Painting Doctor Jinhua

Chapter 182 Farewell, Family, Separation is Imminent

The man stood up, ordered everyone around him to retreat outside the tent, and said to the maid, "Kill Lanling King, and then put the blame on Xie Zhen!

It is up to you to do this!"

The maid was puzzled: "May I ask why the plan changed? The secret letter I received said to kill Xie Zhen and prevent the peace talks!"

The man looked at the maid coldly and said, "My words are also the meaning of that master. You don't need to ask too much, just do it!"

"Yes!"

The maid retreated hesitantly.

As soon as the maid left, the man called another maid, A Yin, in and said, playing with a wine glass in his hand:

"Do you know why I do this?"

"My dear, you are very thoughtful and far-sighted. I can't guess what you mean!"

"Regarding the peace talks, I think Xie Zhen and General Wei have already reached an agreement, and the matter cannot be changed. If we can save Lanling Wang's life, Qi will lose a fierce general. Moreover, given the cowardly nature of the King of Qi, he will not retaliate against our Zhou Kingdom because of a county prince. What's more, he doesn't care at all. Didn't I hear that the king is still coveting the beauty of Lanling Wang's wife?"

"Indeed!"

"Then we can put the blame on Xie Zhen, which will make this talented scholar's reputation plummet, and even make him a wanted criminal of Qi, with nowhere to stay. Then, we can bring him to Zhou, which will be considered as a talent accepted by the king of Zhou!"

The man said this and added proudly:

“This kills two birds with one stone!”

Ah Yin was enlightened, and frowned, asking in confusion, "Why didn't you tell the maid just now?"

"This Anu, she is a spy of Qi State, and she has her own master to whom she is loyal. We can only be allies with her master if we have the same goal. So, she can be used, but not trusted!"

"I see, you are so thoughtful, sir!"

After Ah Yin finished her flattery, she smiled sweetly, and the man also smiled even more proudly. He took the maid into his arms and drank the freshly brewed green ant wine together!

……

After changing into night clothes, the maid quietly sneaked into the tent of Lanling Wang and Xie Zhen while it was dark. Seeing that the two men on the couch were indeed fast asleep, she immediately drew out a dagger and was about to stab Gao Changgong. At this moment, she suddenly felt the air around her condense, her back felt cold, and an extremely cold sword was pressing on her neck.

The maidservant's whole body froze, and her heart instantly sank into an ice cellar!

"Who came up with such a stupid idea and sent a fool like you to plot the assassination?"

Along with a mocking laugh coming from behind, a surge of footsteps suddenly sounded outside the tent, and several soldiers surrounded the tent!

At this time, Lanling Wang and Xiao Jinyu also sat up from the couch.

When the maid saw that the two men were in good spirits and there was nothing unusual about them, she immediately realized that she had fallen into a trap.

"So you guys..."

"Yes, we are fine. We are just trying to lure the snake out of its hole!"

Xiao Jinyu got off the couch and was about to walk to the maid, but Gao Changgong grabbed her, blocked her way, and knocked a dagger out of the maid's hand. At the same time, he asked Gao Yanzong to tear the veil off her face.

Seeing that it was the face of the maidservant beside Yu Wenya, Xiao Jinyu said, "It's you!"

"Tell me, who sent you?"

At this time, Wei Xiaokuan also led people into the tent, among them were Yin Gongzheng and Yuwen Ya.

"Are you the spy?"

Seeing the maid in night clothes revealing her true face, Wei Xiaokuan was also very surprised. He looked at Yu Wenya and said, "Isn't this the maidservant beside the Fifth Lady?"

Yuwen Ya was a little confused and didn't understand the situation. The maid had clearly told her half an hour ago to wait a little longer until Lanling Wang's medicine took effect, and then she would be brought to the tent to check out the situation first and get Xie Zhen out of the tent at the same time!

But what's going on now?

"Anu, how did you become a spy? Didn't you come here..." She didn't dare to say the rest, but she immediately realized the seriousness of the matter and explained to Wei Xiaokuan, "General, this matter has nothing to do with me. Although she is my maid, I didn't ask her to kill anyone!"

"Anu, what's going on? Tell me, explain it clearly!"

