Painting Doctor Jinhua

Chapter 170: Phoenix's Revenge, Poems Flowing in the Palace

Lu Yu looked a little strange, and replied: "It was the Shangshu You Pushe Wei Shou and the Duguan Shangshu Bi Yiyun!"

"Wei Shou?"

Xiao Jinyu showed a surprised expression.

"Ayu has also heard of Wei Shou?" Gao Changgong asked in surprise.

Xiao Jinyu nodded: "I have heard of Wei Shou's talent. It is said that when Hou Jingpan fled to Southern Liang, your father asked him to write a punitive manifesto. It is very brilliant. In addition, he, Wen Zisheng and Xing Shao were known as the three great talents in the north during the Northern Wei Dynasty!"

After a pause, she looked at Gao Changgong and said,

"But I don't know much about him."

Gao Changgong smiled and said, "It's rare that you don't know something. Yes, my father appreciated him very much. He is a man of great talent but also knows how to retreat and protect himself. When Erzhu Rong was hunting down and killing court officials in Heyin, he escaped by luck with his intelligence. Later, Cui Heng's father Cui Jilun recommended him to my father and he was appointed as a regular attendant of the imperial guards, responsible for compiling the national history.

However, he was not fair in compiling history. He would conceal the achievements of those who had grudges against him, and lavishly praise the merits of those who had done him a favor. Later, he was reported by nearly a hundred noble children, but Emperor Wenxuan valued his talent and did not punish him. It was not until Emperor Xiaozhao, Gao Yan, succeeded to the throne that he ordered him to revise the national history. Only when the national history was compiled fairly and truthfully did Emperor Xiaozhao publish the "Book of Wei" he wrote! "

"But now that His Majesty is obsessed with wine and women and not paying attention to state affairs, many important matters have been handed over to He Shikai and Lu Lingxuan. In order to protect his reputation, he has no longer paid attention to state affairs."

Speaking of this, one cannot help but feel a little regretful. Wei Shou was often ridiculed by others because he was afraid of disaster and wanted to protect himself, and was unable to remedy the current ills.

Xiao Jinyu also heard the regret in Gao Changgong's words: "So, your majesty now asked Wei Shou and Bi Yiyun to be the envoys to escort Aunt Yuwen Hu to the Zhou Kingdom. You are very surprised, right?"

Gao Changgong nodded and said yes.

"Then who is this Bi Yiyun?"

Lu Yu couldn't help but interject, "He is a cruel official. He is very good at interrogating criminals and forcing them to confess. I heard that his nephews and servants were often beaten by him. He has a very cruel personality. He is also similar to Zu Ting in that he is lustful. His family is also filthy and chaotic. He has a bad reputation in the court and many ministers are afraid of him. The once upright Zuo Cheng Song Youdao once scolded him in the court: The poem "The Male Fox" has been passed down for thousands of years because of him."

It has to be said that this civil official was very vicious and to the point when he cursed people, because the poem "The Male Fox" was a satire on the scandal of the affair between Duke Xiang of Qi and Wen Jiang, a brother and sister.

"And there is another point..." Lu Yu said with some contempt in his tone, "Bi Yiyun is now on the side of He Shikai and Lu Lingxuan. Originally, he and Zhaojun Wang Gao Rui had impeached He Shikai before, but because His Majesty favored He Shikai more than others, Bi Yiyun was afraid that He Shikai would whisper bad things to His Majesty, so he immediately flattered He Shikai and Lu Lingxuan and joined their camp!"

Xiao Jinyu nodded, smiled and said with emotion:

"Another Lu Lingxuan man! Does this Bi Yiyun have any other weaknesses or deeds?"

When Lu Yu heard Xiao Jinyu's question, he immediately became excited.

"Princess, you're asking me? Aren't you going to ask Li Mi to help?"

"Mr. Li still has his own things to do, and he has the entire Zhaojun Li family behind him. He can't get into too much danger because of us. But you are different. You are from Lanling Palace. We still need you to organize our intelligence network in Yecheng!"

Xiao Jinyu discovered that Lu Yu was also a person who was very good at eavesdropping and stealing other people's privacy, and could collect some useful information as a basis for judgment.

