiao..."

"Xiao Jinyu!"

"Yes, it's Xiao Jinyu!"

"My dear, what is written on these assassins is true. The mistress of the Xiao family has been hunting you for a month. With so many assassins, it is not easy for me to survive until now!"

"That's right. It's not easy to keep these assassins hanging here like this!"

"You are so amazing, little lady!"

There was a sigh of emotion or laughter in the crowd. Some of these people might have sympathy, but most of them were just there to watch the fun.

"What's so great about that? She clearly invited this group of people to act out this drama. The Xiao family doesn't acknowledge her as their granddaughter, so she uses this vicious method to discredit the reputation of the Xiao family's mistress!" A voice suddenly shouted from the crowd.

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an immediate response.

"It's just a play! Is it true?"

Xiao Jinyu looked in the direction of the sound and saw that it was the group of young ladies from the noble families who had led her here who were mixed in with the group, laughing with their hands covering their mouths. There were also some middle-aged men and women dressed as servants who were shouting loudly, apparently trying to make a bigger noise and attract more people to watch.

At this time, Xiao Jinyu sneered and said loudly, "Is this a play? You can find out by prying open the mouths of these assassins. However, to ensure everyone's safety, it is better to ask the court officials to interrogate them." Having said this, she looked around and added solemnly, "I have reported to the police!"

"I have reported to the police." As soon as the four words "I have reported to the police" fell, the crowd fell silent. After a long while, a young girl's voice suddenly came from the sky, saying, "Then do you know why the Xiao family's Patriarch and the Xiao family's mistress refused to acknowledge her as their granddaughter?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a window on the upper floor of the Xinghua Yanyu Tower opened, and a young girl's face appeared, asking with a sarcastic look on her face.

The girl was actually Xiao Jiuniang!

Seeing Xiao Jiuniang, Xiao Jinyu's smile widened and she felt calmer.

This girl really can't keep her cool!

"Yes! Why don't the head and mistress of the Xiao family recognize this granddaughter?" Someone in the crowd immediately asked curiously.

"I heard that! Although her biological mother was the eldest daughter of the Xiao family, she did something that brought shame to the Xiao family and was expelled from the family!"

"That's right. I've also heard from the elders that her biological mother was dissolute and shameless. While she was treating Princess Yuhua's illness, she actually hooked up with the late emperor's favorite, that... Han Zigao..."

"It turned out to be General Han Zigao of the Right Guard. Didn't he commit suicide in the court of justice not long ago for treason?"

"I heard that the late emperor wanted to make Han Zigao the male queen. How could a lover be related to the legitimate daughter of the Xiao family? Is this true or not?" Some people agreed with the idea, while others raised doubts.

When Han Zigao was mentioned, the crowd immediately became buzzing. After all, this man who was the late emperor's favorite had once been very popular in Jiankang City and his reputation spread far and wide. Not to mention the women who suffered from lovesickness for him, even men could not help but feel pity and admiration for him when they saw his appearance.

Legend has it that when Han Zigao fled to Jiankang, it was during the Hou Jing Rebellion and Liang was in turmoil. Some bandits robbed the refugees, but after seeing Han Zigao's appearance, not only did they not want to kill him, but they also became his guards and escorted him home. It was at that time that he met the former emperor Chen Qian. Chen Qian was moved by his beauty and took him to his side. He not only taught him to read and write, but also trained him in skills such as archery and horse riding. The two were inseparable on the battlefield until Chen replaced Liang and became emperor, and Chen Qian ascended the throne after Chen Baxian.

Han Zigao also rose rapidly from a lowly commoner to a popular general of the Right Army with military power.

When the late emperor was alive, he doted on her to the extreme. Even the six palaces were virtual. He was the only one favored by him. But now it is said that the late emperor's favorite had an affair with the eldest daughter of the Xiao family. How can people believe it?

"Why is it unbelievable? This slave girl is the best proof. She is the bastard born by her biological mother and that Han barbarian!"

At this time, Xiao Jiuniang could not help but run out of the Xinghua Yanyu Tower. She rushed through the crowd with a group of servants and walked in front of Xiao Jinyu. She said with a smug and vicious look on her face: "Your mother has been driven out of the Xiao family and is no longer a member of the Xiao family. Your father is just a concubine and was sentenced to death by the court for treason. How dare you call yourself a member of my Xiao family?"