Painting Doctor Jinhua

Yuan Rujing looked up suddenly.

"Imperial edict?" There was some surprise in her tone.

"Yes, since General Han sent you such a letter before he died, he would not do anything meaningless. Do you know where the imperial edict he asked for from the late emperor is?"

"This... I really don't know. He only mentioned this in the letter and didn't tell me where the imperial decree was."

The eyes of both men fell on the piece of silk written in blood. There was indeed only one sentence written on the silk, nothing else. Judging from the handwriting, time was quite tight, so the content was brief and a bit sloppy.

Xiao Jinyu picked up the silk and politely said, "Thank you, Madam, for coming to tell me all this today. It's getting late today, and I'm sure you can't stay outside for long, so I won't keep you here." After that, she called out, "Fenghuang, bring me some paper and pen!"

"Yes!"

After Fenghuang brought the pen, ink, paper and inkstone, she quickly handed the pen with ground ink to Xiao Jinyu. Yuan Rujing saw Xiao Jinyu holding the pen and starting to trace on a piece of spotless white paper. Her brushwork was light, graceful, delicate and fluent, yet not lacking in strength. In just a moment, a lotus bud appeared on the paper.

After finishing the painting, Xiao Jinyu asked A Xiu to hand the painting to Yuan Rujing.

"Madam, please take a look?" she said.

"What is this?" Yuan Rujing was stunned. After taking the scroll, she carefully observed the lotus in the painting. She saw that layer after layer of lotus petals were clearly in bud, but they seemed to be slowly opening and blooming. They were so lifelike that one felt as if they were in the quiet and beautiful scenery of the lotus pond under the moonlight. There was also a faint fragrance of ink that made people intoxicated.

"Ayu, your painting...your painting looks like a real living thing. It is said that Wei Xie dared not add eyes to his paintings, for fear that the creatures would come to life and fly away. But your painting has both form and spirit, and is ingenious and full of emotion. I am afraid...I am afraid that even if Wei Xie were still alive, he would not be able to match it."

Yuan Rujing sighed, but Xiao Jinyu just smiled nonchalantly.

"Thank you for the compliment, madam. What do you think of this painting?"

Yuan Rujing looked at it again for a while, her mind seemed to be attracted by it, and after a long while she sighed: "The more I watch, the calmer my heart becomes. I feel that the way of nature follows nature, and all my worries can be dispelled!"

"Yes, it seems that Madam understands the meaning of my painting." Xiao Jinyu paused for a moment and smiled, then continued, "Madam's insomnia and dreaminess are caused by her uneasy heart, so soaking her feet in hot water with moxa leaves can only alleviate the symptoms by a third, which is only a temporary solution. I will give this painting to Madam, and I hope that Madam can often look at the world in the painting and truly understand what is the Tao of nature."

Yuan Rujing finally understood Xiao Jinyu's real intention and suddenly stood up and said, "So Ah Yu wants to cure my insomnia? Even though I was a coward and didn't save your mother from danger, you are still willing to help me?"

"My mother's affairs will not end here, but the news you brought me today is enough for me to repay you."

Hearing Xiao Jinyu say this, Yuan Rujing felt a little sad and panicked. After thinking for a long time, she seemed to have mustered up the courage to ask, "Your mother...Aluan, how...how did she die?"

"He died of a sudden hidden illness." Xiao Jinyu replied calmly.

"Hidden illness? What hidden illness does Aluan have? Besides, isn't she a doctor?" Yuan Rujing asked in surprise, but seeing Xiao Jinyu's solemn expression, as if she didn't want to continue the topic, she could only bow to Xiao Jinyu and said, "Sorry, I asked too much. Ayu should also accept my condolences."

At this time, the little girl Ayuan ran over happily: "Aniang, have you finished talking with my sister? When can we invite my sister to our house to play?"

"A Yuan, stop talking nonsense. My sister has her own things to do. She can't go just because we want her to!"

Yuan Rujing awkwardly interrupted her daughter's words, smiled back at Xiao Jinyu, and said goodbye and prepared to leave. However, after walking a few steps, she suddenly seemed to remember something, turned back to look at Xiao Jinyu and said, "By the way, Ah Yu, there is something I want to say, but I don't know if I should say it or not?"

