Tang Dynasty Puppet Doctor

Chapter 50: Smart fight, his home

This urgent voice immediately attracted the attention of Murong Huan and Xiao Muchen.

The two looked at the person who came and saw that it was the head of the Su family: Su Qing, Marquis of Wuyi County.

Su Qing looked very anxious and deeply guilty, but the moment he saw Murong Huan, he couldn't help but smile with relief.

God knows how far he ran today. He originally learned from the Dali Temple that Murong Huan followed Xiao Muchen to the Guo family. When he ran to the Guo family, the Guo family's doorman would not let him in. He waited and waited but Xiao Muchen did not come back, so he simply ran to the Xiao mansion and waited. He waited for two hours, but did not see Xiao Muchen come back. So he ran back to the Dali Temple to inquire, but Lu Shiyilang of the Dali Temple told him that Murong Huan and Xiao Zhongcheng had just left before he arrived, so he chased the carriage with the Xiao family emblem all the way here.

"Uncle..." Murong Huan was also slightly surprised when he saw this.

"Will you come home with me? After all, you are an unmarried girl. You can't always show up in public. It's very bad for your reputation. I know your grandmother has a bad temper and has many misunderstandings about you. I will explain this to your grandmother. From now on, I will set family rules and no one in the Su family will be allowed to bully you again.

You want to study at the Imperial College, and your uncle agrees. As long as you want to do something, your uncle will support you, okay?"

Murong Huan was slightly moved.

"Uncle, I left the Su family not because my grandmother disliked me, nor because anyone in the Su family treated me badly."

"why?"

Murong Huan asked Xiao Muchen to take out a portrait and showed it to Su Qing: "Is this painting painted by your great uncle?"

The girl in the painting is standing under a crabapple tree and playing the flute. She is wearing a white robe that is neither old nor new, and has a high ponytail. Only her side profile is exposed. She looks very heroic and mysterious.

Su Qing was also surprised when he saw the portrait. He exclaimed, "Yes! That day, my uncle saw you playing the flute under the crabapple tree. The picture was so beautiful that it reminded me of your father. I drew this picture on a whim. What's wrong?"

Xiao Muchen continued, "Someone took this portrait and dumped the body in Ruyi Tower, hoping to use it to frame her. Marquis Su, do you know who it is?"

Su Qing's expression suddenly changed: "What did you say? Frame Ah Huan?"

The news of the murder in Ruyi Tower had spread throughout Luoyang City early this morning. Ah Huan had not returned home all night, so he was anxious and took several servants to the Dali Temple to look for him.

Listening to what Xiao Muchen said, he couldn't help but be shocked: Could this murder case be related to Ah Huan?

Su Qing immediately thought of the night before yesterday when his third brother Su Yu ran to his study and saw this portrait. He praised his painting highly and said that he also wanted to learn painting, so he took the painting away.

Seeing him lost in thought and revealing an expression of disbelief, Xiao Muchen continued, "I've heard that the Su family's Second Master, Su Minghe, and his wife once traveled the world with their medical skills, befriending many righteous men and merchants. Madam Su was even the leader of the Chamber of Commerce. So, even if Su Minghe and his wife had tragically passed away, they would surely have left their daughter at least a dowry. Why would the Su family send her to a manor so far away from the divine capital of Luoyang? Not only did they withhold the dowry of an orphan girl, but they also went so far as to frame their own niece?"

Every word Xiao Muchen said hit the nail on the head, and Su Qing was so guilty and embarrassed that he was speechless.

"Marquis Su, I, Xiao Muchen, am not short of money, nor would I do such a shameless thing as embezzling the property of an orphan girl. So, don't worry, I will definitely treat your niece well. Moreover, she is the doctor I hired to treat my illness, and she is my benefactor.

I will definitely repay my benefactor with gratitude."

Xiao Muchen finished speaking with a half-smile, and Su Qing was completely speechless. He was stunned for a long time before nodding and apologizing several times, "Yes, yes! Xiao Zhongcheng is absolutely right..."

"So, go back! If Murong Huan stayed in your Su family, that would be truly dangerous, right?"

……

Su Qing was speechless in the end, and even too embarrassed to face Murong Huan, so he returned to the Su family with a few servants in a desperate state. Seeing his dejected look, Old Lady Su was immediately furious and asked, "What's wrong? Is that girl actually living in the Dali Temple? Is she planning to hang out with a bunch of men from now on? Does she even know that she is still a young lady?"
It's really vulgar. Just pretend that this person doesn't exist in our Su family and don't bother with it anymore!"