Hearing Xiao Jinyu say this, Lu Yu became even happier.

"Okay! I told you I have my strengths! The prince always asks me to run errands and find out about these things. It seems like this is also something I'm good at, right?"

Seeing Lu Yu's childish look, Xiao Jinyu couldn't help but smile: "Yes, you also have your strengths and your outstanding qualities!"

Lu Yu was afraid that Gao Changgong couldn't hear him, so he quickly poked Gao Changgong's arm and said with great joy,

"Did you hear me? Did you hear me, Prince? Don't always look down on me, okay? I have my own strengths, too!"

Gao Changgong really didn't want to talk to him, so he pushed him aside, pulled Xiao Jinyu to his side, held her in his arms, and warned Lu Yu: "Don't barge into my room casually in the future. If you have something to say, knock on the door outside!"

Lu Yu's face turned red again and he quickly lowered his head.

"Yes, yes, the prince taught me a lesson. I won't dare to do it again!"

Xiao Jinyu laughed again.

"Okay, Chang Gong, stop teasing him!" she said, and then looked at Lu Yu seriously, "Tell me, how much do you know about Bi Yiyun?"

Lu Yu thought for a moment and replied, "His wife has been dead for many years. Not long ago, he took a concubine from my Lu family. Oh, and he has a son named Bi Shanzhao, who is just as cruel and brutal as him. He often beats and scolds servants, and makes them wear bridles like livestock and tie them to trees, forcing them to eat grass. He tortures them for more than ten days. The servants in the mansion are very dissatisfied with them... And it is said that his son often has affairs with his maids and concubines.

It seems that Bi Yunyi and his son have been at odds for a long time. After repeated admonitions, he has refused to change. Now the father and son regard each other as enemies..."

Hearing this, Xiao Jinyu nodded.

Seeing that she was confident, Lu Yu asked curiously, "Princess, have you thought about what to do next?"

Xiao Jinyu looked out the window and ordered, "Call Fenghuang in!"

"Yes!"

Lu Yu was about to run out as ordered, but unexpectedly the boy had already jumped down from the tree and walked into the room.

"Brother Qing——"

He called out, and seemed to understand what Xiao Jinyu was going to say.

"Do you want me to pretend to be a member of the delegation and sneak out of Yecheng?"

"Yes! Tomorrow you will leave the palace with us as Xie Zhen. I will let Ling Ye help you sneak into the delegation and escort you out of the city!"

When she heard that she was leaving the city, Fenghuang felt very reluctant. She held back the tears in her eyes and answered yes. She couldn't help asking:

"Before that, are you going to kill Bi Yiyun?"

Xiao Jinyu shook her head and said, "No need. If I'm not mistaken, Gao Zhan should be sending Yuwen Hu's aunt Yang back to Zhou in the name of sending Yuwen Hu's mother. I heard that Yuwen Hu has been asking Qi for his mother for many years. Chang Gong, is that right?"

Gao Changgong said, "Yes, it was my grandfather who captured Yuwen Hu's family and kept them in Jinyang. It should have been thirty-five years. Yuwen Hu often asked Qi for his mother, wanting to fulfill his filial duty. He even secretly sent spies to Qi to kidnap his mother, but he failed every time!"

"So, Bi Yiyun cannot die for the time being! He cannot destroy the peace talks between the two countries! And the most dangerous place is also the place least likely to be suspected!"

……

The next morning, Lu Lingxuan ordered Gao Anagong and the hidden guard Erzhu Ying beside her to lurk outside Lanling Prince's Mansion and stare at everyone coming out of the mansion. Until they saw Xie Zhen walking out with Lanling Prince and Lanling Princess, several assassins became focused and stared at "Xie Zhen" without blinking.

Today, Prince Lanling also strengthened his defenses, with dozens of armored soldiers following him, so Gao Anagong could not find a chance to attack. Until Prince Lanling and his guards arrived at the Zhuming Gate in the south of the city, that "Xie Zhen" suddenly turned in the opposite direction, jumped on his horse and seemed to be leaving!