"Ma'am, please speak!"

"That Xiao family... Rujing thinks that the Xiao family is not a place where one can settle down, and it can even be considered... not safe. Since A-Yu has medical skills, even if she doesn't return to the Xiao family, she can at least find a paradise in this chaotic world and live happily in peace. But why does she have to go back to the Xiao family to recognize her relatives? After you make such a fuss today, Princess Yunyin will definitely not let it go!" Yuan Rujing said as if to persuade her.

Xiao Jinyu smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Madam. There are many unfair things in this world, and there are many things that we have to do against our will. I know it is impossible to do it, but I still do it. This is my way!"

Knowing that it cannot be done, do you still want to do it?

Yuan Rujing suddenly felt that she had nothing to say, so she forced a smile and walked out of the Early Spring Courtyard with A Yuan in her hand.

……

"You knew it was impossible, but you still wanted to do it. Are you stupid? Your mother has told you so many times that there are some things that you can't say, but others have to say them for you. There are some things that you can't do, but others have to do them for you. But today, that bitch provoked you with just one sentence. You even testified against her mother in front of so many people and asked people to call out your name. You are afraid that others don't know that you are Xiao Jiuniang, right?"

In Fengxiu Pavilion, Xiao Jiuniang covered her face and cried, while above her head she could hear her mother, Princess Yunyin, shouting angrily.

"I don't know either. That slut did it on purpose. She fell into our trap and came to the street on purpose, attracting so many people to watch. She wanted to humiliate me in front of so many people. Mother, why did you only scold me?"

"How stupid! How could I have given birth to such a stupid daughter like you?"

Princess Yunyin cursed angrily, paced back and forth in the room for a few steps, and then ordered Jiang Yu, "Go and call Sixth Lady to me!"

"Yes!"

Xiao Liuniang Xiao Qin was the concubine's daughter of the Xiao family. She was born to a maid. Her biological mother had passed away long before Princess Yunyin married into the Xiao Mansion, so Xiao Qin was raised by Princess Yunyin.

Xiao Qin is now eighteen or nineteen years old, but she has not yet discussed marriage. Perhaps it can be said that there are very few young men from noble families who come to propose marriage to her, so it has been delayed until this age.

"Mother, do you have something to ask me?"

The person who walked into Fengxiu Pavilion was a young girl with an exquisite snake bun and a white double-breasted dress with wide sleeves and long hem. The girl had a dignified and beautiful face, and her eyes were full of spring and dew. She looked very pitiful, but it was hard to see through her at a glance.

From the first moment Princess Yunyin saw her, she knew that this girl was a very scheming person, because since the first day she stepped into the Xiao Mansion, this girl was the only one who never feared or avoided her, and she never missed her morning and evening visits every day, and never delayed for a moment. When she was undecided about some things, she would often hear words from Xiao Liuniang that made her extremely satisfied and relieved.

"You should have heard the rumors on the street today, right?" Princess Yunyin asked straight to the point.

Xiao Qin also nodded without hesitation: "Yes, mother."

"Because of this incident, Balang and Jiuniang were implicated and suffered great humiliation on Jingyang Street. Now the people of Jiankang are also constantly criticizing me, the mistress of the Xiao family, and rumors are spreading everywhere. What do you think about this?"

"Mother, Aqin believes that rumors stop at the wise. We should just ignore them now. The people of this world are just talking about something new. After a while, if new rumors spread, no one will remember what happened today."

"New rumors?" Princess Yunyin asked curiously with a frown.

"Yes, in Aqin's opinion, if mother really didn't want Xiao Jinyu to join our Xiao clan, she wouldn't have to start with her mother, let alone mobilize the troops or the secret guards. She only needs to... ruin her reputation."

"Then how can she bring disgrace upon herself?" Princess Yunyin's eyes showed even more interest.

Xiao Qin lowered her head and smiled, and replied: "Mother, don't you know how her biological mother fell into disgrace?"