The maidservant shed tears like a pear blossom in the rain, and complained helplessly and bitterly: "Fifth Lady, I'm sorry, I am actually from Qi, my family is in Qi, someone kidnapped my family and asked me to come to Zhou Yuwen's family as a spy, and assassinating Lanling King today is the last thing she wants me to do. She said that if I succeed, she will release my family immediately. I... I have no choice..."

"you--"

Yuwen Ya stamped her feet in anger, and then asked curiously: "According to what you said, you are from Qi, so why did you kill Lanling King? Does your master have a grudge against Lanling King?"

The maid shook her head: "I don't know!"

"Who is your master?" Gao Yanzong asked angrily.

The maid's eyes suddenly showed fear:

"No, I can't tell her. If I tell her, she will never let my family go..."

After saying that, she made up her mind as if to slit her own throat, but Ling Ye put away his sword in time and knocked the maid unconscious.

Yuwen Ya looked at the maidservant who had fallen to the ground, her eyes still somewhat blank, when she suddenly heard "Xie Zhen" say:

"Madam Yuwen, since this maidservant is a spy sent by Qi, we would like to bring her back to Qi. Do you have any objection, Madam Yuwen?"

"No problem! Absolutely no problem! How dare I keep a person like this by my side? Since you Qi people want him, just take him away!"

Xiao Jinyu smiled and turned to Wei Xiaokuan: "We have to thank General Wei for coming to bear witness today and to act out this drama with us!"

Wei Xiaokuan was filled with relief at this moment. If the maid had succeeded in the assassination attempt and Prince Lanling had really died in his tent, then his reputation would have been ruined, and the diplomatic relations between the two countries would have been destroyed. Yuwen Hu would have certainly put all the blame on him alone!

Fortunately, Xie Zhen seemed to have the ability to foresee things and noticed this matter in advance, thus avoiding this disaster.

Thinking of this, he also thought of the fate of Yuwen Hu that Xie Zhen mentioned during the secret conversation during the day.

He had also heard that there were some talented people in this world who had mastered mysterious skills that could predict the good and bad fortune of human affairs and predict people's fate. As for whether it was accurate or not, it depended on personal ability. Could it be that Xie Zhen had also learned such a mysterious skill?

While he was thinking, Xiao Jinyu continued, "Since the peace agreement has been reached, we will return to Qi tomorrow!"

Wei Xiaokuan woke up from his deep thoughts and said with a smile: "Okay, then I won't keep Envoy Xie and Prince Lanling!"

As soon as Wei Xiaokuan left, Gao Yanzong anxiously asked Gao Changgong and Xiao Jinyu: "Could this spy be planted in Qi by that woman, Lu Junjun? I heard that she controls the largest secret spy organization in Qi!"

The two were silent for a while, then nodded without hesitation.

Gao Yanzong was so angry that he swung his sword on the couch, breaking it in two!

"This woman! It's not enough that she killed my eldest brother, now she wants to kill my fourth brother! When I return to Qi, I..."

"Yanzong, the more this happens, the more you have to endure it. He Shikai and Lu Lingxuan are afraid that they can't find any fault with you. As long as you make the slightest mistake, they will exaggerate or even distort the facts in Gao Zhan's ears!"

She suddenly remembered that Gao Yanzong seemed to have made a straw man of He Shikai because of Gao Xiaoyu's death, and shot arrows at the straw man every day to vent his hatred for He Shikai. Because of this, He Shikai found an excuse to whisper in Gao Zhan's ear, saying that the straw man was His Majesty. Gao Zhan believed it without even checking, and immediately summoned Gao Yanzong to the palace and ordered Liu Taozhi to beat him almost to death.

Gao Yanzong glanced at Gao Changgong and heard him say, "Listen to Minister Xie and don't act rashly in the future!"

"Yes, Fourth Brother, Fourth... Thank you, Minister!"

"Then this spy..."

"Since she has family in Qi, she must be concerned about them. This person can still be used!" Xiao Jinyu said.

"Well! Let's save her life!" Gao Yanzong said somewhat unwillingly.

