Painting Doctor Jinhua

Chapter 146 Lu Lingxuan

Northern Qi, Yecheng.

This is the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties. Cao Wei, Later Zhao, Ran Wei, Former Yan, Eastern Wei and Northern Qi all established their capitals here.

But Yecheng actually consists of two cities. One is Yebei City, which is the former site of Cao Wei. It faces the Zhang River to the north. From north to south, there are Bingjingtai, Tongquetai and Jinhutai.

One is Yenan City, which is now the location of the Northern Qi imperial palace. After Gao Huan moved the capital there, the Northern Qi imperial palace was expanded and built here.

It was already 3:30 in the afternoon, and the palace in Yenan City was still filled with music and dancing. Emperor Gao Zhan was still embracing Mei Ji, enjoying the singing and dancing, while playing the game of holding a spear with He Shikai. He Shikai was promoted by Gao Zhan because of his skill in this game, and was taken as a close friend. The two of them talked about everything, and were so close that they no longer had the etiquette of monarch and subject.

Today, He Shikai has been promoted all the way from the Assistant Minister of the Imperial Household to the Minister of the Court, and has been given an additional government post. He can open his own government office, establish government offices, and train his own staff.

"This Zhou's Yuwen Hu has been asking our Qi for his 80-year-old mother for 35 years. Now he is threatening to attack our Jinyang. Yan Tong, do you think I should release his mother?" Gao Zhan, who was half drunk, asked angrily.

"Your Majesty, I think that Yuwen Hu's mother Yan is an important bargaining chip. As long as this bargaining chip is in hand, Yuwen Hu will not dare to send troops to Daqi. So it is better to release his aunt Yang first than to release Yan. By the way, let Yang write a letter to Yuwen Hu in Yan's name, expressing her longing for her son. Yuwen Hu will not dare to do anything after reading the letter."

"Yantong is really comparable to Yi Yin and Huo Guang. I also think this plan is very good! If we can get help from the State of Chen..."

At this point, Gao Zhan suddenly remembered something and asked, "How long has Chang Gong been on a diplomatic mission to Southern Chen? Why hasn't he returned yet? Did you send the letter I asked you to send to him?"

"Your Majesty, I have sent it, and I have received a reply. The Prince of Lanling has already returned and should be able to reach Yecheng within half a month!"

Gao Zhan nodded in satisfaction, hugged Meiji and drank another sip of wine, then suddenly smiled and said,

"I heard that the beauties in the south have a unique charm. I also want him to bring two beauties from the south back for me to see! I wonder if this boy has taken my words to heart!"

"Yes, yes, I have also heard that the girls in the south are very gentle and considerate, unlike the girls in our north, but..." He changed the subject, "Prince Lanling is not interested in beauty, I am afraid he will disappoint your majesty!"

These words made Gao Zhan very disappointed, so he pushed the beauty in his arms aside.

As the two were talking, they suddenly heard the sound of bells. He Shikai raised his eyes and saw that it was Lady Lu who walked into the Zhaoyang Palace.

At this moment, Lu Lingxuan was still wearing a purple dress, a pearl crown on her head, and bells jingling at her feet. She looked quite charming and graceful.

Lu Lingxuan, who is about thirty years old, has no signs of aging on her face. She has a very good appearance, and her elegance reveals a hint of elegance and coldness, and even a hint of remoteness and mystery.

This kind of temperament made Gao Zhan somewhat obsessed.

"Lord Lu, why are you here so late at night?" He Shikai asked first.

Lu Lingxuan cast her eyes towards Emperor Gao Zhan, smiled, raised her hand and saluted, and replied: "Your Majesty, the Prince of Lanling did bring back a woman from the south when he was on a diplomatic mission to Southern Chen this time. However, he has already offered the entire Cizhou Kiln in Pengcheng, Qi, as a betrothal gift to marry that woman in front of the scholars from both the north and the south."

Gao Zhan immediately sat up from the couch.

"What did you say? Offering the entire Cizhou Kiln as a betrothal gift? I was drunk at the time and gave him the Cizhou Kiln. He really thought it belonged to him alone!"

After venting his anger, he turned and asked, "What kind of woman can catch his eye? Isn't he not interested in women? I thought he was frightened at the time..."