Gao Anagong and Erzhu Ying widened their eyes in surprise: they had thought that if Xie Zhen had stayed with Prince Lanling and his wife the whole time, they would have no chance of ambush. They were worrying about how to lure Xie Zhen out alone, but they didn't expect that he would run away by himself without any soldiers. Isn't this just courting death?

"Where is he going? Isn't he going to participate in the competition in front of the palace?" Gao Anagong asked curiously.

"I don't know, but maybe he discovered we were following him?"

"If we were discovered, shouldn't we hide?"

Gao Anagong was very puzzled, and saw Xie Zhen seemed to say goodbye to Lanling King and his wife, and ran towards the direction of the north city!

Gao Anagong and Erzhu Ying also quickly found a horse each, and took seven or eight assassins with them, and chased towards the north city.

Several people kept chasing until they reached the gate of the back garden of a ruin in Beigong, where they saw a horse leisurely eating grass, but there was no one on the horse!

"Strange! I just saw someone on horseback, how come he disappeared in the blink of an eye!"

Gao Anagong was still asking questions in surprise when he suddenly felt a flash of cold light in front of his eyes, as if a piercing sword was cutting through the air!

He suddenly felt a terrifying murderous aura spreading all around him!

It was as if an impenetrable sword net was covering his head!

"Captain Gao, be careful!"

A assassin jumped forward and stood in front of him. When he could see clearly, he saw a sword beam piercing through the assassin's chest!

At this moment, Erzhu Ying seemed to have seen something. He jumped off his horse and chased a figure into the back garden of Beigong, all the way to a hidden and dilapidated thatched hut.

"Come out! You have nowhere to escape!"

Erzhu Ying sneered, and his eyes swept around the thatched hut like an eagle. Then he saw a young man in black clothes slowly walking out and coming in front of him.

The boy was still dressed the same as "Xie Zhen", but his exposed face was extremely handsome!

A gleam of surprise and excitement suddenly flashed across Erzhu Rong's eyes!

"It's you! Haven't you already left Yecheng with the army transporting food and fodder with Prince Zhao?"

"Oh, you are not dead yet, how can I leave the city? You actually want to plot to kill my brother Qing. I left the house today as Xie Zhenzhi, but it was just to lure you here!" Fenghuang sneered in response.

"So this trick was used to protect Xie Zhen. Boy, you are very loyal to your brother Qing! In order to protect him, you even risked your own life? Did you know that Lord Lu had already given up on hunting you down, but you still managed to fall into his trap?"

Fenghuang ignored him and just looked at Erzhu Ying with hatred, angry and puzzled: "Uncle Erzhu, although I am young, I still remember that my father treated you well and regarded you as the most trusted general. But you betrayed my father and even conspired with treacherous people like Lu Lingxuan and He Shikai to harm the entire Murong family! Why did you do all this?"

Erzhu Ying laughed dryly a few times, as if he had heard something extremely funny in the world, and laughed out loud.

"Boy, do you know who I am? I am a descendant of the Erzhu clan. If your grandfather Murong Shaozong had not surrendered to Gao Huan and your father had not devoted himself to the Bohai Gao clan, the Erzhu clan would have been the one to inherit the Northern Wei. Your grandfather was only the chief secretary of my father Erzhu Zhao. If he could betray my father, why can't I betray your father?"

Fenghuang was a little shocked for a moment, but he was not aware of the past grudges and just remained silent.

"Forget it, why am I telling you all this? I thought you had already escaped, so I thought leaving this bloodline for your Murong family would be a good deed for me. But since you haven't left yet, don't blame me for being merciless!"

After Erzhu Ying finished speaking, two extremely sharp short blades appeared between his hands. With a flash of cold light, the two short blades attacked Fenghuang's face, whizzing like lightning and wind. When Fenghuang dodged, the sharp blades shot out from his wrists. This was the weapon that Xiao Jinyu asked Ling Ye to make for him before he left. It can be used as a short sword, and can also be turned into a hidden weapon or sharp arrow!

Suddenly, the sword energy scattered in the thatched house, and smoke and dust flew everywhere...