The storm lasted a long time before it subsided. When everyone left, Gao Yanzong looked at the two people in front of him and suddenly felt a little sad: "Tomorrow we will return to Qi State, and my fourth brother will also go to Jinyang. We are about to part, and you must have a lot to say, so I won't disturb you!"

After a pause, he added, "I'll send some more people to guard outside the tent. It doesn't matter what you want to do!"

After saying this, he ran out of the tent with a red face, and ordered dozens of soldiers to guard the perimeter outside the tent.

Ling Ye also hid in the dark with a sword in hand.

Although they were about to part and had thousands of words to say to each other, Gao Changgong and Xiao Jinyu seemed to have reached some kind of tacit understanding that night and neither of them said much. Perhaps because they were afraid of worrying the other, they both hid their reluctance and anxiety in their hearts and just cuddled up to each other, enjoying every moment together.

When he woke up in the morning, Xiao Jinyu fed a pill into Gao Changgong's mouth.

Gao Changgong couldn't help but ask curiously: "What is this?"

"It's a medicine that can save your life at a critical moment!" Xiao Jinyu replied, remembering the time when they first met, when she gave him a pill, but he didn't take it, so she asked, "Why didn't you take the anti-poison pill I gave you the first time?"

Gao Changgong smiled and said, "At that time, I thought that if this medicine really worked, I would leave it to someone who needed it more. I didn't expect that it would be used on you later. It's not bad!"

"What a waste! I don't need it. Besides, it's not easy for me to make a pill like this. It requires a lot of rare medicinal materials and takes a long time." Xiao Jinyu scolded lightly.

Gao Changgong hugged her tightly and said, "Ayu, the best thing I have done in my life is saving you when I first saw you, right?"

Because of the first life-saving grace, she was grateful and tolerant of him, which led to the opportunities for them to save each other, get along with each other and understand each other again and again.

"Well, I guess so!" Xiao Jinyu answered bluntly, "I am a very calculative person. If anyone does me a favor, I will remember it in my heart. If there is a grudge, I will also take revenge. So, luckily you belong to the former!"

Gao Changgong just smiled.

As they laughed, the two fell silent again.

Xiao Jinyu suddenly said in a deep voice: "Changgong, if you meet Fenghuang when you arrive in Jinyang, please help me take care of him!" As she said that, she also stuffed something into Gao Changgong's hand, "Also, give him this bottle of medicine for me!"

She was afraid that it would be difficult for her to repay Fenghuang's kindness to her, and she only hoped that he would be well in this life!

Gao Changgong could also sense the guilt in her heart and said softly, "Of course!"

"And..." Xiao Jinyu paused, looking at Gao Changgong with clear and worried eyes, "Protect yourself well!"

After saying that, she covered his lips, absorbing each other's warmth as they tossed and turned.

It won't be long before winter comes on the road to Jinyang. If there are no major changes in this life, Yuwen Hu will break the alliance between Qi and Zhou and send 200,000 troops to Luoyang. At that time, Gao Zhan will order Gao Changgong to rescue Luoyang and break through the formation with 500 cavalry to rush to Jinyong City. From then on, he will become famous in this battle and his reputation will soar!

By then, he would be a true god-like general on par with Duan Shao and Hulugu, invincible in battle and victorious in every attack!

Although this was the case in the original owner's memory of his previous life, Xiao Jinyu was still worried that things would change in this life, so she repeatedly reminded Gao Changgong to be careful and put his life first.

……

After the Qi delegation set out from Yubi City, three letters were sent out from an inconspicuous tent in Yubi City at the same time. One flew to Yecheng of Qi, the second flew to Chang'an of Zhou, and the third only reached the nearby Nanyang Fort.

"The plan failed, the spies were captured, and the Qi envoy has left Yubi City!"

In Nanyang Fort, a handsome man in purple received a message from a carrier pigeon and immediately handed the letter to Yuwen Hui, who was already stationed in Nanyang Fort with his troops.

After the meeting, Yuwen could not help but get angry: "I knew a maidservant could not accomplish anything!"

He immediately gave the order: "Take 200 riders and catch up with Lanling Prince Gao Changgong!"

"Yes!"

Yubi City is only 500 miles away from Jinyang and is deep in Hedong, posing a direct threat to the safety of Jinyang. That is why Emperor Shenwu Gao Huan has always kept it in mind.