Upon hearing this, Qin and Qiu couldn't help but feel happy and gloating.

Su Qing felt extremely powerless and could only say, "Mother, don't you feel guilty when you say these things? Erlang only left this one child behind. Our Su family is now enjoying the honor that Erlang once brought to the Su family and the wealth and fortune that he left behind. Why should we blame the Su family's past misfortunes on this one child?"

"She won't come back. Perhaps this is what Mother wished for, but our Su family will never be able to revive itself from now on. Mother, if you ever regret it in the future, don't blame me for not reminding you."

After Su Qing finished speaking, he hurried to Su Yu's room. Seeing him lazily putting on an extremely luxurious ice-blue robe and preparing to leave, he rushed over, grabbed his collar, and angrily asked, "Why did you use the portrait I painted of Ah Huan to frame her for murder? Sanlang, who are you working for now?"

"Father dedicated his entire life to his country, even dying on the frontier to prove our Su family's innocence. He always taught us to be self-disciplined and respectful, not to covet power, and not to cling to the rich and powerful. Someone wearing a purple python and jade belt and enjoying success today could very well be imprisoned tomorrow. Don't you understand these principles?"

"Brother, what are you talking about? Who am I working for? I have been guarding the Su family's finances and working for the Su family. Do you expect me to support the Su family with your meager salary?" "Did you use the portrait I drew to frame Ah Huan?" Su Qing asked again.

Su Yu replied confidently, "No, why would I frame her? I'm just bored!"

Su Qing couldn't get an answer, so he had to leave Su Yu's room and became worried alone.

……

Although the Xiao family mansion looks plain and unpretentious from the outside, the layout inside makes people feel like they are in a misty natural painting of mountains and rivers.

There are rockery and ponds with vines and creepers, and birds of various colors flying among them. Occasionally, you can see cats jumping up and down.

A vibrant atmosphere blows over.

"Xiao Zhongcheng, your home is so beautiful. Living here, with these little animals as your companions every day, you must be in a good mood, right?"

As he was speaking, a colorful bird landed between his raised palms.

"This bird is so beautiful and cute!"

"It's called Fire Phoenix. It's the first gift my master gave me, including the cat and the fox. Every time my master comes, he always gives me a gift, all of which are small animals."

"Ha, Xiao Zhongcheng's master is such an interesting person!" Ah Shu sighed.

Xiao Muchen nodded with a smile: "Yes, he is a very interesting person. He once said that if you are tired of the political disputes, you can look at these birds and animals more often. It will help prolong your life!"

"Really? Then I'll have to take a look more often in the future!"

Murong Huan noticed that Xiao Muchen's expression today was completely different from before. In the past, he felt that his smile was just a hypocritical decoration to hide his true inner emotions, but at this moment, he was truly relaxed and happy from the bottom of his heart.

Therefore, his master was actually using these birds and beasts to help him purify the loneliness and hatred in his heart, allowing him to truly feel happy, and thus control the onset of the ice silkworm cold poison.

Who is his master?

Why is her style of doing things so similar to that of her master in Taoyuan Village?
Xiao Muchen brought Murong Huan to a courtyard on the south side, with the words "Qingxinyuan" written on the gate.

A middle-aged man and a middle-aged woman walked out together and bowed to Xiao Muchen.

Both of them looked very friendly. The woman glanced at Murong Huan and said with joy:

"My dear, you are back!"

Xiao Muchen nodded and said to Murong Huan, "These two are Uncle Lu and Aunt Ning, and they are also the housekeepers of my Xiao Mansion. If you have any needs in the future, you can tell them."

Murong Huan said, "Okay!"

Xiao Muchen pointed at the courtyard in front of him and said, "You will live here from now on!" He pointed to a courtyard opposite and said, "I live over there, it's called Changqing Pavilion. If you have any problems, you can always come find me!"

Murong Huan said hello again.

"Then you go in first!"

After Xiao Muchen finished speaking, he was about to head towards Changqing Pavilion across the street, but he heard Murong Huan say, "Wait, I'll go to your courtyard today. I want to treat you!"

This girl is really impatient!

Xiao Muchen smiled and said, "No rush. We may have another big battle when we get to Princess Taiping's residence tomorrow. Let's have a good rest today!"

(End of this chapter)