……

While the Beigong side was experiencing the flashing of swords and the fighting of sabers, the Taiji Hall was already bustling with noise. Under the proposition of the Emperor of Qi, all the scholars had already displayed their talents and a tide of poetry was pouring out.

"The desert dust rises, the beacons on the mountain pass startle. The emperor's might inspires military strategy, the general leads the divine army."

"The north wind blows away from the high tower, and the cold clouds in the remote place are gone. The Xiongnu are determined to be near and far, and the warriors want to run rampant."

……

"The fire of Shuofang Peak illuminates Ganquan, and the flying general of Chang'an is coming out of Qilian. The jade sword of Xiqu is from a good family, and the chivalrous young man is riding a white horse with golden reins."

……

"The glorious Nan Zhong followed the army, marching thousands of miles out of Longting. Now that the Chanyu has been worshipped at Weiqiao, where can the general seek fame and honor?"

……

"Those who can write poems are Pei Rangzhi, Ba Mi Lu Lang, and Lu Sidao. I wonder if there will be another talent better than these two in front of Taiji Hall today?"

"Your Majesty, all the talented people in the country are here. As the saying goes, the waves behind push the waves in front, and your Majesty's wish will surely come true!" He Shikai flattered Gao Zhan again.

Gao Zhan glanced at the white-clothed scholars standing in front of the Taiji Hall, who were as crowded as a forest of jade trees, but did not see Xie Zhen. He could not help but wonder, "Why hasn't Xie Zhen come today?"

Li Mi had also been looking for Xie Zhenzhi, and he couldn't help getting anxious, thinking: The written test has already started half an hour ago, and considering the girl's personality, she shouldn't be late, unless something has delayed her!

"Your Majesty, maybe Mr. Xie encountered something, or maybe His Royal Highness Prince Lanling encountered something and missed the time!"

Li Mi explained, but He Shikai sneered at the side: "What kind of trouble could Lanling Wang encounter? Could someone assassinate them?"

"That's possible!"

Li Mi retorted sarcastically, and glanced at Lu Lingxuan not far away inadvertently, but saw that Mu Ti Po seemed to say something in her ear, and the woman's face was full of ambiguous pride.

"Your Majesty, if Xie Zhen fails to attend the palace examination on time, it would be a disrespect to the prestige of the Great Qi State and disrespect to Your Majesty. If he fails to come today, should he be punished?"

Lu Lingxuan suddenly answered.

"Then according to your opinion, how should the punishment be carried out?" Gao Zhan asked.

"The Xie family of Chen County is now a declining noble family, no longer as prosperous as it once was. A descendant of this family dares to defy the authority of our country. We should never employ them in Qi State to serve as a warning to others, so as to prevent those noble families who think they are noble from becoming so arrogant as to defy the imperial power!"

"Lord Lu, what do you mean by that? You mean to say that the children of our noble families are not worthy of standing here, right? So what if we are from a declining noble family? Is a person's talent measured by his background? In our Qi State, there is no such thing as the upper class does not have poor families, and the lower class does not have noble families. Otherwise, Lord Lu, you would not be sitting in the Taiji Hall right now!"

Li Mi shouted angrily, and Lu Lingxuan's face changed drastically. She couldn't help but look at Li Mi with hatred.

Gao Zhan was a little impatient, and waved his hand and shouted: "Shut up!"

At this moment, the noise in the palace suddenly stopped, and a loud voice suddenly came from behind, which was still clear:

"Although my Xie family has declined, Zhen has always kept in mind the family motto: Where there is virtue in the world, saints will be born; where there is no virtue in the world, saints will be born. Although my Xie family was slaughtered by villains, our spirit remains. Can you slander the great achievements that my Chenjun Xie family has made in history with your words that we are a declining aristocratic family?"

As the voice came, Xie Zhen, still dressed in black, followed Lanling King to the front of the palace.

All the scholars made way for him.

Xie Zhen then stepped forward, bowed to the emperor in the palace and said, "Your Majesty, the reason why I am late is because someone led me to the North Palace and wanted to kill me, so Xie Zhen was delayed!"