But for the State of Zhou, it was a place where they could attack Jinyang, an important town of the State of Qi, or defend the natural strategic locations of the Fen River and the Yellow River.

It took the Qi delegation three days to leave Yubi City and approach the border of Jinyang.

The next part of the journey was to go their separate ways. Gao Changgong was very reluctant to let the envoys go, so he asked them to stop and rest for a while.

But the delegation had just rested for a while when a scout came to report: "Fifty miles away, there are about 200 cavalrymen approaching here!"

Gao Changgong immediately ordered the more than one hundred cavalrymen he brought with him to be on full alert to protect Xiao Jinyu and other members of the delegation.

Gao Yanzong and Ling Ye also ordered the troops they brought to form a neat battle array.

When the cavalry approached, Xiao Jinyu recognized that the leader of the team was Yuwen Hui, the envoy of Zhou State whom he had met in Chen State.

Yuwen Hui led his troops to ten steps away from Gao Changgong's army and then stopped.

Xiao Jinyu noticed that behind Yuwen Hui there was a "man" wearing purple clothes and a veiled hat, but for some reason, she felt very familiar when she saw this person.

Gao Changgong was also very surprised when he saw Yuwen Hui.

"Yuwen Hui? What are you doing here?"

Yuwen Hui smiled and said, "Of course I'm here to kill you! Gao Changgong, I couldn't kill you in Chendi, but I can definitely kill you here, right?"

"You want to kill me here?" Lanling Wang seemed to have heard something very funny, "With just the troops you lead!"

"Gao Changgong, don't be so arrogant. I know that you, the Baibao Xianbei, are the strongest ones trained in a hundred-man battle. A hundred cavalrymen can be used as a thousand cavalrymen, but my team is not a pushover!"

Before Gao Changgong could say anything, Gao Yanzong could not help but shout:

"Yuwen Hui, how dare you come here to kill our Qi State envoys?"

Yuwen Hui smiled and said, "Then there is no need for the Qi envoy to worry about us. Once you are dead, I will fabricate the illusion that the Qi envoy was ambushed by the Turkic soldiers. The crime of killing the envoy cannot be blamed on me!

The dead can never tell the truth!"

Gao Yanzong was furious, and he heard him teasing, "Gao Changgong, you are willing to leave the stunning beauty of the Southern Dynasty in Yecheng, and you are not afraid that the licentious king of Qi will take the beauty to his bed. But then again, you have possessed this beauty for a long time, isn't it time to let her go?"

Before he could finish his words, he felt a strong wind passing by his ears, and an arrow flew through the air and pierced straight into his helmet.

"No need to talk nonsense, just kill him!"

Gao Changgong shouted angrily, then rushed forward with a gun in hand, pointing directly at Yuwen Hui. The Baibao Xianbei behind him and Yuwen Hui's army soon engaged in a battle.

Yuwen Hui did not fight himself, but called the purple-clothed man beside him and said, "Li Yan, go and kill Gao Changgong. I will reward you handsomely!"

"Yes!"

The man in purple answered "yes" and was about to gallop out on his horse when the halberd in his hand suddenly turned in the opposite direction and pierced Yuwen Hui's chest.

This scene shocked everyone, and Gao Changgong immediately ordered the army to cease fire!

Yuwen Hui stared at the "man in purple" in front of him with his eyes wide open in astonishment and disbelief. He thought of how Li Yan had brought hundreds of troops to join him half a year ago. With this private army as an arm, he had a higher status in the Yuwen family than the crown prince Yuwen Xun. It was also this aide, whom he regarded as a trusted one, who gave him advice time and time again, which made his father give him more power. Now he is the governor of Puzhou and promoted to the rank of General.

"Why? Li Yan! Are you also a spy sent by the Qi State?"

The man in purple took off the veil on his head and the hairpin that tied his hair. He poked a drop of bright red blood on his fingertips and smeared it between his lips.

It was then that Yuwen Hui discovered that his aide was actually a beautiful and heroic woman!

"I'm sorry, Mr. Yuwen Sanlang, my name is not Liyan. A goose that has strayed from the flock will always return home.

My real name is:

"Thank you, Yu, Xuan!"