Lu Lingxuan smiled again and replied, "I heard she is extremely beautiful, the most beautiful woman in the South!"

Gao Zhan's eyes immediately showed a look of surprise and lust.

"Then what are you waiting for? Tell him to bring this beauty back immediately, overnight, and don't wait any longer!"

"Yes, Your Majesty! Please grant me your orders!"

Gao Zhan, still drunkenly, took out a jade token from his waist again and threw it into Lu Lingxuan's hand.

"Alright, alright, I know what you want, take it!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After receiving the jade token, Lu Lingxuan bowed again and walked out of Zhaoyang Palace with a smile.

……

Yebei City, also known as the Northern Palace, had experienced the baptism of war many times. Santai was originally in ruins, but when Emperor Wenxuan was alive, he carried out extensive construction and renovation on Santai, and now it is magnificent again.

Lu Lingxuan came to a secret hall in the Bronze Sparrow Palace, which was a place dedicated to supporting the wizards of Qi State.

The monarchs of Northern Qi Dynasty always believed in divination and using strange phenomena to warn people. Therefore, wizards who were proficient in Huang-Lao doctrine and Yin-Yang numerology were able to get some official positions in Northern Qi Dynasty and enjoy a relatively honorable status.

Lu Lingxuan can also be considered as one of the Yin-Yang masters.

"I didn't expect that she is still alive and has returned with Lanling King. The princess of Chen State is really useless. She was fooled around by a little girl and ended up losing her life!"

"This is destined by heaven. She is destined not to die. I have told you long ago that you are not as good as her. She has paved the way for her daughter and given all her luck to her daughter. Even if she dies, you are still no match for her!"

The person who was speaking was a white-haired wizard, but even with the white hair, this woman who was about forty years old still had a youthful face and was quite pretty.

"Really?" Lu Lingxuan sneered, "Speaking of which, if she hadn't rescued me from the palace back then, how could I have had the opportunity to enter the Changguang Palace to be the wet nurse of the crown prince Gao Wei, and how could I have the status I have today after the Changguang Prince usurped the throne?"

At this point, Lu Lingxuan was quite proud and a little sad. "You always say that I am not as good as her. Then tell me, she is so smart, why can't she predict her own fate?"

"No one can predict their own destiny, including you!" The white-haired woman looked at her coldly and said.

Lu Lingxuan was stunned for a moment, then sneered.

"Okay! Then we'll wait and see!"

After saying this, she walked out of the secret hall again, and then walked out of the Bronze Sparrow Tower and the North Palace.

After Lu Lingxuan returned to her mansion, she called an old woman and asked, "Where are they now?"

"A spy has sent a message that they are almost in Pengcheng!"

"From Pengcheng into the sea, we can reach Yecheng in ten days. Give orders that they must not be allowed to return alive until the old woman dies!"

At this point, she raised a jade token in her hand.

"This is the order from His Majesty, pass it on to Commander Liu!"

"Yes!"

……

At this time, the large warship rented by Xiao Jinyu and Lanling King had indeed arrived in Pengcheng.

Pengcheng is located in the old city of Lu State. Because there is a stone beam in the water, it is called Lulianghong.

The section from Xia Pi to Pengcheng is where three rivers merge into one, with a very turbulent flow. In the past, when Confucius was looking at the water, he sighed, "Time flies like an arrow, it never stops day or night." He was referring to the Pengcheng Lvliang Flood.

Gao Changgong was very unhappy when he saw the turbulent water.

Xiao Jinyu came to his side, wrapped her arms around his waist, and explained softly, "Chang Gong, I know you are worried about me, but I will be very careful, and I will not do anything that I am not sure of."

"He is different from the emperor of your Southern Dynasty. It will be very dangerous for you to stay with him. I will never agree to this."

He still rejected it outright.

"Everyone has weaknesses. Chen Xu's weakness is disguise. If you want to be a wise ruler, the emperor of Qi will also have weaknesses..."

Being embraced by her like this, Gao Changgong's heart couldn't help but soften. He turned around, spread out his sleeves, and took her whole delicate body into his arms again.

"But I don't want you to be in any danger again..." He said while hugging her tightly.